A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-five

Eddard Pain is a gift from the gods, Lord Eddard,† Grand Maester Pycelle told him. â€Å"It means the bone is knitting, the flesh healing itself. Be thankful.† â€Å"I will be thankful when my leg stops throbbing.† Pycelle set a stoppered flask on the table by the bed. â€Å"The milk of the poppy, for when the pain grows too onerous.† â€Å"I sleep too much already.† â€Å"Sleep is the great healer.† â€Å"I had hoped that was you.† Pycelle smiled wanly. â€Å"It is good to see you in such a fierce humor, my lord.† He leaned close and lowered his voice. â€Å"There was a raven this morning, a letter for the queen from her lord father. I thought you had best know.† â€Å"Dark wings, dark words,† Ned said grimly. â€Å"What of it?† â€Å"Lord Tywin is greatly wroth about the men you sent after Ser Gregor Clegane,† the maester confided. â€Å"I feared he would be. You will recall, I said as much in council.† â€Å"Let him be wroth,† Ned said. Every time his leg throbbed, he remembered Jaime Lannister's smile, and Jory dead in his arms. â€Å"Let him write all the letters to the queen he likes. Lord Beric rides beneath the king's own banner. If Lord Tywin attempts to interfere with the king's justice, he will have Robert to answer to. The only thing His Grace enjoys more than hunting is making war on lords who defy him.† Pycelle pulled back, his maester's chain jangling. â€Å"As you say. I shall visit again on the morrow.† The old man hurriedly gathered up his things and took his leave. Ned had little doubt that he was bound straight for the royal apartments, to whisper at the queen. I thought you had best know, indeed . . . as if Cersei had not instructed him to pass along her father's threats. He hoped his response rattled those perfect teeth of hers. Ned was not near as confident of Robert as he pretended, but there was no reason Cersei need know that. When Pycelle was gone, Ned called for a cup of honeyed wine. That clouded the mind as well, yet not as badly. He needed to be able to think. A thousand times, he asked himself what Jon Arryn might have done, had he lived long enough to act on what he'd learned. Or perhaps he had acted, and died for it. It was queer how sometimes a child's innocent eyes can see things that grown men are blind to. Someday, when Sansa was grown, he would have to tell her how she had made it all come clear for him. He's not the least bit like that old drunken king, she had declared, angry and unknowing, and the simple truth of it had twisted inside him, cold as death. This was the sword that killed Jon Arryn, Ned thought then, and it will kill Robert as well, a slower death but full as certain. Shattered legs may heal in time, but some betrayals fester and poison the soul. Littlefinger came calling an hour after the Grand Maester had left, clad in a plum-colored doublet with a mockingbird embroidered on the breast in black thread, and a striped cloak of black and white. â€Å"I cannot visit long, my lord,† he announced. â€Å"Lady Tanda expects me to lunch with her. No doubt she will roast me a fatted calf. If it's near as fatted as her daughter, I'm like to rupture and die. And how is your leg?† â€Å"Inflamed and painful, with an itch that is driving me mad.† Littlefinger lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"In future, try not to let any horses fall on it. I would urge you to heal quickly. The realm grows restive. Varys has heard ominous whispers from the west. Freeriders and sellswords have been flocking to Casterly Rock, and not for the thin pleasure of Lord Tywin's conversation.† â€Å"Is there word of the king?† Ned demanded. â€Å"Just how long does Robert intend to hunt?† â€Å"Given his preferences, I believe he'd stay in the forest until you and the queen both die of old age,† Lord Petyr replied with a faint smile. â€Å"Lacking that, I imagine he'll return as soon as he's killed something. They found the white hart, it seems . . . or rather, what remained of it. Some wolves found it first, and left His Grace scarcely more than a hoof and a horn. Robert was in a fury, until he heard talk of some monstrous boar deeper in the forest. Then nothing would do but he must have it. Prince Joffrey returned this morning, with the Royces, Ser Balon Swann, and some twenty others of the party. The rest are still with the king.† â€Å"The Hound?† Ned asked, frowning. Of all the Lannister party, Sandor Clegane was the one who concerned him the most, now that Ser Jaime had fled the city to join his father. â€Å"Oh, returned with Joffrey, and went straight to the queen.† Littlefinger smiled. â€Å"I would have given a hundred silver stags to have been a roach in the rushes when he learned that Lord Beric was off to behead his brother.† â€Å"Even a blind man could see the Hound loathed his brother.† â€Å"Ah, but Gregor was his to loathe, not yours to kill. Once Dondarrion lops the summit off our Mountain, the Clegane lands and incomes will pass to Sandor, but I wouldn't hold my water waiting for his thanks, not that one. And now you must forgive me. Lady Tanda awaits with her fatted calves.† On the way to the door, Lord Petyr spied Grand Maester Malleon's massive tome on the table and paused to idly flip open the cover. â€Å"The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, With Descriptions of Many High Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children,† he read. â€Å"Now there is tedious reading if ever I saw it. A sleeping potion, my lord?† For a brief moment Ned considered telling him all of it, but there was something in Littlefinger's japes that irked him. The man was too clever by half, a mocking smile never far from his lips. â€Å"Jon Arryn was studying this volume when he was taken sick,† Ned said in a careful tone, to see how he might respond. And he responded as he always did: with a quip. â€Å"In that case,† he said, â€Å"death must have come as a blessed relief.† Lord Petyr Baelish bowed and took his leave. Eddard Stark allowed himself a curse. Aside from his own retainers, there was scarcely a man in this city he trusted. Littlefinger had concealed Catelyn and helped Ned in his inquiries, yet his haste to save his own skin when Jaime and his swords had come out of the rain still rankled. Varys was worse. For all his protestations of loyalty, the eunuch knew too much and did too little. Grand Maester Pycelle seemed more Cersei's creature with every passing day, and Ser Barristan was an old man, and rigid. He would tell Ned to do his duty. Time was perilously short. The king would return from his hunt soon, and honor would require Ned to go to him with all he had learned. Vayon Poole had arranged for Sansa and Arya to sail on the Wind Witch out of Braavos, three days hence. They would be back at Winterfell before the harvest. Ned could no longer use his concern for their safety to excuse his delay. Yet last night he had dreamt of Rhaegar's children. Lord Tywin had laid the bodies beneath the Iron Throne, wrapped in the crimson cloaks of his house guard. That was clever of him; the blood did not show so badly against the red cloth. The little princess had been barefoot, still dressed in her bed gown, and the boy . . . the boy . . . Ned could not let that happen again. The realm could not withstand a second mad king, another dance of blood and vengeance. He must find some way to save the children. Robert could be merciful. Ser Barristan was scarcely the only man he had pardoned. Grand Maester Pycelle, Varys the Spider, Lord Balon Greyjoy; each had been counted an enemy to Robert once, and each had been welcomed into friendship and allowed to retain honors and office for a pledge of fealty. So long as a man was brave and honest, Robert would treat him with all the honor and respect due a valiant enemy. This was something else: poison in the dark, a knife thrust to the soul. This he could never forgive, no more than he had forgiven Rhaegar. He will kill them all, Ned realized. And yet, he knew he could not keep silent. He had a duty to Robert, to the realm, to the shade of Jon Arryn . . . and to Bran, who surely must have stumbled on some part of the truth. Why else would they have tried to slay him? Late that afternoon he summoned Tomard, the portly guardsman with the ginger-colored whiskers his children called Fat Tom. With Jory dead and Alyn gone, Fat Tom had command of his household guard. The thought filled Ned with vague disquiet. Tomard was a solid man; affable, loyal, tireless, capable in a limited way, but he was near fifty, and even in his youth he had never been energetic. Perhaps Ned should not have been so quick to send off half his guard, and all his best swords among them. â€Å"I shall require your help,† Ned said when Tomard appeared, looking faintly apprehensive, as he always did when called before his lord. â€Å"Take me to the godswood.† â€Å"Is that wise, Lord Eddard? With your leg and all?† â€Å"Perhaps not. But necessary.† Tomard summoned Varly. With one arm around each man's shoulders, Ned managed to descend the steep tower steps and hobble across the bailey. â€Å"I want the guard doubled,† he told Fat Tom. â€Å"No one enters or leaves the Tower of the Hand without my leave.† Tom blinked. â€Å"M'lord, with Alyn and the others away, we are hard-pressed already—† â€Å"It will only be a short while. Lengthen the watches.† â€Å"As you say, m'lord,† Tom answered. â€Å"Might I ask why—† â€Å"Best not,† Ned answered crisply. The godswood was empty, as it always was here in this citadel of the southron gods. Ned's leg was screaming as they lowered him to the grass beside the heart tree. â€Å"Thank you.† He drew a paper from his sleeve, sealed with the sigil of his House. â€Å"Kindly deliver this at once.† Tomard looked at the name Ned had written on the paper and licked his lips anxiously. â€Å"My lord . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do as I bid you, Tom,† Ned said. How long he waited in the quiet of the godswood, he could not say. It was peaceful here. The thick walls shut out the clamor of the castle, and he could hear birds singing, the murmur of crickets, leaves rustling in a gentle wind. The heart tree was an oak, brown and faceless, yet Ned Stark still felt the presence of his gods. His leg did not seem to hurt so much. She came to him at sunset, as the clouds reddened above the walls and towers. She came alone, as he had bid her. For once she was dressed simply, in leather boots and hunting greens. When she drew back the hood of her brown cloak, he saw the bruise where the king had struck her. The angry plum color had faded to yellow, and the swelling was down, but there was no mistaking it for anything but what it was. â€Å"Why here?† Cersei Lannister asked as she stood over him. â€Å"So the gods can see.† She sat beside him on the grass. Her every move was graceful. Her curling blond hair moved in the wind, and her eyes were green as the leaves of summer. It had been a long time since Ned Stark had seen her beauty, but he saw it now. â€Å"I know the truth Jon Arryn died for,† he told her. â€Å"Do you?† The queen watched his face, wary as a cat. â€Å"Is that why you called me here, Lord Stark? To pose me riddles? Or is it your intent to seize me, as your wife seized my brother?† â€Å"If you truly believed that, you would never have come.† Ned touched her cheek gently. â€Å"Has he done this before?† â€Å"Once or twice.† She shied away from his hand. â€Å"Never on the face before. Jaime would have killed him, even if it meant his own life.† Cersei looked at him defiantly. â€Å"My brother is worth a hundred of your friend.† â€Å"Your brother?† Ned said. â€Å"Or your lover?† â€Å"Both.† She did not flinch from the truth. â€Å"Since we were children together. And why not? The Targaryens wed brother to sister for three hundred years, to keep the bloodlines pure. And Jaime and I are more than brother and sister. We are one person in two bodies. We shared a womb together. He came into this world holding my foot, our old maester said. When he is in me, I feel . . . whole.† The ghost of a smile flitted over her lips. â€Å"My son Bran . . . â€Å" To her credit, Cersei did not look away. â€Å"He saw us. You love your children, do you not?† Robert had asked him the very same question, the morning of the melee. He gave her the same answer. â€Å"With all my heart.† â€Å"No less do I love mine.† Ned thought, If it came to that, the life of some child I did not know, against Robb and Sansa and Arya and Bran and Rickon, what would I do? Even more so, what would Catelyn do, if it were Jon's life, against the children of her body? He did not know. He prayed he never would. â€Å"All three are Jaime's,† he said. It was not a question. â€Å"Thank the gods.† The seed is strong, Jon Arryn had cried on his deathbed, and so it was. All those bastards, all with hair as black as night. Grand Maester Malleon recorded the last mating between stag and lion, some ninety years ago, when Tya Lannister wed Gowen Baratheon, third son of the reigning lord. Their only issue, an unnamed boy described in Malleon's tome as a large and lusty lad born with a full head of black hair, died in infancy. Thirty years before that a male Lannister had taken a Baratheon maid to wife. She had given him three daughters and a son, each black-haired. No matter how far back Ned searched in the brittle yellowed pages, always he found the gold yielding before the coal. â€Å"A dozen years,† Ned said. â€Å"How is it that you have had no children by the king?† She lifted her head, defiant. â€Å"Your Robert got me with child once,† she said, her voice thick with contempt. â€Å"My brother found a woman to cleanse me. He never knew. If truth be told, I can scarcely bear for him to touch me, and I have not let him inside me for years. I know other ways to pleasure him, when he leaves his whores long enough to stagger up to my bedchamber. Whatever we do, the king is usually so drunk that he's forgotten it all by the next morning.† How could they have all been so blind? The truth was there in front of them all the time, written on the children's faces. Ned felt sick. â€Å"I remember Robert as he was the day he took the throne, every inch a king,† he said quietly. â€Å"A thousand other women might have loved him with all their hearts. What did he do to make you hate him so?† Her eyes burned, green fire in the dusk, like the lioness that was her sigil. â€Å"The night of our wedding feast, the first time we shared a bed, he called me by your sister's name. He was on top of me, in me, stinking of wine, and he whispered Lyanna.† Ned Stark thought of pale blue roses, and for a moment he wanted to weep. â€Å"I do not know which of you I pity most.† The queen seemed amused by that. â€Å"Save your pity for yourself, Lord Stark. I want none of it.† â€Å"You know what I must do.† â€Å"Must?† She put her hand on his good leg, just above the knee. â€Å"A true man does what he will, not what he must.† Her fingers brushed lightly against his thigh, the gentlest of promises. â€Å"The realm needs a strong Hand. Joff will not come of age for years. No one wants war again, least of all me.† Her hand touched his face, his hair. â€Å"If friends can turn to enemies, enemies can become friends. Your wife is a thousand leagues away, and my brother has fled. Be kind to me, Ned. I swear to you, you shall never regret it.† â€Å"Did you make the same offer to Jon Arryn?† She slapped him. â€Å"I shall wear that as a badge of honor,† Ned said dryly. â€Å"Honor,† she spat. â€Å"How dare you play the noble lord with me! What do you take me for? You've a bastard of your own, I've seen him. Who was the mother, I wonder? Some Dornish peasant you raped while her holdfast burned? A whore? Or was it the grieving sister, the Lady Ashara? She threw herself into the sea, I'm told. Why was that? For the brother you slew, or the child you stole? Tell me, my honorable Lord Eddard, how are you any different from Robert, or me, or Jaime?† â€Å"For a start,† said Ned, â€Å"I do not kill children. You would do well to listen, my lady. I shall say this only once. When the king returns from his hunt, I intend to lay the truth before him. You must be gone by then. You and your children, all three, and not to Casterly Rock. If I were you, I should take ship for the Free Cities, or even farther, to the Summer Isles or the Port of Ibben. As far as the winds blow.† â€Å"Exile,† she said. â€Å"A bitter cup to drink from.† â€Å"A sweeter cup than your father served Rhaegar's children,† Ned said, â€Å"and kinder than you deserve. Your father and your brothers would do well to go with you. Lord Tywin's gold will buy you comfort and hire swords to keep you safe. You shall need them. I promise you, no matter where you flee, Robert's wrath will follow you, to the back of beyond if need be.† The queen stood. â€Å"And what of my wrath, Lord Stark?† she asked softly. Her eyes searched his face. â€Å"You should have taken the realm for yourself. It was there for the taking. Jaime told me how you found him on the Iron Throne the day King's Landing fell, and made him yield it up. That was your moment. All you needed to do was climb those steps, and sit. Such a sad mistake.† â€Å"I have made more mistakes than you can possibly imagine,† Ned said, â€Å"but that was not one of them.† â€Å"Oh, but it was, my lord,† Cersei insisted. â€Å"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.† She turned up her hood to hide her swollen face and left him there in the dark beneath the oak, amidst the quiet of the godswood, under a blue-black sky. The stars were coming out.

