Monday, September 30, 2019

How Does Movement Contribute to the Development of the Child

How does movement contribute to the development of the child? The capacity to move according to will is what distinguishes man and animals from the vegetable world. Movement is an essential part of life and it helps to create the means for subjecting motion impulses to the will. The more developed a child is, the more obedient are his instrument of motion to his will. Nature teaches the child how to move about. The movement of the child while growing is different in each stage of his development. The children have different need for moving. These changes in attitude come by themselves and are independent of any educational influence.The proportions of the body of a child changes while his growth and it is necessary to observe their spontaneous movements in order to help them grow into their full potential. Even the way they take a rest between their continual movements differ from age to age. In Montessori schools the children are provided with small rugs or little tables, according to their need for working on the ground or seated. By a habit of work, a child learns to move his hands and arms o strengthen his muscles more than he does through ordinary gymnastics. The work is refreshing and not tiring to a child, because of the interest he takes in all his movements.Work is a natural exercise, since the child will have some object for his movements. In Montessori schools, the objects that are used for practical life of a child have no scientific purpose. The number of these objects depends on the resources of the school and the time the child spends in the school each day. If the school has a garden, weeding the plants, gathering the ripe fruits etc can be an interesting work for the child. Likewise, setting the table, serving the meals, eating properly, washing the cups and plates, polishing the shoes, tidying the classroom etc also will contribute to the practical exercise for the child.The teacher should open up the way for the children to do the work and sh ould never discourage them through lack of confidence. The capacity for work of a child should not be estimated according to his age, he should be given a chance to prove himself. Importance should be given to educate a child in movement, practical activities are simply external incentive to educational process, they provides a motive and urge the child to organize his movements. It is important to educate a child in movement and we should know that practical activities provide a motive to the child to organise his movements.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Living As If God Does Not Exist Essay

Since ancient times, alongside society’s development is the widespread proliferation of the religious consciousness of mankind. Although primitive small-scale societies had always been depicted as animists and polytheists, the concept of the High God is a common theme that has already been discovered. Studies of ancient societies have revealed in the belief of a Supreme Being, although this was also coupled with worship of lesser spiritual entities since the Supreme God seems distant and uninvolved in daily concerns of men. Compared with modern men, people of the ancient past were mainly agricultural communities. They are basically more aware of their natural surroundings and the different forces which affect his sustenance and survival. Many of these forces are beyond his control and understanding. Early man was therefore more inclined to acknowledge the existence of a Great Being who is responsible for the existence of the world and the one who is in complete control over all. Worship, whether to God or lesser spirits, has often been closely associated with receiving favour and positive results, or to ward off negative conditions like sickness. But current mode of attitudes and perspectives that pervade modern men has increasingly being held under the spell of beliefs that exclude God and the invisible world from the realm of reality and day to day living. Such an approach to life however, is not entirely exclusive in modern times. This was already present in the distant past where there were critics of religious beliefs — for instance among some of the ancient Greek philosophers and the Roman Lucretius; in India, where most see it as a rich place of religious practices, materialism has already flourished at the time of the Buddha and for many centuries afterward which basically rejected all belief in a transcendent world; and in China, rationalist Confucianism often involved a rejection of religious doctrine. But these protests against the existence of and reliance of a Supreme Being or of spirituality in general, are only sporadic and never gained majority allegiance during its time. But this is now greatly pronounced in the modern period than ever before, since the powerful restatements of atheism and agnosticism have found a wide success in acceptance and following. The rise of the scientific discoveries and inventions, as well as the increase of intellectuals has made it more ideal to reject the existence of God and other religious values. Man sees himself as the ultimate controller of his destiny, as he experiences more control of the things that affect him. As greater understanding of the world around him is achieved, man sees a greater lack of importance in relying on an unseen and somewhat ‘distant’ God. Modern man is also pressed with many concerns. The large masses of manual workers that were born of out of industrialization in the big cities of northern Europe have caused them to become largely alienated from the faith of their fathers. It is both the social and intellectual forces which have thus combined to promote a widespread practical atheism. There are mainly anti-religious ideologies of modern man which has come to influence modern day thinking. First, was the growth of liberal humanism that principally influenced the western world. This philosophy is rooted in the scepticism of the eighteenth century; it received a greater momentum from the religious controversies of the nineteenth century. Second, was the spread of German type of atheism which were popularized by the writings of Feuerbach, Marx, and Nietzsche. Nietzsche even pronounced the death of God in one of his writings. He announced the death of God, as man is ‘awakened’ to the ‘reality’ that God is only a creation of the human mind. Today’s society is very much influenced, although mostly indirectly, by the banner of humanism that fiercely denounces the existence of God and His requirements. Humanism passionately proclaims that the acknowledgement of God is a declaration of war against life, against nature, against the will to live; and that Christianity is the formula for every slander against this present world and guilty of proliferation of ‘lies’ of a world beyond or afterlife. Out of this, came the atheistic Communist ideologies, which for some time in the past, has pronouncedly divided the world. Then, there were also the philosophical movement known as Existentialism, which ironically had Christian origins through the work of Kierkegaard, has nurtured within it a newer type of atheism, popular since the Second World War. Such a deluge of assault on the Christian faith would seem overwhelming and puzzling to those who profess faith in it. God and Christianity seem to have often called down upon strong denunciations. But it is not entirely out of reason. There has been the spectacle of inter-denominational strife, the growing cynicism towards the authenticity of those who were key figures of the Christian faith as against their extravagant lifestyles, memory of persecutions, and the political conservatism of many Christians — all these must be taken into consideration. However, what could be considered a more major reason for rejection is because of the more common association of Christianity with Puritanism. There have, indeed, always been pronounced ascetic elements in the Christian experience, although they are considerably less than in most other of the world religions. It can be said though, that Puritanism and ascetism obviously have important place in certain kinds and phases of different religions. Puritanism demands the population at large to conform to it. Central to the Christian belief is the submission to the Supreme Being, and His instructions. The world, as symbolized by Nietzsche, continuous to express a strong reaction against such beliefs. God and his laws are often received as restrictive, since man’s experience show that he possess desires and instincts which often goes in conflict to what God approves, and must therefore contend with it for most of his time. For most men, this seems to constitute a kind of conspiracy to confine human self-expression and freedom. It is not surprising then, to see an abundance of decay in wide areas of society, since unwillingness to submit to God’s authority is more appealing in order to gratify the self. God is therefore seen as an enemy against the fulfilment of the desires and plans of the self. In addition to this, many simply suspect that those â€Å"kill-joy† Christians, do make those impositions on others condemning jollification and gaiety, as an unconscious repressions and anxieties which stems from Freudian influence. The rejection of the divine and supernatural is not just a mere intellectual scepticism about the truth of God and Christian beliefs; it has also been an emotional rebellion as well. Social factors have contributed. As we have seen, the dislocations caused by industrialism in many Western countries, have produced the alienation of much of the working masses from Christianity. In addition, social forces have brought a distrust of the older forms of authoritarianism. This was already demonstrated between the World Wars, the rejection of being ruled by a higher force. Moreover, this has been heightened after the war where many younger folks have opportunities of work and spending that often creates a sense of being relatively independent. This new found independence rewards man’s desire to be the sole controller of his own life. Such an attitude was already displayed since man’s creation. Self-rule, the rebellion against God’s authority has become the norm. With this development, the traditional forms of Christian teaching and preaching and the presentation of the ethical side of Christianity as something fixed and God-given have not had a widespread effectiveness. What is more popular in many folks of today’s generation is the adherence to anti-authoritarianism and which continuous to stimulate anti-Church feeling, even to the political level. Various advocacies that are being presented with much militancy and following today (i. e. same sex-marriage) run in complete opposition to God- declared laws. It is therefore not an unexpected condition that those who support such advocacies will reject God’s authority and existence. God’s ‘in-existence’ would mean that man can do whatever seems right in his own eyes. Truth and right is therefore relative. Also, aside from the agnostics and anti-religious atheism, are those within the so-called Christian societies, are a large number of people who simply do not attend church or religious ceremonies (Smart, pp. 558-573). They are not necessarily lacking in religious belief, but nevertheless they do not feel themselves called upon to belong to any religious organization. They are people who live in a large, gentle twilight zone between religiousness and agnosticism. They have inherited much of the humanist movement, but they do not share the intellectual presuppositions. They include many, therefore, who, when asked, profess belief in God — or more vaguely in a Power which controls the cosmos. But they are not convinced of actively participating in worship of such a Being as something essential of one’s existence. They are not inclined to pray, seek God, read the Bible, though they might possibly do so in times of stress or great danger. They are, for the most part, alienated from the fellowship with God and the fellow believers. They are aware of the differences of teachings in different denominations, and are thus mistrustful of dogma. They have no wish to deny God’s existence outwardly, but they do not desire to seek and know Him. They have reverence for a Creator; but they feel that God is distant and detached. They respect Christian moral values, but they reject Puritanism. They do not have much sense of sin, but they admire saintliness. They are worried by death, and they hope to live for a better afterlife. But the division between heaven and hell they do not feel. Such people far outnumber the committed atheists and the explicit agnostics. For many members of society today, science possess greater prestige derived from the practical benefits of technology and the awesome mumbo-jumbo surrounding the expert, has superseded that of religion. The current civilization can be depicted in such a state. Although the blatant atheists and agnostics have been relatively few, the influence of their thinking has been formidable. Despite the ‘advancement’ in knowledge, man has generally been ignorant of God and His ways. What is generally esteemed as ‘wise’, those who reject God, does not see the pointlessness of their argument. Creation itself speaks as a witness to His superiority and existence. What is evident in creation is the presupposition of a Creator. If the world and the universe came out of chaos, scientific discoveries show that everything in it has a purpose and held with much order, which could not basically flow in congruence with the ‘accident’ theory. Also, the amazing functions of the human body, also defy such a premise that man was created by chance. For man to reject his Creator and His authority is one of the most miserable and worse thing that has occurred to man. Man indeed is very much in need of redemption from the futility of his own way of thinking. Reference: Smart, Ninian. (1984). Contemporary Religious Experience. The Religious Experience of Mankind. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Creativity, Play and Learning (Arts in Early Childhood Education) Personal Statement

Creativity, Play and Learning (Arts in Early Childhood Education) - Personal Statement Example The teacher gave me extra lessons outside class, allowed me to keep my work safe in his office and provided me with the right kind of pencils, brushes and colours. The completed work was quite remarkable on its own right, though fidelity to the original work was questionable. When I look back to this incident, I feel that the teacher had in fact gone out of his way to accommodate my need for artistic expression. During that period, he was the most accessible person to me – through every act of understanding and kindness he displayed. Another experience made me feel on the contrary, as my teacher did something uncharacteristic of him. In one of his classes, he asked us to draw outline pictures of a building. I happened to sit with a close friend of mine who could only draw one-dimensional picture. I felt I could help him produce a better work and tried to explain to him some techniques of creating a two or three dimensional effect. My teacher considered this as a distraction and raised his voice – asking me to focus on my work and to let my friend focus on his work. He needed finished works by the end of the class. I felt restricted and uneasy about this, and found that it had a totally negative impact on my own work during that class. The idea of following strict rules during a creative endeavor disheartened

