Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Sally Satel

A Second Chance at Life Sally Satel’s argument in â€Å"Death’s Waiting List†, states that there is an extreme lack of organ donors in this society. â€Å"70,000 Americans are waiting for kidneys, according to The United Network for Organ Sharing† and â€Å"only about 16,000 people received one last year. â€Å" In large cities, where the ratio of acceptable organs to needy patients is worst, the wait is five to eight years and is expected to double by 2014 â€Å".There is no reason why the wait should be this long because any one can be an organ donor and Satel does a great job of explaining the benefits throughout in her essay. As a previous member of the waiting list, Satel resorted to desperate measures when she considered going to the black market to obtain a kidney that she needed as well as trying a website called matchingdonors. com. She was lucky enough to find a match on the website, but unfortunately he fell through. As far as the black marke t goes, she thought it was too risky and unsafe even though she was in a life or death situation.This all could have been prevented if more people in our country were to consider themselves organ donors. If the black market isn’t safe for buying movies or getting music illegally, then it is definitely not safe for buying a kidney. This small statement in Satel’s essay provides a shocking emotional appeal to the readers. She brought up a great point that in most European countries, they practice â€Å"presumed consent† which is when â€Å"all citizens are considered donors at death unless they sign an anti-donor card†.In my opinion, I believe that it is harder to say no when the situation is right in front of you, than to say no when you are getting your license at sixteen years old. It is definitely easier to just pass by the opportunity to give life to someone else when the situation does not directly affect you. One of the most popular arguments against organ donation is that it is against the person’s religion. According to OrganDonor. gov, most religions encourage transplants because it is not only an â€Å"act of charity, fraternal love, and self sacrifice,† but also an act of giving.In the instance of The Greek Orthodox Church, they are â€Å"not opposed to organ donation as long as the organs and tissue in question are used to better human life. For example: transplantation or for research that will lead to improvements in the treatment and prevention of disease. † The Greek Orthodox is among twenty-six other religions, including United Methodist, Mormons, Lutherans, Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, Buddhism, Baptist, Amish and The Christian Church that all believe organ donation is beneficial and at the same time, is encouraged.In her essay, Satel used emotional appeal to persuade her audience that everyone should be an organ donor. She added her own experience in the beginning that was both interesting and attention-grabbing, which made the essay much more personal to the reader. There was also a lot of shocking statistics that increased her argument to something stronger and more rational. She never criticized people that choose not to be organ donors, but instead made it clear that it would be an advantage to both the donor and recipient.She successfully gave counterarguments and was able to switch them around to something positive that helped support her argument. The one thing that dissagree with in this article was that she brought up a point hinting that sperm, egg and surrogate mothers were the same thing as donating organs. I do not believe this at all, because when someone gives sperm or an egg they are giving away a carbon copy of themselves for no reason other than to give another family a child.It is not a life or death situation like organ donation is and giving away copies of yourself has nothing to do with after-death procedures. That part of the essay should have been omitted because it is completely irrelevant and useless information. Satel also spent a lot of time on her personal story at the beginning. It was a nice start to her essay but it was a little bit too much and she should have had more information about why the opposing views are wrong as well as more benefits to donating organs.I agree completely with Satel’s reasoning that giving incentives would increase the total amount of donors and I believe that those measures should be taken as soon as possible. Innocent lives are being lost everyday just because there are not enough people in the United States that put â€Å"organ donor† on their driver’s licenses. Those two, very simple words can mean the world to someone on the waiting list, and there is no reason why everyone shouldn’t be a donor, especially with financial incentives.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Position Paper: Hunger