The Explorer Doughter

The Explorer’s Daughter Background Kari Herbert, whose father was a polar explorer, lived as a child with her family in northwest Greenland in the Arctic. She was so fascinated by the place she returned there later as an adult to write about it. The book from which this extract is taken is partly a memoir (a form of autobiography) and partly a travel book, giving the reader information about this strange and beautiful place, its people and its animals. She found that the way of life of the Inughuit people was changing under the impact of the modern world, but that they still retained aspects of their traditional way of life, for instance hunting for food and driving teams of dogs. A major part of the passage is an account of a hunt for narwhal whales. Hunting is a very emotive issue and many conservationists argue that whales should be protected. Kari Herbert’s feelings are divided on this topic. She sympathises with both the narwhal and the hunters, who face incredible danger. They hunt in kayaks – flimsy canoes – in water so cold that they would die quickly if their kayak overturned. What can I say about language? This passage has many purposes. The writer uses language in differing ways to fulfil these. She uses description to convey the beauty of the setting, gives us information about the Inughuit and the narwhal, dramatises the hunt, and gives us an insight into her own thoughts and feelings. Complete the following table to help you sort out these various strands. Kari Herbert sympathises with both hunter and hunted, and this tension is shown in this passage. Complete the following table to highlight this aspect of the passage Pharagraph by Pharagerph Paragraph 1 â€Å"†¦ spectral play of colour. † This sentence shows a sense of immediate aroma. It is an imagery so give a strong sense of place and setting. â€Å".. butter-gold.. † This text shows a sense of wealth â€Å".. shifting light. † is Poetical Paragraph 2 â€Å"dead of winter† This is a metaphor – weaker setting the tone is ominous and there is the sense of place and danger Paragraph 3 â€Å"dead of winter† is a metaphor to show a weaker setting. The whole of paragraph 3 has an ominous tone. It shows a sense of place and danger. Paragraph 4 The whole of paragraph 4 has a shift in tone from paragraph 3; it is more factual, informative and for example shows this by using technical words. It is also the biggest paragraph. In the context you find out that the community really relies on the hunting and how dangerous it is. Paragraph 5 â€Å".. clustered.. † The word clustered is a powerful connotation, it means that the women are scared so they huddle together and try to comfort each other. â€Å"It was like watching a cast, waterborne game with the hunters spread like a net around the sound†. This sentence is imagery. It has added adverbs to show how scared the women were and how much their husbands are important in their life. Paragraph 6 â€Å"†¦ gently picked up his harpoon† thought and care, focus on the actual hunt and the text also switches back to the hunters. â€Å"†¦ two heads and one bladder† not high-tech technology, limited, she respects them because they are using a harpoon, she is sympathetic to the narwhal and the hunters, dramatic. â€Å".. urge†¦ † to show how strongly she wanted the narwhal to survive â€Å"†¦ o dive, to leave, to survive† – triad Paragraph 7 â€Å"The dilemma stayed†¦ † This shows that she's not that sure who to be sympathetic for, the narwhal or the hunters but her sympathy gets switched back to the hunters un this paragraph. â€Å"How can you possibly eat seal? † is a view point of society this shows that the modern person thinks that this is a crime. -she build s up her argument, these are the points of her argument â€Å"use every part of the animal† – so theres no waste/leftover â€Å"imported goods can only ever account for†¦ † â€Å"do not kill for sport†

Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay example -- Great Expectations

Dickens through Great Expectations seemed to have depiction of women and according to Martin Chilton should not be surprising that he did. Charles Dickens stated in 1842 â€Å"Catherine is as near being a donkey as one of her sex can be† (Chilton). Catherine was Dickens wife from 1836 to 1858; they had many kids together. Many believe Dickens terrified and depressed his wife of many years. Dickens had trouble depicting a mature female. Chilton states, "his own relations with women were all damaged, incomplete or destructive" (Chilton). There is obviously a connection between his personal experience and they way he depicts Mrs. Joe and others. Dickens relationship with women gave him many feelings to draw upon to display in his writing. Martin Chilton thought Miss Havisham was Dickens himself. The women in Great Expectations live under year’s of oppression. The cast of characters we saw were not educated and were in difficult personal situations. Peter Scheckner says, â€Å" the genealogies in this work show that virtually every female in the novel is a victim of oppressive circumstances, if not of economics then of a sex... ... middle of paper ... ...trated with the large majority of the female characters most of the time but evidently he would struggle without them. I truly, believe though if he had a more supportive stepmother, he would have ended up in a better situation and would be able to sustain his success. Charles Dickens was a novelist who wrote intense stories about the journey of Pip to fulfill his expectations. He was a man who had a difficult family situation. It was evident he was cruel to his wife Catherine and the fact that he did not even communicate to his ex wife that their son had died, he later sent a letter after the fact. These deplorable behaviors led to his depiction of many evil female characters in Great Expectations. Men in the novel were portrayed in a far better light and the depictions of women were disturbing to many has most Victorian women of the time were the total opposite.