Friday, September 27, 2019

UNIT 6 Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

UNIT 6 Discussion - Research Paper Example Legalization of Marijuana would have a positive outcome on society. To imagine a United States where marijuana was legal, it is imperative to study the impact of its controlled legalization in the Netherlands. Their policy on soft drugs tolerance has seen a drop in criminal activity and the transfer of marijuana small amounts (Timothy & Goldfinger p2).heroin addiction rates in the Netherlands have gone down by 0.14%, while the crime rate has been falling consistently, coinciding with the relaxation of these laws. While there are obviously differences between the Netherlands and the US, it is clear that the forecasts of social disaster should Marijuana be legalized are misplaced. If legalization of marijuana would mean that hard drug and alcohol usage decreased, then the net outcome would be welcome since the effects of Marijuana on the user and society is less than that of the former two (Timothy & Goldfinger p2). The claim that there would be an increase in Marijuana usage should it be legalized is true to a point. It could, however, be explained by an increase in users willing to admit to marijuana use. Government estimates showing 11.8 million users in the US is conservative, with NORML estimating that close to 50 million users live in the US (Timothy & Goldfinger p2). Therefore, any initial jump can be explained. After legalization, a discouragement campaign could be set up akin to that against tobacco. Age limits for use and purchase would be set up, which is only possible on legalization since illegal dealers will not ask for I.D. In conclusion, the concern should not be on Marijuana, but on tobacco and alcohol. Both have more addictive and deadly indicators. The message obviously is not about concern for society, nor for the user’s health. Rather, it is hypocritical, unintelligible, and biased

Thursday, September 26, 2019

NHK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

NHK - Essay Example World Radio Japan broadcasts some of its programs on the internet. 1926 was the year when NHK was founded. Krauss states that NHK was modeled on the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) radio company of Britain (6). NHK evolved from the merger of the three local broadcasting corporations. This merger and reorganization was carried out under the backing of Japans’ ministry of communications. In 1931, NHK started the second radio network. This was followed by the establishment of a shortwave radio service, Radio Japan, for its overseas listeners. The Imperial Japanese army took control of all public news organizations in 1941 and harmonized their efforts through the information liaison confidential committee. All published and transmitted news reports duration of world war two became official broadcast of the Imperial army general headquarters. The headquarters was in Tokyo. NHK broadcasted the famous Tokyo rose wartime programs. After the war in 1950, three radio regulations were enacted including the broadcast law. Under this law, NHK started afresh as a unique corporation to be supported by its viewers. In 1950, NHK started general television followed by educational television in 1959 (Foreign Press Center 22). NHK aired its initial color television transmission in 1960. In the 1982, NHK started NHK BS television broadcasts and followed with NHK world television in 1995. The year 2000 saw NHK start satellite digital television transmissions. This was followed by in 2003 by terrestrial digital television transmissions for three megacity areas, with plans to cover almost the whole nation by 2011. NHK BS Hi-Vision analog television was stopped in 2007. NHK world television became free-to-air over the Astra in Europe at the end of 2008. Currently, NHK operates fifty four stations across the nation and has correspondents in twenty eight locations around the globe. A certain amount of money is usually paid by viewers in Japan to

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

EM670 Week 1 Conf Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EM670 Week 1 Conf - Assignment Example Again, this is because the positions are at a point where the holder will have to provide leadership to other people who are below them. The other common trait among the jobs was the coordination skills of the holder. This shows that the positions will require the holder to have good coordination skills to be able to carry out the functions of the office that the holder is managing. Together with this trait, the jobs also required that the aspiring candidate be able to have very good independent decision making skills that will make it possible for the person to make sound and strategic decisions alone, without having to consult all the time. This trait and that of coordination skills seemed to complement each other in that they both have to be there for each to benefit the job holder. According to Jacobson (2001), it is important to match traits and skill because having the right trait may not automatically mean that the person will manage the job. The skills required for the jobs were also common in that they all revolved around the management of human resource. However, for the different counties, job descriptions differed in terms of the level at which the candidates skills in personnel management were. For instance, some of the job descriptions in other places required that the aspiring job holder will have to have skills at the executive level while others required the skill to be at the management and operational level such as recruitment. The other common trait between the job descriptions is development of policies and procedures. The job descriptions all seemed to have this skill as a central requirement for the candidates who will hold the position. This means that all EM jobs may need a person who not only has the ability to conceptualize ideas and policies, but whose knowledge of federal law and regulations are very high (James, 2006). This is because policy development is very much dependent on this knowledge of federal laws

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The Structure of Police Department Research Paper

The Structure of Police Department - Research Paper Example Police structure that follow ranking motive officers to work especially when there are promotion opportunities (Das, D 2012 Introduction The body empowered by the state to ensure property protection, law enforcement and reduce civic disorder is the police. Police force is also known either of the following names police department, crime prevention, law enforcement agency, gendarmerie and constabulary. Police is an crucial part in part in ensuring law enforcement. The body is empowered by the state to ensure property protection, law enforcement and reduce civic disorder is the police. Although Police departments have a formal structure, they apply an informal decision making way. These formal police departments which are used as formal law enforcement agencies corresponds military systems know as military model of policing. They are several types of structures used in formulating police departments; vertical, horizontal, team and matrix structures (Samaha, 2005). Vertical structure is the most commonly used in police structure. These departments are strictly formed using tenets of classical systems. In this structure, specialized divisions work independently and form other divisions. Command and control runs through the divisions’ chains of command and communications in general follow this command chains. Departments that are organized vertically are less flexible and tend to innovate in minimal degree (Gaines et al, 2011). The second structure matrix is one that separate procedures and operations are geographically decentralized. It is mostly used by large departments, those with various patrol districts where detectives report to as opposed to going to the central detective commander. It is often used in highway patrol and state agencies. Furthermore, it is usually driven by workload and geographical area. However, it a costly type of structure as compared to the rest. Consequently, use of matrix type of units and organization allows for flexibility in the police departments. It has a significant contribution to solving problems as it allows police departments to gather a mixture of resource to tackle a problem. It is advisable for police executives to consider matrix structure when faced with problems. Giving problems purely to one unit often limit the range of alternatives solutions and option that can be deployed. (Gaines et al, 2011). However, sometimes matrix structure is difficult to coordinate as the outcome involves mixed units or agencies. Third, there is horizontal structure, in this structure actions are formed around core processes and vertical hierarchy and boundaries of departments are eliminated. Usually appropriate in large police agencies for instance where several districts are organized in a department, and a commander is in control (Daft, 2008). In this, each district operates as a mini police department. More authority in this structure is delegated to commanders of districts while vertical level is reduced. M oreover, horizontal structure reduces bureaucratically and hierarchy difficulties procedures that are associated with increased rank levels. Lastly, team structure uses temporary and permanent team to deliver services and figure out problems. The best illustration of team structure is the way in which community policing is carried out in many jurisdictions. Team structure is significant as it focuses on group level activities and not the structure of command.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Metaphysics and Theories of Reality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Metaphysics and Theories of Reality - Essay Example Through these representations, philosophers able to find logic on each other's work. The find meaning and answers to each ideas; answers find its way resulting to another answer. Therefore, based on disagreements and debates from one century to another there's always a never ending process to the meaning of each statements whether it is factual or not. "The Father of all things is war"; I firmly believe that Order and Chaos co-exist with one another and without this, war will be the result. Order and Chaos should be balanced and complement each other. Order is there to make sure that everything is organize, logically formed in a presentable manner and guidelines to follow. If any of these things were not followed accordingly, chaos will be the end result. These two are like a big circle that continuously moving into one direction and is never ending that is why it is a must that each one should follow what is directed. "You can't step into the same river twice"; In my opinion this is a perfect example of what has St. Augustine has mentioned that time is both a combination of linear and progress. Progress in such a way that life is a moving process, each day that we live, we are going and moving forward to one direction. Every path that we crossed is something that we need to think about and needs some changes over time. Linear in a way like parallel to the progress that each one is undertaking daily. Everything that we do cannot whether good or bad decisions affect the linear and progress directions of our lives. It is also one way of saying that change is inevitable. "The only thing that stays the same is nothing stays the same"; Yes, it's actually true that the only permanent thing in this world is change as quoted by one of our great philosophers. It is also true that Eternity and Time has something to do with stability and change. We know that Eternity is God, our creator and the most high. Yet, he's the one who has a full control of our destiny, our path and the one who creates stability. Time is something that can be changed but hard to get back since we can't bring back what was happened in the past though we know that we can change the future or even foresee it and learn from it. The three ideas selected are of great relevance and of importance to our everyday lives. These three are basic human foundation in order for us to be able to survive, reach our goals, target specific aims and use as a guidelines in order to have a clear path and a smooth road towards gaining experience, learning from it and achieving the things that we are aiming for. Likewise, these are ruling principles wherein we could adapt in order to measure how effective are we doing in terms of relationships, goals, and decisions. Through these principles we can then say that in one way or another we can apply it to our activities of daily living. We know for a fact that whatever the religion is, we all believe that we have one supreme being who is above all creations and that through HIM that's the main reason why we are here in this planet. Every day we make our decisions and every day through mistakes we all learn from it this is where we apply that change is the only permanen

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Jewish History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jewish History - Essay Example These immigrations are similar in their ways of adapting in new countries, but they had differences in reasons of immigration and challenges and experiences in their new countries. Enduring Understanding These two Jewish populations differed in challenges and experiences in their new countries, with the Jews in Babylon faring better than the Ethiopian Jews in Israel, even when they both experienced comparatively equal human rights in their new countries. In Babylon, Jews hated being separated from their homeland, but they flourished as merchants and professionals (Hooker). They enjoyed many of the liberties provided to local Babylonians, such as owning land, freedom to practice Judaism, and acquiring wealth (Hooker). They prospered significantly due to the extensive trade routes that existed in this region (Moss). In Israel, the Ethiopian Jews generally experienced intense poverty, due to poor Hebrew/English language skills and lack of employability skills (â€Å"Ethiopia's Jews: Th e Last Exodus†). These Jews came from agricultural communities and were forced to rapidly assimilate into a cosmopolitan lifestyle and economic structure (Chen). Ethiopian Jews also suffered from discrimination, because some Jews questioned their â€Å"Jewishness† (â€Å"Ethiopia's Jews: The Last Exodus†). ... The situation became more depressing throughout the early 1980's. The state demanded forced conscription at the age of 12, which separated many Jewish boys away from their parents (â€Å"The History of Ethiopian Jews†). Furthermore, Ethiopian Jews feared the threats of war, famine, and unbearable health conditions (â€Å"The History of Ethiopian Jews†). The pull factors of their migration came from Israel and the U.S., which wanted to save them and bring them to Israel. In 1977, Prime Minister Menachem Begin wanted the Ethiopian Jews to immigrate to Israel (â€Å"Ethnic Groups: Ethiopian Jews†). For the Jews who were deported to Babylon, they faced pull factors. The Chaldeans, as they pursued similar Mesopotamian practice, deported the Jews after they subdued Jerusalem in 597 BC. Hence, they suffered exile that led to their Diaspora. Despite feelings of discrimination, both the Ethiopian Jews and Jews in Babylonian exile persevered through learning their new coun try’s language and adapting to their culture. The Ethiopian Jews learned Hebrew and English and adapted practices and skills that enabled them to live and work in the city (Chen). Their children studied in Israelite schools and some successfully finished school and became prominent political and social leaders (Chen). In Babylon, the Jews adopted the Chaldean religion. In both cases, the Ethiopian and Babylonian Jews contributed to the socio-economic and cultural diversity of their new countries, although some feared that Ethiopian Jews never truly fit into Israel’s way of life, because their poverty (Chen). Comparison of the Immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel and

