Food and Beverage Essay Example for Free

Food and Beverage Essay Hotel Les Fontaines has a strategy that differs very largely from any of its competitors, as it is one of a kind in its region. The company will focus on delivering a service that provides a more personalized and refreshed service style. There would be more attention to detail especially in the restaurant outlet of which has been proposed as this would be a value added for Les Chalets Des Mosses. Also the operation costs would be lower in the restaurant area compared to rooms, as clients who stay at the hotel are budget guest who like to spend less and in return expect quality service and product. The hotel operates for ten months throughout the year. The restaurant opens for service during lunch and dinner. For the lunch period simple, smart, and affordable dishes catering to the customers needs will be served. As most of the consumers will be children from ages four to twelve and parents from early thirties to late forties, a menu healthy and enjoyable menu for the guests will be designed. Even though quick service would be offered for lunchtime the quality of the food and service would not be compromised. This would allow for the restaurant to make a good first impression in order to encourage the guest to return to Pomodoro On the other hand, the dinner will have a drastically different objective. The average dish will be more luxuries and elegant and will be served in an a la carte fashion. The atmosphere at dinner will promote a sensational and comfortable time for our guests. Both the hotels image and the restaurant harmonize in theme. The hotel Les Fontaines provides a great experience for the clienteles, enticing them to return to Les Chalets des Mosses. Vision: Hospitality is all about the individual and at Les Chalets des Mosses we pride ourselves on our unique service culture. We are in business to meet our customer’s needs and promises that each guest will be treated with a positive service attitude at every point of contact. From the hotel manager to the cleaner and everyone else in-between plays a vital role in delivering a memorable guest experience. Mission: The mission of the restaurant is to deliver the most comfortable and soothing experience for the clients. With exceptional service, responsible stewardship, and high quality food an excellent experience can be provided. Therefore, the Pomodoro’s main objective is to focus on the customers’ best interests. Les Chalets des Mosses provides budget travelers and tourists with a choice of excellent hospitality products that offer excellent value for money, while assuring a good return to owners and inspiration to employees. Objective: The main object of Les Chalets de Mosses is to have a return on investment within two years form Pomodoro’s. Building a loyal customer base and a long-term marketing strategy are what Hotel Les Fontaines is seeking to achieve. Pomodoro is an ambitious concept that is currently, planning on growing and expanding by the year 2020. Also the Pomodoro is trying to aim for eighty to eighty-five percent occupancy rate for the lunch, which will operate for two and a half hours daily. As for dinner Pomodoro’s is trying to attract around seventy to seventy-five percent occupancy. By having a total of hundred twenty seats prepared in the restaurant, the Pomodoro will be the main focus of the company’s FB branch. The restaurant has made a completely different transition from its original concept. Not only did the restaurant change in its size, the type of services and it dishes the market segments has also changed. The most effective sales and marketing tactics have been selected to define the restaurant’s image. The name, Pomodoro, is the first major change to help identify the new Italian restaurant that has opened in Les Chalets des Mosses. The restaurant also has a bar, which would play an important role as while guest are waiting for the table they could spend time at the bar. During the waiting time guest’s may spend money at the bar allowing the restaurant to further maximize its revenue. Also, this new concept of the bar would be perfect after a long day at the ski slopes. The Hotel Les Fontaines will also incorporate three major principles (Schultz Horvath, 2008). The first principle is the training and development process of staff members. By creating a strong and effective program for the staff members, the employees will be able to satisfy even the specific needs of the customers. The Hazard analysis and critical points (HACCP) will be incorporated in the training program to deliver a food safety and social responsibility. With this our guests would feel at ease to eat at Pomodoro’s and families would be more than happy to be with their children. The training program will have to take place before the restaurant begins to operate in 2013. The second principle is the ability to operate efficiently. The restaurant should be able to deliver highly effective operations to the clients. Lastly, the culture of customer service should be noted. Without the necessary service to deliver the satisfaction and gratification of the consumer, a loyal customer base cannot be built. Les Fontaines will incorporate the referral marketing for the market strategy. The referral marketing is no doubt the best way to maximize the revenue and raise the awareness of the company and standards to the local customers (Schmitt, Skiera Bulte, 2011). FB Strategy: Diversification is one of the strategies that best fit the new operations situation, as Les Fontaines is in search of a new product and market (Gine, Pisano, Sorell, Szigety, 2006). The restaurant has taken extreme measures to differentiate itself from the competition in the Les Mosses region. As the restaurant caters to a niche market, it will have minimum competition with the surrounding business in the region. This is due to the fact that Pomodoro’s offers various activities for children of which the surrounding hotels do not offer. The psychographic, demographic, geographic, and purchase behavior of clients were analyzed in order to help Les Chalets des Mosses strengthen it own image (Yankelovich, Meer, 2006). In order to create such strategy, the restaurants must create an engaging and rigorous loyalty program. The goal of the hotel is to have local customers who will visit the hotel on a regular bases during the various events that take place in the region of les mosses. Since, the hotel will promote its special offers via newsletter through the zip code, not only does the newsletter grab the customers attention, but also the local customers will become frequent clienteles. This marketing strategy would benefit the whole hotel, not just the restaurant. By sending out newsletters promoting events or special offers in both the hotel and restaurant it may encourage guest to not only use the food and beverage outlets but also to stay and enjoy the experience. The company will take a step forward by taking surveys of the clienteles regarding the activities and subjects that interest them. This way Les Fontaines will be able to predict what the clientele’s hobbies or taste are and provide a service that incorporates partnerships with other companies. For example Pomodoro’s can promote a snow-tubing event to the customers by providing ticket deals. According to Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and the reigning guru of competitive strategy, competition within an industry is driven by five basic factors (Porter, 1979): 1. Threat of new entries. 2. Threat of substitute products or services. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers. 4. Bargaining power of buyers. 5. Rivalry among existing firms. We understand that using one strategy is impossible in todays society, as the range of customers are more diverse as globalization has a larger impact in today’s society. The Les Fontaines will be promoted in various ways. The newsletter will act as a tool to commercialize the company’s anniversaries and offers. Unlike, the other rivals the company will begin to engage the customers with a more personal touch. The snow tubing company in Les Mosses will further advertise the hotel and vice verse due to their partnership. Furthermore, the referrals will function as the company’s key promotional tool. Both Pomodoro and hotel Les Fontaines will attract customers through the various services, products, offers, and business proposals. None of the competing hotels and FB outlets substantially reshaped their business strategies and market segments like Pomodoro’s. The awareness of the hotel will most definitely rise as the customers and other partnering companies spread the word. The company will have a dominating number of advertisements in comparison to the other competing ventures due to their various partnerships. The hotel provides a pleasant and sophisticated service that was specifically designed to differ from other surrounding hotels within the region. Both the restaurant and the hotel will offer a personalized touch to the service that will be provided. This will attract new customers and build strong customer relationships, as the customers will return to the venture on a frequent basis. Despite the cluttered market, the unique products that were designed to meet the specific needs of the customers makes the Les Fontaines stand out from its competitors. List of References: Gine. F, Pisano. G, Sorell. M , Szigety. M. (2006). RD Portfolio Strategy, Diversification And Performance: An Information Perspective. (Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University) Retrieved from http://hbr.org/1979/03/how-competitive-forces-shape-strategy/ar/1 Porter, M. E. (1979). How competitive forces chape strategy. (Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University)Retrieved from http://hbr.org/1979/03/how-competitive-forces-shape-strategy/ar/1 Schmitt, P., Skiera, B., Bulte, C. V. D. (2011). Why customer referrals can drive stunning profits. (Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University)Retrieved from http://hbr.org/2011/06/why-customer-referrals-can-drive-stunning-profits/ar/1 Schultz, G. C., Horvath, A. G. (2008). Strategic plan: 2008-2013. Informally published manuscript, Finance Business, Pennsylvania State Yankelovich D, Meer D. (2006). Rediscovering Market Segmentation. Retrieved from: http://hbr.org/product/rediscovering-market-segmentation/an/R0602G-PDF-ENG

