Euthanasia Case Essay

Let’s start off by defining the word euthanasia so that this paper is clear and then we can get in to why it can be passive or active. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma (dictionary.com). Euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide and more loosely termed being mercy killing, basically means to take a deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve intractable suffering. Some interpret euthanasia as the practice of ending life in a painless manner. Many disagree with this interpretation, because it needs to include a reference to intractable suffering. Euthanasia is illegal. Now that we know what euthanasia is we can breakdown the two procedural classification of euthanasia (medicalnewstoday.com).†Passive euthanasia† is usually defined as withdrawing medical treatment with the deliberate intention of causing the patient’s death. For example, if a patient requires kidney dialysis to survive, and the doctors disconnect the dialysis machine, the patient will presumably die fairly soon. Perhaps the classic example of passive euthanasia is a â€Å"do not resuscitate order†. Normally if a patient has a heart attack or similar sudden interruption in life functions, medical staff will attempt to revive them. If they make no such effort but simply stand and watch as the patient dies, this is passive euthanasia. â€Å"Active euthanasia† is taking specific steps to cause the patient’s death, such as injecting the patient with poison. In practice, this is usually an overdose of pain-killers or sleeping pills. In other words, the difference between â€Å"active† and â€Å"passive† is that in active euthanasia, something is done to end the patient’s life; in passive euthanasia, something is not done that would have preserved the patient’s life. An important idea behind this distinction is that in â€Å"passive euthanasia† the doctors are not actively killing anyone; they are simply not saving him. You would surely not be prosecuted for homicide. Thus, proponents of euthanasia say that while we can debate whether active euthanasia should be legal, there can be no debate about passive euthanasia: You cannot prosecute someone for failing to save a life (pregnantpause.org). Euthanasia has been a very controversial and emotive topic for a long time (medicalnewstoday.com). The beliefs that I have on euthanasia is that is right and it is wrong at the same time. I feel that asking someone to play God is not the way to go. Active euthanasia is just a way for someone to take the easy way out. I understand that they are hurting and are in pain but that’s why the medical field has many different types of pain medicines to keep the patient comfortable enough to deal with everyday life. I think that if a doctor agrees with giving his patient a lethal dose of medicines to end their life is wrong and that then becomes assisted suicide and that they should not have been a doctor because they have violated their oath to protect and heal patients and keep them alive. Whose place is it to decide if one lives or one dies? No one here on earth, I feel like the person that is requesting this type of method to end their life is committing suicide and you are not supposed to take your own life those are my religious beliefs. Another religious belief is that God will not put more on you than you can bear, which means this is all about the endurance you have to preserve life until it is time for you to die a natural life. The other reason why I feel that it is kind of wrong to have a passive euthanasia is because you should not give up on life, you should try all the ways to survive that you can except in the situation of being brain dead or being a vegetable. But then I feel that it is that person right to decide do not resuscitate because that is there right they have that medical right to decide if they do not want to be helped and hooked up on machines just to live. If I ever get to that point I want my family and the doctors to do all that they can do to keep me alive unless in the event like I stated earlier which is brain dead or in a vegetable state. But those are just my beliefs and I cannot change the way others think or how they dictate their lives, everyone has their free will to decide about their life when it comes to passive euthanasia. Assisted dying violates the sanctity of human life speaking from a Baptist person. I agree with that because I am a Baptist and I am a Christian and that is how we were taught was not to kill yourself because you are supposed to die a natural death no matter what the situation is. That means you are allowing God to do His job and that is to letting Him decide when it is time for your life to end, no one can do that for you. Even if you allow yourself not to want to be attached to machines or get resituated you are still dying a natural life. Right to die is just that the right to die but when I say it I mean a right to die of natural causes, not by the hand of another person or by a high dosage of pills to end your life. I understand that if you have a do not resuscitate then that is your choice and I support that choice because you either or going to die or you will pull through which gives that a 50/50 chance. But you are still having your request met by not being resuscitated. so I think that it okay to die a natural life like I have stated before but to have a euthanasia I do not agree with because it is not your time to go, it is the time that you would prefer to leave the earth not when you are meant to leave. Patient suffering at end of life, I hate that people has to suffer but it is a part of life everyone will have their ups and downs in life and unfortunately pain and suffering is life. But the medical field has expanded so far that they are easy to solve the pain or I should say make it easier for patient to be much more comfortable in their time of need where they will not suffer as much as they normally would. I agree that it is good that it is a law against euthanasia, because it does help prevent abuse and protect others. Slippery slope to legalize murder is something that should not be tolerated. Especially with regard to taking life, slippery slope arguments have long been a feature of the ethical landscape, used to question the moral permissibility of all kinds of acts (procon.org)†¦ In my opinion it is giving people a reason to want to die only because they consent to it because they have less than a certain time to live. No one knows the day and time that they are going to die unless they commit suicide and still if they do that that they do not know the time they can only assume how long it will take to die, that is just like the doctors giving patients less than a week to survive and they live and extra month so euthanasia is nothing positive as well as the slippery slope to be legalized. If terminating life is a benefit, the reasoning goes, why should euthanasia be limited only to those who can give consent? Why need we ask for consent (procon.org)? If the slippery slope to legalize murder is so right why does it cost for the insurance company to pay for it and why should they even be in the hospital using up space that someone else that needs and wants a chance at life could be at. The people that want to kill themselves should just go ahead and do it at home and save everyone the time and money it cost to get euthanasia. Not trying to be rude about it. Hippocratic Oath and prohibition of killing the much-quoted reference to ‘do no harm’ is also in need of explanation. Does not doing harm mean that we should prolong a life that the patient sees as a painful burden? Surely, the ‘harm’ in this instance is done when we prolong the life, and ‘doing no harm’ means that we should help the patient die (procon.org)? Surely not, we should not kill someone because they are in pain we should do our best to make sure that patient is as comfortable as possible and there is plenty of medicine out there that can do the job of making people comfortable instead of killing them. Like I said previously that if God wanted them to die then he would make them die of natural causes not because of euthanasia, which is not the way to doing things in my eyes. You are causing more pain on them by trying to end their life because you do not know if the way they die will be a pain free death with the euthanasia it could choke them or it could cause them tremendous pain before they die nothing on earth is pain free. Doctors are made to save lives not take them, that is their oath and that is what they should do is save the patient and keep them as pain free as possible to make their life a lot more comfortable. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect’†¦ In forswearing the giving of poison when asked for it, the Hippocratic physician rejects the view that the patient’s choice for death can make killing him right (procon.org). Government involvement in end of life decision, when do we withhold which therapies and allow nature to take its course? When are we, through our own indecision and fears of mortality, allowing wondrous medical methods to perversely prolong the dying rather than the living (procon.org)? I think that we as medical people should prolong life as long as we can because the health care business is about taking care of the ill, elderly, and people with disabilities. Once the medicine starts not to work any longer then it is up to that person and family to request that they no longer get any medication (treatment) and allow them to die a natural life even if that means them dying in pain. That is the only time that I feel that a person should stop trying to prolong life is when nothing else is working for them and they are ready to suffer the pain to die a natural death. Euthanasia is definitely not the answer. However, I think that it sad that the government has to make decisions on infants and elderly people with disabilities that cannot stand up for themselves and make the decision in a way they are just kind of treated like a number, or who they think will live the longest will get to live and the people that cannot make it to live they are wrote off. Palliative (end of life) care, every appropriate palliative option available must be discussed with the patient and, if reasonable, tried before a request for assisted death can be accepted (pro con.org)†¦ And even then when everything is done that needs to be done physicians cannot assist in suicide or euthanasia they can only cute off the treatment and let them die a natural life. There are very few hospice facilities, very little in the way of organized hospice activity, and few specialists in palliative care, although some efforts are now under way to try and jump-start the hospice movement in that country (procon.org). They have very limited options once they get to this point of life. Healthcare spending implications, considering the way we finance healthcare in the United States, it would be hard to make a case that there is a financial imperative compelling us to adopt physician-assisted suicide in an effort to save money so that others could benefit (procon.org).. In so many ways that sounds so harsh but the reality of it is true. If it was legal for physicians to assist in suicide then they are saying that more people could be helped due to the fact that they are killing people off to save more money for others to be taken care of. In a way they are saying that they are saving money from people with terminally ill disease will make it better for the healthier person, which is just my opinion and what I am getting from the information. Savings to governments could become a consideration. Drugs for assisted suicide cost about $35 to $45, making them far less expensive than providing medical care. This could fill the void from cutbacks for treatment and care with the ‘treatment’ of death (procon.org). I did not know that it cost as less as $35 to kill someone off, that is sad. But it will save a lot of money in the end. However, I am still against physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. Social groups at risk of abuse, those who died by physician-assisted suicide were more likely to be college graduates, more likely to be Asian, somewhat younger, more likely to be divorced, and more likely to have cancer or amytrophic lateral sclerosis†¦ the reason for more people with cancer wanting assisted suicide or euthanasia is because they know that there is ultimately no cure for this disease and they feel like they want to skip out on all the pain before it gets that bad. Moreover, although 2.6 percent of Oregonians are African American, no African American patients have chosen assisted suicide (procon.org). Since I am African American I see that those of my ethnicity have the same views as I do about physician assisted suicide and euthanasia in Oregon where it is legal for this to happen. It just shows that just because you live in a state that allow these things to happen does not mean that everyone believes in going out (dying) like that, they as well want to get the best treatment they can get until there is no more treatment that can get done. But even if they wanted to get it done they have to say it and have it in writing a certain amount of time within a certain amount of days for any of this to happen. Religious concerns, some wonder if it is right for you to commit suicide or if it’s okay to ask someone to take you out of your misery which is euthanasia. Well it is not right why put that sin on yourself and then why go ahead and involves someone else in your sin to get them to sin for your benefit? That is wrong on all kind of accounts. If you think that you want to do something that is morally wrong then you go ahead and do that, but do not involve an innocent person into the situation because we are all held accountable for our sins, this just goes off my beliefs and background. But Catholic leaders and moral teachers, they believe that life is the most basic gift of a loving God- a gift over which we have stewardship but not absolute dominion. Our tradition, declaring a moral obligation to care for our own life and health and to seek such care from others, recognizes that we are not morally obligated to use all available medical procedures in every set of circumstances. But that tradition clearly and strongly affirms that as a responsible steward of life one must never directly intend to cause one’s own death, or the death of an innocent victim, by action or omission (procon.org)†¦ both of our views seems to match up, so do you think it is right or wrong? Living wills can be used to refuse extraordinary, life-prolonging care and are effective in providing clear and convincing evidence that may be necessary under state statutes to refuse care after one becomes terminally ill (procon.org). It is always a good thing to have a living will so that your plans can be carried out by your family. Having this document will cut out a lot confusion and questionable decisions because you have documentation off everything. Without a living will then there is where the problems come from and that’s when the medical office staff have to get involved in it as well as other authorities. In Texas, where I live physician assisted suicide is illegal and I think that it should remain that way. Because there is no need for a doctor to help you commit suicide just because you are uncomfortable in life. That’s just like making regular suicide legal and not doing anything to those people that are trying to harm themselves when they really need a doctor to help them and care for them which is what doctors are supposed to do. In Texas it is illegal for physician assisted suicide. It is considered a class c misdemeanor if no suicide or bodily injury results, which means that they attempted to commit suicide but it did not go right. But if it does go right and the doctor helps kill the patient then it is a state jail felony, which means that the suicide was attempted with bodily injury. Then after that I randomly decided to pick Minnesota as my other state to see what the differences were in laws. Again it is illegal for physician assisted suicide in Minnesota and the conditions are way harder than in Texas. In Minnesota you receive up to 15 years in prison and/or a fine up to 30,000 if suicide results; up to seven years in prison and/or a fine up to 14,000 if attempted suicide results. The differences between the two are fines and different types of cases, in Texas it could be a class c misdemeanor whereas in Minnesota you will go to jail or pay the fines. In conclusion, you have seen and read all of the information above and it clearly states that I am against physician assisted suicide or euthanasia. It is morally wrong to kill someone and it is morally wrong to kill someone else to take their pain away. Minnesota laws are a lot stricter than Texas laws for as physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. Which I thought Texas would be where I live, would have the stronger laws with the harsher punishment which surprised me. I learned a lot throughout this paper and learned that there is a right and a wrong way to do things in the medical field and you have to follow command. It is your duty to protect and save lives rather than end them. I do however; agree that it is right to die a natural life. REFERENCES Dictionary.com (2013) Retrieved from: http://dictionary.reference.com/ (n.d.)(2010) Retrieved from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/182951.php (n.d.) Retrieved from: http://www.pregnantpause.org/euth/types ProCon.org (2013) Retrieved from: http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000126

