A Game of Thrones Chapter Seventy-one

Catelyn It seemed a thousand years ago that Catelyn Stark had carried her infant son out of Riverrun, crossing the Tumblestone in a small boat to begin their journey north to Winterfell. And it was across the Tumblestone that they came home now, though the boy wore plate and mail in place of swaddling clothes. Robb sat in the bow with Grey Wind, his hand resting on his direwolf s head as the rowers pulled at their oars. Theon Greyjoy was with him. Her uncle Brynden would come behind in the second boat, with the Greatjon and Lord Karstark. Catelyn took a place toward the stern. They shot down the Tumblestone, letting the strong current push them past the looming WheelTower. The splash and rumble of the great waterwheel within was a sound from her girlhood that brought a sad smile to Catelyn's face. From the sandstone walls of the castle, soldiers and servants shouted down her name, and Robb's, and â€Å"Winterfell!† From every rampart waved the banner of House Tully: a leaping trout, silver, against a rippling blue-and-red field. It was a stirring sight, yet it did not lift her heart. She wondered if indeed her heart would ever lift again. Oh, Ned . . . Below the WheelTower, they made a wide turn and knifed through the churning water. The men put their backs into it. The wide arch of the Water Gate came into view, and she heard the creak of heavy chains as the great iron portcullis was winched upward. It rose slowly as they approached, and Catelyn saw that the lower half of it was red with rust. The bottom foot dripped brown mud on them as they passed underneath, the barbed spikes mere inches above their heads. Catelyn gazed up at the bars and wondered how deep the rust went and how well the portcullis would stand up to a ram and whether it ought to be replaced. Thoughts like that were seldom far from her mind these days. They passed beneath the arch and under the walls, moving from sunlight to shadow and back into sunlight. Boats large and small were tied up all around them, secured to iron rings set in the stone. Her father's guards waited on the water stair with her brother. Ser Edmure Tully was a stocky young man with a shaggy head of auburn hair and a fiery beard. His breastplate was scratched and dented from battle, his blue-and-red cloak stained by blood and smoke. At his side stood the Lord Tytos Blackwood, a hard pike of a man with close-cropped salt-and-pepper whiskers and a hook nose. His bright yellow armor was inlaid with jet in elaborate vine-and-leaf patterns, and a cloak sewn from raven feathers draped his thin shoulders. It had been Lord Tytos who led the sortie that plucked her brother from the Lannister camp. â€Å"Bring them in,† Ser Edmure commanded. Three men scrambled down the stairs knee-deep in the water and pulled the boat close with long hooks. When Grey Wind bounded out, one of them dropped his pole and lurched back, stumbling and sitting down abruptly in the river. The others laughed, and the man got a sheepish look on his face. Theon Greyjoy vaulted over the side of the boat and lifted Catelyn by the waist, setting her on a dry step above him as water lapped around his boots. Edmure came down the steps to embrace her. â€Å"Sweet sister,† he murmured hoarsely. He had deep blue eyes and a mouth made for smiles, but he was not smiling now. He looked worn and tired, battered by battle and haggard from strain. His neck was bandaged where he had taken a wound. Catelyn hugged him fiercely. â€Å"Your grief is mine, Cat,† he said when they broke apart. â€Å"When we heard about Lord Eddard . . . the Lannisters will pay, I swear it, you will have your vengeance.† â€Å"Will that bring Ned back to me?† she said sharply. The wound was still too fresh for softer words. She could not think about Ned now. She would not. It would not do. She had to be strong. â€Å"All that will keep. I must see Father.† â€Å"He awaits you in his solar,† Edmure said. â€Å"Lord Hoster is bedridden, my lady,† her father's steward explained. When had that good man grown so old and grey? â€Å"He instructed me to bring you to him at once.† â€Å"I'll take her.† Edmure escorted her up the water stair and across the lower bailey, where Petyr Baelish and Brandon Stark had once crossed swords for her favor. The massive sandstone walls of the keep loomed above them. As they pushed through a door between two guardsmen in fish-crest helms, she asked, â€Å"How bad is he?† dreading the answer even as she said the words. Edmure's look was somber. â€Å"He will not be with us long, the maesters say. The pain is . . . constant, and grievous.† A blind rage filled her, a rage at all the world; at her brother Edmure and her sister Lysa, at the Lannisters, at the maesters, at Ned and her father and the monstrous gods who would take them both away from her. â€Å"You should have told me,† she said. â€Å"You should have sent word as soon as you knew.† â€Å"He forbade it. He did not want his enemies to know that he was dying. With the realm so troubled, he feared that if the Lannisters suspected how frail he was . . . â€Å" † . . . they might attack?† Catelyn finished, hard. It was your doing, yours, a voice whispered inside her. If you had not taken it upon yourself to seize the dwarf . . . They climbed the spiral stair in silence. The keep was three-sided, like Riverrun itself, and Lord Hoster's solar was triangular as well, with a stone balcony that jutted out to the east like the prow of some great sandstone ship. From there the lord of the castle could look down on his walls and battlements, and beyond, to where the waters met. They had moved her father's bed out onto the balcony. â€Å"He likes to sit in the sun and watch the rivers,† Edmure explained. â€Å"Father, see who I've brought. Cat has come to see you . . . â€Å" Hoster Tully had always been a big man; tall and broad in his youth, portly as he grew older. Now he seemed shrunken, the muscle and meat melted off his bones. Even his face sagged. The last time Catelyn had seen him, his hair and beard had been brown, well streaked with grey. Now they had gone white as snow. His eyes opened to the sound of Edmure's voice. â€Å"Little cat,† he murmured in a voice thin and wispy and wracked by pain. â€Å"My little cat.† A tremulous smile touched his face as his hand groped for hers. â€Å"I watched for you . . . â€Å" â€Å"I shall leave you to talk,† her brother said, kissing their lord father gently on the brow before he withdrew. Catelyn knelt and took her father's hand in hers. It was a big hand, but fleshless now, the bones moving loosely under the skin, all the strength gone from it. â€Å"You should have told me,† she said. â€Å"A rider, a raven . . . â€Å" â€Å"Riders are taken, questioned,† he answered. â€Å"Ravens are brought down . . . † A spasm of pain took him, and his fingers clutched hers hard. â€Å"The crabs are in my belly . . . pinching, always pinching. Day and night. They have fierce claws, the crabs. Maester Vyman makes me dreamwine, milk of the poppy . . . I sleep a lot . . . but I wanted to be awake to see you, when you came. I was afraid . . . when the Lannisters took your brother, the camps all around us . . . was afraid I would go, before I could see you again . . . I was afraid . . . â€Å" â€Å"I'm here, Father,† she said. â€Å"With Robb, my son. He'll want to see you too.† â€Å"Your boy,† he whispered. â€Å"He had my eyes, I remember . . . â€Å" â€Å"He did, and does. And we've brought you Jaime Lannister, in irons. Riverrun is free again, Father.† Lord Hoster smiled. â€Å"I saw. Last night, when it began, I told them . . . had to see. They carried me to the gatehouse . . . watched from the battlements. Ah, that was beautiful . . . the torches came in a wave, I could hear the cries floating across the river . . . sweet cries . . . when that siege tower went up, gods . . . would have died then, and glad, if only I could have seen you children first. Was it your boy who did it? Was it your Robb?† â€Å"Yes,† Catelyn said, fiercely proud. â€Å"It was Robb . . . and Brynden. Your brother is here as well, my lord.† â€Å"Him.† Her father's voice was a faint whisper. â€Å"The Blackfish . . . came back? From the Vale?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And Lysa?† A cool wind moved through his thin white hair. â€Å"Gods be good, your sister . . . did she come as well?† He sounded so full of hope and yearning that it was hard to tell the truth. â€Å"No. I'm sorry . . . â€Å" â€Å"Oh.† His face fell, and some light went out of his eyes. â€Å"I'd hoped I would have liked to see her, before . . . â€Å" â€Å"She's with her son, in the Eyrie.† Lord Hoster gave a weary nod. â€Å"Lord Robert now, poor Arryn's gone . . . I remember . . . why did she not come with you?† â€Å"She is frightened, my lord. In the Eyrie she feels safe.† She kissed his wrinkled brow. â€Å"Robb will be waiting. Will you see him? And Brynden?† â€Å"Your son,† he whispered. â€Å"Yes. Cat's child . . . he had my eyes, I remember. When he was born. Bring him . . . yes.† â€Å"And your brother?† Her father glanced out over the rivers. â€Å"Blackfish,† he said. â€Å"Has he wed yet? Taken some . . . girl to wife?† Even on his deathbed, Catelyn thought sadly. â€Å"He has not wed. You know that, Father. Nor will he ever.† â€Å"I told him . . . commanded him. Marry! I was his lord. He knows. My right, to make his match. A good match. A Redwyne. Old House. Sweet girl, pretty . . . freckles . . . Bethany, yes. Poor child. Still waiting. Yes. Still . . . â€Å" â€Å"Bethany Redwyne wed Lord Rowan years ago,† Catelyn reminded him. â€Å"She has three children by him.† â€Å"Even so,† Lord Hoster muttered. â€Å"Even so. Spit on the girl. The Redwynes. Spit on me. His lord, his brother . . . that Blackfish. I had other offers. Lord Bracken's girl. Walder Frey . . . any of three, he said . . . Has he wed? Anyone? Anyone?† â€Å"No one,† Catelyn said, â€Å"yet he has come many leagues to see you, fighting his way back to Riverrun. I would not be here now, if Ser Brynden had not helped us.† â€Å"He was ever a warrior,† her father husked. â€Å"That he could do. Knight of the Gate, yes.† He leaned back and closed his eyes, inutterably weary. â€Å"Send him. Later. I'll sleep now. Too sick to fight. Send him up later, the Blackfish . . . â€Å" Catelyn kissed him gently, smoothed his hair, and left him there in the shade of his keep, with his rivers flowing beneath. He was asleep before she left the solar. When she returned to the lower bailey, Ser Brynden Tully stood on the water stairs with wet boots, talking with the captain of Riverrun's guards. He came to her at once. â€Å"Is he—† â€Å"Dying,† she said. â€Å"As we feared.† Her uncle's craggy face showed his pain plain. He ran his fingers through his thick grey hair. â€Å"Will he see me?† She nodded. â€Å"He says he is too sick to fight.† Brynden Blackfish chuckled. â€Å"I am too old a soldier to believe that. Hoster will be chiding me about the Redwyne girl even as we light his funeral pyre, damn his bones.† Catelyn smiled, knowing it was true. â€Å"I do not see Robb.† â€Å"He went with Greyjoy to the hall, I believe.† Theon Greyjoy was seated on a bench in Riverrun's Great Hall, enjoying a horn of ale and regaling her father's garrison with an account of the slaughter in the Whispering Wood. â€Å"Some tried to flee, but we'd pinched the valley shut at both ends, and we rode out of the darkness with sword and lance. The Lannisters must have thought the Others themselves were on them when that wolf of Robb's got in among them. I saw him tear one man's arm from his shoulder, and their horses went mad at the scent of him. I couldn't tell you how many men were thrown—† â€Å"Theon,† she interrupted, â€Å"where might I find my son?† â€Å"Lord Robb went to visit the godswood, my lady.