Deforestation in Cuba Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Deforestation in Cuba - Research Paper Example There are many other functions of forests. Human activities in the modern global world are often harmful for the environment and it is hard to imagine where we will leave, if forests are further devastated. Nowadays people are cutting trees illegally. The most critical issue for the environmentalists starting from 2000 is the issue of deforestation. Moreover, there is no doubt that preservation of wildlife is current environmental problems in Cuba. This research paper is focused on the issue of deforestation in Cuba and possible ways of prevention of these harmful activities of people. Forests are the most valuable ecosystems on the planet. Forests are the sources of biological diversity, relevant to regulation of climate, and are very important for maintaining biosphere integrity. Forests produce very important economic goods and services, such as timber, energy, food, water, pharmaceuticals, and recreation opportunities (Wagner, 2006). Therefore, there is no option to promote defor estation, but it is relevant to sustain forests and support ecosystem. Otherwise, deforestation can lead to incurable consequences of destroying human activities. Deforestation can lead to one quarter of anthropogenic carbon emissions (Wagner, 2006). Cuba suffers from essential negative impact of deforestation. There is a need for the local government to implement forests protecting policies and decrease the levels of deforestation. Cuba is an island country located in the Caribbean 90 miles away from the Florida coast of the United States. This country has an interesting history. Cuba territory includes 110,860 km, and 23.0 percent forest covered. Deforestation in Cuba is considered to be economical, social and environmental problem of the country. Very often people are dealing with natural resources as endless ones. Starting from the last decade of XX century, deforestation was triggered by political and economic factors. Political power in Cuba initiated numerous programs of refo restation. The government has been focused on the importance on the issues of deforestation prevention. Politicians made an emphasis on the necessity of forest ecosystems management. During different periods of time, Cuba experienced three basic political periods and each era was marked by the effects of different agendas on forest ecosystems. Social and Economic Impacts of Deforestation Environmental reforms in Cuba are improving the forests cover in the country. Social development and development of forests in Cuba have been taken into account by the international community. These two issues should be considered in detail; while it is a well-known fact that flourishing of the modern Cuban society depends on natural and economic welfare. The United Nations calculated that Cuba belonged to the High Human Development Index starting from in 2006 (Where Cuba Leads, 2006). Social and forest development in the country have been often mentioned by the international community. There is no doubt that Cuba has many options of further development, but there is no doubt that prevention of deforestation is first and foremost important agendas for the country. There are many flora species in Cuba, such as Reistonea regia, the tall Cuban Royal Palm and many others. Cuba is well-known as a heart of biodiversity in the Caribbean region. Almost 50 percent of plants in Cuba are endemic. Ecosystem reserves in Cuba are acknowledged by the United

Final Reflection &Portfolio of Final Versions Essay Example for Free

Final Reflection Portfolio of Final Versions Essay â€Å"My Journey as a Writer† I have accomplished a great deal in the past three months. As the semester ends I find myself reflecting not only on how I have survived the first semester but also what I have learned. Writing is hard work. There is so much more to it than just writing an interesting story. I also learned another important lesson; just because I worked hard on an essay before presenting it and reviewed the daylights out of it did not mean it was ready for submission. Every time I went back to read it I found new changes, typos and other mistakes I had missed before. Reviewing and revising an essay is an essential part of writing. Reviewing allows me to rewrite and make changes in the essay’s content, organization and sentence structures. It allows me to add, remove, move or substitute words to make sure it communicates effectively the purpose of the essay. The task of reviewing the essays I wrote for this course allowed me to learn and improve my writing skills; as a result my essays have evolved into more stylish and fluent pieces of writing. Out of all the essays I wrote in this course, â€Å"A Book with Nostalgic Flavor† is my favorite and the one I would like to improve even further. I would love to add more content to the body of the essay and expand it by discussing specific cooking recipes and the family stories tied to them. I think that by making these changes the essay will become richer and more pleasant for the reader. I have also learned how to avoid certain patterns of error often found in my writing. Limiting the use of complex words and use simple, straightforward vocabulary instead. Using sentences that are direct and simple instead of sentences that are long and confusing. Avoiding patterns of error ensures that my writing clearly communicates its purpose and it is easy to understand. I still need to improve the use of punctuation signs, the use of commas to be more specific. Having a better understanding of the proper use of punctuation signs helps to avoid comma splices and other mistakes that affect the natural flow a good essay needs to have. Comparing the first essay I wrote at the beginning of this course to the most recent essay I have written. I notice how my writing skills have improved, my ideas have become more developed and my essays flow better and are less awkward. Throughout this course, I have learned and grown in ways I never would have imagined. I know I still have a long way to go, but I am getting there. â€Å"A Book with Nostalgic Flavor† Many years have passed since I started thinking about writing a book . A book that combines my passion for cooking and the nostalgia I feel being away from my home, my family and the land I will forever hold dear, Guatemala. I remember I was just a child when my passion for cooking first awakened. It came as no surprise to me, since it was in my grandmother’s kitchen where some of the sweetest memories of my childhood happened. It has been almost 20 years since I left Guatemala; I was just a kid back then. I would have never imagined that after so many years the most trivial memories would make me feel nostalgic. This is why I would like to write a book a tribute to my precious homeland and an opportunity to share those experiences and the inedible imprint they left on me. Cooking is a big part of family and social life in Guatemala. Cooking recipes are passed down from generation to generation while socializing, sharing old family stories and traditions that have been in the family for centuries. Traditions that are the backbone of our family history and a big part of Guatemalan culture. It is now up to me to pass down those traditions. It is thanks to my family, especially my grandmother’s guidance and patience that I am able to keep the family recipes and traditions alive. I’m looking forward to writing this book a testament to the invaluable heritage and the unique flavor it gives to my identity. â€Å"Changing Our Lives† Earning a degree has a dramatic socioeconomic impact in a person’s life and it is the reason thousands of working adults decide to go back to school every year. For instance, a degree can help start or change a career, it can push forward professional development, and it can lead to a significant increase of income. Also, it provides each individual with a sense of accomplishment and as a result it increases self-esteem. There are countless ways in which earning a degree will impact our lives. Deciding to go back to school is the first step towards â€Å"Changing Our Lives†. That is precisely what I decided to do the fall of 2012, after almost 20 years I decided to go back to school and earn a degree. It was not an easy decision to make, the thought of juggling work, marriage and school scared me. I felt stuck, I needed to change my life and I knew that without a degree it would not be possible. I made a list of all the pros and cons, and it was clear the pros outweighe d the cons. That’s when I decided to enroll in school. I was not going to let anything keep me from reaping the benefits of having a degree. I will not continue to be afraid instead I will be brave and go back to school despite all the reasons and obstacles that had stopped me before. I am proud I took the first step towards changing my life forever, I am back in school. I know I am on my way to a better career and a better me. I’m looking forward to the sense of accomplishment getting a degree will bring to my life and after so many years of putting it off I can finally say; I am on my way! â€Å"Conquering my Fear of Writing† I have to admit that I’m not a good writer. Luckily, I can say that in my life I have not had the need to write a lot and have not faced many opportunities that required me to do so. Professionally, I was lucky enough to always have had someone help me with any projects that involved heavy use of writing skills. On a personal level, I have tried as much as possible to stay away from it because I know that I am not good at it. These are facts that I am not proud of and now I have decided to change. Registering at school is the first step I have taken towards conquering my fear of writing. My fear of writing has not helped me throughout the years. I am a firm believer that by staying away from writing and limiting my exposure to situations where I had to write I crippled myself even further. Instead of using every chance I got to write as practice and use it as a learning experience, my lack of practice only made me more afraid. I refuse to continue feeding the same cycle. I hav e decided to confront my fear and I hope that by taking this class and being back in school I will be able to learn the skills necessary to write without fear. One of the worst experiences I can remember and the one that probably is the biggest reason I am afraid of writing happened at work. I remember early in my career I was working on a report, I was aware that I was not the best writer, however, I did not think I was the worst. I decided to write the report despite my lack of writing skills only to embarrass myself beyond belief. When my supervisor reviewed it, she had nothing but horrible comments about it. I was so embarrassed I never again ventured to write anything on my own again. At this point in my life I am tired of being a bad writer, and I’m tired of being afraid of writing. I want nothing more than to be able to write a paper like the one I’m writing and not be afraid of turning it in. I hope that my efforts pay off and I’m finally able to conquer my fear of writing.