Overview of Disease Diagnoses Processes

Overview of Disease Diagnoses Processes Alejandra Medinilla TASK 1 The aim of this work is to cover the whole process of disease diagnoses. In medicine, exist different ways to classify diseases as well as different test and procedures to diagnose them. The world health organization (WHO) plays a very important role here; since they created normalized classifications of diseases and disabilities, with specific codes to describe each of them with the purpose of simplify and standardize the process of diagnose 1.2. We are going to review the two most important models of health, used in medicine to explain illness. They help to predict and identify risks and consequences, make decisions and reduce the possibility of occurrence of an illness. Diseases can be classified in different ways, depending on the criteria taken into account; duration, distribution, pathology and aetiology are some examples. They are important in the compilation of statistics on causes of illness (morbidity) and causes of death (mortality). The most used classifications divided illnesses depending on the organs affected, nature and causes of the disease, risk of contagious and communicable and the occurrence and frequency of it. According to the British encyclopedia these classifications are: 1) topographic, (2) anatomic (3) physiological, (4) pathological (5) etiologic (6) juristic, (7) epidemiological and (8) statistical. (Stanley L. Robbins, Jonathan H. Robbins, Dante G. Scarpelli. 2013. Classifications of diseases [online]. Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/275628/human-disease/63272/Classifications-of-diseases) The WHO has a very important role in classifying disease. They develop the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), with the ICD and ICF as core classifications. They are call the Normalized Classifications and are based on professional and scientific criteria. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a classification that uses different codes to differentiate symptoms, signs and illnesses. This classification allowed a global standardization making easier the diagnostic process. Each illness is classifying trough a code of 5 characters. The last version is the 10th, ICD-10, created in 1992. The 11th revision is running until 2015. The other classification created by the WHO is the ICF, which complements the ICD. This classification has two parts. One refers to functionality and disability and the other to conceptual factors. Both classify of the different states of illness/health within a standardize framework, with specific codes. On the other hand, more generally speaking, in 1997 was created the â€Å"triangle of health†. It classifies health, into social, mental or physical making emphasis on the importance of the three states together. We can define as Physical Health, to the body health; it refers to optimal weigh, vision, a healthy skin, and bones, tissues and organs, a good dental condition and a good neuro-muscular coordination. A person with physical health must able to do all his routine workwithout any difficulty. To evaluate the physical health of a person we can focus in different areas like life style (drug abuse, alcohol and tabaco habits, regular exercise, medical checkups), human biology (genetic and body chemistry), environment (the air we breathe and where we live) and medical services ( to prevent, detect and treat diseases). Mental Health – refers to the state of mind. It is the capability that a person has to manage stress and tension of daily life and keep a good attitude. Personal relationships with family and friends are a key aspect when trying to evaluate a person’s mental health. Mental health is essential requirement to make judgments, to possess discretion and to face and overcome the problems. The World Health Organization describes Mental Health as the â€Å"state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. (WHO. December 2013. Mental health: a state of well-being [online]. Available at: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/) And last, Social Health – which is the ability to function in society. It is in the ability to build positive and constructive relationships with peers. The social network of a person is a crucial indicator. Having no friends could lead to depression being more prone to manifest physical problems. In contrast, a person with strong relationships will feel more supported and accompanied. As a resume, a person could have a very good physical health, making exercises every day, eating healthy food and doing regular checkups with the doctor, but, if the person moves away from friends and social events to maintain this condition, this means luck of social health and could lead him to mental health problems in the future. In the process of diagnoses and establishing health and disease it is important to have knowledge and understanding of the Health research methods. Health research has been defined as â€Å"the process for obtaining systematic knowledge and technology which can be used for the improvement of the health of individual groups.† (Davies 1991, cited in A. Bowling 2002, p.3) Health research methods are used to obtain the necessary information to develop new tools and procedures that help to protect people from diseases or recover from them. Classifications of research methods are based on different criteria. Dankhe classification (1989) proposed 4 types of research studies: exploratory, descriptive, correlational and explanatory. In general depending on the role of the researcher we can have observational or experimental methods; according to the time when the data is collected or measured, prospective or retrospective; according to the number of occasions on which the variable is measured in the study, transversal or longitudinal and according to the number of variables under study, descriptive or analytic. Experimental studies are prospective studies; they evaluate the effect of one or more interventions. Frequently used in the assessment of therapeutic drugs and therapeutic interventions, being really careful with the ethic limits. They can be applied to the investigation of preventive measures of the disease, seeking to reduce individual risk. An example is the study that evaluates the effectiveness of a vaccine. On the other hand observational studies are those in which the patient is not assigned to an specific treatment or intervention, the evaluation is carried out according to a standard clinical practice, being therefore the researcher an observer of what is happening or has happened. Research involves a combination between the different types of research. Research methods are used in conjunction. As the WHO suggest â€Å"another way of classifying health research†¦ is to describe it under three operational interlinked categories of biomedical, health services and behavioral research, the so-called health research triangle† (WHO. 2001. Health research methodology. Chapter 1, p. 3) Multi-dimensional approaches are available for evaluating outcomes research. In evaluating research outcomes it is important to measure effectiveness, acceptability and humanity, equity and accessibility and efficiency. The evaluation of the data is made using the scientific method, and the collection of research data. Evaluation can be divided into two types: formative and summative. Formative evaluation is carried out during the investigation process. It aims to improve the methodology concentrating on the strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, Summative evaluation takes place at the end of the process. It determines achievement and other outcomes, to evaluate the continuity or not of the process or program. There are different ways to disseminate the results of a research. As a general rule it is better to plan at the beginning of the research which is going to be the dissemination strategies. It should be consider the goals and objectives of the dissemination, as well as the impact, the Audience, the Medium to best reach each the audience and the execution process. Ones we have the results of an investigation we need to concentrate in how they are going to be disclosed. The options are diverse, depending