† It was what Ned would have done. He is his father's son as much as mine, I must remember. Oh, gods, Ned . . . She found Robb beneath the green canopy of leaves, surrounded by tall redwoods and great old elms, kneeling before the heart tree, a slender weirwood with a face more sad than fierce. His longsword was before him, the point thrust in the earth, his gloved hands clasped around the hilt. Around him others knelt: Greatjon Umber, Rickard Karstark, Maege Mormont, Galbart Glover, and more. Even Tytos Blackwood was among them, the great raven cloak fanned out behind him. These are the ones who keep the old gods, she realized. She asked herself what gods she kept these days, and could not find an answer. It would not do to disturb them at their prayers. The gods must have their due . . . even cruel gods who would take Ned from her, and her lord father as well. So Catelyn waited. The river wind moved through the high branches, and she could see the Wheel Tower to her right, ivy crawling up its side. As she stood there, all the memories came flooding back to her. Her father had taught her to ride amongst these trees, and that was the elm that Edmure had fallen from when he broke his arm, and over there, beneath that bower, she and Lysa had played at kissing with Petyr. She had not thought of that in years. How young they all had been—she no older than Sansa, Lysa younger than Arya, and Petyr younger still, yet eager. The girls had traded him between them, serious and giggling by turns. It came back to her so vividly she could almost feel his sweaty fingers on her shoulders and taste the mint on his breath. There was always mint growing in the godswood, and Petyr had liked to chew it. He had been such a bold little boy, always in trouble. â€Å"He tried to put his tongue in my mouth,† Catelyn had confessed to her sister afterward, when they were alone. â€Å"He did with me too,† Lysa had whispered, shy and breathless. â€Å"I liked it.† Robb got to his feet slowly and sheathed his sword, and Catelyn found herself wondering whether her son had ever kissed a girl in the godswood. Surely he must have. She had seen Jeyne Poole giving him moist-eyed glances, and some of the serving girls, even ones as old as eighteen . . . he had ridden in battle and killed men with a sword, surely he had been kissed. There were tears in her eyes. She wiped them away angrily. â€Å"Mother,† Robb said when he saw her standing there. â€Å"We must call a council. There are things to be decided.† â€Å"Your grandfather would like to see you,† she said. â€Å"Robb, he's very sick.† â€Å"Ser Edmure told me. I am sorry, Mother . . . for Lord Hoster and for you. Yet first we must meet. We've had word from the south. Renly Baratheon has claimed his brother's crown.† â€Å"Renly?† she said, shocked. â€Å"I had thought, surely it would be Lord Stannis . . . â€Å" â€Å"So did we all, my lady,† Galbart Glover said. The war council convened in the Great Hall, at four long trestle tables arranged in a broken square. Lord Hoster was too weak to attend, asleep on his balcony, dreaming of the sun on the rivers of his youth. Edmure sat in the high seat of the Tullys, with Brynden Blackfish at his side, and his father's bannermen arrayed to right and left and along the side tables. Word of the victory at Riverrun had spread to the fugitive lords of the Trident, drawing them back. Karyl Vance came in, a lord now, his father dead beneath the Golden Tooth. Ser Marq Piper was with him, and they brought a Darry, Ser Raymun's son, a lad no older than Bran. Lord Jonos Bracken arrived from the ruins of Stone Hedge, glowering and blustering, and took a seat as far from Tytos Blackwood as the tables would permit. The northern lords sat opposite, with Catelyn and Robb facing her brother across the tables. They were fewer. The Greatjon sat at Robb's left hand, and then Theon Greyjoy; Galbart Glover and Lady Mormont were to the right of Catelyn. Lord Rickard Karstark, gaunt and hollow-eyed in his grief, took his seat like a man in a nightmare, his long beard uncombed and unwashed. He had left two sons dead in the Whispering Wood, and there was no word of the third, his eldest, who had led the Karstark spears against Tywin Lannister on the Green Fork. The arguing raged on late into the night. Each lord had a right to speak, and speak they did . . . and shout, and curse, and reason, and cajole, and jest, and bargain, and slam tankards on the table, and threaten, and walk out, and return sullen or smiling. Catelyn sat and listened to it all. Roose Bolton had re-formed the battered remnants of their other host at the mouth of the causeway. Ser Helman Tallhart and Walder Frey still held the Twins. Lord Tywin's army had crossed the Trident, and was making for Harrenhal. And there were two kings in the realm. Two kings, and no agreement. Many of the lords bannermen wanted to march on Harrenhal at once, to meet Lord Tywin and end Lannister power for all time. Young, hot-tempered Marq Piper urged a strike west at Casterly Rock instead. Still others counseled patience. Riverrun sat athwart the Lannister supply lines, Jason Mallister pointed out; let them bide their time, denying Lord Tywin fresh levies and provisions while they strengthened their defenses and rested their weary troops. Lord Blackwood would have none of it. They should finish the work they began in the Whispering Wood. March to Harrenhal and bring Roose Bolton's army down as well. What Blackwood urged, Bracken opposed, as ever; Lord Jonos Bracken rose to insist they ought pledge their fealty to King Renly, and move south to join their might to his. â€Å"Renly is not the king,† Robb said. It was the first time her son had spoken. Like his father, he knew how to listen. â€Å"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my lord,† Galbart Glover said. â€Å"He put your father to death.† â€Å"That makes him evil,† Robb replied. â€Å"I do not know that it makes Renly king. Joffrey is still Robert's eldest trueborn son, so the throne is rightfully his by all the laws of the realm. Were he to die, and I mean to see that he does, he has a younger brother. Tommen is next in line after Joffrey.† â€Å"Tommen is no less a Lannister,† Ser Marq Piper snapped. â€Å"As you say,† said Robb, troubled. â€Å"Yet if neither one is king, still, how could it be Lord Renly? He's Robert's younger brother. Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before me, and Renly can't be king before Lord Stannis.† Lady Mormont agreed. â€Å"Lord Stannis has the better claim.† â€Å"Renly is crowned,† said Marq Piper. â€Å"Highgarden and Storm's End support his claim, and the Dornishmen will not be laggardly. If Winterfell and Riverrun add their strength to his, he will have five of the seven great houses behind him. Six, if the Arryns bestir themselves! Six against the Rock! My lords, within the year, we will have all their heads on pikes, the queen and the boy king, Lord Tywin, the Imp, the Kingslayer, Ser Kevan, all of them! That is what we shall win if we join with King Renly. What does Lord Stannis have against that, that we should cast it all aside?† â€Å"The right,† said Robb stubbornly. Catelyn thought he sounded eerily like his father as he said it. â€Å"So you mean us to declare for Stannis?† asked Edmure. â€Å"I don't know,† said Robb. â€Å"I prayed to know what to do, but the gods did not answer. The Lannisters killed my father for a traitor, and we know that was a lie, but if Joffrey is the lawful king and we fight against him, we will be traitors.† â€Å"My lord father would urge caution,† aged Ser Stevron said, with the weaselly smile of a Frey. â€Å"Wait, let these two kings play their game of thrones. When they are done fighting, we can bend our knees to the victor, or oppose him, as we choose. With Renly arming, likely Lord Tywin would welcome a truce . . . and the safe return of his son. Noble lords, allow me to go to him at Harrenhal and arrange good terms and ransoms . . . â€Å" A roar of outrage drowned out his voice. â€Å"Craven!† the Greatjon thundered. â€Å"Begging for a truce will make us seem weak,† declared Lady Mormont. â€Å"Ransoms be damned, we must not give up the Kingslayer,† shouted Rickard Karstark. â€Å"Why not a peace?† Catelyn asked. The lords looked at her, but it was Robb's eyes she felt, his and his alone. â€Å"My lady, they murdered my lord father, your husband,† he said grimly. He unsheathed his longsword and laid it on the table before him, the bright steel on the rough wood. â€Å"This is the only peace I have for Lannisters.† The Greatjon bellowed his approval, and other men added their voices, shouting and drawing swords and pounding their fists on the table. Catelyn waited until they had quieted. â€Å"My lords,† she said then, â€Å"Lord Eddard was your liege, but I shared his bed and bore his children. Do you think I love him any less than you?† Her voice almost broke with her grief, but Catelyn took a long breath and steadied herself. â€Å"Robb, if that sword could bring him back, I should never let you sheathe it until Ned stood at my side once more . . . but he is gone, and hundred Whispering Woods will not change that. Ned is gone, and Daryn Hornwood, and Lord Karstark's valiant sons, and many other good men besides, and none of them will return to us. Must we have more deaths still?† â€Å"You are a woman, my lady,† the Greatjon rumbled in his deep voice. â€Å"Women do not understand these things.† â€Å"You are the gentle sex,† said Lord Karstark, with the lines of grief fresh on his face. â€Å"A man has a need for vengeance.† â€Å"Give me Cersei Lannister, Lord Karstark, and you would see how gentle a woman can be,† Catelyn replied. â€Å"Perhaps I do not understand tactics and strategy . . . but I understand futility. We went to war when Lannister armies were ravaging the riverlands, and Ned was a prisoner, falsely accused of treason. We fought to defend ourselves, and to win my lord's freedom. â€Å"Well, the one is done, and the other forever beyond our reach. I will mourn for Ned until the end of my days, but I must think of the living. I want my daughters back, and the queen holds them still. If I must trade our four Lannisters for their two Starks, I will call that a bargain and thank the gods. I want you safe, Robb, ruling at Winterfell from your father's seat. I want you to live your life, to kiss a girl and wed a woman and father a son. I want to write an end to this. I want to go home, my lords, and weep for my husband.† The hall was very quiet when Catelyn finished speaking. â€Å"Peace,† said her uncle Brynden. â€Å"Peace is sweet, my lady . . . but on what terms? It is no good hammering your sword into a plowshare if you must forge it again on the morrow.† â€Å"What did Torrhen and my Eddard die for, if I am to return to Karhold with nothing but their bones?† asked Rickard Karstark. â€Å"Aye,† said Lord Bracken. â€Å"Gregor Clegane laid waste to my fields, slaughtered my smallfolk, and left Stone Hedge a smoking ruin. Am I now to bend the knee to the ones who sent him? What have we fought for, if we are to put all back as it was before?† Lord Blackwood agreed, to Catelyn's surprise and dismay. â€Å"And if we do make peace with King Joffrey, are we not then traitors to King Renly? What if the stag should prevail against the lion, where would that leave us?† â€Å"Whatever you may decide for yourselves, I shall never call a Lannister my king,† declared Marq Piper. â€Å"Nor I!† yelled the little Darry boy. â€Å"I never will!† Again the shouting began. Catelyn sat despairing. She had come so close, she thought. They had almost listened, almost . . . but the moment was gone. There would be no peace, no chance to heal, no safety. She looked at her son, watched him as he listened to the lords debate, frowning, troubled, yet wedded to his war. He had pledged himself to marry a daughter of Walder Frey, but she saw his true bride plain before her now: the sword he had laid on the table. Catelyn was thinking of her girls, wondering if she would ever see them again, when the Greatjon lurched to his feet. â€Å"MY LORDS!† he shouted, his voice booming off the rafters. â€Å"Here is what I say to these two kings!† He spat. † Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine, from some flowery seat in Highgarden or Dorne? What do they know of the Wall or the wolfswood or the barrows of the First Men? Even their gods are wrong. The Others take the Lannisters too, I've had a bellyful of them.† He reached back over his shoulder and drew his immense two-handed greatsword. â€Å"Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead!† He pointed at Robb with the blade. â€Å"There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m'lords,† he thundered. â€Å"The King in the North!† And he knelt, and laid his sword at her son's feet. â€Å"I'll have peace on those terms,† Lord Karstark said. â€Å"They can keep their red castle and their iron chair as well.† He eased his longsword from its scabbard. â€Å"The King in the North!† he said, kneeling beside the Greatjon. Maege Mormont stood. â€Å"The King of Winter!† she declared, and laid her spiked mace beside the swords. And the river lords were rising too, Blackwood and Bracken and Mallister, houses who had never been ruled from Winterfell, yet Catelyn watched them rise and draw their blades, bending their knees and shouting the old words that had not been heard in the realm for more than three hundred years, since Aegon the Dragon had come to make the Seven Kingdoms one . . . yet now were heard again, ringing from the timbers of her father's hall: â€Å"The King in the North!† â€Å"The King in the North!† â€Å"THE KING IN THE NORTH!†