Saturday, September 21, 2019

History and Comparison of Windows, Linux, and Apple Essay Example for Free

History and Comparison of Windows, Linux, and Apple Essay An operating system is a set of programs containing instructions that work together to coordinate all the activities among computer hardware resources. Most operating systems perform similar functions that include starting and shutting down a computer, providing a user interface, managing programs, managing memory, coordinating tasks, configuring devices, establishing an Internet connection, monitoring performance, providing file management and other utilities, and automatically updating itself and certain utility programs (Shelly p. 398). There are three major operating systems that exist today that are going to be compared to decide which operating system could be best for different user purposes. The three operating systems are Windows, Linux, and Apple. Windows operating system is developed and maintained by Microsoft in Seattle, WA. The Microsoft Company was developed by Bill Gates. The first version of the Windows operating system was released in 1985, and has been the leading operating system used by 90% of users (Satyam). It is used by the Server 2008 R2 (Satyam). Windows is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which allows its users to manage files and run software programs easily on desktop and laptop computers (Satyam). On the desktop, icons are used to represent programs that are easy to find and can be clicked to easily access and run the program of choice. Windows is also very popular because of its user interface programs such as Microsoft Office, which include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, and Microsoft Office Outlook. Windows also has a great reputation for its high and efficient security. Some popular Windows editions are Win 98, Win 2000, Win Me, Windows NT, Windows CE, Win 2003, Win XP, Win Vista and Windows 7 ( Satyam). Windows 8 is now the new successor of Windows 7 and is now available. Linux (Linus’ Unix) is a leading server operating system, and is used for running the top 10 fastest supercomputers in the world (Satyam). Linus Torwalds created Linux, and is the current owner of the Linux Trademark (Satyam). LIndows, Lycoris, Red Hat, SuSe, Mandrake, Knopping, Slackware are the various companies that distribute the Linux operating system (Satyam). NASlite is a version of the Linux operating system that runs off of a single floppy disk and converts an old computer into a file server (Satyam). Some popular versions of Linux include Debian, Fedora, and Red Hat. This operating system is ranked just below Windows operating system, but is quickly becoming popular and is predicted to give future Windows some tough competition. Since 1984, Mac OS 9 had been Apple’s primary operating system, but has been recently succeeded by Mac OS X. Mac OS X is a sequence of Unix-based operating systems and GUI’s developed, marketed and sold by Apple (Satyam). Mac OS X is user friendly, and is popular for its plug-and-play support, which means the operating system automatically configures new devices as they are installed (Shelly p. 408). As stated in the beginning of this paper, Windows, Linux, and Apple are the three most popular operating systems with Windows as the most popular of the three with 85% to 90% of personal computers using this operating system (Satyam). Compared to Windows, Mac is used by fewer people, but is more reliable and less likely to fail than Windows OS because of Mac regularly monitoring and the software and hardware add-ons. Linux is the least popular of the three and is based on UNIX, which has been used for more than three decades that now powers about 90% of Web sites (Satyam). Compared to both Mac and Windows, Linux is an open source project, meaning anyone can modify the Linux Code (Satyam). Linux offers great security and flexibility compared to Windows and Mac, but it takes a great deal of knowledge to install and operate the Linux operating system. Linux is also very much less expensive or even free compared to Windows operating system. When using a server, Linux is much cheaper compared to Windows because Microsoft only allows only a single copy to be used on one computer. However, once Linux is purchased, it can be used on any number of computers at no additional charge (Satyam). Windows can make it difficult for users to store user information and settings and switch to a new computer, but Linux stores the user’s data in the home directory, making it easier to transfer from an old to a new computer (Satyam). In conclusion, Linux is much more secure, reliable, flexible, and more cost efficient than Windows or Mac, but much more difficult to install, understand and operate, it is ideal for industry sectors. Windows and Mac operating systems are much easier for personal use and require less knowledge than Linux operating system. Windows and Mac, however, are more expensive, but are more widely used than Linux, with Windows leading the three in popularity. References Shelly, G. B., Vermaat, M. E. (2011). Discovering Computers 2011: Living in a Digital World, Complete (pp. 398-408). Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning. Satyam. (2011, June 29). Windows, Linux or Mac OS A Comparison. In HackDigital. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Google.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Impact of Changes to Baby Milk Prices

Impact of Changes to Baby Milk Prices Introduction The article â€Å"Parents want milk for babies to be made a price controlled item† states the price of baby milk are getting higher and higher day by day and many parents can’t buy those expensive baby milk products so parents have to switch to the alternative products but as they are cheaper and because of that its cause diseases to the babies. So now those parents want government to take apart to fulfil their problem. Micro Economics Law of Demand When the price of any product increase then the quantity demanded will decrease Law of Supply When the price of any product Increase then quantity supplied will increase. According to the article, the price of the baby milk has been increased by the manufacturer in order to gain more profit, which result in quantity decreased. The effect is known as Law of demand. Additionally, customers are shifting to the alternative goods, which shift the demand curve of the alternative goods to rightward. This is known as Substitute effect which describe as follows; Substitute effect: The substitution effect states that an increase in the price of a product will urge buyers to purchase elective products. The substitution effect measures the amount the higher cost encourage buyers to use different products, assume the same level of income. However customers can’t afford the higher price for the baby milk, so there is an income effect on the quantity demanded, which lead the demand curve to leftward. In the context of economic theory, the income effect is the change in an individuals or economys income and how that change will impact the quantity demanded of a good or service. The relationship between income and the quantity demanded is a positive one, as income increases, so does the quantity of goods and services demanded. Other than the demand has a few progressions, even the supply will have a few changes as well. Suppliers will never do a business without picking up high benefit, so it satisfies the law of supply that when other things remain constant, the higher the price of goods, the more quantity supplied. . A price ceiling might be connected to make it illicit to charge a price above the specified amount. The price ceiling ought to be underneath the Equilibrium price so that to guarantee it can bring out the effects needed. This will verify that all legal transactions occurring will be at a price at or underneath the price ceiling. By actualizing a price ceiling for baby milk, parents can then buy baby milk at a lower price and will probably prompt expanded demand. Meanwhile, supply could be relied upon to drop as suppliers will be unwilling to supply a high amount at a lower cost. Hence, deficiency will happen and it will be represented to by a gap between quantity demanded and quantity supplied. Be that as it may it will benefit parents who are not able to buy baby milk at first. An alternate choice is that the government present subsidies for baby milk items. By presenting subsidies, the government can drive down the price for baby milk in the business sector. This happens as the introduction of subsidies move the supply curve to the right. This expands the quantity supplied and diminishes the price for baby milk. However, this method likewise has its repercussions as the government may cause more expenses as it gives subsidies to the item. In the event that the government set the value higher than the equilibrium price, it will additionally cause issue which is surplus of the baby milk. Surplus is the quantity supplied of the good surpasses the quantity demanded for the goods. Thusly, government cant set the price excessively low or excessively high which will result in enormous issues to customers and suppliers. As I would like to think, this issue is happening on the grounds that baby milk is considered as an inelastic item. This implies that regardless of the fact that the price of baby milk is high, individuals will even now need to purchase them. Some may contend that parents can select less expensive baby milk products, how many parents would really take risk and conceivably hurting the development of their own child? This is the reason baby milk is impressively inelastic. So this demonstrates that baby milk has quite weak substitutes making it inelastic. An alternate test that can demonstrate that baby milk is inelastic is to see the extent of income used on child milk. So due to this, numerous business firms comprehend that when they increase the price of baby milk, they can build their aggregate income. Most firms are smart enough to understand that reducing price for inelastic items will just imply that they will make less profit. Since, price of baby milk wont be going lower whenev er soon, it is just consistent that parents request a price ceiling to be forced. Conclusion Baby milk is a paramount item in the market and wields extraordinary impact on the development of the future generation. Hence, the government ought to do something inside their capacity to guarantee that parents can afford the price of quality baby milk products for their children. The most proficient path for the government to do so would be to introduce subsidies in the market for baby milk. This exertion will be the most great and expand the prosperity of children across the country, at the expenses of the need to distribute resources to fund the subsidy. Contrasted with a price ceiling which has numerous inefficiencies, subsidies has significantly more benefits. Executing subsidies will be the best approach with the goal that each child can delight in fitting development in this extremely imperative phase of their lives. References: Parents want milk for babies to be made a price controlled item October 6, 2012  http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2012/10/06/Parents-want-milk-for-babies-to-be-made-a-price-controlled-item/ Income Substitution effect Tejvan R Pettinger  http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/glossary/income-substitution-effect/ Price Ceilings B. Taylor, 2006  http://economics.fundamentalfinance.com/price-ceiling.php Article Parents want milk for babies to be made a price controlled item KUALA LUMPUR: Parents are urging the government to consider making baby formula a controlled item in order to curb recent price hikes. They are concerned that the manufacturers increase in prices would cause lower income parents to choose the cheapest and lowest quality milk in the market which would jeopardise their babies growth. A mother of two, housewife Azila Awaludin, 35, expressed her concern over the volatile prices of the products lately. My husband doesnt earn much and Im forced to choose the cheapest milk for my baby, she told Bernama. Father of one, Al-Hafiz Jaamat Wok, 27, felt the government needed to play a bigger role in controlling the hike in baby formula prices. The government should subsidise baby milk and not take this issue lightly as many parents are not able to cope with the extra expenses now, he said. Wan Norasikin Abdul Cader, 42, who is a babysitter, said she had to spend an extra RM200 monthly just on baby formula alone. Supermarkets usually offer promotions on other items but never for baby formula, she added. Meanwhile, a Jalan Kasipillay mini market owner, K. Sathiah, 43, explained that people were buying less baby formula since prices started going up recently. Most people have to choose the cheapest milk and we have to sell it lower than the suppliers set prices. I hope the government can do something to control the situation, he said. A media report on Friday said that some baby formula manufacturers had increased prices up to RM15 per kg in the past two weeks and others would follow suit soon. It also quoted Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as saying the government did not control the prices of baby formula. Bernama

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Communications Decency Act :: essays research papers fc

The Communications Decency Act The U.S. Government should not attempt to place restrictions on the internet. The Internet does not belong to the United States and it is not our responsibility to save the world, so why are we attempting to regulate something that belongs to the world? The Telecommunications Reform Act has done exactly that, put regulations on the Internet. Edward Cavazos quotes William Gibson says, "As described in Neuromancer, Cyberspace was a consensual hallucination that felt and looked like a physical space but actually was a computer-generated construct representing abstract data." (1) When Gibson coined that phrase he had no idea that it would become the household word that it is today. "Cyberspace now represents a vast array of computer systems accessible from remote physical locations." (Cavazos 2) The Internet has grown explosively over the last few years. "The Internet's growth since its beginnings in 1981. At that time, the number of host systems was 213 machines. At the time of this writing, twelve years later, the number has jumped to 1,313,000 systems connecting directly to the Internet." (Cavazos 10) "Privacy plays a unique role in American law." (Cavazos 13) Privacy is not explicitly provided for in the Constitution, yet most of the Internet users remain anonymous. Cavazos says, "Computers and digital communication technologies present a serious challenge to legislators and judges who try to meet the demands of economic and social change while protecting this most basic and fundamental personal freedom." Networks and the Internet make it easy for anyone with the proper equipment to look at information based around the world instantly and remain anonymous. "The right to conduct at least some forms of speech activity anonymously has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court." (Cavazos 15) In cyberspace it is extremely uncommon for someone to use their given name to conduct themselves, but rather they use pseudonyms or "Handles". (Cavazos 14) Not only is it not illegal to use handles on most systems, but the sysop (System Operator) does not have to allow anyone access to his data files on who is the person behind the handle. Some sysops make the information public, or give the option to the user, or don't collect the information at all. The Internet brings forth many new concerns regarding crime and computers. With movies like Wargames, and more recently Hackers, becoming popular, computer crime is being blown out of proportion. "The word Hacker conjures up a vivid image in the popular media." (Cavazos 105) There are many types of computer crime that fall under the umbrella of "Hacking". Cavazos says, "In 1986 Congress passed a comprehensive federal law outlawing many of the activities