on the public we want to focus on. The most common and generally used is the publication of texts, could as scientific papers, in specialize magazines, newspapers or posters, leaflets and advertising for a more general public. In the field of health exist different Principles of Health modeling. Models are a simplification of reality. They help to predict, identify risks and consequences, make decisions and reduce the burden of illness. We can mention 2 important models, the Biomedical and the Biopsychosocial models. Both are theories that explain illness from different perspectives. The biomedical model assumes that disease is a deviation from normal biological functioning and biological mechanisms are sufficient to explain disease, excluding psychological and social processes. It is a reductionist and single-factor model; it reduces illness to low-level processes, such as disordered cells and chemical imbalances, and explains illness in terms of a biological malfunction. We can say that the Body was treated as a machine; Physical disease is measured by the absence of health. It is the one used to develop the classification of diseases. On the other hand, the Holistic or biopsychosocial model includes biological, psychological, and social factors as important determinants of health and illness. It maintains that health and illness are caused by multiple factors and produce multiple effects. So it is a multicausal model. Mind and body cannot be distinguished in matters of health and illness because both influence the state of health. The perception of wellbeing is influence by different factors. There are psychological and social factors that influence the development of illness, and these are ignored by the biomedical model since it take into account just the physical aspects of the problem. TASK 2 It is important to mention the difference between Diseases and Illnesses. A disease is a pathological condition of the body in response to disruption of homeostasis. It is a result of pathogens, trauma, physical and chemical agents, genetics (inheritance), metabolic or nutritional disorders, while an Illness is the condition of a person experiencing disease. In order to establish people’s health we need to follow different procedures and make various tests to be able to give diagnoses. Before we can proceed with a specific test or group of tests we need to look the Signs and symptoms the patient presents. Signs can be define as any indication of a medical condition that can be objectively observed and normally they have no meaning to the patient or they not even notice them. Signs can be detected during a physical examination. Elevated blood pressure is an example. 2.2 Symptoms on the other hand are recognized, experienced and referred by the patients. The patient feels something anomalous in his body. Examples of symptoms can be, feeling tired, low mood and energy, anxiety, nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness. Symptoms become key elements when any health professional want to make a diagnosis to a patient and give him treatment. As examples to clarify we can mention three examples. In the case of a headache, the patient is the only one capable to notice it so, it is a symptom; if we talk about blood pressure, this could only be a signs, since it needs to be measured by a doctor in a laboratory; and the one that could be both, a sign and a symptom is a rush. Ones we have observe and checked the signs and symptoms we are able to proceed with the correspondent diagnostic process. The diagnostic process includes all types of measurements and tests that are used to evaluate a patients condition, such as physiological measurements, laboratory tests and pathology tests, imaging tests and endoscopies. 2.1 Each form of diagnosis involves specific procedures and tests that we can summarize as: Laboratory tests: blood test, urine, and/or other body fluids. They are used to evaluate what is going on in the body and also in specific cases like cancer treatment, to evaluate the side effects like anaemia and neutropenia (low white blood cell count), which can increase the risk of infection. 2.1 Endoscopic tests: is a procedure performed with an endoscope (a flexible and very thin tube with a camera) to examine the inside of the body. The endoscope model varies depending on the part of the body that is going to be examined. Biopsy: is the removal of tissue, a very small amount to be examined under a microscope. There are different types of biopsies: Fine needle aspiration biopsy, Core needle biopsy, Vacuum-assisted biopsy, Image-guided biopsy and surgical biopsy. 2.1 Imaging tests: X-ray, bone scan, CT or CAT scan, Positron emission tomography (PET) scan, MRI and Ultrasound. 2.1 In practice, Multiple Tests are used. Choices depend on cost, invasiveness, volume of test, presence and capability of lab infrastructure, urgency, etc. As an example, to diagnose cancer the most common types of tests used are biopsy, imaging tests, endoscopic tests and laboratory tests. It is important to know that a disease could be developed in a normal or an abnormal way. That is the field of etiology, which in medicine refers to the factors coming together to cause a disease. As mention previously, a disease can have a normal or an abnormal aetiology. To clarify this concept we can observe the development of Diabetes. In general it could be describe as a chronic disease that occurs when the body loses the ability to produce enough insulin or use it effectively. We can divide this disease in 2 main groups. The first one includes the types of diabetes with normal aetiology and the second one with abnormal aetiology. In the 1st group (normal aetiology), the common forms of diabetes are Type 1 diabetes (T1D, known as insulin-dependent diabetes or IDDM) and Type 2 diabetes. In Type 1, the pancreatic cells produce little or no insulin. Its causes are not precisely known but are believed to be an autoimmune reaction. It can occur at any age, but usually occurs before the age of 30. Type 2 diabetes (T2D), known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) usually develops slowly over time. Most people with this disease are overweight at the time of diagnosis. The increment of body fat makes it difficult for the body to use insulin the right way. It can also occur in thin people and are more common in the elderly. It is the most common form of diabetes. 2.3 The 2nd group involves the types of diabetes with abnormal aetiology. In general these types present a gene mutation and some grade of inheritance. We can mention MODY (Maturity onset diabetes of the young) and GDM (Gestational diabetes). (MODY) is a rare form of diabetes that runs strongly in families. It is caused by an inherited genetic defect, an autosomal inheritance (3 generations of the same family affected) of the insulin-producing cells. After the Type 1 diabetes it is the most frequency type within infants. GDM is first developed during pregnancy, usually appears in mid-pregnancy. The body cannot produce or use enough insulin. It is of very high risk for the pregnancy, so it needs to be controlled. Gestational diabetes can be controlled with a healthy diet and regular exercise, but sometimes the mother will also need insulin. Normally it disappears after delivery, but the mother has more risks of developing diabetes type 2 in the future. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bowling, Ann. Research methods in health: investigating health and health services– 2nd ed. Open University Press, Buckingham †¢ Philadelphia. David Blane, Mel Bartley, George Davey Smith ; Disease aetiology and materialist explanations of socioeconomic mortality differentials; Inequities in health European Journal of Public Health. 1997; 7: 3S5-391 D. A. Collier and J. L. Treasure, The aetiology of eating disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry (2004), 185, 363-365 Donald M. Steinwachs, Ronda G. Hughes, Chapter 8. Health Services Research: Scope and Significance. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses: Vol. 1 Institute of Alcohol Studies (2007) Alcohol and Mental Health. L Rychetnik, M Frommer, P Hawe, A Shiell, Criteria for evaluating evidence on public health interventions. J Epidemiol Community Health 2002; 56:119–127 Ross and Wilson (2006), Anatomy and Physiology in health and illness, 10th edition Elsevier. R Bonita, R Beaglehole, T Kjellstrà ¶m, Basic epidemiology, WHO, 2nd edition. Saffrey and Stewart (eds) (2001) Maintaining The Whole: Human Biology and Health Book 3, The Open University, Chapter 7. The World health organization (2001) Mental health : new understanding, new hope. Tortora (2003) Introduction to the Human Body: The essentials of Anatomy and Physiology, 4th Edition, Wiley Sons. Hawkes, C. (2002) Globalization, Diets and Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization. WHO, Health Research Methodology: A guide for training in research methods. Second Edition. WHO, Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, 2001. World Health Organization, 2001. ICF International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. WHO, Geneve. WHO (1993) The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Diagnostic Criteria for research. WHO, Geneva. World Health Organization (2002) Globalization, Diets and Noncommunicable Diseases.