October 5, 2012/Position Paper English 10 Thesis Statement: The government should make the education more accessible to alleviate hunger. Outline: I. Hunger in the Philippines II. Cause of Hunger A. Poverty in the country B. Unemployment in the country C. Incapability in acquiring quality education III. Accessible education for all people as solution in alleviating hunger Menu for the Day: Education for All People One major problem in our world today is hunger. Let us use Philippines as an example. In the latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS), 23. 8 % of Filipinos or estimated as 4. million Filipinos experience hunger at least once in past three months. This latest hunger rate surpassed the highest record of 23. 7 % in December 2008. (Flores, pars. 1-3) This only shows that a lot of people experiences hunger in our country right now. What could be the probable causes of this? Let us discuss each probable cause one by one using statistics. One evident cause I see for this is poverty. In another survey conducted by SWS, 51 % or estimated 10. 3 million Filipino households considered themselves poor, lower by 4 points from 55 % or 11. 1 million families in March.Also stated in the survey, about 39 % or about 7. 9 million Filipino families rated themselves â€Å"food-poor†, lower by six points from 45% or 9. 1 million previously. (Flores, pars. 1-3) Even though we can see improvements in the rates, it is still not enough to say that we are alleviating it. Another cause I see is unemployment. In a survey by National Statistics Office (NSO), the unemployment rate dropped to 6. 9 % compared to last year’s 7. 1 %. The poll showed that Metro Manila registered the highest unemployment rate at 10. 4 percent. Among the jobless, 62. 3 percent are male and 37. are female. More than half—51. 7 percent—are between 15 to 27 years old. Among educational groups, 32. 8 percent—or almost a third—of the unemployed are high school gra duates, 13. 8 are college undergraduates and 21 percent are college graduates. (Caraballo, pars. 1-4) Another cause I see is number of people who can’t acquire quality education. The Filipinos start off with 80% of them going to the elementary schools. However, the percentage decreases directly to only 48% of them going to the high schools. It even decreases down to 20% of the Filipinos, who go to the colleges and the universities.Even though students go to the schools to study, the books they use have several errors with unreliable information, grammatical and spelling errors. (Kim and Reyes, pars. 2) These three causes are inter-connected to each other, meaning one causes the other. The incapability of most people to acquire quality education results to unemployment since these people doesn’t have enough skills to get their desired job. Also, good job opportunities have large demands that those who didn’t acquire quality education are the least opportunity in the employment.Because of people don’t have jobs, this make them incapable in producing enough income to support their families, which is poverty. Poverty then leads to hunger for they don’t have enough money to satisfy their need for food. If the causes of hunger are inter-connected with each other, then same are the solutions. The government should first make the education here in the Philippines more accessible. If every member of the society has enough skill to get their desired job, there will be less people who are unemployed.If every individual in the working force have jobs, they will be capable in providing the necessities of their families including food. Thus, alleviating the hunger in our country even in the world. Works Cited: Caraballo, Flores, Helen. â€Å"Self-rated Poverty Down – SWS. † The Philippine Star. The Philippine Star,2012. Web. 29 June 2012 Flores, Helen. â€Å"SWS: 4. 8 M Families Experience Hunger. † The Philippine Sta r. The PhilippineStar, 2012. Web. 9 May 2012

Monday, July 29, 2019

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Essay

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - Essay Example We just got lost somewhere within the school system between four and five. I would sit by the verandah next to the music room after every one was passed, I would take out my miniature guitar and imagine myself playing in a different auditorium each time, with different audience, but the end was always the same- a standing ovation. The things I carried were basically dictated by necessity as well as whichever day it was. Books, pen, handkerchief, lunch box, pocket change in my wallet that also had a photo of my mother and I and my phone were everyday requirements. It was illegal to carry a phone to school, but who knew when my great breakthrough to fame would come? I would need to call my friends, who by the way were non-existent. On Wednesdays, I carried my P.E kit, not because I was good in any game anyway, but then again, could not a young man dream? Dreaming should define every young man out there and am not an exception to those who dream, or am I? On Thursdays, I carried my camera so that I could sneak in to the girls’ bathroom and take a photo of my crush since when I was four, it has always been my dream to take a picture of my crush. At least that I did, before being caught and having it destroyed by the bully boyfriend of hers. It was a very painful thing seeing what it being destroyed without any help or being in a position to do anything to stop their actions. Along the way, my guitar got heavier, the weight in the realization that I would never become famous crawled in, and the reality started to sink in me. It culminated on the day I was found carrying out my fantasy routine by the schools head jock, the day that I will live to remember because of the shame I felt. The embarrassment of that day could not be captured by pen, but it’s fresh in my memory, and can narrate it as though it happened yesterday. I resolved to keep a diary instead, for easy recordings of any happening in my life, successful,

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Macroeconomics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Macroeconomics - Term Paper Example The housing market like any other market follows the basic supply and demand laws. Demand means the amount of good consumers demand at a certain price. While supple means the amount of goods the suppliers/ produces are willing to supply at a certain price. Generally when there is a price rise, demand falls and where as supply increases when there is higher price (supply and demand, 2008). But incase of the US housing market there was almost abnormal rise in the prices and then a sudden fall ushered in from 2006 onwards. This was preceded by a stable housing price environment in most parts of the 1990s while an increasing trend was witnessed towards the end of the 1990s. Housing prices rose by a whopping 87% during the period January 2002 to June 2006. While the sudden decline started in 2006 and gathered enormous proportions in the years 2007, 2008 and is still continuing. Housing prices were down by roughly 25% in 2008 third financial quarter in comparison to the peak levels of 2006 . During the middle part of the 1990s governmental regulations in relation to lending norms were relaxed drastically and ensuing regulations followed which made it mandatory for housing loan institution like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to increase their share of US mortgages belonging to middle as well as low income families by significant levels. During the era 1999 US federal rules also made it sure that these two institutions which hold a major portion of the US mortgages accepted greater amount of loans but with minimal and in many cases, absolutely no down payment. Almost a similar kind of regulation was passed in the year 1995 in context f bank's landings through which they were made to lend heavily to minority sections of the population in the vicinity of the banks in the process prudent lending mechanisms and evaluation of credit worthiness were overlooked. This was the 'Community Reinvestment Act'. Testimony to the afore mentioned fact Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's overall shar e of mortgages under their holding went up to 45% in the year 2001 from only 25% in the year 1990. This fact is shown in Fig.2. It is also evident from the figure that how these two institution's share of the outstanding mortgages went up continuously throughout the 1990s and also almost through the 2000s. Fig.2. Outstanding Mortgages and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's share of them. Source: Gwartney, et al. Interest rate manipulation During the period between 2002 and 2006 the US Fed ushered in an extended low interest rate phase. As a result of the ensuing low rate scenario there was a huge demand for the houses and consecutively the prices also soared in the sector. Fig.3. 1-Year Treasury Bill Rate & Fed Fund Rate Source: Gwartney, et al. Fig.3. shows that how the fed had kept the interest rate for