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Random Student Drug Testing (RSDT) Essay -- School Drug Testing Progra

What is drug testing? Drug testing is an examination of biologic material such as urine, hair, saliva, or sweat to detect the presence of specific drugs and determine prior drug use. Student random drug testing programs, RSDT, is increasingly common (Edwards). RSDT can help identify the students who are already abusing illicit drugs. Yet most schools only drug test the students, when they should also be drug testing the teachers and staff. Illicit drug use interferes with the ability to learn, affects other students learning and disrupts the teaching environment (Random). Although drug testing at first glance seems like a good idea, it may not be the best decision for every circumstance. Drug testing in high schools will not do very much good. It will cause use in other drugs and create more problems with alternative uses and more sneaky behavior. Drug testing does not prevent drug abuse or stop them from doing it. It usually just pushes them into harsher drugs or into unfamiliar situations. There have been many changes in today’s school systems to help prevent drug use in their students other than drug testing alone. They have introduced a zero tolerance policy. In schools, common zero-tolerance policies concern possession or use of drugs or weapons. Students, and sometimes staff, parents, and other visitors, who possess a banned item for any reason, are always to be punished. They have also introduced metal detectors, sniff dogs, and camera systems. The zero tolerance policy has proven to reduce the presence of these things on school property but doesn’t prevent them outside the walls of the schools. So how do we keep student’s drug free outside of the schools. There are moral aspects of drug testing the student body... ...ext. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. Yamaguchi, Ryoko.†Relationship Between Student and Illicit Drug Use and School†. Student Drug Testing.org. 2003. PDF File. Yamaguchi, Ryoko. â€Å"Drug Testing in Schools: Policies, Practices, and Association With Student Drug Use†. Drug Policy.org. 2003. PDF File.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Characters of Bless the Beasts and the Children :: essays research papers

Bless the Beasts and the Children is a book about six naà ¯ve, immature boys who are sent away from their parents to The Boys Canyon Boys Camp where they are known as the 'Bed Wetters' and are considered the outcasts. Glendon Swarthout uses symbolism to show weakness and vulnerability in the characters and to fulfill the purpose of the novel. The radios symbolize the fear that the boys experience, at the beginning of the novel each one of the bedwetters has their radio going full blast. They use the radios when they are scared, like at night before they go to sleep to comfort them. The boys are neglected by their parents and the radios make them feel that something is there for them when they are afraid because their parents never are. My first character is Lally 2, a quiet insecure eleven year old boy. His parents neglect him and his brother doesn?t care about him and he gets a feeling of hopelessness and loneliness. He has low self esteem because of his parents absence in his life, but he shows a lot of compassion to others. He turns to the Ooms, creatures in the sauna, for comfort, he feels that they are the only ones he can talk to and trust. When he is at camp, he runs away and takes his radio with him so that he doesn?t feel alone. My second character is Laurence Teft, a shy, scrawny defiant fourteen-year-old boy. Teft is overwhelmed by his parents high standards for him that he seems to almost always fail to meet. He feels as though he is always disappointing his parents and becomes very angry, then he expresses his frustration violently. He is starved for attention, even if it is negative attention, and breaks the rules to get it, his criminal behavior ends up helping the bedwetters in their scheme. My third character is Sammy Shecker, the son of a rich and famous New York comedian. Shecker is unsatisfied living in his father?s shadow and thinks that if he is funny like his father, he will be accepted amongst his peer, so he unsuccessfully tries to be humorous to hide his inner pain.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Fertilizer Recommendation Based on Soil Chemical Analysis in Caco

SUMMARY Fertilization Recommendations Based on Soil Chemical Analysis Cacao farm folk (Theobroma cacao L. ) in South Sulawesi, North Luwu, Reski Nur Fatimah AM * K4120787, 2010. 50 pages, Based on Guidance, PU: Ir. Abdul Madjid, MP ** and DPA: Ir. Sugiyarto, MP ***, Department of Agribusiness Management from the State Polytechnic of Jember. One of the biggest areas of cocoa farmers in Indonesia, North Luwu. One of the important problems in the cultivation of cocoa is fertilization.Lack of fertilizer recommendation, especially in the cocoa plantation owned by the people affected by the lack of soil fertility. The purpose of this research is to provide information to cocoa farmers, especially cocoa farmers of the people residing in North Luwu on fertilizer recommendation in accordance with chemical analysis of soil fertilization activities do so more effectively and efficiently. Thus, soil fertility County North luwu increased and so did their cocoa production. Method p|Indonesian to E nglish (Alternative 2)| Recommendation SUMMARY of fertilisers, soil chemical analysis Gardens Cocoa (Theobroma cacao l. ) People in North Luwu, South Sulawesi Reski Noor Fatima m. * K4120787, 2010. 50 pages, under the direction, MPW: IR. Abdul Majid, MP ** and DPA: Il. Sugiyarto, Deputy of ***, Department of agribusiness management from State Polytechnic of Jember. One of the largest areas of cocoa farmers in Indonesia, North Luwu. An important problem in cocoa cultivation of fertilizer.Lack of fertilizer recommendations, especially in the cocoa plantations refers to people who suffered from the lack of soil fertility. The aim of this study is to provide information for farmers in cocoa, cocoa farmers especially people living in North Luwu fertilizer recommendations in accordance with the chemical analysis of soil fertilizer do so more efficiently and effectively. Thus, soil district North luwu grew and so did his cocoa. Method r| Indonesian to English (Alternative 3)| Recommendatio ns of fertilization summary based on chemical soil gardens cocoa analysis (Theobroma cacao l. people in the North of South Sulawesi Luwu, Reski Nur Fatima AM * K4120787, 2. 010,50 page, under the direction, Ministry of public works: Madjid Ir. Abdul, MP * and DPA: go. Sugiyarto, MP * Department of management of agribusiness of the State Polytechnic Jember. One of the largest areas of Indonesia North Luwu cocoa farmers. A major problem in the cultivation of cocoa is fertilization. The lack of recommendation of fertilizers, especially in the cocoa plantations belonging to people affected by the lack of soil fertility.This research aims to provide information to farmers in cocoa, especially farmers in cocoa of residents in North Luwu recommendation fertilizers in accordance with the chemical analysis of soil fertilization activities make it more effective and efficient. Therefore, the North County soil fertility luwu increase as its cocoa production. Method p| Indonesian to English (Al ternative 1)| Training methods including soil sampling people's cocoa plantation in North Luwu and direct interviews with farmers, then do the analysis of N, P, K, BO, CEC, pH, BV in soil samples in the laboratory soil State Polytechnic of Jember.Determine fertilizer recommendation based on soil analysis samples. Results of analysis and recommendations can be concluded that: (1) soil chemical properties in the cocoa plantations of the people is less ideal for the ideal cocoa plantation (2) Availability of soil nutrients in cocoa plantations of the people in North Luwu relatively very low (3) Recommendation fertilization of cocoa in accordance with the results Chemical analysis of soil for production may be optimal.Keywords: Recommendation, fertilization, Soil Chemical Analysis, North Luwu, People's Cocoa Plantation, Soil Fertility, Nutrition. * Students ** Cacao Agribusiness Concentration lecturer at the Polytechnic of Jember *** The teaching staff at the State Polytechnic of Jember | Indonesian to English (Alternative 2)| Implementation methods include sampling soil the cocoa plantations of popular in North Luwu and direct interviews with farmers, then make the analysis of N, P, K, Bo, CEC, pH, BV in soil samples in laboratory soil State Polytechnic of Jember.Define fertilizer recommendations are based on soil sampling analysis results. Analysis and recommendations, it can be concluded that: (1) chemical properties of soil on the cocoa plantations of people less ideal for cocoa plantations are ideal (2) the availability of nutrients in the soil the cocoa estates of people in North Luwu relatively very low (3) Recommendation fertilization cocoa, in accordance with the results of chemical analysis of soil for production may be optimal.Keywords: recommendations, fertilizers, chemical analysis of soils, North Luwu, cocoa plantations, soil, nutrients. * Students * Cocoa agribusiness Concentration of the Faculty of the Polytechnic of Jember *** teachers in State Pol ytechnical University of Jember| Indonesian to English (Alternative 3)| Methods include the exercise of sampling of soil the cocoa plantations in North Luwu and direct interviews with farmers, and then make an analysis of N, P, K, BO, CCA, pH, BV in soil samples in the laboratory of soil Jember State Polytechnic.Determine the recommendation of fertilizers based on the results of analysis of the soil samples. The results of the analysis and recommendations can be concluded that: (1) the chemical properties of soil in people cocoa plantations is less ideal for cocoa plantations are ideal (2) the availability of nutrients in farms of ground cocoa of the people in the North relatively very low Luwu (3) recommendations fertilization cocoa, according to the results of chemical analysis of soil for the production may be optimal.Keywords: recommendation, fertilization, chemical analysis of soil, North Luwu, cocoa plantations, the fertility of the soil, Popular nutrients. * * Cocoa concentra tion agribusiness Jember polytechnic education students * teachers in the Polytechnic School of the State of Jember|