A comparative study of Sydney Carton in Dickens A Tale of Two Cities :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

A comparative study of Sydney Carton in Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, and Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, requires the reader to analyze various aspects that the transforming effect love can have on a personality. As we study each character, it is relatively easy to see that no matter how painful love can be, it is usually to one’s betterment to have experienced it. Love affects each person differently. Some become more introspective, searching to better themselves for the sake of themselves or another. Others do not recognize what they are lacking in their lives until they find love. In either event, it permanently redirects the course of one’s life. Or causes one to end it in some cases. We see that all three characters learn to love themselves better, to love others anew and in the end, make the ultimate sacrifice for their love for another. Point A: Both author’s illustrate well, that a lack of love can have a profound effect on the behavior of a person. Whether a person has never experienced love by fortune or by design, the initial introduction of love into the personality can be intense. Dickens introduces Sydney Carton to us immediately after a trial, speaking to his client. It is at this point that we get a glimpse of the character of Carton, "†¦who smelled of port wine, and did not appear to be quite sober†¦" (Dickens, 100). Carton is so disillusioned with his own life, that he can’t even like his client [who looks like him], "Do you particularly like the man?’ He muttered, at his own image; ‘why should you particularly like a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to like†¦" (Dickens 103). Romeo Montague is no less desultory, but youth is his excuse, while alcohol and lifelong disappointment are Carton’s. Shakespeare has Friar Lawrence state [about Romeo’s multiple infatuations], "Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes" (1.3.67-68). Having not experienced life yet, Romeo does not yet understand the nature of love. He still sees it as a physical reaction, rather than emotional, "For beauty, starved with her severity / cuts beauty off from all prosperity" (1.1.227-228). Juliet is so immature and unskilled in the ways of love, that she shares her youthful desperation with her nurse, "Go ask his name; if he is married / my grave is like to be my wedding bed" (1.

Grendels Mothers Attack Essay -- Beowulf Grendel Mother Essays

Grendel's Mother's Attack In Beowulf, we see a number of elements throughout the poem. First, we see a pagan warrior society. In this society the relationship between a king and his thanes is key. It is a symbiotic relationship in which the thanes defend the king and his land and fight his wars. In return, the king provides for his men. He offers them such items as mailcoats, swords, helmets, gold rings, mead, beer, shelter and companionship. This society also places great value on kinship. If one's kin is killed, it is the remaining relative's duty to make the killer pay for the death, either with his own life or the payment of wergild (the "man price"). Finally, we see the recurrence of the pagan ideas of fate and courage. Men believe that fate controls their lives. Beowulf constantly tests fate and believes that through courage he can live on in the memory of those who will live after him. In the section of the poem dealing with Grendel's Mother's attack, we see the warriors settling down to sleep in Heorot after the huge celebration of Beowulf's victory over Grendel. They seem unaware of the fact that Grendel has kin who may come to avenge his death. Grendel's mother appears on the scene, snatches a man away and hurries back to the mere. When it is discovered a man is dead, sorrow is renewed. There is no more joy at Heorot, now that the she-monster has sought "payment" for the death of her son. Yet since she and her son are monsters, the thanes feel little sympat...

Stephon Marbury :: essays research papers

	Stephon Marbury is a basketball phenomenon. Mr. Marbury has been known by the basketball world at the young age of eleven. Many pressures and confrontations have encountered Mr. Marbury throught his entire basketball career. These began when he was a young child and they still accompany him. 	Many people from Brooklyn, New York, the city in which Stephon Marbury was born and raised, have known about his basketball skills for an extremely long time because "...he was dribbling on a court not long after he was dribbling on his bib"(Ryan, 56). Mr. Marbury described himself as mouthy and inconsiderate. He loved to "talk trash" to opposing team's players and even their coaches. In 1988 Hoop Scoop, a recruiting newsletter, anointed him the bext sixth-grader in the nation...Up to that point, Marbury says, "I wasn't a very nice kid. I thought I was it. It was y'all supposed to talk to me, I'm not supposed to talk to y'all. i'd just come out on the court, just talk junk, with this walk and this look." In CYO ball he woofed at opposing coaches: I'm just killing your guards. Get someone out here who can stop me(Wolff, 62). 	By the time that Mr. Marbury was a Sophomore in high school at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, he had changed his act. He learned to treat everybody with respect and to be a professional person. He had also tattooed a panther onto his right arm. He said: "A panther is quick and smart and always alert to everything. He's sitting on top of a mountain...That's where I want to see myself" (Wolff, 62). 	Mr. Marbury had great pressures exerted on him to put up big numbers. He was frustrated that very few people could comprehend how much pressure was exerted on him to do this. Mr. Marbury even had international recognition by making the covers of magazines in France and Germany. A news show on the American Broadcasting Company, "Nightline", profiled him. Mr. Marbury says: It's real hard for people to understand if they don't come from New York, I was scrutinized for every little thing. In high school, I was like what Michael Jordan is to the NBA. I had to be on top of my game every day. Everybody was gunning for me(Ryan, 54). 	Mr. Marbury met another high school basketball phenomenon from South Carolina, Kevin Garnett. They both currently play on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Health Leadership Theory

Leadership Midterm Chapter 1 Introduction 1. Leadership- a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. 2. Trait vs Process Leadership- innate characteristics that individuals are born with vs properties possessed that one is able to develop. 3. Assigned vs Emergent Leadership- based on occupying a position within an organization vs an individual perceived by others as most influential member of a group regardless of individuals title. 4. Power- capacity or potential to influence (beliefs, attitudes, & actions) 5. Bases of Power: . Referent power- follower’s identification and liking for the leader b. Expert- based on followers’ perceptions of the leader’s competence. c. Legitimate- having status or formal job authority. d. Reward- having the capacity to provide rewards to others. e. Coercive- having the capacity to punish others. Real, Expert, Leaders, Reward Compliance (1st two are personal power while the ladder thr ee are positional power) Chapter 2 Trait Approach * One of the first systematic attempts to study leadership. Early theories focused on innate qualities/characteristics. Major Leadership traits***: 1. Intelligence- verbal, perceptual, and reasoning capabilities 2. Self-confidence- certainty about one’s competencies and skills 3. Determination- desire to get the job done 4. Integrity- quality of honesty and trustworthiness. 5. Sociability- Leader’s inclination to seek out pleasant social relationships. Israel’s, security, defense, is, strong * Big Five Personality factors: 1. Neuroticism- tendency to be depressed, anxious, insecure,†¦ (don’t want) 2. Extraversion**- tendency to be sociable and assertive with positive energy. . Openness- informed, creative, insightful, and curious. 