P1 M1 D1

| Type of |Example |Description |Purpose | |information | | | | |Verbal |Telephone, Face to face |Telephones are used to conduct live conversations with another |Telephones are used in Lambeth Academy for teachers to | | |meetings |individual. |contact each other and to call parents when necessary. | | |Face to face meetings are where two individuals have a |Face to face can be used to give students feedback for | | | |conversation where they can both see each other face to face. |their work. | |Written |Letters, Reports |A Letter is a written form of communication which is read by an |Lambeth Academy use letters in order to inform parents | | | |individual which is presented on paper. |of any information that is vital for them to see. | | |A report is a written form of communication that is which is |Reports are used by Lambeth Academy to inform parents | | | |made with the intention of based on recent events. |about their child’s current progress in school. | |On-screen |TV Commercials, Plasma screens |A TV Commercial is a way of portraying a message to potential |Lambeth Academy don’t use TV commercials as they aren’t| | |for digital display |customers in order to gain awareness. a large organisation that needs to attain awareness | | | |In a firm, plasma screens can be very useful as they can portray|from the public. This form of communication isn’t | | | |messages for employees as they walk passed. This enables to keep|necessary as Lambeth Academy doesn’t need to compete | | | |up to date on current notices. |with a rival. | | | |Plasma screens are useful to Lambeth academy as they | | | | |use them in order to deliver important messages and | | | | |achievements for students. This can motive them to work| | | | |harder. |Multimedia |Web Conferencing, Internet |Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings through the |Web conferencing isn’t a means of communicating | | | |internet. This is a very useful way of communicating with |information in Lambeth Academy as we don’t have the | | | |someone if they’re not in the same region as you. Web |technology in order to do so. | | |conferencing involves using sound vision through a webcam and |The internet can be very useful in a class room. For | | | |microphones. |example in Lambeth Academy, teachers may use the | | | |The Internet is a worldwide system of computer networks that can|internet to present information to students in the form| | | |be used to attain information. |of text from a website or a video off YouTube. | | | | | |Web-based |Email, Instant messaging |Emails are electronic mail. They’re sent through the internet to|Lambeth Academy use emails to contact other colleagues. | | | |reach other respondents. Emails can be sent to a large amount of|This is done in order to keep teachers up to date on | | | |people at one time.This makes it easier on the sender if the |current issues that are formulating around the school. | | | |individual needs to send the same information to a number of |Lambeth Academy doesn’t have any need to use instant | | | |people. |messaging as it may distract employees and students | | | |Instant messaging is a web based form of communication that is |from doing their work. | | |used to share information instantly through the web. People are | | | | |able to communicate via the through the internet if two | | | | |recipients have the same software as each other such as MSN or | | | | |Facebook. | P1 M1 Verbal Communication: In terms of giving students feedback from within a classroom, face to face communication is the most efficient way of doing so. There are a number of reasons for this. If a student and teacher were to have a face to face discussion, the student would be able to grasp more information compared to if the teacher was to write down all of the information instead. Face to face enables the student to ask questions if he or she is confused about anything work related.Whereas if the information was written down it may lead to confusion of the student which will then lead to incorrect answers. From the reasons that I’ve stated, face to face communication is a more reliable and relevant way of communicating Other than in the classroom, face to face communication is used throughout various scenarios. In parent evenings verbal communication enables the teacher and students to have an in depth discussion about the students’ progress so far in school. Any queries or concerns can be brought up by using verbal ommunication. Whereas if the conversion was delivered through a telephone, the parent wouldn’t be able to understand and see the teachers hand gestures or facial expressions. These factors contribute to the overall outcome of the conversation. Written Communication: When sending confidential data to students, a letter is the most effective way. Due to the contents of certain documents, only specific people are necessary to view them. If the documents are sent by mail it can reach specific people without anyone else seeing them.Whilst on the other hand if the school were to fax the information to the student’s home, it enables anyone that picks up the paper from the fax machine to be able to see it. Another addition to written communication is the fact that hand held documents enables the user to constantly look over it as much time as needed as it’s recorded and can be referenced at any time. This is one of the key features of written communication. If the information was verbally communicated to the individual, it could lead to some information to being misheard or forgotten and could have been vital to the discussion.On screen communication: On screen communication has many advantages. Through using plasma screens throughout Lambeth Academy, it enables large audiences to view the information at once. Plasma screens are placed on the ground, 1st and 2nd floor of the school. Due to the variety of students and teachers that continuously walk passed them, it reaches a large number of people. When we compare plasma screens to emails, in this situation plasma screens may be a more liable source of communication. The reason for this is because the information displayed on the plasma screens are more general and implies to most of the people in the school.If the information was sent through email, people may discard it as junk causing them to ignore it overall. Multimedia communication: This type of communication is used to convey information through using sound and video. In a classroom multimedia communication is a good way of engaging the class. By using YouTube in an educational manner, it’s possible to gain the attention of all students. Whilst written communication is a good way of conveying information, students may get bored causing them to get side tracked which will lead to a loss in attention. This will cause the aims and objecti ves to be lost.Web Based communication: This type of communication is used in order to communicate messages over the web. This can be done in the form of emails. Lambeth Academy use emails in order to communicate with other teachers and colleagues around the school. Through using emails an individual can send a mass amount of information to a wide range of people in an instant. D1 In this assignment I’ll be talking about Coke and the strategic decisions that they’ve made in order to retain and attract new customers. In 1982 Coke decided to break into a new market by introducing a lighter version of the original Coke.The name of this product was Diet Coke and would be aimed at people that were health conscious, but at the same time, still enjoyed the taste of Coca Cola. This was done to explore and fill a gap in the market which increased both market share and revenue. During the years that Diet Coke was in production, the company realised that Diet Coke was only attrac ting female customers. This was a huge error in Diet Coke, so the company made the decision of creating a new product that attained the needs of male health conscious customers.Coke Zero was produced in order to fill this gap. Therefore with all the above information in mind, this issue encouraged Coke to come up with some strategic planning, hence them entering a new market with a product that is aimed specifically at men that were interested in sport or who lead healthy lifestyles. Coke managed to attain data by acquiring comprehensive market research. Before Coke Zero was put on the production line, data needed to be gathered. During their market research, Coke decided to ask males whether they buy Diet Coke, the answer to this question was no.There are various reasons why this could have occurred. First of all, the name. The name ‘Diet Coke’ doesn’t appeal to men as it gives off a feminine impression. Also the way that the product is packaged and advertised. Diet Coke uses various techniques to target women. One way in which they do this is through using young male models (usually half naked) cleaning windows or doing some kind of masculine activity, such as maintenance. This attracts the attention of female customers and draws them in to buy the product.In order to make this product a success, Coke had to maintain data on whether or not they was any demand for Coke Zero on the market as there was already a similar product which was produced by their main competitor, Pepsi (Max). Thorough research was done on Pepsi Max in terms of their sales and their male attraction. This was done due to the two products aiming a similar product towards the same audience. After all the research had been done towards the needs of Coke Zero, a meeting would be needed between the people at the top of the hierarchy of Coke.Looking at all the data that had been gathered by Coke’s research team, it was decided that there was enough room in the market for Coke’s new product to be released. After the idea of Coke Zero had been established, it then had to be run through the finance department in order to assess whether or not it would be efficient to release this product during this economic climate, at this time period. After the decision to release Coke Zero had been established, Coke had to think of an effective marketing technique which would draw in sales for the product.This was done through specialising their Coke Zero advertisements to appeal to men. This can be seen through their commercials, where they keep their male audience’s attention by adding explosions and adrenaline pumped sport activities. All the information that Coke gathered has been productively used in order to make Coke Zero the best it can be. This was done through using thorough research based on areas which aided the production of Coke Zero in terms of potential sales and demand. [pic]