Mr. Burns as Scrooge of Springfield

In the history of modern popular culture, there have been few American satires as influential and successful as the animated television show, The Simpsons.   With Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and baby Maggie living in the everytown of Springfield, U.S.A., they find themselves in many situations common to most Americans, including being under the rule of ruthless corporate raiders like Charles Montgomery Burns.As owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Mr. Burns displays all the characteristics of a classic egoist, though his satirical portrayal takes many of the attributes and accentuates them to the point of ridiculousness.   Mr. Burns shows absolutely no charitable tendencies, is concerned solely with money and power, and cares little for anyone other than himself, which makes him anything but a relativist or utilitarian, but seems to make him more of an ethical egoist.Mr. Burns is a corporate raider, characterized on the show as being over a century old, putting him amongst the original robber barons.   The character himself is actually based on an amalgam of media magnate William Randolph Hearst and his fictional counterpart Charles Foster Kane, both characters that focused solely on their power and how to use and enhance it.   In The Simpsons, almost every story concerning Mr. Burns includes his blatant disregard for anyone else other than himself and his own interests.One of the most obvious depictions of Burns’ ethics comes in the two-part episode called â€Å"Who Shot Mr. Burns?†Ã‚   In the episode, oil is discovered beneath Springfield Elementary School, and the school seems poised to get a windfall of money from the discovery.   This will allow the terribly dilapidated and underfunded school to make many improvements in every aspect of the curriculum.   However, Mr. Burns discovers the oil and creates a slant drilling company that will draw the oil up from an angle, in the process destroying the Springfield Retirement Home and making the popular Moe’s Tavern uninhabitable for humans.   In addition to alienating the school, destroying the retirement home, and putting Moe’s out of business, Mr. Burns also fails to remember the name of his decade-long employee, Homer Simpson.His selfishness and self-absorption have managed to anger just about everyone in town, though he is only concerned with making more money and becoming even more powerful.   He finally reveals his grand scheme to his loyal assistant Waylon Smithers, which is to build a giant device that will block out the sun in Springfield and require all the citizens in town to use electricity from his plant twenty-four hours a day.   He even feels so good that he wants to steal candy from a baby.When his loyal assistant objects, Burns quickly fires him, never realizing that Smithers’ life desire was merely to work for Mr. Burns.   Burns is blind to everything and everyone, and he finally succeeds at blocking out the su n, incurring the anger of everyone in town.   It is when he celebrates his victory he is shot by an unknown assailant, who after a cliffhanger, is revealed to be baby Maggie Simpson as he attempts to steal her candy and subsequently shot by his own gun (â€Å"Who Shot Mr. Burns?†).While the over three-hundred episodes of The Simpsons have many instances of Mr. Burns making ethically questionable decisions in the name of money and power, this episode remains one of the most famous and obvious examples of his selfishness.   To Burns, nothing is as important as his business success, and this is the single factor dictating his ethics and his actions.   Burns’ morality bleeds into every aspect of his life outside of business, though to him there are no other concerns than business.Morality and ethics are important to every aspect of human life, including in business, and many ethical theorists have sought to understand the extent of morality and the duty that individu als and organizations have to other individuals and organizations.   Though no laws of morality or ethics have been established, there are four core concepts presented by ethical theorists: ethical relativism, which espouses that ethics is a question of individual choice and preference; impartiality, which suggests that humans should treat each other as equals where none count more than others; sympathy, which is the imaginative ability to put oneself in another’s shoes; and moral sufficiency, which seeks to answer just how much moral decency is reasonably possible (Gibson 62-63).In business matters, these issues and the questions they pose are even greater, as businesses have the potential to create great benefit for others, or do them great harm, all the while trying to maximize profit and retain success.   Mr. Burns is far from an ethical relativist, for he shows no concern for the benefit of others.   In fact, he takes joy out of creating misery for others, as long as their misery is profitable to him.   He assumes responsibility for his actions without shame, and feels no remorse if anyone is hurt.   After all, one of his greatest desires was to take candy from a baby, for no other reason than he could.In the essay, â€Å"Thinking Ethically,† the authors attempt to apply various ethical approaches to moral issues in business, which could apply to Mr. Burns’ actions.   One of the first and most widely known approaches is the utilitarian approach, which seeks to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of individuals.   The way to analyze the utilitarian approach is to identify the various course of action available, ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits and harms will come from them, and choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and least harm (Velasquez 64).Mr. Burns, if anything, purposefully contradicts this mode of action, as he derives pleasure in the misery of those he va nquishes in the name of greater profit and power, even if these people are innocent.   Another ethical approach is the Rights Approach, which espouses that an action is moral as long as it falls within the moral rights of an individual, while the Fairness or Justice Approach which states that favoritism and discrimination are wrong.The Common Good Approach focuses on ensuring that social policies, social systems, institutions, and environments on which we depend are beneficial to all; the Virtue Approach assumes that there are certain ideals towards which humans should strive, which provide for the full development of humanity (66).   By approaching situations of ethical ambiguity with these theories, one has a better chance of choosing the correct mode of action.   For Burns, all of these ethical approaches are not applicable, for he fails to ever consider how his actions may affect anyone else negatively.Or, when he does think about it, he gets pleasure in being able to impo se his power to the point where he can bring misery to others through his actions, as in his celebration after blotting out the sun despite the protests of everyone in the entire town, including his closest supporter Smithers.In Donelson Forsyth’s article, â€Å"Judging the Morality of Business Practices: The Influence of Personal Moral Philosophies,† he examines the ways business leaders approach ethical relativism and how it does not need to necessarily defeat the moral enterprise.   However, to someone like Mr. Burns, ethics are nothing more than an afterthought, while the bottom line is the only thing that matters.While studies have suggested the impact of relativism and idealism on moral judgment and behavior depends on the nature of the social institution, individual differences in personal moral philosophy suggests that humans will most likely never reach the ideal of complete agreement, but can aim for a fuller understanding of one’s own and othersâ₠¬â„¢ reactions to various types of business practices (Forsyth 75).   In the case of Burns, he only agrees and appreciates with those that share his views on profiteering and power, even though he remains skeptical and suspicious of every threat; and he considers virtually everybody a threat to his wealth and power.This is why, despite having more money than anyone in town and never being able to spend it all, all the instances when Mr. Burns is asked to contribute even a little of his money to help someone else, he vehemently rejects the request.   This has been seen many times in the show, from Homer asking for help with a sick dog to a girl scout trying to sell Mr. Burns cookies only to have him â€Å"release the hounds† on her.Mr. Burns greed and complete lack of charity display his true nature as an ethical egoist.   In Peter Singer’s article, â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty,† the author proposes that if people in affluent countries like th e United States donated a small portion of their money that would normally be spent on luxury items, then the money can be used to help out poverty stricken peoples around the world.He uses examples of how this can be done, by citing the costs incurred by someone who buys a new television merely to upgrade from an older one.   He claims that if this money was donated to such charities as Unicef or Oxfam America that it would do a greater deal of good for the most possible people, thereby having the greatest utility value.   By choosing to buy the television and not donate the money, Singer feels that a person is making a questionable moral decision, even though few in the situation actually feel this way.Singer uses a more provocative hypothetical example of a man named Bob, who has an uninsurable classic car that he will sell to insure that he has money for his retirement.   In the situation, Bob is forced to make a decision as a train bears down on his car and a little boy; Bob has a choice whether to save the boy or the car, but not both, and Bob chooses the car and lets the boy die.   While this dramatic example seems to highlight the undesirable attributes of self-interest, Singer claims that the â€Å"difference between Bob and those who can afford to donate to overseas aid organizations but don't is that only Bob can save the child on the tracks, whereas there are hundreds of millions of people who can give $200 to overseas aid organization† (Singer).By Singer’s logic, those that are not donating to these organizations are committing an act similar to the one performed by Bob.   Mr. Burns would not only laugh at such a concept, but would relish the fact that anyone asking for help would be suffering.   If in the same situation, he would most certainly save the car, and most likely praise Bob for saving his car, before figuring out a way to get the car from Bob for himself.Mr. Burns utilizes his power to inflict his will upon ot hers, and only respects those who do the same.   As, all humans are born with free will, the decision to be charitable or uncharitable rests within that freedom.   The German Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant contributed much to the Western discussion of ethics and free will, and his conception of freedom and virtue are reasoned by â€Å"the critical distinction of the two modes of representation (the sensible and the intellectual) and the consequent limitation of the conceptions of the pure understanding and of the principles which flow from them† (Kant).Kant attempts to distinguish between the empirical and rational conceptions of free will and how it influences virtue, questioning whether freedom is the independent choices of free will or merely the practical reaction to circumstance and causality.   To this end, Kantianism is highly dependent upon reason to figure out the proper decision concerning virtue, and his ethics rely on obligation to reason more than emotions or goals.   Thus, the Kantian approach to donation and charity would be the duty of those that have the means to donate.   Burns would patently disagree.   Most certainly, Mr. Burns is an ethical egoist.Ethical egoism is a philosophical practice that encourages individuals to pursue their own self-interests.   While it is idealistic to think of helping unknown masses with one’s own hard earned money, it is also naà ¯ve to think that people should feel obligated to do so.   A person who works hard to make money to buy fine things is entitled to those things.   Just because a person is successful and can afford luxury items does not mean that they are obligated to help strangers because it serves some sort of utilitarian purpose.   If anything, much of this altruism merely perpetuates a cycle in which those who are poor become accustomed to the aid of those who are not.   If they pursued their own self-interests, they would be better able to rise above their own struggles and create a successful world for themselves.Ethical egoism is not entirely without the concept of helping others, however it focuses not on people that an individual will never meet, but the people in his or her life and those that the person loves and touches personally.   If one’s family is in trouble and one possesses the ability to give assistance, this is in the individual’s best interest, as it will lead to happiness.   However, for an extreme example like Mr. Burns, there is no one that he wishes to help, save for the occasional cute pet or his old stuffed teddy bear.   Mr. Burns is a classic example of an ethical egoist, and no one should expect him to do anything for anyone other than himself.   And, in the twenty years that The Simpsons have been on television, he has done nothing but loyally follow his ethical egoist values.Works Cited:Forsyth, Donelson R.. â€Å"Judging the Morality of Business Practices: The Influence of Pers onalMoral Philosophies.† Business Ethics: People, Profits, and the Planet. Ed. Kevin Gibson. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2005. 67-76.Gibson, Kevin. â€Å"The Theoretical Backdrop of Business Ethics.† Business Ethics: People, Profits,and the Planet. Ed. Kevin Gibson. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2005. 61-63.Kant, Immanuel. The Critique Of Pure Reason. Ed. J. M. D. Meiklejohn. 1781. eserver.org. 4Apr 2008. ;http://philosophy.eserver.org/kant/critique-of-pure-reason.txt;.Velasquez, Manuel, ; Claire Andre, Tomas Shanks, S.J., and Michael J. Meyer. â€Å"ThinkingEthically: A Framework for Moral Decision Making.† Business Ethics: People, Profits, and the Planet. Ed. Kevin Gibson. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities, 2005. 64-67.Singer, Peter. â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty.† The New York Times Magazine. 5 Sep1999; pp. 60-63. Utilitarian Philosophers. 4 Apr 2008. ;http://www.utilitarian.net/singer/by/19990905.htm;â€Å"Who Shot Mr. Burns?â₠¬  The Simpsons. Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. 20th Century Fox. 21May 1995.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Form Follows Profit