Customer Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Customer Satisfaction - Essay Example Therefore, being a general manager of the company, a significant role is to handle the complaint of the customer. After analyzing the required case, the manager recognized that the customer did not provide detail information for manufacturing the part of the product and an employee of customer service was at fault as well. In this context, the complaint can be handled by the below discussed procedures. At first, the customer is required to be handled effectively by responding to the queries of the customers and subsequently the general manager needs to recognize an individual within the company who will be accountable to provide correct information. The entire complaints from other customers along with the specific customer as well as the complaint trends of organization have to be examined properly with due concentration. Finally, after evaluation of the entire trends of complaints in the company, it has to be determined regarding what process is to be followed in order to prevent s uch occurrences from happening in future. In case of the customer complaint regarding the missing part, it can be identified that as the work was performed as a ‘rush job’, there was a lack of communication among the required departments of the organization.

Clovis Points Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Clovis Points - Essay Example The interesting thing about these objects is the similarity in the technique used to make them and what it reveals about the residents of the area in bygone eras. Named after their first discovery site in Mexico, Clovis, the Clovis points are a representative of the Clovis Culture which is considered to be the earliest group of Paleoindians to occupy the North American regions and their time is believed to coincide with the time the first Americans arrived on the continent from Asia (Haynes, 2002). These tools are seen to be a proof that the people of the culture were mainly hunter-gatherers who relied on the availability of such tools to ensure a living based on hunting large animals. It seems that they built no enduring structures and remained only a few days or weeks in one area usually one which was near water and would have attracted their prey. Given the lack of knowledge about their overall lifestyles the Clovis points provide a unique insight to these people. The oldest Clovi s points date back to 13,000 years ago. Two recent discoveries made with regards to the Clovis Points bring some evidence about these assumptions. Firstly, bio chemical analysis of some of the tools from the Mahaffey Cache, found in  Boulder, Colorado showed the presence of animal protein on them. These tools were used to hunt and butcher ice-age camels and horses which were only present in North America around 13000 years ago- this analysis serves as evidence against the idea that the Clovis Points might have been ritualistic in nature with no practical exercise in mind. These tools were formed purely out a necessary need (University of Colorado, 2009). Another intriguing fact about the Clovis Points is that despite their wide distribution there was a distinctive similarity between the artifacts found in different caches. â€Å"New high-tech 3D computer analysis of 50 spear points made more than 10,000 years ago by North America’s mysterious Clovis people has revealed the stone points display an astounding symmetry despite having been found in caches as far apart as Maryland, Arizona and Colorado.† (Smithsonian science, 2012).The basic theories put forward were based around the ideas that the travelling nature of the people would have resulted in the loss of tools which were left behind or forgotten in places of rest and picked up by other tribes who would have seen the utility in them and attempted to copy the stone work. Or perhaps many different tribes all reached the same method of carving these tools based on trial and error and selection of the best option. But these theories were just that, theories without any scientific data to prove them either ways. Only very recently has a proper study been done to understand the factor behind the similarity and whether there could be anything more than simple coincidence or copy-cat behavior behind the construction of the Clovis Points. The researchers in question used â€Å"portable laser scanne rs to construct 3D surface models† of these artifacts so that they could study the nuances and contours of the scars, where flakes were removed from the stone, in greater depth. â€Å"Individual patterns of variation and symmetry were explored and

Organization Career Opportunism in Modern Business Essay

Organization Career Opportunism in Modern Business - Essay Example In short, the organizational career is lifeless, while the changeable career future is bright and flourishing. In this special issue of the decision-making, we will examine the ways and the career Atmosphere and the executive of the 21st century will shape the direction of careers in the years to come. To comprehend the perspective of the new career, every person must build up the latest competencies related to the organization of self and career. In this opportunity document, we will present a concise impression of the rising career background, for both organizations and persons. Reading 2 The cause for upholding an open mind even after making a decision is comparatively simple but incredibly significant: "Facts" can change over time. "Facts" simply symbolize our state of understanding at any known peak in time. "Facts" in psychology have also changed over the years, as you will discover in your study of obedience. Serious thinking does not teach you a set of facts. As a substitute, it gives you an approach of thinking about facts and realizes those facts to determine whether or not they are sufficient. Therefore, serious thinking about any topic continues on and on. Serious thoughts involve a lifetime of learning-a self-motivated, an ongoing process that does not stop. Our assumptions and preconceptions facilitate us to establish how we see the world, minimize the option we make, and dictate the behaviors we want, thus, to become significant thinkers, we must tackle our own biases. To be significant thinkers, we must make sure ourselves with all sides of an issue and remain flexible and open-minded. Relying on supposition and presumption protect them from having to deal with such ambiguity. Philosophical thoughts require that we accept the doubts and continue to question and test ideas and supposition. Our assumption and preconceptions are frequently based on such logic, but we must find out to base on methodical evidence to portray conclusions about psycholo gical issues. Reading 3 Communication is used as a tool to express the feelings or desire verbally or nonverbally. In communication ideas, attitudes and value are shared to the others by three ways it can be verbal, nonverbal and graphics the meaning which can be understood by the other party depends upon his perception, the sentence structure, and interpretation. Communication process its self composed of seven elements these are a sender, message, receiver, feedback, channel, context, and interference. There are numerous things which disturb the flow of communication which ultimately lead to confusion and misunderstanding these are sender use wrong way or wrong wording of communication it can be the wrong perception of a receiver, absence of feedback, the wrong context or other factors which cause interferes with the message. Good communication is a key of success it enables peoples and organization to communicate well and establishes a link and understanding between two or more p eople, it also improves individuals performance, relationship with others and also develop their own need to enhance their personal, social and work relationships. It also enables supervisors to control work procedure, motivate their staff and manage a balance between the needs and goals of individuals with those of the organization.

Strategic Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Strategic Management - Case Study Example In 2010, Google was considered as the leader of technology that aimed at providing information to the people from any part of the world and the Google maps helped the customers to find directions as per their requirements (Hamilton & Nickerson, 2003). Economic: Google had to spend a lot of money in order to set up its business. The company has hired efficient managers to control the various teams and handle different projects of the company. The managers and the employees are to be paid high salary in order to encourage them to perform well (Elms, 2010). Hence, the financial accounts of the company have to be handled efficiently with proper allocation of the company’s grants for various projects. Further, the company has to use cost-efficient techniques to serve large number of customers. Politics: The impact of the political environment would be beneficial as well as harmful for the company. However, the political environment did not pose any threat to the launch of Google as it is an online search engine that is expected to provide valuable information to the nation. Also, it plays a key role in communication among people from different parts of the globe (Elms, 2010). Socio-cultural: Google acted as a medium for the advertisers who would prefer to promote social events through its online services. Further, commercial e-mails could be sent by various companies who would like to attract target customers to purchase their newly launched products (Barney, 2002). Technology: Google played a key role in bringing technological innovation to the economy by developing online information system. The customers can obtain information regarding any aspect using the Google search engine. The companies can maintain their online databases using Google spreadsheets and thus deal with huge amount of data (Elms, 2010). Legal: Google had to face some legal

Innovation and Competitive Advantage Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Innovation and Competitive Advantage - Thesis Example The companies are facing a great development in the global markets resulted from globalization. Therefore, they are thinking of a new generation of managers, which we call global managers. They have a wide viewpoint of unexpected environmental changes that needs a fast and right decision to make. The old generations of managers don't have this competency. So, they can't adapt with the new environment. (Kanter, 1995,p.149). Amidst all this change, the high ethical standards of an individual, be it a workman on the shop floor or the global manager, matter more now than ever. The dual ethical standards often maintained by people front-often the exact opposites when it comes of the way they conduct business are counterproductive in the long run. The new authority is emerging and organizations are member led, officer driven, customer focused; a team environment where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; a flat management structure where employees and managers are learning rathe r than blame; a clear since of direction and purpose. The six elements of an organization (Strategy, policies, structure, systems Climate, and culture) dynamically affect one another. Each element interacts with the environment as a business strives towards its goals. The problem definition/action planning process requires that a manager look at all six elements of the organizational model to determine which action levels will exist to implement positive change. If the environment changes, the organizational elements must adapt (Steven 124) Six elements that define organization; Strategy Policies and Procedures Structure Systems Climate Culture 1.1 Organizational strategy No organization exists in isolation. Every organization exists in an environment where it interacts with, and is influenced by, the general public, specific groups (whether they be customers, clients, suppliers, pressure groups, etc) and/or various government bodies. The organization is also affected by the economic, political, legal, social, technological and international variables of the times. All managers, whether they work in the public or private sector, operate in the same external environment. They face common pressures that the environment exerts on them. However, the nature of their work and the type of organization they work for will determine how these common environmental factors are perceived - whether they are seen as positive or negative, threats or opportunities. (Yvonne