How Did Erasmus Use Folly to Criticize the Catholic Church

How did Erasmus use â€Å"Folly† to criticize the Catholic Church of his Day? It may seem odd or different to admire and acclaim Folly, but there is a definite benefit to foolishness: the freedom to tell only factual information. In Praise of Folly, Erasmus put this independence to good use in repeating to the readers, a civilization significantly besmirched by mature worries, that a person is unable to serve both God and Mammon. He leveled over his irony by promising us that â€Å"there is merit in being attacked by Folly† (7), and closed with the recap that â€Å"it's Folly and a woman who's been speaking† (134), a renunciation that permitted him to be as brutal as he desired to be in his condemnation. He definitely found necessity for severity, for the standards he saw at the center of Christianity, the sympathy and detriment of the Scriptures, were everywhere stunned by gluttony, drive, and fallacy. Having the disguise of Folly, Erasmus critiqued the developing middle-class financial values, policies of hierarchy, and even Catholicism itself, and in the course he safeguarded the traditional Christian ethic, which appears as Folly to the world. Obviously, the affection of Christ was distant from the princes of Christendom, having been substituted by egotism and exploitation. While Erasmus remained faithful to the Catholic Church, Erasmus observed many exploitations among her ministry, theologians, and untrained persons, and he dedicated a huge apportion of the Praise of Folly to disapproval of the sleaze in the Church. The sleaze of the clergy was similar to that of the princes, and like the princes their existences made ridicule of the â€Å"linen vestment, snow-white in colour to indicate a pure and spotless life† (107) and other symbols of the ideal Erasmus envisioned for the cardinals, bishops, and popes. Their greatest care was â€Å"netting their revenues into the bag† (107). The popes were biased by the fraud of â€Å"their wealth and honours, their sovereignty and triumphs, their many offices, dispensations, taxes, and indulgences, all their horses and mules, their retinue, and their countless pleasures† (109). In what way, as â€Å"vicars of Christ†, were they able to â€Å"imitate his life of poverty and toil† (108). Reasonably, they permitted individuals to â€Å"enjoy deluding themselves with imaginary pardons for their sins† (63-64) through the deal of pardons, and Church offices were given to the highest bidder rather than the most religious. Erasmus also critiqued the reclusive system, being detached from civilization seemed to make the monks â€Å"a long way removed from religion† (96)l. The priests, like their elders, believed mostly of â€Å"harvesting their gains† (112), using Scripture and ancient writings to reinforce their right to the duty, while â€Å"it never occurs to them how much can be read everywhere about the duty they owe the people in return† (111). Erasmus criticized the theologians, in particular the scholastics, for the exclusiveness that triggered them to â€Å"write for a learned minority† (81) and divide theological aspects that only added to division. Among the untrained people, Erasmus saw â€Å"varieties of silliness† in the â€Å"ordinary life of Christians everywhere† (66). Fallacy and empty rites made up most of the varieties of silliness. Erasmus spoke out contrary to the sect of saints, whose supporters had disremembered the vital opinion that â€Å"the saint will protect you if you'll try to imitate his life† (66) in their dependence on the saints to get them out of dilemmas. He also cautioned of the Virgin Mary that â€Å"the common ignorant man comes near to attributing more to her than to her son† (65). The â€Å"varieties of silliness† and fallacy of the commonplace people had substantially fogged the important principles of Christianity, yet they were â€Å"readily permitted and encouraged by priests who are not unaware of the profit to be made thereby† (66). Erasmus acknowledged that the standards and financial system of Capitalism that were evolving along with the new middle-class was in many ways differed to conservative Christianity, so traders and their class were integrated in the mocking attacks of Folly. He criticized many classes of people for their commitment to Mammon: gamblers who â€Å"make shipwreck of their entire resources† (62), the man who â€Å"marries a dowry, not a wife† (76), or â€Å"thinks himself rich on loans and credit† (76), â€Å"the priests who look for profit by their flocks† (66), and the merchants themselves, â€Å"most foolish of all, and the meanest† (76). Erasmus brought out their â€Å"lies, perjury, thefts, frauds, and deceptions† (76), which does not stop them from seeing themselves greater on justification of their prosperity. He also made note of the narcissism of this wealth, though one can be affluent and influential, â€Å"if he lacks all spiritual goods and can never be satisfied, then he's surely the poorest of men† (44). â€Å"Spiritual goods† such as devout knowledge are not good business sense: â€Å"How much money,† Folly asks, â€Å"can he make in business if he lets wisdom be his guide, if he recoils from perjury, blushes if he's caught telling a lie, and takes the slightest notice of those niggling scruples wise men have about thieving and usury? (114) The traders instead displayed a sophisticated understanding to outfit their gluttony. Erasmus also criticized the tiered type of his society, in particular criticizing the dishonesty of kings and their courts and the desolation of noble designations. He reprimanded those who took pleasure in â€Å"an empty title of nobility† (67), proposing they might be called â€Å"low-born and bastard† because they were â€Å"so far removed from virtue, which is the sole source of nobility† (45). He grieved that honesty is far from stately courts, princes â€Å"having no one to tell them the truth, and being obliged to have flatterers for friends† (56). His idea of what a monarch should be is very forward and point blank, he â€Å"has to devote himself to public instead of his personal affairs, and must think only of the well-being of his people† (104). But in reality it was far dissimilar, as Erasmus showed the idea of the prince, whose immoralities make ridicule of the royal representations of what he should be, â€Å"a man ignorant of the law, well nigh an enemy to his people's advantage while intent on his personal convenience, a dedicated voluptuary, a hater of learning, freedom, and truth, without a thought for the interests of his country, and measuring everything in terms of his own profit and desires. Then give him a gold chain, symbol of the concord between all the virtues, a crown studded with precious stones to remind him that he must exceed all others in every heroic quality. Add a sceptre to symbolize justice and a wholly uncorrupted heart, and finally, the purple as an emblem of his overwhelming devotion to his people. If the prince were to compare these insignia with his way of life, I'm sure he would blush to be thus adorned, and fear that some satirist would turn all these trappings into a subject for mockery and derision† (105). Though he criticized the irrationality that led to fraud in the Church, societal ladders of rank, and finances, Erasmus smoothed out his justification of conservative Christianity with admiration for a different kind of Folly, the vital Scriptural truths of Christianity which are the knowledge of God that seems silliness to people. He mentioned Paul's lessons of the folly of the Gospel, declaring that â€Å"the Christian religion has a kind of kinship with folly in some form, though it has none at all with wisdom† (128). If â€Å"by stoic definition wisdom means nothing else but being ruled by reason; and folly, by contrast, is being swayed by the dictates of the passions† (29), then the dominant education of Christianity, love for God and one's fellow citizen, was in fact similar to folly, for love is definitely a passion. This forsaken love along with empathy, martyr, and the other principles of Christian idiocy, was what Erasmus pursued to support in his criticism of a civilization tainted in the observance of Mammon rather than God.

Burke's Distinction and Public Representation Article

Burke's Distinction and Public Representation - Article Example Although public opinion is downplayed in this relationship, it certainly has its place in terms of public representation simply because the electorate must feel placated. The primary role of a public representative is, however, to understand the difference between opinion and interest, and to legislate with the best interests of the people in mind. Public representatives must work to find a balance between the focus of opinion and interest. Edmund Burke described the mentality of human society as being based on two basic principles: the people's interests and the people's opinions. These have been the foundation of Burke's Distinction, a theoretical framework of behaviour that has been used to study economics and politics as they pertain to public will and necessity. Burke's Distinction refers to the distinct forces of both interest and opinion, and describes how these forces relate to one another in terms of human character and motivation (Gargarella, 2001, 13). Burke's reference to people's interests is his idea that political or economic change will come as a result of successful government that understands the basic difference between whim and necessity. ... existence and unrestricted by conscious efforts, public interest has always been and will always remain fundamentally the same in that it must be addressed for survival purposes (Stanlis, 1958, 179). Public interest, in Burke's view, is therefore distinguished from public opinion because of its almost autonomous status (Hoffman et al, 1956, 177). Whether Burke's Distinction is called upon to analyse politics or economics, the force of public interest is always the scientific factor involved in the analysis. This is important because proper scientific breakdown can show how public interest is different from public opinion quickly and easily; although often the motivations behind the two are the same, Burke's Distinction shows which issues demand the attention of a governing body and which may simply be trendy at the time. Public opinion subsequently can be used to represent not only the popular opinion of a community but often the result of mass misinformation. According to Burke, popular opinion is very often cultivated from small truths which are stretched and skewed to an unrecognisable state upon which people then begin to make judgements (Somerset and Burke, 1957, 89). This can relate to international affairs, internal issues, economy, political systems themselves and virtually any facet of public or private life. Burke doesn't necessarily suggest that group mentality is fundamentally different than individual mentality; he simply points out that what can in one person's mind be an issue worth gathering more information about becomes an escalated, un-researched issue in the hands of an entire society at once. While public representatives need to always keep an eye on public opinion (after all, public opinion equates to the outcome of an election)

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example The museum was established in 1984 and was referred to as the Center of Fine Arts, but later on in 1996 its status was raised and was referred to as the Miami Art Museum. The dates of this event were from January 12th to the 16th of the year 2012. It was dubbed as the Miami International Art Fair. The event had several prominent guests, artists, musicians as well as some government officials. Some of the artists, Christopher Reilly and Richard Prince had attended the event to give full insight on their art work. The event was also where premiere galleries all across the globe, art collectors as well as curators meet yearly. The excitement could be felt while a person made his or her way into the museum. It was like going to a cinema to see a new Spiderman movie debut or having the chance to seat next to your favorite artist and consult with him or her. The Low Country by Elisabeth Condon and the Swimmers by Demi drawings were the two paintings that captured the eyes of the audience. Low Country is a new painting by Elisabeth Condon. The painting is light, balancing and opalescent. It is characterized by rubbings and markings as well as filled forms and emptiness. The painting was set on an acrylic canvas board of 36 by 60 inches in length (MAM, 2012). According to Elizabeth Condon, the painting portrays political resistance that followed after the literati customs. It portrays the Chinese intellectuals who preserved the cultural practice despite pressures by other powers to cease their practice. The second painting, Swimmers by Demi drawings, was painted in the year 2011. The painting was set on a color pencil canvas board. It has a dimension of 11 by 14 inches. This work is composed in an open and flexible way (MAM, 2012). In it, a person can see how painting turns into an escapade without tenets whose freedom and lyricism remind s people of the greatness of Paul Klee. In conclusion, the event could be summarized as a success from the lighting, to the

The Debate Between Darwinism and Creationism Essay

The Debate Between Darwinism and Creationism - Essay Example Twenty years after the publication of On the Origin of Species, a crusade against this heretical doctrine came forward by the name of Creationism. Liberal churchmen and evangelical Christians had started embracing the evolution theory laid down by Darwin and his supporters. The creationists took upon themselves the task of outlawing the doctrines of evolution in the 1920s. Presently, they continue with this battle in the name of religion. William Jennings Bryan, a Presbyterian layman, made a huge claim about eliminating Darwinism from its roots in public schools. This strengthened the purpose of other creationists and the success encouraged them to continue with their efforts. Bryan was extremely disappointed to learn that Darwinism was used as a tool by the German military to cause war. Both democracy and Christianity were deeply affected by this havoc. He saw the whole of United States collapsing in this disbelief and the spread of the disease was far more rapid than he could imagi ne. He was â€Å"convinced that the teaching of Evolution as a fact instead of a theory caused the students to lose faith in the Bible, first, an in the story of creation, and later in other doctrines, which underlie the Christian religion†. In 1922, the same year in which Bryan started his crusade against the scientists who were the main cause; Will the I am Bell Riley stated the most important reason for the fundamentalists to oppose the scientific notions of evolution as being just a hypothesis and not a science.

Book report on The Beauty Myth Naomi Wolf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Book report on The Beauty Myth Naomi Wolf - Essay Example The transition from the stereotypical housewife to the news making beauty myth has resulted in lessening the status. Being beautiful as well as not, pose problems. For instance, at work, beautiful women are often mistaken as incompetent. They suffer from the discrimination that they are merely pretty and not good enough for work. If the women are not beautiful they are looked down as diffident and inactive. If a woman is harassed, that is again due to her beauty. Women are caught up in something like a catch22 situation. There are a lot of fashion magazines on demand. They all tell us how to be beautiful and why and when and lots more. It is meant to shape our lives. It gives us information on a wide range of beauty products and puts us into buying them. These magazines make us feel inferior about our looks. They pressurize us intensely and they win in getting the women with big pockets spend and thrive on the products. There was a time when everyone wanted to achieve spiritual salvation- when the Ultimate was the quest for moral principles and values. It has changed. The beauty myth has changed women to search for beauty salvation instead. Now all they want is to be thin and beautiful and thereby to attain salvation. Sexual relations with partner are highly affected by the myths. Sex needs freedom of expression and comfortable styles of doing. Our women are too much engaged in their looks and this has made them unnecessarily self-conscious and this, inurn, affects sex adversely. The women are made tenuous in their relationships and they develop poor self-esteem. No man wants to be an admirer of beauty all the time. He wants and expects a partner in himself and his woman. I should admit that Anorexia and Bulimia have become favorites of the beauty industry. It cannot be helped. How willingly women go hungry for days! If not going on hunger, it is lesser calorie intake. They

The relationship between entrepreneurial venture financing and the Term Paper

The relationship between entrepreneurial venture financing and the life cycle of a venture - Term Paper Example In the final stages i.e. at the maturity stage the businesses make use of more traditional sources like issue of additional equity or internally generated funds for financing the expansionary programs. Introduction The word ‘life cycle’ in the context of ventures is used in reference to the various stages of its evolution. The initial stages begin with the commencement of the new venture in the form of efforts and intentions of the nascent organization. This stage is accompanied by the procurement of requisite non-financial and financial resources. Here it is important to highlight that finance forms the ‘backbone’ of every venture. Even the most successful business plans may not eventually be carried out in the event of fund shortage. However, the level and form of financing required for each stage of the business is different. In the initial stages when the entrepreneur has just chalked out the plan for the initiation of the venture some amount of funds ar e required for assessing the viability and financial feasibility of the proposed venture. This is a part of the early stage financing required by the business. The fund that puts the business in operational mode is referred to as ‘start up capital’. The next stage of financing is for meeting the development or expansionary needs of the business (Parker, 2006, p.1). Problem Statement- The venture life cycle has an impact on the financing pattern of the business venture. In this paper it will be shown how the financing needs of the business is aligned with the various stages such that the entrepreneur can maximise the value of the business venture. Importance of paper- The paper shows that the various stages of business require varying sources of financing. While in the initial stages it may not be possible for a newly formed business to seek for outside equity or lending. In such instances the entrepreneur of the business has to arrange for funds from internal or known s ources like family or friends. Again after this the business reaches the development and the growth stage. During these stages the business can seek for external sources like equity capital or venture funds. At the same time it can tap the banks and financial institutions for loans and overdraft facilities. At the maturity stage the business may not have to rely on outside sources as the retained earnings generated over the years can be used for financing the future growth and expansionary plans of the business. This paper manly highlights the importance and the use of various avenues of funds at the various business stages. This can give an entrepreneur an idea as to how to meet the funding requirements or which sources to be tapped at each stage of the business. Hypotheses- This paper assumes that the sources of funds to be employed in the various stages of the business also vary as per the strength and longevity of each stage. Methodology The paper is based on the secondary sourc es of data. To highlight the various types of funding requireme