001.png"/>Many people don’t gain how difficult it can be to plan something. Particularly constructing, this is why architect’s occupation isn’t easy. The massing and overall design of the edifice is influenced by figure of different factors and how of import they are differs for each design. I would wish to foreground the most of import 1s, and highlight which one of them cross mention rather frequently.As Richard Rogers said â€Å"signifier follows net income, and this is aesthetic rule of our times† , unluckily this is chief factor impacting the design and all the other procedures in architecture. Although it’s non the lone 1. Other illustration is frequently on the really beginning of the undertaking – the site. Size constellation, topography this has immense impact on design. Sometimes we can alter somewhat topography, but site form would be more of an issue. Often in utmost instances this becomes the plus of finalised undertaking, like i t happened in Tokyo undertaking â€Å"A life with big opening† frequently called â€Å"gap house† designed by ONDESIGN.Following factor is frequently one of the most influential in good and besides in the bad manner. These are and include figure of people, get downing from client all the manner to vicinity, which sometimes influences the design. Probably one of most of import stakeholders is user/client, they frequently provide driving force for the design. As they may be personally involved in procedure of design and so building. Possibly the best illustration of this could be STAMP HOUSEdesigned by Charles Wright Architects. This undertaking in was directed and influence by assorted factor of which the most ambitious was client, that desired C impersonal, off-grid architectural statement that would be: â€Å"new face of tropical architecture† . Efficaciously this peculiar undertaking was as extremely influenced by client’s debut of environmental design. Final design was to minimalize impact on environment ( as client requested ) , so that ecosystem around it would non be affected. Therefore architect’s had to work really closely with experts and assorted administrations. Efficaciously this lead to zero C undertaking that is flat 5 cyclone cogent evidence and hence classed as a cyclone shelter, to boot it’s inundation cogent evidence and wouldn’t suffer from any natural catastrophe as it uses on sight solar panels and rain H2O collected in 25000 liters armored combat vehicle that is besides located on the site. Another really influential stakeholders are neighbours and community groups. They frequently consequence non merely design but besides whether edifice will be completed or non. Good illustration could be found in Manchester where populace waspicketing building of new Manchester Metropolitan University campus edifice, the site chosen by MMU has antecedently been picketed by same group of people and that w as likely what caused investing to neglect. This clip it was different partly due to professional mode of architect’s, MMU and local authorities. Although as many people claim the chief function in this instance was played by another influential and sometimes criticalfactor – economic position. As the economic crisis emerged rate of investing started drastically falling down, MMU used this fact to derive planning permission for Birley Fields proposal and convince governments and occupants. This merely reinforces and relates back to celebrated Rogers quotation mark â€Å"Form follows net income, is the aesthetic rule of our times† . This briefly mentioned local authorities as they are stakeholder stand foring local and public involvements. They are frequently chief organic structure that appoints people to guarantee, that edifice at it concluding phase is safe to utilize. Which evidently needs to be considered and included during design phase. Unfortunately non e verything could be predictedlike 9/11 terrorist onslaught. Although authorities and interior decorators with applied scientists do their really best to forestall similar catastrophes from go oning. Thisincludes meeting and exciding edifice ordinances, fireordinances and many more. These besides comparatively strongly influences the design. Number of people work to do certain edifice is safe the most of import and influential of which is applied scientist or squad of applied scientists. They do all the difficult computations, and this is what they have done in instance of WTC. Architects and applied scientists jointly admitted that they designed World Trade Center to defy air plane hit. Although it was impossible foredifice to manage this with so intense fire inside it. This leads me to another factor that strongly influences design that makes it possibleand functional. Even greatest edifice on the Earth without sufficient services and construction to back up it– is a catastro phe. This is why applied scientist and sometimes M & A ; E engineer consequence design. Often particularly in large undertakings architect and structural applied scientist work in coaction to make concluding design. This is development from the sentence said by Louis Sullivan about his new Wainwright Building – â€Å"form follows function† . Even if designer and applied scientist work near together they are frequently limited by building methods and procedures, like it about happened with Beetham Tower in Manchester. The design caused a batch of difference on how and whether it would be possible to safely build four-metre cantilever which is definite land grade in Manchester’s skyline. Frank Lloyd Wright found similar job when he proposed Mile High Illinois which was proposed in 1956 and ne'er been built, merely because building methods wouldn’t allow it so and perchance even now it could be disputing to build this proposed edifice. Although this sho uldn’t be a ground non to plan it there are figure of undertakings that has been designed and either non construct or changed during building because this coordination between designer and applied scientist wasn’t successful. Similar cooperation would be good between M & A ; E applied scientist and designers. Although services that M & A ; E is taking attention of frequently are non of peculiarly of import at the design phase and hence sometimes they tend to be pushed to blank box where they should be placed or they non even included at all. Unfortunately this is frequently non adequate topographic point and extremelyeffects aesthetics of inside. This wasn’t instance in Pompidou Centre in Paris where all the services are on the external facade and therefore services engineer strongly effected or really created the visual aspect of this edifice. This advanced design created really industrial visual aspect, besides its good topographic point to gain how many services and work goes into parts of edifice that are normally hidden. Possibly concealing all this causes people to believe anyone can construct a edifice and name itarchitecture – and this is wrong. Another act uponing factor is decidedly sustainability. This factor is more and more frequently mentioned in client’s demands as its good for PR. Although due to planetary heating and heat island consequence more and more government’s and governments include some signifier of sustainability in their edifice ordinances. And hence it’s decidedly outside of architect’s influence. Although sometimes this every bit good as other limitations allow great designs to be created and to emerge, likewise like it was with Pompidou Centre with services, they allowed it to be great edifice. Often sustainability of the edifice doesn’t cause immense consequence on the design, although it has to be considered from the start. Another strongly influential fac tor that I would wish to advert is clip. As we know ‘time is money’ this is what Benjamin Franklin said, and it’s still valid. Different people need speedy design for figure of different grounds. No affair of ground this influences the design. It may be that because designer demand to complete design really rapidly and he can’t polish all the. It could be that person works truly good under force per unit area and hence concluding design may come out brightly. In most instances where clip is of import factor client decide to utilize unconventional edifice procedure called ‘Design and Build’ this means that building starts every bit shortly as architect creates rough form. That causes that some of the inside informations can’t be changed as they may already been built. This isn’t something new, it’s go oning for long clip, one of best illustrations is Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, this Roman Catholic basilica designed by des igner Antoni Gaudi , building started in 1882, this is 122 old ages ago, and it’s still nonfinished. This wouldn’t be possible without this building method, and hopefully if finished in 2028 as current estimations show it would be decidedly one of the longest building processes in the history. As seeable on exposure above it’s non surprising, because as its being build, the attending to the inside informations and the beauty of building is at the highest possible degree. Other influential factor that in my sentiment is cardinal is the map. The function of designer is to happen the solution for many, sometimes really difficult jobs. This is what in my sentiment defines good designer. It’s non merely how ‘pretty’ the edifice is, or how tall, it’s about how good architect or even designer thought about possible issues and how he solved it. Otherwise edifice is merely – a caducous. Functional but without idea putted into it, althoug ht because â€Å"form follows function† or at least it should, the design supposed to reenforce the map, and decidedly non to travel against it. This is what many people claim that has happened in instance of Vitra Fire Station designed by Zaha Hadid, even though she is great designer, specific to herdesign manner. As many people claim, the sculptural fanciness of interior decorator caused edifice to be non functional as fire station and had to be handed over, and now it’s â€Å"used for exhibitions and events and continues to be one of the high spots on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein.† And I’m non challenging fact that it’s evidently architectural high spot of the country. Although it’s decidedly in its design more suited for exhibition country instead than fire station, because in instance of fire it was difficult for fire engine rapidly go forth, to the extent that some people called it unsafe. And hence I think it’s of import t o make great designs, but non to bury about primary demands of the topographic point, even mill or storage edifices could be architectural statement non merely a edifice.There are many, many more factors that affect architectural designs all over the planet. Some more and other less, it all depends on client, and state of affairs that the edifice is being construct, nevertheless decidedly most of import and most influential is map followed by site, money and the client.Mention:Shoebox home. 23 Oct 2012. House in a Gap. [ Online ] . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //shoeboxdwelling.com/2012/10/23/house-in-a-gap/ [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Ondesign. Unknown. A life with big gap. [ Online ] . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ondesign.co.jp/english/works/062/ # workTitle [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Oxford Dictionaries. Unknown. Oxford English Dictionary – stakeholder. [ Online ] . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/stakeholder [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Charles Wright Architects, Unknown. Stamp house publication. [ Online ] . Available at: ww.wrightarchitects.com.au/projects-2/contact/stamp-house/ [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Manchester Evening News, 26 Feb 2011, Revealed: New programs for Manchester Metropolitan University’s new Hulme campus. [ Online ] . Available at: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Manchester Metropolitan University. Unknown. Birley Fields campus publication. [ Online ] . Available at: www.mmu.ac.uk/birleyfields [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] 9/11 Blogger. 21 Feb 2007. What the World Trade Center Building Designers Said: Before and After 9/11. [ Online ] . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.prisonplanet.com/articles/february2007/210207designers.htm [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] History, 25 Jan 2001. Unknown. 911 Facts with Hero and Victim – interview with Frank DeMartini. [ Video on-line ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=zl1GfcD3KZ0 [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] World Trade Center. n.d. [ Image online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.photosup.biz/img/world-trade-center-new-york.html [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Beetham Tower. n.d. [ Image online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cityadvisor.info/blogPost.advisor? _escaped_fragment_=blogPost= @ 2482 [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Wainwright Building. n.d. [ Image online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.essential-architecture.com/STYLE/STY-Sullivanesque.htm [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Frank Lloyd Wright ‘s mile-high edifice. n.d. [ Image online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.wbez.org/blog/john-r-schmidt/2011-08-25/frank-lloyd-wrights-mile-high-building-90793 [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Gagnon, B. 20 Sep 2009. Sagrada Familia 01. [ Image online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File: Sagrada_Familia_01.jpg [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] SBA73. 21 Feb 2011. Sagrada Familia nave roof item. [ Image online ] Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File: Sagrada_Familia_nave_roof_detail.jpg [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Zaha Hadid. Unknown. Vitra Fire Station Publication. [ Online ] . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/vitra-fire-station [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Anniina Koivu. 11 Jun 2013. Happy Birthday Fire Station. [ Onilne ] . Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.vitra.com/en-gb/magazine/details/184799 [ Accessed: 22 Mar 2014 ] Form follows profit1200921975

