Community: Psychology and Graduate Educational Experience Essay

How do you think your graduate educational experience will be different from your undergraduate experience? How would you describe a graduate learning community? What would be the key components of a learning community and how might it be different from an undergraduate learning community? I believe that the undergraduate level guides the individual to become a better researcher. It also pushes the student to think at a more critical level. The undergraduate level will also change the thinking process within the individual by making them change their thinking principles. At graduate level we are held to higher expectations and we must have more discipline. The reason for this is because at this level the amount of knowledge we will be receiving is greatly expanded upon. This is the start of a form of mastery in the subject and allows us the ability to get a deep understanding and idea of the subject. The graduate learning community is a group of individuals along with the instructor that share the same passion and drive in the subject field of study. This allows everyone to gain knowledge from each other and gives us the ability to grow stronger in our field. The learning community is a concrete environment for instructors to pass on years of experience and knowledge to the student by following the class as it was designed to be taught. This allows students and instructors alike to input their perspectives on the subject, which increases the knowledge gained. In other courses that I have taken with other schools, participation was at your choice. As long as you meet the minimum requirements you still got a good grade. To be successful the more participation you have the more knowledge you gain, thus making you more successful in your field of study.

Analysis on the Alibabas development Essay

Alibaba aAs a model of global B2B e-commerce model, from the launch site for the first time since it was founded at the end of 1998 to till right now, it Alibaba has has possessed more than 15 years of’ history. After four years of the establishment of the website, which is the end of 2002, . Alibaba get got its the first profit for the first time with, over six million yuanYuan in cash earningsin cash at the end of 2002 when it was the fourth year since the establishment of the website. Alibaba keeps acute insight and moves ahead is discerning, and step toward profitability with a unique business model. The first stage: The first step is to capture the market so as to provide free information. , first to capture the market. China’s e-commerce is currently under blocking condition with still stuck in the informationlimited information flow stage. Base on In accordance theto the full overall investigation on the basis ofbased on the needs of the enterprise market, it is needed to classify enterprise registration information integration, as well as According to the different characteristics, provide effective information and services for the enterprises based on the different characteristics. The second stage: the use of a The successful launch of at the first phase of the corporate credit certification, to has lay laid the solid foundation for a the further profit. Ma got the key pointjust cached themain key, at First by firstly introduced introducing China Chinese integrity authentication on to the Internet -– integrity , in 2002, and Grasp grasped the key primary issues on the Chinese e-commerce market, which This is also the first Alibaba revenue channelschannel of Alibaba. Alibaba induce attracts companies to pay to join in the â€Å"integrity† aspect through the clever use intelligent application of its previous history results. Third stage: the development of The overseas markets development, expands the scope of trade scope. Alibaba addition to not only master most of the domestic enterprise information, but also mastered the nearly 10 million overseas merchant information to help the domestic enterprises to develop foreign real export trade. â€Å"Chinese suppliers† to has provided the independent account number and password to establish the English website for the , so that the worldforeign countries, with nearly 2.62 million 420,000 professional buyers browse online business  and create more opportunities for businesses for further development. Fourth stage: Mergers and acquisitions â€Å"yahoo†, † is an innovation a stretch for the development of e-commerce search. Alibaba has formed a â€Å"yahoo† as the platform, as well as a large network shopping platform based on â€Å"taobao† trading information search system. , for businessmen from the world, Alibaba provides wider space communication and trading platform for the businessmen from all over the world†¦ Alibaba accurately positioning positions themselves itself in the midst of the economic society , with a stable business model, to find seek for their its own piece of the sky. which Has has now developed into four business groups and composed of three linked sites in the world’s leading online trading market and business community. 2.2.2 The Analysis of B2B2C mode Mode analysis 2.2.2 B2B2C pattern analysis Fusion The combination of the â€Å"Ali Baba† and â€Å"Taobao† new B2B2C mode does not exist logistics, distribution and inventory bottlenecks. E-commerce development in China is not mature enough since , there are a variety of defects, which leading leads to the situation that the site operator cannot accurately predict the demand for commodities , in real life as well as the same distribution logistics system at the initial trial stage. The new B2B2C model is adapted to the development of Chinese e-commerce environment, so that Alibaba can cleverly avoided the risk due to the backlog of goods distribution, and logistics system to establish imperfect generatedgeneration. The distribution logistics of this is linked to the merchant, the merchant who is responsible for the timely deliver the goods delivery to the hands of consumers, . Alibaba only conducts trading platform for businesses and consumers trading platform, do not instead of bearing the cost of producetion c ost in the logistics and distribution process, which make takes the intermediary between the cost of the transaction. Alibaba’s successful business philosophy has attracted the attention of many businesses that Alibaba it has become an indispensable business transaction network platform. Whether it is for the business or consumer, it is Alibaba that is the exclusively first thought as long as a reference tofor online shopping, the first thought is Alibaba, which . It also can also be the successfully Alibaba risk due to its distribution, logistics and inventory  generated onto another important reason business. Alibaba redefines the B2C market, leading which leads to the development direction of e-commerce industry., Aalthough this it is the inevitable trend of e-commerce development, but there has been no further proper opportunity. Alibaba B2B market possesses the share of 80% plus and the â€Å"Taobao† C2C market share of 70 percent%, which making makes it the best candidate to create a B2B2C business. Enterprise value to sales from production to sales to make up a supply chain, has changed the traditional model of creating value, reflecting and reflected the impact of the Internet on business activities deeper.to a deeper extent. In addition, Alibaba acquired which adopts â€Å"Yahoo China† to gained the world’s leading search technology supported platforms and a the strong product development capabilities, will also become a fresh point of future profitability; . Moreover, Tradelink and Alipay Alibaba will also create more wealth with thewith their developments of its create more wealth. As it can be seen from the Alibaba’s earnings history and the future direction of its development, the truly- opened , content with the localization features information and collaboration and as well as the strong global e-commerce is are the most viable. We must build e-business models in line with the Chinese people, based on the principle of fair competition for among enterprises, as well as the integration of various enterprise resources, to achieve economies of scale. 2.3 Situation The Analysis of Alibaba international International trade Trade development Development in the electricity Electricity supplierSupplier 2.3.1 Analysis of the competitive Competitive advantage Advantage of Alibaba Firstly, Ali Baba and the new web service mechanism apt toare prone to experience the value of attracting customers and buyers. Alibaba site construction methods using localized for different countries have adopted the local language, of the different localized countries which is easy to read,for comprehending that this convenience and affinity will have to are prone to integrate international markets. Alibaba has established operations in four interrelated website: the iInternational website in English to provide professional services for global business, the Simplified simplified Chinese in mainland China mainly provides to provide website marketing services; , the Global Traditional Chinese website was Taiwan, Hong Kong,  Southeast Asia and throughout the world Chinese American service; as well as the Korean language Korean site in Korean for Korean users. Secondly, Alibaba has a huge number of membersmemberships, Alibaba years of since its years’ operation make it overseas buyers, suppliers to establish a mature trading relationship. Alibaba, which possesses through three marketplaces around all over the world to assist several millions of buyers and suppliers with engaged the engagement in online business. Finally, Alibaba’s â€Å"integrity† of the Internet to provides a guarantee secure transactionsguaranteed secure transactions. Listening to our customers, to and meeting customer needs is are the foundation of survival and development of Ali Baba. Customer first, teamwork, embracing change, integrity, passion and dedication are the core values of Ali Baba. 2.3.2The Disadvantages 2.3.2 of Alibaba Firstly, Alibaba’s site model is an intermediary form, and this model which has a copycat, which provides providing samples for other competitors to enter the industry, there is increased as well as the increasing competition for them. Secondly, Alibaba’s business is large and cluttered, it is the which has original 27 original industry classifications, and 8OO – 900 categories of industries to optimize the business platform into its the biggest obstacledevelopment. Thirdly, Alibaba the during infancy of Alibaba due to the low barriers to entry Member cohabitation, and the altogether honest members get together. Making makes the supplier price competition among the suppliersis very fierce. Fourthly, because of the strategic shift Alibaba will put a lot ofinvest much money to payfor the personal C2C platform Taobao, . Besides, Alibaba B2B customers may face dropped , while the new customers supplement embarrassment. 2.3.3 The Analysis on the Cchance of Alibaba Alibaba in the development process is also facing a lot of opportunities in the development process. Alibaba in the development process is also facing a lot of opportunities. Firstly, several of the big banks and credit companies participate fully in e-commerce, which created creates the conditions for the deeppth conditions of the development of in e-commerce Alibaba. Secondly, China is now speeding up the development of e-commerce legal  provisions, and as well as actively establishingcreates a safe, and standardized business environment. This, which provides favorable conditions for the development of in e-commerce Alibaba. Once again, China cannot afford to existing SMEs to start their own B2B commerce sites that, so this intermediary sites like Alibaba welcome its popularity.popular with its welcome. Finally, as to the continuous development and, improvement of the Internet and the proliferation of computers, there will be more companies have joinedjoining in the online business, which makes provides Alibaba has a lot of potential customers. 2.3.4 Threat Analysis of Alibaba Firstly, Alibaba’s profit is mainly in China, but the status quo of China’s business environment restricted restricts the further development of B2B Alibaba, such as legal sound, online payment security vulnerabilities, improve infrastructure improvement and other outstanding developments gave Alibaba drag. Secondly, the pattern of business websites in among the world in recent years, not only speeds up the rapid development, but has gradually become a trend of e-commerce alliance 11.11 mergers. Besides, and cooperation is the trend, this which will lead to more intense competitions. Problems and Solutions of Alibaba’sE-commerce international the International trade Trade development Development in Alibaba’s E-commerce 3.1 Find theProblems Investigation Developmentof development of B2B eE-commerce in China Although, Alibaba has been under rapid developmentin in the past few years, and China has also been deemed as a n successful B2B e-commerce business representatives. However, wWe must know understand that the B2B e-commerce development model has some problems such as Alibaba, and these problems is which are the future development of China’s B2B e-commerce needed to be addressed. These problems that are mainly in the following aspects: (A) Lack of sufficient attention to the large enterprise market Currently , most of China’s B2B e-commerce to provides commodity publish and trading platform to provide offer services. This approach , which is suitable for small and medium enterprises, because since they need the help of B2B e-commerce platform to develop for new markets development. However, the demand for large enterprises and SMEs B2B e-commerce is very different since , they usually have a fixed customers and sales channels, but.  However, they are also often faced with the strategic adjustment problems. Due to for the market environment in China is actually mainly leaded by many large enterprises to lead. So, hHow to make B2B e-commerce model can adapt to the needs of large enterprises is a major problem that currently exists. (B) The lack of information flow based on business interaction While eEconomic development has provided favorable conditions for e-commerce in China to carry out, but overall, the now e-commerce enterprises in China is are still not popular yet at present. Due to a the lack of understanding of on the overall e-commerce systems, many enterprises have been many various errors in this process, that too simple understanding of B2B e-commerce that puts the company on the Internet homepage and catalog everything will be fine., you can wait for customers’ orders of. The extension of B2B e-commerce as a traditional trade on the Internet, if not interactive flow of information, withjust the release of information (which a lot of information is out of date) instead of interactive flow of information, will make most companies have lost interest in the B2B e-commerce. So Establishing an active or auxiliary enterprise interaction mechanisms , will be the focus of future development of in B2B e-commerce., will be the focus of future development of B2B e-commerce. (C) The lack of attention to the management of Many e-commerce companies when only one-sided unilaterally emphasis emphasize on technology. T, the technical elements put a lot of manpower and material resources , but ignorignoreed enhance the management level enhancement in the process and the restructuring of business processes restructure to meet the e-commerce new management and business model demands environment. (D) eE-commerce is still relatively at low degree of safety Although e-commerce security has been greatly improved, but because of viruses and the lack of various types of protective measures, Trojans and other malicious attacks continue to occur that, and the lack of various types of protective measures, so many companies are lack of thea sense of security in the implementation of B2B e-commerce. At the same time, many companies because that the network infrastructure is relatively backward,backward or no without more perfect safety management system and  professional maintenance staff leads to the enterprise network., there There are many security vulnerabilities that may crash when subjected to attack quickly when. These issues , which will greatly affect the further development of B2B e-commerce. (E) Tthe lack of an effective constraint on business  the The B2B companies like Alibaba are intended to provide a trading platform for all sectors of business. However, for businesses, if the transaction is a problem, without exception, it will be held accountable B2B companies, and thus affecting the development of their own B2B businesses without exception. The fundamental reason is that since the majority of B2B companies are interactinteracting with companies through a network of way. , and Ttherefore the lack of , effective B2B platforms is lacked for the managers to assess their qualifications for these companies, ability, and reputation. In the early days, in order tothat attracting customers into the lax control is understandable. But However, with the growing influence grow and B2B trading platform, if not effectively assessing and constraintconstrainings platform business, will directly affect the credibility of the B2B platform. 3.2 The Prospect of China’s B2B eE-commerce B2B e-commerce in the 21st century, Chinese enterprises to break new ground try to make breakthrough in the struggle for existence is in the important battleground of B2B e-commerce in the 21st century, including both . Both for China’s state-owned enterprises or and private enterprises offor 1.3 million members among the nationwide industrial and commercial enterprises, which has combined with the immediate reality , to determine the development of the essential B2B e-commerce business strategy is essential. About AlibabaAs to the combination of the above questions, this paper presents the development of by the following measures: (A) Strengthen the popularity of e-commerce in the enterprise, the implementation of B2B e-commerce is tailored to each enterprise. It should be noted, that for most Chinese enterprises, e-commerce, and B2B e-commerce, have come a the new terms is in thea new economic era. E-commerce is not Instead of a fashionable coat, as long as it e-commerce means that Chinese companies put carry on innovation and modernization, Chinese enterprises to develop e-commerce  which must make careful planning and tactical departure from the overall development of enterprises aiming at, to be able to really playing an important role on the characteristics of the network characteristics and advantages for the development of enterprises play a real role. Implementation of e-commerce enterprises is to specific specifically analysis ofanalyze the nature and scale . Ffrom large enterprises to establish a web-based procurement system to start tofor the establishment of establish their own independent large-scale procurement trading platform, . it It should be a good development strategy, like Sony, and IBM, which has have established its their own independent global procurement system the same. Of courseHowever, for when comes to SMEs, it is not the a pursuit of for self-built large, since complex B2B trading platform is a wise choice. National Federation of the 1.3 million members of private companies, including mostly most of the small and medium enterprises should adopt such a strategy. To to attach great importance to on enterprise information, . That a comprehensive, and enterprise information systems to carry outbe carried out, can not can’t be achieved only by a small part of the information. The way for the Chinese enterprises to develop B2B e-commerce, is not to say simply buy some computer networking equipmentequipment, and build a website that simple. For Chinese enterprises, the The real use of B2B e-commerce for Chinese enterprises is the core of the Internet as information technology, business activities and resource management, which is the core primary business efficiently manage managing all information. Helping companies create a smooth flow in the enterprise, so that the enterprise information flow between customers and suppliers, and through managementcan be smoothly managed, . value-added and application of high efficiency, Tthe customer, companies, and suppliers are all connected together, with the fastest, and lowest respond to the market costs, to grasp the opportunity to for continuously improve improving and consolidate consolidating the competitive advantages. (B) For nNetwork security issues should be given high priority. Enterprise (taking Alibaba as a typical representative) should be equipped with the system hardware and software to optimize the configuration, . use Adopting high-quality hardware and software equipment to can reduce security vulnerabilities; and develop a sound safety management system and to establish the establishment of a  professional security management team on system security design as well as and maintenance to ensure maintenance as much as possible to reduce security vulnerabilities existing in the system. It is at the time of attack and ableneeded to take emergency measures for protection and recovery, to ensure the smooth operation of the system; erect as well as build firewalls to differentiate the company’s internal network and with the outside world wonder access names, and control and monitor the data access. Using VPN (Virtual Private Network) to can ensure that the Internet to establish a dedicated channel to securefor communication channel. The cConclusion of the contract for electronic privacy issues and fulfillment process is caused by legal regulation which can be implemented by both both in principle and industry self-regulation, . Besides, the collectors always adopt international rules to clearly define the rights and obligations of information gatherers and information are among collectors. (C) The importance of changinge management and business model. Enterprises should strengthen the staff’s competence and ability to improve communication, and eliminate unnecessary work to achieve smooth inter-departmental business processes (especially for such a large domestic Alibaba e-commerce company). After theThe reorganization of business processes is a key demand of the market, since the company’s strategy and adjustment are in consistent with each of the core business processes and consistent and identifyidentified with every job that valued from by the customer’s point of viewfeedbacks can be inc reased. Enterprises should improve the level of corporate information technology,, advanced modern integrated manufacturing system (CLMS) and the introduced enterprise resource planning (ERP) system introduced in order to achieve agile manufacturing enterprise (agile manufacturing), ) and virtual manufacturing (virtual manufacturing) and as well as personalized production in order to achievefor â€Å"zero inventory†, reducinge costs, and thus retaining existing customers. Should It is needed to proceed to establish a suitable enterprise customer relationship between management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) system to achieve smooth communication with trading partners,, at the right time which can timely set up virtual companies to focus resources on their own core business and strengths. Using The adoption of interactive marketing model and, virtual reality and the consumer experience smooth communication with customers, can fast quickly response  respond to customers and p, Provide products to meet for the customer requirements. (D) To cater to the mobile era, and the development of mobile e-commerce. 2013 is one of the hot areasone of the hottest years in of mobile e-commerce. With theThe development of 3G technology enables , mobile Internet has been no problemto be easily accessed. In the 3G era, SOLOMO (Social Local Mobile) business model will be the future trend of development. However, current mobile e-commerce is still stuck in entertainment, social and other aspects, . how How to nurture discover and explore new business models and profit model remains to bea further issue to be studied. Meanwhile, the mobile Internet too muchpays much attention to the individual consumers who, for B2B companies to integrate mobile Internet wave, which is still a need for the new technology systems and operational rules.