The FIDIC 1999 Red Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The FIDIC 1999 Red Book - Essay Example In accordance with the Red and Yellow Books, it is the employer, who essentially assumes responsibility for risks such as changes in law, unforeseeable ground conditions, unpredictable natural calamities, force majeure, and environmental permits. On the other hand, the party assigned with designing, assumes the responsibility for its defects. Nonetheless, the risk sharing principles of the FIDIC are advantageous for both, the Employer and the Contractor. The Construction and Plant & Design-Build Books shed further light on the subject of risk-sharing principles. Overall, risk allocation notions and philosophies recognize standards of fair risk-allocation, like the following: 1. Risks should be allocated to the party that is in a better position to handle them. 2. Risks should not be assigned to a part, which cannot deal with the repercussions in the event of the risk becoming a reality. This paper seeks to explore the distribution of risks as per the FIDIC code between various partie s namely the employer, the contractor and the engineer in order to discover how risks are fairly allocated. Adoption by United Arab Emirates (UAE) In 2007, the UAE government adopted new contracts, based on the broad principles of the FIDIC conditions for construction, plant and design and build form of contracts. These contracts offer two forms, namely, Conditions of Contract for Construction and Conditions of Contract for Design and Build1. However, these contracts exclusively apply to public centre construction entities in UAE; thus, private developers are free to adopt any preferred form of contract. Arguably, while some new provisions are in the Employer’s interest, others tend to favour the Contractor. The Contractor The new contracts entailed subtle changes from the FIDIC forms of contract, that impose more stringent requirements on the Contractor and alleviate the balancing obligations that FIDIC had introduced to foster a more even risk-allocation amongst parties. Fo r instance, a noteworthy amendment was made in the Design and Build form, which originally was based on the Yellow Book. The primary philosophy behind this contract was for the employer to assume responsibility for both, providing accurate information to the contractor and delineating his precise requirements. In the event of discovery of erroneous information as provided by the Employer or unforeseen physical conditions, the Contractor shall have a right to recover additional expenditure and seek an extension. However, these aforementioned provisions regarding remedy have been deleted from the UAE contracts. Not only that, but the UAE law expressly states that the Contractor shall be liable for any subsequent defects in the design, irrespective of the fact that it was prepared by the Employer2. In addition, the Employer is to maintain responsibility for unforeseeable physical conditions. Sub-clause 4.123 serves as a classic illustration to elucidate the above point. It states that normally, a contractor can deal with subsoil problems; although, he might fail to make allowance for the extra costs incurred with regard to this problem.

Mara Guevarra Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mara Guevarra - Personal Statement Example I never heard her judge anybody nor heard her complain about any problem. I never saw her cry. I guess that was her strength- the ability to hide her feelings. After two years, Mara got to be separated from her friends. She had to transfer to another school because of financial problems. All the times that we were together, she was not mentioning any problem. I could see in her eyes the sadness, but still, no tears dropped from her eyes and instead she said, "I will miss you guys, I will surely miss my pets." Still cracking joke despite of loneliness and still, trying to cover her emotion. The communication with her friends was constant but it was not like before wherein, she could saw them regularly and talk to them physically anytime she wanted to. She gained new friends on her new school but her friendship to her old friends remained the same. She chose to celebrate with us, her old friends, right after the graduation ceremony. I told her that I was so proud of her. I was not expecting her reply: "No problem can hinder me from achieving my goals. I need to fight and survive because in the end, I know I will always win. "That is such an optimistic and strong remark coming from a person that I once perceived as happy-go-lucky. Mara attended a party where he met Robert. He got Mara's cellular phone number from her friend and he started courting her. At first, Mara did not like him because he is under-graduate. But because of Robert perseverance and everyday sending of flowers, she fell in love with him and decided to accept the love that Robert was offering her. The relationship, at first, was fine. They are getting along and having fun just by doing simple things like watching movies together and spending time talking "anything under the sun." After three months, she discovered Robert's weakness. He loves hanging out with friends just to drink alcohol. Such weakness of him became their problem. They fought every now and then. One night, they had a big fight .She got out of control and she slapped him on his face. Robert being drunk and so angry hit her on her stomach. That was when she finally decided to break up with him. The first round of their story lasted for four years. HER DARKEST MOMENT Mara was so depressed with what happened to their relationship. She tried to forget Robert by having relationship with different guys. Robert on the other hand, was doing his best to win Mara back. Mara resigned from her work and in her new company, she met James. They had a relationship but he was not serious with herand she knew that. They were having premarital sex and unfortunately, Mara got pregnant. James denied being the father of her baby. She was terminated due to immoral act. She did not know where to get money for her needs. Robert was still there waiting for Mara's acceptance. When he found out her condition, he asked Mara to marry him and he will shoulder all the responsibility as his husband and as a father to her