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Three questions about the different type of editing Essay

Three questions about the different type of editing - Essay Example The film is without a proper plot and only contains a series of images. The author puts to use abstract imagery in an effort to make the viewer less nervous. This kills the role of plot and dialogue (Charmaz, 2000). To improve the relevance of his film, the producer applies dreamlike logic. The concept was popular with the duo’s previous films. Producers use unlimited imagination to direct images in the film. Un Chien Andalou images are crude with little professionalism, but audiences still find them fascinating. People continue to immortalize the eye-slicing image of Un Chien Andalou. The flow of images and use of space interferes with the aspect of sight in the film; watching the images becomes more dreadful for the audience. The production entailed disturbing and strange imagery. It is easy to see the audience shocked and disgusted as they view images landing on their minds with a thud. The daring nature applied in this film continues to remain one of the strongest even whe n compared to modern films from Hollywood and other production companies. The film deviates from the usual production shots that give characters symbols and impulses. The use of space invokes the power to provoke which makes it unique when it comes to cinematography. In my opinion, the use of space in this film gave room for the producers to present events that occurred between 1967 and 1977. Positives from the image include presenting an idea forethought and applicable in the subsequent generations within the industry.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Excessive lose weight Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Excessive lose weight - Research Paper Example However, the efforts to promote weight loss can have adverse results if not managed properly. The obsession to lose weight can lead to excessive weight loss, which predisposes individual to other health problems and eating disorders. Weight loss, also referred to as slimming in medical terms refers to the process of reducing one’s total body mass. Body mass can be lost through various ways mean loss of body fluids, body fats, muscles, mineral deposits or tendons and other connective tissues in the body. Weight loss can occur either voluntarily or unintentionally. Involuntary weight loss can occur as a result of underlying health problems. Unintentional weight loss may result from depression, chronic infections like HIV/AIDS, anxiety, stress, or diarrhea. Voluntary or intentional weight loss, on the other hand, is a conscious effort of an individual to reduce weight due to perceived or actual obese of overweight state. Excessive weight loss, on the other hand, refers to an extreme reduction in one’s body mass leading to development of other health complications. There are various reasons why individuals lose weight. Intentional weight loss has many social, psychological, and health advantages to people. Different people, however, approach the question of weight loss with varying needs and intentions. The most common reason, however, is for health purposes. Excess weight leads top various overweight and obesity conditions where one’s body mass is beyond generally accepted range for average people. Individuals who are overweight or obese are vulnerable many health complications like heart diseases, cancer, strokes, diabetes, emotional problems like depression, and reducing one’s lifespan (Lipowski 13). It is, therefore, advisable for individuals to avoid gaining extra pound in order live healthy lifestyles and avoid these diseases. Weight loss, if properly managed, is healthy processes that can

The reality of work cultures in the modern economy Essay - 1

The reality of work cultures in the modern economy - Essay Example These issues are explored in this paper. The study of Sennett (1999) is used as the core source for explaining the various aspects of the above problems. It is proved that in modern organizational employees are under severe pressures no matter their position in the organizational hierarchy. In the modern workplace the employment relationship has been highly transformed. Emphasis is given not on the respect of routine of work but rather on the high exposure to risk and on the potential to follow â€Å"orders on short notice† (Sennett 1999, p.9). The new status of work is therefore characterized by extensive flexibility (Sennett 1999), a trend that threatens traditional work values, such as commitment and trust. Indeed, an employee who has to face continuous changes in his work schedule is likely to feel less committed to his organization. The need to follow a highly flexible mode of employment has led employees to become more anxious (Sennett 1999). In the long term, this practice can lead to irreversible problems in employees’ performance, harming, at the next level, employees’ health (Sennett 1999). In other words, the modern ways of working can injure employees, even if it may takes a bit of time for the relevant injuries to appear clearly. For S mil (2013) the expansion of IT systems in the workplace has led to the limitation of organizations’ needs in terms of workforce, a phenomenon which is clearer in the manufacturing industry. In this context, IT technology has injured employees by limiting their value in the workplace. At the same time, the modern employment relations framework has also influenced employees’ character. This issue is made clear through the following fact: character, as a critical characteristic of humans, includes a range of elements, such as: the personal values and commitment, the goals set in regard to personal and professional life and the hierarchy of personal needs and desires