4. Agreeableness 5. Conscientiousness- thorough, organized controlled, dependable, and decisive. * Emotional Intelligence- ability to perceive and apply emotions to lifeâ₠¬â„¢s tasks. The premise is that people who are more sensitive to emotions & their impacts will be more effective leaders. Chapter 3 Skills Approach * Leadership skills- ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to accomplish a set of goals and objectives. * Katz developed the Three-Skill Approach: 1.Technical- having knowledge about and being proficient in a specific type of work or activity. 2. Human skill- having knowledge about and being able to work with people. 3. Conceptual skill- the ability to do the mental work of shaping meaning of organizational policy or issues. Top management has high human and conceptual, but low technical. Middle management has high everything Supervisory management has high technical, high human, and low conceptual. * Chapter 4 Style Approach Style Approach emphasizes the behavior of the leader: 1. Task behaviors 2. Relationship behaviorsStudies: 1. Ohio state studies developed a leadership behavior description questionnaire (LBDQ) and it resulted in leaders with initiating structure and consideration. 2. University of Michigan-results in leaders with two type of behavior: employee oriented and production oriented. Blake & Mouton’s Managerial Leadership Grid focuses on concern for production and people. *Be able to draw this* Note that the first 4 chapters focused on the leader and his abilities. The next few chapters focus on the interaction with subordinates. Chapter 5 Situational ApproachLeaders must match their style to the competence and commitment of subordinates. Leaders need to diagnose the situation and then adapt their style. **** Chapter 6 Contingency Theory Leader Match Theory Fiedler developed the Contingency model High LPCs are effective in moderately favorable conditions while low LPCs are effective in extreme conditionis. Chapter 7 Path-Goal Theory Centers on how leaders motivate subordinates to accomplish designated goals. Leadership generates motivation when it: 1. Increases rewards (payof fs) 2. Increases assistance by leader- clarifies & defines goals 3.Removes obstacles 4. Makes work personally satisfying R,C&D,O,S Chapter 8 Leader-Member Exchange Theory High quality leader member exchanges between leaders and followers produced multiple positive outcomes (less employee turnover, greater commitment, promotions,.. ) Quint Studer Introduction Managers create the best possible plan to deal with the changing external environment. And they do this in a quick fashion. â€Å"We are only as strong as our weakest link. † Chapter 1 Alignment Healthcare organizations must be aligned to provide excellent medical care.The difficulty here is that most organizations don’t have a uniform or seamless organization. It takes significant amounts of time for information/procedures to flow down through the organization from C-Suite leaders to supervisory personnel and this process needs to speed up. Chapter 2 Action How quickly and effectively leaders can drive action dete rmines whether an organization lives or dies. As leaders we must be able to anticipate the outcome of changes in the external environment as they are occurring and respond appropriately. This is prohibited as the majority of leaders do need get prepared for their leadership role.Studer identifies that the training should cascade through an organization with leader taking ownership of training leaders below them. Chapter 3 Accountability Organizations require a system to be in place that holds people accountable for their actions. While top managers might say that their leaders are performing exceptionally when compared with yearly goals this doesn’t line up. The majority of time the managers results doesn’t match up with there reviews because there is a serious disconnect. Studer suggests that leaders take the lead in creating accountable organizations.Set specific goals, properly measure the data, and watch how results vary, act accordingly. Also, be able to change th e system quickly as the environment changes. Chapter 4 Leader Consistency & Best Practices All leaders in the organization need to be consistent with each other and adopt/implement best practices. Leaders often have difficult implementing best practices. Reasons for this include that leaders of one organization might not want their successful strategies being utilized in another company because they will no longer have the edge.. Current Events Hospital PartnershipsHospitals are now forming partnerships in an attempt to decrease expenses and increase quality of care. Understand what the term synergistic means. Ex. 1+ 1=3 Together something may be obtained, but individually this could never happen. Fraying Hospital Safety Nets While safety net hospitals receive less reimbursement for procedures they are still maintaining high quality of compare. This article demonstrated through studies that these less aesthetically pleasing hospitals have similar if not better readmission rates than others. Healthcare Reform Law Creates New Age of ConsumerismIf Obamacare gets implemented the 40 million uninsured individuals in the US will now have access to healthcare. This brings a new age of consumers accessing health services. Since a lot more people are coming into the system many companies are restructuring their services to make them more â€Å"digestible† said Karen ignangi CEO. Medi-cal recipients warned they could lose day healthcare benefit Medical recipients might loose ability to attend adult day healthcare center where they receive nursing care, social services, and meals. To continue receiving benefits these individuals must enroll in managed care programs.Cedars Sinai- UCLA cut from LA city health plan Because of increased cost cefars and ucla DOCTORS have been cut from anthem blue cross network. 60,000 employees are unable to attend these hospitals for future services. Because of research and public perception cost these hospitals are capable of charging higher rates. New system for patients to report medical mistakes â€Å"Currently there is no mechanism for consumers to report information about patient safety events. † Politicians and other officials state that it would be beneficial to implement a system where patients/consumers can give feedback regarding their experiences.This will increase the quality of care over time. Some officials are worried that patients may mischaracterize an outcome as an adverse event because they have a lack of medical knowledge. Patients would report these errors using a website and telephone interviews. What, when, where,.. Allergan drops bid for FDA approval to promote Lap-Band for teens The company sought permission from FDA to promote lap band for kids as young as 14. After a period of time they withdraw the permission and stopped asking for it. The company faces declining revenues and is likely trying to bring them up by getting into a new market of younger kids/adults.Allergan has yet to publish their clinical results which creates doubt in its effectiveness and may be the reason why they withdrew permission. Five people have died as a result of procedures and obesity is still a catastrophic problem in our society. We need to be pushing diet, exercise, and healthy eating habits rather than surgery.. Filipino nurses win language discrimination settlement $975,000 settlement was reached between the hospital and many philipino nurses that worked there and were prevented from speaking their native language. They claimed they were followed and harassed by security and other individuals.They were even threatened by the instillation of security cameras. All the while other individuals were aloud to speak their native languages like Spanish. Administrators don’t want them speaking other languages because it makes patients feel uncomfortable. Patients need to know what’s going on at all times since their health is at stake.. Doctor turns away obese patients Put staff at risk, office isn’t equipped to handle care of over weight patients, equipment costs are high. She is legally allowed to do this but ethically it is unsound. Where did Dr. Rubino go on vacation?St Petersberg, Russia KNOW THE TRENDS IN HEALTHCARE: 1. Cost cutting will be top of mind for CEOs: mergers/partnerships, outsourcing functions to less costly vendors,†¦ 2. IT will also be of importance; incorporating EMR, and health information exchange 3. Expect consolidation, mergers, and zcquisitions 4. Expect higher turnover in C-suite as redirection and early retirements occur. These positions are now more demanding and involve more conflict. KNOW THE CASE STUDIES WE DID IN CLASS (HINT) Study the case studies they will be reworded Introduction is included in Quint StuderWhen you permit you promote Draw the contingency model What would prevent a manger from preventing a best practice? Ego is one answer What word could you use to describe _______? Synergistic relati onships*** Exam question His own article on the amount of money that is being wasted in the medical field. The budget for medical services per year in the US is $2. 2 Trillion of which $750 billion is determined to be wasted. There is groups like administrative waste (working on projects and things that are not necessary), physicians suggesting services not contingent with evidence based medicine, fraud,†¦