Biography of Abraham Lincoln Essay Example for Free

Biography of Abraham Lincoln Essay Abraham Lincoln (see Fig. 1), the United States sixteenth President, has productively led his nation through its most difficult crisis: the American Civil War. He was eventually assassinated as the war was coming to a halt. Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer, a Legislator in the Illinois State, and a House of Representatives member. He was the proponent in the fight against slavery in the United States and in 1861 won the Presidency. 1 During his term in office, he contributed much of his effort in the preservation of the United States by defeating the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He introduced countermeasures that led to the abolishment of slavery on his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, though various criticisms was put unto him by the opponents of war (also called â€Å"copperheads†), and the faction of the Republican Party called the Radical Republicans. He also promoted the passage of the Thirteenth Constitution Amendment, which was ratified by the states later after his death. Figure 1. Photograph of Abraham Lincoln During the war, Lincoln closely monitored the proceedings, choosing on his own the top Generals that will lead the army. He successfully handled the factions on the Republican Party, and defused the so-called war scare of 1861 with the United Kingdom. Under his intense leadership, the Union was able to take control of the slave border states when the war was about to start. As the war was about to end, he viewed a concept of reconstruction to speed up the unification of the nation through policies on reconciliation. His eminent assassination in 1865 was the first conducted assassination in the United States history. The incident made him a martyr and an epitome of national unification. Early Life Abraham Hanks Lincoln, son of Nancy Hanks and Thomas Lincoln, was born on a small cabin in a spring farm in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. The area was the called Hardin County but now a part of the LaRue County. This made him the first United States President to be born outside the initial Thirteen Colonies. His ancestor was originally from Massachusetts in Hingham, but later departed westward up to the Virginia states to the frontier (see Fig. 2). Figure 2. Symbolic representation of the Cabin log where Lincoln was born 2 His father initially bought the spring farm for $200 and became a respected citizen of Kentucky. The family belonged to a Baptist church (Hardshell), though Abraham never joined any church including of his own family. In 1816, his family was forced to depart to a new County (the Perry County) in Indiana. This move can be accounted for the existing slavery conditions, and land difficulties in Kentucky wherein people had a hard time securing land titles and properties. In 1830, the family decided to settle on Illinois in Macon County due to problem in land title, and then later transferred in Coles County, Illinois. He was about 9 yrs. old when his mother died of â€Å"milk illness†, and soon his father re-married Sarah Bush Johnston. Though affectionate on his stepmother, his attitude towards his father was distant. 3 Lincoln was known to be a self-educated person and only attended 18 months of formal education. He was an athletic person standing 6 foot 4 inches, and also an active wrestler, and skilled on using axes. He was also concerned on animal welfare by significantly avoiding fishing and hunting. At the age of 22, the young Lincoln set forth on his fortune by eagerly canoeing on the Sangamon River to reach the New Salem village. Denton Offut, later that year, hired Lincoln as goods transporter from New Salem towards Sangamon by using flatboat. Early Military Service and Political Career In 1832, Abraham Lincoln started his political career at the age of 23 as an affiliate of the Whig party. Though unsuccessful on his first campaign, he proposed on the navigational enhancements of the Sangamon River. He believed that the improvement would open the door for trading utilizing the river and will eventually improved sea traffic. During the Black Hawk War, he was elected as captain of the Illinois militia that eventually gave him a sense of satisfaction. He then managed a small store for several months before winning a slot on the state legislature in 1834. 4 This gave him the opportunity to come across the Laws of England and eventually inspired him to self educate. In 1837, he was admitted to the bar and began his practice of law together with John T. Stuart. He developed a reputation of being a redoubtable antagonist on cross-examinations and closing arguments; then later on became a successful and able lawyer. He was able to serve four terms in the House of Representatives in Illinois being the representative of the Sangamon County. He made his first dispute on slavery in the House in 1837, emphasizing that the society was founded on both bad policy and injustices. This was also the year where he met his close friend, Joshua Fry Speed. He then started writing unknown letters in 1842 on the Sangamon journal, scornful of the Democrat and State auditor James Shields. Marriage and Family Lincoln married Marry Todd (see Fig. 3) on November 4, 1842 who was the daughter of a well-known slave-owner family coming from Kentucky. The couple had several offspring’s but only one had survived towards adulthood, Robert Todd Lincoln was born on August 1, 1843 at Springfield Illinois; the other children that died either during their teen years or early years were: Edward Baker (born March 10, 1846 and died February 1, 1850), William Wallace Lincoln (born December 21, 1850 and died February 20, 1862), and Thomas Lincoln (born April 4, 1853 and died July 16, 1871). Figure 2. Photograph of Mary Lincoln Legislative Activity In 1846, Lincoln was elected as a member of the United States’ House of Representatives. As a neophyte member, he was not predominantly influential or a powerful figure. Nonetheless, he relentlessly argued his objections on the Mexican-American War. He eventually challenged the then President Polk’s desire of a â€Å"military haven† and eagerly demanded for a resolution to know the exact spot on the US area the blood was first spilled. After two weeks, President Polk sent a letter of peace treaty to the Congress. 5 Lincoln later on damaged his political figure when he made a speech on the killings of children, women, and men of those murderers and â€Å"demons†, and God has forgotten to shield the innocent and the weak. This statement drew outrage among the Democrats and was held against him when he applied for a post in the administration of President Taylor. He decided to give up his political activities for a number of years and concentrated on practicing law. In his practice of law in the mid-1850, Abraham Lincoln handled a vast amount of cases focusing on different aspects. Some were common but others were celebrated such as the case of the Alton and Sangamon railroad of 1851, the civil case of Hurd V. Rock Island Bridge Company, the criminal trial of William Anderson, to name a few. Lincoln was involved in almost 5,000 cases during his 23 years of practicing law during which he appeared almost 400 times on the Supreme Court of Illinois State. Republican Politics Abraham Lincoln returned to politics as a reaction to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which was authored by Stephen Douglas of the Democrat. Douglas argued that in a democratic settings the people have the right to choose whether or not their state will allow slavery or not, and the Congress should not impose any decisions on them. Lincoln argued on the matter and established a new Republican Party. Accepting his nomination as a Republican Senator in 1858, Lincoln delivered his famous speech where it created a reminiscent image of the possible break up or disunion caused by the slave issue. The 1860 Presidential Election Lincoln was then elected as the Republican candidate for the 1860 Presidential elections. The bearings why he was elected as the candidate stood on the premise of his stand on slavery, in addition to his perceived western origins. It was thought of he could get the West and the North was the distressed party. During the electoral campaign, Lincoln did not make any speeches for many of the Republicans handled their own State and County. Little effort was made to alter non-Republicans, and there were no relative campaigns in the South. But in the North, a large-scale campaign took place with Republicans speaking on assemblies, leaflets, and editorial newspapers were eminent. 6 The campaign focused on the platform of the party, on Lincoln’s childhood and his rise from poverty, it also showcased his natural gift of intelligence and was given several nicknames such as â€Å"Rail-Splitter† and â€Å"Honest Abe†. The campaign also emphasized on how a common farm boy can rise to adversity and become successful in life. After the election, Lincoln won the Presidency garnering a vast 39. 9% of the total votes, next is Douglas with 29. 5% of the total votes. Presidency and Civil War After Abraham Lincoln won the Presidency n 1860, several uprisings were eminent coming from the South. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina took the first step to leave the Union, and soon followed afterwards by six other States in the South. These seven States established a new nation called the Confederate States of America. The new nation consists the States of Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Virginia, The newly –elected President Lincoln and former President Buchanan both refused to distinguish the newly established confederacy. Though there were several attempts to compromise, such as the Crittenden Compromise, but President Lincoln denounced the proposal and maintained his position for a unified States. He successfully evaded the assassination plot on him in Baltimore on February 23, 1861 and on his inauguration as President on March 4, 1861. Sizable troops of German- American Turners were front-lined during on his first inaugural Address. He emphasized on a unified State with strong reference on the United States constitution. But even though he exerted tremendous effort to maintain a unified State, the Confederacy was able to establish itself: therefore compromise seemed to be impossible. The inevitable happened on April 1861 when the Union troops were forced to give up the Fort Surnter and eventually surrender. The event forced President Lincoln to call some 75,000 troops to restore the forts, protect the capital state, and eventually preserved the Union. Almost 18,000 rebels were arrested and held in prison, at the same time President Lincoln negotiated with the uprising States. In July 1862, the Second Confiscation Act was implemented liberating the slaves owned by the rebels. The goal of the Act was to weaken the rebellion, which was relatively controlled and led by slave owners. This new law was termed the â€Å"Emancipation Proclamation†, had the support of the Congress for the enactment. To end slavery was the primary objective of Abraham Lincoln’s administration, but the American people were relatively slow to clinch the idea. The Act took effect in January 1, 1863 and slaves were freed on territories not under the control of the Union. As the army of the Union continued to march south, more and more slaves were freed until almost the entire Confederate’s army (mostly slaves) was liberated (approximate 3 Million people). During the war, the Battle of Gettysburg was considered the most devastating and bloodiest among the casualties of both parties. It has brought a big blow to Lincoln’s effort towards war and sentiments greatly rose on the war and to President Lincoln. Though political sentiments were eminent, Lincoln was able to establish victories on Vicksburg, Gettysburg, and Chattanooga: major victory was at hand. The Confederate army continued to weaken but with high casualties on the part of the Union. As the next election was near, there were fear and doubts if Lincoln would be able to sustain his leadership and win again. At the Republican convention, He was then again elected to run for Presidency alongside with Andrew Johnson. They were able to unite the War Democrats and the Republicans under a new-formed Union Party. Lincoln, with the concern of having the possibility of being defeated, made a pledge that if so he would continue to beat the Confederate before turning over the post. This pledge was sealed and signed by him and all of the representatives of the Republican Party. The eventual splitting of the Democratic Party led to the landslide victory of Lincoln garnering a total of 212 out of 233 electoral votes. He outstandingly delivered his second inaugural speech on March 4, 1865 with the victory over the Confederacy was eminent, the slavery was abolished, and he was looking forward for a new future of the Nation. Reconstruction began and his subordinates initiated the integration of the Southern States, what would be the course of action towards the defeated Confederate leaders, and also for the slaves who were freed. Amnesties were given and each affected State was under reconstruction policies. Governors were appointed on Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The war has officially ended on April 9, 1865 with the Confederate surrendered at the court house in Appromatox. The other rebels also surrendered and there have been no any signs of rising guerilla conflict. During the war, Lincoln has subsequently used his political powers: formed a blockade, suspended relatively the writ of habeas corpus, used huge amount of money without any authorization from Congress, imprisoned without trial some 18,000 alleged Confederate leaders and sympathizers. Assassination Though Lincoln was able to unite the States and abolished slavery, many of his detractors were eagerly anticipating a hostage or a possible assassination plot against him. 7 On April 14, 1865, John Wikes Booth, a Confederate spy, shot Lincoln to the head. With only a single bodyguard on his post, Booth waited for the main line of the play, Our American Cousin, where the audience would be all laughing. He hoped that the magnitude of the audiences’ laughter would camouflage the gunshot noise. As the main line was told, Booth immediately jumped on the state box and shot Lincoln at point blank. Major Henry Rathbone struggled with Booth but eventually was injured by Booth’s knife. He jumped from the box to escape and was chased by Federal agents. A nationwide manhunt were conducted for 12 days before he was consequently cornered and shot in a barn house at Virginia, he died soon after. Abraham Lincoln, with a bullet on his skull was comatose for 9 hours before finally death crossed his path on April 15, 1865. His remains were returned to the White House and laid inside the East room. A train in a funeral grand procession passing through several states on its journey back to Illinois carried his body. Several bronze statues of himself and the tomb stood at 54 m. tall surrounded the Lincoln Tomb located at Oak Ridge Cemetery. To prevent continuous attempts to steal and hold Lincoln’s cadaver for ransom, Robert Lincoln decided to exhume the body of his father and re-buried back with several feet thick of concrete encasement. His death consequently made him a martyr and repeated polls indicated him as one of the most popular and greatest President of the United States. 8 He was clearly personified as an epitome of values in terms of integrity, honesty, love for freedom, respect for minority and individual rights. He was named after several corporations and structures such as the Lincoln National Corporation, the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, and the ballistic missile Abraham Lincoln, to name a few. He had several memorial statues in different States, his birthday was declared a President’s holiday, the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, and the Abraham Lincoln Memorial (see figure 3). Figure 3. The Abraham Lincoln Memorial Abraham Lincoln, the orator and the great debater, can be considered one of the finest Presidents of the United States. Having the gift of extraordinary knowledge, being formally educated only for 18 months, he diligently worked hard and self-studied to become a successful lawyer. He represents the common people that strived and worked hard to achieve one’s ambition. He was the pioneer in the attempt to abolished slavery, he was an advocate of human rights, and strength fully kept and re-united the States in times of rebellion and uprisings. His death, being the first U. S. President to be assassinated, was symbolic and paved the way for him to become an icon of peace, honesty, respect, and love for freedom. References [1] Thomas, Benjamin T. 1952. Abraham Lincoln: A Biography. University Press, 18. [2] Kunhardt, Philip G. 1992. Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography. Gramercy Books New York, 324 – 450. [3] Lea, Henry James D. 1909. The Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln. Houghton Miffin, 65. [4] Goodwin, Doris K. 2005. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. McGraw Hill, 101. [5] Waugh, John C. 2007. One Man Great Enough: Abraham Lincoln’s Road to Civil War. Harcourt Publishing, 156. [6] Donald, David E. 2003. Lincoln Reconsidered: Essay on the Civil War Era. Simon and Schuster, 176. [7] Gienapp, William C. 2002. Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography. McGraw Hill Publishing, 267. [8] Basler, Roy L. 1955. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Rutgers University Press, 67.