American Me †Poem Essay

The poem American Me, written by Ninfa Miranda-Maloney, tells the story of a Mexican immigrant who comes to the United States to live the American dream. The author incorporates ethnic aspects with her use of Spanish words sprinkled in amongst the poem. With his â€Å"spit shine shoes† (Miranda-Maloney, n. d, line 10) and â€Å"brillantina-slick back hair† (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. , line 11), a picture is painted of a young man’s pride in himself as he begins the journey of a lifetime. This is a young man ready for his new life in America. The tone quickly changes, however, as he probably soon realizes that the dream is not what he had in mind. In San Eli, where he â€Å"lived on thank yous and maybes† (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. , line 23), the reader gets the sense that the man was taken advantage of and worked hard for little compensation. The most powerful lines in the poem are â€Å"kissed your white land, broke my back, sweat a few tears for a piece of the dream† (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. , lines 27, 28, 29). The author has incorporated a racial aspect in the poem by showing referring to the white land. This is not his land, this is the â€Å"white land†. He is doing back breaking labor for â€Å"whites†, probably not what he expected as the young man full of hope chasing the American dream. The author also includes social class aspects in this poem. The poem ends with the man, now here in the United States for fifty years, still smelling the onions on his fingertips. (Miranda-Maloney, n. d. ) This leads me to believe the man is still working in the onion fields fifty years after arriving in the United States. A generalization can be made that a person from a lower social class would need to continue to work past retirement age to make ends meet. I grew up in a poor neighborhood in California. My community included many immigrants here in the United States both illegally and legally. The immigrants I have known throughout my life are generally proud Americans, though there are the few that grow bitter because their American ideals and dreams have not been met. They work hard doing difficult work for little money and not much appreciation. While I don’t personally identify with the poem, I am able to sympathize with the character as he could represent a number of people I know. My grandmother emigrated to California before my mother was born. She came to the States with the dream of giving her children a better life than the one they’d likely have in El Salvador. Throughout my life, she’s told me the stories of moving here and settling the family in the area. It was difficult for her, working many hours as a maid, but she did it for the benefit of her children. Many times throughout her first few years in the states, she considering going back home. The dream she envisioned was hardly her reality at first. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to go to a different country where you don’t speak the language or know the culture but it happens regularly in this country. At the end of the day, the United States is a country made up of immigrants, most of which are just chasing the dream as well.

Causes and Ways to Reduce Fatal Accidents

Accidents involving fatalities during the festive seasons has increased drastically. We should take this as a serious matter as it brings a lot of negative impacts to the road users and people around us. Based on a survey which has been conducted recently, the number of road accidents in 2013 has increased about 25 percent compared to last few years. Authorities believe that the number of death toll in road accidents will increase continuously throughout the year if there is no strict rules are imposed.There are many reasons why there has been an increase in fatal accidents over the year. Firstly, drunk drinking is the main reason that causes road accidents. Intake of certain amount of alcoholic drinks will make one feel unconscious and unwell. When he or she lapses into unconsciousness, he or she might not be able to drive with a sober mind. This is because their mental power is unable to function well at that moment and they tend to lose their senses as well . Besides that, neglige nce and reckless driving also cause fatal accidents.Reckless rivers usually like to break rules and even tend to challenge the police officers. Some the drivers like to tail along ambulances during emergency cases when the siren is on. Those are the irresponsible road users that should be suspended or fined . On the other hand, talking or messaging on the mobile phones while during driving is Jeopardizing your own life and the lives of your loved ones. People like to use their phones to chat incessantly and keep looking at their phones every second. Sometimes, we should limit oneself not overuse it especially when you are driving.Road users should always be caution and pay full attention while behind the wheels. In addition, exhaustion and tiredness can cause road tragedy. When a person travels long distance to reach the respective destinations, they will feel drowsy and exhausted which make them to lose focus on driving. Some of them even fall asleep behind the steering wheel. In o rder to avoid any untoward tragedy, one should get enough rest before starting your Jorney. Also, do not take any medicine while driving on the road. There are many ways to overcome the fatal incidents.Government should remind all road users to always adhere to speed limit and not to beat the red light. Observation of traffic rules and regulations will ensure a safe Journey. Government should also launch some campaigns in order to develop awareness among the motorists. In a nutshell, all parties should play their parts efficiently in order to reduce the road accidents. A I Malaysian drivers are urged to practice courtesy and consideration at all times while on the road because millions of vehicles will be sharing the same road. Remember, better to be safe than sorry.

Compare and contrast the Buddhist view of self with that of Assignment

Compare and contrast the Buddhist view of self with that of Christianity - Assignment Example In Christianity, God is the omnipotent and He is the creator of world, humans and life. He is entitled to shower his love and blessings on his folks and devotees. Buddhism on the other hand follows a different perception as regards to the concept of self. Here, man is more prominent than the presence of God. God is inevidently the creator of the universe but never does it mentions about the presence of that omnipotent power to take care or shower its blessing on its folk. Man in Buddhist philosophy is the creator of his own destiny and it is the self, responsible for suffering too. It is the â€Å"karma† of a man that makes him responsible for his suffering. Buddhism and Christianity, both of the religions, could not excel their limitations of eternity and laying down the exact role of human on earth and the role of God. These two facets sometimes overlap with many other regimes that noteworthy in both the religion. All About Religion, â€Å"Comparison Christianity and Buddhism - What are the differences?†, July 24, 2010. Religion. 2010.