Bankruptcy and Reorganization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bankruptcy and Reorganization - Essay Example If the remaining disposable monthly income is more than $166.66 then the person won't the means test and he is not eligible for Chapter 7. A person cannot file for Chapter 7 if a previous Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 was dismissed within the last 180 days. The reason for this is the person might have violated the court, the court ruled his filing is fraud or constituted an abuse of the bankruptcy system. From the above reasons there are high chances Beren might be granted his petition for involuntary bankruptcy. The other reasons that ruling go in his favor are the partnership debts, which is $380,000 and had $550 in the partnership bank account. Chapter 7 or chapter 11 is filed when a troubled business decides that it is unable to service its debt or pay its creditors. With a federal bankruptcy court it can file bankruptcy protection under either Chapter 7 or chapter 11. Chapter 11 is an attempt to stay in business under the supervision of a bankruptcy court for reorganization. A complete or partial relief is granted by court from most of the company's debts and its contracts and company can make a fresh start.

English as the Official Language Essay Example for Free

English as the Official Language Essay For so many years in the world, it is undeniable that the English language has been used as a medium of communication. Many countries are using the English language for its people to understand each other. Today, the American English is peculiarly influential, due to the fact that the United States has become the center of excellence in terms of popular music, television programs, business and technology, film making and many others (â€Å"History of the English Language†). Although there are myriad kinds of English language spoken around the world like Australian English, Indian English and Canadian English, the dominance of the English language is the primary reason that its utilization as an official language in the United States of America should be pushed through. Therefore, it is claimed in this paper that it is proper and tenable for the American English to be considered and approved by the government as the official language of the United States of America. There are three major reasons why it is proper for the American English to be approved as the official language of the United States of America. First, American English is widely used in many countries in the world that makes the United States of America as a melting pot of many races. Second, the American English is the best communicative tool for the understanding of individuals in terms of political, economic, spiritual, physical and educational development. Third, it has been proven for so many years that the use of America English has caused improvement of the country in general. With that, it cannot be denied that the most influential and dominant language in the world is American English. The Dominance of the American English Language American English is widely used in many countries in the world that makes the United States of America as a melting pot of many races. There are many people around the world who have chosen to migrate in the United States of America. The reasons of their migration are to find a greener pasture or to enjoy the freedom and affluence that they can get in the country by chance or opportunity. The country is known for its democratic and representative governance, such that many races are confident enough that America can make their dreams come true. In connection with that, speaking the American English language is an indispensable tool to become a successful immigrant in the country. Therefore, majority of immigrants are also speaking the same language as used by the Americans, making the language the most widely used communicative tool in the land. A study was conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau and released findings that literacy and fluency in English is necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency (Burt 1). Immigrants who can speak well in American English language are most likely profitable in their jobs and business while staying in the United States. Since almost 22% who held jobs in the United States are foreign-born, their ability to speak English has a great impact on the economic improvement of the country (Burt 1). That is the main reason why immigrants wanted to learn English as a second language, which adds to the dominance of the same language in the United States of America. Is it not a sign of additional resources for the economic and political progress of the country? Yes, it is. The numerous foreign-born workers in the country contribute to the economic development in one way or another. The native-born workers and businessmen can communicate well with immigrants adding more chances for economic improvements.  Ã‚     Hence, making the American English Language as official in the United States is proper. American English Language: The Best Communicative Tool The American English is the best communicative tool for the understanding of individuals in terms of political, economic, cultural, spiritual, physical and educational development. It has been said that a language is a systematic medium of communication through the use of sounds or conventional symbols (Manivannan 1). For so many years, the American English has been considered as one of the principal assets of the country for political, economic, cultural, spiritual, physical and educational development. There are myriad reasons why American English language is the best communicative tool in the whole world. In order to conduct political activities such as elections, foreign affairs, decision-making and policy-making, the use of the American English language is necessary. Journals and books on business matters and other economic conditions are generally printed in American English language, which makes all the people to learn the language. Tourists are enthusiastic to learn the same language because it could help them in enjoying the wonderful sites of the country. The enjoyment of American literature depicted in films and television programs reached across many nations which is the means for other races to learn the richness of the American culture. The American invasion is still effective by the dominance of our language which makes our products and services appealing to the whole world. Aside from that, there are many students in other countries who wanted to study in the United States of America. Their contribution in the academe is very important as well as their willingness to learn the language. Hence, all the people who live in America become united due to the influence and dominance of the American English language. Do we need to prevent the approval in making the American English language the official one, knowing that it is useful to us? No, we cannot afford to do so. Therefore, the arguments to support the approval of making the American English language as official are meritorious. The Advantages of the American English Language It is not denied that the American language is a principal asset for political and economic development of the country. The English language is also used as a preferred language for the conveyance of international business and scientific studies (Lian 1). In addition, it is easy to sell American products for American English language is widely used in advertisements and promotions worldwide. A foreign-born individual mentioned that, being fluent in American English is a ladder to successful business and other carrier endeavors (â€Å"The Importance of English in Modern World†). We were able to attract many intelligent individuals through the English language and everything we have is a standard for other countries. In all aspects in life, the said language is useful and also pervasive that it reaches in all parts of the world. Conclusion We are all fortunate to have a language that makes our country a center of commerce, excellence in education and culture and influential in politics. Our country is a strategic place because the American English is widely used in many countries in the world that makes the United States of America as a melting pot of many races. Since the American English is the best communicative tool for the understanding of individuals in terms of political, economic, spiritual, physical and educational development, we are confident that we remain in power all over the world. Finally, the use of America English has caused improvement of our country in general. As conclusion, there is still no doubt that making the English American language as official in the United States of America is proper and meritorious.   Works Cited Burt, Miriam. â€Å"Issues in Improving Immigrant Worker’s English Language Skills†. December 2003. 2 February 2009 http://www.cal.org/Caela/esl_ resources/digests/Workplaceissues.html â€Å"History of the English Language†. 2009. English Club. 2 February 2009 http://www. englishclub.com/english-language-history.htm . Lian Li, Khaw. 2008. Khawlilian. 2 February 2009 http://www.khawlilian.com/. Manivannan, G. 2006. Using English Website. 2 February 2009 http://www. usingenglish.com/teachers/articles/importance-english-language.html. â€Å"The Importance of English in Modern World†. 17 November 2007. MSN Content Website. 2 February 2009 http://content.msn.co.in/MSNContribute/Story.aspx? PageID=396ac8e2-aa06-47b2-8176-32ef043284f1.

Importance of Play in Children Development

Importance of Play in Children Development Play is special. Not only is it fun, but it is very important to childrens development. Play is one of the most important means by which children learn. Through natural activity they create roles that imitate adult behavior. Children think, create, imagine, communicate, make choices, solve problems, take risks, build physical skills and take on a variety of roles as they interact socially. Play is essentially motivating and offers children the freedom to explore an activity tolerant by adult parameters of measured outcomes, testing and accountability. Play supports learning, promotes language and social development and enhances creativity in children and adults. Children who learn healthy play skills feel capable, have successes, make friends and learn non-violent ways to interact with others. Children learn more efficiently and effectively through play than one can imagine. The beauty of this learning and growing time is that the motivation for a young child to do it is already ther e-its enjoyable. The Development of Play The surreptitious to helping young children succeed, is to keep the spirit of creativity and of playful learning alive and active. Childrens learning is a mixture of their own deep inner force to grow and learn attached with their imitation of the adults in their environment. An important milestone in play, the capacity for make-believe play also known as fantasy play occurs at around two and a half or three years of age. Before that, children are more oriented to the real world: their own bodies, simple household objects like pots, pans, and wooden spoons, and simple toys like dolls, trucks, and balls. Toddlers imitate what they see around them; common play themes include cooking, caring for baby, driving cars or trucks, and other everyday events. These themes continue and develop after age three, but now children are less dependent on real objects and create what they need from anything that is at hand. Their ability to enter into make-believe allows them to transform a simple object into a play prop. The three-year-old becomes so engaged in make-believe play that objects seem to be in a regular state of transformation. No play episode is ever finished; it is always in the process of becoming something else. The playful three-year-old often leaves a trail of objects as her play evolves from one theme to the next. In contrast, four-year-olds are generally more stationary and thematic in their play. They like to have a house to play in, which might also be a ship or a shop, and many enter the pack-rat stage where they fill their houses with objects so that it seems they cannot freely move around. This does not bother them at all, however. Like three-year olds, they are inspired in the moment by the objects before them. They are quite spontaneous in their ideas for play. The fantasy play of the five-year old is characterized by the ability to have an idea and then play it out rather than being encouraged in the moment by the object at hand as is the case with three and four year olds. Often, five-year olds will say what they want to play as they enter the kindergarten. There is one more important aspect to the development of make-believe plays that usually does not occur until children are six years old. At this age they will often play out a situation without the use of props. They may build a house but leave it unfurnished, then sit inside it and talk through their play, for now they are able to see the images clearly in their minds eyes. This stage can be described as imaginative play, for the children now have the capacity to form a well expressed inner image. In all of these stages of dramatic play children may play alone or with others. However, the way children engage in social play with others changes over the years. The one year old tends to play alone, while social play of two year-olds is generally called parallel play for young children play side by side without fully interacting with each other. The children enjoy playing with each other, but generally they are not deeply invested in each other. They enjoy playing together when they are in nursery school, but tend to forget about each other when they are apart. The social play of five and six year olds is different. The doors to deeper social relationships are opening for them. They form friendships and talk about their friends at home. They think about their friends when they are apart. They may want to call them on the phone or visit in their homes. Rationale for Play Informal play settings allow children to practice language skills involving vocabulary, syntax and grammar. English language learners particularly benefit from language interactions during play. These language skills later assist with reading, writing and math development. All the processes involved in plays such as repeating actions, making connections, extending skills, combining materials and taking risks provide the essential electrical impulses to help make connections and interconnections between neural networks, thus extending childrens capabilities as learners, thinkers and communicators. Physical: Play is an integral part of the growth of a healthy child. lt fosters opportunities to develop large and small motor skills as well as coordination, balance and muscle tone. Active Movement provides an outlet for children to release energy and challenges their developing physical bodies. The ancient Greeks recognised the value of play in the developmental and growth period of childhood. Experts in todays world of education also believe that play is essential. Social: Educators know children learn best in situations that are non-threatening, flexible and fun. Self-selected play joins children of like interests in situations where they can engage in self-directed conversations. Creating opportunities for play can lower stress and help prevent violence by offering safe and acceptable situations for interaction. In the early childhood classroom most students engage in age-appropriate conversation with their peers. Shared interests encourage them to pay attention to others, ask questions, offer help, make suggestions and provide feedback. Intellectual: Children benefit greatly when they are occupied in interactive play and are free to share their k knowledge with other children. Curriculum is more effective when presented with materials that are open-ended can be easily manipulated. Through spontaneous and creative play with a minimum of teacher intervention children are free to grow and manifest their understanding of concepts. Emotional During play children are able to control situations that are not theirs in the real world. By exploring possibilities in play situations, children display confidence and competence as they plan and make decisions. Play provides a place where children can act out feelings about difficult emotional events they may face. Vygotsky believed that children involved in imaginative play will renounce what they want, and willingly subordinate themselves to rules in order to gain the pleasure of the play. He argues that in play they exercise their greatest self-control. ln a Vygotskian model, if we accept the distinction between play as such and play in schools we can see that in order for play to be valued it needs to be located securely within the curriculum structure and organizational framework. Clarifying the role of adults in this process is, therefore, essential. Stages of Play Play is spontaneous, observables, solitary or parallel, associative, symbolic and cooperative. Positive unrestricted play can be a joyous activity that reaps many rewards. Children generally play by building on their previous experiences. They may engage in any of the different types of play at any time. When children are in a healthy environment, they progress through each stage at their own level of development. . Unoccupied Play. Children learn by observing others without interaction. . Onlookers. Children focus intently on watching others play. They may engage in conversation but do not otherwise participate. . Solitary or independent play. Children play by themselves with no interest in what others are doing even if they are physically close. . Parallel play. Children play alongside others with similar objects such as blocks; however, they do not play with each other but side by side separately. . Associative play. Children engage in the same play activity without an organised goal. They may share blocks or tools but do not build the same structure. . Cooperative Play. Children are organised, have a specific goal and have a sense of belonging to a group. It is the beginning of teamwork and doing projects where they work or play together Conclusion As play disappears from the background of childhood, we need to recognise that its downfall will have a lasting impact. Decades of persuasive research have shown that without play, childrens physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development is compromised. They will develop without much imagination and creativity. Their capacity for communication will be reduced and their affinity towards aggressiveness and violence will increase. In short, human nature as we have known it will be deeply changed, increasing many of the problems that are already afflicting children and society. If we do not invest in play, we will find ourselves investing much more in prisons and hospitals, as the incidence of physical, and mental illness, as well as aggressive and violent behavior increases.