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Reflections on interventions with vulnerable families Essay

Reflections on interventions with vulnerable families - Essay Example lients were teenagers suffering from mental health issues and this resulted after the clients started involving in drug abuse due to parental negligence. The best way of establishing and maintaining a professional relationship with the clients was through talking and educating them about the impact of drug abuse towards their health. The significant of family life education cannot be undervalued; however, it is vital to create good relationships with the client and their family because health relationships within the family are crucial to the well-being of children, adults and also the society as a whole. Social workers should understand that there is no family which is perfect but some families face enormous strains and trauma, without receiving any support or help and this can be detrimental to such vulnerable families (Ko, et-al, 2008). Supporting vulnerable families in the society is crucial; therefore, family support services should cover varied intervention programs. I made significant efforts of building trusting connections with the clients through understanding their needs, and addressing the environmental issues contributin g to health problems. Building trusting connections with the clients demands effective communication process; thus I learnt the significant of communicate efficiently with the clients in order to create mutual understandings. There is a form of oppressing attributed to issues of child negligence and poverty; in fact, these issues have significantly contributed to increased rate of drug abuse among the teenagers and youth. Consequently, increased cases of drug abuse have resulted to deteriorating mental health among the members of the public. In this case, this has led to a need for offering families and those who are involved, in order to empower them through various ways aimed at addressing issues that contribute to these problems. On the other hand, these problems can be solved by integrating effective strategies such as

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Understanding the sign and symptons of teenage suicide Term Paper

Understanding the sign and symptons of teenage suicide - Term Paper Example Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon despite actions and strategies are not able to stop the deaths of their daughters. The book is about a catholic family that lives in Michigan that is set in 1970s. Father of the family, Ronald is a teacher that teaches math in a private school but the mother is a home maker. Ronald’s family constitute five daughters. Characters in the novel are Cecilia Lisbon, Lux Lisbon, Mary Lisbon and Bonnie Lisbon. Cecilia Lisbon is a sister to Mary Lisbon. She is the main character in the novel with her being shy and this is known by her elder sisters. She is found of invoking Virgin Mary and spend most of her time listening to Celtic music. She commits suicide and after her death it is discovered in her diary entries that she was trying to speak of her sister and her being a single entity. Cecilia attempts suicide several times with firs attempt being slitting her wrists during a bath. The second successful attempt of suicide that becomes successful is during her menstrual cycle when she jumps onto a spiked fence. Lux Lisbon gets in love with Trip Fontaine. Trip Fontaine asks the parents of Lux so that they could be able to attend a dance. The request leads to the girls being locked in the house for most part of winter with dare consequences. This leads to the death of lux in June during winter. Mary Lisbon is the second oldest in the family. She tries to keep her appearance after the death of her sisters through wearing of brighter sweaters. She attempts suicide on the night of June fifteenth but does not die. She spend most of her time sleeping after the attempt. She later dies in July after taking sleeping pills. The book, the Virgin suicide was written by Jeffrey Eugenides. Suicide topic is portrayed in the book with involvement of a Lisbon girls engaging in suicide with unknown reasons. Devices that are used in the book bringing about major topics in the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Economic Policy of Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic Policy of Egypt - Essay Example Hence, in this case the economic policy of Egypt is taken up for study. Egypt is one of the most populous countries in the Arab world and the country has been undergoing many significant economic and political changes. The government of Egypt has begun the reform movement in the year 1991. The most important reform that the government has done is reducing the taxes and tariffs. The other reforms include making the national budgeting information more transparent and privatization of public enterprises. The government plans to make the private sector more empowered and hopes that these measures will increase their competitiveness. The essay attempts to highlight the challenges and the opportunities that are created through the new economic policy of the Egypt. Economic indicators show that after Egypt became more vigorously engaged in a process of structural reform to increase the role of private sector, the free market and the international trade in the economy, the country's growth performance has varied from a declining phase in the latter half of the 1980s, to acceleration through much of the 1990s, followed by another declining phase during 1999-2003. The GDP growth rate of Egypt between the period of 1960 to 2000 is as follows: During the period of 1960 till 1970 the country has low growth and the share of private sector was very low. Though the government had adopted import substitution and had introduced social services, the economic growth of the country did not take off. But the period of 1975 till 1985, the country was enjoying a high growth rate in the GDP levels and this was because of the introduction of the Open door policy and from the business created through the Suez canal. Between 1986 - 1991 there was a sharp increase in the inflation rates. The rise in inflation during that period was due to the government's expansionary monetary policy to finance the fiscal deficits which was about 15% of the GDP during that period. Also during this period the government adopted the fixed exchange rate policy which resulted in a very flourishing black market. After 1991, the government of Egypt introduced stabilization efforts and the fiscal deficit decreased from 15% to 1.3 % of GDP and the inflation has returned to single digit values. Also during this period the government adopted the privatization of the state enterprises and also free exchange rate mechanism was introduced. The level of budget surplus of Egypt was -20% in 1991 and there is a huge improvement in the budget surplus to -2% in 2003 because of the combined effect of these policies. According to a study, "between 1999 - 2003, though there was an increase in the budget the country experienced several shocks including the Luxor terrorist attack in 1997, the global financial crisis of 1997-99, and a domestic financial scandal in 1998-99. All of these events had severe repercussions for Egypt and sent the economy into a decelerating growth phase. The financial scandal, in particular, had a chilling effect on the growth of credit to the private sector. Negative shocks continued for the next few years, as witness the September 11 attack (2001) and the subsequent invasion of Iraq (2003). The Egyptian government reacted to the initial shocks by expansionary fiscal policies (clearing of arrears as a stimulus to the private sector, as well as an increase in public investment in "mega" projects), which resulted in a worsening fiscal stance. Budget deficits increased from 0.9% of