Significance of Place in the Context of Globalization Assignment

Significance of Place in the Context of Globalization - Assignment Example Among the many movements, globalization had and is also having a major impact in various places or parts of the world. Globalisation literally means the transformation of local phenomena into a global one and when Doreen Massey’s conceptualization of place is analyzed from globalization context, it is clear that place cannot be a static and it will become a ‘global’ sense of place or even a global village or place. So, this paper will analyze how the advent of globalization is turning our globe into a global village, with boundaries between places and countries being erased or merged and how it is impacting the social place. Globalisation is a practice of interacting and mixing or assimilation among people, companies and governments of different places or countries whose signature feature is international industrial and financial business structure. Globalisation may be thought of as the widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life, from the cultural to the criminal, the financial to the spiritually. More formally, globalization can be categorized as a process that embodies a transformation in the spatial organization of social relations and transactions (Wiley, Nandi & Shahidullah 1998, p. 21). Hyperglobalism conceive globalization as a new age of economic integration that is characterized by open trade, global financial flows as well as multinational corporations. Hyperglobalism is driven by capitalism, communications, and transportation technology, integration into one world market and it is increasingly eroding state power and legitima cy. However another perspective is, and one that spans the entire politico-ideological spectrum - consists of what might be called the hyper-globalists, who argue that we live in a borderless world in which the national.

The North American Free Trade Agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The North American Free Trade Agreement - Essay Example This means that at optimal labor utilization it can either produce, say 600 pounds of corn or 300 pounds of nuts. Meanwhile, Mexico is able to substitute the production of same products at the exchange ratio of . As such, it may choose to produce either 200 pounds of corn or 150 pounds of nuts. (Samuelson & Nordhaus, 2000) Upon opening up or liberalizing trade between the two nations, their initial production possibility curves, represented by the solid line, pivot. In case of the US, it could still produce 600 pounds of corn. However, with trading with Mexico, it may now end up with relatively more nuts using Mexico's price ratio. Similarly, Mexico ends up with the same quantity of nuts but this time it may end up with more corn as it traded with Mexico at the latter's price ratio. The above example exhibits the benefits derived by countries, particularly exporters and consumers, when countries open up to trade or undergo trade liberalization. According to the Foreign Agricultural Service (2005), sales of corn to Mexico and Canada increased by 175% with exponential increase in export value between 1993 and 2004. In this case, farmers are able to find overseas markets for their harvest, thus, enhancing their earnings potential.

Elizabeth Murray'abstract art gives me special meanings Essay

Elizabeth Murray'abstract art gives me special meanings - Essay Example She portrayed a gloomy home life by bathing cartoonish technique, comprising kitchen utensils, desks, shoes, and others seen in houses. Personally, her paintings pushed me to think more profoundly about their goofy, ridiculous, and comical nature, but I only felt somewhat disturbed. In her earlier works, Murray depicted human features, by interweaving non-figurative colors, lines, and shapes. She used multi-paneled installations, alongside vibrant and daring colors to fascinate and trick the viewers’ eyes. She made use of every dimension, and is particularly recognized for her designed canvasses (Lacayo para 2-3). Her naughty, silly, and wild technique is all about colorful composition and wild forms against the organized and methodical abstract art. She totally recreated Modernist abstraction into cartoonish humor and essence. The above picture is one perfect example of Murray’s wacky, spirited, yet deliberate, calculated technique. In this painting, she is combining abstract three-dimensional canvases to form scenery of unique shades, colors, and systematic mixtures. It is a large image of a hotchpotch, painting, and figure; mixed all in all and colored vibrantly and raises a sense of wackiness, but sympathetic accuracy which is integrated in all its exquisite disorder (PBS(a) para 4). The application of smooth, horizontal color reveals that she is not attempting to mislead the viewers or make them believe there is something deeper than what has been painted or shown in front of them. Based on my analysis, I think she is trying to guide her viewers to the reality that abstract images can be objects too. Even though these are not ordinary, mundane objects that can simply be recognized, I think she is attempting to copy commonplace objects employing her own artistry, ingenuity, and imagination. She makes use of living organic shapes all over the painting which look like human body parts. By condensing and squashing these humanlike shapes into her

How does the media shape our perception of crime and the criminal Research Paper

How does the media shape our perception of crime and the criminal justice system - Research Paper Example The media have a role in informing and even educating the public about such themes, but it must always be remembered that this is not the only, and often not the primary, function of mass media. Media exist in a business world where they must generate revenue, and they are driven by market forces as much as ethics and attention to veracity and an accurate representation of reality. Against this background it is important to ask the question whether, and in what way the mass media change people’s perception of crime and whether this increases their own fear of crime occurring in their own personal sphere. A number of empirical studies, mostly based in the United States of America, have tried to pin down exactly what the effects of media are on people’s perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system. ... al news does have an effect on people, but that â€Å"when the news is closer to the everyday lives of the viewers, it will have more input to their fears,† (Chiricos, Padgett and Gertz: 2000, p. 779) The frequency of viewing local news was found to be significant for viewers’ fear of crime and the authors note that a preoccupation with violent crime in local news is doubly harmful for residents in high crime areas because it resonates with them much more than with residents in affluent and low crime areas, who see it as something distant which does not affect them. Another large study looked at differences in the way that local news media, and especially local television, depict urban and suburban crime, in a sample of 7,667 local news stories drawn from the whole of the United States. (Yanich: 2004, p. 541) This study is important because it provides statistical evidence of the proportion of news broadcasting time devoted to crime (around 28%), which makes it the pred ominant or second-most frequent story in all of the newscasts. When the crime reporting was analysed further, it transpired that court stories were prominent, 35-38% which is explained by the relative ease of obtaining information in the local area, the cost-saving ability to use material from previous reporting of the actual crime, and, significantly, â€Å"court stories offer court news as miniseries – the media trial – in which the media co-opt the criminal justice system as a source of high drama and entertainment. (Yanich: 2004, p. 544) Yanich also observed a phenomenon which he describes as â€Å"crime creep† whereby crimes occurring in suburban areas are more often reported than crimes occurring in urban areas, using a motif of advancing waves of crime spreading out from the core city to the

Informative speech - continuation career path Essay

Informative speech - continuation career path - Essay Example We have different units for dyeing, woodworking and enveloping. Taken together these different units contribute to the overall success of the business and adding to the bottom-line of the company. We supply furniture to universities, offices and hotels among others on a contract basis. We ensure good quality and reliability in our delivery that ensures repeat business from many of our clients. To come to my career plans in this business, I want to use my education as an IT major to contribute to the success of the company. I believe that with the use of IT in business, it would be possible to manage inventory and sales and purchases in a better way. To start with, we could have an integrated solution that has the components of sales and finance along with inventory. Each of these components would cater to one particular business area and would be integrated as a whole with the net result that there would be a systemic approach to the whole concept of doing business in total. I want to use my training in IT to design the system and implement it across the business. Thus, my career path would be that of an entrepreneur who uses his education to the advantage of the family’s business. To focus on the likely rewards that may accrue to me, first, I would be happy with the fact that I am helping my family along with taking care of the entire business in the future. At another level, it would also mean that I would be giving back to the country of my nationality from which I have gained substantial benefits and privileges. Taken together, these would constitute my motivation in serving my family and country. In monetary terms, I would have the satisfaction of growing the business and ensuring an augmented income stream for me and my family. The flip side of my career plan is that I may not be able to realize my earlier goals of a career in the IT industry. However, I have started taking