Investigation: Water Scarcity in Australia

Investigation: Water Scarcity in Australia Students Name: James Yu Abstract This paper indicates the water scarcity and water pollution in Australia. These two things can be serious problems in Australia because it is so major a food exporting country. The sources we use as references are all websites and two scientific paper. The solution for these two water issues are cloud seeding and enacting some laws which forbid people from throwing plastic casually. However, just clouding seeding probably can work efficiently if Australia have sufficient capital to conduct these experiments. The limitation of this paper is source availability, all what I can use is Internet because it is tough for me to find books on this topic in English version. 1.0 Introduction This scientific paper indicated several causes of water scarcity and water pollution in Australia, and also provided some solutions of solving this issue. Australia is one of the most developed countries all over the world, however, this country got a severe water restriction. One of the most underlying causes is sea surface temperature (SST). In the south of Australia , the SST is lower than average. This signified that there was few evaporation of water, caused atomospheric desiccation, and led to limitation of raining (Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Contour Charts 2013). The cause of water pollution in Australia was polyolefins, which accounts for 52% of plastic production and were used for manufacturing throwaway packaging (Schneider J 2013). These plastics could spoil our food web and ecosystem. Australia mostly gather water from raining and a large proportions of water was used for agriculture, because Australia was a major food exporting country (M. Ejaz Qureshi, Munir A. Hanjr a, Ward J 2013). Our hypothesis was Australia could conquer water scarcity and water pollutionif they develop cloud seeding and enact some regulations on environmental protection. Table 1: Variability of à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow in some of the worlds major rivers compared with a Australian rivers. COUNTRY RIVER RATIO BETWEEN THE MAXIMUM and THE MINIMUM ANNUAL FLOWS Switzerland China Sudan USA South Africa Australia Rhine Yangtze White Nile Potomac Orange Hunter 1.9 2.0 2.4 3.9 16.9 54.3 This table illustrated the Australian river got a very unstable fluctuation between the maximum and the minumum flows, compared to one major river in other countries. Reference: http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/Chartres__Williams.pdf 2.0 Methodology The source of this scientific paper was all Internet. I typed some key words like Water scarcity in Australia. I look through all the web pages and gathered the beneficial information and type them into search box once again. For instance, I found one of the solutions of water scarcity in Australia is Cloud seeding and I typed this term into search box to get further information. I spent about 40 minutes on researching and found 2 websites for each solution. I haved verified all these sources were all written by reputable professors, scientists or publishers by researching these people and publisher to ensure if their dependency is strong enough for my paper. Some of my sources were another scientific paper. 3.0 Findings Two of the most severe fresh water issues in Australia were water scarcity and water pollution, these problems have existed for last of a decade. These two water issues could be a massive problem for Australia. Cloud seeding was a significant solution which throws drikold into cloud, it could increase supply moderately in Australia. Figure 1 demonstrated the mean of precipitation of seeded clouds was 2X103 m3 exceeded from unseeded clouds, it means seeded clounds can actually raise the percipitation (E. J. Smith). In fact, a great percents of water in Australia was polluted by plastics. Meanwhile, Australian plastic production had increased from 170 thousand in 1950s to 280 million in 2011. Figure 2 shows the distribution of plastic pollution in water of Australian city . Most heavy polluted cities were concentrated in the south-eastern and north-western Australia, the place where need to control the plastic production. Some cities in south-eastern Australia had over 15500 km-2 of pl astic concentrations. During the a long term of flowing, these plastics could be broken down into small fragments within 5 mm length, which commonly called microplastic and damaged to the food web and ecosystem easily. Therefore, we had two methods to solve this issue. Approximately 37% of plastics were used for manufacturing disposable packaging, comprising bottle, cups and bags,hence, the first solution was reducing the production of single-use plastic package and decreased the demand of using these plastic manutacture by advocating awareness of this water issue (Schneider J 2013). Another efficient solution was enact the laws which prohibit people and also factories from dumping plastics into sea. Figure 1: Total rainfall from isolated cumulus clouds The total rainfall of seeded cloud and unseeded cloud whose tops were -100C or cooler with 30 minutes of seeding from isolated cumulus clouds. Reference: http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/Chartres__Williams.pdf Figure 2: Distribution map of plastic concentrations in Australia    Marine plastic concentrations in waters around Australia. White crosses indicate location of major Australian cities Reference: http://theconversation.com/australian-waters-polluted-by-harmful-tiny-plastics-20790 4.0 Discussion From the scientists and researchers perspectives, they think that the best solution that is able to augment the amout of water is cloud seeding. Via this solution, Australia could have sufficient supply and overcame water scarcity lightly. But on the contrary, cloud seeding can be very costly. In most of the cases, it takes millions of RMB to implement one cloud seeding, therefore, Australia would better have a strong economic background beforehand like developing their agriculture or IT industry. On the other hand, as for the water pollution in Australia, most of water is polluted by fragmented plastic and majority of people and factories concentrated in the eastern coast of the Australia, so we could see eastern Australia is more polluted than any other part of Australia. Moreover, because it is hardly to eliminate all these plastic pollutants and made sure there is no plastic contamination in the furture in a scientific way, we could just do it in a political approach. For instanc e, government could enact laws of environmental protection or making some advertisments to persuade people do not throw plasctic bags or products into any kind of natural water source. In addition, some eco-friendly organizations can just simply set some dustbins around those highly polluted cities for recycling the plastic. But its a little bit tough for them to conquer water pollution via this method. All in all, I think Australia can conquer these two water issues based on the previous contents. 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations In general, cloud seeding still got a substaintia chance to resolve water restriction by it extra precipitation. Australia just need to develop their economy and have enough capital to conduct these experiments. To handle the increasing plastic pollution in Australian water, government have appeal people do not throw any plastic manufactures casually and set several laws to forbid people from doing this, in particular the eastern part of Australia. The effectiveness of this measure rely on the governmental actions and Australian qualities. There are some limitations in this scientific paper, first of all is source restrictions. Sources in this paper are all from Internet. The research suggestion is using books references, because books always much more trustworthy than websites. If we get enough money, we will find a new scientific way to reduce the plastic pollution in Australian water. Reference List      Ã‚   Chartres C., Williams J.(2006), Can Australia Overcome its Water Scarcity Problems, Wentworth Group. [Online]. Available from: http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/Chartres__Williams.pdf [Accessed 1 October 2016] (2013),Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Contour Charts, NOAA. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/sst/contour/ [Accessed 1 October 2016] (2013), M. Ejaz Qureshi, Munir A. Hanjra, Ward J.,Impact of water scarcity in Australia on global food security in an era of climate change, Science Direct. [Online]. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919212001170 [Accessed 1 October 2016] E. J. Smith, Cloud Seeding Experiments in Australia, Berkeley. [Online]. Available from: http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/math/ucb/text/math_s5_v5_article-10.pdf [Accessed 1 October 2016] Schneider J.(2013), Australian waters polluted by harmful tiny plastics, The Conversation. [Online]. Available from: http://theconversation.com/australian-waters-polluted-by-harmful-tiny-plastics-20790 [Accessed 2 October 2016

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essay -- Hansberry Raisin Su

Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, one of the most important themes is the American Dream. Many of the characters in this play have hopes and aspirations; they all strive towards their goals throughout the play. However, many of the characters in the play have different dreams that clash with each other. Problems seem to arise when different people’s dreams conflict with one another; such as Walter’s versus Bennie’s, George’s versus Asagai’s, and the Clybourne Park versus the Younger’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walter and Bennie both have very different mindsets and they constantly are fighting, therefor they both have very different dreams that are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Walter's dream is to be his own boss in a liquor store. All he dreams about is the liquor business that he will have, it is his life. When he finds he lost the money later in the novel, he says "...Man, I put my life in your hands..." ( ) All he ever dreamed of was the liquor business, when he lets out this statement of desperation, the reader really realizes how much all of it meant to him. Bennie's dreams are very different, she wants to be a female doctor. This dream was very unusual for a "colored" girl in the 50's. Her dream requires money from Mama, but so does Walter’s; it is ironic when both of them lose their dreams when the money is gone. When the money is lost, the reader also realizes how large of a role it played in Bennie’s dreams ...