Before You Were Mine by Carol Ann Duffy Essay

â€Å"Before you were mine† is a poem written by a daughter about how she imagines her mother’s life ten years before the daughter was born. The author describes the photo of her mother with two of her friends. They â€Å"shriek at the pavement† and seem to be sharing a joke, young and lightsome (line 4). She knows that the thought of having a child one day doesn’t occur to her mother when she was young and had a lot of dreams. Now remembering her own childhood, Duffy thinks of how she used to play with her mother’s red shoes and imagines when her mother might have worn them. She remembers how her mother used to teach her dance steps when she was a little girl. The poem is a four stanza one, each stanza being made up of five lines, with some variation in length of line. The first two stanzas focus purely on the life of the mother before the daughter was born, whilst the third stanza opens with a reference to the daughter’s birth and then moves to the daughter’s vision of her mother in her earlier life, thus providing a link with the previous stanzas. The fourth stanza begins with a recollection from the daughter’s younger life with her mother, and then takes us back once again to the mother’s days of dancing. I consider that the language contributes to the mood of the poem. The poem is written in first person narrative voice. There are many references to her mother as very happy – â€Å"you laugh / the bold girl winking in Portobello†, â€Å"you sparkle and waltz and laugh†(lines 13-15). The author’s mother’s life can be perceived as flashy. Her mother is likened to Marilyn Monroe: â€Å"Your polka-dot dress blows round your legs. Marilyn† (line 5). Duffy’s mother dreams of â€Å"fizzy, movie tomorrows† (line 7). The poem is written in the present tense, as if the events of the photo are happening now. I suppose in this way the poet tries to make her mother’s past as real as possible. It seems juicy to read a poem in which a daughter imagines how full of life and fun her mother must have been before she was born. Her admiration of her mother is shown in a direct way, and words such as â€Å"shriek†, â€Å"sparkle† and â€Å"fizzy† image the carelessness of youth. Throughout, the poet is very possessive of her mother. References to her appear constantly: â€Å"I’m ten years away†¦ †, â€Å"I’m not here yet†¦ †, â€Å"I remember†¦ † (lines 1, 6 and 12). The word â€Å"mine† appears in the title and the poem actually concludes with the same words as the title, as if the poet is locking her mother in a firm embrace of words.

Main topic is Markets Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Main topic is Markets - Term Paper Example This abrupt actualization of counterparty accident has artlessly arctic the markets beyond the western countries. With no bank adventuresome abundant to accommodate to other banks, deleveraging has larboard its blister on the market: affairs of assets in wish of capital leads to abatement in prices to even lower levels, which agency added and added charge for beginning capital. This has acutely added anchored lending to absolute economy-producers and consumers-which agency abatement in investments by businesses and bead in demand. This has added slowed down the advance of the economy. As advance drops, businesses are abiding to aim at cost-cutting exercises, which agency layoffs. The confused consumers will further abate their spending. That is how the financial crisis is feared to advance itself to the Wall Street-the absolute economy (Brown P, p. 105, 2005, Journal of Financial Economics). In the light of these, this paper deals with one topic entitled ‘new expectations in th e U.S. Market’ in detail and three other related topics as subtopics. The morphing of the financial hailstorm, which started about 18 months aback as the US subprime crisis, into bread-and-butter arrest is all but over: consumers are arise beneath the burden of non-availability of acclaim on the one hand, and abrupt abatement in application on the other (R.T. Baillie et al, p. 23, 1996, Journal of Applied Econometrics). To arrest the further spread of economic crisis and its intensity, the central banks and governments on either ancillary of the Atlantic accept redoubled their efforts, with bolstering from banks, by pumping in added capital, accouterment greater budgetary bang to jump-start the economy, and cut absorption ante added down. Of course, action moves are accepted to crop after-effects alone afterwards a time lag. In the US, capital injection conceivably adored the banking system, but its non-banking area

How have theoretical orientations in cultural criticism evolved and Essay

How have theoretical orientations in cultural criticism evolved and changed since 1900 Outline challenges facing arts criti - Essay Example In addition, the role of artist is explored and their significance and contribution to the cultural space can be critically analyzed, at some point every consumer of art engages in criticism whether formally or informally (James 1994, p.13). Through criticism, artist can learn from their mistakes and get honest if blunt feedback from critics which will inspire them to improve their output thus generally building up the quality of art produced in the long run. Art criticism has been defined in a variety of ways, Arthur Danto, defines it as the process of analyzing the structure significance and problems in a given work of art by making external and internal comparison to come up with an evaluation of the art. The primary intention of the endeavour has been in the past, and remains to provide rational grounds for the appreciation of artistic works. The exact origin of formal artistic criticism as a genre can be traced back to the 18th century and the first individual to acquire a reput ation of a critic of art was La Font de Saint-Yenne, is renowned for his writing about the salon of 1737 and 47. In the late 19th century, of the artistic expressionism and critics occurred in these salons which were societies made up of artists an critics, many of this were centred around Paris in France as the city acted as one of the centres of art and culture (Eagleton 1984, p.97). However, these salons kept multiplying owing to the dissenting views of different artist and in the dawn of the 19th century a group of young painters and sculptor took over the institution and founded the salon of d’Autumne. They were reacting against what they deemed to be the too conservative approaches of the previous salons and from this salon the salon of modern art emerged. Parisian and other galleries all over the world begun to show Avant grade work and new art dealers such as Daniel Henry Kahnweiler emerged presenting contemporary artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque as we ll as several other young artists of the time. The early 20th century was an inaugural period where art and culture critics took on retrospective assumptions and generalization of the social cultural evolution; many of the subjective theories of the past were rejected. Throughput the 20th century, critics seem to constantly be in a quest for the relationships between the art created and that which it represents (Lassalle, 1993, p. 1999). One of the preeminent anthropologists of this period was Franz Boaz and some of his students such as Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead who later became some of the leaders of the anthropological rejection of social and classical evolution. Contemporary critics at the time eschewed the previous discriminative and subjective assumptions many of which were based on a distinction between primitive and civilized. Many of the artist works produced from non-western societies especially in Africa was previously not seen as genuine art since the inhabitants we re primitive and uncivilized people. These critics were cognizant of the fact that cultural and artistic progression terminated at a stage of civilization that was not unlike what was happening in modern Europe. Nevertheless, they also noted that the theory presumed communities are distinct entities and did

Sustainability at Millipore Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainability at Millipore - Case Study Example Due to the reduction of the emissions of GHG, the depletion of ozone layer minimised and the desertification of the agricultural lands also reduced significantly. Therefore, this strategy might act extremely effective for the organization of Millipore thereby amplifying its environment friendly sustainable business operation. The management of the organization of Millipore also needs to reduce its dependence over the petroleum based products. This can help them to reduce the amounts of solid wastes thereby decreasing its negative impacts over the climate and the globe. Reduction of solid waste is one of the important initiatives for reducing the rate of global warming that not only can save the human beings but also the whole ecosystem as well. Apart from the above mentioned strategies, the management should focus more on reduction of carbon emission and water usage which definitely can lead to decreasing major environment issues like global warming. However, in order to make these e nvironmental sustainability initiatives successful, the organization needs to use varied types of upgraded boilers, compressors and lightings. This helped the organization of Millipore to fulfil its sustainability mission. In this age of extreme global warming, the prime concentration of the organizations is reduction of green house gas emissions (GHG). Similarly, the director of Millipore, Mr. David Newman also decided to implement varied types of solar panels and solectria inverters in order to reduce over-dependence over non-renewable products. Along with this, he also instructed the use of upgraded boilers and machines in order to reduce the emissions of waste materials in the environment. Moreover, reverse osmosis procedure is also used in the manufacturing plants also proved effective for the organization in reducing its emissions. All these strategies are

Why Do Firms Become Multinational Enterprises Essay

Why Do Firms Become Multinational Enterprises - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the characteristic of MNE is that the company links together its affiliates with a common strategic vision and draws on a common pool of assets, information, human resources, trademarks, and patents. Before making a decision to establish a subsidiary abroad the firm should have the proper reasoning for this strategic decision. There are many different motivating factors or reasons for why firms become multinational enterprises. While some firms might pursue only one reason as priority based on its strategic direction, other firms might be influenced by a multitude of reasons. These reasons are classified into four broad categories. Each of these categories has a subset of reasons and factors, which also should be discussed in greater detail. Below is provided a more detailed overview of these groupings. Very often firms need resources, which are not available or accessible in their home countries. In order to solve t his problem, MNEs are often pursuing a strategy of investing abroad and thus to acquire or gain access to the resources that are either more costly in the home country than in foreign country or are not accessible/available at home country. In order to solve this problem, MNEs are often pursuing a strategy of investing abroad and thus to acquire or gain access to the resources that are either more costly in the home country than in foreign country or are not accessible/available at home country.