Monday, July 22, 2019

Human Resource Activities of Qantas Airways Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Activities of Qantas Airways Essay The Qantas Airways is the largest airline in Australia. Its Human Resource Management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, development, and learning. This report gives limelight to the Qantas airways HRM and its role in ensuring perfect operations of the company. It further discusses change management and job analysis and design. The company has undergone intensive change management such as cutting of prices and labor costs in order to ensure high productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce. Moreover, the HRM is also responsible of ensuring that right people are hired and given necessary training under job analysis and design. However, despite the roles that the company has entrusted the HRM, there have been heightened cases of accidents and strikes from dissatisfied workers alleging that they are paid meager salaries. This shows a HRM gap in delivering its responsibilities. Therefore, the report further argues that the HRM has failed in its change management and job design and analysis strategy. In order to correct the situation, the report further proposes that the HRM change its training and communication model. As a means to an end, the report discusses some of the implications emerging from the HRM problems and ends with a comprehensive summary. Description of Qantas and their HRM Activities The Qantas Airways is Australia’s largest airline. It has a solid history as it began its business years back by transporting passengers and mails. Today, the company has expanded its operations in almost 140 destinations across the globe. It is Australia’s largest employers with around 37,000 employees. The human resource management operates in the company in four major areas, which are business segments, corporate, shared services, and development and learning. Under corporate level, the HRM is responsible for employees’ remuneration as well as benefits, the industrial relations of the airline with its competitors and development of the management. In the business segment level, the HR teams often collaborate with other business segments to ensure successful delivering of strategies that will ensure competitive advantage. Human resource has a major responsibility in the company and under shared services; the HRM is responsible of managing  workers records, supporting remuneration and recruitment process and managing employees’ compensation as well as coming up with strategic plans on staff travelling schedules and schemes (Belobaba, Odoni and Barnhart, 2009). Finally, under the learning and development level, the HRM comes up with training programs for employees to help them deliver their work effectively. HR Functions: Change Management and Job Analysis and Design at the Qantas Airways Discussion of Two HR functions in the Qantas Change Management The Qantas airline was formerly owned by the government hence did not perceive efficiency and profits as its prime goal (Rothkopf, 2009). After its privatisation in 1995, the HRM had to adopt various management practices in order to overcome the company’s external and internal influences. The HRM in their change management has emphasised on cutting costs and more so reduction of labour costs to guarantee heightened productivity, moderation of wages as well as the introduction of flexible structures through a versatile and motivated workforce (Marks, 2007). Cutting labour costs in the Qantas airways have involved strict measures from the HRM such as reducing wages and salaries through eliminating costly practices (Hernandez, 2011.). The Qantas airline HRM has undertaken immense changes in order to cope with diverse external and internal factors (Gillen and Morrison, 2005). Various factors led to changes in the HR management such as the need to have more profits in the company a nd the fact that the company was under government ownership. This means that the airline had maintained its authoritarian hierarchical structure, autocratic form of leadership, and strict procedures and rules (Hughes, 2012). In addition, the airline has been involved in a major change as far as training is concerned and in 2003, the HRM facilitated in the expansion of the company’s apprenticeship programme (Gunn, 1988). According to Kirkpatrick’s model of learning and training, training helps in ensuring affirmative results (Kearns, 2010). Job Analysis and Design Job design and analysis is the cornerstone of the Qantas HRM. Job analysis can be viewed as the hub of all human resource management activities that are needed for effective organizational functioning (Berman et al, 2009). Under job analysis, the HRM is responsible for planning, recruitment, selection, placement, and induction of workers (Berman et al, 2009). The procedures that are often supported by job analysis process include personnel selection, training, job evaluation as well as performance appraisal (Berman et al, 2009). In addition, the process of job analysis supports the Qantas organizational strategy in dealing with market competition and talent crisis. According to human resource theory, strategic HRM focuses on connecting all HR functions with organizational goals (Rothwell and Benscoter, 2012). The Qantas airline HRM in the process of job analysis determines various training needs of workers. Moreover, in job analysis process, the HRM determines on some of the things that affect behavior in the company. After job analysis process, the next step is job design, which aims at outlining and organizing