Marketing Activities To Affect The Potential Buyer Influences Marketing Essay

Marketing Activities To Affect The Potential Buyer Influences Marketing Essay This assignment will be addressing the issues faced by a company operating in the highly competitive sportswear market in the United Kingdom. The issues presented in the assignment will be discussed in relation with the changing nature of consumer behaviour. Firstly, it is vital to analyse the current position of the company as follows. SOLE-RUN Sole-Run is a company operating in sportswear market in the United Kingdom specialising in football boots. It is said that the firm has entered the sportswear market at a quite late stage of the market development which can be assumed to be at a stage where the market was maturing with high competition from the market leaders like Adidas and Nike. However, Sole-Run was able to capture 12% of the market share despite not having either the production capacity or the financial budgets to compete with such market leaders. On the other hand, it is said that fashionable trainers remain as the largest single part of the sports footwear market. While it was found that customers valued comfort and did not want to pay high price research findings also showed that low-to medium priced trainers provided the same levels of comfort as high priced trainers where paying a higher price for trainers did not ensure a higher quality or a higher level of comfort. Sole-Run is currently facing difficulties in increasing its sales despite the high potential market for trainers as consumers are buying trainers as a piece of fashionable clothing as well as for sports especially among the teenagers and older people with high disposable income. SPORTS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR In order to identify as how Sole-Run can influence the consumer purchase it is essential to understand the consumer behaviour of this particular market. According to Kotler and Armstrong (2010) consumer buying behaviour is the individual purchasing or consuming decision of an individual or household and whoever buys goods and services for personal consumption. Sports consumer behaviour is the process involved when individuals select, purchase, use, and dispose of sport related products and services to satisfy needs and receive benefits (Funk, 2008). This process is created by a desire to seek sports consumption experiences that provides benefits and satisfy needs (Funk, 2008). TASK 1- BUYER INFLUENCE AND PURCHASING PROCESS 1.1 WHAT IS BUYER INFLUENCE? Buyer influences will affect the degree of motivation in consumers to make purchasing decisions. On the other hand the level of involvement in sports will also affect the decision making. It is important for Sole-Rune to understand the consumers buying behaviour when designing a marketing strategy for its sports-fashion wear trainers or any other sports related products. Involvement involves represent a state of motivation with regard to a product, an activity, or an object (Rothschild, 1984). This state of motivation reflects the level of arousal, interest, or drive evoked by a particular sports stimuli or situation that influences consumer behaviour (Mitchelle, 1979). 1.2. INTERNAL INFLUENCES Generally consumer behaviour can be influenced by factors such as motivation, learning and perception which are known as internal factors. Also called as personal factors these gives the ability for the consumer to directly benefit from the product. 1.3. EXTERNAL INFLUENCES Social norms are a prominent external factor influencing consumer buyer behaviour. As pointed out by Kotler and Armstrong (2010) consumer purchases are influenced by forces such as social, cultural, individual and psychological. Cultural characteristics consists of the set of basic values, perceptions, wants and behaviours learned by an individual from being a member of a society. In this context Sole-Run will have to identify the cultural characteristics of the potential British based consumers who tend to be highly fashion conscious. Social characteristics on the other hand consists of social factors such as the targeted consumers relation to small groups, family and social roles. Individual characteristics can be regarded as the consumers age, economic situations and occupation. Psychological factors consist of the motivation, perception and beliefs and attitudes of the targeted potential consumers. Here it is evident that the targeted consumers for the sports-fashion trainers come from social groups which consist of individual characters of fashion conscious teenagers and old consumers who have high disposable income. 1.4. MARKETING ACTIVITIES TO AFFECT THE POTENTIAL BUYER INFLUENCES According to the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), marketing can be defined as a managerial process whereby you indentify, anticipate and satisfy customer needs and wants for a profit. In order to come up with marketing strategies that will affect potential buyer influences, it is vital that Sole-Run have a better understanding on the consumers decision making as this will not only increase consumer demand but will also help to sustain its demand. While Sole-Run should identify properly its market segments in order to design targeted marketing activities, it is said that the teenagers and older people with high disposable income are the highest consumer purchasers in the sports-fashion trainers market. On the other hand, it is also found through research that consumers do not wish to pay high prices for trainers while seeking for comfort. As it is said that Sole-Run does not possess adequate financial budgets, it is evident that Sole-Run cannot invest on large scale nationwide marketing activities by advertising on mass media such as television and on radio to influence potential buyers. The starting point of Sole-Run can be to influence the potential consumers by providing information about its sports-fashion wear trainers consisting of the marketing mix in other words, the product, price, place of availability and promotions. This information will lead the potential observable buyers to respond to product choice, brand choice, dealer choice, purchasing timing and amount. It is said that sports events play a significant role in a communitys marketing and branding strategy (Higham Hinch, 2003). Hence Sole-Run can target more local or regional sports events which are less costly in terms of marketing budget compared to national events. Sole-Run can have special promotions in its outlets for the first time buyers. Also, by having direct marketing campaigns online which is less costly and highly effective compared to television or radio advertisement, the company can easily target the technology savvy teenagers such as by uploading videos on YouTube, and creating pages on popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter encouraging them to comment and give their opinions on the trainers perhaps with special discount codes online which the potential buyers can redeem when purchasing in-store. On the other hand Sole-Run will be encouraging interactive marketing online where consumers will start conversation online about the Sole-Run trainers creating positive network influence for the company among others targeted consumers. On the other hand, in order to target the older consumers who has high disposable income, Sole-Run can advertise on sports related magazines and financial newspapers which are read by these targeted consumers and sponsor events created by sports clubs where these potential consumers can be found. TASK 2 ROGERS DIFFUSION CURVE AND ADOPTION MODEL 2.1. ROGERS DIFFUSION CURVE- Predicting buyer behaviour becomes particularly important with innovations and is particularly important in decisions concerning new product developments. Rogers (1962) attempted differentiate consumers according to their response to innovative products and identified five types of consumers based on the idea that certain individuals are inevitably more open to adaptation than others. These consumers were categorised as follows; 1. Innovators- brave consumers pulling the change and are very important communication mechanisms 2. Early adopters repectable people, opinion leaders, try out new ideas but in a careful way than innovators. 3. Early majority thoughtful people, careful but accept change more quickly than average people do 4. Late majority- sceptic people who will use new ideas and products only when the majority is using 5. Laggards traditional people who love to stick to the old ways and are critical about new ideas ad will only accept it if the new idea has become mainstream or even tradition. The research focus of diffusion has five elements which are; 1. characteristics of an innovation which may influence its adoption 2.decision making process that occurs when individuals consider to adopt a new idea, product or practice 3. characteristics of individuals that make them likely to adopt and innovation 4. consequences for individuals and society for adopting an innovation and 5. communication channels used in the adoption process (Kotler, 2010) According to this theory, the innovators and early majority comprise an estimated 15% of the population and are regarded as important as opinion leaders in the diffusion curve. Another important implication which this theory provides is that it is of no use of convincing the mass market in one go at the very beginning spending heavily on marketing and advertising. Thus the implication this provides for firms like Sole-Run is to establish the characteristics of the first two types of groups in other words, the innovators and the early adopters and to focus the marketing communication accordingly as according to this process there is always some consumers who would like to take risk and purchase the new products. This model shows the diffusion of new products as a chain reaction on influence between pioneering consumers and the mass market. 2.2. ADOPTION PROCESS MODEL The adoption model which is also called the AIETA model will help Sole-Run to identify the new product adoption process of consumers within the sports-fashion trainer market. This model suggests on how to help consumers move through the stages of purchasing especially new products. Adoption normally in this context applies to the new products. Kotler and Armstrong (2010) defined the adoption process as the mental process though which an individual passes from first learning about an innovation to final adoption. Consumers before purchasing new products will go through a five stage process which if successful will lead to adoption of products where adoption is the decision by an individual consumer to become a regular user of the product. 1. Attention also known as awareness is where the consumer becomes aware of the new product but lacks information about it. 2. Interest in this stage the consumer will seek information about the new product 3. Evaluation with the information the consumer received the consumer will consider whether or not to try the product 4. Trial here the consumer tries the product for the first time to improve the estimate of its value 5. Adoption finally the consumer decides to make full and regular use of the new product According to this model, adoption comes at the end of the process through which an individual consumer may go from initial awareness through to adoption at which point the consumer becomes a regular user of the product. Here, Sole-Run should identify the product characteristics that will affect the readiness of the targeted potential consumers to adopt the product in other words the unique characteristics of its sports-fashions trainers. The product characteristics would include relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, divisibility, and communicability. On the other hand the product characteristics would not include the other aspects of the marketing mix such as price and promotions though these may also affect the rate of consumer adoption. TASK 3- EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATION TO INFLUENCE FIRST BUYERS It is essential that Sole-Run pleases the initial buyers of its trainers by providing right information with effective communication that will lead to make a purchase as they will in-turn influence many subsequent customers brand choices. This can be especially true among the targeted market of teenagers due to network externalities. 3.1. THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS Before purchasing a product, consumers generally go through a process called the decision making process which needs to be identified by Sole-Run in order to come up with a better communication strategy especially for the first time buyers as the decision making process can be influenced by the personal, social, cultural and psychological factors as well as by the marketing mix variables and situational factors. 1. Need recognition this is the first stage of the buyer decision process where the consumers recognise a need or identify a problem. This can be triggered by internal or external stimuli. 2. Search for information in this stage the consumer is aroused to search for more information where the consumers will tend to obtain information from various sources such as personal through family and friends, commercial advertisements, mass media, and experiential sources. 3. Evaluation of alternatives here the consumers will use information gathered to evaluate between alternative brands in among the chosen ones. 4. Purchase decision the consumers decisions about which brand to purchase will be made at theis stage. However, two factors can come in-between the purchase intention and the actual purchase decision. The first being the attitude of others such as friends and family, and the other being unexpected situational factors such as sudden economic downturns. 5. Post purchase evaluation the final stage of the buyer decision process in which consumers take further action after purchase based on their satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the product is not up to the expected standards of the consumer than cognitive dissonance may occur. The decision making process shows that the buying process clearly starts long before the actual purchase and continues long after that where Sole-Run will need to focus on the entire buying process rather than focusing on just the purchasing decision when coming up with communication strategies to influence first time buyers. 3.2. THE DECISION MAKING UNIT On the other hand, many decisions consumers make had been either made for example in the case of youngsters or influenced by one or more parties. This is collectively known as the decision making unit which consist of 5 different roles of people consisting of an initiator, influencer, decider, financier, buyer and user. Initiators are those who initiate the idea of making the purchasing decision where influencers are the people who, because of their expertise, set the specification of what is to be bought. On the other hand, deciders are those who make the actual buying decision with financiers making the purchase, and buyers processing the purchase orders and users actually using the product bought. While there can be few people playing different roles in the buyer process as well as none among a particular consumer, it is essential that Sole-Run communicate the right information and provides the expected value to the consumers who are first time buyers. 3.3. INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION As identified above the different kinds of information that are needed to influence the first time buyers as well as the people who will affect the purchasing decision of consumers, Sole-Run can adopt a intergrated marketing communication strategy where through different communication channels the company can effectively target each personnel involved in the decision making unit while providing the information for the decision making process of the targeted consumers. Thus, this marketing communication strategy will allow Sole-Run to have individual personalised and tailor made communication among the targeted consumer groups. TASK 4- CUSTOMER ATTRACTION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY 4.1. DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED WITH CUSTOMERS DEFECTING FROM ANOTHER BRAND TO THE SOLE-RUN BRAND Sole-Run should take into account the type of buying behaviour of its targeted market as this highly affects the marketing mix decisions. On the other hand the buyer behaviour differs greatly for different types of products and services. The psychological theories of buyer behaviour differentiate consumer behaviour emphasising the environment which is the behavioural approach and the consumer behaviour emphasising mental processes called as cognitive approach. Mainly, there are four types of buying behaviour based on a buyers involvement and the perceived differences among brands. 1. Complex buying is where the level of involvement is high with high degree of perceived difference among brands. While this behaviour is tend to be cognitive in nature the involvement arises from uncertainty of product quality, high price, and personal factors such as self image, value and needs. 2. Dissonance buying which high in involvement and low in perceived brand difference tends to be cognitive and behavioural in nature mainly associated with risky, infrequent and expensive purchasing. 3. Habitual buying has a low consumer involvement with little brand difference and less price sensitive. This tends to be more of behavioural. 4. Variety seeking which is more cognitive has a low involvement purchase but significant difference in brands. In this situation consumers, if curious about a new brand or dissatisfied with the product choice, will engage in switching to another brand easily. The differences of buyer behaviour will largely reflect on the information and communication needs of potential buyers and the best means, in each case, of meeting these needs with respect to communicated messages and media by Sole-Run. According to the types of buyer behaviour, it can be said that purchases with regards to sports-fashion wear tends to be more variety seeking where customer are highly attached to a brands perceived difference. Thus in order to get consumers using brands such as Nike or Adidas to purchase Sole-Run, the company should create a unique selling proposition targeting comfort of the trainers and positioning as a brand which provides the same comfort level as the premium brands but for a much low price. This can be done through means of proper marketing communication strategies which will help consumers differentiate the brand as opposed to competitor brands employing more cognitive approaches to its marketing and advertising. Hence, Sole-Run should also draw strategies to retain these customers by offering better service for the value. 4.2. RETRAINING CUSTOMERS THROUGH CUSTOMER LOYALTY After successfully attracting customers to purchase Sole-Runs sports-fashion trainers, the company should also then put efforts for retraining the customers with differentiated marketing strategies. Sole-Run can develop loyal customers if the company is able to successfully influence the variety seeking consumers in the market to purchase its brand and to become habitual buyers by positioning itself in the consumers mind through means of effective marketing communication as then the customers will addicted to buy trainers from the brand Sole-Run. This can be done through marketing strategies that passively communicates information as they watch television or surf the internet where unconscious advertising repetition will create familiarity, which often translates into a brand purchase when the consumer in deciding which brand to buy (Ali Gomez, 2009). As this is pure behavioural decision making, Sole-Run can focus its advertising on classical conditioning in which the potential buyers can identify the products by a single symbol repeatedly attached to it (Ali Gomez, 2009). Thus, this will not only help Sole-Run to increase sales from its loyal consumers but will also help to g ain market share in the largest market. In order to retrain its loyal customers Sole Run should mainly engage in customer relationship marketing as research has found that it is five times costlier to attract a new customer than maintaining an existing customer and loyal customers mean repeat purchases. Thus loyal customers are a powerful source of marketing the companys brand identity through recommendations and word of mouth especially within the target market of teenagers creating positive impact of the brand Sole-Run. Although relationship marketing does not correspond to a specific set of techniques it does emphasise the need to build a continuous, strong and mutually beneficial relationship between the buyers and Sole-Run which is maintained even in periods that any purchase is not in the process. Further, through loyalty marketing, Sole-Run can also increase customers life time value in the long run as it is said that especially teenagers purchase trainers to match their clothing and outfits and if they become habitual buyers of Sole-Run they will be stick to the brand throughout their life as a partner. CONCLUSION It was identified that although Sole-Run entered the sportswear market at a later stage, there is a high market potential in the sports-fashion trainers with the increase of purchase by teenagers and consumers with high disposable income. Hence it is recommended that in order to increase its market share in the highly competitive industry, Sole-Run should also target the sports-fashion trainers market with a right marketing and communication strategy. Given the research findings that consumers do not wish to pay premium prices for trainers, Sole-Run can position its trainers as providing the same comfort level the consumers expect for a lower price than of the market leaders. This will in-turn help Sole-Run not only to increase its sales in the trainers but also its overall market share in the industry by capturing the largest market in sportswear.