Analysis of the Twelfth Planet

The Myth of a 12th Planet: A Brief Analysis of Cylinder Seal VA 243 Michael S. Heiser Ph. D. candidate, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages University of Wisconsin-Madison Introduction Readers of Zecharia Sitchin’s books, particularly The 12th Planet, will recognize the above seal, VA 243 (so named because it is number 243 in the collection of the Vorderasiatische Museum in Berlin). This seal is the centerpiece of Sitchin’s theory that the Sumerians had advanced astronomical knowledge of the planetary bodies in our solar system.This knowledge was allegedly given to the Sumerians by extraterrestrials, whom Sitchin identifies as the Anunnaki gods of Sumero-Mesopotamian mythology. In the upper left-hand corner of the seal, Sitchin argues, one sees the sun surrounded by eleven globes. Since ancient peoples (including the Sumerians according to Sitchin) held the sun and moon to be â€Å"planets,† these eleven globes plus the sun add up to twelve planets. Of cou rse, since we now know of nine planets plus our sun and moon, part of Sitchin’s argument is that the Sumerians knew of an extra planet beyond Pluto.This extra planet is considered by Sitchin to be Nibiru, an astronomical body mentioned in Mesopotamian texts. Sitchin’s works detail his contention that Nibiru passes through our solar system every 3600 years, and so some believers in Sitchin’s theory contend that Nibiru will return soon. Some followers of Sitchin’s ideas also refer to Nibiru as â€Å"Planet X†. Is Sitchin correct – in whole or in part? Is Nibiru a 12th planet that will soon return? Does VA243 prove his thesis? Unfortunately for Sitchin and his followers, the answer to each of these questions is no. This paper will focus on the heart of his theory, VA243.Nibiru is the subject of another paper on my website. Method and Approach The study of cylinder seals is actually a very specialized sub-discipline within Sumerology and Assyrio logy. a It is possible to determine, through the efforts of cylinder seal specialists of the recent past and current experts, to decisively say that Sitchin’s interpretation of this seal is deeply flawed and lacks scholarly merit. In short, his theory is false and is unsupported by the seal itself. In the discussion that follows, I will demonstrate that VA243 in no way supports Sitchin’s ideas.My reasons / lines of argument for this are: 1) The inscription on the seal (left hand and right hand sides – which are not discussed by Sitchin) says nothing about planets or any element of astronomy. Rather than offering an independent translation, I will defer to authorities on Sumerian seal inscriptions in this regard to avoid any charge of bias. 2) The alleged â€Å"sun† symbol on the seal is not the sun. We know this because it does not conform to the consistent depiction of the sun in hundreds of other cylinder seals and examples of Sumero-Mesopotamian artwor k.I will describe the typical depiction (determined with certainty because it appears with texts about the sun god [Shamash Akkadian, known as Utu in Sumerian]) and provide image examples. Sources are provided for readers to check for themselves. The â€Å"sun† symbol is actually a star (which in Mesopotamian art could have six or, more commonly, eight points). Lest the modern reader retort that â€Å"well, the sun is a star,† I offer several images where the star symbol and the sun symbol (which again, is not that in VA243) are side-by-side and distinct from one another.The Sumerians and Mesopotamians distinguished the sun from stars by using different symbols – and associating each symbol with the sun god and other gods, respectively. There is simply no ancient Sumero-Akkadian evidence to support Sitchin’s identification. 3) If the â€Å"sun† is not the sun, then what are the dots? The dots are also stars, as is best illustrated by the Sumerian-M esopotamian depiction of the Pleaides (seven dots together with reasonable astronomical accuracy since they are visible to the naked eye). b The Pleaides are actually one of the most frequently depicted astronomical features in SumeroMesopotamian art.As Sitchin points out (and this is corroborated by actual scholars in the field – it’s common knowledge), stars were associated with or considered to be heavenly beings – gods. In Sumero-Mesopotamian artwork, a star represents either a god or an astronomical body. The same can be said of the sun – it can either reference the literal sun or the sun god. There are three possibilities as to what VA243 is depicting: (A) It is singling out a deity or special star and associating it with other stars in some sort of zodiacal representation. I don’t consider this likely because there are other far clearer representations of zodiacal constellations.Unless there are clear zodiacal connotations, a star was symbol ic of a deity, which brings us to the second option. (B) More probable is the idea that the central star stands for a deity that has some association with fertility (as in crops) since the inscription describes an offering made by a worshipper (who is named) to a seated god who is associated in the seal with fertile harvest. Since there are two other figures in the seal in addition to the seated god, and one is the offerer, the remaining figure is likely a deity also associated with the offering. In favor of this possibility are the â€Å"implements† aAn excellent general introduction is Dominique Collon, Cylinder Seals. I am not saying the star is depicted amid the Pleiades, only that the artistic depiction of the Pleiades provides an excellent example of â€Å"dots† = stars. The Pleiadean depiction is always seven dots/stars. b shown on the seal with respect to these two figures facing the seated god and the figure’s headdress. Also in its favor is the fact th at there are literally hundreds of such â€Å"offering seals,† and many have a star in upper proximity to the figures’ heads, signifying the figure is a deity (see the example). C) Since the star is surrounded by eleven other stars (dots), the artistic depiction could stand for the lead god of the Mesopotamian divine council and its other eleven (upper tier) members. Recall that (as Sitchin again points out) the Mesopotamian council had 12 members. I have noted before that the 12 member council isn’t always consistent in Mesopotamian religion (at times eight gods are considered the council), but 12 is the more prevalent number. This thesis is attractive, but I can’t say there is much to commend it over option B.The reader might be thinking at this point, â€Å"Well, isn’t the sun god the leader of the pantheon – so if this symbology points to the divine council the center symbol could still be the sun? † This would be an erroneous lin e of thought since in SumeroMesopotamian religion the sun god is NOT the high god; the high god is Anu (later, Marduk), not Shamash. These options are admittedly subjective, but one thing is certain – the â€Å"sun† symbol does not conform to the abundantly frequent symbol for the sun in SumeroMesopotamian art. We are not dealing with a depiction of the solar system.Astronomer Tom van Flandern pointed this out years ago anyway, since the sizes of the â€Å"planets† around the alleged sun do not conform to the correct sizes of the planets and there distances from the pseudo-sun are not depicted in such a way as to depict elliptical (or at least varying) orbits. The link to van Flandern’s critique is on my website. 