A drama in play format Essay Example for Free

A drama in play format Essay Gerald is not a member of the Birling family but he is still caught in their web of sin. He found Eva in a bar where he was hoping to pick up a mistress; he found her in the clutches of Alderman Megarty. Alderman was harassing Eva. When Gerald, like her knight in shining armour, made Alderman go away, they started to talk and became friends and eventually lovers. This all happened during the time that Sheila and Gerald were lovers. This is the largest part of the immoral act committed by Gerald, which was in fact not against Eva but against Shelia. Eventually he decided that their relationship had to end so he gave her some money and they went their separate ways. It is my belief that for a time Gerald and Eva were in love, as when it sinks in that she is dead he says, page 35: Sorry I well, Ive suddenly realised taken it in properly that shes dead. Gerald was the only member of the group to show some love and compassion to Eva. Later, Gerald appears to be indifferent to the death of Eva especially after the inspector has left and he believes it was all a hoax. Indifference is also shown to the fact that he sinned. Mrs Birling denied Eva benefits from a charity of which she was the chairman. This was for several reasons, but the main one was the fact that Eva fabricated a name when it was her turn to be interviewed by the charitys committee. Her name of choice was Mrs Birling, this was because it was Eric who had made her pregnant, and the real Mrs Birling obviously did not know this fact, and seemed to think that Eva was personally insulting her. Eva therefore received no benefits. This was a highly immoral act, as the members of the committee are not meant to be prejudiced towards any appeal. Mrs Birling thought that what she did was acceptable because Eva had lied. However, it was in fact not a lie as it was Erics child, also a Mr Birling, and he did propose to marry her but she had refused, as she knew it would not work. Eric was in a bar one night and he got talking to Eva, he also got drunk. He then walked Eva home and forced himself upon her, page 52: Well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty. After she told him she was pregnant he began to steal money from his fathers business to help her. This was the only unintentional act of cruelty to happen to Eva, as all the others were purposeful acts of cruelty. He was not cruel to her but still he brought her suffering. He was another member of the group actually affected by the events. As he seems to have been changed for the better by the death of Eva. The Inspectors name is Goole. Pronounced the same as the ghost, or ghoul. This makes me think that he is a ghost or a spectre of some kind, sent to the Birling family to show them the errors of their ways. A lot like the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future from Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. He appears to know about Evas death before it has even happened: perhaps he has some kind of sixth sense. He says towards the end of the third act, page 54: And my trouble is that I havent much time. Is this because he knows the real police will soon call the house to ask their questions? We know in retrospect that at this point there is no dead body at the mortuary, because Gerald Croft rings the mortuary to ascertain this soon after Goole has left. I do not believe that Inspector Goole is a real police inspector. His mannerisms are unlike those of a real police officer, although he does refuse a drink at the beginning, page 11: No thank you, Mr Birling. Im on duty. I think he says this because he is acting the role of a policeman. He becomes too emotionally involved in the situation; a real policeman would keep the questioning on an official level. For example, he says to Mr Birling, page 46: Dont stammer and yammer at me again, man. Im losing all patience with you people. This story is told as a drama in play format. The end of each of the three acts, including the final one, is completed with a moment of suspense. The audience is left anticipating the next act, wondering what will happen. The audience also become emotionally attached to the characters and want to know whether Sheila and Gerald will remain engaged, they want to know what the Birlings will do with Eric, and will there be a public scandal? They are drawn in to the rights and wrongs of the characters actions, and they pass judgement upon Gerald and Erics behaviour, Mrs Birlings snobbery, Mr Birlings self righteousness. The audience listens to the moral of the story, that we are individuals in a society, who should look after each other, and not be merely out for what we can get. The final few words of the play are unexpected. We have had the feeling that the Inspector is not all he seems, but now that the real police (presumably) have telephoned, things become clearer. I wanted to see a continuation of the play, with real events, real police, and see how much the characters changed when faced with the information again. No doubt Sheila and Eric would approach the situation differently, they seem to have learned a lesson from events. On page 70, Sheila says: Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didnt end tragically, then thats lucky for us. But it might have done. and on page 71: Youre pretending everythings just as it was before. She and Eric have moved on from their original viewpoints, and this gives us hope for the future, it is to be hoped that they would not behave so badly again in their future relationships with people. Unfortunately, we are unable to know the real ending.

Anne Bradstreet The Puritan Poet English Literature Essay

Anne Bradstreet The Puritan Poet English Literature Essay Anne Bradstreet was a puritan poet in the 17th century. She experienced hardships throughout her life, but she did the best she could to live by God. She often expressed her thoughts and emotions throughout her poetry. In terms of puritan ideals Bradstreets poetry closely reflected her personal faith in God and the kingdom. Anne Bradstreet was born in Northampton, England in 1612. Her father, Thomas Dudley, was a puritan, but Bradstreet loved to read and seemed to be drawn to the puritan world herself. At the age of 16 she married Simon Bradstreet who was also a puritan. As a child she found much comfort in reading the scriptures. However, during her childhood Bradstreet experienced many moments of ill health. And as an adult, she gave birth to eight children, but only one survived. In spite of her hardships Bradstreet continued on her journey to authorship. Puritanism back then was considered to be a way of life. Its ideal may be best expressed as living in the world without actually being a part of it. A puritan remained strict with morals, and their religion. Puritans believed it was necessary to to live on the earth, and abide by the laws given, but kept in mind that eventually this world would pass. So, that meant the puritans tried to contain a balance between this world and the next. There was no way to safely turn their back on the world since God had created it, and found it to be good. But they could not rely on the security of an earthly world either. However, just as any imperfect human being would, Bradstreet struggled to maintain her faith at times by rebelling and submitting. But just because she may have had doubts did not make her any less of a puritan. She expressed these feelings in poetry as well discussing struggles between her love for this world, and reliance on the next. This was not an attempt for rebelliousness but her attempt of achieving the puritan way of life. Bradstreet not only wrote about events that occurred in her life, but she wrote about the people in it. For example, the poems about her husband whom she loved very much. In To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreet wrote about the love for her husband but created it to be in harmony with the love for God. Puritans were taught that if a husband and wife did not express love towards each other than they disobeyed God. In the last 2 lines The heavens reward thee manifold I pray. Then while we live, in love lets so persevere. That when we live no more, we may live ever (105 Daly). In these lines she expresses her obedience to God, and how she looks to him. She is determined to maintain love in her marriage until the day they die no matter what they may face. Therefore, when they do pass, they will meet in heaven and be together forever. In A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Public Employment Bradstreet wrote about what her husbands love meant to her. Not only does she use symbolism, but she uses a metaphysical approach. In this poem her husband is absent, and she misses him dearly. She goes on to describe how lonely she feels without him, and compares herself to being like the earth without a sun. For her, he is like the sun providing warmth, so without him she is cold and numb. In Upon the Burning of our House Bradstreet shows a brief attachment to materialism, and realizes if it was meant to be then so be it. In this poem her house has burnt down, and she is feeling down. In the beginning she is observing everything that will no longer be used. But she does not lose faith, and keeps in mind that God has the power to give and take as he pleases. Therefore, she puts all her trust in God that he can and will provide for her. In The Author to Her Book Bradstreet wrote of her own faults. She is honest of pointing out her own flaws. I believe the poem is about her work being ready to be published, and seen by others, but she is not ready. She is supposed to have the pure image of a puritan, but she may have fallen short in some areas. Bradstreet feels like she is going to be judged by all, and it is not going to be positive feedback. The tone of the poem is frustration and worry. I cast thee by as one unfit for lightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Thy blemishes amend, if so I co uld: I washed thy face, but more defects I saw, and rubbing of a spot, still made a flaw. I stretched thy to joints to make thee even feet, yet still thou runst more hobbling than is meet (102 George Perkins). However, in the Prologue, Bradstreet wrote about herself and her limitations as a woman. Bradstreet is proud of who she is, and what she has become. But she does not forget how women are viewed differently, and how men may judge her as a woman trying to be a poet. Other women in England seemed to have the same attitude and feelings of their sex. Why cant they be looked upon as equals? Bradstreet just expressed herself more bluntly than most. A sense of pride and belief in herself was required if she wanted to become known as a poet in the 17th century. She expresses this in Who says my hand a needle better fits, A poets pen all scorn I should thus wrong, For such despite they cast on female wits (10 Watts). In Bradstreets works she displays a sense of spirituality, but in others she seems to be her own judge. She realizes herself, her flaws and where she falls short. Over all, she kept her faith pretty well. Work Cited Bercovitch, Sacvan. The American Puritan Imagination. Cambridge University Press 1974. 107- 108. Daly, Robert. Gods Altar: The World and the Flesh In Puritan Poetry. University of California Press 1978. 93, 100, 104, 106-107. Perkins, George. The American Literature. 12th Ed. McGraw-Hill 2009. 92-92. Watts Stripes Emily. Poetry of American Women from 1632 to 1945. University of Texas Press 1977. 10-12.