Microsoft Essay -- Windows Computers Technology Essays

Microsoft There have been many arguments and issues that have been raised with the controversy over Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice’s claim against Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates of monopolistic practices in bundling its internet browser â€Å"Internet Explorer† into its popular Windows computer operating system. By doing this, Microsoft would effectively crush its competitors (it’s main rival being Netscape Navigator), and acquire a monopoly over the software that people use to access the Internet. I recently heard a listener on NPR (National Public Radio) comment about the monopoly issue between Microsoft and the U.S. D.O.J. that â€Å"Intellectual endeavors are vastly infinite and thus cannot be monopolized.† I wonder if the person who said this has ever tried telling that to Bill Gates. More importantly, is such a statement true? Does computer software constitute an intellectual endeavor that cannot be monopolized? To answer this issue, an inductive argument can be applied to determine if Microsoft truly has a monopoly over the computer industry. To say that something is infinite implies that there is an endless supply of it. Is this the case in terms of the Internet and the software that is used to â€Å"navigate† or â€Å"explore† the Internet as the two leading Internet Browsers have been dubbed by their makers? The resources of the Internet may seem infinitely vast, but it is wholly finite. There is an abundance of information out there on th e Internet that it seems unlikely that any one company or even a country like the U.S. could ever monopolize this vast data network. By the nature of how the Internet works and how information is stored and shared on the network, it is true that a monopoly cannot be held over the intellectual information stored within the Internet. On this point I will accede to the original author’s claim that intellectual endeavors cannot be monopolized, but this is vastly different from the issue that stands before Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice. The question that must be distinguished is not if Microsoft will gain a monopoly over the Internet, but if it will acquire a monopoly on how people access the Internet. These two are wholly separate issues. This is not a question of control of intellectual information, but the means by which people gain *access* to that information. Even if the inform... ...l by bundling its browser into its operating system which already controls 90% of the worlds’ market. The ubiquitous nature of Microsoft in our everyday computing lives is seemingly subconscious, yet when we realize the broad influence of this computer giant upon our life it becomes a frightening possibility. Thoughts of Orwellian â€Å"Big Brother† comes to mind at times. The question of whether Microsoft has a monopoly over the computer industry is a resounding yes. It is a near virtual monopoly in the computer industry. The question thus becomes not whether Microsoft is a monopoly, but why it has taken so long for the government to intercede into the affairs that would regulate this ever growing computer giant. It would be wise to follow the lesson of Jack who cut down the beanstalk in a fable that has all too real applications in our modern-day computerized world. Bibliography Gleick, James. â€Å"MAKING MICROSOFT SAFE FOR CAPITALISM† The New York Times Magazine. William Morris Agency, May 18, 1995. Nader, Ralph and Love, James. â€Å"What to Do About Microsoft?† LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE, November 1997 NPR News. May 5 1998 (Station KBRW 89.9 FM) 8:00 AM â€Å"Morning Edition†

Ted Hughes Birthday Letters

BIRTHDAY LETTERS Introduction: Conflicting perspectives are different points of view expressed and influenced by ones context and values. â€Å"Birthday Letters† by Ted Hughes is an anthology of poems challenging the accusation that he was responsible for his wife, Sylvia Plath’s death. The three poems The Minotaur, Your Paris, and Red are an insight into Hughes justification of the death of Plath using a very subjective and emotive poetic form. The poems possess many deliberate techniques such as extended metaphors, connotations, diction and juxtaposition to encourage the audience to accept his argument that he was not the one to blame for this world renown tragedy. The poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath also displays conflicting perspectives of the relationship between Plath. THE MINOTAUR Techniques: The destructive power of her personality is vividly conveyed through verbs, such as ‘smashed’, with its sense of overstated activity. Sarcastic dialogue – Sarcastic dialogue is used as Hughes words within the context of the incident. Get that shoulder in your stanzas and we’ll be away† is focusing on the anger within her personality and suggests she fails to incorporate these tendencies in her poetry. Hughes positions himself as calm and encouraging her in her art. Quotes: She was â€Å"Demented by my being†, and â€Å"Twenty minutes late for baby minding. † Here we see how truth depends on perspective, on who is telling it, based on how they saw it, and now how they tell it. That she was ‘demented’ may have been simply to his trivial error or that carelessness on Hughes’s part may have been the last straw in a sequence of events which had driven her mad. Towards the end of the poem the repetition of ‘your, â€Å"Your marriage, your children, your mother† creates an accusatory tone. Hughes has purposefully written himself out of the equation. Conclusion: This poem highlights the conflicting perspective of Hughes and his relationship with Plath, and gives reason that because of Plath’s mental instability he could not possible be responsible for her death. RED Techniques: Redness is present physically, but for Hughes its essential truth is metaphorical. Quotes: In this poem, we can see how variable one’s perspective can be in poetry and in this collection in particular. Hughes begins decisively â€Å"Red was your colour†. This appears to be a factual statement, a simple declaration, but immediately he undermines it â€Å"If not red, then white. † When he tries to understand why red might have been so important to Plath, he puts his suggestion in the hesitation of a question, â€Å"Was it blood? † His interpretation is complicated by uncertainty. Our perspective of others can be obscured and complicated by our uncertainties. A third colour concludes the poem, Blue. This was not Plath’s colour. Hughes is arguing, but it was â€Å"better for you†. It has healing powers also. Whiteness and the extremity of redness represent the polarities if her life, her quest for purity and the pain and passion of her existence. Hughes concludes that Plath’s inability to be nurtured by the kindly spirit of blue was what destroyed her. He feels that when she gave up blue, she lost normality, symbolising blue as a precious jewel which she lost. To support the originally firm statement that red was Plath’s colour, Hughes presents evidence which clearly supports its truthfulness, â€Å"Our room was red†. Curtains and window-seat all matched, however there was an exception, â€Å"the bookshelves escaped into whiteness†. This suggests that they were exceptional. The idea of red as Plath’s colour is reinforced. Conclusion: The summary of Plath through symbolism of these colours reveals everything about Plath and their relationship, reinforcing many arguments Hughes presents throughout his anthology. YOUR PARIS Quotes: The poem â€Å"Your Paris† indicates that from the beginning of their marriage, their perspectives on life were different, antagonistic. It also shows how Hughes was uncomprehending in the face of his wife’s personality and how he tried to come to terms with it. His version of the city was so different that â€Å"I kept my Paris from you†. It was the wartime city, occupied by the Germans, As Hughes registers their different responses to the city, and he finds a way of telling the truth about their different selves and the tension between them. The irony of this is that the situation is taking place on their honeymoon, although this is a biographical fact to which Hughes does not explicitly refer. That omission is suggestive of the problems of the relationship. Plath’s spoken responses to Paris, which enabled her to cope with the intensity of its impact upon her, produced a negative reaction in Hughes, â€Å"It was diesel aflame†, and â€Å"To the dog in me†. Conclusion: Your Paris is written from Hughes’s Perspective about Plath’s perspective, thus it is unclear whether Plath truly valued the significance of Paris. Hughes initial conflicting perspectives of Plath are represented in the poem. YOUR DADDY Quotes: In Plath’s poem ‘Daddy’, Hughes begins by pointing out that mere human beings were insufficient for Plath’s worship, she needed â€Å"a god†. The psychological explanation for this desire is the death of her â€Å"Daddy†. Hughes writes, â€Å"His death touched the trigger†. This sets in motion Plath’s search for a god to replace her vanished father. This is a plausible psychological explanation, but it is not necessarily true, this is his perspective of that matter. Plath’s life after her father’s death was like â€Å"The fury, of a high velocity bullet†. Those she chose as gods were â€Å"too mortal† to withstand the impact. Hughes undoubtedly includes himself in that category. The scar which Plath had on her cheek is seen, not as an imperfection, but like a groove in the barrel of a shotgun â€Å"To keep you true†, that is to fire the bullet correctly. Hughes is a target, but the real target was behind him, â€Å"Your Daddy†. Hughes laments the fact that he was not able to manage the deadly bullet of her personality. He could only handle the remains of her life, â€Å"a wisp of hair, your ring, your watch, your nightgown. The image of Plath’s father as â€Å"the god with the smoking gun† suggests a duel between father and daughter. She was aiming to get revenge on her father for betraying her by dying. He had the final victory however, in her suicide which took her back to him, â€Å"To bury yourself at last in the heart of god†. Conclusion: The poem Daddy allows us to discover the true perspective of Plath and Hughes’ relationship, which contrasts against Hughes own perspective. Their collective representations of Plath’s father do not conflict their perspectives. Conclusion: Overall, it is evident that Ted Hughes represented Sylvia Plath as a young and talented woman in his descriptions in the letters to Aurelia Plath. Hughes perspective of Plath changes and he details his former wife’s emotional struggle in his ‘Birthday Letters’ anthology. Thus, it is obvious that perspectives change overtime, and thorough analyse and viewing of different texts created by various composers relating to the relationship of Hughes and Plath, we discover that each text represents a different perspective regarding their relationship.

Why Movies Are More Then Just Entertainment

Movie are much more than just something we watch it is a story being told by the writer for us to interpret, it can be inspiring or gloomy it all depends how we as viewers see it. It can also be a way for some to live out an imaginary existence in and conventional world. Just look at movies like tron, star gate or even the borne series it helps people live out the life they desire. Movies are also a way for the media to influence and open the minds of its viewers. It is much more then entertaining, informing and educating, movies plays a big role in the way we perceive things. Movies can be a way for people to tell their own stories or communicate a message or get some point across with the type of movie they write. Like for example look at star war some think it is just a sci- fi movie but it is much more it has a very deep political undertone. Or Michael Moore movies like fairenhight 9-11 they were made to inform us as viewers what is going on in the world, some might say it is a little bias but to someone who really lives the story might say it is true. Movies have also become a big part of our daily lives in which they can sometimes have quite an influence on our behavior. They intrigue our minds which captivate us as viewers they transcend us into another dimension. As we try to associate with the stories of what we see we often find ourselves searching for similarities between these characters and ourselves. Movies are much more powerful then we all believe they help us face all kinds of social issues and personal one also. It teaches us life lessons that later on will help us through our daily lives, and sometimes a movie can make us feel emotions that we never thought we will. Movies are a way to disconnect from our world and live someone else’s. Everyone has a story to tell and movies are the visualization of it. From the zoetrope in 1864 to silent movies in 1903 to the movies of the 21st century, movies have gone through many changes in history. But the change that stayed the same during that time is the emotions behind the films. Since the invention of movies, each film ever made brought tears, joy, laughter, excitement, confusion, anger, happiness, sadness, and pain to their audiences. Not only did movies bring emotions, it brought entertainment to their audiences. It entertained them during the difficult times, the worst of times, the sad times and the happy times look at movies like the wizard of oz, snow white or gone with the wind, movies that came out during the great depression. the film industry has gave us entertainment ince it was invented and it will keep doing that till audiences loses interest in movies and in the film industry. Documentary, thriller, comedy, romantic, biography, animation. Movies are huge influence in our lives. When you feel like watching a movie, you can make the choice of choosing something that makes you laugh or cry, or simply you want to learn something that you are interested. In our culture it is a way of sometimes escaping from a routine that we have. Watching a movie i n a theater is a reward that we give ourselves and in some cases to our loved ones too.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-seven