4) There is not a single text in the entire corpus of Sumerian or Mesopotamian tablets in the world that tells us the Sumerians (or later inhabitants of Mesopotamia) knew there were more than five planets.This is quite a claim, but is demonstrabl e through the work of scholars who specialize in cuneiform astronomy. Below I list all the major works on cuneiform astronomy (catalogues of texts, dissertations / books) and invite readers to check them out of a library and look for themselves. Literally every cuneiform text that has any astronomical comment (even with respect to astrology and omens) has been translated, catalogued, indexed, and discussed in the available academic literature.The tablets are often quite detailed, even discussing mathematical calculations of the appearance of planetary bodies in the sky, on the horizon, and in relation to other stars. The field is by no means new, and is considerably developed. All of the above facets of the discussion are now offered in more detail with bibliography. I. The Inscriptions on VA 243 VA243 has three lines of text (â€Å"line 1† is actually repeated on both sides of the seal):The seal is transliterated (the Sumero-Akkadian signs in English letters) and translated in the principal publication of the Berlin Vorderasiatische Museum’s publication of its seal collection, Vorderasiatische Rollsiegel (â€Å"West Asian Cylinder Seals†; 1940) by Mesopotamian scholar Anton Moortgat on page 101. This book is in German, so I offer the German and an English translation: Line 1 = dub-si-ga â€Å"Dubsiga† [a personal name of an apparently powerful personc] Line 2 = ili-il-la-at â€Å"Ili-illat† [another personal name, this time of the seal’s owner] â€Å"dein Knecht† [German for â€Å"your servant†d] Line 3 = ir3-suSo the full (rather boring) inscription of VA243 reads: â€Å"Dubsiga, Ili-illat, your/his servant. † Nothing in the inscription suggests anything remotely to do with astronomy or planets. In an email correspondence with Dr. Rudi Mayr, whose dissertation was on cylinder seals, Dr. Mayr commented on the inscriptions and the seal [and I interject a few comments in blue]: â€Å"The seated fig ure is a god; the ‘flounced’ garment is normal for deities (though kings start wearing them a little later); deities also have the distinctive headdress. Most scholars call it a ‘horned’ headdress, but I’ve always thought it looked more like flames than horns.Ancient texts often refer to deities having a bright, shining, brilliant aspect [this is true across the ancient near east – witness the â€Å"shining one† terminology I discuss in The Facade and in several papers on my website]; they don’t mention horns . . . The introducing figure also has the ‘horns’ of divinity† [this is a strong contextual argument that the symbol – again, it’s not the â€Å"sun† – to the upper left of the introducing figure is a star. Precisely because they SHINE, stars were associated with deities. Shamash, the sun god, had his own symbol of the sun.See below for what it looked like]. c Personal email com munication on Dubsiga with Dr. Rudi Mayr, whose dissertation was on cylinder seals. Dr. Mayr is also the source of the comment on the second line, which conforms to typical cylinder seal patterns. d Dr. Mayr noted to me in an email that the third line might also read â€Å"his servant†, which was his preference. II. The â€Å"Sun† Symbol This is perhaps the biggest problem with Sitchin’s interpretation of VA243 signifying the solar system. Simply put, if the central symbol in his solar system isn’t the sun, the interpretation collapses completely.There’s actually a good deal of evidence to demonstrate decisively that Sitchin is wrong here. Toward offering that evidence, we’ll first introduce a few general comments on Sumero-Akkadian symbols and move to the specifics. A. General Comments Like all ancient religions, Sumero-Mesopotamian religion had a great concern with heavenly bodies that could be observed with the naked eye. In particular, t he sun, moon, and Venus were important focus points because of their ease of visibility, and each was artistically symbolized and stood for a deity.In Sumer-Mesopotamian religion, the sun god symbology was very clear: Sun god = Shamash (Utu in the Sumerian languagee) The symbol of the sun god in Sumero-Mesopotamian religion was a central circle with four extended â€Å"arms† with wavy lines in between each â€Å"arm† (most common), or a circle with only wavy lines. The entire symbol was itself nearly always [I don’t know any exceptions, but there may be one – just being cautious here] inside a circle, as below:f The reader should note immediately that this is NOT the symbol on VA243.VA 243’s â€Å"pseudo-sun† lacks the wavy lines and is not set inside a circle. This sun symbol is ubiquitous in Sumero-Mesopotamian religious artwork. The other common symbol for the sun god was the god in flight upon a set of wings (a depiction akin to the wing ed disc in Egyptian religion). e See Jeremy Black, Gods, Demons, and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary (University of Texas Press, in conjunction with the British Museum, 1992): 168. This is an excellent reference source. Dr. Black is a well known Sumerian scholar.He was formerly the Director of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq and is now university lecturer in Akkadian and Sumerian at Wolfson College, Oxford. f See above source, p. 168. The above classic solar disk iconography in Sumero-Mesopotamian religion is contrasted with the star symbol, used to symbolize either stars in constellations, any deity (the star is either over the deity’s head or above it to the left of right), or Ishtar (Sumerian Inana), who stood for Venus, the most visible object in the sky aside from the sun and moon:g Note that this example has eight points.This is the most frequently attested style in Sumero-Mesopotamian religious art. The star also is found with six (l ike VA 243) or seven points, and the points even vary within the same seal or stela carving. It wasn’t consistent in points, but what the symbol stood for was consistent – either a star, planet, or deity – but NOT the sun. The star symbol is either set within a circle or, far more often, not within a circle. It is clearly distinct from the sun symbol. How do I know that the symbol of VA 243 is a star and not the sun disk?Other than the obvious noted above – that VA 243 does not have the wavy lines between the â€Å"arms† of the symbol and is not set within a circle – Sumero-Mesopotamian religion often grouped the symbols for the sun god with that of the moon god (Akkadian = Sin; Sumerian = Nanna) and Ishtar (Sumerian = Inana). This isn’t surprising since they were so readily viewed. In short, they didn’t confuse the symbols and neither should we. This grouped threesome is very prevalent in Sumero-Mesopotamian art, and compels t he observation that the sun symbol and star symbol were distinguished from each other:Source: Ursula Seidl, Die Babylonischen Kudurru Reliefs, Tafel 11, Zweite Gruppe, stela â€Å"a† = The Babylonian Kudurru Reliefs, Plate 11, 2nd Group, stela â€Å"a†. Note the wavy lines and encircled sun symbol on the right. Ursula Seidl, Die Babylonischen Kudurru Reliefs, Tafel 19, Vierte Gruppe, stela â€Å"b† = The Babylonian Kudurru Reliefs, Plate 19, 4th Group, relief â€Å"b†. Note the wavy lines and encircled sun symbol on the lower right. g See Black, 143. The symbols for sun and star/planet are also distinguished clearly in zodiacal artwork from Mesopotamia:The sun symbol (Left) and star symbol (Right) are next to each other under the snake (Draco). Note the wavy lines of the sun symbol Source: Ursula Seidl, Die Babylonischen Kudurru Reliefs, p. 47 = The Babylonian Kudurru Reliefs, p. 47 Here is a close-up of the sun (L) and star (R) symbol above. Note that th e star in this case has eight