Raising the Minimum Wage for the Lower Class Is Actually Good for the E

Do a search online about raising the minimum wage and you will see any number of articles, and essays detailing why it shouldn’t be done. As detailed or as long winded as these articles are, they all have one central argument, and that is; if we raise the wages of the lower class, than the providers of goods and services will have to raise their prices, which in turn makes everything go up. To this I say bah humbug. It is asinine to think that a company such as Wal-mart whose CEO makes an annual salary of $20.7 million would have to raise prices along with employee salaries in order to make any substantial profit margin. This is simply not true, especially when you consider that the average Wal-mart employee only makes close to $9.00 an hour, and it’s not just Wal-mart, but other consumer based companies, such as Target, and TJ MAXX. The CEOs of these companies make ridiculously high salaries while not even paying their workforce enough to live on. The question is why. The reason is simple. It’s greed. The more a CEO makes the more they want to make. The economy is no longer about providing a good or service for the population at large, but about amassing as much wealth as possible, and you’re stupid if you think you have the same opportunities to obtain wealth as those Wal-mart and Target CEOs. The truth is the deck is stacked against you, and it keeps getting worse as the world moves along its orbit. The economy has become based largely on the trading and selling of commodities, and the worker has become a cheap disposable commodity, to be used up by megalomaniacs who sit atop cash mountains, casting down crumbs as they see fit. The collective bargaining rights of the worker are disappearing at alarming rates. Data from the... ...some sort of nanny state to make everyone dependent upon the Socialist government. The hard truth is the majority of people on these programs work full-time jobs, and aren’t the only ones in their households doing so. To reiterate the point being made a higher wage means less people on welfare, and it frees up tax money that could be used for other things, or it could go back into the pockets of the American worker. Many would read this and call me a Socialist, and if offering an argument in favor of the rights of workers makes me a Socialist then so be it. The blogs and articles and essays, some written by economists with advanced degrees, people academically more capable than I am, will continue to deride the raising of wages for the low class worker, or the need for regulation to be put in place. I’m just stating that they’re wrong, and that this essay proves it.

A Philosophy on English Education

Education is a philosophy within itself without even responding to the different categories of a student's learning day. English education is, in my opinion, kind of a shady subject. When one talks about their English class, what aspects are they talking about? Is this referring to the grammar sections, the vocabulary sections or the criticizing of novels? Through the use of grammar a person can increase the way others perceive what they are writing. In my opinion it is not the way something is written that is important, but the content of what is written. Vocabulary is another such device. It is said that a person can feel only what they can express. In other languages around the world, there are words that put more emphasis on the same word. For example the word love, in the English language means one thing. Wether it is toward a mother or toward a spouse it has one meaning. Now is the love you feel for a mother the same as for the love you feel for a spouse? No, and in other languages there is a difference between these two emotions. If a person cannot express the way they feel how can they feel this way? I feel vocabulary is an asset that needs to be cultivated in order for a person to evolve into an educated person of society. The other aspect of English education however is not as particular as the other two. The analysis of literature is in itself a whole philosophy as well. It is a way for a person to open their mind into different thoughts that would not have been open to them otherwise. The idea of group leaning is for different ideas and interpretations to be presented. I believe this is a main part of English education. I believe the purpose of education is to better a persons life through knowledge and assist them later in life. Education is a vital part of anyone's life. Without it a person could not get a job and make it in the real life. I believe however that teachers must keep in mind that one's education is up to the individual student. A teacher should support the student, as well as the student supporting the teacher. If a student feels that a specific assignment or subject is unneeded then it should be reviewed. If it is vital the teacher should simply explain why the assignment in necessary, and the student will then have the desire to do the task at hand. Education is a vital part of my life. I believe that I have the materials to go far in life but without the knowledge base that is given in a learning atmosphere such as school, this will not be possible. I would however like to be given the choice of what to learn instead of being forced to do certain activities. Young people today do not like to read. Why is this? I believe is it because all their lives books and school have been shoved down their throat by teachers and professors who do not care about the student's desires and opinions. My personal feelings on the English language are stated above. I feel that there are not enough words in the language and therefor people of different cultures have language differences as well as differences in the way they think. I believe many English teachers are forced to presaent the curriculem in a repetitious tedious manner. I believe that there is too much emphasis put on writing and grammar and not enough on oral presentation and giving students the skills they will need later on in life. The ability to stand in front of someone and present one's feelings or opinions is a necessary ability for one to have. If a student can explain in detail orally what they have learned without writing it in a formal paper, that should be just as sufficient. As I said before, I believe its not the way a person states something that is important, but what is being stated. Regardless of this short bashing of mine, I do not want you to feel this is my perception of you. This is my past experiences with English teachers and the way they presented themselves and the material to the class. In no way do I feel bias to your thoughts or ideas. I look forward to many interesting conversations and debates in your class. I realize that my desires are not realistic and formal papers must be written in order for a teacher to be able to evaluate each student in an organized and timely manner.

How to Estimate Standard Deviations (SD)

How to Estimate Standard Deviations (SD) The standard deviation and range are both measures of the spread of a data set. Each number tells us in its own way how spaced out the data are, as they are both a measure of variation.  Although there is not an explicit relationship between the range and standard deviation, there is a rule of thumb that can be useful to relate these two statistics.  This relationship is sometimes referred to as the range rule for standard deviation. The range rule tells us that the standard deviation of a sample is approximately equal to one-fourth of the range of the data. In other words s (Maximum – Minimum)/4. This is a very straightforward formula to use, and should only be used as a very rough estimate of the standard deviation. An Example To see an example of how the range rule works, we will look at the following example. Suppose we start with the data values of 12, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 18, 20, 20, 25. These values have a mean of 17 and a standard deviation of about 4.1. If instead we first calculate the range of our data as 25 – 12 13 and then divide this number by four we have our estimate of the standard deviation as 13/4 3.25. This number is relatively close to the true standard deviation and good for a rough estimate. Why Does It Work? It may seem like the range rule is a bit strange. Why does it work? Doesn’t it seem completely arbitrary to just divide the range by four? Why wouldn’t we divide by a different number? There is actually some mathematical justification going on behind the scenes. Recall the properties of the bell curve and the probabilities from a standard normal distribution. One feature has to do with the amount of data that falls within a certain number of standard deviations: Approximately 68% of the data is within one standard deviation (higher or lower) from the mean.Approximately 95% of the data is within two standard deviations (higher or lower) from the mean.Approximately 99% is within three standard deviations (higher or lower) from the mean. The number that we will use has to do with 95%. We can say that 95% from two standard deviations below the mean to two standard deviations above the mean, we have 95% of our data. Thus nearly all of our normal distribution would stretch out over a line segment that is a total of four standard deviations long. Not all data is normally distributed and bell curve shaped. But most data is well-behaved enough that going two standard deviations away from the mean captures nearly all of the data. We estimate and say that four standard deviations are approximately the size of the range, and so the range divided by four is a rough approximation of the standard deviation. Uses for the Range Rule The range rule is helpful in a number of settings. First, it is a very quick estimate of the standard deviation. The standard deviation requires us to first find the mean, then subtract this mean from each data point, square the differences, add these, divide by one less than the number of data points, then (finally) take the square root. On the other hand, the range rule only requires one subtraction and one division. Other places where the range rule is helpful is when we have incomplete information. Formulas such as that to determine sample size require three pieces of information: the desired margin of error, the level of confidence and the standard deviation of the population we are investigating. Many times it is impossible to know what the population standard deviation is. With the range rule, we can estimate this statistic, and then know how large we should make our sample.

Definition of Philosophy

Definition of Philosophy Free Online Research Papers Philosophy is a subject or idea that I constantly think about, but in my head I always thought it was because I had an overactive imagination. One may even say, maybe I looked to in depth at certain topics and ideas. After approaching the topic, I can say that maybe I have a philosophical mind. One would think the basis of philosophy is to ask the questions that can not be answered or hope would be answered. However, philosophy is so much more and contains many parts and schools of thoughts that one realizes the basis of knowledge begins with a question; begins with philosophy. The American Heritage Dictionary defined philosophy in eight different ways; which includes: â€Å"the love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral discipline; investigation of nature, causes, principles of reality, knowledge, values that are based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods; a system of thought based on or involving inquiries; the critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs, etc† (2005). In other words, philosophy is the study of the fundamentals and background of any subject of idea. In philosophy, one may question one’s existence, of even the foundation of one’s beliefs. â€Å"If one strives for a higher autonomous worldview, cultivating a thinking free of religious and other dogmas, then one is doing philosophy† (Heidegger Saddler, 2000, p. 6). Philosophy can then mean to think freely without personal opinions and beliefs enforcing or coercing ideas – to think freely without any inhibitors. The foundation of philosophy is based on the questions that begin the thinking. With philosophical questions, one is trying to find the meaning behind an idea or existence. Some questions can be answered with logical and sound reasoning, while others become rhetorical questions that stimulate the brain for discussion. This is the opposite of scientific and factual questions. These type of questions – scientific and factual – require answers with some type of facts behind them; an answer that is tangible or can be proven. When a person thinks of mathematics for instance, when those theories presented themselves, the answers were tangible and can be proven with a particular equation. Philosophy does not in most cases. One can say that most philosophers are creating questions that deal with subjects that might not have a direct, tangible response. â€Å"†¦man acquires the explanations and interpretations of his individual and social life. The meaning and purpose of human existence and of human creation as a culture, are discovered† (Heidegger Saddler, 2000, p. 9). With this statement, one can see how the questions would not have an answer like those of scientific and factual questions. Yes, with these philosophical questions, one can obtain an answer, but the answer might not be based on facts. One would raise a theory or even argument, and then support that argument with logical reasoning and support. The website which featured a document from the book titled, The Nature of Philosophy stated mainly, philosophy is based off of questions that can only be answered with sound reasoning. In scientific or factual questions, one can study particular information, conduct experiments or surve ys, or even produce a simulation. Philosophy is quite the opposite, empirical investigations can be used to support philosophy but cannot be done to answer the philosophical question. Listed below are examples of philosophical questions to further show the difference between scientific/factual questions and philosophical questions: Does every event have a cause? When we judge something as good and bad, are we using our own personal views? Does morality truly exist? Does all our five senses truly represent the world around us? To begin to even answer these questions, one must know what the questions mean; which is the start of thinking philosophically. If we were to test if every event had a cause, we would have to check every event in the world and even then that would be questioned. Looking at the last question, one could think it is easily answered because of all the tools we have to test scientifically, but the dispute is that we use our sense for those tools. A true philosopher would begin to deconstruct your theory as soon as you started to answer factually or scientifically. This brings to the next difference that philosophical questions can generate more questions because there is no foundation to begin to build your answers. Philosophy is a subject that can have no true right or wrong answer, because all philosophers are looking for wisdom and increased knowledge. The subjects can range from anything and everything. The history of philosophy starts with the examination of what is life and its beings. Even looking back on past writing by the greatest philosophers, everything was thought supported with sound reasoning to base an answer on. Even now to this day, those answers are being manipulated and changing with the times. Philosophy cannot be answered simply and supported with just one factual answer because not everything in this subject can be answered. Philosophy is meant to stimulate the mind and for people to begin to think out of the box. References Heidegger, M., Sadler, T. (2000). Towards the definition of philosophy. : The Athlone Press. Houghton Mifflin Company. (2005). American heritage dictionary. Retrieved from ask.com/web?q=dictionary%3A+philosophycontent=ahdict%7C52396o=0l=dir (). The nature of philosphy. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:qVueDHQIUu0J:www.polity.co.uk/nuttall/pdf/001.pdf+nature+of+philosophical+questionshl=engl=ussig=AHIEtbR5akmmoTEvghzdQtUV_w-f0XL7Hw Research Papers on Definition of PhilosophyStandardized TestingBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThree Concepts of PsychodynamicComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMind TravelResearch Process Part OneEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement

Free Essays on A Letter 2 Santa

A Letter To Santa Snowflakes softly falling Upon your window they play Your blankets snug around you, Into sleep you drift away. I bend to gently kiss you, when I see that on the floor there's a letter, neatly written I wonder who it's for. I quietly unfold it making sure you're still asleep, It's a Christmas list for Santa one my heart will always keep. It started just as always with the toys seen on TV, A new watch for your father and a winter coat for me. But as my eyes read on I could see that deep inside there were many things you wished for that your loving heart would hide. You asked if your friend Molly could have another Dad; It seems her father hits her and it makes you very sad. Then you asked dear Santa if the neighbors down the street Could find a job, that he might have some food, and clothes, and heat. You saw a family on the news whose house had blown away, "Dear Santa, send them just one thing, a place where they can stay." "And Santa, those four cookies that I left you for a treat, Could you take them to the children who have nothing else to eat." "Do you know that little bear I have the one I love so dear? I'm leaving it for you to take to Africa this year". "And as you fly your reindeer on this night of Jesus' birth, Could your magic bring to everyone goodwill and peace on earth". "There's one last thing before you go, so grateful I would be, If you'd smile at Baby Jesus in the manger by our tree." I pulled the letter close to me' I felt it melt my heart. Those tiny hands had written what no other could impart. "And a little child shall lead them," was whispered in my ear As I watched you sleep on Christmas Eve while Santa Claus was here.... Free Essays on A Letter 2 Santa Free Essays on A Letter 2 Santa A Letter To Santa Snowflakes softly falling Upon your window they play Your blankets snug around you, Into sleep you drift away. I bend to gently kiss you, when I see that on the floor there's a letter, neatly written I wonder who it's for. I quietly unfold it making sure you're still asleep, It's a Christmas list for Santa one my heart will always keep. It started just as always with the toys seen on TV, A new watch for your father and a winter coat for me. But as my eyes read on I could see that deep inside there were many things you wished for that your loving heart would hide. You asked if your friend Molly could have another Dad; It seems her father hits her and it makes you very sad. Then you asked dear Santa if the neighbors down the street Could find a job, that he might have some food, and clothes, and heat. You saw a family on the news whose house had blown away, "Dear Santa, send them just one thing, a place where they can stay." "And Santa, those four cookies that I left you for a treat, Could you take them to the children who have nothing else to eat." "Do you know that little bear I have the one I love so dear? I'm leaving it for you to take to Africa this year". "And as you fly your reindeer on this night of Jesus' birth, Could your magic bring to everyone goodwill and peace on earth". "There's one last thing before you go, so grateful I would be, If you'd smile at Baby Jesus in the manger by our tree." I pulled the letter close to me' I felt it melt my heart. Those tiny hands had written what no other could impart. "And a little child shall lead them," was whispered in my ear As I watched you sleep on Christmas Eve while Santa Claus was here....

Case study on Cafe Co Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

On Cafe Co - Case Study Example The model prescribes that people must not be only seen as factors which would help a company in earning competitive advantage. Rather care must be taken in rendering their own developments by steadily incorporating their views in business decision making. This fact would improve the leadership traits within such individuals and thereby would improve loyalty to the concern (Armstrong, 2008, p.8). In regards to the case study it is observed that the previous human resource policy in the concern focused more on developing the performances and productivity of the employees. However the reviewed human resources policy after the joining of Kim Patel started focusing more on developing communication with the people by widely engaging them into various decision making activities. Thus the human resources policy structure in Cafe Co earned a shift from hard to soft after joining of Kim Patel and thus worked in developing loyalty of the employees. 2. In several organisations nowadays it is found that the line managers are being entrusted with the responsibility of recruiting, developing and training the human resources that would be working under them. This fact has some salient advantages in that it helps the human resource management of the company in delegating the organisational tasks and thus causes effective distribution of labour. The line managers in such action are required to operate in close cooperation with the human resource professionals for helping in accomplishment of business objectives (Armstrong, 2006, p.93-96). In this case it is also found that Kim Patel worked closely in delegating the human resource functions to the line managers. She observed that such practice would help in developing relationships with the line managers in that they would become more responsible and loyal to the company. Thus this process was carried out in a continual fashion in the

Discuss the view presented by Nasim and Sushil (2011) that managing Essay

Discuss the view presented by Nasim and Sushil (2011) that managing change invariably involves managing paradoxes and in partic - Essay Example This view of organisation change’s reality indicates a postmodernist oncology, where change remains fluid and elusive. As a result, to understand it demands acknowledging and accepting its dynamic, fluid nature. Managing changes requires managing paradoxes through a postmodernist ontology with postconstructivist epistemology because of the existence of diverse types of changes, resistance to changes, and narratives for attaining individual and organisational changes. The paradox of change lies in the postmodernist ontology with postconstructivist epistemology. Postmodernist thinking on the study of being views reality as a combination of different ways of seeing. The study of organisational changes has intersected various concepts from diverse fields, such as child development and evolutionary biology, and yet not many scholars have integrated them in a systematic manner (van de Ven and Poole, 1995: 510). Poggie (1965: 284) remarks on the paradox of knowing reality: â€Å"A w ay of seeing is a way of not seeing.† One epistemological view of reality is one way of not seeing reality through another perspective. van de Ven and Poole (1995: 511) urge for an interdisciplinary approach to seeing the reality of organisational change: â€Å"It is the interplay between different perspectives that helps one gain a more comprehensive understanding of organisational life, because any one theoretical perspective invariably offers only a partial account of a complex phenomenon.† They promote a postmodernist view of seeing and knowing the reality of organisational change because it enriches its understanding. Furthermore, the paradox-of-change approach uses postconstructivist epistemology using competing theories to explore and to illustrate it. van de Ven and Poole (1995) offer a typology of process theories that examine how and why change happens in social or biological units. These are life cycle, teleological, dialectical and evolutionary process theor ies. These four theories stand for essentially different event chains and generative components that they called â€Å"motors† to depict the processes and causes of changes (van de Ven and Poole, 1995: 511). van de Ven and Poole (1995) stress that organisational change do not neatly fit only one of these process theories because some conditions can stimulate interdependent changes across different organisational elements. They stress the complexity of changes: â€Å"Even though each of these types has its own internal logic, complexity and the potential for theoretical confusion arise from the interplay among different motors† (van de Ven and Poole, 1995: 534). The paradox of changes arises from the reality of spontaneous effects of changes, anticipated or otherwise. Sturdy and Grey (2003) criticise the one-sided view of organisational change management (OCM) discourses that emphasise stability over changes. They offer different views of changes using discourse analysi s. They conclude the need for using different lenses in understanding changes and in attaining effective changes. Hence, this essay finds it useful to see changes from a postmodernist view of organisational reality and knowledge. The paradox of change and continuity affects different kinds and stages of changes. Managing changes in different types of changes require balancing change and continuity. Nadler and Tushman (1989) examined diverse large-scale organisational changes and provided several insights and generalisations. They reviewed

Week three discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week three discussion questions - Essay Example Also the analysis will help provide the direction, speed and also the extent of the trends. There are a number of different ratios that can be calculated from the financial statements of a company. The three most important ratios however, are the Liquidity, Profitability and Gearing ratios. The ratio analysis is of great importance, as it is the most effective method to estimate a firm’s performance and also compare it with that of its competitors and the industry on the whole. The long term viability of a company can be assessed from the ratios which indicate the overall performance, such as the asset turnover ratio, which measures how effectively the company has been utilizing its assets to generate sales. The other important measure is the gearing ratio which indicates the capital structure of the company and how effectively it has utilized its debt raising capacity. A company which has an optimum gearing ratio can be considered to be well positioned, or, geared for long term growth. It is imperative to note that though there are strong policies and strict procedures set up within a company, frauds do occur at times. Anonymous reporting hotlines are found to be effective reporting mechanisms. It is also important to keep a positive atmosphere, as very strict policies and internal controls might have adverse effects on employee motivation. Hence it is essential to carefully analyse the working conditions and the policies are to be set accordingly, so that both the objectives are achieved successfully. With the improvements in technology, it has become increasingly easier and effective for management to implement security programs and software within the organization. Software based on Benford’s law and surprise testing are also effective measures when carried out in a professional well planned manner. The most important thing to understand is a person’s base nature, in order to identity deception, fraud or a false statement. The most

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 11

Report - Essay Example wending duck is a side channel of the river Wensum in the United Kingdom, and the water comes from Chalk rocks. there is also east Dereham treatment works next to it. East Dereham treatment works releases water straight into wending duck (see figure 1).(booklet). 2-Biological sampling: by measuring the macroinvertebrate animal community over a period of time, and with this method water quality is assessed by two measurements: 1) Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP); this method measure the biological quality of the river using a different type of macroinvertebrates as indicators. (booklet). The principle of this method is different macroinvertebrate have different potential of pollution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_monitoring_working_party. Tertiary treatment: this is the final step, ultra violet and a thin membrane are used to remove bacteria and virus from the treatment process, and this water made for another purpose than drinking such as washing clothes,irrigation and toilets.(https://learn.uea.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-1226628-dt-content-rid-1544301_1/courses/INTO-PSE-JUN14_E/wastewater-web--2-.pdf). By using a measurement tape across the River to find out the width of the river that has been divided into four sections. After dividing the river, a meter stick was used to find out the depth of the river in each section. All of the results were recorded in the results section. Dissolved oxygen and temperature were measured by oxygen meter "Do2 meter." A rope of 5 meters was placed on the surface of the river to calculate the velocity of the stream. A stick was thrown into the river from the beginning of the 5 meters rope while the stopwatch was turned on to calculate the time when the stick was traveling next to the rope till the end of the 5 meters rope. This method have been done twice We used benthic kick sample to measure