Bran A light snow was falling. Bran could feel the flakes on his face, melting as they touched his skin like the gentlest of rains. He sat straight atop his horse, watching as the iron portcullis was winched upward. Try as he might to keep calm, his heart was fluttering in his chest. â€Å"Are you ready?† Robb asked. Bran nodded, trying not to let his fear show. He had not been outside Winterfell since his fall, but he was determined to ride out as proud as any knight. â€Å"Let's ride, then.† Robb put his heels into his big grey-and-white gelding, and the horse walked under the portcullis. â€Å"Go,† Bran whispered to his own horse. He touched her neck lightly, and the small chestnut filly started forward. Bran had named her Dancer. She was two years old, and Joseth said she was smarter than any horse had a right to be. They had trained her special, to respond to rein and voice and touch. Up to now, Bran had only ridden her around the yard. At first Joseth or Hodor would lead her, while Bran sat strapped to her back in the oversize saddle the Imp had drawn up for him, but for the past fortnight he had been riding her on his own, trotting her round and round, and growing bolder with every circuit. They passed beneath the gatehouse, over the drawbridge, through the outer walls. Summer and Grey Wind came loping beside them, sniffing at the wind. Close behind came Theon Greyjoy, with his longbow and a quiver of broadheads; he had a mind to take a deer, he had told them. He was followed by four guardsmen in mailed shirts and coifs, and Joseth, a stick-thin stableman whom Robb had named master of horse while Hullen was away. Maester Luwin brought up the rear, riding on a donkey. Bran would have liked it better if he and Robb had gone off alone, just the two of them, but Hal Mollen would not hear of it, and Maester Luwin backed him. If Bran fell off his horse or injured himself, the maester was determined to be with him. Beyond the castle lay the market square, its wooden stalls deserted now. They rode down the muddy streets of the village, past rows of small neat houses of log and undressed stone. Less than one in five were occupied, thin tendrils of woodsmoke curling up from their chimneys. The rest would fill up one by one as it grew colder. When the snow fell and the ice winds howled down out of the north, Old Nan said, farmers left their frozen fields and distant holdfasts, loaded up their wagons, and then the winter town came alive. Bran had never seen it happen, but Maester Luwin said the day was looming closer. The end of the long summer was near at hand. Winter is coming. A few villagers eyed the direwolves anxiously as the riders went past, and one man dropped the wood he was carrying as he shrank away in fear, but most of the townfolk had grown used to the sight. They bent the knee when they saw the boys, and Robb greeted each of them with a lordly nod. With his legs unable to grip, the swaying motion of the horse made Bran feel unsteady at first, but the huge saddle with its thick horn and high back cradled him comfortingly, and the straps around his chest and thighs would not allow him to fall. After a time the rhythm began to feel almost natural. His anxiety faded, and a tremulous smile crept across his face. Two serving wenches stood beneath the sign of the Smoking Log, the local alehouse. When Theon Greyjoy called out to them, the younger girl turned red and covered her face. Theon spurred his mount to move up beside Robb. â€Å"Sweet Kyra,† he said with a laugh. â€Å"She squirms like a weasel in bed, but say a word to her on the street, and she blushes pink as a maid. Did I ever tell you about the night that she and Bessa—† â€Å"Not where my brother can hear, Theon,† Robb warned him with a glance at Bran. Bran looked away and pretended not to have heard, but he could feel Greyjoy's eyes on him. No doubt he was smiling. He smiled a lot, as if the world were a secret joke that only he was clever enough to understand. Robb seemed to admire Theon and enjoy his company, but Bran had never warmed to his father's ward. Robb rode closer. â€Å"You are doing well, Bran.† â€Å"I want to go faster,† Bran replied. Robb smiled. â€Å"As you will.† He sent his gelding into a trot. The wolves raced after him. Bran snapped the reins sharply, and Dancer picked up her pace. He heard a shout from Theon Greyjoy, and the hoofbeats of the other horses behind him. Bran's cloak billowed out, rippling in the wind, and the snow seemed to rush at his face. Robb was well ahead, glancing back over his shoulder from time to time to make sure Bran and the others were following. He snapped the reins again. Smooth as silk, Dancer slid into a gallop. The distance closed. By the time he caught Robb on the edge of the wolfswood, two miles beyond the winter town, they had left the others well behind. â€Å"I can ride!† Bran shouted, grinning. It felt almost as good as flying. â€Å"I'd race you, but I fear you'd win.† Robb's tone was light and joking, yet Bran could tell that something was troubling his brother underneath the smile. â€Å"I don't want to race.† Bran looked around for the direwolves. Both had vanished into the wood. â€Å"Did you hear Summer howling last night?† â€Å"Grey Wind was restless too,† Robb said. His auburn hair had grown shaggy and unkempt, and a reddish stubble covered his jaw, making him look older than his fifteen years. â€Å"Sometimes I think they know things . . . sense things . . . † Robb sighed. â€Å"I never know how much to tell you, Bran. I wish you were older.† â€Å"I'm eight now!† Bran said. â€Å"Eight isn't so much younger than fifteen, and I'm the heir to Winterfell, after you.† â€Å"So you are.† Robb sounded sad, and even a little scared. â€Å"Bran, I need to tell you something. There was a bird last night. From King's Landing. Maester Luwin woke me.† Bran felt a sudden dread. Dark wings, dark words, Old Nan always said, and of late the messenger ravens had been proving the truth of the proverb. When Robb wrote to the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the bird that came back brought word that Uncle Benjen was still missing. Then a message had arrived from the Eyrie, from Mother, but that had not been good news either. She did not say when she meant to return, only that she had taken the Imp as prisoner. Bran had sort of liked the little man, yet the name Lannister sent cold fingers creeping up his spine. There was something about the Lannisters, something he ought to remember, but when he tried to think what, he felt dizzy and his stomach clenched hard as a stone. Robb spent most of that day locked behind closed doors with Maester Luwin, Theon Greyjoy, and Hallis Mollen. Afterward, riders were sent out on fast horses, carrying Robb's commands throughout the north. Bran heard talk of Moat Cailin, the ancient stronghold the First Men had built at the top of the Neck. No one ever told him what was happening, yet he knew it was not good. And now another raven, another message. Bran clung to hope. â€Å"Was the bird from Mother? Is she coming home?† â€Å"The message was from Alyn in King's Landing. Jory Cassel is dead. And Wyl and Heward as well. Murdered by the Kingslayer.† Robb lifted his face to the snow, and the flakes melted on his cheeks. â€Å"May the gods give them rest.† Bran did not know what to say. He felt as if he'd been punched. Jory had been captain of the household guard at Winterfell since before Bran was born. â€Å"They killed Jory?† He remembered all the times Jory had chased him over the roofs. He could picture him striding across the yard in mail and plate, or sitting at his accustomed place on the bench in the Great Hall, joking as he ate. â€Å"Why would anyone kill Jory?† Robb shook his head numbly, the pain plain in his eyes. â€Å"I don't know, and . . . Bran, that's not the worst of it. Father was caught beneath a falling horse in the fight. Alyn says his leg was shattered, and . . . Maester Pycelle has given him the milk of the poppy, but they aren't sure when . . . when he . . .† The sound of hoofbeats made him glance down the road, to where Theon and the others were coming up. â€Å"When he will wake,† Robb finished. He laid his hand on the pommel of his sword then, and went on in the solemn voice of Robb the Lord. â€Å"Bran, I promise you, whatever might happen, I will not let this be forgotten.† Something in his tone made Bran even more fearful. â€Å"What will you do?† he asked as Theon Greyjoy reined in beside them. â€Å"Theon thinks I should call the banners,† Robb said. â€Å"Blood for blood.† For once Greyjoy did not smile. His lean, dark face had a hungry look to it, and black hair fell down across his eyes. â€Å"Only the lord can call the banners,† Bran said as the snow drifted down around them. â€Å"If your father dies,† Theon said, â€Å"Robb will be Lord of Winterfell.† â€Å"He won't die!† Bran screamed at him. Robb took his hand. â€Å"He won't die, not Father,† he said calmly. â€Å"Still . . . the honor of the north is in my hands now. When our lord father took his leave of us, he told me to be strong for you and for Rickon. I'm almost a man grown, Bran.† Bran shivered. â€Å"I wish Mother was back,† he said miserably. He looked around for Maester Luwin; his donkey was visible in the far distance, trotting over a rise. â€Å"Does Maester Luwin say to call the banners too?† â€Å"The maester is timid as an old woman,† said Theon. â€Å"Father always listened to his counsel,† Bran reminded his brother. â€Å"Mother too.† â€Å"I listen to him,† Robb insisted. â€Å"I listen to everyone.† The joy Bran had felt at the ride was gone, melted away like the snowflakes on his face. Not so long ago, the thought of Robb calling the banners and riding off to war would have filled him with excitement, but now he felt only dread. â€Å"Can we go back now?† he asked. â€Å"I'm cold.† Robb glanced around. â€Å"We need to find the wolves. Can you stand to go a bit longer?† â€Å"I can go as long as you can.† Maester Luwin had warned him to keep the ride short, for fear of saddle sores, but Bran would not admit to weakness in front of his brother. He was sick of the way everyone was always fussing over him and asking how he was. â€Å"Let's hunt down the hunters, then,† Robb said. Side by side, they urged their mounts off the kingsroad and struck out into the wolfswood. Theon dropped back and followed well behind them, talking and joking with the guardsmen. It was nice under the trees. Bran kept Dancer to a walk, holding the reins lightly and looking all around him as they went. He knew this wood, but he had been so long confined to Winterfell that he felt as though he were seeing it for the first time. The smells filled his nostrils; the sharp fresh tang of pine needles, the earthy odor of wet rotting leaves, the hints of animal musk and distant cooking fires. He caught a glimpse of a black squirrel moving through the snow-covered branches of an oak, and paused to study the silvery web of an empress spider. Theon and the others fell farther and farther behind, until Bran could no longer hear their voices. From ahead came the faint sound of rushing waters. It grew louder until they reached the stream. Tears stung his eyes. â€Å"Bran?† Robb asked. â€Å"What's wrong?† Bran shook his head. â€Å"I was just remembering,† he said. â€Å"Jory brought us here once, to fish for trout. You and me and Jon. Do you remember?† â€Å"I remember,† Robb said, his voice quiet and sad. â€Å"I didn't catch anything,† Bran said, â€Å"but Jon gave me his fish on the way back to Winterfell. Will we ever see Jon again?† â€Å"We saw Uncle Benjen when the king came to visit,† Robb pointed out. â€Å"Jon will visit too, you'll see.† The stream was running high and fast. Robb dismounted and led his gelding across the ford. In the deepest part of the crossing, the water came up to midthigh. He tied his horse to a tree on the far side, and waded back across for Bran and Dancer. The current foamed around rock and root, and Bran could feel the spray on his face as Robb led him over. It made him smile. For a moment he felt strong again, and whole. He looked up at the trees and dreamed of climbing them, right up to the very top, with the whole forest spread out beneath him. They were on the far side when they heard the howl, a long rising wail that moved through the trees like a cold wind. Bran raised his head to listen. â€Å"Summer,† he said. No sooner had he spoken than a second voice joined the first. â€Å"They've made a kill,† Robb said as he remounted. â€Å"I'd best go and bring them back. Wait here, Theon and the others should be along shortly.† â€Å"I want to go with you,† Bran said. â€Å"I'll find them faster by myself.† Robb spurred his gelding and vanished into the trees. Once he was gone, the woods seemed to close in around Bran. The snow was falling more heavily now. Where it touched the ground it melted, but all about him rock and root and branch wore a thin blanket of white. As he waited, he was conscious of how uncomfortable he felt. He could not feel his legs, hanging useless in the stirrups, but the strap around his chest was tight and chafing, and the melting snow had soaked through his gloves to chill his hands. He wondered what was keeping Theon and Maester Luwin and Joseth and the rest. When he heard the rustle of leaves, Bran used the reins to make Dancer turn, expecting to see his friends, but the ragged men who stepped out onto the bank of the stream were strangers. â€Å"Good day to you,† he said nervously. One look, and Bran knew they were neither foresters nor farmers. He was suddenly conscious of how richly he was dressed. His surcoat was new, dark grey wool with silver buttons, and a heavy silver pin fastened his fur-trimmed cloak at the shoulders. His boots and gloves were lined with fur as well. â€Å"All alone, are you?