Saturday, September 14, 2019

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty

Catelyn The eastern sky was rose and gold as the sun broke over the Vale of Arryn. Catelyn Stark watched the light spread, her hands resting on the delicate carved stone of the balustrade outside her window. Below her the world turned from black to indigo to green as dawn crept across fields and forests. Pale white mists rose off Alyssa's Tears, where the ghost waters plunged over the shoulder of the mountain to begin their long tumble down the face of the Giant's Lance. Catelyn could feel the faint touch of spray on her face. Alyssa Arryn had seen her husband, her brothers, and all her children slain, and yet in life she had never shed a tear. So in death, the gods had decreed that she would know no rest until her weeping watered the black earth of the Vale, where the men she had loved were buried. Alyssa had been dead six thousand years now, and still no drop of the torrent had ever reached the valley floor far below. Catelyn wondered how large a waterfall her own tears would make when she died. â€Å"Tell me the rest of it,† she said. â€Å"The Kingslayer is massing a host at Casterly Rock,† Ser Rodrik Cassel answered from the room behind her. â€Å"Your brother writes that he has sent riders to the Rock, demanding that Lord Tywin proclaim his intent, but he has had no answer. Edmure has commanded Lord Vance and Lord Piper to guard the pass below the Golden Tooth. He vows to you that he will yield no foot of Tully land without first watering it with Lannister blood.† Catelyn turned away from the sunrise. Its beauty did little to lighten her mood; it seemed cruel for a day to dawn so fair and end so foul as this one promised to. â€Å"Edmure has sent riders and made vows,† she said, â€Å"but Edmure is not the Lord of Riverrun. What of my lord father?† â€Å"The message made no mention of Lord Hoster, my lady.† Ser Rodrik tugged at his whiskers. They had grown in white as snow and bristly as a thornbush while he was recovering from his wounds; he looked almost himself again. â€Å"My father would not have given the defense of Riverrun over to Edmure unless he was very sick,† she said, worried. â€Å"I should have been woken as soon as this bird arrived.† â€Å"Your lady sister thought it better to let you sleep, Maester Colemon told me.† â€Å"I should have been woken,† she insisted. â€Å"The maester tells me your sister planned to speak with you after the combat,† Ser Rodrik said. â€Å"Then she still plans to go through with this mummer's farce?† Catelyn grimaced. â€Å"The dwarf has played her like a set of pipes, and she is too deaf to hear the tune. Whatever happens this morning, Ser Rodrik, it is past time we took our leave. My place is at Winterfell with my sons. If you are strong enough to travel, I shall ask Lysa for an escort to see us to Gulltown. We can take ship from there.† â€Å"Another ship?† Ser Rodrik looked a shade green, yet he managed not to shudder. â€Å"As you say, my lady.† The old knight waited outside her door as Catelyn summoned the servants Lysa had given her. If she spoke to her sister before the duel, perhaps she could change her mind, she thought as they dressed her. Lysa's policies varied with her moods, and her moods changed hourly. The shy girl she had known at Riverrun had grown into a woman who was by turns proud, fearful, cruel, dreamy, reckless, timid, stubborn, vain, and, above all, inconstant. When that vile turnkey of hers had come crawling to tell them that Tyrion Lannister wished to confess, Catelyn had urged Lysa to have the dwarf brought to them privately, but no, nothing would do but that her sister must make a show of him before half the Vale. And now this . . . â€Å"Lannister is my prisoner,† she told Ser Rodrik as they descended the tower stairs and made their way through the Eyrie's cold white halls. Catelyn wore plain grey wool with a silvered belt. â€Å"My sister must be reminded of that.† At the doors to Lysa's apartments, they met her uncle storming out. â€Å"Going to join the fool's festival?† Ser Brynden snapped. â€Å"I'd tell you to slap some sense into your sister, if I thought it would do any good, but you'd only bruise your hand.† â€Å"There was a bird from Riverrun,† Catelyn began, â€Å"a letter from Edmure . . . â€Å" â€Å"I know, child.† The black fish that fastened his cloak was Brynden's only concession to ornament. â€Å"I had to hear it from Maester Colemon. I asked your sister for leave to take a thousand seasoned men and ride for Riverrun with all haste. Do you know what she told me? The Vale cannot spare a thousand swords, nor even one, Uncle, she said. You are the Knight of the Gate. Your place is here.† A gust of childish laughter drifted through the open doors behind him, and her uncle glanced darkly over his shoulder. â€Å"Well, I told her she could bloody well find herself a new Knight of the Gate. Black fish or no, I am still a Tully. I shall leave for Riverrun by evenfall.† Catelyn could not pretend to surprise. â€Å"Alone? You know as well as I that you will never survive the high road. Ser Rodrik and I are returning to Winterfell. Come with us, Uncle. I will give you your thousand men. Riverrun will not fight alone.† Brynden thought a moment, then nodded a brusque agreement. â€Å"As you say. It's the long way home, but I'm more like to get there. I'll wait for you below.† He went striding off, his cloak swirling behind him. Catelyn exchanged a look with Ser Rodrik. They went through the doors to the high, nervous sound of a child's giggles. Lysa's apartments opened over a small garden, a circle of dirt and grass planted with blue flowers and ringed on all sides by tall white towers. The builders had intended it as a godswood, but the Eyrie rested on the hard stone of the mountain, and no matter how much soil was hauled up from the Vale, they could not get a weirwood to take root here. So the Lords of the Eyrie planted grass and scattered statuary amidst low, flowering shrubs. It was there the two champions would meet to place their lives, and that of Tyrion Lannister, into the hands of the gods. Lysa, freshly scrubbed and garbed in cream velvet with a rope of sapphires and moonstones around her milk-white neck, was holding court on the terrace overlooking the scene of the combat, surrounded by her knights, retainers, and lords high and low. Most of them still hoped to wed her, bed her, and rule the Vale of Arryn by her side. From what Catelyn had seen during her stay at the Eyrie, it was a vain hope. A wooden platform had been built to elevate Robert's chair; there the Lord of the Eyrie sat, giggling and clapping his hands as a humpbacked puppeteer in blue-and-white motley made two wooden knights hack and slash at each other. Pitchers of thick cream and baskets of blackberries had been set out, and the guests were sipping a sweet orange-scented wine from engraved silver cups. A fool's festival, Brynden had called it, and small wonder. Across the terrace, Lysa laughed gaily at some jest of Lord Hunter's, and nibbled a blackberry from the point of Ser Lyn Corbray's dagger. They were the suitors who stood highest in Lysa's favor . . . today, at least. Catelyn would have been hard-pressed to say which man was more unsuitable. Eon Hunter was even older than Jon Arryn had been, half-crippled by gout, and cursed with three quarrelsome sons, each more grasping than the last. Ser Lyn was a different sort of folly; lean and handsome, heir to an ancient but impoverished house, but vain, reckless, hot-tempered . . . and, it was whispered, notoriously uninterested in the intimate charms of women. When Lysa espied Catelyn, she welcomed her with a sisterly embrace and a moist kiss on the cheek. â€Å"Isn't it a lovely morning? The gods are smiling on us. Do try a cup of the wine, sweet sister. Lord Hunter was kind enough to send for it, from his own cellars.† â€Å"Thank you, no. Lysa, we must talk.† â€Å"After,† her sister promised, already beginning to turn away from her. â€Å"Now.† Catelyn spoke more loudly than she'd intended. Men were turning to look. â€Å"Lysa, you cannot mean to go ahead with this folly. Alive, the Imp has value. Dead, he is only food for crows. And if his champion should prevail here—† â€Å"Small chance of that, my lady,† Lord Hunter assured her, patting her shoulder with a liver-spotted hand. â€Å"Ser Vardis is a doughty fighter. He will make short work of the sellsword.† â€Å"Will he, my lord?† Catelyn said coolly. â€Å"I wonder.† She had seen Bronn fight on the high road; it was no accident that he had survived the journey while other men had died. He moved like a panther, and that ugly sword of his seemed a part of his arm. Lysa's suitors were gathering around them like bees round a blossom. â€Å"Women understand little of these things,† Ser Morton Waynwood said. â€Å"Ser Vardis is a knight, sweet lady. This other fellow, well, his sort are all cowards at heart. Useful enough in a battle, with thousands of their fellows around them, but stand them up alone and the manhood leaks right out of them.† â€Å"Say you have the truth of it, then,† Catelyn said with a courtesy that made her mouth ache. â€Å"What will we gain by the dwarf's death? Do you imagine that Jaime will care a fig that we gave his brother a trial before we flung him off a mountain?† â€Å"Behead the man,† Ser Lyn Corbray suggested. â€Å"When the Kingslayer receives the Imp's head, it will be a warning to him,† Lysa gave an impatient shake of her waist-long auburn hair. â€Å"Lord Robert wants to see him fly,† she said, as if that settled the matter. â€Å"And the Imp has only himself to blame. It was he who demanded a trial by combat.† â€Å"Lady Lysa had no honorable way to deny him, even if she'd wished to,† Lord Hunter intoned ponderously. Ignoring them all, Catelyn turned all her force on her sister. â€Å"I remind you, Tyrion Lannister is my prisoner.† â€Å"And I remind you, the dwarf murdered my lord husband!† Her voice rose. â€Å"He poisoned the Hand of the King and left my sweet baby fatherless, and now I mean to see him pay!† Whirling, her skirts swinging around her, Lysa stalked across the terrace. Ser Lyn and Ser Morton and the other suitors excused themselves with cool nods and trailed after her. â€Å"Do you think he did?† Ser Rodrik asked her quietly when they were alone again. â€Å"Murder Lord Jon, that is? The Imp still denies it, and most fiercely . . . â€Å" â€Å"I believe the Lannisters murdered Lord Arryn,† Catelyn replied, â€Å"but whether it was Tyrion, or Ser Jaime, or the queen, or all of them together, I could not begin to say.† Lysa had named Cersei in the letter she had sent to Winterfell, but now she seemed certain that Tyrion was the killer . . . perhaps because the dwarf was here, while the queen was safe behind the walls of the Red Keep, hundreds of leagues to the south. Catelyn almost wished she had burned her sister's letter before reading it. Ser Rodrik tugged at his whiskers. â€Å"Poison, well . . . that could be the dwarf's work, true enough. Or Cersei's. It's said poison is a woman's weapon, begging your pardons, my lady. The Kingslayer, now . . . I have no great liking for the man, but he's not the sort. Too fond of the sight of blood on that golden sword of his. Was it poison, my lady?† Catelyn frowned, vaguely uneasy. â€Å"How else could they make it look a natural death?† Behind her, Lord Robert shrieked with delight as one of the puppet knights sliced the other in half, spilling a flood of red sawdust onto the terrace. She glanced at her nephew and sighed. â€Å"The boy is utterly without discipline. He will never be strong enough to rule unless he is taken away from his mother for a time.† â€Å"His lord father agreed with you,† said a voice at her elbow. She turned to behold Maester Colemon, a cup of wine in his hand. â€Å"He was planning to send the boy to Dragonstone for fostering, you know . . . oh, but I'm speaking out of turn.† The apple of his throat bobbed anxiously beneath the loose maester's chain. â€Å"I fear I've had too much of Lord Hunter's excellent wine. The prospect of bloodshed has my nerves all a-fray . . . â€Å" â€Å"You are mistaken, Maester,† Catelyn said. â€Å"It was Casterly Rock, not Dragonstone, and those arrangements were made after the Hand's death, without my sister's consent.† The maester's head jerked so vigorously at the end of his absurdly long neck that he looked half a puppet himself. â€Å"No, begging your forgiveness, my lady, but it was Lord Jon who—† A bell tolled loudly below them. High lords and serving girls alike broke off what they were doing and moved to the balustrade. Below, two guardsmen in sky-blue cloaks led forth Tyrion Lannister. The Eyrie's plump septon escorted him to the statue in the center of the garden, a weeping woman carved in veined white marble, no doubt meant to be Alyssa. â€Å"The bad little man,† Lord Robert said, giggling. â€Å"Mother, can I make him fly? I want to see him fly.† â€Å"Later, my sweet baby,† Lysa promised him. â€Å"Trial first,† drawled Ser Lyn Corbray, â€Å"then execution.