Declining Fish Stocks in Oceans Essay Example for Free

Declining Fish Stocks in Oceans Essay There is an inherent ocean fish stocks decline causing sustainability to be at risk. Specifically, there have been a notable decrease in â€Å"Atlantic cod stock off Newfoundland in 1992 and the poor state of the southern bluefin tuna stocks in the Southern ocean. † (Williams, 2005) This problem on declining fish stocks is a predicament that goes mainly with a growing human population together with many other factors. If the trend continues, where the population constantly grows and the oceans’ size remain the same, the fish population and fish supply can be totally consumed by humans and sustainability would not exist. This means that in the long-run, not only the fish risks of being extinct and depleted but humans as well when there would be lesser food to it. II. Living and Non-Living Organisms Causing the Problem The decline in the fish supply or stocks of fish in the ocean, or in any other bodies of water are brought about by many factors. These factors however, can be both independent or dependent of each other. This means that one factor might lead to another factor and so on. However, as previously mentioned, the first cause is the growing human population. Aside from food consumption in the form of fishing, other ocean activities that are not directly related to fish consumption are nowadays possible and actually ongoing due to growing human existence. These are the activities that disturbs and/or destroys fish habitats in the ocean as well as damaging the ocean itself preventing fishes to multiply or reproduce normally. Following are the factors, both direct and indirect, both dependent and independent that cause a decline in fish stocks in the ocean: a. ) the growing population with growing demand on food consumption; b. ) a greater demand for transferring from traditional small-scale fishing to commercialized large ocean vessel fishing; c. ) a growing move from coastal waters fishing into fishing from international bodies of water; d. ) lack of time for various fish species to hatch and breed due to continuous catching/fishing; e. ) growing human activities both from other bodies of water and in the oceans itself where toxics and pollutants are involved and disturbance of the habitat of the fish in the ocean are caused by these human activities such as ocean floor exploration, oil rigging, etc. ; f. ) Other natural factors such as natural predator-prey process, where the fishes are preys to other ocean organisms coupled by natural calamities and natural causes that result to fishes’ deaths such as global warming, etc. III. Living and Non-Living Organisms Affected by the Problem The reason why humans must be concerned about the declining fish stocks in the ocean is due to the fact that humanity is also at stake when sustainability in fish supplies cannot be attained. The most obvious of these reasons is on food supply. However, the problem does not stop there when and if ever fish supply would be depleted. Other stakeholders affected by the problem on declining fish stocks in the ocean include the environment and the ecosystems themselves and if there would be not enough fish, the balance of life forms in the ocean would be destroyed. As previously mentioned, one problem causes another and in this way, calamities can be expected to happen and it can be said that without fishes and other organisms and when a lot creatures dying in it, a body of water can be a â€Å"dead body of water† or, in case of the oceans, a â€Å"dead ocean†. IV. Positive and/or Negative Human Impacts With a strict judgment, it is difficult to say that a declining fish stock in the ocean will result to any positive effect to humans. Aside from lack of food supply, or difficulty of hunting for fish, the problem leads to expensive fish products and suffering health. Reciprocally, so far humans are only causing negative effects to the ocean and they are the main cause of declining fish stocks in there, be it a direct or indirect cause. With a growing human population, everything happens, from overfishing to water pollution, to water and ocean floor exploration leading to fish habitat destruction or demolition, to other environment balance destruction leading to global warming and other nature abuse or excesses. Global warming affect fish supply because Even though the effect of humans to fish stocks are negative, a move to lessen it in order to attain sustainability in terms of fish supply would improve the current situation. This however, involves a lot of sacrifice and discipline in the part of the humanity but in the long-run, it will be a big benefit as to human existence itself. V. Evaluation of Current Sustainability Strategies and Solutions The overall goal of any current or future sustainability strategies and solutions is, naturally, for sustainable fishing. Sustainable fishing looks at the long-term and overall fishing activity and tries to maintain the stocks of fish wherein the future generation can have their own share in the entire fish supply the ocean and other bodies of water offer. To evaluate the current strategies and solutions geared toward sustainability, it is first important to note some of them. One of the existing strategies is the implemented 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery to be unpredictable whether it would make relaxed enforcement of annual catch limits for each fishery or impose strict limits. (Senate Entwined in Debate, 2006, p. A02) Thus, the total control is on the side of the implementing body which is the government. The public however has the right to criticize it and be vocal if it is too lax in its imposition. Another good strategy in the process is the individual fishing quota (IFQ) system that limit fishing operations by allocating the total allowable catch to participants based on historical catch and fishing effort (Sanchirico Hanna, 2004) In fact, this is a brilliant idea only if implemented strictly. Overall, the existing strategies have noble intentions with them. The only problem is on the implementation side. VI. Plan to Reach Sustainability Since it is easier said than done, a plan is easy to make. It is however, very important to practice what is planned to actually reach sustainability. A mere plan is not enough but the implementation is the most important aspect of attaining the aim of having sustainable fishing. The following plans to reach sustainability may or may not be in existence already. The plan would involve fishing that is not solely reliant from the ocean but as well as in other bodies of water or even inland. This means that fish farms and fish ponds would be developed all throughout every nation. Government promotion and support in each country is very essential in attaining this project. Aside from funding, the governing body of a country/nation as well needs to deal with the existing fishing companies who have already invested much to sail their fishing ships in the depths of the ocean for greater catch and for greater chunks of fishy profits. This also includes providing incentives to those who are dedicated in making the project successful. Setting quotas/limits to ocean fishing large vessels owned by commercial companies would be part of the plan. This would lead to discouragement of excesses in fishing by levying very expensive fines and taxes if the mentioned quotas or limits would be surpassed. Although penalties are on the punitive side of the plan and not on the preventive side, it is still useful to enforce penalties, stricter and harsher ones, to poaching fishing vessels who fish and violates and cross some fishing boundaries in the international context is also part of the plan. Moreover, the plan includes massive public information dissemination as to the future effect if fish supply would be depleted and encouraging the public to boycott any brand or any company that violates the rules on sustainable fishing or any company that pollutes the ocean causing fishes to die or companies that are greatly hindering fishes’ reproduction process. Lastly and more importantly, the public must know that the main stakeholders as to the availability of fish, which is at risk if drastic disciplines on fishing and other ocean activities would not be imposed, are human beings. The general public, or the humanity of this earth must be aware that without fish, it is them that will suffer the most and that educating them to prevent this harsh happening is to make positive actions and be disciplined so that the aim for sustainable fishing would be attained. Moreover, humans should be educated that fish supply depletion means hunger, health crisis and in the long-run, can as well result to human depletion! VII. Benefits and Challenges of the Plan As to the benefits of the plan, there is none unless it is fully implemented. The benefits start to take effect right after such plans are strictly implemented in many countries in the world. This means that right after such implementation, the following may take into view: a. ) a disciplined and sustainable approach to fishing; b. ) an educated and well aware public that helps to the attainment of the goal which is sustainable fishing; c. ) restoration of fish stocks in the ocean for they could start to hatch and breed normally and naturally; d. ) a cleaner and calmer ocean where balance is maintained; e. ) a sustainable fishing is attained; and more importantly f. ) humans would be at ease in terms of fish/food supply with reasonable prices, healthy catch, a continuous supply and fish meals that are life and health supporting. A sustainable human existence starts here as well. Naturally, the plan is not as smooth as anyone can wish it could be. It will be full of challenges and difficulties as to the attainment of its goal. It would be difficult to implement considering the selfishness of humans. Funding would not be easy to find and produce as to the plan of giving incentives to those who make coastal and inland fish farms and ponds. Additionally, each person in the government have their own sets of constituents and more often than not, they are more afraid to hurt the financing constituents such as the owners of large commercial fishing ships and fishing and fish processing companies than to be more concerned about declining fish supplies. Nowadays, profit maximizations seems to be the biggest goal of the majority and very little notice the suffering nature. A plan to have sustainable fishing would be far buried to the current issues that always make their way to be sensational. These include the issues on war and peace processes, terrorism, hunger, scandals, and political issues, among others. Lucky enough when environmental concerns get noticed without something bad, such as calamities happening and hurting a lot of people. Humans are such selfish beings and even though lessons are already sent their way, they still find it difficult to take care of nature, even for their own ends. VIII. Required Government, Societal and Global Support The move to have sustainable fishing would never be successful, or, would not even start without the initiative and leadership of the government. In the first place, any rules and laws regarding fishing starts in the congress or the legislative body. The same is true with the desired implementation of such rules where government bodies are, again, the major role players, such as in the case of coast guards and ocean police. Moreover, the funding starts with the government. Although there might be concerned groups making donations and a lot of volunteering, the main tasks are still laid out in the hands of the government to look for enough funds to encourage the public. The government has also the power to run ads or public notices in various media entities encouraging the public to help reach the goal. The public or the society on the other hand, are required to give their full cooperation when it comes to the success of a certain government projects. Without societies’ support and cooperation, the government cannot make it alone. In this case, the government may offer large amount for developing inland fish ponds but there are times that the public are simply uninterested or simply take the things for granted, receive the funds and do not work for the purpose the fund should be spent at. This can happen when the public is aware that the government is too loose on its policies, too corrupt, too desperate or too helpless. Finally, the global community is the extension of each little society. The same support is required towards their corresponding government but globally, governments of each countries may not agree themselves. In this case, their own cooperation is also required. There are a lot of cases where fishing vessels of another country poaches from the oceans of another territory. Thus, only if selfishness is set aside this plan to have sustainable fishing can be attained. Globally, this would be a great challenge because in many ways, countries are found to be not in agreement with each other especially because fishing on the high seas was a feature of societies long before large areas of the worlds seas were claimed by nation states. (Williams, 2005) In fact wars are happening spending lives when countries disagree with each other. Thus, it would be a great wish to enable each country to unite for the survival of humanity through sustainable agriculture, sustainable development, sustainable fishing and the rest of human activities to be sustainable. Everyone have their own purposes, selfish motives and plans. There is still hope though. This happens when humanity is faced with unforgettable lessons with regards to taking care of nature at their own risks!

PTLLS Assignment. The teaching and training cycle Essay Example for Free

PTLLS Assignment. The teaching and training cycle Essay |Using the teaching and training cycle |Identifying needs and planning | |as a model, discuss one responsibility|One role/ responsibility of a teacher is to initially assess the students in order to identify their current skills; their preferred learning styles and any barriers or| |which would come under each part of |challenges to learning. This will enable the teacher to plan lessons according to the needs of the learners and in accordance with organisational policies and | |the cycle. |procedures. | | | | | |Designing | | | One role/ responsibility of a teacher is to prepare teaching and learning resources and activities. This will usually involve designing a scheme of work, session plans | | |and appropriate materials and resources suitable to the level and needs of the learners. | | | | | |Facilitating | | |One role/ responsibility of a teacher is to use a variety of teaching and learning materials and approaches to motivate, engage and encourage learning in an appropriate| | |and professional manner. | | | | | |Assessing | | |It is the role / responsibility of a teacher to assess learners’ progress in accordance with the requirements of the awarding organisation. The teacher does this by | |Â  |preparing realistic assessment materials (both formative and summative) and by giving feedback to the learners on what has been done correctly and what needs to be | | |improved on. | | | | | |Evaluating | | |It is the role/ responsibility of the teacher to reflect on the teaching and learning process. This involves reflecting on the weaknesses and strengths of the lesson | | |plans, the resources and the actual delivery with the aim of improving the teaching and learning process. The reflection is usually done by the teacher after each | | |lesson and sometimes by students/other teachers. | |Discuss 2 professional boundaries you |I would need to remain in control, be fair and ethical with all my students and not demonstrate any favouritism towards particular students. For example, I should not | |would need to maintain. |give one student more support than I give to the others. | | | | | | I would need to remain professional when in contact with other co-workers within the organisation and not to overstep the boundary of my role as a teacher. For example,| | |if something goes wrong with the electrical system while I am teaching, I should not try to fix this myself but rather I should call the electrical crew. | |Give 2 examples of when you might need|Two examples of when I might need to refer a learner for him/her to get needed support are: | |to refer a learner in order for them |The learner is being abused in any form. | |to get needed support. |The learner has depression issue that is affecting his/her learning process. | |List 2 responsibilities you have in |Two responsibilities I have in respect to other professionals I work with are: | |respect to other professionals you |I should ensure that all my administrative work such as class register; students’ assessment records are up to date. | |will work with. |I should ensure that I complete my lessons within the scheduled time so that the next teacher can start his/her lesson on time. |

Which Antibiotic is the Most Effective on Bacteria?