points: A second zodiac example: The sun symbol (center) and star symbol (R of center) are next to each other under the snake’s tail. Note the wavy lines of the sun symbol Source: Ursula Seidl, Die Babylonischen Kudurru Reliefs, p. 0 = The Babylonian Kudurru Reliefs, p. 60 In the above example, note that: (1) the star has seven points, and (b) the stars below it have six points. Note also that these smaller stars also LACK points – they are just dots. This seven dot/circle arrangement is one of the most common motifs in Mesopotamian art, and denote the Pleiades. The point here is that dots = stars in Mesopotamian art when in an astronomical context (or a context where a deity is identified with a star). This is important for our consideration of VA 243. Again, here is a close-up: A third zodiac example:Note that the star symbol here has six points as does the VA 243 star. Source: Ursula Seidl, Die Babylonischen Kudurru Reliefs, p. 23 = The Babylonian Kudurru Reliefs, p. 23 Some commentary on this last example is in order. The previous two examples clearly are in zodiac context, as is this one. Those previous two examples clearly have the sun symbol drawn in a manner consistent with expected Sumero-Mesopotamian features (wavy lines, encircled) that unmistakably distinguishes the sun from the star symbol. The star symbol signifies the same astronomical body in each case, yet the number of points varies.This means that the number of points is unimportant for identifying the star symbol as a STAR or planet, NOT the sun. Hence one cannot say, â€Å"well the star symbol usually has eight points, and the Sitchin seal has six, therefore it’s not a star but the sun. † This is erroneous because these examples demonstrate clearly that a star symbol can have 6, 7, or 8 pts. , and LACKS wavy lines. The symbol on Sitchin’s VA 243 is NOT the sun. It is a star, and thus denotes a star, a god, or a single planet. This isn’t my opinion, it’s the Sumero-Mesopotamian art convention.Let’s move on to some cylinder seal examples of star symbols. As noted above, the star was designed to signify a deity or literal star or planet. Here’s an example of a cylinder seal with Ishtar signaled as the deity by a star: Source: Henri Frankfort, Cylinder Seals: A Documentary Essay on the Art and Religion of the Ancient Near East (London: MacMillan and Co. , 1939): Plate XXVI-seal L In this example, the obvious star symbol has eight points, and is very similar in design to the star symbol of VA 243. We know it’s a star and not the sun because the goddess depicted is Ishtar. Another star symbol of very similar design to VA 243 is shown below:i The upper left-hand side of this seal contains the winged sun disk above the head of what scholars refer to as a â€Å"scorpion man† (note his tail). Just to the right of the winged disk is our star symbol. This time the star has seven points, and is quite similar to VA 243. Note as well h See the discussion in Frankfort (pp. 177-178, 236, 254) and Black, p. 168. See also the magisterial survey: E. Douglas van Buren, Symbols of the Gods in Mesopotamian Art, Analecta Orientalia 23 (Pontificum Institutum Biblicum, 1945): 8485. Frankfort, Plate XXXIII – seal b. the far upper right corner – the seven stars grouped together are the Pleiades (to which we will return in our discussion). Below are several examples of seals with six pointed stars: (Frankfort, Plate XXXIII – seal d): Comments: Note the six-pointed stars in the upper left and upper right corners. In both cases, note the presence of accompanying â€Å"dots† in groups of seven – again, the Pleiades (the â€Å"extra dot† over the head of the smaller standing figure denotes a deity as it is a star).The seven dots = the seven stars of the Pleiades (the dots were interchangeable with pointed stars to denote stars). A s E. Douglas van Buren, an expert on Sumerian and Mesopotamian art comments: â€Å"In the earliest representations of the 7 dots as yet known it can be seen that . . . they formed a ring or rosette around a central dot . . . [From] the early Babylonian period onwards it is increasingly common to find the 7 dots arranged like stars in the constellation of the Pleiades, and in the last quarter of the second millennium the dots are shaped for the first time as stars. j This observation is important because it demonstrates that the â€Å"pointed star + Pleiades† pattern does not require a certain number of points on the stars. Recall that the same situation was true with the zodiac – it does not matter how many points a star symbol has – it’s a star, not the sun. Another example: j E. Douglas van Buren, â€Å"The Seven Dots in Mesopotamian Art and Their Meaning,† Archiv fur Orientforschung XIII (1941): 277; see also E. Douglas van Buren, Symbols of th e Gods in Mesopotamian Art, 74ff. and E.Douglas van Buren, â€Å"The Rosette in Mesopotamian Art,† Zeitschrift fur Assyriologie and vorderasiatische Archaeologie, new series, vol. 11 (1939, vol. 45 from old series): 104ff. (Frankfort, Plate XXXV – seal h): In this seal the star has six points surrounding a central dot. Note again the Pleiades symbol (see below under the next point on the â€Å"dots† in VA 243). Before leaving the discussion of the star symbol, take note of the close similarity in style between the star on VA 243 that Sitchin says is the sun and the star symbols we have noted above: Frankfort XXXIII-b VA 243Ishtar star Now compare these with the actual sun symbol: III. The Surrounding â€Å"Dots† As I asked in the introduction to this paper, if Sitchin’s â€Å"sun† is not a sun, then what are the dots? The most apparent answer, based on the examples above, is that they too are stars. We have already seen that dots were used t o depict the stars of the Pleiades, and showed that the seven dots = the seven star symbols elsewhere used for the same constellation. We also saw above in the seal of Frankfort Plate XXXIII-d that a single pointed star can be associated with dots which are also stars.It is almost that the â€Å"star + seven dots† symbology is saying, â€Å"constellation = Pleiades. † There is therefore abundant precedent for asserting that these dots in VA243 are stars. It could be that this seal is â€Å"saying†: â€Å"Constellation = the one with 11 stars†. Since I don’t know astronomy well, I’ll let the reader ponder that one. The introduction also noted that the symbology of the seal could just point to a deity and perhaps the divine council. Enough said on that. IV. On Sumerian or Mesopotamian Astronomical KnowledgeIn this regard I offer the reader an opportunity to challenge my assertion above (and I am just quoting specialists in cuneiform astronomic al tablets) that there is not a single text in the entire corpus of Sumerian or Mesopotamian tablets in the world that says the Sumerians or Mesopotamians knew of more than five planets. Below are bibliographical references that anyone can access (the scholarly, dissertation level materials that one needs some knowledge of semitic languages and/or cuneiform, as well as a background in mathematics or astronomy, to really use are noted in their own category).In my paper on Nibiru (available on my website), I’ll briefly go into what the Sumerians and Mesopotamians knew about the planets. For now, though, giving the reader these sources will suffice. General Sources: Francesca Rochberg, â€Å"Astronomy and Calendars in Ancient Mesopotamia,† Civilizations of the Ancient Near East, vol. III, pp. 1925-1940 (ed. , Jack Sasson, 2000) Bartel L. van der Waerden, Science Awakening, vol. 2: The Birth of Astronomy (1974) Technical but Still Readable Wayne Horowitz, Mesopotamian Cosm ic Geography (1998) N. M.Swerdlow, Ancient Astronomy and Celestial Divination (2000) Scholarly (Technical) Resources: Otto Neugebauer, The Exact Sciences in Antiquity (1953) Otto Neugebauer, Astronomical Cuneiform Texts (1955) Erica Reiner and David Pingree, Enuma Elish Enlil Tablet 63, The Venus Tablet of Ammisaduqa (1975) Hermann Hunger and David Pingree, MUL. APIN: An Astronomical Compendium in Cuneiform (1989) Hermann Hunger and David Pingree, Astral Sciences in Mesopotamia (1999) N. Swerdlow, The Babylonian Theory of the Planets (1998) David Brown, Mesopotamian Planetary Astronomy-Astrology (2000)