Security through authentication and Encryption Essay

Security through authentication and Encryption - Essay Example Security issues are the ones that Government take pride for determining technical standards within the domain of the private sector. Since technology is on its way to implement some technical standards to secure communication mode, first of all it mandates standards to mandate Internet commerce and communication. Among the most significant issue concerning technical standards is the usage of security and authentication. Authentication is not only required in communications between organizations and clients but is also a considerable issue in making electronic payments over the Internet. Depending on the direction and interactivity, authentication requires some previously stored data while communicating online. Authentication while encrypting the data allows any organization to get security over the network, thereby utilizing its resources without any hassle or threat of being attacked by the hacker. Encryption not only provides confidentiality to an organization when most often used with ‘https’ protocol, but by authenticating the data it provides non-repudiation that travels over a network or stored on a system. Except for the fact that authentication gets costly to organization and there is a risk of passwords vulnerability, there are no other limitations for authenticating your network. Since passwords are vulnerable to brute-force attacks or forgetfulness they are also subjected to a threat of weak password authentication. For example if a manager sends an application inclusive of passwords in plain text while not encrypted, to the authenticating server, any network sniffer can figure out the password, whether it is 250 or 2 characters long. A physical form of authentication is deployed in large organizations, government and military agencies that measures physical attributes, called ‘biometrics’. Since it is economically not

A Schematic Analysis of Medical Coronation Rituals Research Paper

A Schematic Analysis of Medical Coronation Rituals - Research Paper Example Schematic analysis of medieval coronation rituals indicates how powerful these factors are and how aware medical rulers were of the effects they could have. Ritual and symbolic communication have very specific characteristics (Luger, 2003). â€Å"When individual factors of communication are reduced and constitutive conditions changed or distorted, certain consequences for communication ensue...The ritualized element in speech is characterized by restricted individuality, as well as by being the consequence of a specific over-conventionalization† (Lager, 2003). Coronation rituals are a form of ritualistic communication that in a sense brings this to its height: While superficially an individual is gaining tremendous power, in actual fact an institution is being filled. One of the ways that medieval rulers brought to mind schema that would confer legitimacy and power was the connection to Old Testament rulers in imagery (Hedeman, 1991). â€Å"Ceremony and art dealing more speci fically with the king also associated biblical with French kingship. One of the most important ceremonies to do this was the French coronation, versions of which were drafted around 1230 and again around 1250† (Hedeman, 1991, 10).... Men like Moses and Abraham were leaders of men, wise and capable. These schema would bring to mind in the subjects of the Capetians images and feelings of power, wisdom, charisma and strength. â€Å"The changed subject matter and new narrative style in these cycles invested religious history with a "new prescriptive force" to become an example for royal behavior† (Hedeman, 1991, 10). Coronation rituals thus used Old Testament elements. One conclusion that is utterly clear is that the kings had no limit to their audacity. â€Å"After Louis's canonization in 1297, hagiographic programs, frequently presented within a dynastic framework, became more common at court. The presence of a royal saint allowed subsequent rulers such as Philip III or Philip the Fair to glorify the royal house by promoting the cult of their saintly forebear† (Hedeman, 1991, 10). Prior to the beatification of Louis IX, it would be impossible to imagine using New Testament imagery: This would place th e kings on the level of the saints or the Apostles and would be tantamount to blasphemy. But after a canonization, it was possible to use the imagery of the New Testament and of sainthood to give the dynasty an even more blessed touch. But it is not just religious legitimacy and imagery that is deployed. â€Å"Increasingly, courtly commissions emphasized the continuous succession of the three races of French kings, a succession whose length and holiness, confirmed by the sainthood of Louis IX, were the subject of the Grandes Chroniques de France† (Hedeman, 1991, 10). Schema for coronations are not just ways of establishing the power, wisdom and strength of the ruler to the people, but also the ongoing vitality and legitimacy of the institution of the kinghood itself.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 11

Report - Essay Example wending duck is a side channel of the river Wensum in the United Kingdom, and the water comes from Chalk rocks. there is also east Dereham treatment works next to it. East Dereham treatment works releases water straight into wending duck (see figure 1).(booklet). 2-Biological sampling: by measuring the macroinvertebrate animal community over a period of time, and with this method water quality is assessed by two measurements: 1) Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP); this method measure the biological quality of the river using a different type of macroinvertebrates as indicators. (booklet). The principle of this method is different macroinvertebrate have different potential of pollution. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_monitoring_working_party. Tertiary treatment: this is the final step, ultra violet and a thin membrane are used to remove bacteria and virus from the treatment process, and this water made for another purpose than drinking such as washing clothes,irrigation and toilets.(https://learn.uea.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/pid-1226628-dt-content-rid-1544301_1/courses/INTO-PSE-JUN14_E/wastewater-web--2-.pdf). By using a measurement tape across the River to find out the width of the river that has been divided into four sections. After dividing the river, a meter stick was used to find out the depth of the river in each section. All of the results were recorded in the results section. Dissolved oxygen and temperature were measured by oxygen meter "Do2 meter." A rope of 5 meters was placed on the surface of the river to calculate the velocity of the stream. A stick was thrown into the river from the beginning of the 5 meters rope while the stopwatch was turned on to calculate the time when the stick was traveling next to the rope till the end of the 5 meters rope. This method have been done twice We used benthic kick sample to measure

A Schematic Analysis of Medical Coronation Rituals Research Paper

A Schematic Analysis of Medical Coronation Rituals - Research Paper Example Schematic analysis of medieval coronation rituals indicates how powerful these factors are and how aware medical rulers were of the effects they could have. Ritual and symbolic communication have very specific characteristics (Luger, 2003). â€Å"When individual factors of communication are reduced and constitutive conditions changed or distorted, certain consequences for communication ensue...The ritualized element in speech is characterized by restricted individuality, as well as by being the consequence of a specific over-conventionalization† (Lager, 2003). Coronation rituals are a form of ritualistic communication that in a sense brings this to its height: While superficially an individual is gaining tremendous power, in actual fact an institution is being filled. One of the ways that medieval rulers brought to mind schema that would confer legitimacy and power was the connection to Old Testament rulers in imagery (Hedeman, 1991). â€Å"Ceremony and art dealing more speci fically with the king also associated biblical with French kingship. One of the most important ceremonies to do this was the French coronation, versions of which were drafted around 1230 and again around 1250† (Hedeman, 1991, 10).... Men like Moses and Abraham were leaders of men, wise and capable. These schema would bring to mind in the subjects of the Capetians images and feelings of power, wisdom, charisma and strength. â€Å"The changed subject matter and new narrative style in these cycles invested religious history with a "new prescriptive force" to become an example for royal behavior† (Hedeman, 1991, 10). Coronation rituals thus used Old Testament elements. One conclusion that is utterly clear is that the kings had no limit to their audacity. â€Å"After Louis's canonization in 1297, hagiographic programs, frequently presented within a dynastic framework, became more common at court. The presence of a royal saint allowed subsequent rulers such as Philip III or Philip the Fair to glorify the royal house by promoting the cult of their saintly forebear† (Hedeman, 1991, 10). Prior to the beatification of Louis IX, it would be impossible to imagine using New Testament imagery: This would place th e kings on the level of the saints or the Apostles and would be tantamount to blasphemy. But after a canonization, it was possible to use the imagery of the New Testament and of sainthood to give the dynasty an even more blessed touch. But it is not just religious legitimacy and imagery that is deployed. â€Å"Increasingly, courtly commissions emphasized the continuous succession of the three races of French kings, a succession whose length and holiness, confirmed by the sainthood of Louis IX, were the subject of the Grandes Chroniques de France† (Hedeman, 1991, 10). Schema for coronations are not just ways of establishing the power, wisdom and strength of the ruler to the people, but also the ongoing vitality and legitimacy of the institution of the kinghood itself.

Animal Abuse Essay Example for Free

Animal Abuse Essay The Greyhound is an ancient breed of dog. It is the only dog mentioned in the Bible, and has been depicted in many ancient Egyptian paintings, dating back over 4,000 years. Greyhounds were so revered, that the Greyhounds were allowed to share their tents. In ancient Arabic countries, the birth of a son was the most important event, the second was the birth of a Greyhound. The history of dog racing can be traced back to Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century when Greyhounds were brought over to England from Egypt, where her majesty created the first formal rules of dog coursing, naming it the â€Å"Sport of Queens†. In the 18th century, England exported the sport to America, and soon the sport was comprised of racing and gambling. In 1912, the dog racing as it is known today, was established by Owen Patrick Smith, the man who invented the mechanical lure used in today’s dog racing. The first official dog track was opened in 1919 in California, and in 1931, wagering was legalized in Florida, paving the way for the development of the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The Palm Beach Kennel Club operated permits for dog racing, which officially started in America in 1932. Unfortunately, the once grandeur and majesty of the sport is tarnished with the unethical abuse these animals endure. The definition of animal abuse is â€Å"the crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal discipline. It can include neglect that is so monstrous (withholding food and water) that the animal has suffered, died or been put in imminent danger of death. † (Hill, 2005). Many Greyhounds are the subject of abuse in the racing world. The Greyhounds are subject to horrible conditions. Many people enjoy watching a good race. The anticipation of the race and the thrill of their prized dog winning would make anyone want to attend a race. But it’s what happens before and after the race that has many people up in arms over the whole dog racing scene. When the dogs are not racing, they are kept in crates stacked one on top of the other. The dogs are not exercised regularly; the only exercise they get is from racing, and a race lasts for only a few minutes. If an Greyhound is injured during practice or during the race, the dog is killed and ground up for food for the other dogs. Many Greyhounds also die during the race due to exhaustion and dehydration. It is important to address this issue because animal abuse is a crime, and most people who commit these heinous acts are never brought to justice. It is also important to understand why someone could harm an innocent animal. According to the ASPCA, there are three main reasons why someone would be cruel to animals in their article titled, Why people abuse animals. The first reason is that some people abuse animals is that they do not know they are abusing the animal. Some people just don’t think about what they are doing to the animal, and others think excessive force is necessary to maintain control of the animal. A person who hits their dog when he or she does something wrong, like poop in the house, will use excessive force to show the animal that what he or she did was bad. Other people forget to roll down a window on a hot day with the animal in the car. The second reason a person would abuse animals is that the person will do it purposefully, but not for a continuous amount of time. Young kids who throw rocks at cats or kick a dog are an example of this type of abuser. Many young children can be taught through support groups and educational programs to show how an animal feels when it is abused in such a way, and many children learn to respect animals. The third reason a person would abuse an animal is the most serious form of animal cruelty. The third reason a person would abuse an animal is for power. Many of these types of people enjoy hurting the weak and helpless animals, as it makes them feel in control. Most of these people who intentionally hurt an animal have serious psychological issues that need to be addressed. If left unchecked, these issues may lead to more serious acts of violence. According the article, most people that were mentioned in the first and second reason for animal abuse can be educated through materials, counselors and educational classes. But even with the educational classes, what most people don’t understand is the psychological effects of the abuse has on animals. All animals want is to be loved and cared for, especially dogs. Humans have breed dogs to be our companions, and are the only animal that sets out to please us. When a human abuses an animal, we lose that trust that the animal places in us. The main psychological effect abuse has on dogs can be devastating. A dog may feel threatened by any human that it comes in contact with, and the dog can turn aggressive out of fear. Other dogs are fearful and maintain their fearfulness throughout the rest of their lives. These dogs may cower away from humans, shunning away when a human has an object in their hand or hide when they hear raised voices. L. Kalef wrote an article titled Psychological effects of animal cruelty, and in the article, he talked about the effects of animal abuse in Eastern Europe. For those who have traveled to Eastern European countries, it is not uncommon to be privy to packs of dogs roaming in some of the major cities, and sometimes being aggressive out of fear, hunger or abuse have led to provoke a similar reaction by the population by way of harm and abuse. Sadly, these neglected animals are under constant scrutiny and possible attack, which has become all too common. For years, welfare activists have been speaking up for the plight of the strays and the brutal inhumane abuse and killings; but no one until now has suggested that the constant exposure of this violence may instigate other and further violent activity within the community. In other words, growing up in a society being exposed to animal abuse causes further abuse and lack of compassion. (Kalef, 2012) But there are many people who argue that dog racing is not the only animal sport that has animal abuse and that it is part of the sport. Throughout the world of animal sports, there are some instances of animal abuse. In Mexico, bullfighting is a very popular sport, where the object of the game is to kill the bull or else the Matador will be stampeded or stabbed by the bulls horns. The bulls are starved and tortured, and they meaner the bull becomes, the more entertaining the sport. Also, horse racing has had its fair share of animal abuse cases. Many Thoroughbreds that receive an injury are killed, just like the Greyhounds, and made into meat that is sold for human consumption. J. Frater wrote an article titled 10 Debated acts of animal cruelty, which outlines a few instances that can be considered animal abuse. For those who have traveled to Eastern European countries, it is not uncommon to be privy to packs of dogs roaming in some of the major cities, and sometimes being aggressive out of fear, hunger or abuse have led to provoke a similar reaction by the population by way of harm and abuse. Sadly, these neglected animals are under constant scrutiny and possible attack, which has become all too common. For years, welfare activists have been speaking up for the plight of the strays and the brutal inhumane abuse and killings; but no one until now has suggested that the constant exposure of this violence may instigate other and further violent activity within the community. In other words, growing up in a society being exposed to animal abuse causes further abuse and lack of compassion. (Frater, 2010). But to most people, that is just the way the sport is. What is someone going to do with a prized race horse that has a broken leg and can no longer race? Why take the money to fix the injury, when the owner can make money off of selling the animal for food? It’s just part of the sport. But there is one question that needs to be answered. Which side is right? The truth is both sides are right. There will always be animal abuse in sports, as well as throughout the world. We as a people will not be able to completely stop the abuse, we can just diminish the amount of animals are abused. Through the use of stricter laws and more regulations, we as humans can help the voiceless. In conclusion, though there is no one way to solve animal cruelty in the world. There will always be animal cruelty in the sporting world, but as long as we humans can educate the younger generations, the amount of cases of animal cruelty will drastically decrease. Only one can hope that the â€Å"Sport of Queens† can return once again to the grandeur and majesty that the sport once was.