Which Antibiotic is the Most Effective on Bacteria? INTRODUCTION Antibiotics The word antibiotic comes from the Greek anti meaning against and bios meaning life (a bacterium is a life form). Antibiotics are also known as antibacterials, and they are drugs used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria are tiny organisms that can sometimes cause illness to humans and animals. The singular word for bacteria is bacterium. Such illnesses as tuberculosis, salmonella, syphilis and some forms of meningitis are caused by bacteria. Some bacteria are not harmful, while others are good for us. Before bacteria can multiply and cause symptoms our immune system can usually destroy them. We have special white blood cells that attack harmful bacteria. Even if symptoms do occur, our immune system can usually cope and fight off the infection. There are occasions, however, when it is all too much and our bodies need some help from antibiotics. The first antibiotic was penicillin. Such penicillin-related antibiotics as ampicillin, amoxicillin and benzylpenicilllin are widely used today to treat a variety of infections these antibiotics have been around for a long time. There are several different types of modern antibiotics and they are only available with a doctors prescription in industrialized countries. How do antibiotics work? Although there are a number of different types of antibiotic they all work in one of two ways: A bactericidal antibiotic kills the bacteria. Penicillin is a bactericidal. A bactericidal usually either interferes with the formation of the bacteriums cell wall or its cell contents. A bacteriostatic stops bacteria from multiplying. Uses of antibiotics An antibiotic is given for the treatment of an infection caused by bacteria. They target only bacteria they do not attack other organisms, such as fungi or viruses. If you have an infection it is important to know whether it is caused by bacteria, and not a virus or fungus. Most upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold and sore throats are generally caused by viruses antibiotics do not work against viruses. Antibiotics are overused or used incorrectly there is a chance that the bacteria will become resistant the antibiotic becomes less effective against that type of bacterium. A broad-spectrum antibiotic can be used to treat a wide range of infections. A narrow-spectrum antibiotic is only effective against a few types of bacteria. There are antibiotics that attack aerobic bacteria, while others work against anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen, while anaerobic bacteria dont. Antibiotics may be given beforehand, to prevent infection, as might be the case before surgery. This is called prophylactic use of antibiotics. They are commonly used before bowel and orthopedic surgery. Bacteria The word bacteria is the plural of bacterium. Grammatically the headline should just say What are bacteria? The incorrect usage has been included in the headline to remind readers that it is wrong and hopefully help correct an increasingly common mistake in the English language. Bacteria are tiny living beings (microorganisms) they are neither plants nor animals they belong to a group all by themselves. Bacteria are tiny single-cell microorganisms, usually a few micrometers in length that normally exist together in millions. A gram of soil typically contains about 40 million bacterial cells. A milliliter of fresh water usually holds about one million bacterial cells. Planet Earth is estimated to hold at least 5 nonillion bacteria. Scientists say that much of Earths biomass is made up of bacteria. 5 nonillion = 5,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (or 51030) (Nonillion = 30 zeros in USA English. In British English it equals 54 zeros. This text uses the American meaning) Bacterial cell walls Bacterial cell walls consist of layer of peptidoglycan which is made up of many parallel polysaccharide chains with short peptide cross-linkage forming an enormous molecule with net-like structure. However, there are two different types of bacterial cell wall, which can be distinguished by Gram staining, a staining technique developed by Christian Gram in 1984 and still in use today. Before staining, bacteria are colorless. The cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria have a thick layer of peptidoglycan containing chemicals such as teichoic acid within their net-like structure. The crystal violet in the stain binds to the teichoic acid and resists decolouring in the rest of the process, leaving the positive purple/blue color. The cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria have a thinner layer of peptidoglycan with ni teichoic acid between the two layers of membranes and then an outer membrane-like layer made up of lipopolisaccharides. Any crystal violet which does not bind is readily decolourised and replaced with red safranine in the Gram stain. So cells appear red. PROBLEM STATEMENT Which antibiotic is the most effective on bacteria? APPARATUS 200 ml of micropipette, conical flask, forceps, 100 ml beaker MATERIALS Petri dish, sample of E.coli and staphylococcus, 3 different types of antibiotic which are carbenicilin, streptomycin and tetracycline, distilled water, Dettol handwash, 75 % of ethanol, agar, tissue paper VARIABLES Fixed variable : volume of bacteria Manipulated variable : types of antibiotic Responding variable : area of inhibition zone HYPOTHESIS The most effective antibiotic to inhibit bacteria growth is ampicillin PROCEDURE First of all, wash out hands with the soap or handwash. The working area is sprayed thoroughly with the disinfectant spray. It is left for at least 10 minutes, and wiped with a paper towel. An agar plate seeded with is prepared. The petri dish is labeled on the base at the edge out of name, the date and type of bacterium it is inoculated with by usng permanent marker pen. After finishing marking the petri dish, the Esterichia coli bacteria is poured by using micropipette into the petri dish on the marked labeling and distribute it evenly. The agar is taken out from 60 ÃÅ'Ã…  C oven. The mouth of the conical flask containing the agar is warmed in the flame to prevent any different bacteria from surrounding grow inside it. The agar is left for 10 minutes for it to solidify before putting the sterile disc dip into three different antibiotics. The forceps are flamed and used them to pick up disc or Mast ring. It is dip into the antibiotic solution and is placed firmly in the centre of the agar. The dish is taped securely with two pieces of adhesive tape and kept it upside down at room temperature for 24 hours. Step 1 until steps 7 are repeated by using another type of bacteria which is staphylococcus. Our hands are washed with soap or handwash and the bench is cleaned again using the 75 % of ethanol. After the incubation, the plate should be looked at carefully but do not open it. Where bacteria have grown the plate will look opaque, but where the antibiotics have inhibited growth, clear zones called inhibition zones will be seen. The diameter of the inhibition zones is measured in milimetres and the information is used to decide which antibiotic is most effective at inhibiting the growth of the bacterium. The data is collected from other members of the class who used the other bacterial cultures. PRECAUTIONS When carrying out the experiment, we should work very closed to the Bunsen burner to prevent any impurities in each apparatus that is used. Do not seal completely the upper and lower part of petri dish. Both petri dishes contain different bacteria need to be inverted to prevent the water vapour from forming at the upper site of the agar. It might affected or overshadow the inhibition zones that are formed inside the dish. Make sure our hands are constantly being wash with disinfectant before touching any apparatus. Before using any apparatus, they should be sterile to prevent any unwanted impurities to grow in the petri dish. Do not open the petri dish after incubation to prevent from infection. Explanation of the data Table above shows the area of inhibition zone of the bacteria growth on two different bacteria. Four types of antibiotics are used to be investigated which is the most effective on a particular bacteria. They are tetracycline, streptomycin, carbenicillin and ampicillin. Whereas two types of bacteria are used which are staphylococcus and Esterichia Coli. For E.coli, ampicilin showed the greatest inhibition area of bacteria growth with 10.2 cmÂÂ ². Another antibiotic that showed the closest reading is streptomycin. Tetacyclin and carbenicilin showed 5.3 cmÂÂ ² and 4.9 cmÂÂ ² respectively. This result clearly shown that ampicilin is the most effective antibiotic to inhibit the growth of E.coli. Besides that, E.coli is a gram negative bacteria. The cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria have a thinner layer of peptidoglycan with no teichoic acid between the two layers of membranes and then an outer membrane-like layer made up of lipopolisaccharides. In addition to that, Staphylococcus also had a higher inhibition zone of bacteria on ampicilin. Other bacterias have no effect as great as ampicilin which can be consider as a strong antibiotic. Staphy is a gram positive bacteria. The cell walls of Gram-positive bacteria have a thick layer of peptidoglycan containing chemicals such as teichoic acid within their net-like structure. The crystal violet in the stain binds to the teichoic acid and resists decolouring in the rest of the process, leaving the positive purple/blue color. That is why ampicilin is said to be the most effective antibiotic on both bacterias. Limitations There are some limitations that cannot be avoided when carrying out the experiment. The first one was every apparatus that we used had been sterile by the laboratory assistant. Thus we had to wash our hands thoroughly before touching anything. We even could not talk during the preparation. The problem was we carried out the experiment on the labs table, instead of using the cupboard fume to maintain the sterile apparatus. Thus, there might be some of the apparatus that we were using had been contaminated. This condition might affect the reliability of the experiment hence the expected results might not get at the end of the experiment. Besides that, we had to wash our hands by using the dettol hand soap before we start and end the experiment. We had to remove all the impurities and bacteria and that was the purpose of washing hand. The problem rose as we did not know whether we had washed our hand to the maximum cleanliness. Consequently, all the apparatus and materials that we used might be affected by our hand. This is done so that there are no infections or contaminations on the agar that might give problems later. Sources of error There are some sources of error when carrying out this experiment. Firstly, we prepared the experiment at room temperature. It was supposed to carry out in sterile medium to prevent anything from affecting during the preparation of bacteria and antibiotics. Next, the major problem that could be seen during the experiment was most of the groups could not be able to solidify their agar to the maximum hardness. Consequently, when inverting the petri dish, all its contents would be messy inside the petri dish and the disc had mixed to one another. Thus, the antibiotics on each disc also had mixed that could affected the whole result. To overcome this problem, students should let the agar solidify before inverting the petri dish. Another problem was some of the groups do not invert their petri dish before keeping it inside the incubator. This would cause the water vapour to form at the upper part of the petri dish. It would also affect the growth of the bacteria in agar. Fourth, the layer of agar inside the petri dish was too thin that caused it fell to the bottom when inverting it. Besides ruining the shape of the agar and the position of the discs in the agar, the thin layer of agar also inhibits the growth of bacteria because it lacked of nutrients. To prevent this, the layer of agar should be half of the petri dish. Further work To get more reliable and accurate result, this experiment should be repeated by varying the temperature to investigate the activity of antibiotic on bacteria. This means that increase the temperature would cause the antibiotic to act more rapidly compared to the temperature that we used before. Thus we do not have to wait for 24 hours to see the inhibition zone. This manipulated variable also do not waste the time consuming for the experiment. Moreover, as the antibiotic shows more faster effect, thus the bacteria and antibiotic should be put in separately different petri dish to prevent it from overlapping. CONCLUSION The most effective antibiotic is ampicilin. The hypothesis is aceepted. Words = 2200 Marks and Spencer: Processes of Change Marks and Spencer: Processes of Change Introduction All organizations that are currently undergoing some kind of change. Many of these programs on the changes resulting from management practices, such as culture change, business process engineering, empowerment and quality of the whole. Other initiatives, the changes are dependent on the needs of the organization to reposition the face of changing competitive conditions. A good example is the ongoing process of change at Marks Spencer. Strategic Change The term is usually reserved for such initiatives. These transitions are often related radicals in the organization, which includes strategy, structure, systems, processes and culture. Success in implementing strategic change in organizations is poor. Many simply do not understand that the implementation (which is actually turning plans into reality), and not the wording that is difficult. To the strategic objective becomes a reality, it is necessary to change the way people behave in organizations. This will require more restructuring and new systems. Background of change Faster pace of change is the starting point. Sure, companies live in times of change, indeed, more turbulent age than ever. But what was true for many years. What happened to that last, managers realized that without changes in not only miss opportunities, can kill or paralyze society. Even if an organization indulges in finally change may be too late to prevent continual arthritis of the company. Marks Spencer has been horribly damaged, not only by his lawyer about the size of its reserves, but by managing cattle demonstrated that corresponds to unravel. M S, after serving what turned out to be a strong reflection of heavy blows of its reputation and profits fell by a few weak sales. The worst thing is that Suns statistics were accompanied by anecdotal evidence bad choice of clothing for women, lack of resources, attractive shops which confirmed that the problems were not resolved. M S knew that he needed the conversion to a retailer who fleet feet, a magnet for vendors and managers, and a dynamic leader in the field of fashion. But M S was never one of those three things. During the long reign of dominance Rick Greenbury, the consolidated unnecessary functions from the past: from top to bottom, slowly and deeply conservative. Description of changes in the organization The process of change can be difficult, may be slow and painful. People by nature do not like change. Companies naturally do not like change. The question is whether we want to drive the implementation of strategic changes in our business, how much pain we are ready to commit to adopting means for change? We must first ask the reasons for changes in the business environment? There are four modes of changes that may occur in any company and be seen as the primary cause. The theory of change management Managing change in the tradition of organizational development, considers the organization of social systems, and therefore relates to humanistic element in conjunction with the mechanics of the organization. The aim is to improve the efficiency and prosperity by facilitating the organization of the development process so that eventually the organization is able to solve their problems and adjust if necessary. Therefore, in order to implement effective change, the scientist-physician must be able to adapt and apply appropriate rules to the current situation. Familiar models for inclusion in our theories in use were selected for their usefulness, adaptation and integration of members of the organization. They are listed below. Planned changes to the model of Lewin (1951) These changes in the oldest and most fundamental are that Lewins change model. It consists of three stages: melting, movement and refreezing. The publication is to reduce the peacekeeping forces of organizational behaviour. The movement involves moving behaviour of the organization and re-freezing is