duties, responsibilities, as well as tasks in a single unit in order to achieve particular objectives. Job design in the Qantas airways is essential in enabling effective feedback. In addition, training is an imperative part in job design in order to make sure that employees are conscious of their work demands. Training encompasses leadership training to employee orientation (Aulenbach, 2007). Development and training plays an imperative role in ensuring success of a company. Today, most organizations view training as an imperative role of human resource (Price, 2011). From research conducted, it is apparent that most organizations such as the Qantas airways are spending a lot of money on training with a belief that it will consequently give them a competitive advantage in both global and local market (Jackson, Schuler and Werner, 2011). According to human resource theory (Bacon et al, 2009), workers need maximum support from human resource function. In that case, the Qantas airways offer training to staff in order to motivate them as well as ensure competitive advantage in the company. Frances (2009) avows that training is imperative in ensuring imperative piloting skills. In 2009, the company opened approximately $10 million staff training centers in an effort to build on economies of scale. The HRM through job design help the workforce to make vital adjustments. Problem s and Implications Faced by Qantas Although the two major basic functions of HRM is to ensure successful change management and job analysis and design, the Qantas airline has undergone  through various challenges in these two areas. The HRM in their change management focused on cutting costs such as labor costs in order to increase productivity, ensure moderate workers’ salary and introduce flexible structures. However, they have failed in ensuring effective and non-biased change management. This is because, workers recently have been complaining of being paid meager salaries and even gone for strikes. Under change management, they should have ensured successful remuneration of employees. However, it is embarrassing to note that a reputable company like Qantas with such successful change management strategy has failed to take care of its employees. The unsolved salary issues have caused employee outcry and various scandals in the company. The pilots have been protesting over meager salaries and the union workers have continued to demonstrate over pay inequality arguing they are paid 25% less than their equals in Victoria (Hernandez, 2012). In a survey that was conducted in 2012, on three thousand Qantas employees, the workers expressed dissatisfaction with the management of the company mostly the HRM (McDonald, 2012). Serious staff challenges have continued threatening the company yet up to now the HRM is still reluctant to come up with a new change management model such as ADKAR model that will cater for the interests of workers and allow the company to focus activities on particular business results (Hiatt, 2006). Under Job analysis and design, it is apparent that the HRM made immense mistakes in choosing the right candidates. Despite heavy training programs that the HRM has invested in during job analysis and design process, it is only in 2008 that the company was involved in an in-flight incident, which caused ser ious injuries to passengers and death of 129 passengers due to specious commands (Frances, 2009). In addition, it is apparent that training has not had a positive impact in the company since in 2006, the Qantas Airways pilots failed to monitor their position hence ended up to the wrong runway. Moreover, in 2009, the company’s pilots failed to acknowledge and decided to overshoot their destinations by 150 miles (Frances, 2009). Frances (2009) alleges that captains in the company are not competent enough as they lacked knowledge on use of stick shaker and stall recovery thus causing serious accidents. It is hence clear that the HRM department leaves a lot to be desired as incidences have continued to intensify despite the company’s change management and job design and analysis strategy (Louise, 2011). With such a successful airline company, it is apparent that its HRM is ineffectual and has only led to losses than success. The company asserts that it is committed fully to developing its people, yet they do not seem to know how they can forge a beneficial relationship with its staff. There has been a lot of change in the company including cutting of costs, developing training programs, outsourcing working rules and regulations, collaborating with the unions yet the situation seem to be moving from bad to worse. It is apparent that the HRM has been incompetent in hiring the right personnel and dealing with employees. Implications to Stakeholders Various stakeholders include trade unions, government, shareholders, customers, community, business partners, employees, the media, and non-governmental organizations. They all have a major influence on the company’s performance and its strategy. The media coverage on wrong decisions in the Qantas have affected negatively on the company’s image. The problems discussed obviously imply that the HRM, shareholders, and business partners have been reluctant in solving the current crisis hence affecting the performance of the company. Because of the accidents reported, most consumers are not keen on using Qantas airline hence affecting profitability (BBC News, 2012). Additionally, the challenges in the company have also affected employees and consumers on grounds that they have lost confidence with the running of the company (Sandilands, 2011). The looming disagreement between