Effect of Ph on Growth Rate of Mung Beans

Effect of Ph on Growth Rate of Mung Beans Mung beans are used in several food productions, both as a whole seed and in processed form. According to sprouting expert sprout people, mung beans are most consumed sprout on this planet and are primarily grown in major farmlands in China, Hong Kong and other countries in Asia. Mung beans are widely utilized in Chinese cuisine as well as in the cuisines of Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and many other countries in Asia. Mung beans grow poorly in both acidic and alkaline environment hence acidic rain could potentially directly affect the growth of mung beans growing under the environment in a long term perspective, this derives the research question. Secondary research on the profile of mung beans were studied and the optimal pH level for mung beans to grow is pH 6.2 to 7.2 and the experiment was designed to investigates in to the effect of pH level of soil (5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5) on the growth rate of mung beans during a three week experiment, investigating to what extent pH level of soil could affect the growth on mung beans. Growth rate is assessed by measuring and calculating the percentage change for the following indicators: stem height, leaf length, number of leaves. 1 Introduction The research question is: What is the effect of pH level on the growth rate of mung beans? This investigation aims to investigate and analyze the effects of pH on the growth rate of mung beans with a 3 week experiment as 2 weeks is certainly enough time for the mung beans to complete (sprout people) . The purpose is to determine at which pH levels of solution will cause the most growth and at which pH levels slow down or stop the growth of the mung beans. I chose to use a pH range of 5.0 9.5 for this experiment as too high or too low pH levels would potentially prevent the plants from growing. This investigation is composed of secondary researches, analysis of data and experimentation designed to collect data on pH level of soil and the growth rate of mung beans to explain the correlation between pH level and the growth of mung beans. This is substantial as it gives an important scope of the possible result of long term acid rain in Hong Kong because the pH level of acid rain may vary from a pH level of 5.6 to a low of 4.5 with the average value of 5.0 (Charles E. Ophardt). Therefore acid rain can be represented by a solution with a pH level of 5.0, simulating the effect of acid rain on the growth rate of plants. 2 Investigation Figure 1 shows the pH scale. For the any plants grow in a healthy condition, certain pH levels are critical to the growth of the plants. These different levels of pH are sure to affect the growth of the plants. For the majority of plants, it is best to have an acidic to neutral pH level (pH 6.0 to pH 7.0). Plants are incapable to grow without nutrients which are normally found in soil, if the plants are grown in an acidic soil for example >pH5, the natural nutrients in the acidic soil filtered out of the soil much more rapidly than from soils with the value between 5.0 and 7.5. (Leonard Perry, 2003) whereas between 5.0 and 6.5, natural nutrients are commonly accessible for the plants. Therefore in this investigation, pH range from 1.0 to 5.0 and 9.0 to 14.0 that will stop the plant from growing will not be included in this experiment. Figure 1 shows the pH scale and examples of solution at each pH level. Figure 1 also shows that acid rain has a pH level of around 4.5 5.0. This theoretically suggests that acid rain could potentially filter out the nutrients in the soil hence decreasing or stopping the growth of the plants as they are unable absorb optimal amount of nutrients in order to grow. Therefore, hypothetically, pH 5.0 in this experiment will experience very little growth or it will be unable to sustain itself and die in a very short period of time. 2.1 pH level of solution experiment design In this experiment, pH level of solution is considered because it is the most important factor required to determine the growth of the mung beans and it was chosen because I want to determine what pH solution is best suited for the growth rate of mung beans as well as to simulate the acid rain in Hong Kong to examine the effect acidic rainfall on the soil and how it affect the growth of mung beans in farmlands. Therefore other independent variables such as temperature and light intensity were excluded from this experiment. In order to record sufficient data on the overall growth rate of the mung beans in this experiment, three parameter including stem height, length of leaves, number of leaves are chosen as dependent variables to identify the possible effects of different pH on the growth the mung beans. Stem Height: Determine the height of the stem by measuring the height from the border of the pot to the top of the mung bean stem Length of leaves: Determine the length of leaves by measuring the distance from one end to another end Number of leaves: Determine the number of leaves by counting the amount of leaves in the mung beans. Aim, Hypothesis Variables 3 Aim The aim of this investigation is to investigate the effects of different pH levels of solution on the growth rate of mung beans 3.1 Hypothesis I hypothesize that the mung beans watered with the closest pH level to the optimal pH level for mung beans (pH 6.2 to 7.2), the more growth mung beans will gain. Any soil condition below or above the optimal pH level for example 5.0 6.0 or 7.5-9.5 will negatively affect the growth of mung beans. Therefore I also hypothesize the pattern of the curve for the growth rate of mung beans will experience a Bell Shape curve. 3.2 Explanation of Hypothesis PH level stands for potential hydrogen and the pH level of any solution is the measure of its hydrogen-ion concentration. Mung beans, like most plants are required to absorb nutrients from the soil in order to grow. Soil is a mixture of sand, silt, clay and organic matters. Soil with low pH level will filter out the nutrients needed for the plants to grow therefore the pH level will affect the availability of nutrients for the plants. If the pH level is too acidic, the mung beans cannot absorb as much as nutrients than in pH 6.2 to 7.2. Therefore stem height, length of leaves and the number of leaves will decrease at the pH range of 5.0 6.0, increase at the range of 6.0 7.0 and decrease at the range of 7.5 9.5, creating a bell shape curve when the data are plotted on a graph. This is because at pH 6.0 7.0 is very close to the optimal pH level, the nutrients are not filtered out and therefore there will be more plant nutrients for the mung beans to absorb and grow. Since most grow th will be experienced at pH 6.0 7.0, this will create a bell shape curve. 3.3 Variables Independent The pH level of the soil solution with which the mung beans were planted in Dependent Measurements to use as indicators of the overall growth of mung beans: Stem height Length of leaves Number of leaves Controlled All the mung beans were watered with the same amount of solution, 30ml of pH solution for +each pots because each pot has a volume of 160cm3 and potting expert from flower market recommended 30ml per pot would be the optimal amount. Same time of the day at the same intervals. (Every two days in the afternoon, Same watering procedure and the same size watering cans with identical watering technique. (No external water is to come in contact with the plants because the experiment undergo in a dark concealed room.) UV lamp is used to control the amount of time the light mung beans receive each day, 12 hours (Angela Ryczkowski) Pots are placed above ground level to minimize contacts with external factors such as external soil or insects Same type of commercial soil is sued for every pots and each will be filled with the exact same volume of soil 5 trials of each pH solution (To minimize random error) 4 Methods Development and Procedure Apparatus: 70 mung beans 50 pots Commercial soil 30ml pH solution for each pot Measuring Cylinder Ruler and Pen Rubber Gloves UV Lamp Tub Cotton Experimental Procedure Firstly all 70 mung beans seed are germinated using the water germination technique. Soaked cottons are put in to the tub to create a layer of wet surface. After 48 hours (sprout people), choose 50 mung beans that have successfully germinated and the length of the root must be at least 0.4 0.5 cm they are at similar stage. PH solution is use to control the different pH level in the soil and then the beans are then put into the planting pots. According to plotting expert in the flower market, plotting pot with a volume of 160cm3 should be half filled with soil (53 grams) and an additional 10 grams of soil should be sprinkle on top of the seed to create a thin layer that would cover the surface area of the pot and patting down the soil gently. The pots will be labeled according to the pH of the soil that is inside the pot. Each plant will be watered with 30ml of pH solution every two days and measurements were taken every three days. The following measurements will be recorded when th e bean starts sprouting and penetrate through the thin layer of soil: stem height, leaf length, and the number of leaves. This experiment will require three weeks watering treatment because mung beans usually require 2 weeks to reach its post germination stage with developed root system and 3 weeks will allow it to reach closer to its maturation stage, therefore if my hypothesis is correct, the trend will be obvious at this stage. The same measurements will be two times a week. With the collected data, create a table that would allow me to construct a graph that can show and analyze the correlation between the pH level in the soil and the growth rate of mung beans.

Johnny got his gun Essay -- essays research papers

Johnny Got His Gun Johnny Got His Gun is a striking literary work about a young man, Joe Bonham, and his internal struggles following a devastating war injury. He lost his arms, legs, and face. Dalton Trumbo, the author Johnny Got His Gun, allows the reader to know Bonham's thoughts, but nothing more. The reader follows Joe's progression toward and away from insanity, and between hope and despair. Trumbo shows this progression through the use of a plethora of literary techniques. Characterization is one of the most extensively used techniques. A great deal can be understood about Joe's feelings and thoughts by seeing how he interprets characters. The reader ponders many ideas when thinking about characterization used in this book: reality of characters, stereotyping of characters, and motivation of characters. In order to make sense of this book, the reader needs to assume at least one character to be real. Joe is most easily assumed real. The crux of this book is criticism of war, and the criticism becomes most apparent if Joe is real. Reality of other characters is difficult to distinguish. The people Joe remembers are real, at least to him. He has memories of their personalities and what they looked like. He can recall specific memories of events with these people. There are also characters Joe encounters while he is lying in his bed after the accident. These characters are very flat. They do not develop, and we know little about their thoughts or emotions. Joe only kn...