Value at Risk (VAR) of a portfolio of 4 shares Assignment

Value at Risk (VAR) of a portfolio of 4 shares - Assignment Example This research aims to evaluate and present risks the financial institutions face with. Credit risk deals with the potential loss resulting from inability of a counterpart to adhere to its obligations. It is characterized by three basic components this being; credit exposure, loss in the event of default and probability of default. Liquidity risk is mainly caused by unforeseen outsized and stressful off-putting cash flow over a short span of time. A firm may be obliged to put up for sale some of its assets at a markdown, if it has vastly illiquid assets and suddenly requires liquidity. Market risk looks at the variations in market conditions and stipulates the uncertainties likely to occur to future earnings. Finally, operational risk includes the risk of regulatory and fraud. It mainly takes into account the errors made in settling transactions or instructing expenditure. Market risk is the most prominent; it highlights the potential economic loss as a result of a decrease in the por tfolio’s market value. Value at Risk (VaR) is the best measure that financial analyst can use to compute this risk. VaR is defined as a portfolio’s maximum potential loss value of financial instruments over a certain horizon with given probability. In this report, we are using the data obtained of four different companies. These data are composed of the total return indices of the four companies for the last ten years. VaR is a challenging statistical problem, though its existing models for calculations employ different methodologies they still follow a general structure. This structure involves three steps: a) Mark to market the portfolio, b) Approximate the distribution of returns, c) Calculate the VaR of the portfolio. The difference in the methods that are used to find VaR lie in step 2, because of the way they address the hitch of how to approximate the possible variations in the significance of the portfolio. For example, CAViaR models do not take account of the distribution matter; the quartile of the distribution is calculated directly in this case. There are a number of methods used in calculating the VaR value; in this report the main methods to be used are the Monte Carlo, Analytic and Bootstrap VAR. The report gives detailed results of all the three methodologies in a systematic manner, with data sample of a 260-day from the provided data of the portfolio shares for the four companies. The data are based on the total return index which takes into account the dividend level which is essential in valuing shares, unlike the price data sample. Background to the data sample The data are sampled from a ten year record of four individual companies, Kingfisher PLC, GKN PLC, Admiral PLC and Burberry PLC. Kingfisher PLC; is a company operating in the retail industry, founded in 1982 by Paternoster Stores Ltd. It expanded through successive acquisitions like Superdrug and B&Q. The company is a multinational now headquartered in London, UK. The c ompany provides products such as home appliances, garden supplies & plants, tools and hardware mostly home improvement products. It deals with brands such as B&Q, Brico Depot, Screwfix and Castorama. Its chain of stores is nearly 900 spread across eight countries in Asia and Europe. GKN PLC; found in the automotive and aerospace industry, its origin dates back to 1759 in the early stages of the industrial revolution. The company is a

The Impact of 2008 Financial Crisis on UK's Cross Border Mergers Dissertation

The Impact of 2008 Financial Crisis on UK's Cross Border Mergers - Dissertation Example II.2 Cross Border Mergers as a Mode of Entry in a Foreign Market †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 12 II.3 Cross Border Merger as a Value Creating Strategy .. 17 II.4 Impact of Financial Crisis in the Field of Investment Through Cross Border Mergers in UK †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 III. Research Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦.. 24 IV. Research Findings and Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 28 V. Conclusion and Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 39 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 42 – 46 Chapter I – Introd uction A merger is a business process by means of which, two or additional number of companies can pool their business assets and form a single organization. In general, the stocks of the parent companies’ are given up. Instead, the stock of a new company is issued. For instance, when the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merged, both the companies stopped to exist and in their place Daimler-Chrysler was formed. Cross border mergers are those mergers wherein the involved companies are set up in different countries. Over the years, this type of merger comprises of a growing percentage of all the mergers. In general, cross border mergers can happen through either inward cross border mergers or outward cross border mergers. In an inward cross border merger, the entire or parts of domestic companies are put up for sale to overseas investors. This often results to inward movement of capital. In the case of an outward cross border merger, domestic companies tend to purchase the entire or s egments of foreign companies. This often results to an outward flow of capital (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Economic Analysis and... The findings of this research will provide insight of a merger as a business process by means of which, two or additional number of companies can pool their business assets and form a single organization. In general, the stocks of the parent companies’ are given up. Instead, the stock of a new company is issued. For instance, when the Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merged, both the companies stopped to exist and in their place Daimler-Chrysler was formed. Cross border mergers are those mergers wherein the involved companies are set up in different countries. Over the years, this type of merger comprises of a growing percentage of all the mergers. In general, cross border mergers can happen through either inward cross border mergers or outward cross border mergers. In an inward cross border merger, the entire or parts of domestic companies are put up for sale to overseas investors. This often results to inward movement of capital. In the case of an outward cross border merger, domes tic companies tend to purchase the entire or segments of foreign companies. Cross-border mergers are a very significant occurrence in the global economy. In fact, cross-border mergers encompass more than 50% of all the foreign direct investment that is taking place around the world (Gugler et al. 2003). In most cases, companies enter into a cross border merger activities for the following reasons: (1) to intensify the company’s position in the global markets; (2) expand the business; (3) get hold of other company’s complementary resources; and (5) to improve the company’s efficiency in the global markets.

How has the spread of commuinication technology affected cultures Essay

How has the spread of commuinication technology affected cultures around the world - Essay Example This has meant that communication technology has been the winner at spoiling the very basis of varied cultures across the board. The communication technology regimes have come about with an emphasis on internet and related means of inter-connection. Culturally speaking, the spread of the communication technology regimes has happened with the advent of time. There is more westernization in the society now than was present in the yesteryears. The internet and the mass media ranks have brought in adoption of the western culture in different ways and that too in a quick manner. The kids have started to get acquainted with the modern day aspects of living and hanging out with their friends which are more closely associated with the western norms (Underwood). They have started to get alienated from their own customs and rituals, which is an element of worry in the long run. The emphasis is therefore placed on the people who have forgotten their roots for all the wrong reasons, and are now trying to concentrate elsewhere, more specifically the western culture and its related spheres of influence. The parents are generally more concerned about their kids getting away from their roots and focusing more on the western practices (Barnes 2004). This has meant that they have fondness for cultural manifestations like food, music and dance which have close associations with the west rather than their own peculiar customs (Kiesler 199 7). The homogenization of the society has therefore marred it and the negativities have come about in an apparent manner. This is one issue that the western brands are trying their best to cash upon and thus earn the mileage that they so require for their respective brands and products. Looking at the same from an ethical standpoint, this is a worrisome factor because it brings to light the shortcomings of the other cultures and their dependence on the western schemes and

Explain the importance of Curleys Wife in the novel Essay Example for Free

Explain the importance of Curleys Wife in the novel Essay Plan: * Symbols red lipstick * Not given a name Curleys wife may seem an insignificant character because she has not even been given a name by Steinbeck. Her name suggests that she is nothing more than one of Curleys possessions. When she first appears in the novel, she is dressed up as if she is planning on going out into town, rather than just spending her day wandering around the ranch. The image of her being a sex object is emphasised by the fact that Curley keeps a glove fulla Vaseline, for her benefit. However, Curleys wife is influential to the book as she characterises loneliness, the longing for the American dream, danger and sexism. Her appearances in the novel are extremely important at they change the entire mood of the scene in which she appears in. We see that the first time we are introduced to Curleys wife, she is heavily made up; full, rouged lips, red fingernails and red mules. The colour red symbolises danger and sexiness, and the fact that she is wearing these items creates a sense of foreboding that she will be the cause of George and Lennies failure to achieve their dream of having their own plot of land. Another symbol is shown by the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. This immediately creates a sense of danger and doom in the readers mind due to the absence of light. However, we can see that the reason for Curleys wife being flirtatious is because she wants to get away from the loneliness that surrounds her. By flirting, it means she can communicate with other men who otherwise would not talk to her because they do not want any trouble with Curley. However, by being flirtatious, she actually increases the hostility of the other men on the ranch as they become suspicious. We can see that she tells Lennie; I get lonelyAint I got the right to talk to nobody? However, she then explains the reason behind her flirtatious nature; I cant talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. However, we actually see that the marriage between them is already starting to break down because Curley thinks that his wife is givin Slim the eye. Curleys wife is also important as she conveys the theme of sexism. We see that Curley, who keeps his hand soft for her, regards her as a sexual object. Instead of showing any consideration towards his wife, Curley only wants to increase his sexual prowess. The only way in which Curleys wife can talk to other men is by; dolling up. However, when she does this, they talk even less to her, driving her behaviour further. Therefore, she remains excluded from everyone. We even see that Whit regards Susy higher than Curleys wife; a laugh and hell of a nice place. This is a rare time when any woman in the novel is actually shown any kindness, and a complement. Curelys wife, as with many of the other characters, wants to live out the American dream; Coulda been in the movies. It is this dream that drives and compels her to carry on with her otherwise miserable life on the ranch. However, her sudden death shatters her only hope of being able to get away from ranch life, where she is clearly not happy. We can see that the shattering of her dream is mirrored exactly by the death of Lennie, ending the dream for George and Candy. This shows that because she failed living the American dream, it is an ominous foreboding of the fate for George and Lennie. Curleys wife also plays an essential part in the novel, as she plays crucial parts in changing the mood of the scene. When she is first introduced, hope created by the arrival of Candy is wiped out and the reader gets an ominous warning, which is emphasised by Georges caution to Lennie; you keep away from herjail bait. Furthermore, when Curleys wife arrives in chapter four, the excited mood created by wanting to achieve the American dream, changes to a more melancholy mood. We can see that because Curleys wife is lonely all the time, she has turned into a spiteful and vicious person; a nigger and a dum dum an a lousy ol sheep.

Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank Essay Example for Free

Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank Essay The New York Times article â€Å"Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank† by Ethan Bonner covers the reemergence of the Palestinian-covered West Bank, specifically in the city of Nablus, after a series of bloody uprisings and encounters between extremists and Israeli forces. The Palestinian authority has been longing for control over their territories, and it has experienced its first sense of security and economic stability since the second Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000. It seems that the economy has stabilized so far as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a seven percent growth rate for the year 2009. A few infrastructure projects have also started as rebuilding and revitalization of the West Bank area continued. A movie theater has opened and a seven-story furnishing store has started operation recently which proves that the West Banks economic and security status has been stabilizing. Just two weeks ago, Israeli checkpoints have started to shut down and troops are gradually being pulled out from the area which are a part of the Israels promise to aid the Palestinian authority. However, doubts have been raised against this promise as Israel has not permitted Paltel, the Palestinian cellphone company, to construct network towers (Bronner, 2009). By far, peace and order has been evident within the West Bank. The two camps—Israel and Palestine—have been working together in order to stabilize the economy of the area which is seen as a vital aspect for the areas growth. Security has also been a matter most attended to by both camps since it also helps ensure a steady economic growth. If both the economy and the security will be stabilized in the area, there will be enough reason to believe that the Palestinians will be capable enough to handle the problems within their areas. Since Israeli troops are gradually being pulled out, it goes to show that trust is slowly being reestablished between the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority, which is a good sign for both sides future relations. So far, the Palestinian communities—specifically Nablus, West Bank—has experienced a steady growth and a revitalized sense of security. As known in previous years, the conflict between Israeli forces and extremists has greatly hindered economic and political growth within Palestinian territories, especially in the West Bank area. The traumas of conflict may have not been permanently erased, but there is still hope for the Palestinian communities in the future as the West Bank experiences stability within its local economy. Furthermore, the Palestinian authority has been present in order to address the local concerns of the area, attending mostly to the areas security. It may take years before the economy has completely stabilized and the security has been fully established, but as of now, the area has shown great signs of improvement as compared to previous years. People have felt more secure, buildings are being established and reestablished, and stores are being opened and reopened. Communities are starting to experiencing growth again. References Bronner, E. (2009, July 16). Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank. The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2009, from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/07/17/world/middleeast/17westbank. html? ref=world.