Qantas and its pilots shows clearly that the HRM and business partners have failed in ensuring they contribute in effective management of the company. In addition, the Non-governmental organizations have failed in conflict resolution between the Qantas and its employees. It is apparent that the HRM, business partners, and non-governmental organizations involved have failed in coming up with rational solutions to ensure such current disputes do not develop into a major crisis. Instead of the company’s CEO, Alan Joyce holding productive talks, he has been busy making provocative comments in numerous heated exchanges. For instance, he condemned union members on issues regarding wages arguing that their talks and protests were baseless (Bamber, 2011). The union leaders in return criticized N senior managers and accused them of tarnishing the brand image of the company while they were awarding themselves hefty salaries. This hence implies that the  community as well as Union members have lost confidence on the company’s stakeholders and this in return has led to bad publicity and reduced profitability. Consequently, the media has given a wide coverage on the company’s latest controversies meaning that it is benefiting financially because of the developing story. It is upsetting to see Qantas’ employees go on strike due to poor management issues in a company owned by various stakeholders. The shareholders, business partners, the HRM, CEO, and Nongovernmental Organizations have a major role to play in ensuring issues in the company are resolved and the company goes back to its initial profitable situation. Therefore, they need to sit down and come up with a rational plan towards improvement (Bamber, 2011). Action plan and Recommendations With the increasing incidences, there is hence a need to come up with an action plan. First, all the stakeholders must meet to discuss on ways to solve the recent crisis. In the meeting, there will be change of communication and training model to more rational models that are employee oriented. The HRM will carry out the process and engage other stakeholders to give ideas on how salary and training issues ought to be handled. The change process will take place from 1st to 28th November in the company’s boardroom. To carry out the process, the employees will be interviewed in order to show some of the areas they would need change. The entire company’s workforce and managers will be given information concerning the changed plan. The recent problems involving HRM function has caused the company to suffer financially. The Qantas airline in their website asserts that, â€Å"Qantas is committed to providing meaningful jobs with competitive salaries and superior benefits† (Qantas, n.d). However, they have failed in fulfilling their promise as the strikes reported tell a different story. In addition, they allege that they â€Å"provide targeted, quality training to the Qantas group and assists in the development of skills† (Qantas, n.d). However, the accidents reported show a major gap in their training strategy. The HRM should revisit their training and communication model and make a change on it. It is time the company moved out of a market approach change strategy that only focus on making profits and focus on employee oriented approach that consider the interests of workers. With an effective training  model, there will be workshop and focus group sessions where employees air their grievances and come up with solutions to their problems (Frances, 2009). In addition, effective HRM communication should contribute successfully to teamwork, learning, innovation, safety, and productivity (Krizan et al, 2010). Moreover, the HRM should invest heavily on their pilot candidates and ensure that they get the right training. Coming up with a HR strategic oriented communication model is important in guaranteeing that employees are at par with requirements and needs of the company. This will help in discussing paramount issues affecting the running of the company. Once there is fit between communicat ion and training model in relation to the role of the HRM, the next step should be to come up with a tactical plan on how the HR will be managing their roles to ensure there are no more scandals. The HR needs to be involved fully in daily operations of the company to ensure alignment with needs of the employees. Moreover, the HRM should come up with performance management plan, which is imperative in following up on the performance of the staff members. The HRM should also be transparent in its strategy. This means that the company’s operational and strategic agenda should be communicated clearly to workers and must be accepted. This will ensure employees’ needs are met and there are no operational challenges. In addition, its mission should be shared with other shareholders to make sure they are on the right path to correcting the image of the company. Today’s HR models recognize on the fact that people do not leave their issues at home when they are going to work. For the company to be successful, it should focus on the needs of the workers whether personal or professional. This will motivate the workers to deliver quality work. In that case, there will be less accidents and remuneration problems in the company (Frances, 2009). In addition, in training sessions, the HR should focus on changing staff members’ attitude towards work and teach them on how to have a positive attitude. This will help in motivating workers and encouraging them to air their grievances through dialogue.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Mise En Scene Of Titanic Film Studies Essay