† said the biggest of them, a bald man with a raw windburnt face. â€Å"Lost in the wolfswood, poor lad.† â€Å"I'm not lost.† Bran did not like the way the strangers were looking at him. He counted four, but when he turned his head, he saw two others behind him. â€Å"My brother rode off just a moment ago, and my guard will be here shortly.† â€Å"Your guard, is it?† a second man said. Grey stubble covered his gaunt face. â€Å"And what would they be guarding, my little lord? Is that a silver pin I see there on your cloak?† â€Å"Pretty,† said a woman's voice. She scarcely looked like a woman; tall and lean, with the same hard face as the others, her hair hidden beneath a bowl-shaped halfhelm. The spear she held was eight feet of black oak, tipped in rusted steel. â€Å"Let's have a look,† said the big bald man. Bran watched him anxiously. The man's clothes were filthy, fallen almost to pieces, patched here with brown and here with blue and there with a dark green, and faded everywhere to grey, but once that cloak might have been black. The grey stubbly man wore black rags too, he saw with a sudden start. Suddenly Bran remembered the oathbreaker his father had beheaded, the day they had found the wolf pups; that man had worn black as well, and Father said he had been a deserter from the Night's Watch. No man is more dangerous, he remembered Lord Eddard saying. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile or cruel. â€Å"The pin, lad,† the big man said. He held out his hand. â€Å"We'll take the horse too,† said another of them, a woman shorter than Robb, with a broad fiat face and lank yellow hair. â€Å"Get down, and be quick about it.† A knife slid from her sleeve into her hand, its edge jagged as a saw. â€Å"No,† Bran blurted. â€Å"I can't . . . â€Å" The big man grabbed his reins before Bran could think to wheel Dancer around and gallop off. â€Å"You can, lordling . . . and will, if you know what's good for you.† â€Å"Stiv, look how he's strapped on.† The tall woman pointed with her spear. â€Å"Might be it's the truth he's telling.† â€Å"Straps, is it?† Stiv said. He drew a dagger from a sheath at his belt. â€Å"There's ways to deal with straps.† â€Å"You some kind of cripple?† asked the short woman. Bran flared. â€Å"I'm Brandon Stark of Winterfell, and you better let go of my horse, or I'll see you all dead.† The gaunt man with the grey stubbled face laughed. â€Å"The boy's a Stark, true enough. Only a Stark would be fool enough to threaten where smarter men would beg.† â€Å"Cut his little cock off and stuff it in his mouth,† suggested the short woman. â€Å"That should shut him up.† â€Å"You're as stupid as you are ugly, Hali,† said the tall woman. â€Å"The boy's worth nothing dead, but alive . . . gods be damned, think what Mance would give to have Benjen Stark's own blood to hostage!† â€Å"Mance be damned,† the big man cursed. â€Å"You want to go back there, Osha? More fool you. Think the white walkers will care if you have a hostage?† He turned back to Bran and slashed at the strap around his thigh. The leather parted with a sigh. The stroke had been quick and careless, biting deep. Looking down, Bran glimpsed pale flesh where the wool of his leggings had parted. Then the blood began to flow. He watched the red stain spread, feeling light-headed, curiously apart; there had been no pain, not even a hint of feeling. The big man grunted in surprise. â€Å"Put down your steel now, and I promise you shall have a quick and painless death,† Robb called out. Bran looked up in desperate hope, and there he was. The strength of the words were undercut by the way his voice cracked with strain. He was mounted, the bloody carcass of an elk slung across the back of his horse, his sword in a gloved hand. â€Å"The brother,† said the man with the grey stubbly face. â€Å"He's a fierce one, he is,† mocked the short woman. Hali, they called her. â€Å"You mean to fight us, boy?† â€Å"Don't be a fool, lad. You're one against six.† The tall woman, Osha, leveled her spear. â€Å"Off the horse, and throw down the sword. We'll thank you kindly for the mount and for the venison, and you and your brother can be on your way.† Robb whistled. They heard the faint sound of soft feet on wet leaves. The undergrowth parted, low-hanging branches giving up their accumulation of snow, and Grey Wind and Summer emerged from the green. Summer sniffed the air and growled. â€Å"Wolves,† gasped Hali. â€Å"Direwolves,† Bran said. Still half-grown, they were as large as any wolf he had ever seen, but the differences were easy to spot, if you knew what to look for. Maester Luwin and Farlen the kennelmaster had taught him. A direwolf had a bigger head and longer legs in proportion to its body, and its snout and jaw were markedly leaner and more pronounced. There was something gaunt and terrible about them as they stood there amid the gently falling snow. Fresh blood spotted Grey Wind's muzzle. â€Å"Dogs,† the big bald man said contemptuously. â€Å"Yet I'm told there's nothing like a wolfskin cloak to warm a man by night.† He made a sharp gesture. â€Å"Take them.† Robb shouted, â€Å"Winterfell!† and kicked his horse. The gelding plunged down the bank as the ragged men closed. A man with an axe rushed in, shouting and heedless. Robb's sword caught him full in the face with a sickening crunch and a spray of bright blood. The man with the gaunt stubbly face made a grab for the reins, and for half a second he had them . . . and then Grey Wind was on him, bearing him down. He fell back into the stream with a splash and a shout, flailing wildly with his knife as his head went under. The direwolf plunged in after him, and the white water turned red where they had vanished. Robb and Osha matched blows in midstream. Her long spear was a steel-headed serpent, flashing out at his chest, once, twice, three times, but Robb parried every thrust with his longsword, turning the point aside. On the fourth or fifth thrust, the tall woman overextended herself and lost her balance, just for a second. Robb charged, riding her down. A few feet away, Summer darted in and snapped at Hali. The knife bit at his flank. Summer slid away, snarling, and came rushing in again. This time his jaws closed around her calf. Holding the knife with both hands, the small woman stabbed down, but the direwolf seemed to sense the blade coming. He pulled free for an instant, his mouth full of leather and cloth and bloody flesh. When Hali stumbled and fell, he came at her again, slamming her backward, teeth tearing at her belly. The sixth man ran from the carnage . . . but not far. As he went scrambling up the far side of the bank, Grey Wind emerged from the stream, dripping wet. He shook the water off and bounded after the running man, hamstringing him with a single snap of his teeth, and going for the throat as the screaming man slid back down toward the water. And then there was no one left but the big man, Stiv. He slashed at Bran's chest strap, grabbed his arm, and yanked. Suddenly Bran was falling. He sprawled on the ground, his legs tangled under him, one foot in the stream. He could not feel the cold of the water, but he felt the steel when Stiv pressed his dagger to his throat. â€Å"Back away,† the man warned, â€Å"or I'll open the boy's windpipe, I swear it.† Robb reined his horse in, breathing hard. The fury went out of his eyes, and his sword arm dropped. In that moment Bran saw everything. Summer was savaging Hali, pulling glistening blue snakes from her belly. Her eyes were wide and staring. Bran could not tell whether she was alive or dead. The grey stubbly man and the one with the axe lay unmoving, but Osha was on her knees, crawling toward her fallen spear. Grey Wind padded toward her, dripping wet. â€Å"Call him off!† the big man shouted. â€Å"Call them both off, or the cripple boy dies now!† â€Å"Grey Wind, Summer, to me,† Robb said. The direwolves stopped, turned their heads. Grey Wind loped back to Robb. Summer stayed where he was, his eyes on Bran and the man beside him. He growled. His muzzle was wet and red, but his eyes burned. Osha used the butt end of her spear to lever herself back to her feet. Blood leaked from a wound on the upper arm where Robb had cut her. Bran could see sweat trickling down the big man's face. Stiv was as scared as he was, he realized. â€Å"Starks,† the man muttered, â€Å"bloody Starks.† He raised his voice. â€Å"Osha, kill the wolves and get his sword.† â€Å"Kill them yourself,† she replied. â€Å"I'll not be getting near those monsters.† For a moment Stiv was at a loss. His hand trembled; Bran felt a trickle of blood where the knife pressed against his neck. The stench of the man filled his nose; he smelled of fear. â€Å"You,† he called out to Robb. â€Å"You have a name?† â€Å"I am Robb Stark, the heir to Winterfell.† â€Å"This is your brother?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You want him alive, you do what I say. Off the horse.† Robb hesitated a moment. Then, slowly and deliberately, he dismounted and stood with his sword in hand. â€Å"Now kill the wolves.† Robb did not move. â€Å"You do it. The wolves or the boy.† â€Å"No!† Bran screamed. If Robb did as they asked, Stiv would kill them both anyway, once the direwolves were dead. The bald man took hold of his hair with his free hand and twisted it cruelly, till Bran sobbed in pain. â€Å"You shut your mouth, cripple, you hear me?† He twisted harder. â€Å"You hear me?† A low thrum came from the woods behind them. Stiv gave a choked gasp as a half foot of razor-tipped broadhead suddenly exploded out of his chest. The arrow was bright red, as if it had been painted in blood. The dagger fell away from Bran's throat. The big man swayed and collapsed, facedown in the stream. The arrow broke beneath him. Bran watched his life go swirling off in the water. Osha glanced around as Father's guardsmen appeared from beneath the trees, steel in hand. She threw down her spear. â€Å"Mercy, m'lord,† she called to Robb. The guardsmen had a strange, pale look to their faces as they took in the scene of slaughter. They eyed the wolves uncertainly, and when Summer returned to Hali's corpse to feed, Joseth dropped his knife and scrambled for the bush, heaving. Even Maester Luwin seemed shocked as he stepped from behind a tree, but only for an instant. Then he shook his head and waded across the stream to Bran's side. â€Å"Are you hurt?† â€Å"He cut my leg,† Bran said, â€Å"but I couldn't feel it.† As the maester knelt to examine the wound, Bran turned his head. Theon Greyjoy stood beside a sentinel tree, his bow in hand. He was smiling. Ever smiling. A half-dozen arrows were thrust into the soft ground at his feet, but it had taken only one. â€Å"A dead enemy is a thing of beauty,† he announced. â€Å"Jon always said you were an ass, Greyjoy,† Robb said loudly. â€Å"I ought to chain you up in the yard and let Bran take a few practice shots at you.† â€Å"You should be thanking me for saving your brother's life.† â€Å"What if you had missed the shot?† Robb said. â€Å"What if you'd only wounded him? What if you had made his hand jump, or hit Bran instead? For all you knew, the man might have been wearing a breastplate, all you could see was the back of his cloak. What would have happened to my brother then? Did you ever think of that, Greyjoy?† Theon's smile was gone. He gave a sullen shrug and began to pull his arrows from the ground, one by one. Robb glared at his guardsmen. â€Å"Where were you?† he demanded of them. â€Å"I was sure you were close behind us.† The men traded unhappy glances. â€Å"We were following, m'lord,† said Quent, the youngest of them, his beard a soft brown fuzz. â€Å"Only first we waited for Maester Luwin and his ass, begging your pardons, and then, well, as it were . . . † He glanced over at Theon and quickly looked away, abashed. â€Å"I spied a turkey,† Theon said, annoyed by the question. â€Å"How was I to know that you'd leave the boy alone?† Robb turned his head to look at Theon once more. Bran had never seen him so angry, yet he said nothing. Finally he knelt beside Maester Luwin. â€Å"How badly is my brother wounded?† â€Å"No more than a scratch,† the maester said. He wet a cloth in the stream to clean the cut. â€Å"Two of them wear the black,† he told Robb as he worked. Robb glanced over at where Stiv lay sprawled in the stream, his ragged black cloak moving fitfully as the rushing waters tugged at it. â€Å"Deserters from the Night's Watch,† he said grimly. â€Å"They must have been fools, to come so close to Winterfell.† â€Å"Folly and desperation are ofttimes hard to tell apart,† said Maester Luwin. â€Å"Shall we bury them, m'lord?† asked Quent. â€Å"They would not have buried us,† Robb said. â€Å"Hack off their heads, we'll send them back to the Wall. Leave the rest for the carrion crows.† â€Å"And this one?† Quent jerked a thumb toward Osha. Robb walked over to her. She was a head taller than he was, but she dropped to her knees at his approach. â€Å"Give me my life, m'lord of Stark, and I am yours.† â€Å"Mine? What would I do with an oathbreaker?† â€Å"I broke no oaths. Stiv and Wallen flew down off the Wall, not me. The black crows got no place for women.† Theon Greyjoy sauntered closer. â€Å"Give her to the wolves,† he urged Robb. The woman's eyes went to what was left of Hali, and just as quickly away. She shuddered. Even the guardsmen looked queasy. â€Å"She's a woman,† Robb said. â€Å"A wildling,† Bran told him. â€Å"She said they should keep me alive so they could take me to Mance Rayder.† â€Å"Do you have a name?† Robb asked her. â€Å"Osha, as it please the lord,† she muttered sourly. Maester Luwin stood. â€Å"We might do well to question her.† Bran could see the relief on his brother's face. â€Å"As you say, Maester. Wayn, bind her hands. She'll come back to Winterfell with us . . . and live or die by the truths she gives us.†