† A moment later the two champions appeared from opposite sides of the garden. The knight was attended by two young squires, the sellsword by the Eyrie's master-at-arms. Ser Vardis Egen was steel from head to heel, encased in heavy plate armor over mail and padded surcoat. Large circular rondels, enameled cream-and-blue in the moon-and-falcon sigil of House Arryn, protected the vulnerable juncture of arm and breast. A skirt of lobstered metal covered him from waist to midthigh, while a solid gorget encircled his throat. Falcon's wings sprouted from the temples of his helm, and his visor was a pointed metal beak with a narrow slit for vision. Bronn was so lightly armored he looked almost naked beside the knight. He wore only a shirt of black oiled ringmail over boiled leather, a round steel halfhelm with a noseguard, and a mail coif. High leather boots with steel shinguards gave some protection to his legs, and discs of black iron were sewn into the fingers of his gloves. Yet Catelyn noted that the sellsword stood half a hand taller than his foe, with a longer reach . . . and Bronn was fifteen years younger, if she was any judge. They knelt in the grass beneath the weeping woman, facing each other, with Lannister between them. The septon removed a faceted crystal sphere from the soft cloth bag at his waist. He lifted it high above his head, and the light shattered. Rainbows danced across the Imp's face. In a high, solemn, singsong voice, the septon asked the gods to look down and bear witness, to find the truth in this man's soul, to grant him life and freedom if he was innocent, death if he was guilty. His voice echoed off the surrounding towers. When the last echo had died away, the septon lowered his crystal and made a hasty departure. Tyrion leaned over and whispered something in Bronn's ear before the guardsmen led him away. The sellsword rose laughing and brushed a blade of grass from his knee. Robert Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Defender of the Vale, was fidgeting impatiently in his elevated chair. â€Å"When are they going to fight?† he asked plaintively. Ser Vardis was helped back to his feet by one of his squires. The other brought him a triangular shield almost four feet tall, heavy oak dotted with iron studs. They strapped it to his left forearm. When Lysa's master-at-arms offered Bronn a similar shield, the sellsword spat and waved it away. Three days growth of coarse black beard covered his jaw and cheeks, but if he did not shave it was not for want of a razor; the edge of his sword had the dangerous glimmer of steel that had been honed every day for hours, until it was too sharp to touch. Ser Vardis held out a gauntleted hand, and his squire placed a handsome double-edged longsword in his grasp. The blade was engraved with a delicate silver tracery of a mountain sky; its pommel was a falcon's head, its crossguard fashioned into the shape of wings. â€Å"I had that sword crafted for Jon in King's Landing,† Lysa told her guests proudly as they watched Ser Vardis try a practice cut. â€Å"He wore it whenever he sat the Iron Throne in King Robert's place. Isn't it a lovely thing? I thought it only fitting that our champion avenge Jon with his own blade.† The engraved silver blade was beautiful beyond a doubt, but it seemed to Catelyn that Ser Vardis might have been more comfortable with his own sword. Yet she said nothing; she was weary of futile arguments with her sister. â€Å"Make them fight!† Lord Robert called out. Ser Vardis faced the Lord of the Eyrie and lifted his sword in salute. â€Å"For the Eyrie and the Vale!† Tyrion Lannister had been seated on a balcony across the garden, flanked by his guards. It was to him that Bronn turned with a cursory salute. â€Å"They await your command,† Lady Lysa said to her lord son. â€Å"Fight!† the boy screamed, his arms trembling as they clutched at his chair. Ser Vardis swiveled, bringing up his heavy shield. Bronn turned to face him. Their swords rang together, once, twice, a testing. The sellsword backed off a step. The knight came after, holding his shield before him. He tried a slash, but Bronn jerked back, just out of reach, and the silver blade cut only air. Bronn circled to his right. Ser Vardis turned to follow, keeping his shield between them. The knight pressed forward, placing each foot carefully on the uneven ground. The sellsword gave way, a faint smile playing over his lips. Ser Vardis attacked, slashing, but Bronn leapt away from him, hopping lightly over a low, moss-covered stone. Now the sellsword circled left, away from the shield, toward the knight's unprotected side. Ser Vardis tried a hack at his legs, but he did not have the reach. Bronn danced farther to his left. Ser Vardis turned in place. â€Å"The man is craven,† Lord Hunter declared. â€Å"Stand and fight, coward! † Other voices echoed the sentiment. Catelyn looked to Ser Rodrik. Her master-at-arms gave a curt shake of his head. â€Å"He wants to make Ser Vardis chase him. The weight of armor and shield will tire even the strongest man.† She had seen men practice at their swordplay near every day of her life, had viewed half a hundred tourneys in her time, but this was something different and deadlier: a dance where the smallest misstep meant death. And as she watched, the memory of another duel in another time came back to Catelyn Stark, as vivid as if it had been yesterday. They met in the lower bailey of Riverrun. When Brandon saw that Petyr wore only helm and breastplate and mail, he took off most of his armor. Petyr had begged her for a favor he might wear, but she had turned him away. Her lord father promised her to Brandon Stark, and so it was to him that she gave her token, a pale blue handscarf she had embroidered with the leaping trout of Riverrun. As she pressed it into his hand, she pleaded with him. â€Å"He is only a foolish boy, but I have loved him like a brother. It would grieve me to see him die.† And her betrothed looked at her with the cool grey eyes of a Stark and promised to spare the boy who loved her. That fight was over almost as soon as it began. Brandon was a man grown, and he drove Littlefinger all the way across the bailey and down the water stair, raining steel on him with every step, until the boy was staggering and bleeding from a dozen wounds. â€Å"Yield!† he called, more than once, but Petyr would only shake his head and fight on, grimly. When the river was lapping at their ankles, Brandon finally ended it, with a brutal backhand cut that bit through Petyr's rings and leather into the soft flesh below the ribs, so deep that Catelyn was certain that the wound was mortal. He looked at her as he fell and murmured â€Å"Cat† as the bright blood came flowing out between his mailed fingers. She thought she had forgotten that. That was the last time she had seen his face . . . until the day she was brought before him in King's Landing. A fortnight passed before Littlefinger was strong enough to leave Riverrun, but her lord father forbade her to visit him in the tower where he lay abed. Lysa helped their maester nurse him; she had been softer and shyer in those days. Edmure had called on him as well, but Petyr had sent him away. Her brother had acted as Brandon's squire at the duel, and Littlefinger would not forgive that. As soon as he was strong enough to be moved, Lord Hoster Tully sent Petyr Baelish away in a closed litter, to finish his healing on the Fingers, upon the windswept jut of rock where he'd been born. The ringing clash of steel on steel jarred Catelyn back to the present. Ser Vardis was coming hard at Bronn, driving into him with shield and sword. The sellsword scrambled backward, checking each blow, stepping lithely over rock and root, his eyes never leaving his foe. He was quicker, Catelyn saw; the knight's silvered sword never came near to touching him, but his own ugly grey blade hacked a notch from Ser Vardis's shoulder plate. The brief flurry of fighting ended as swiftly as it had begun when Bronn sidestepped and slid behind the statue of the weeping woman. Ser Vardis lunged at where he had been, striking a spark off the pale marble of Alyssa's thigh. â€Å"They're not fighting good, Mother,† the Lord of the Eyrie complained. â€Å"I want them to fight.† â€Å"They will, sweet baby,† his mother soothed him. â€Å"The sellsword can't run all day.† Some of the lords on Lysa's terrace were making wry jests as they refilled their wine cups, but across the garden, Tyrion Lannister's mismatched eyes watched the champions dance as if there were nothing else in the world. Bronn came out from behind the statue hard and fast, still moving left, aiming a two-handed cut at the knight's unshielded right side. Ser Vardis blocked, but clumsily, and the sellsword's blade flashed upward at his head. Metal rang, and a falcon's wing collapsed with a crunch. Ser Vardis took a half step back to brace himself, raised his shield. Oak chips flew as Bronn's sword hacked at the wooden wall. The sellsword stepped left again, away from the shield, and caught Ser Vardis across the stomach, the razor edge of his blade leaving a bright gash when it bit into the knight's plate. Ser Vardis drove forward off his back foot, his own silver blade descending in a savage arc. Bronn slammed it aside and danced away. The knight crashed into the weeping woman, rocking her on her plinth. Staggered, he stepped backward, his head turning this way and that as he searched for his foe. The slit visor of his helm narrowed his vision. â€Å"Behind you, ser!† Lord Hunter shouted, too late. Bronn brought his sword down with both hands, catching Ser Vardis in the elbow of his sword arm. The thin lobstered metal that protected the joint crunched. The knight grunted, turning, wrenching his weapon up. This time Bronn stood his ground. The swords flew at each other, and their steel song filled the garden and rang off the white towers of the Eyrie. â€Å"Ser Vardis is hurt,† Ser Rodrik said, his voice grave. Catelyn did not need to be told; she had eyes, she could see the bright finger of blood running along the knight's forearm, the wetness inside the elbow joint. Every parry was a little slower and a little lower than the one before. Ser Vardis turned his side to his foe, trying to use his shield to block instead, but Bronn slid around him, quick as a cat. The sellsword seemed to be getting stronger. His cuts were leaving their marks now. Deep shiny gashes gleamed all over the knight's armor, on his right thigh, his beaked visor, crossing on his breastplate, a long one along the front of his gorget. The moon-and-falcon rondel over Ser Vardis's right arm was sheared clean in half, hanging by its strap. They could hear his labored breath, rattling through the air holes in his visor. Blind with arrogance as they were, even the knights and lords of the Vale could see what was happening below them, yet her sister could not. â€Å"Enough, Ser Vardis!† Lady Lysa called down. â€Å"Finish him now, my baby is growing tired.† And it must be said of Ser Vardis Egen that he was true to his lady's command, even to the last. One moment he was reeling backward, half-crouched behind his scarred shield; the next he charged. The sudden bull rush caught Bronn off balance. Ser Vardis crashed into him and slammed the lip of his shield into the sellsword's face. Almost, almost, Bronn lost his feet . . . he staggered back, tripped over a rock, and caught hold of the weeping woman to keep his balance. Throwing aside his shield, Ser Vardis lurched after him, using both hands to raise his sword. His right arm was blood from elbow to fingers now, yet his last desperate blow would have opened Bronn from neck to navel . . . if the sellsword had stood to receive it. But Bronn jerked back. Jon Arryn's beautiful engraved silver sword glanced off the marble elbow of the weeping woman and snapped clean a third of the way up the blade. Bronn put his shoulder into the statue's back. The weathered likeness of Alyssa Arryn tottered and fell with a great crash, and Ser Vardis Egen went down beneath her. Bronn was on him in a heartbeat, kicking what was left of his shattered rondel aside to expose the weak spot between arm and breastplate. Ser Vardis was lying on his side, pinned beneath the broken torso of the weeping woman. Catelyn heard the knight groan as the sellsword lifted his blade with both hands and drove it down and in with all his weight behind it, under the arm and through the ribs. Ser Vardis Egen shuddered and lay still. Silence hung over the Eyrie. Bronn yanked off his halfhelm and let it fall to the grass. His lip was smashed and bloody where the shield had caught him, and his coal-black hair was soaked with sweat. He spit out a broken tooth. â€Å"Is it over, Mother?† the Lord of the Eyrie asked. No, Catelyn wanted to tell him, it's only now beginning. â€Å"Yes,† Lysa said glumly, her voice as cold and dead as the captain of her guard. â€Å"Can I make the little man fly now?† Across the garden, Tyrion Lannister got to his feet. â€Å"Not this little man,† he said. â€Å"This little man is going down in the turnip hoist, thank you very much.† â€Å"You presume—† Lysa began. â€Å"I presume that House Arryn remembers its own words,† the Imp said. â€Å"As High as Honor.† â€Å"You promised I could make him fly,† the Lord of the Eyrie screamed at his mother. He began to shake. Lady Lysa's face was flushed with fury. â€Å"The gods have seen fit to proclaim him innocent, child. We have no choice but to free him.† She lifted her voice. â€Å"Guards. Take my lord of Lannister and his . . . creature here out of my sight. Escort them to the Bloody Gate and set them free. See that they have horses and supplies sufficient to reach the Trident, and make certain all their goods and weapons are returned to them. They shall need them on the high road.† â€Å"The high road,† Tyrion Lannister said. Lysa allowed herself a faint, satisfied smile. It was another sort of death sentence, Catelyn realized. Tyrion Lannister must know that as well. Yet the dwarf favored Lady Arryn with a mocking bow. â€Å"As you command, my lady,† he said. â€Å"I believe we know the way.†