Brazil´s Dictatorship and Military Regimes Essay -- military regimes,

In our class we learned a lot about the various military regimes that occurred throughout Latin America. However out of all the ones we discussed, Brazil’s dictatorship was never mentioned. I decided to write about it, but at the same time also compare it to the other military regimes in Latin America. Unlike most of the other governments, Brazil’s military one was not as brutal. It in no way measured up to the brutality of the Argentinian dictatorship or the ruthlessness of the dictatorship in Bolivia. However it was not an easy time either. Many Brazilians were exiled and many lost their lives because of this oppressive government. To start it all off, the regime did not just occur from one day to the next. There were years of build up to the eventual bust up. Janio Quadros was elected as president in 1960 after Juscelino Kubitschek was in charge; he based his entire campaign on criticizing Juscelino and to outright corruption in his government. Taking his idea to a new level, Janio made his symbol a broom because he intended to clean the government up. Janio was only president for two years but during his tenure he increased Brazil’s relations with communist countries which did not make his opposition comfortable (Evanson). In 1961 he resigned as president and his vice president, Joao Goulart, was to be made into president. However when this happened Joao was in China and some of the heads of the military tried to prevent him from becoming president because they thought he was a communist and they did not want a communist head of state (Breneman). On August 29, Congress voted against a motion to stop Joao Goulart from becoming president. This motion was brought to Congress by the heads of the three branches of the milit... ...w.fgv.br/CPDOC/BUSCA/Busca/BuscaConsultar.aspx>. "JOAO BELCHIOR MARQUES GOULART." Centro De Pesquisa E Documentaà §Ãƒ £o De Histà ³ria Contemporà ¢nea Do Brasil. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Rosenberg, Tina. Children of Cain: Violence and the Violent in Latin America. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print. "Superior Electoral Court - Brazil." Tribunal Superior Eleitoral. 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. . "TANCREDO DE ALMEIDA NEVES." Centro De Pesquisa E Documentaà §Ãƒ £o De Histà ³ria Contemporà ¢nea Do Brasil. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. . "A TORTURA NO REGIME MILITAR  « MANIFESTO JEOCAZ LEE-MEDDI." MANIFESTO JEOCAZ LEE-MEDDI. 13 Feb. 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. . Brazil ´s Dictatorship and Military Regimes Essay -- military regimes, In our class we learned a lot about the various military regimes that occurred throughout Latin America. However out of all the ones we discussed, Brazil’s dictatorship was never mentioned. I decided to write about it, but at the same time also compare it to the other military regimes in Latin America. Unlike most of the other governments, Brazil’s military one was not as brutal. It in no way measured up to the brutality of the Argentinian dictatorship or the ruthlessness of the dictatorship in Bolivia. However it was not an easy time either. Many Brazilians were exiled and many lost their lives because of this oppressive government. To start it all off, the regime did not just occur from one day to the next. There were years of build up to the eventual bust up. Janio Quadros was elected as president in 1960 after Juscelino Kubitschek was in charge; he based his entire campaign on criticizing Juscelino and to outright corruption in his government. Taking his idea to a new level, Janio made his symbol a broom because he intended to clean the government up. Janio was only president for two years but during his tenure he increased Brazil’s relations with communist countries which did not make his opposition comfortable (Evanson). In 1961 he resigned as president and his vice president, Joao Goulart, was to be made into president. However when this happened Joao was in China and some of the heads of the military tried to prevent him from becoming president because they thought he was a communist and they did not want a communist head of state (Breneman). On August 29, Congress voted against a motion to stop Joao Goulart from becoming president. This motion was brought to Congress by the heads of the three branches of the milit... ...w.fgv.br/CPDOC/BUSCA/Busca/BuscaConsultar.aspx>. "JOAO BELCHIOR MARQUES GOULART." Centro De Pesquisa E Documentaà §Ãƒ £o De Histà ³ria Contemporà ¢nea Do Brasil. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Rosenberg, Tina. Children of Cain: Violence and the Violent in Latin America. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print. "Superior Electoral Court - Brazil." Tribunal Superior Eleitoral. 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. . "TANCREDO DE ALMEIDA NEVES." Centro De Pesquisa E Documentaà §Ãƒ £o De Histà ³ria Contemporà ¢nea Do Brasil. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. . "A TORTURA NO REGIME MILITAR  « MANIFESTO JEOCAZ LEE-MEDDI." MANIFESTO JEOCAZ LEE-MEDDI. 13 Feb. 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. .

Ode to autumn not a poem? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  J. Keats utilizes a vast array of vocabulary and diction in Ode to autumn. Yet with these layers upon layers of vocabulary comes a disintegration of the rawest form of human being: Emotion. Sometimes, the best form of emotion is a heartfelt prose without metaphors or imagery. It is a tool every writer learns to use, the ability to convey emotion. Loss, joy, anger, writers are able to find a way to express their emotion through the thickest of metaphors. If the writer is not able to convey a certain emotion, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of writing a poem? Www.dictionary.com defines a poem as: Po†¢em Pronunciation Key (p m) N. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A verbal composition designed to convey emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme. Therefore, theoretically speaking, this isn’t a poem at all, just a rhyming prose with intelligent words strewn together. The choice of presenting this ‘poem’ as a descriptive ode was not a very wise decision for J. Keats. When a poem is solely based upon describing a situation or an image, it is difficult to come across as emotional. Descriptive poems are often considered as the ‘black sheep’ of poetry since it does not express an emotion or a belief. While J. Keats is praising autumn in ode to autumn, he does not add in a variable of personality. It does come across as he enjoys autumn, but this emotion is a mere afterthought compared to the theme of autumn being a beautiful season. I am not a fan of the style of writing in Ode form so this poem didn’t have a very good chance to please me to begin with. If John Keats wrote this poem as a sonnet or perhaps a more personal style, it would be a much better poem in my eyes. J. Keats writes in a style that bridges the gap between Shakespeare and modern English, although it leans mostly towards Shakespearean influences. Personally, I do not find Old English conveys emotion quite well. Even when I read greats like Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, it doesn’t affect me as much as modern writers. Perhaps it’s because I’m not familiar with the language and it is not something I can comprehend on the first read.

Pauls Case by Willa Cather - Socrates’ Perspective of the Courageous

Paul's Case by Willa Cather - Socrates’ Perspective of the Courageous Paul In "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, Paul becomes aware of the fact that his life is not exactly what could be called "liveable." His physical home leaves something to be desired, his teachers clearly dislike him, and his father is not the "model" father. Paul feels that these things are unjust and detrimental to his life. Due to the unjust things in his life, he decides to rid himself of them by running away. Later on when he decides to kill himself, he showcases his possession of the cardinal virtues. Paul's decision to kill himself is just, and therefore moderate, wise, and courageous. Paul is just in killing himself because he possesses moderation. Socrates says moderation is agreement between the classes of society (432b). For an individual, moderation is agreement between the parts of the soul. Paul has moderation due to the fact that he does kill himself. The parts of the soul were apparently in agreement. Evidence that his soul was in agreement is that he would not have killed himself if it were divided. The parts of his soul had to come to the same conclusion. For Paul that conclusion was suicide; the reasoning part decided that the only way to escape his dreadful life at home was to kill himself, the spirited part actually caused Paul to jump in front of the train, and the appetitive part caused Paul to want to jump in front of the train. To explain what all of this means, Gary Colwell presents this argument, "Harmony in the soul, that is, in the individual, results from reason controlling and guiding the individual's life, with the passions and appe tites serving in subordinate positions below" (400). Ac... ...introduced to his previous unjust life. To preserve Paul's "inner harmony" (443e), he has to kill himself. Suicide was the only thing left o make Paul happy. Gregory Vlastos, in his review of Terence Irwin's article, "Plato's Moral Theory," argues that "when we have been brought to see what our soul would be like if it were Platonically just (intellect, emotion, and appetite rationally harmonized in friendly, nonrepressive, order) . . . we shall have gained a new vision of happiness, which only that kind of soul . . . could realize" (127). Paul is happy because he escapes the pressures of life. Paul's decision to kill himself takes into account all of the cardinal virtues and is therefore just. Works Cited: Cather, Willa. "Paul's Case." Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. Ed. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson. New York: Heinle and Heinle, 2002.