Elements Of Autobiography In Martin Eden By Jack London

Elements Of Autobiography In Martin Eden By Jack London In Londons literary ingenuity, Mark Eden is staged in such a way that it is widely considered a living autobiography for Jack London himself from the resemblance of the various themes and postulates in the book with the authors own perspectives during his life; in fact, so close to Londons perspectives in life are the issues discussed in the book that even the tragic end of Mark Eden taking his own life has been justifiably been surmised to be a foreshadow Jack Londons own death. The Elements of autobiography in Martin Eden by Jack London Martin Eden is a 1909 novel by a once renowned American author who was called Jack London that details a story of a young man that struggles for recognition among the literary elite of his time. In his life and times, social stereotypes and cultural biases abhor interactions between the poor and the bourgeoning rich class which forms one of the struggles that young Martin fights especially considering that he is in love with Roth Morse; a young bourgeois woman from a well off family. This work is a novel creation of superb work of a real literary craftsman which addresses the normal issues of young struggling writers explaining the challenges that they face daily with the publishing of their work. In Londons literary ingenuity, Mark Eden is staged in such a way that it is widely considered a living autobiography for Jack London himself from the resemblance of the various themes and postulates in the book with the authors own perspectives during his life; in fact, so close to Londons perspectives in life are the issues discussed in the book that even the tragic end of Mark Eden taking his own life has been justifiably been surmised to be a foreshadow Jack Londons own death. This essay looks at the book, Mark Eden, with the view of explaining the plot of the book in an attempt of determining how the authors life is reflected in the book. The essay also looks at the various themes discussed in the book and compares them with the ideological views that the author held in his lifetime. In addition to this, the essay also sets out to determine whether there is anything autobiographical about the book in reference to its authors life. These aims will be attained by drawing quotes and inferences from the book to justify postulates and authenticate presuppositions made in this regard. Further corroborative remarks will also be used from different authorities and literature about the same topic to reinforce the credibility of the findings and conclusions herein. This book is a pet favourite among upcoming writers who have faced the reality of the hardship that surrounds publishing their literary works of art. It is a story of a young and courageous Martin Eden who through his determination struggles through self-education in the early 20th century to edge a living for himself and subsequently achieve a footing at the helm of the literary elite of the time. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear thatEdens impetus towards hard work and desire of edging a name for himself among the societal elite is Ruth Morses love. Social stereotypes and societal norms fragrantly denyEden any chance of enjoying a union with Ruth since they are from two different social classes:Eden is from the lower working class of sailors while Ruth is from the higher bourgeois class. For Eden to move himself slightly towards attainment of any of his dreams of happily living with Ruth and earning an honourable living therefore, he must establish himself as a writer which is his life-long dream hence the passionate attempts at having his work published. This is the first place that Martin Eden closely reflects the life of Jack London. The skepticism with which Martin Eden views the publishing houses and publishers is the same cynicism thatLondon viewed publishers with during his formative years as a struggling writer. In effect, there is probably no better way of fully capturing the defiant cynicism thatLondon had in this regard than usingEdens own words: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he [Eden] speculated that there was no human being in form of an editor to receive his manuscripts when he sent them but rather there was a an smart arrangement of cogs which automatically changed any manuscripts they received from this envelope to another attaching stamps to them then returning them to the sender(s) with a kindly written rejection slip (Berman 67). Edens wars continue but as is the case with all non-quitters, his day of laughter dawns but unfortunately it comes too late soon after his life-long love, Ruth Morse has given up on waiting for him to hit the right button of prosperity. In her impatience, she retorts in frustration to Edenthat à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦had you only settled down in life and attempted to make something for yourself in lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I would have had reason to hope for the maturity of my love for you (Berman 38). There are authorities who have surmised quite justifiably that the character of Ruth Morse is modeled on Jack Londons first love, Mabel Applegarth who continually rejected Londonfor his apparent failure in life as a young writer (Campbell 145). In this regard also therefore, there is a direct inference from Londons life that is closely associated with Martin Eden making the argument that the book has autobiographical inclinations as plausible as it is justifiable. This notwithstanding, there are substantial differences in the story that do not rhyme at all withLondons convictions during his time. Such an example is the issue of socialism versus individualism as portrayed in the book. From the book,Edenrejects socialism repugnantly considering it slavery and instead hails individualism based on Nietzschean ideology. On the other hand, London is on record to have written to Upton Sinclair discrediting individualism and in his correspondence is quoted to have said that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦one of my greatest motifs in the book was to ingeniously attack individualism which I reckon I miserably bungled since not even one single reviewer of this book has ever discovered that (London 23). The book ends tragically inEdentaking his own life by drowning himself in water. This came at his best moments when he had attained recognition and his writing had been widely acclaimed which would have implied that he should have gotten the highest satisfaction given that such success is what he craved for in life. As it downed on him, societal gears just swung the other way when he had reached what he had all along considered the zenith of his literary acumen since it downed on him that not even his immense success as a writer would earn him the societal acceptance among the nobility and upper social class. There was always an aurora of discontent and despise from his contemporary artists from the higher social class, something that madly piquedEdenoff. It is this continued disrespect that eventually lured him into taking his own life (London58). In a word, events surrounding Jack Londons death have been closely associated with suicide after Edens manner thereby making the book obnoxiously futuristic pointing to the authors own death (London69). At the age of 33 when London had already attained fame and international acclaim with his previous work of literature (such as White Fang and The Call of the Wild), he quickly got bored with the bourgeoning fame and set out to sail throughout the entire of the Southern Pacific. It was on this voyage that London wrote the book, Martin Eden when he was struggling with lifes frustrations and some bowel illness to which he is thought to have succumbed. In the book,London reiterated his adolescent gangfights, artistic recognition, frustrations and romantic struggles that characterized his humble life. In summary, Martin Eden is a book that is widely considered an autobiography forLondongiven the many futuristic antidotes that it hints which are directly linkable to Jack Londons life. The many struggles in the book inEdens youth hood have direct resemblance with the many struggles thatLondonfought against in his own youth hood further making the book widely autobiographical. Inasmuch as there are some minor differences in the ideological statements made in the book and Londons own perceptions (such as individualism and socialism), it is commonplace for literary forms and therefore does not overtly cloud the pontification of the book as a being autobiographical in nature. It is in this view that Martin Eden is favoured herein as being autobiographical in its entirety. References Berman, P. Introduction to Martin Eden: xv.New York: Random House, 2002. London, Joan. Jack London and His times: An Unconventional Biography.New York: Doubleday. Doran, 1939 p.23 Campbell, Reesman. Prospects for the Study of Jack London Resources for American Literary Study. @Sunsite.Berkeley. Edu, 2001, 145. London, Jack. Martin Eden [M].Beijing Foreign Language Teaching Research Press, 1992.

Spider Silk is the Material of the Future Essay -- Material Silk

Spider Silk - the Material of the Future Abstract: Spider silk is well known for its strength yet elastic nature, and for this reason scientists and engineers from a wide variety of fields have begun researching its structure and the possibility and methods of synthesizing spider silk for industrial use. However, extraction of silk from spiders is not cost effective, so most research is focused on synthesis of spider silk either chemically or using DNA recombinant technology. Although research is still at an early stage and ongoing, it is only a matter of time before spider silk can be successfully synthesized for industrial use. Results: Nature is truly a master architect. With relatively few raw materials, it is able to create a diverse array of biological life forms and biological materials essential for the survival of all life forms on earth. Some of Nature’s materials continue to amaze scientists and exceed the characteristics of artificial materials. One such material is spider silk. Spiders rely on their silk for a variety of functions, and their silk are exceptionally light, tough, stiff, and extensible even when compared to the strongest synthetic materials. Each family of spider spins different types of silk, but silk from the Nephila Clavipes (the golden orb-weaving spider) (see Figure 1: Nephila Clavipes figure 1) and Araneus diadematus (common garden spider) are the strongest among spiders, and have been the focus of scientists’ research in recent years.[5] Orb weaving spiders produce various types of silk from seven different glands. Dragline and Viscid silk fibers are the strongest silk produced by orb weaving spiders, and are the most closely studied. Dragline silk is used to make the ra... ...&version=1.0>. [8] Tirrell, David A. "Putting a new spin on spider silk. " Science. 271.n5245 (Jan 5, 1996): 39(2). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Phillips Academy. 24 July 2008 s&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=EAIM&docId=A17812077&source=gale&srcprod=E AIM&userGroupName=mlin_n_phillips&version=1.0>. Pictures Sources: Figure 1: July 30, 2008. http://www.spiderzrule.com/spider806/IMG_3533_small.JPG Figure 2: Royal Society of Chemistry. July 30, 2008. http://www.rsc.org/ej/SM/2006/b600098n/b600098n-f1.gif Figure 3: MCAT. July 30, 2008. http://www.mcat45.com/images/Beta-Sheets-MCAT.png Figure 4: Citizendium July 30, 2008. http://en.citizendium.org/images/2/29/BetaSheetByDEVolk.jpg Figure 5: July 30, 2008. http://www.scq.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/silkstrand.gif Spider Silk is the Material of the Future Essay -- Material Silk Spider Silk - the Material of the Future Abstract: Spider silk is well known for its strength yet elastic nature, and for this reason scientists and engineers from a wide variety of fields have begun researching its structure and the possibility and methods of synthesizing spider silk for industrial use. However, extraction of silk from spiders is not cost effective, so most research is focused on synthesis of spider silk either chemically or using DNA recombinant technology. Although research is still at an early stage and ongoing, it is only a matter of time before spider silk can be successfully synthesized for industrial use. Results: Nature is truly a master architect. With relatively few raw materials, it is able to create a diverse array of biological life forms and biological materials essential for the survival of all life forms on earth. Some of Nature’s materials continue to amaze scientists and exceed the characteristics of artificial materials. One such material is spider silk. Spiders rely on their silk for a variety of functions, and their silk are exceptionally light, tough, stiff, and extensible even when compared to the strongest synthetic materials. Each family of spider spins different types of silk, but silk from the Nephila Clavipes (the golden orb-weaving spider) (see Figure 1: Nephila Clavipes figure 1) and Araneus diadematus (common garden spider) are the strongest among spiders, and have been the focus of scientists’ research in recent years.[5] Orb weaving spiders produce various types of silk from seven different glands. Dragline and Viscid silk fibers are the strongest silk produced by orb weaving spiders, and are the most closely studied. Dragline silk is used to make the ra... ...&version=1.0>. [8] Tirrell, David A. "Putting a new spin on spider silk. " Science. 271.n5245 (Jan 5, 1996): 39(2). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Phillips Academy. 24 July 2008 s&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=EAIM&docId=A17812077&source=gale&srcprod=E AIM&userGroupName=mlin_n_phillips&version=1.0>. Pictures Sources: Figure 1: July 30, 2008. http://www.spiderzrule.com/spider806/IMG_3533_small.JPG Figure 2: Royal Society of Chemistry. July 30, 2008. http://www.rsc.org/ej/SM/2006/b600098n/b600098n-f1.gif Figure 3: MCAT. July 30, 2008. http://www.mcat45.com/images/Beta-Sheets-MCAT.png Figure 4: Citizendium July 30, 2008. http://en.citizendium.org/images/2/29/BetaSheetByDEVolk.jpg Figure 5: July 30, 2008. http://www.scq.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/silkstrand.gif

Acid-Base Chemistry Lab Essay -- Scientific Research

The purpose of this lab was to determine the pH and total acidity of grape juice and wine. A second purpose was to experimentally determine the pKa of a monoprotic weak acid, polyprotic weak acid, as well as, a free amino acid, alanine. Acids and bases were defined by Bronsted-Lowry in 1923, in which acids were described as substances capable of donating a proton and bases are substances capable of accepting a proton (Thompson and Dinh 2009). In addition to defining acids and bases, Bronsted-Lowry further classified acids and bases as being either strong or weak. By definition, a strong acid or base is a substance that is completely dissociated in aqueous solutions and in contrast, weak acids only partially dissociate and reach their equilibrium with their conjugate base (Harris 2003). Buffers are comprised of weak acids and their conjugate bases. In the food industry, buffers are commonly used to protect changes in pH of food stuffs. The two conjugate components of the buffer resist changes in pH by absorbing the addition of any hydrogen or hydroxyl ions (Christen and Smith 2000). When weak acids and their conjugate bases are at equilibrium, their concentrations can be expressed in terms of the dissociation constant, Ka. For a strong acid, the Ka value is greater than 1 x 10-2M and less than 1 x 10-2M for a weak acid (Thompson and Dinh 2009). For weak acids, the relationship of hydrogen ion concentration and pH can be defined by the Henderson-Hasselbach equation (Thompson and Dinh 2009). Wine quality greatly depends on the quality of the grapes and the microorganisms involved in the fermentation process (Husnik and others 2006). When compared to lactic acid bacteria, yeasts are better suited for growt... ... Son HS, Hong YS, Park WM, Yu MA, Lee CH. 2009. A novel approach for estimating sugar and alcohol concentrations in wines using refractometer and hydrometer. J. Food Chem. 74:106-111. Thompson LD, Dinh T. 2009. Acid-Base Chemistry. FDSC 4303/5303 food chemistry laboratory manual. Lubbock, Tx.: Texas Tech University, Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Ugliano M, Moio L. 2005. Changes in the concentration of yeast-derived volatile compounds of red wine during malolactic fermentation with four commercial starter cultures of Oenococcus oeni. J. Agric. Food Chem. 53:10134-10139. Waite JG, Daeschel MA. 2007. Contribution of wine components to inactivation of food-borne pathogens. J. Food Sci. 72:286-291. Wintersteen CL, Andrae LM, Engeseth NJ. 2005. Effect of heat treatment on antioxidant capacity and flavor volatiles of mead. J. Food Chem. 70:119-126.

Ethnicity and Group Rights :: Sociology Race Gender Essays

Ethnicity and Group Rights ABSTRACT: Recent developments in biology have made it possible to acquire more and more precise information concerning our genetic makeup. There are four groups of people who may want to know about our genes. First, we ourselves can have an interest in being aware of own health status. Second, there are people who are genetically linked with us, and who can have an interest in the knowledge. Third, individuals with whom we have contracts and economic arrangements may have an interest in knowing about our genetic makeup. Fourth, society as a whole can have an interest in the composition of our genes. As regards the question of motivation, the term 'should' can be interpreted in three ways. Prudentially speaking, to say that individuals should act in a certain manner is to say that the actions in question promote the long-term self-interest of these individuals. From the viewpoint of morality, we should do what is right and avoid doing what is wrong. When it comes to legal thinking, it is held in most liberal societies that grave other-regarding harm should be the primary justification for the use of coercion and constraint. In the paper, all these aspects are examined in more detail. In multicultural Western societies more and more frequently members of ethnic minority groups behave and act in ways which the majority find 'different', 'strange' or 'alien', sometimes even 'irrational', 'threatening' or 'immoral'. Differences in action and behaviour range, for instance, from clothing and fashion accessories to the observance of religious holidays and the mutilation of the human body. The question that I propose to address in this paper is: How should the majority respond to these differences? Should the reaction be tolerant and permissive? Or should it be cautious and restrictive? Should the majority hold that individuals are entitled to act as they wish unless their actions inflict harm on other people? Or should they think that ethnic groups as collectives have rights which ought not to be violated by constraints on the behaviour of their members? The questions concerning the group rights of minorities have recently been discussed in considerable detail in the frameworks of communitarianism and deontological liberalism. However, the difficulty with these approaches is that they presuppose complicated and sometimes metaphysically and ideologically loaded accounts of liberty, personal identity and interpersonal relationships. I have therefore opted for a simpler and more accessible starting point.