Savage Journey in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays -- Heart Da

Heart of Darkness:   Savage Journey  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inherent inside every human soul is a savage evil side that remains repressed by society. Often this evil side breaks out during times of isolation from our culture, and whenever one culture confronts another. History is loaded with examples of atrocities that have occurred when one culture comes into contact with another. Whenever fundamentally different cultures meet, there is often a fear of contamination and loss of self that leads us to discover more about our true selves, often causing perceived madness by those who have yet to discover their own self.   Joseph Conrad’s book, The Heart of Darkness is a story about Man’s journey into his self, the discoveries to be made there and about Man confronting his fears of insanity, death, and cultural contamination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During Marlow’s mission to find Kurtz, he is also trying to find himself. He, like Kurtz had good intentions upon entering the Congo. Conrad tries to show us that Marlow is what Kurtz had been, and Kurtz is what Marlow could become. Every human has a little of Marlow and Kurtz in them.   Marlow says about himself, "I was getting savage (Conrad)," meaning that he was becoming more like Kurtz. Along the trip into the wilderness, they discover their true selves through contact with â€Å"savage† natives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As Marlow ventures further up the Congo, he feels like he is traveling back through time. He sees the unsettled wilderness and can feel the darkness of its solitude. Marlow comes across simpler cannibalistic cultures along the banks. The deeper into the jungle he goes, the more regressive the inhabitants seem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kurtz had lived in the Congo, and was separated from his own culture for qu... ...ure, a self-discovery happens. Both cultures realize that deep down inside, all humans are essentially the same. We all posses a good and an evil side, and no culture no matter how "advanced," is exempt from that fact. This discovery often causes madness as this evil side is allowed out. Only those who have completed the "journey into self" can understand the actions of people such as Kurtz. They are alone in this world of horror. Works Cited Conrad, James. Heart of Darkness and Other Tales. New York, Paperbacks ltd.   1996. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Underline titles of novels. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When writing quotes, the last quotation mark should come immediately after the last word of the quote, not after the parentheses. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Great work on the works cited. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The introduction should be limited to one paragraph.   5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, your paper is well-organized.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty-seven