Anyone Elected from Public Office is Obliged to Live

The issue of the importance of integrity over technocratic knowledge has always been an issue for public officials. In many democratic and democratizing nations, debates have ensued as to whether officials ought to live morally exemplary lives. The reasons for challenging the Confucian maxim on the benevolence of the public official have been diverse, though it could be intuited that some sort of private interest is at stake. In this paper, it shall be argued that all public officials should undoubtedly live morally exemplary lives.Before anything else, it is very important that the term morally exemplary be defined. At least in this paper, morally exemplary shall be equated to the character or trait of being able to live up to public service morality. Public service morality refers to the set of values that a public official must hold in order to â€Å"effect the ends for which the government has been instituted† (de Leon 434). As such, public service morality includes but is not limited to a high degree of responsibility, integrity, loyalty, efficiency, patriotism, modesty, and justice (de Leon 434).To be able to argue that all public officials should live morally exemplary lives, it shall be argued that this claim is most reasonable in a democratic society. Afterwards, concrete examples of national experiences shall be provided to be able to show not only the reasonableness but also the historical validity of this claim. Specifically, the experiences of the United States and of the Philippines (a former U.S. colony) shall be used to concretize the claim. We shall begin with the reasonableness of the claim that public officials ought to live morally exemplary lives.In any democratic society, the morality of a public official is always an important element. A public office is defined as â€Å"the right, authority, and duty created and conferred by law by which, for a given period†¦an individual is invested with some portion of the sovereign functi ons of the government to be exercised by him/her for the benefit of the public† (de Leon 432). As such, precisely because of the grave power and function of public office on which depends the interests of the public, a public official ought to take his/her role as nothing less than sacred and that the â€Å"violation thereof would be nothing less than a sacrilege† (Philippine 1971 Constitutional Convention in de Leon 433).Common sense would tell us that the functions and the responsibilities of public official, being equated to the very sovereign powers of the government with the purpose of putting into effect the very â€Å"ends for which government has been instituted,† demand an impeccable character. Hence, it could safely be said that the success or failure of a democracy or the democratization process of a country partly depends on the morality (or lack of it) of the persons who hold positions of trust. As such, a public official should undoubtedly live a mo rally exemplary life.History provides us with a number of examples to show the moral exemplariness of the lives of public officials mattered in the lives of nations. Actually, that corruption and moral degeneration could in fact ruin an empire is a lesson we have learned from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 AD. It is common knowledge that in the last few centuries of the empire, the old Roman virtues started to degenerate in the Roman army. Emperors also stopped thinking of the interests of the people and plainly thought of supporting the army and maintaining a luxurious court (Perry 120). This, plus some other factors, led to the citizens’ lost of confidence and loyalty in the empire (Perry 123) which made it more vulnerable to barbarian invasions, and eventually collapse in 476 AD. Nevertheless, this powerful lesson in history could easily be given less importance by modernists so we need to turn to contemporary examples.That a democratic nation could truly be threatene d by lack of public service morality in its officials is best demonstrated by the Watergate scandal. It should be recalled that the Watergate scandal involved a number of high ranking executive officials and President Richard Nixon himself. This scandal eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon, along with an undying infamy. It would be best to recount this scandal at this point.In 1972, a group of people broke in and wire tapped the Democratic Party’s campaign headquarters in the Watergate apartment in Washington, D.C. The burglary and wiretapping eventually convicted five men who were also connected to the president’s re-election committee (Perry 828). Further investigations by the Senate eventually led to the findings that top presidential aides â€Å"planned the burglary and concealed evidence about it† (Perry 828).These top ranking executive officers were U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Counsel John Dean, White House Chief of Sta ff H.R. Haldeman, and White House Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs Ehrlichman (Encarta â€Å"Watergate†). Eventually, more illegal activities were found by the Senate Committee. These plus the original burglary and wiretapping crushed on the president himself which led to his resignation in August 9, 1974.What could be learned from the Watergate scandal? It is simply the fact that the lack of moral exemplariness of public officials bothers the citizens of a truly democratic country. Moreover, it also threatens the democratic system that works on public trust. It is this very threat that the constitutional system of checks and balances protect a democratic nation against.If the United States provides a very good example of how a democratic nation reacts and defends itself against the lack of public service morality, the Philippines will be a good example of how a nation is continuously negatively affected by the persistent lack of moral exemplariness of its elected public officials.Up to the present, the Philippines, albeit its high literacy rate of 99% (Encarta, â€Å"Philippines†) and relatively good economic fundamentals, remains behind many of its Asian counterparts. The Philippines, a tropical country with many beautiful natural tourist spots and originally endowed with abundant natural resources has an alarming rate of poverty level. What could be wrong in a country with a very high literacy rate not to mention a very good level of English, good economic fundamentals, and naturally endowed with resources? The answer seems to be homogenous: government graft and corruption.According to Transparency International, the Philippines may be considered a country with a serious corruption problem. Working on a Corruption Perception Index of 1-10, with 10 being squeaky clean and 5 being the borderline distinguishing countries with serious corruption problem and those without, the Philippines scored a 2.5. This puts the Philippines at par with Ben in, Gambia, Honduras, Guyana, Nepal, Russia, Rwanda, and Swaziland (Infoplease â€Å"The 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index†). There have in fact been a number of cases that showcase the grave problem with public service morality that the country has, a problem that viciously engenders and sustains corruption.The famous case of the Marcoses is a classic. President Ferdinand Marcos became the president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, and left his post with bitter memories of the press being silenced, civil liberties being curtailed, dictatorship, torture and vanishing of thousands of political enemies, and a huge amount of behest loans (Wikipedia, â€Å"Ferdinand Marcos†) that resulted in the ballooning of the Philippine economy and in unresolvable debts and widespread poverty. Marcos fled the Philippines in 1986 to survive a revolution. He stayed in Hawaii until he died in 1989.Marcos remained largely unpunished. This is telling of how t he Philippines cuddles the very politicians that robs the nation. Just recently, President Joseph Estrada was tried of plunder, engaging in widespread illegal gambling, and gross corruption by the Philippine Senate. In this said event, more than half of the senator-judges voted not to open a controversial envelope that is supposed to contain strong evidence against the tried president.This resulted in another revolution that led the Philippine High Court to decide, en banc, that his vice-president, Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to take his place. Up to the present time, Philippine politics is very much mired in corrupt practices, concretizing the claim that Philippine politics grossly lacks political morality. This has time and again been responsible for the poverty that many Filipinos suffer.In a democratizing nation such as the Philippines and in a highly democratic country like the United States, it has been demonstrated, both by reason and example, that the living of a morally ex emplary life by public officials is a necessity. A democracy is rightfully threatened by the lack of a certain morality and a democratizing nation is viciously plagued by it, hampering democratization to truly happen.There are some instances that might prove contrary to this claim, such as the existence of chaebols, i.e., big business conglomerates in South Korea that has some exerted political influence over public officials. This speaks of an undercurrent of corruption. Neverhtless, South Korea, a highly progressing Asian nation, has continuously progressed economically in spite of or with chaebols. But then again, it can be argued that South Korea improved not because of corruption but precisely because of the political will to punish erring public officials. A number of Korean presidents have already been tried of corruption. As such, the claim that in a democratic nation, the living of a morally exemplary life by all publicly elected officials is necessary remains valid.Works C ited:â€Å"Ferdinand Marcos† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 17 July 2007. 20 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Marcos.â€Å"The 2006 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index† 21 July 2007. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781359.html.â€Å"Watergate† Encarta. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft: 2002.De Leon, Hector. Textbook on the New Philippine Constitution. Manila: Rex Books, 1987.Perry, Marvin. A History of the World, Revised Edition. Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.

Essay on Assam Essay

Assam has been aptly described by some as ‘the Shangrila of the North-Eastern India’ – a state having breathtaking scenic beauty, rarest floras and faunas, lofty hills, lush tea gardens, undulating plains, mighty waterways, dense forests, fertile valleys, etc. It lies as a jewel of exquisite beauty and charm on the Northeastern horizon of India. Since the days of Hiuen-Tsang it has fascinated the rest of the world with her aura of myth and mysteries, history and folklore, music and dance. Known as Pragjyotishpura (land of Eastern lights) in ancient time and Kamrupa in medieval times, Assam is the anglicised name for the state. The name of the state may have come from the word ‘Ahom the people who migrated to the Brahmaputra valley in the early 13th century and gave shape to the Assamese of today. The state lies between 89 °. 50†² to 96 °, 10†² E. longitude and 24 °. 30†² to 28 °, 40†² N. latitude. Seven Indian states and two foreign countries touch its boundary. Spread over an area of 78, 438 sq. km. State has a total population of 26, 638, 407 according to Census, 2001. We have a clear picture of Assam only from the early 13th cent, when the country was conquered by Ahoms. Later they were ousted by the Burmese, who handed over the area to the British by the treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. All the major races of the world such as, Austro-Asiatic, the Indo- Aryans, Indo-Tibetans, Indo-Burmese, Mongolians, etc. have combined to make the great Assamese people of today. Assam, however, has remained practically a land of Tibeto- Burmese people. Assamiya or Assamese is the lingua franca of the state. Assam can be divided into three natural regions, namely the Brahmaputra valley, the Barak valley and the Hilly regions. These regions are quite distinct from one another with regard to the composition of people, manner of living and culture. The mighty Brahmaputra along with Barak has nourished the state from time immemorial and has been a source of solace as well as a source of sorrow for the people of the state. The economy of the state is overwhelmingly agricultural and about 75% of the population directly or indirectly depends on this sector for their livelihood. Rice, fruits, aracanut, jute, sugar cane, and tea are the chief agricultural produce of the state. The state also produces nearly half of the country’s total output of tea. he state is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, coal, and limestone. The perfect fusion of heritage, tradition, faiths, and beliefs of  numerous races has resulted in many festivals in the state. The main festivals of Assam are the ‘Bihus’ which are celebrated all over the state by every one with great pomp and grandeur. The most colourful amongst the three ‘Bihus’ is the spring festival known as Rongali Bihu. Nature has abundantly blessed Assam with charming sights and exciting natural scenery. Kaziranga National Park and Manas Sanctuary are the chief tourist centres famous for Royal Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinos and golden langur. The other attractions of the state are the famous Kamakhya temple near Guwahati, Umananda temple, Navagraha temple, Kareng Ghar, Rang ghar, Talatal Ghar, Majuli island, Jatinga, etc. Nestling in the Himalayan foothills the state is rich in cultural heritage, natural beauty, and mineral resources. There is no denying the fact that the state of Assam during the last fifty years has made great strides in many fields. But a lot more remains to be done to bring the state to the forefront of development and progress. Given better political stability, adequate stress on industrialisation, proper utilisation of resources available and less militancy, the state can leap forward to an era of prosperity and all-round development.

Anthro: Human Studying Essay

1. How do physical anthropologists use the scientific method? Give an example. 2. Create an appropriate question, hypothesis and test for the following observation: The right scapula (shoulder blade) tends to be larger than the left in humans. 3. Explain the difference between a theory and a hypothesis. Please provide an example for each. 4. Describe the major subfields in anthropology? Describe each in terms of what they study. 5. Compare and contrast Darwin’s theory of natural selection and Lamarck’s theory of acquired characteristics. How are they similar and dissimilar? 6. Many people argue that evolution is â€Å"just a theory†. Define theory and then describe how evolution does or does not fit the definition. 7. How is natural selection related to environmental factors? How can selective pressures change? Give an example (HINT- think of the peppered moths) 8. How do RNA and DNA differ in structure and function (purpose)? 9. Describe the structure of the DNA molecule in as much detail as possible. 10. Describe the nucleus and ribosomes as they relate directly to the process of protein synthesis (HINT- you’ll need to briefly explain protein synthesis to fully answer this question). 11. Explain why it is important that the end result of meiosis is different than the end result for mitosis. 12. It is true that all organisms (humans, animals, etc) have the same structure of their DNA as humans. Please explain then why we all don’t look the same, if we all have the same A, T, C and G’s in our body. 13. Discuss some possible medical outcomes of the human genome project. 14. Explain Mendel’s Principle of segregation. 15. Explain how two parents who do NOT express a particular trait in their phenotype can nevertheless produce children who express the trait. Please give a specific example where this could occur. 16. Describe how the trait Sickle Cell Anemia demonstrates DNA mutation, inheritance principles, and the stages of evolution. The stages of evolution can be remembered using this saying: Genes Mutate, Individuals are Selected, Populations Evolve. In your answer, please describe what initially caused Sickle Cell Anemia (NOT what it does in your body†¦but what originally brought it on- HINT- THINK DNA), how one can inherit it, and why we can’t get rid of the S allele. 17. Explain how founder’s effect can lead to a descendant population that differs greatly from its parent population over a relatively short period of time. 18. Is race a valid, biologically meaningful concept? Why or why not? 19. Discuss how adaptations to local environments have likely influences the evolution of skin color in different geographic regions of the world. 20. What is the difference between Allen and Bergmann’s rules? 21. What is the difference between an acclimatization and an adaptation? In your answer, please give an example for each. 22. How is lactose intolerance a good example of an adaptation? In your answer, please explain what lactose intolerance is, and why we see it only in certain population