Valley of the Immortals

SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Table of Contents: The Jade Tower! 3 The Secret Entrance to the â€Å"Valley of the Immortals†! 5 Mysterious Mountain People! 8 A Lost Oasis of Advanced Spiritual Culture! 11 Eyewitness Reports of Shambhala! 12 Trans-Himalayan Stonehenge! 14 More Strange Phenomena in Tibet ! 16 The Mystery of the Magical Sceptre! 18 The Shambhala Triangle! 21 Journey to the Sacred Kingdom! 22 Subterranean Vaults in the Himalayas! 25 The White Pyramid and The Shambhala Triangle! 28 â€Å"The Tibetan Roswell†! 0 The Crystal Cave of the Nagas! 32 Dead Alien Found Alive!! 35 Russian Scientists View an Ethereal Solar System! 36 The Laboratories of Shambhala! 37 Conclusion! 40 by Tony Bushby  © June 2009 – 2011 Website: http://www. vatileaks. com www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS The Jade Tower In Tibetan scriptures and in Far Eastern tradition , there is an ancient and widespread belief in a Secret Kingdom of Wise Men living in seclusion in inaccessible mountainous parts of Asia. Orientalists call this mysterious place Chang Shambhala, or Northern Shambhala (sometimes spelled Shamballa).Tibetan monks insist that there is an enigmatic valley of great beauty, surrounded by a circle of snowy mountains extending from northern Tibet. -into Mongolia, that is inaccessible to travellers without experienced or mystical guidance. It is said in tradition that this hidden land is unreachable except to initiates or persons dedicated to the spiritual resurrection of mankind. Its centre is highlighted by the famous Jade Tower that stands in an ancient city which monks claim is heated by warm water rising from underground streams, and the steam generated rises into the atmosphere to form a natural temperature inversion.This valley is not seen from the air because the phenomenon produces a high, light, misty cover that conceals the underl ying landscape. Various exploratory teams journeying in the Himalayas claimed to have camped by hot thermal springs that nourished rich vegetation in areas outside of which there was nothing but desolation, rock and ice. Like the Tibetans, Russians and Chinese,. the people of India also believe in the reality of an abode of perfect men and women which they call the Kalapa (sometimes Katapa) of Shambhala, who live-in the constant presence of otherworldly energies.Professor Nicholas K. Roerich, an eminent Russian author, painter and explorer (1874-1947) spent ? ve years from 1923 to 1928 trekking through all seven Tibetan prefectures. He wrote in his book Himalayas – Abode of Light (N. K; Roerich, Nalanda Publications, Bombay, l947) that this secret valley is beyond great lakes and the snow-covered peaks of the highest mountains in the world. It seems that Professor Roerich actually reached Sharnbhala, and for this reason his www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTAL S ooks and paintings were thoroughly analysed for this article, as were the works of his son, Dr GeorgeRoerich (1902-1960), an outstanding orientalist, philologist, art critic and ethnographer with degrees from Harvard and the Sorbonne. The Roerich family lived in the Kulu Valley of northern India, in close proximity to the border of western Tibet, and from there organised several major expeditions into unexplored areas of the Tibetan Plateau, the highest land on Earth. These expeditions were manned by dozens of Norwegian, Sherpa, Tibetan, Mongol and Chinese assistants, and at times their missions endured for many months.Another renowned researcher, Andrew Tomas, author of Shambhala: Oasis of Light (Sphere Books, London, 1977), spent many years in Tibet, where he learned that the realm of Shambhala is situated in a valley sheltered on every side by mighty snowy ranges and that its residents retreat into huge subterranean catacombs. These and other explorers of Asia have written abou t unsuspected valleys lost amidst colossal snowy mountains on the Tibetan Plateau, said to lie hidden somewhere in the vast reaches of the Himalayas.The Bhagavata Purana and the Sanskrit encyclopaedia Vachaspattya locate Shambhala on the northern side of the Himalayas at the foot of Mount Meru, where many believe that the temporal and the eternal meet. A more de? ned location is shown on a 17th-century map published in 1830 in Antwerp by Csoma de Koros, an Hungarian philologist who had spent four years in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet. He gave Shambhala's geographical bearings as between 45 and 50 degrees north latitude beyond Lake Manus Hu, approx. 100 kilometres east of the village of Karamay.Remarkably, another old monastic document, sighted by Russian explorer Nikolai M. Prjevalgky (1839-1888), de? nes the longitude of Shambhala as at 88 degrees (N. M. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Prjevalsky, Mongolia, London, 1876, translated by Boris Fereng, p. 63). Th ese two coordinates locate the domain of Shambhala as slightly east of the Altai Mountains, a major mountain system in Central Asia, peaking at 4,506 metres (14,783 feet), and precisely where the Poerich expeditions trekked on several occasions.The Secret Entrance to the â€Å"Valley of the Immortals† For millennia, the peoples of Asia have believed this forbidden territory to be well guarded, accessible only to the pure of heart. But the questions to be addressed are: who are the people that live in this secluded area†¦ and what is their nature? Tibetan legend insists that this secret place is inhabited by â€Å"Silent Sentinels†oformerly ordinary men and women who received a â€Å"passport† to Shambhala because of their spiritual progression.Andrew Tomas presents impressive evidence from Tibetan sources in ancient monastic libraries that he was privileged to access, and his ? ndings help us learn more about this enlightened colony: The Brotherhood of Sham bhala is presided over by a small hierarchy of superior beings sometimes alluded to as Mahatmas, which in Sanskrit means â€Å"the great-souled ones†. They are superhuman beings with preternatural powers who have completed their evolution on this planet but remain with humanity in order to facilitate its spiritual progress †¦ he life- span of their bodies is almost inde? nite because the Wheel of Rebirth has stopped for them. (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala: Oasis of Light, op. cit. , pp. 43-44, passim) In other words, they are Immortal Beings – and from what is known about this galaxy of illumined peoples, the concept of reincarnation is an essential part of their philosophy. Tibetan manuscripts add that â€Å"from time immemorial, a dynasty of wise rulers of celestial origin has ruled the Kingdom of Shambhala and preserved the priceless legacy of Kalachakra, the mystic science of Esoteric www. atileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Buddhism† (Giuseppe T ucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Rome, 1949, vol. 1). After seven years in Tibet and China, German author Hartwig Hausdorf wrote in his book Die weisse Pyramide (â€Å"The White Pyramid†) that the Elders of Shambhala â€Å"are not entirely of this world; they smack more of an Alien Mind.. .a species that the Universal Mind has placed on our Earth† (Hartwig Hausdorf, Die Weisse Pyramide, republished in English by New Paradigm Books, Florida, 1998, pp. 92, 102, passim).Since time immemorial, Tibetans and other Asian races have believed that in their midst lived sages who had liberated themselves from death and wandered the Earth and the Universe at will in a physical body. Ancients called them â€Å"holy immortals† and claimed that they had developed a series of alchemical! â€Å"elixirs of deathlessness†,! i n c l u d i n g powdered jade mixed with cinnabar that they drank to help prepare their bodies for the state of hsien – material immortality in a n etherealised body. The now-called Mahatma Letters to A. P.Sinnett were written between 1880 and 1885 by Mallatmas who were said to have actually inhabited Shambhala itself, and thus they represent a ? rst-hand source about the realm from within the closed circle of the Sages of the East themselves. (Alfred Percy Sinnett [1840-19211 was the British editor of the English daily newspaper, the Pioneer, in Allahabad, India, where he lived from 1879 to 1889, and who was privileged to be, admitted into the Himalayan Brotherhood of High Yogis. ) From this correspondence, Sinnett wrote The Occult World (1881) and Esoteric Buddhism (1883), both of which had a major in? ence in generating public interest in Theosophy. The replies and explanations given by the Shambhalan Mahatmas to Sinnett's questions were embodied in their letters and published in 1923 as The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett. (The original letters from the Mahatmas are www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS p reserved in the British Library and can be viewed by special permission in the Department of Rare Manuscripts. ) The picture of this mysterious kingdom comes further into focus after a study of the writings of the Mahatmas, who were believed to be a class of people with prophetic abilities.In one letter to Sinnett in 1881, the author, the venerable Mahatma Morya, an eastern initiate of Rajput birth, describes the imposing secret entrance into the Valley of the Immortals: At a certain spot not to be mentioned to outsiders, there is a chasm spanned by a frail bridge of woven grasses and with a raging torrent beneath. The bravest member of your Alpine clubs would scarcely dare to venture the passage, for it hangs like a spider's web and seems to be rotten and impassable. Yet it is not; and he who dares the trail and succeeds†¦ s he will if it is right that he should be permitted.. .comes into a gorge of surpassing beauty of scenery, to one of our places and to some of our people, of which and whom there is no note or minute among European geographers. At a stone's throw from the old lamasery stands the old Tower within whose bosom have gestated generations! of! B o d h i s a t t v a s [compassionate persons whose essence is perfect knowledge]. (Passport to Shambhala, published by the West Siberia Geographical Society, 1923, Letter 18, p. 1, English translation by Professor Vladimir Andrei Vasiliu, 1933 [includes a complete collection of The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnettj) The dwellers of various villages in Tibet have claimed that none can pass certain areas without a permit: Mahatma Morya added to the intrigue: You have already heard from reliable travellers how guides refuse to lead them in certain directions. They would rather let themselves be killed than lead you forward. So, if a reckless traveller nevertheless goes forward, a mountain landslide begins to rumble before him.If the traveller surmounts this obstacle, then a shower of stones will carry www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS him away, for the unwelcome one shall not attain his destination. (op. cit. , Letter 18, p. 32) People and animals are known to have unnaturally trembled on approaching certain localities in that area, as if bombarded by invisible rays. An unnamed 19th- century Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, â€Å"†¦ at one stage travelled the long journey from Lhasa to Mongolia and at one place on the route people and animals in his caravan began to quiver for no apparent reason.The Dalai Lama explained the phenomena by saying that the party was crossing part of the forbidden zone of Shambhala whose psychic vibration was too high for the travellers† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, Roerich Museum Press, New York, 1930; also Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 54). The Russian explorer N. M. Prjevalsky and the German linguist and historian A. H. Francke record in their books the strange behaviour of natives who could not be forced under any condition to enter certain districts in northern Tibet (N. M. Prjevalsky, Mongolia, op cit. , p. 01; A. H. Francke, A History of Western Tibet, Partridge and Co. , London, 1907). A Russian member of one of Roerich's expeditions personally told Andrew Tomas that their group had the same experience in the depths of Asia, where, for no apparent reason, assistants in the expedition refused to proceed further at one spot in northern Tibet. The Russian himself admitted that he could not understand why he did not feel like riding any further, saying that it was â€Å"weird and inexplicable†, a feeling that he did not wish to experience again (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. it. , p. 58). Mysterious Mountain People In Turfan, Sinkiang, western China, Roerich expedition members listened to an intriguing story of a tall, dark- haired woman wearing an earnest expression on her face who regularly came out of the deep caverns to help the needy, her deeds instilling great respect among the populace throughout the entire Asiatic region. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS â€Å"Riders vanishing with torches into subterranean passages were also mentioned† (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 9), as were eyewitness reports of brightly clad, crowned lamas (supposedly from Shambhala) seen seated in palanquins, each carried by four men. Roerich indicates that tall, slim, white-skinned people had been seen disappearing into rock galleries upon the approach of strangers. Later, when his expedition was crossing the Karakoram Pass, Roerich relates that he was informed by a native guide that tall, white-clad men and women had been seen on occasions appearing from secret entrances in that area, and sometimes travellers were helped by these mysterious mountain people.In the early 1900s, the Statesman newspaper in India published a story about a British major who had seen a tall, lightly clad man with long hair leaning on a high bow and scanning the valley. Noticing the major, the man jumped down a vertical slope and disappeared. The natives calmly said to Roerich, â€Å"He had seen one of the snowmen who guard the sacred land† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. ). In one of his paintings, Roerich portrays a Snow Maiden amidst rocks and snow, also holding a bow. In spite of the glaciers and the apparent cold conditions, she is lightly clad as if protected from the cold by a warm aura.Roerich adds: In the foothills of the Himalayas are many caves, and it is said that from these caves subterranean passages proceed for below Kinchinjunga. Some have even seen the stone door which has never been opened because the date has not arrived. The deep passages proceed to the splendid valley. (N. K. Roerich, Himalayas – Abode of Light, op. cit. , cited in Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 39) Professor Roerich's reference de? nes the â€Å"splendid valley† of the â€Å"Immortals†. Early in his long journey, Roerich came www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS cross pilgrims who told him: â€Å"Behind those mountains live holy men and women who are saving humanity through Wisdom; many have tried to see them but failed †¦ somehow as soon as they go over the ridge, they lose their way† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. ; also Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, p. 59, passim). â€Å"Yet Nicholas Roerich went into that territory on a pony. He remained absent for a few days and, when he returned, Asiatics prostrated themselves at his feet, exclaiming that he was a ‘god', for no man could have penetrated the frontier of Shambhala without divine credential† (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. it. , p. 58). Maybe there was a reason for Roerich's unrestricted entry into the forbidden enclave, for the Mahatmas assured Sinnett: â€Å"†¦ [those whom we] desire to know will ? nd us at the very frontiers† (Passport to Shambhala, op. cit. , L etter 15, p. 131). Roerich's remarks to a lama (religious teacher) in Tibet suggest ? rst-hand knowledge of his reaching Shambhala: â€Å"We ourselves have seen a white frontier post of one of the three posts of Shambhala† (N. K. Roerich, Himalayas, op. cit. ).Apart from searching for the home of the Mahatmas, the purpose of one of Roerich's expeditions across Tibet and Xinjiang to Altai in 1928 is not made entirely clear in his diary, but it appears to have been related to the return of a small section of a sacred Cosmic Stone to its rightful home in the Jade Tower in the centre of Shambhala. â€Å"This fragment was last sent to Europe to aid in the establishment of the League of Nations which, though ending in failure, was so desirable after the First World War† (J. Saint-Hilaire, On Eastern Crossroads, New York, 1930, cited by Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 63).This fragment was said to be part of a much larger Cosmic Stone, and it seems that Roerich was a p redestined carrier to return it to Shambhala. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS A Lost Oasis of Advanced Spiritual Culture The folklore of old Russia also points to the reality of a community of inspired men and women at a place in the heart of Asia, called Belovodye, in Russian-the Land of the Living Gods. In the annual Journal of the Russian Geographical Society for 1903, there is an article titled â€Å"The Journey of Ural Cossacks into the Belovodye Kingdom†, written by an explorer named Koroleko.Likewise, in October 1916 the West Siberia Geographical Society published an account by Belosliudov, a Russian historian, titled â€Å"To the History of Belovodye†. Published as they were by scienti? c bodies, both of these articles are of great interest because they reveal a strong tradition that still circulates among â€Å"old believers† in Russia, one that maintains that Belovodye is a secret earthly paradise existing somewhere in the area of far southwestern Siberia. These two articles lend support to our basic theme of a hidden, sacred kingdom somewhere around the northernmost regions of Tibet, a kingdom of ancient high wisdom.The traditional tale about the extraordinary, reclusive people of an ancient civilisation in this hidden land was relayed by a mysterious native sage to Russian psychiatrist and author Dr Olga Kharitidi during her stay in remote Siberia: Their main achievements had been in developing the inner dimensions of the mind; their entire society possessed a beautiful spiritual intensity that in modern materialist culture is experienced only by a few. They possessed incredible psychological wisdom. They were able to control their personal experience of time, and they had learnt to communicate telepathically over great distances.They had great skills in projecting the future, and their social structure was the most effective that ever existed. (Dr Olga Kharitidi, Entering the Circle, Harper San Francisco, 1996) www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS But one law of the Valley of the Immortals forever remains in force, that being that â€Å"the unwanted shall not reach† it (Road to Shambhala, a rare 18th-century Tibetan book written by the third Panchen Lama or â€Å"Great Scholar† (1738-1780), translation by Cheng Yuan, 1901). Only those who have heard â€Å"Kalagiya, the call to Shambhala sent on the wind† (ibid. or by telepathic communication from the Great Masters can ever hope to arrive safely in the â€Å"Valley of the Wisest People on Earth† (L. C. Hamamoto, The Soul Doctrine, Lhasa, translation by C. Chan, 1916p. 67). Eyewitness Reports of Shambhala During the ? rst century CE, Apollonius, a highly regarded and charismatic Greek sage, received â€Å"the call† and travelled to Shambhala. He had earlier received â€Å"directions† and knew exactly where to ? nd what was then called the ‘Abode of the Sages† (A. P . Sinnett, Esoteric Buddhism, London, 1903 reprint from the 1883 original).Apollonius was born at Tyana in Capt'adocia in the third year of this era and died in 98 CE. He was named after the Greek god Apollo, and the populace fondly called him â€Å"the son of God† (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th ed. , vol. 10, â€Å"Apollonius†). He taught the doctrine of the â€Å"Inner Life† (ibid. ), went barefoot, wore his hair long, cultivated a beard and clothed himself in white linen garments. On his travels he took an Assyrian scribe called Damis, who documented Apollonius' sayings and deeds in a daily diary. It was from Damis' collection of 97 codices that the remarkable stories of Apollonius' life experiences were preserved.Around 200 CE, Empress Julia Domna, second wife of the British-born Roman Emperor Septimus Severus (emperor from 193 to 211 CE), exhibited such an interest in the momentous events in Apollonius' life that she commissioned the Greek scribe and sophis t, Flavius Philostratus (C. 170 www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS c. 245 CE), to write the biography, which he called The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. From these records, we learn that Apollonius stayed in the Trans-Himalayan country for many months (Philostratus, The Life of Apollonus of Tyana, Loeb Classical Library, London, 1912, eight books in two volumes, translated by F.C. Conybeare; note that the upcoming Apollonius quotes are drawn from Book 3, which is almost entirely devoted to his journey to northern Tibet). Upon Apollonius' arrival in â€Å"a city under the mountain called Paraca† (ibid. ), he presented a letter to the then king, Hiarchas (larchas in some translations, meaning â€Å"Holy Ruler†), and was surprised to learn that its contents were already known to the king. Apollonius turned to Damis and said, â€Å"We have reached men who are unfeignedly wise, for they seem to have the gift of foreknowledge' (ibid. ).During his time ther e, he witnessed incredible things such as wells in the ground projecting vertical beams of brilliant bluish light. He also talked with amazement about what he called pantarbes, or luminous stones, that could be activated to radiate so much light that night could be turned into day at will. The scienti? c and mental achievements of the inhabitants of this lost city impressed Apollonius so much that he only nodded his head when King Hiarchas said to him, â€Å"Ask us whatever you like, for you ? nd yourself among people who know everything† (ibid. ).Apollonius enquired as to who they thought themselves to be, and King Hiarchas replied, â€Å"We consider ourselves to be gods† (ibid. ). Not only did Apollonius see the people of Shambhala utilise the power of the Sun, but†¦. he saw them levitating themselves two cubits [approx. one metre] high from the ground, not for the sake of miraculous display, for they disdain any such ambition; but they regard any rites they per form, in thus quitting earth and walking with the Sun, as acts of homage acceptable to the God. (Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, op. cit. , Book 3) www. vatileaks. comSHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Parallel phenomena were reported in the 20th century by renowned orientalist, author and the ? rst western female lama, Madame Alexandra David-NEel (1868-1969), thus supporting the ancient records of Philostratus. She describes Shambhala as a realm â€Å"not moored in time or space as we are; Shambhala is here today and gone tomorrow† (Alexandra David-Neel, Magic and Mystery in Tibet,! Dover Publications, New York, 1971, ? rst published in 1929); Of the inhabitants of Shambha! a Apollonius said they Were living upon the earth and yet not on it and forti? ed without forti? ations and possessing nothing yet having the riches of all men† (Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, op. cit. , Book 3). As for the ideology of the inhabitants King Hiarchas prof essed a cosmic philosophy according to which the Universe is a living thing† (ibid. ). The Mahatma Letters stresses the fact that they are not atheists or agnostics but pantheists in the widest sense of the word, believing that God and the Universe are ultimately identical. Their concept of cosmic evolution is the basis of why the idea of reincarnation is a major part of the philosophy of the Guardians of Mankind.Trans-Himalayan Stonehenge In 1923, and at an altitude of 4,572 metres (15,000 feet) in his Trans-Himalayan journey, Roerich was stunned to see three long straight rows of tall, vertically standing, inscribed stones distinguished from the surrounding environment by their peculiar shape and design. This huge stone complex ended with a large circle of standing stones with three menhirs in its centre. He described the structure as a combination of Stonehenge in England and Carnac in the ancient Celtic world of Brittany, sites that he had visited previously.His caravan wa s destined to stop overnight near this stone enigma, but he stayed for three www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS days and discovered four additional rows of vertical stone formations in surrounding areas. Amazed by what he was witnessing, Roerkh asked his Tibetan guides, â€Å"Pray tell me, who set these stones? † He was told: â€Å"Nobody knows †¦ but this district from ancient times has been called Doring the place of the sacred standing stones. Our Ancients say that an unknown people passed here a long time ago; they stopped for several generations but it did not become their permanent abode† (N.K. Roerich, Himalayas, op cit. , passim). Roerich marvelled at the fact that travelling through the heights of the Trans- Himalayas he came across â€Å"the embodiments of Stonehenge and Carnac† (ibid. ). This painting by Roerich, titled The Black Gobi, shows a few of hundreds of ancient inscribed vertical standing stones on the barren heights o f the Himalayas near the Gobi Desert.  © Nicholas Roerich, 1928; private collection (Note: Beautiful reproductions of many of Roerich's paintings can be purchased from the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York; visit http://www. oerich. org. ) www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS More Strange Phenomena in Tibet Peculiar happenings have occurred in this vast territory, and some of those events reveal the presence of superior spiritual beings. Madame Alexandra David-Neel, in her book The Superhuman Life of Gesar of Ling (published by Claude Kendall, New York, translation by Violet Sydney, 1934, ? rst published in 1931), relates a personal and curious episode that took place in the small town of Jyekundo, located in a desolate district in northeastern Tibet.While there, she met a Tibetan lama who had the reputation of occasionally disappearing into a snowcapped mountain region where no villages existed and where a person could easily starve or quickly freeze to death. In evitably he would return to civilisation after some time, and in reply to curious questions he would only say that he had been with â€Å"gods in the mountains† (ibid. ). One day, Madame David-Neel half-seriously asked the lama if, on his next trip, he would present a small gift of a bunch of Chinese paper ? owers to â€Å"the Ruler of the Mountains† (ibid. . Some months later, returning from his journey into that mysterious domain, he handed the French savant a souvenir given to him by that very person. It was a beautiful blue ? ower that blooms in southern Tibet in July. David-NEel was stunned, saying that in Jyekundo at that time the temperature was 20 degrees below zero, the river was covered with a layer of ice two metres deep and the ground was frozen solid. â€Å"Where did you get this from? † she asked in amazement. The lama answered, â€Å"Maybe from a warm valley in the north' (ibid. ).Roerich also recorded a series of extraordinary supernatural happe nings, one being the sudden appearance of Rigden Jyope (or Djapo), the Ruler of Shambhala. It is said that when he entered a particular lamaist temple, the candles all suddenly lit themselves. Roerich relayed this story: There was a case of a sudden appearance of an exquisite www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS perfume, as if from temple incense, right in the heart of the Gobi with the stony desert extending for hundreds of kilometres in all directions.Not a single temple of hut was in sight and yet all the members of the expedition experienced the scent in their nostrils at the same time. This had happened on several occasions and there was absolutley nothing to explain it. (Quoted in Andrew Thomas, Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 57) In the dark of numerous nights, Roerich saw vivid ? ashes of vertical pillars of white light streaking into the sky. â€Å"What is happening? † he asked his lama guides. They answered, â€Å"These are the rays from the Tower of Sham bhala† (N. K. Roerich, Himalayas, op. cit. , explaining that the beams were purposely directed upwards from a large, triangular-shaped, glowing stoneothe so-called Chintamani Stoneothat sat atop the Jade Tower. They told him it possessed occult properties capable of giving telepathic inner, guidance and effecting a transformation of consciousness in those in contact with it. The astonishing thing about this tradition is that the Chintamani Stone is said to have been brought to Earth â€Å"on a winged horse [a lung-ta] by messengers of the gods from a solar system in the constellation of Orion (Dr Walter Y.Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the Great! Liberation, Oxford University Press, 1954), www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS This painting, titled Command of Rigden Djapo, like many of Roerich? s works contains concealed messages, Note the darkened fuselage of a sleek aircraft angled upwards, complete with a vertical tail section (left of picture). In the to p left corner, he subtly depicts pyramidal structures, maybe references to the 100 or so pyramids now known to exist in northern Asia. Nicholas Roerich 1926-27 private collection, MoscowIt seems that there was more than one of these strange and â€Å"Precious Stones† (ibid. ), for, according to ancient lamaist lore, three of these pyramidal capstones were brought to Earth and set up in various locations wherever a spiritual mission vital to humanity was established. A suggestion is that one was on the summit of the Great Pyramid at Giza, another on the Jade Tower of Shambhala, and the third may now be under the sea in a place we know as Atlantis. The Mystery of the Magical Sceptre In Tibet, it is traditionally held that in the year 331 CE a chest â€Å"came from the sky† (Andrew Tomas, Shambhala, op. it. , caption in photographs section), in which were found four sacred objects. Among them was a magical ! g o l d e n r o d called a dorge, said to have extraordinary sup ernatural capabilities. Fabulous accounts of-this rod have been circulating in Tibet for centuries, and silver, brass and iron replicas are found in most Tibetan lamaseries today. It is www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS believed that it emanated a brilliant radiance during special religious ceremonies, and in the hands of the King of Shambhala it was capable of focusing and manipulating potent cosmic forces.It is said that it also had the power of casting thunderbolts and burning holes in clouds. Many years after the discovery of the casket, ? ve strangers suddenly appeared before the then King of Shambhala, Thotho-ri Nytan-tsan, and instructed him on the proper use of the objects in the casket. Perculiar Craft over the Himalayas Mahatma Morya called Shamhala :the city of Science† (Passport to Shambhala, op. cit. , Letter 62, p. 101), and that makes it appropriate to examine the poissibility that this colony (or colonies) of a superior culture possesses an advanced technology.! ww. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS That the inhabitants of this enigmatic settlement are scienceconscious can be established from a story relayed by Roerich about a lama who was returning to his lamasery after a long trip from an outlying community. In a narrow secret subterranean passage, the lama met two men carrying a thoroughbred sheep, and they told him the animal was for scienti? c breeding in the Valley of the Immortals (N. K. Roerich, Altai-Himalaya: A Travel Diary, Arun Press, Brook? eld, CT, 1983, ? st published in 1929). In another account of Central Asia, titled Beasts, Men and Gods, researcher and author Dr Ferdinand Ossendowski records some fascinating facts, and his documentation is as intriguing to read as that of Nicholas Roerich, Alexandra David-Neel and Andrew Tomas. A Mongol lama told Dr Ossendowski not only about an extensive tunnel system under the Himalayas but of â€Å"strange vehicles that rushed through them at extre mely high speed† (Ferdinand Ossendowski, Beasts, Men and Gods, E. P. Dutton & Co. , New York, 1922).To speak of machines moving rapidly underground is to suggest a technological achievement of a high calibre in a time that appears to precede our! current understanding of complex machinery by centuries. This tradition originated long before the western world developed any sort of technology. There is a similar rumour that subterranean vehicles once operated under the Giza Plateau (10thcentury Arabic traditions). We should consider the possibility that maybe Shambhala and the Great Pyramid are connected by a tunnel system. In his travels through Tibet, Roerich read old lamaist texts that spoke of â€Å"iron serpents which devour space with ? e and smoke† and â€Å"inhabitants of the distant stars† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. ). Also, incredible sightings of fastmoving airships in the zone of Shambhala are numerous. This report from Roerich's diary descr ibes what happened as www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS his expedition was advancing in the vicinity of the Karakoram Mountains: On August ? fthosomething remarkable! We were in our camp in the Kukunor district not far from the Humboldt Chain. In the morning about half-past nine some of our caravaneers noticed a remarkably big black eagle ? ying over us.Seven of us began to watch this unusual bird. At this same moment another of our caravaneers remarked, ‘There is something far above the bird. ‘ And he shouted in his astonishment. We all saw, in a direction from north to south, something big and shiny re? ecting like the sun, like a huge oval moving at great speed. Crossing our camp this thing changed in its direction from south to southwest. And we saw how it disappeared in the intense blue sky. We even had time to take our ? eld glasses and saw quite distinctly an oval form with shiny surface, one side of which was brilliant from the sun. N. K. Roer ich, Altai-Himalaya, op. cit. ) Roerich's sighting was some two decades before pilot Kenneth Arnold ? led his famous report of a formation of silver, circular, metallic craft skipping across the sky near Mount Rainier in Washington, USA, which resulted in the coining of the term â€Å"? ying saucers†. Only an aircraft of unknown type could have performed the abrupt aerial manoeuvres recorded in Roerich's diary. At the sight of the disc in the sky, one of the lamas with the expedition calmly said to Roerich: â€Å"This is the sign of Shambhala †¦ ou are guarded by the Immortals of Shambhala †¦ did you notice the direction in which this sphere moved[? ] †¦ you must follow the same direction† (N. K. Roerich, Heart of Asia, op. cit. , passim). The Shambhala Triangle In our search for the mysterious â€Å"Valley of the Immortals†, the second part of our story identi? es the location of Roerich's â€Å"three posts of Shambhala† which form a †Å"Shambhala Triangle†, an area of captivating events that include the recent discovery of interstellar tragedy records and sightings of clusters of pyramids in Tibet. ww. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Journey to the Sacred Kingdom The genera! populace living in the sky-brushing land of Asia, aptly called the Roof of the World, has been acutely conscious of the verity of Shambhala for centuries now. The belief in a secret Kingdom of People has lived on throughout the ages, and the existence of Shambhala is further supported by a 1,000-year-old record. It comes to us from a Russian source, found in 1893 in a manuscript at the VyshenskioUspenski hermitage near Shatsk in Tambov Province.Called â€Å"The Saga of Belovodye† (Belovodye is Russian for Shambhala, or Land of the Living Gods), the story, appeared in the 4 April 1949 edition of Novaya Zarya (â€Å"New Dawn†), a Russian newspaper in San Francisco. It relays the account of a young Slavic mon k named Sergius, who spent several years in a monastery on Mount Athos in northern Greece, beside the Aegean Sea. The ill health of his father caused him to return to Kiev, and some time after his arrival Sergius, then nearing 30 years of age, obtained an audience with Prince Vladimir the Great (956-1015 CE).His purpose was to relay to him what he had learnt in the monastic library about a mysterious land in the East where virtue and lustice prevailed (The Saga of Belovodye Novaya Zarya, ibid. ). Prince Vladimir was so fascinated by the story of the legendary land that in the year 987 he appointed Sergius leader of a large expeditionary party that he equipped and dispatched in search of this Asiatic wonderland. The prince's advisers estimated the. 6,000-mile (9,660-km) round journey would take three years, but decades passed without a word from the expedition.The people of Kiev believed that all members of the team had perished; but in 1043 an old man appeared in Kiev, declaring him self to be the monk Sergius whom Vladimir the Great had sent in search of the Valley of the Immortals some 56 years earlier. The essence of his story was duly recorded and preserved among the mystics of a Russian monastery, and it was that document that was found in 1893. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Father Sergius said that at the end of the second year of their dif? ult journey, many people and animals in the group had died, either of extreme weather conditions or from attacks by wolves and bears. In one desolate territory, their party came across a pile of skeletons of men, horses, camels and donkeys and they were so terri? ed that they refused to go any further. Only two of the party agreed to continue with Sergius, and at the end of the third year of travel these two companions were left in a village because of their failing health. Father Sergius himself had reached the limit of endurance but was determined to complete his journey or die.Rumours he hea rd from the people of various regions through which he passed indicated that such a fabulous land as Shambhala did exist and that he was heading in the right direction. He employed another guide who assured him that he could take him closer to the Sacred Kingdom, which the locals called â€Å"the Forbidden Land.. .the Land of Living Gods and the Land of Wonders† (â€Å"The Saga of Belovodye†, ibid. ). Three months later, Father Sergius reached the borders of Shambhala. At a particular point, his only remaining guide refused to proceed further, frightened of the invisible guardians of the snowy mountains.Sergius was still unafraid of death and full of faith in the existence of a community of holy people that he had set out to ? nd. Besides, he was too exhausted to turn back. After another few days of lonely trekking, he was suddenly accosted by two strangers who made themselves understood to him, even though they spoke an unknown language. Thereupon Sergius was taken to a village where, after recuperating, he was given a job in a monastic-type establishment collating manuscripts.Later he was moved to an underground cavern lit by a peculiar light that aroused his wonder, â€Å"illuminating everything, dispelling darkness and shadows so that all appeared very even and gentle† (â€Å"The Saga of Belovodye†, ibid. ). Later, Sergius was moved to a nearby location where he was accepted as a brother. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS As the months and years passed, the Slavic monk gained great spiritual knowledge. He was intensely happy that at last he had found patient, compassionate, all-seeing wise people who worked for the bene? t of mankind.He learned that, invisibly, they observed everything that was taking place in the outside world and were concerned about growing forces of evil on Earth. Father Sergius also learned that a number of people from various countries had endeavoured to enter this domain, but without s uccess. The inhabitants observed a strict law whereby only seven persons in a century could visit their abode. Six would return to the outside world with secret knowledge, and one would remain to live in Shambhala without ageing, for time stood still in the clockwork of his genes. Before his return to Kiev, Father'Sergius lived his ? al years teaching wisdom in a cavern system that was later developed into the Monastery of the Caves. It seems that those six people, like Sergius, became outside coworkers of Shambhala, making up a small outer circle of wisdombearers. One, â€Å"an associate co-worker of the Mahatmas, Brahma lyoti of Delhi, [had] been in constant contact with the super-beings in the Himalayas who manage the world by the power of thought† (Anne Marshall, Hunting the Guru in India, Victor Gollancz Ltd, London, 1963). It is also said that â€Å"over the centuries, small numbers of Tibetan sages [from the Valley of the Immortals? were responsible for setting up the White Mystery Schools of the East and West† (Albert Mackey, MD, A Concise History of Freemasonry, McClure Publishing, Philadelphia, 1917 ed. , â€Å"Origins† entry). Enlightened souls from Shambhala are considered to be â€Å"apostles from the Valley of the Immortals†, for those â€Å"messengers are directly guided by the Mahatmas and intended for a certain part of the world at a given time in history† (Sergy C. Tatyana, Crimson Snow-heaps in the Himalayas, Lvovich Publishing, Moscow, 1925, translation by Larissa M. Vasiler, p. 97). www. vatileaks. comSHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS According to Tibetan lore, signi? cant records of Shambhala and its inhabitants were once in existence. They were published in several volumes of the Yung-Lo ta-tien, the largest encyclopaedia in the world, which preserved a mass of ancient knowledge including a collection of ancient yeti sightings (yeti means â€Å"magical creature† in Tibetan). This magni? cent tome , compiled in the 15th century, was composed of 50 million handwritten Chinese characters bound in 11,095 volumes. Once housed in the Yuan Ming Yuan, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, it mostly perished when he palace was partially destroyed by British and French forces in 1860 during the Second Opium War. Today, only 370 volumes survive, scattered in libraries throughout the world. When we see how much has been lost of the cultural heritage of older civilisations, we shouldn't ? nd it hard to imagine that there may have been many earlier â€Å"high† civilisations about which little is known, Shambhala being one. Subterranean Vaults in the Himalayas Legends of hidden underground libraries, treasures and exquisite artefacts connected to Shambhala are persistently spoken of in Asia and are described as secret storehouses of ancient knowledge.Earlier civilisations saw ? t to preserve something of the science and arts of cultures then vanishing through natural catastrophe or war or for other reasons otherworldly or unfathomable. Tibetan tradition af? rms that â€Å"time capsules† and precious silk-bound volumes are hidden in the innermost recesses of the â€Å"divine† Mt Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the Himalayas. Nicholas Roerich learned that a stone door leads to what he called â€Å"the Five Sacred Treasures of the Great Snow†, and his guides advised him against attempting to entei into the chambers â€Å"because everything divulged before the destined date results in untold harm† (N.K. Roerich www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Himalayas – Abode of Light, Nalanda Publications Bombay, 1947). In the Altai Mountains, Roerich also learned that the Himalayan foothills have concealed entrances leading to subterranean passages and chambers deep below the surface, where mysterious artefacts and exotic treasures have been stored from the beginning of world history. Roerich was also told of a secre t underground storehouse on the Karakoram Pass in the Himalayas at an elevation of 19,500 feet (5,944 metres).His chief guide advised him that great treasures were preserved under the snowy ridge, and he remarked that even the lowly ones among the populace know of vast caverns that hold ancient artefacts. He enquired whether Roerich was aware of books in the outer world that record the location of these subterranean vaults. The wise old courier had spent years in the mountains and he questioned Roerich as to why foreigners, who claim to know so much, could not ? d the obvious entrances to underground palaces on the Karakoram Pass. During his 12 years in northern Tibet in the mid-1800s, Chinese explorer ha Chun-Pingwa spoke with Buddhist monks who claimed that in a secluded part of the Altyn Tagh Ridge there exists a vast network of underground galleries and museums housing a collection of several million breathtaking artefacts, protected by ever-watchful caretakers.In his memoir, Ji a wrote about a subterranean museum that holds miscellaneous objets d'art depicting the evolution of mankind on this planet over the course of thousands of years (ha Chun-Pingwa, The Land of No Grass and No Water, The Great Liberation Publishing House, Lhasa, Tibet, 1917; extracts translated for Tony Bushby by Wendy Shin Liu, Jiangwan Town, Shanghai, China, 2009). He described the entrance! to this particular series of chambers as being to the left of a deep gorge containing a small cluster of unimpressive houses that mark the site of what may be the world's greatest museum. www. atileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Jia was not the only one to have described this collection. â€Å"It is secure from intrusion, and nothing will disturb its age-old collected works †¦ the entrances are concealed, and vaults with manuscripts and artefacts lie deep within the bowels of the earth† (Fundamental Promises, a Chinese Buddhist manuscript c. 1820, author unknown; translati on by Ti-tzang, 1911, pp. 79-81, passim; original housed in the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, India). â€Å"A local resident said that at our bazaar, the people of this area come out with. trange, very ancient money, and nobody could evenremember when such money was in usage here† (Sergy C. Tatyana, Crimson Snow-heaps in the Himalayas, op. cit. , P. 231). Author Andrew Tomas was of the opinion that â€Å"all these secret places are connected with the mystery of Shambhala† (A. Tomas, Shambhala: Oasis of Light, Sphere Books, London, 1977, p. 53). Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891), the Russian-born traveller and mystic who founded the Theosophical Society in 1875, alluded to the existence of Shambhala; giving it currency for western enthusiasts of the occult.She claimed that sages of the East are in a position to release to the world ancient documents that will upset the opinions of historians. She saw a number of secret repositories in nor thern India, and wrote that initiated yogis know of a vast network of underground libraries that expands out from cave temples right across northern Tibet. Vatican archives preserve, rare reports from early- 19thcentury missionaries which record that, in times of crisis, leaders of various countries sent deputations into the Himalayas to seek advice from the â€Å"Genii in the Mountains† (Catholic Encyclopedia, Pecci Edition, vol. i, p. 299). However, these documents do not reveal where the representatives went. An undated manuscript written by Monseigneur Delaplace around 120 years ago supports the belief of sages of Central www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Asia that people with special knowledge live in inaccessible and exclusive parts of the Himalayas (Annales de la Propagation de la Foi, translation ‘by Pierre L. Josselin, 1929; extract cited in A. Tomas, Shambhala,'op. cit. , p. 28). The Tibetan epic of Ghessar Khan foresaw the opening of certa in hidden halls of records at a time â€Å"when steel ships ? in the sky†, and Madame Blavatsky opined that some hidden manuscripts would be subtly and intentionally released in â€Å"a spiritually richer future† (The Theosophist, July 1912). Great is the Tibetan belief in an illumined subterranean people, who on occasion have been seen with torches in the dark. Roerich told of â€Å"a man of great appearance who arrived in Tibet from Siberia with his caravaneers and proudly stated, ‘I shall prove to you that the tale about the subterranean people is not: a fantasy. I shall lead you to the entrances of their subterranean kingdoms† (N. K. Roerich, Flame in Chalice, Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, 1929).Whether or not he did is not recorded in Rberich's books. Through all of Asia, through all the deserts, and from the oceans to the Urals, wondrous traditions of holy people living in mysterious underground cities exist. And while many pages of the story of man's life on this planet have been torn out by the hand of Time, these ancient traditions do attest to the reality of secret treasures and depositories of rare writings stored in isolation that record knowledge from time immemorial. The White Pyramid and The Shambhala Triangle In an attachment to a rare 18th-century Tibetan book Road to Shambhala (written by he third Panchen Lama [1738-17801, translation by Cheng Yuan, 1901), intriguing references are made to a winged humanoid race which once lived in Tibet and subsequently â€Å"destroyed itself†. This same document also records the existence of numerous pyramidal structures in various locations across the Roof of the World, www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS unknown to the western world. Some of these edi? ces are described as â€Å"fabulous†, and â€Å"multicoloured† versions were set amongst dozens of other pyramids (ibid. ). The reality of pyramidal clusters in the Himalayas was con? rm ed in more recent times, the ? st available report being that of American trader Fred Meyer Schroder, who in 1912 accidentally stumbled upon a giant pyramid surrounded by smaller structures. Amazed, he asked his Buddhist monk-guide what they represented and was told that 5,000-year-old lamaist documents not only contain information about the purpose of these pyramids but reveal that they were immensely old when the records were written. If this dating were ever con? rmed, the Himalayan pyramids would be older than the accepted dating of the Giza pyramids. Some 33 years later, another remarkable pyramid was sighted that seems to have embarrassed the scholarly world.In the northern spring of 1945, US Air Force pilot James Gaussman was ? ying an aircraft from China to India across Tibet when he was forced to reduce altitude because of an engine malfunction. He reportedly said: I ? ew around a mountain and then we came to a valley. Directly below us was a gigantic white pyramid. It look ed like it was from a fairy tale. The pyramid was draped in shimmering white. It could have been metal, or a form of stone. It was white on all sides. What was most curious about it was its capstone; a large piece of precious gem-like material. I was deeply moved by the colossal size of the thing. Hartwig Hausdorf, Die Weisse Pyramide [â€Å"The White Pyramid†], republished in English as The Chinese Roswell, New Paradigm Books, Florida, 1998, p. 112) Gaussman believed that this pyramid exceeded 1,000 feet (-305 metres) in height, more than double that of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Gaussman's photographs were never published, but a black and white picture of an earthen www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS pyramid near Xian, the capital of China's Shaanxi Province, was presented to the media in 1990 as the â€Å"gigantic white pyramid† that Gaussman supposedly photographed 45 years earlier. However, Gaussman's ? ght path was some 500 miles (805 kilometre s) northwest of the published pyramid photo, and one suspects that this particular image was released by Chinese authorities to keep the existence of the White Pyramid secret from western knowledge. In 1947, two years after Gaussman's sighting, another US aviator, Maurice Sheahan, ? ying southwest over Shaanxi Province, also espied a gigantic white pyramid. Several US newspapers, including the New York Times (28 March 1947), published accounts of his sighting. In Himalayas – Abode of Light, Roerich spoke of three â€Å"frontier posts of Shambhala† that suggest a triangularshaped area de? ing the precincts of this mysterious kingdom. The location of these boundary markers' is unknown, but when a triangle is created at the same angles as the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt (51 degrees 51 minutes), starting at around 50 degrees north latitude and using longitude 88 degrees as the western (base) boundary, it intersects with Gaussman's 1945 ? ight path near where he sighted the gigantic white pyramid. Using the southwest continuation of his ? ight path, the southern â€Å"frontier post† is determined at its intersection with longitude 88 degrees.Within this isolated triangle, some surprising events are known to have happened – and probably the most fascinating is the so-called â€Å"Tibetan Roswell†. â€Å"The Tibetan Roswell† In the ? rst week of January 1938, a scienti? c expedition led by Chinese archaeologist Chi Pu Tel penetrated deep into mountainous regions of BaianKara-Ula, somewhere near where the Yangtze and Mekong rivers begin their long, meandering course southward. There they discovered a cave system with graves aligned in parallel rows, undisturbed for millennia. These graves were without headstones or epitaphs, but on the cave walls were www. atileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS drawings of ? gures with elongated heads as well as depictions of planets. Archaeologists excavated the graves and found s keletons with abnormally large skulls and tiny bodies less than four feet (1. 22 metres) in length. On the cavern ? oor, half-buried in dust, they found the ? rst of 716 strange stone discs, each with a hole in its centre and resembling a long-playing gramophone record. Each disc was incised with grooves spiralling out to the perimeter which were found to be composed of closely written characters that spelled out a message.Later, in 1962, four scientists led by Japanese professor Tsum Urn Nui of Beijing's Academy of Prehistory announced that they had ? nally decoded the discs. They revealed that the discs told of the crash landing of an alien spacecraft some 12,000 years ago. It seems that the crew survived, but the craft was too badly damaged to be able to ? y again. After encountering numerous dif? culties in making the spectacular results public knowledge, Professor Tsum Urn Nui resigned his position and returned to Japan. However, the scienti? community of the Soviet Union did n ot reject his report, and the results of further testing using an oscillograph supported Professor Tsum Urn Nui's dramatic ? ndings. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS The Crystal Cave of the Nagas A passage in the opening pages of the Mahabharata states that this epic was written â€Å"in a beautiful valley at the foot of Mount Meru†. That valley is said to be Sharnbhala. It would be fair to conclude that the world's longest epic was originally written in the scriptoriums of the Immortals and then became the foundation of major Eastern understandings.Tradition maintains that Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) and Lao Tzu (c. 600 BCE), founder of Taoism, both visited the Valley of the Immortals. The Bon priests of Tibet admit that they received their faith from this same stream of philosophy (Baikal magazine [USSR], no. 3, 1969). The Bon faith the oldest spiritual tradition in Tibet, developed! from a manuscript the priests called â€Å"The First Scripture. . . the True teaching†¦ the tradition is of Eternal Wisdom†¦ that came from the â€Å"Immortals of Shambhala† (L. C. Hamamoto, The Soul Doctrine, Lhasa, translation by C. Chan, 1916, pp. 97-99, passim). www. vatileaks. comSHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Another ancient Tibetan book also had its origin in the Himalayas. Called the Bardo Thodol in Tibetan, it is known in the western world as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and it is traditionally read aloud to dying persons to help them attain liberation of the soul after death. Tradition maintains that this extraordinary writing originated with a race called the Nagas, and lamaist records indicate that eight members of this race were associated with meetings with the King of Shambhala. In Tibetan understanding, they are noted for their profound wisdom, and the existence of the Nagas is ? mly established in the ancient lore of northern India. It is said that the Nagas have human faces of great beauty, serpentine body f eatures and the ability to ? y when they emerge from Patala, the Netherworid. Prince Arjuna, Lord Krishna's disciple, is alleged to have visited and conversed with the Nagas. According to tradition, it is said that they live in the Palace of the Serpents in fabulous subterranean abodes illuminated by crystals and precious stones. Roerich called one of his paintings The Lake of the Nagas (1932), and another shows a Naga sitting on an island in a northern Tibetan lake east of the Altai Mountains.This locates the Nagas in The Shambhala Triangle. Some ancient authors claim that the Nagas (male) and Naginis (female) originally â€Å"intermarried with humans, mostly with great kings, queens and sages or humans of great spirituality† (Iamblichus, On the Mysteries, particularly those of the Egyptians, Chaldeans and the Assyrians, fourth century; also referenced in Passport to Shambhala, West Siberia Geographical Society, 1923, English translation by Professor Vladimir Andrei Vasiliu, 1933, p. 174).It is also said that selected people have had the privilege of entering the vast caves of the Nagas, connected by tunnels like an anthill, stretching hundreds of kilometres inside the mountain ranges across northern India and deep into northern Tibet. www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Roerich's paintings total in the hundreds, and some are of locations in Russia, Mongolia, Egypt and elsewhere. There is something mysterious about the way he handles perspectives and atmospheres that appears to indicate other dimensions and alien orders of being, or at least gateways or portals leading to such.Those fantastic inscribed stones in lonely upland areas; Lao Tzu on the back of a water buffalo heading west into an avenue of arched trees; a massive book some two metres thick, lying open with a person standing on a timber block looking down upon its pages; a human skull of immense size; his subtle depiction of pyramids in the background of several of his pain tingsoall of these suggest that Roerich was revealing obscure information in painted ciphers.Maybe he was honouring the â€Å"Oath of Shambhala†, that being an agreement forbidding visitors to reveal openly what they saw or learned while in the Valley of the Immortals (Passport to Shambhala, op. cit. , p. 189). Roerich called this painting Most Sacred (Treasure of the Mountain). In it, he shows huge crystals dwar? ng humans clustered together in the upper left of the picture.  © Nicholas Roerich, 1933; (Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York; visit http://www. roerich. org. ) www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Dead Alien Found Alive!An American drugs and arms dealer, John Spencer, a resident of China in the years following World War 1 inadvertently found himself in a lamaist monastery at Tuerin in southwestern Mongolia. He had collapsed of exhaustion on a mountain track while ? eeing authorities in China, and was found by monks who took him to their monastery to recover.. At that same time, the monks were hosting another visiting American, William Thompson, a scholar who was studying Far Eastern religious beliefs in their library. A few days later, the recuperating John Spencer was exploring external areas of the monastery when he came upon a set of weather-beaten teps leading down to a small metal door. He opened it and entered into a spacious, brightly coloured, I2-sided room. The walls were decorated with drawings of heavenly constellations, celestial bodies and zodiac signs. In wonderment, Spencer ran his hand over the surface of a wall, and unexpectedly a nearby panel noiselessly opened inwards, revealing a dark tunnel beyond. He noticed a pale green light at a distance, and advanced into the gloom. After several minutes, Spencer reached the end of the tunnel and entered a large cavern, brilliant with an eerie green light.Along the length of one wall were 30 cof? ns, neatly laid out side by side in a long row. Thinking that they may contain jewellery or treasure, Spencer started opening the cof? ns, and in the ? rst three he found corpses of monks wearing garb similar to that of his monastic helpers. As Hartwig Hausdorf reported: â€Å"In the fourth lay a woman in men's clothing; in the ? fth a man who he guessed was from India, and who wore a red silk jacket †¦ in the third to-last, there lay, perfectly preserved and clothed in white linen, the body of a male; in the next-to-last cof? there rested the body of a female whose ethnic origins he couldn't quite determine† (Die Weisse Pyramide, republished as The www. vatileaks. com SHAMBHALA VALLEY OF THE IMMORTALS Chinese Roswell, op cit. , p. 61 passim). Remarkably, the corpses showed no sigm of decomposition, and Spencer reasoned that the cof? ns had been there a long time. insert picture: Roerich called this painting Most Sacred (Treasure of the Mountain). In it, he shows huge crystals dwar? ng humans clustered together in the upper left of the pic ture. 0 Nicholas Roerich, 1933 (Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, http:// www. oerich. org) Failing to ? nd any treasure, Spencer ? nally reached the last cof? n and lifted the lid. To his amazement, he looked down upon a small creature dressed in shimmering silver clothing. Its large head was a silvery colour, with huge closed eyelids, no mouth and a short stub of a nose. When he bent down to touch the corpse, its huge opal-shaped eyes suddenly opened and glared at him, emitting a piercing green light that blinded the would-be tomb robber. Spencer slammed the lid shut and ran petri? ed from the cavern, tearing his clothing on protruding rock walls in his panic to depart.He reentered the monastery proper, and was told by a high- ranking lama that the creature he saw was an ef? gy of ‘a great master who had come from the stars† (ibid. ). The lama tried to convince him that he had only imagined that the creature was alive, but Spencer never doubted the reality of his weir d encounter. Startled, he related his experience to William Thompson, who subsequently published details in an American periodical, Adventure, some time after his return to the USA. A few days later, Spencer left the monastery and disappeared without trace. He was never heard of again.Russian Scientists View an Ethereal Solar System â€Å"In subterranean Tibet,† a bearded guide told Roerich in 1928, â€Å"many great treasures of Wisdom are buried; when released, one very old cache of scienti? c artifacts will stun the world† (N. K. Roerich, Flame in Chalice. ,op. cit. ). www. vatileak