to stabilize the new state. Lewins saw a change in behaviour of sources in the organization. These forces are trying to maintain the standard and those who fought for change. Model of action research The classical model of action research focuses on the planned changes as an iterative process in which a preliminary examination on the organization is a way for future research and future needs. Search in the initial phase is estimated to guide research. The model focuses on the massive data collection and identification prior to any action taking place and a careful evaluation later. Emphasis is placed on the organization and work with your doctor to change all stages of the process. Business model is based on the most current research approach to planned change and is often considered synonymous with the IP (Cummings and Worley, 2005) Kotter Model According to Kotter, the plans should be established to develop appropriate stages, achievable and measurable changes, while engaging, enable and facilitate the participation of people as quickly and as openly as possible (Kotter, 1995, p. 2-3). Changes must be realistic, achievable and measurable (Kotter, 1995, p. 6). These aspects are particularly relevant to management and changes in individual groups. Prior to the organizational changes, the organization must determine what it wants to achieve with this change, why and how he knows that change is achieved. It is the address that is affected by this change and how they will react. Finally, how changes in the organization are able to achieve alone and what aspects of the changes he needs a specialist or outside help to achieve. Intervention Our diagnosis, offer interventions to deal with errors or problems and help Marks and Spencer in competition with other organizations. This list, which is not exhaustive credits towards a cultural change, but taking into account the wider context, which is defined at the beginning of the quantitative changes in corporate strategy are required. Therefore, the intervention process, which includes culture change, would be best suited for this case. Transformational change Transformational change is a relatively new organizational change. Is concerned about radical change and is essentially change the way the organization is perceived both internally and externally and how it works. This type of change would be particularly relevant to the case of Marks and Spencer, as it must radically change the way you operate in a competitive environment. Culture change The concept of organizational culture has brought a lot of research and culture, many models have been developed to define measure and observe the culture. However, little consensus about the nature of culture or to understand. Nevertheless, culture has become a very important part of the organization and activities covering a culture change have increased sharply. Schein (1990), Millward (2005) model of culture is one of the most commonly used, consists of four layers at different levels of consciousness. In the centre of the basic assumptions (unconscious, reactions uncontested guide), values (this is important) and norms (how to behave), and finally, artefacts (observable behaviours and procedures). This metaphor of culture cannot hope to capture all the elements of organizational culture, it is a useful tool in the study. Need for change To understand how organizations respond to the need for change, we must examine the organizational processes and management, organization transformation through additions, deletions or changes to the resource base leads to the attainment of these processes of change. We need to know not only what the organization which markets will come, how fast they grow, but how they do it. To understand how organizations respond to the need for change, we must examine the organizational processes and management, organization transformation through additions, deletions or changes to the resource base leads to the attainment of these processes of change. We need to know not only what the organization which markets will come, how fast they grow, but how they do it. Factors that determine the need for strategic change Organizations usually in response to changes in the external environment, as well as the development of competitive advantages in the organization. External environmental factors, including: Social factors Such as changes in demographics and purchasing habits of consumers. Legal factors Legal pressures that force organizations to comply with the law changes, for example, in response to environmental legislation. Economic factors Relate to the booms and declines in economic activity in general, changes in interest rates, inflation, etc. Political factors These are related to wider policy changes for example the government to take a particular line of the privatization / role of government in society. Technological factors Technological aspects of technological advances such as developing new methods based on point of sale by the company. In addition to these factors, he slept a significant impact on the organization, making competition. Slept analysis is an analysis of the major changes in the environment of the organization. This is sometimes called environmental scanning. Managing change is a key aspect of how the organization responds to changes in an appropriate manner. Todays managers believe that in the future, organizations need more leaders who can use the talents of the organization in achieving its objectives, the development of a culture that believes change as an opportunity rather than a threat, regularly invent the organization, effectively planning and implementing change. To succeed in this environment, managers have to do the right things in the existing well-defined procedures and limitations. Predictable and stable environment reduces the need to mobilize the organizations capacity, flexibility, creativity and innovation. The environment has changed radically, and successful organizations and their managers should behave differently. Managers in todays environment are needed to transformation of the organization, to develop good relationships with internal and external stakeholders, run horizontally and vertically, and not the entire culture lines enable employees and the development of networks and alliances. Stakeholders in developing a strategy change Stakeholders are those who have direct interest in the organization and may be beneficial, and harmful to the organization if not properly treated if a policy is adopted in order to keep the company and they should also participate in company affairs and decision making. The system is planned in this direction in which we can pass our message to all actors in society and be in the best interest of the latter. Some of it is also relevant for people who do not want to change or resist change. The behaviour of these people also consider. Resistance to change Responses to organizational change initiatives are no different. In the beginning there is a small proportion of the early adopters those who want to participate, because I just changed a breakthrough that will lead to better conditions. Most of the people affected by the initiative of the changes will be far less enthusiastic than the early adopters, but over time they will eventually accept and adjust to it. Finally, the group will not be very resilient, many of whom will never adapt to the changes in place. This range of behaviour results from a normal distribution. It is a natural phenomenon intuitively understood by most managers of change. Unfortunately, though perhaps unconsciously, to understand the phenomenon, these managers often do not use this knowledge to better organize an effective change. The aim is to adopt the first to develop their support and consciously use their influence to speed up the most reluctant to change. It is important to understand that they do not reflect the impact of hierarchical position. Leaders are natural leaders and respected functional experts who are well connected. They are nodes in the social, business, politics and communications networks, and their sphere of influence goes beyond the scope of their parent organization. While these influential illustrate its support for the changes, they are a marketing tool more powerful than any message issued by the office of managing change. Strategies should be performed on the leaders of high or medium, the goal is to transform them into the first users, and use its influence over the end of the interest or commitment. For those who cannot be pulled forward or to the small force, aims to accelerate the speed of their adaptation to help them better understand and prepare for the consequences of change. It is also focusing on people who are able to adapt, but because of its unique combination of knowledge, skills or abilities, but a significant contribution. Some people will be unwilling or unable to adapt to change. They are already able to demonstrate their acceptance and respect for a change, otherwise, may suffer the consequences clear. Include initiatives that will affect change, how it will affect them and what their reactions might be important for the success of the strategy changes. When an organization brings new things about people, there will be problems. Participation, involvement and open, early, full communication are important factors. How to tell change to people The workshops are very useful process to develop a common understanding, methods, principles, methods, systems, ideas, etc. Surveys are useful to repair the damage and lack of trust among employees if you allow people to fill them out anonymously, and provided that publish and implement the findings. You cannot force change individuals and teams must have the right to seek their own solutions and responses, the facilitation and management support, tolerance and compassion for managers and executives. Management style and leadership behaviour are more important than intelligence and the political process. Employees must have confidence in the organization. A leader must listen to and work with these ideas, or change can be very painful, and soon will be lost in the process. You may also find that the main problem is the resistance of the people and defence of someone who is in the organization, what you do. After this challenge, you can begin to compare what is happening with what the organization intends to do (mission, values, goals, priorities, targets, key performance indicators, process measures), as people feel things (marketing, maintenance workers, morale and attitudes ) as well as customers and suppliers feel too much (in fact, go out and find clients and former clients in particular). Follow the protocol is very difficult you have properly with people and explain who you are and what you do. Be polite. Respect the people more than usual; because they are sensitive, it is understandable. The framework for change management at Marks Spencer Marks Spencer has been under pressure to change the external economic factors and not yet answered correctly. It is for this reason that the approach proposed amendment is necessary to initiate and implement change is being driven by the management of physician (s). Using current models and theories of change management in the organization development, proposed a framework for planned changes that could be used by Marks Spencer. Context of Changing First, in the context of the situation to be addressed in order to develop appropriate methods of change. This can be done in three dimensions: The volume changes Incremental change to solve specific problems such as lack of communication and low customer satisfaction Quantum amendment to change the basic functioning of organizations, including the structure and culture Degree of organization Over-organized where policies are too rigid for effective action due to poor communication, conflict avoidance, etc. Sub-structured where there is too little regulation for the effective operation due to lack of direction and coordination structure. Domestic vs International Cultural differences, especially between Eastern and Western societies, for example, Asian countries tend to be hierarchical and North America deal with individuality. It can be difficult to implement change, which encourages openness among employees when it is not viewed positively. In the case of Marks and Spencer, the magnitude of change is that major changes in the quantum of culture, structure and strategy must be addressed. They will be included in the applied intervention. They are also highly organized society with the management system now that he is honoured to be part of the overall problem. Although the system successfully in the past, is steeped in ancient culture and able to adapt to a redesigned image of Marks Spencer. Therefore, the process of change at Marks Spencer will focus on softening of the structure. General review, Marks Spencer, will be treated as a citizen of the operation of this case, since closed down its operations in Europe and North America sold its franchise stores in Hong Kong. The model change is composed of seven steps to help developers to the key issues of transformation. Activities focus on people, leadership, trust, vision, empowerment, celebration and institutionalization. Despite the emerging linear stages can occur simultaneously. Effective communication is the mortar. There must be open and honest communication in every step of the process, and communication needs to combine these steps together. Nothing can destroy the effort to change sooner or permanently, that poor communication. Here are the steps for effective transition. Assessment and solve human problems Contractor changes need to invest time and effort to understand the problems of people does not appear in place of those who suffered, and then practice the golden rule of treating others as they would be treated. Exercise strong leadership in the organization Without strong leadership, positive change will not. Leadership can no longer be the domain of a few organizations all the staff responsible should do what it takes to achieve organizational goals. This is especially true when change must occur. Many must step in and assume leadership. Spreading leadership and decision-making responsibilities, inspires and motivates everyone to play a role in implementing the changes. Building trust in the leadership Confidence is simply the belief that it would suffer if threatened. Obviously, the level of mutual trust between labour and management or between supervisors and subordinates affects the health of the organization. Clearly articulate the vision to all If you want to change, please explain the reason and purpose of fundamental change. People cannot have a real idea of where the organization is or what problems it faces. You have to tell them. They need to understand the purpose for the desired result. Be prepared to answer these questions: What is the problem? Who said that? What happens if you do not change? Creating an helpful environment Organizations can do everything possible to prepare the ground for change in response to the concerns of people in order to demonstrate strong leadership, building trust, formulating a vision all, that is, but to create an environment to enable success. Honest answer is that you can get almost as much as you want to manage anything else of a turbulent, messy, chaotic nature, it is not really manage it, talk with her. It is a question of leadership is one of management skills. The first thing to do is jump in. You cannot do something outside. A clear sense of mission or purpose is essential. A simple mission, the better. Building a team that can work hard and one of them is the team leader. Pick people with relevant skills and high energy levels. Youll need two. Set flexible priorities. You must have the ability to drop what youre doing and tend to something more important. Treat everything as a temporary measure. Ask for volunteers. You will be surprised that arises. You will be pleasantly surprised what you can do. Find a good boss or team leader and stay in his way. Conclusion In concluding this report, we can say that effective reforms introduced to the strategy are to maximize the huge returns if these changes are well managed. In this report, and Spencer takes on the characters thinking and different models are also discussed to show the strategic shift from Marks Spencer, which is a leading company in the UK, but suffered from some activities for that has to change, and finally models Kotter and Lewins, a representative of the role of stakeholders that their existence in the affairs of the company is very necessary to be able to join in their decisions and At last appropriate model is also developed, which will provide guidance for better performance.