Eddard It's the hand's tourney that's the cause of all the trouble, my lords,† the commander of the city watch complained to the king's council. â€Å"The king's tourney,† Ned corrected, wincing. â€Å"I assure you, the Hand wants no part of it.† â€Å"Call it what you will, my lord. Knights have been arriving from all over the realm, and for every knight we get two freeriders, three craftsmen, six men-at-arms, a dozen merchants, two dozen whores, and more thieves than I dare guess. This cursed heat had half the city in a fever to start, and now with all these visitors . . . last night we had a drowning, a tavern riot, three knife fights, a rape, two fires, robberies beyond count, and a drunken horse race down the Street of the Sisters. The night before a woman's head was found in the Great Sept, floating in the rainbow pool. No one seems to know how it got there or who it belongs to.† â€Å"How dreadful,† Varys said with a shudder. Lord Renly Baratheon was less sympathetic. â€Å"If you cannot keep the king's peace, Janos, perhaps the City Watch should be commanded by someone who can.† Stout, jowly Janos Slynt puffed himself up like an angry frog, his bald pate reddening. â€Å"Aegon the Dragon himself could not keep the peace, Lord Renly. I need more men.† â€Å"How many?† Ned asked, leaning forward. As ever, Robert had not troubled himself to attend the council session, so it fell to his Hand to speak for him. â€Å"As many as can be gotten, Lord Hand.† â€Å"Hire fifty new men,† Ned told him. â€Å"Lord Baelish will see that you get the coin.† â€Å"I will?† Littlefinger said. â€Å"You will. You found forty thousand golden dragons for a champion's purse, surely you can scrape together a few coppers to keep the king's peace.† Ned turned back to Janos Slynt. â€Å"I will also give you twenty good swords from my own household guard, to serve with the Watch until the crowds have left.† â€Å"All thanks, Lord Hand,† Slynt said, bowing. â€Å"I promise you, they shall be put to good use.† When the Commander had taken his leave, Eddard Stark turned to the rest of the council. â€Å"The sooner this folly is done with, the better I shall like it.† As if the expense and trouble were not irksome enough, all and sundry insisted on salting Ned's wound by calling it â€Å"the Hand's tourney,† as if he were the cause of it. And Robert honestly seemed to think he should feel honored! â€Å"The realm prospers from such events, my lord,† Grand Maester Pycelle said. â€Å"They bring the great the chance of glory, and the lowly a respite from their woes.† â€Å"And put coins in many a pocket,† Littlefinger added. â€Å"Every inn in the city is full, and the whores are walking bowlegged and jingling with each step.† Lord Renly laughed. â€Å"We're fortunate my brother Stannis is not with us. Remember the time he proposed to outlaw brothels? The king asked him if perhaps he'd like to outlaw eating, shitting, and breathing while he was at it. If truth be told, I ofttimes wonder how Stannis ever got that ugly daughter of his. He goes to his marriage bed like a man marching to a battlefield, with a grim look in his eyes and a determination to do his duty.† Ned had not joined the laughter. â€Å"I wonder about your brother Stannis as well. I wonder when he intends to end his visit to Dragonstone and resume his seat on this council.† â€Å"No doubt as soon as we've scourged all those whores into the sea,† Littlefinger replied, provoking more laughter. â€Å"I have heard quite enough about whores for one day,† Ned said, rising. â€Å"Until the morrow.† Harwin had the door when Ned returned to the Tower of the Hand. â€Å"Summon Jory to my chambers and tell your father to saddle my horse,† Ned told him, too brusquely. â€Å"As you say, my lord.† The Red Keep and the â€Å"Hand's tourney† were chafing him raw, Ned reflected as he climbed. He yearned for the comfort of Catelyn's arms, for the sounds of Robb and Jon crossing swords in the practice yard, for the cool days and cold nights of the north. In his chambers he stripped off his council silks and sat for a moment with the book while he waited for Jory to arrive. The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, With Descliptions of Many High Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children, by Grand Maester Malleon. Pycelle had spoken truly; it made for ponderous reading. Yet Jon Arryn had asked for it, and Ned felt certain he had reasons. There was something here, some truth buried in these brittle yellow pages, if only he could see it. But what? The tome was over a century old. Scarcely a man now alive had yet been born when Malleon had compiled his dusty lists of weddings, births, and deaths. He opened to the section on House Lannister once more, and turned the pages slowly, hoping against hope that something would leap out at him. The Lannisters were an old family, tracing their descent back to Lann the Clever, a trickster from the Age of Heroes who was no doubt as legendary as Bran the Builder, though far more beloved of singers and taletellers. In the songs, Lann was the fellow who winkled the Casterlys out of Casterly Rock with no weapon but his wits, and stole gold from the sun to brighten his curly hair. Ned wished he were here now, to winkle the truth out of this damnable book. A sharp rap on the door heralded Jory Cassel. Ned closed Malleon's tome and bid him enter. â€Å"I've promised the City Watch twenty of my guard until the tourney is done,† he told him. â€Å"I rely on you to make the choice. Give Alyn the command, and make certain the men understand that they are needed to stop fights, not start them.† Rising, Ned opened a cedar chest and removed a light linen undertunic. â€Å"Did you find the stableboy?† â€Å"The watchman, my lord,† Jory said. â€Å"He vows he'll never touch another horse.† â€Å"What did he have to say?† â€Å"He claims he knew Lord Arryn well. Fast friends, they were.† Jory snorted. â€Å"The Hand always gave the lads a copper on their name days, he says. Had a way with horses. Never rode his mounts too hard, and brought them carrots and apples, so they were always pleased to see him.† â€Å"Carrots and apples,† Ned repeated. It sounded as if this boy would be even less use than the others. And he was the last of the four Littlefinger had turned up. Jory had spoken to each of them in turn. Ser Hugh had been brusque and uninformative, and arrogant as only a new-made knight can be. If the Hand wished to talk to him, he should be pleased to receive him, but he would not be questioned by a mere captain of guards . . . even if said captain was ten years older and a hundred times the swordsman. The serving girl had at least been pleasant. She said Lord Jon had been reading more than was good for him, that he was troubled and melancholy over his young son's frailty, and gruff with his lady wife. The potboy, now cordwainer, had never exchanged so much as a word with Lord Jon, but he was full of oddments of kitchen gossip: the lord had been quarreling with the king, the lord only picked at his food, the lord was sending his boy to be fostered on Dragonstone, the lord had taken a great interest in the breeding of hunting hounds, the lord had visited a master armorer to commission a new suit of plate, wrought all in pale silver with a blue jasper falcon and a mother-of-pearl moon on the breast. The king's own brother had gone with him to help choose the design, the potboy said. No, not Lord Renly, the other one, Lord Stannis. â€Å"Did our watchman recall anything else of note?† â€Å"The lad swears Lord Jon was as strong as a man half his age. Often went riding with Lord Stannis, he says.† Stannis again, Ned thought. He found that curious. Jon Arryn and he had been cordial, but never friendly. And while Robert had been riding north to Winterfell, Stannis had removed himself to Dragonstone, the Targaryen island fastness he had conquered in his brother's name. He had given no word as to when he might return. â€Å"Where did they go on these rides?† Ned asked. â€Å"The boy says that they visited a brothel.† â€Å"A brothel?† Ned said. â€Å"The Lord of the Eyrie and Hand of the King visited a brothel with Stannis Baratheon?† He shook his head, incredulous, wondering what Lord Renly would make of this tidbit. Robert's lusts were the subject of ribald drinking songs throughout the realm, but Stannis was a different sort of man; a bare year younger than the king, yet utterly unlike him, stern, humorless, unforgiving, grim in his sense of duty. â€Å"The boy insists it's true. The Hand took three guardsmen with him, and the boy says they were joking of it when he took their horses afterward.† â€Å"Which brothel?† Ned asked. â€Å"The boy did not know. The guards would.† â€Å"A pity Lysa carried them off to the Vale,† Ned said dryly. â€Å"The gods are doing their best to vex us. Lady Lysa, Maester Colemon, Lord Stannis . . . everyone who might actually know the truth of what happened to Jon Arryn is a thousand leagues away.† â€Å"Will you summon Lord Stannis back from Dragonstone?† â€Å"Not yet,† Ned said. â€Å"Not until I have a better notion of what this is all about and where he stands.† The matter nagged at him. Why did Stannis leave? Had he played some part in Jon Arryn's murder? Or was he afraid? Ned found it hard to imagine what could frighten Stannis Baratheon, who had once held Storm's End through a year of siege, surviving on rats and boot leather while the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne sat outside with their hosts, banqueting in sight of his walls. â€Å"Bring me my doublet, if you would. The grey, with the direwolf sigil. I want this armorer to know who I am. It might make him more forthcoming.† Jory went to the wardrobe. â€Å"Lord Renly is brother to Lord Stannis as well as the king.† â€Å"Yet it seems that he was not invited on these rides.† Ned was not sure what to make of Renly, with all his friendly ways and easy smiles. A few days past, he had taken Ned aside to show him an exquisite rose gold locklet. Inside was a miniature painted in the vivid Myrish style, of a lovely young girl with doe's eyes and a cascade of soft brown hair. Renly had seemed anxious to know if the girl reminded him of anyone, and when Ned had no answer but a shrug, he had seemed disappointed. The maid was Loras Tyrell's sister Margaery, he'd confessed, but there were those who said she looked like Lyanna. â€Å"No,† Ned had told him, bemused. Could it be that Lord Renly, who looked so like a young Robert, had conceived a passion for a girl he fancied to be a young Lyanna? That struck him as more than passing queer. Jory held out the doublet, and Ned slid his hands through the armholes. â€Å"Perhaps Lord Stannis will return for Robert's tourney,† he said as Jory laced the garment up the back. â€Å"That would be a stroke of fortune, my lord,† Jory said. Ned buckled on a longsword. â€Å"In other words, not bloody likely.† His smile was grim. Jory draped Ned's cloak across his shoulders and clasped it at the throat with the Hand's badge of office. â€Å"The armorer lives above his shop, in a large house at the top of the Street of Steel. Alyn knows the way, my lord.† Ned nodded. â€Å"The gods help this potboy if he's sent me off haring after shadows.† It was a slim enough staff to lean on, but the Jon Arryn that Ned Stark had known was not one to wear jeweled and silvered plate. Steel was steel; it was meant for protection, not ornament. He might have changed his views, to be sure. He would scarcely have been the first man who came to look on things differently after a few years at court . . . but the change was marked enough to make Ned wonder. â€Å"Is there any other service I might perform?† â€Å"I suppose you'd best begin visiting whorehouses.† â€Å"Hard duty, my lord.† Jory grinned. â€Å"The men will be glad to help. Porther has made a fair start already.† Ned's favorite horse was saddled and waiting in the yard. Varly and Jacks fell in beside him as he rode through the yard. Their steel caps and shirts of mail must have been sweltering, yet they said no word of complaint. As Lord Eddard passed beneath the King's Gate into the stink of the city, his grey and white cloak streaming from his shoulders, he saw eyes everywhere and kicked his mount into a trot. His guard followed. He looked behind him frequently as they made their way through the crowded city streets. Tomard and Desmond had left the castle early this morning to take up positions on the route they must take, and watch for anyone following them, but even so, Ned was uncertain. The shadow of the King's Spider and his little birds had him fretting like a maiden on her wedding night. The Street of Steel began at the market square beside the River Gate, as it was named on maps, or the Mud Gate, as it was commonly called. A mummer on stilts was striding through the throngs like some great insect, with a horde of barefoot children trailing behind him, hooting. Elsewhere, two ragged boys no older than Bran were dueling with sticks, to the loud encouragement of some and the furious curses of others. An old woman ended the contest by leaning out of her window and emptying a bucket of slops on the heads of the combatants. In the shadow of the wall, farmers stood beside their wagons, bellowing out, â€Å"Apples, the best apples, cheap at twice the price,† and â€Å"Blood melons, sweet as honey,† and â€Å"Turnips, onions, roots, here you go here, here you go, turnips, onions, roots, here you go here.† The Mud Gate was open, and a squad of City Watchmen stood under the portcullis in their golden cloaks, leaning on spears. When a column of riders appeared from the west, the guardsmen sprang into action, shouting commands and moving the carts and foot traffic aside to let the knight enter with his escort. The first rider through the gate carried a long black banner. The silk rippled in the wind like a living thing; across the fabric was blazoned a night sky slashed with purple lightning. â€Å"Make way for Lord Beric!† the rider shouted. â€Å"Make way for Lord Beric!† And close behind came the young lord himself, a dashing figure on a black courser, with red-gold hair and a black satin cloak dusted with stars. â€Å"Here to fight in the Hand's tourney, my lord?† a guardsman called out to him. â€Å"Here to win the Hand's tourney,† Lord Beric shouted back as the crowd cheered. Ned turned off the square where the Street of Steel began and followed its winding path up a long hill, past blacksmiths working at open forges, freeriders haggling over mail shirts, and grizzled ironmongers selling old blades and razors from their wagons. The farther they climbed, the larger the buildings grew. The man they wanted was all the way at the top of the hill, in a huge house of timber and plaster whose upper stories loomed over the narrow street. The double doors showed a hunting scene carved in ebony and weirwood. A pair of stone knights stood sentry at the entrance, armored in fanciful suits of polished red steel that transformed them into griffin and unicorn. Ned left his horse with Jacks and shouldered his way inside. The slim young serving girl took quick note of Ned's badge and the sigil on his doublet, and the master came hurrying out, all smiles and bows. â€Å"Wine for the King's Hand,† he told the girl, gesturing Ned to a couch. â€Å"I am Tobho Mott, my lord, please, please, put yourself at ease.† He wore a black velvet coat with hammers embroidered on the sleeves in silver thread, Around his neck was a heavy silver chain and a sapphire as large as a pigeon's egg. â€Å"If you are in need of new arms for the Hand's tourney, you have come to the right shop.† Ned did not bother to correct him. â€Å"My work is costly, and I make no apologies for that, my lord,† he said as he filled two matching silver goblets. â€Å"You will not find craftsmanship equal to mine anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, I promise you. Visit every forge in King's Landing if you like, and compare for yourself. Any village smith can hammer out a shirt of mail; my work is art.† Ned sipped his wine and let the man go on. The Knight of Flowers bought all his armor here, Tobho boasted, and many high lords, the ones who knew fine steel, and even Lord Renly, the king's own brother. Perhaps the Hand had seen Lord Renly's new armor, the green plate with the golden antlers? No other armorer in the city could get that deep a green; he knew the secret of putting color in the steel itself, paint and enamel were the crutches of a journeyman. Or mayhaps the Hand wanted a blade? Tobho had learned to work Valyrian steel at the forges of Qohor as a boy. Only a man who knew the spells could take old weapons and forge them anew. â€Å"The direwolf is the sigil of House Stark, is it not? I could fashion a direwolf helm so real that children will run from you in the street,† he vowed. Ned smiled. â€Å"Did you make a falcon helm for Lord Arryn?† Tobho Mott paused a long moment and set aside his wine. â€Å"The Hand did call upon me, with Lord Stannis, the king's brother. I regret to say, they did not honor me with their patronage.† Ned looked at the man evenly, saying nothing, waiting. He had found over the years that silence sometimes yielded more than questions. And so it was this time. â€Å"They asked to see the boy,† the armorer said, â€Å"so I took them back to the forge.† â€Å"The boy,† Ned echoed. He had no notion who the boy might be. â€Å"I should like to see the boy as well.† Tobho Mott gave him a cool, careful look. â€Å"As you wish, my lord,† he said with no trace of his former friendliness. He led Ned out a rear door and across a narrow yard, back to the cavernous stone barn where the work was done. When the armorer opened the door, the blast of hot air that came through made Ned feel as though he were walking into a dragon's mouth. Inside, a forge blazed in each corner, and the air stank of smoke and sulfur. Journeymen armorers glanced up from their hammers and tongs just long enough to wipe the sweat from their brows, while bare-chested apprentice boys worked the bellows. The master called over a tall lad about Robb's age, his arms and chest corded with muscle. â€Å"This is Lord Stark, the new Hand of the King,† he told him as the boy looked at Ned through sullen blue eyes and pushed back sweat-soaked hair with his fingers. Thick hair, shaggy and unkempt and black as ink. The shadow of a new beard darkened his jaw. â€Å"This is Gendry. Strong for his age, and he works hard. Show the Hand that helmet you made, lad.† Almost shyly, the boy led them to his bench, and a steel helm shaped like a bull's head, with two great curving horns. Ned turned the helm over in his hands. It was raw steel, unpolished but expertly shaped. â€Å"This is fine work. I would be pleased if you would let me buy it.† The boy snatched it out of his hands. â€Å"It's not for sale.† Tobho Mott looked horror-struck. â€Å"Boy, this is the King's Hand. If his lordship wants this helm, make him a gift of it. He honors you by asking.† â€Å"I made it for me,† the boy said stubbornly. â€Å"A hundred pardons, my lord,† his master said hurriedly to Ned. â€Å"The boy is crude as new steel, and like new steel would profit from some beating. That helm is journeyman's work at best. Forgive him and I promise I will craft you a helm like none you have ever seen.† â€Å"He's done nothing that requires my forgiveness. Gendry, when Lord Arryn came to see you, what did you talk about?† â€Å"He asked me questions is all, m'lord.† â€Å"What sort of questions?† The boy shrugged. â€Å"How was I, and was I well treated, and if I liked the work, and stuff about my mother. Who she was and what she looked like and all.† â€Å"What did you tell him?† Ned asked. The boy shoved a fresh fall of black hair off his forehead. â€Å"She died when I was little. She had yellow hair, and sometimes she used to sing to me, I remember. She worked in an alehouse.† â€Å"Did Lord Stannis question you as well?† â€Å"The bald one? No, not him. He never said no word, just glared at me, like I was some raper who done for his daughter.† â€Å"Mind your filthy tongue,† the master said. â€Å"This is the King's own Hand.† The boy lowered his eyes. â€Å"A smart boy, but stubborn. That helm . . . the others call him bullheaded, so he threw it in their teeth.† Ned touched the boy's head, fingering the thick black hair. â€Å"Look at me, Gendry.† The apprentice lifted his face. Ned studied the shape of his jaw, the eyes like blue ice. Yes, he thought, I see it. â€Å"Go back to your work, lad. I'm sorry to have bothered you.† He walked back to the house with the master. â€Å"Who paid the boy's apprentice fee?† he asked lightly. Mott looked fretful. â€Å"You saw the boy. Such a strong boy. Those hands of his, those hands were made for hammers. He had such promise, I took him on without a fee.† â€Å"The truth now,† Ned urged. â€Å"The streets are full of strong boys. The day you take on an apprentice without a fee will be the day the Wall comes down. Who paid for him?† â€Å"A lord,† the master said reluctantly. â€Å"He gave no name, and wore no sigil on his coat. He paid in gold, twice the customary sum, and said he was paying once for the boy, and once for my silence.† â€Å"Describe him.† â€Å"He was stout, round of shoulder, not so tall as you. Brown beard, but there was a bit of red in it, I'll swear. He wore a rich cloak, that I do remember, heavy purple velvet worked with silver threads, but the hood shadowed his face and I never did see him clear.† He hesitated a moment. â€Å"My lord, I want no trouble.† â€Å"None of us wants trouble, but I fear these are troubled times, Master Mott,† Ned said. â€Å"You know who the boy is.† â€Å"I am only an armorer, my lord. I know what I'm told.† â€Å"You know who the boy is,† Ned repeated patiently. â€Å"That is not a question.† â€Å"The boy is my apprentice,† the master said. He looked Ned in the eye, stubborn as old iron. â€Å"Who he was before he came to me, that's none of my concern.† Ned nodded. He decided that he liked Tobho Mott, master armorer. â€Å"If the day ever comes when Gendry would rather wield a sword than forge one, send him to me. He has the look of a warrior. Until then, you have my thanks, Master Mott, and my promise. Should I ever want a helm to frighten children, this will be the first place I visit.† His guard was waiting outside with the horses. â€Å"Did you find anything, my lord?† Jacks asked as Ned mounted up. â€Å"I did,† Ned told him, wondering. What had Jon Arryn wanted with a king's bastard, and why was it worth his life?