Effects of Internet Pornography Essay -- Internet Essays Media

Effects of Internet Pornography It used to be almost impossible for children to get pornography. Comer stores would place adult magazines such as playboy on the top rack behind all the other magazines so that only the title was visible and it was out of reach of children. Movie stores would have separate rooms at the front of the store for their porn videos; this way they could monitor who went into the room. In today's technologically advanced society, pornographic magazines and videos are becoming extinct. Computer users can easily search for sex sites, with millions and millions or results. All it talks is the click of the mouse and children can visit any site they want. There is know way for Internet sites to monitor who is on there site, if you click the button that says your over 18 they let you in, so a 15 year old can easily get on to the site. Pornographic websites also place other moral and social problems not just on underage teenagers but on adults as well. One of the most obvious effects of pornography on the Internet is the easy access that juveniles have to it. All it takes is the click of a mouse and there they are, thousands of nude photos, of women and men doing all sorts sexually explicit of things. Many teens first come across these sorts of thing accidentally. But is it really accidental if advertisement, spams, and e-mail advertising free porn sites pop up every five minutes? How can teens stay away from these kinds of things if they're right there in font of them? "In a 2001 poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 70 of 15-to 17-year-olds said they had accidentally come across pornography online." [1] This leads us to wonder does someone actually want teens to view these sites. If porn is meant to... ...ters. Addiction to Internet pornography is also a major problem presented in society. Addicts can spend hours viewing different web sites. Pornography on the Internet creates many unwanted vices in today's society. Internet pornography should have stricter laws and regulations or even better, pornography should be banned from the Internet. Works Cited "Breaking Pornography Addiction." 2004. MacKean, Liz -Fears paedophiles will revel in cyberspace." Auaralian Broadcasting Association 13 January 2004. http://www.abc.net au/7.30/content/2004/sl024959.htm. Paul, Pamela "The Porn Factor† Time Magazine 19 January 2004. http://www.time.com/time/2004/sex/article/the_porn_factor_in_the_01a.html. "Pornography Statistics 2004†. Net Safety Center Statistics 2004. .

Dead Mens Path by Chinua Achebe Essay example -- Chinua Achebe Dead

â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† by Chinua Achebe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this short story â€Å"Dead Men’s Path,† Chinua Achebe gives the protagonist an exciting chance to fulfill his dream. Michael Obi was fixed officially headmaster of Ndume Central School, which was backward in every sense. He had to turn the school into a progressive one, however the school received a bad report when the supervisor came to inspect. Why did the school get a nasty report and Obi could not become a glorious headmaster even though he put his whole life into it? In order to find out the answer, we have to examine Michael Obi’s personality and the event that made the supervisor to write an airier result.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Obi was a secondary school teacher. â€Å"The Ndume Central School had always been an unprogressive, so the mission authorities decided to send a young and energetic man to run it† (331). Obi was a juvenile and a jaunty man. Within Obi’s confidence, the reader can see his ardent desire. â€Å"He had many wonderful ideas and this was an opportunity to put them into practice† (331). By this golden chance he wanted to show other people how a school should be run. Obi wanted â€Å"his associates to give all their time and energy to the school† (331) because they were not married. He and his wife were very excited to work for the school. They both had made a plan to make the school modern and delightful. Even though Obi accepted his responsibility with enthusiasm, he could not become a great principal. Why? There should be some ...

Music Industry Struggles to Get Cell phone?s Numbers :: essays research papers

â€Å"Music Industry Struggles to Get Cell phone’s Numbers†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a new trend bringing together cell phones and digital music called ringtones. These ringtones are customized ringers that a customer can download directly to their cell phone. This business has seen quick and expansive growth in the past 2 years and is expected to grow for at least a couple more years. Initially cell phones came with just a handful of default ringers the user could choose from, but now they are able to download digitalized versions of their favorite song. Some new phone technologies even allow the ringers to include actual samples of real music including vocals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ringtone market is a strong competitor with the online music market. The ringtone version of rapper 50-Cent’s song â€Å"In Da Club† actually outsold digital sales of the song. This is impressive because this ringtone was only 30 seconds, had no vocals, and priced at nearly two dollars was twice the cost of downloading the full digital song from Apple’s iTunes digital music store. Customers of Sprint bought 500,000 copies of Beyone’s â€Å"Crazy in Love† at $2.50 a piece. Estimates of world wide sales claim that ringer sales in 2003 reached nearly $3 billion. According to BMI, the royalty collection group, the American market was between $66 and $68 million in 2003 and is expected to reach $240 million in just the first 6 months of 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The licensing of music to be turned into a ringer faces several legal issues. All parties involved in originally creating the music must agree to have their music digitally recreated as a ringer. The article reports that many songs, especially in the rap industry, involve many collaborators which further extends the licensing dilemma. The hit song â€Å"Yeah† by Usher took over 6 months to reach ringtones because one of the many parties involved held out in tough negotiations. While the major online ringtone publishers face these legal battles, there is another ethical issue that arises concerning the grey-market operators that provide cheap versions of hits without licensing. Further, this is legal discussion as to who should be getting the bigger piece of the royalties involving the ringtones. The publishing companies turning out the digital ringers typically get 10% of the sale price or 10 cents while the master ring tones that include actual song sample s bring in nearly 30 cents.