Mise En Scene Of Titanic Film Studies Essay This is the final chapter; the Mise-en-scene and Ideological model will be discussed and applied to the findings and analysis that have been discussed in chapter four. Besides that, this chapter will be answering the research question in chapter one, the achievement of the objective of this study will be discussed also. At last, there will have some suggestion for the future research in order to improve and develop a better thesis on this particular topic. 5.1 Concepts and Theories Applied There have two concepts and theories that applied in this research, which is the mise-en-scene and ideological models. Both theories will be discussed and applied to the findings and analysis that have been discussed in chapter four. 5.1.1 Concepts and Theories Applied Mise-en-scene The film Titanic has attracted audiences mind successfully, this is applicable to the theory mise-en-scene. According to Timothy Corrigan (1994), the mise-en-scene is a French term that roughly translated as what is put into the scene (put before the camera). So, based on the mise-en-scene theory, in order to produce a successful film, filmmaker needs to decide what put into the scene before the shooting work. There have five elements of mise-en-scene which are the setting, costume and make-up, lighting, space and also acting style. These five mise-en-scene elements are the key to make the film Titanic successfully. The setting in this film has created the contrast between higher and lower classes. The vivid acting style by several main and supporting characters has enhanced the storyline, and also made the story run smoothly. Lighting in this film has created meaning in all scenes, the mood has enhanced through different lighting in several scenes. The costume in this film is functional in telling audiences that the different characteristic of the characters in the scene, its also enhanced the contrasted class level in this film. Space arrangement in this film has giving the meaning to the particular scene through different camera placement and camera shot. According to Heather Logas and Daniel Muller (2005), mise-en-scene in used in all genres of fill to shows the full range of human emotion. Through the focus group, respondent M1 and F1 are telling that the scene of Jack lets Rose lying on the wood after the ship sank is memorable to them, because this scene is emotional, and showing that the best human emotion in that kind of situation. Respondent F2 has credited to the scene the flying scene of Jack and Rose at the ship, this scene is romantically, she said that the mise-en-scene elements in this scene have done well. Based on the results on focus group, more than a half respondent are preferred the acting style when viewing a film. Debi Buckner (1983) stated that the actors job is to convey a message to the particular audiences. They will fail in their task if their work is so obvious that audiences are more concerned with their effort than with the message to be conveyed in the film. In the focus group, all respondents are only called the name of the main characters as Jack and Rose, there has nobody to call their name as Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, this is fulfilled the statement of Debi Buckner (1983), because audiences watching the film are only remember their characters name and their characteristic in the film, the actor and actress has convey the message successfully in this film, the name Jack and Rose are still memorable while people discussing about the film Titanic. Heather Logas and Daniel Muller (2005) stated that the exploration of the concept of mise-en-scene has allowed filmmakers to communicate information to the particular viewers. Mise-en-scene is a holistic approach in the frame constructing process. Through the focus group in chapter 4, all the respondents are agreed that the film Titanic is a film successfully attracted audiences mind and created a lot of memorable scene. Until today, they are still remembering some particular scene in this film. 5.1.2 Concepts and Theories Applied Ideological Models Ideological models refer to the relationship between the films and society in terms of the representation of social and political realities. So, most of the films would add in the ideological elements into the plot or story. Teun A. Van Dijk (1996) stated that a variety of discursive structures and strategies might be used in order to express the ideological beliefs and also the social or personal opinions derived from them. Through the focus group, most of the respondents are stated that the class studies are strong portrayed in the film Titanic. The contrasting between higher and lower classes is obviously seen in this film. Respondent M1 said that the scene that the memorable class studies applied in this film is the lower class peoples are playing lousy instrumental and sing the local song at the lower floor of the ship while higher class peoples are playing violin, piano at the upper floor of the ship, the different treat to the different class in the ship is most obvious to portray the class studies in this film. Respondent F3 has noticed that the lifestyle of the passenger in the ship is also the class studies that the filmmaker intends to portrayed in the film Titanic, because the film was shows that the same social status people should group together. Most of the respondent in the focus group has stated that the ideological class studies were applied in the film Titanic. According to Douglas Kellner (1991), ideology refers to primarily, which those ideas that legitimate the particular class rule of the capitalist ruling class, ideology is those sets of ideas to promote the capitalist class economic interests. Respondent F4 stated that most of the time the higher class will look down at the lower class in the film Titanic. In this film, audiences can see the higher class, which is the rich person is having the special treatment in the ship. After the ship hits the iceberg, most of the save boat in the ship are given seat primary to the higher class, this is showing the contrasting between the poor and rich person treatment. Furthermore, Mise-en-scene elements in this film are aided to portray the ideological elements, especially the costume and setting between the lower and higher class people in the ship. Higher class is wearing the high quality and extravagantly shirt/dress, but the dressing of lower class is casually and low quality. For the setting, higher class are in the upper level with extravagant decoration, but the lower class are in the lower level with simple decoration. Because the mise-en-scene makes the ideological elements obvious in the scene, so, audiences can easily to get the message that the filmmaker intended to send out. Answering Research Questions How were the five elements of mise-en-scene applied into the movie Titanic? Through the content analysis, findings showed that the film Titanic has successful with well done of mise-en-scene elements. These five mise-en-scene elements are acting style, setting, space arrangement, costume and lighting. All the above elements was applied into the film Titanic to enhanced the storyline and also make the story run smoothly. Based on the findings of content analysis in chapter 4, the setting in this film has created the contrast between higher and lower classes. The vivid acting style by several main and supporting characters has enhanced the storyline, and also made the story run smoothly. Lighting in this film has created meaning in all scenes, the mood has enhanced through different lighting in several scenes. The costume in this film is functional in telling audiences that the different characteristic of the characters in the scene, its also enhanced the contrasted class level in this film. Space arrangement in this film has giving the meaning to the particular scene through different camera placement and camera shot. So, these five mise-en-scene elements in the film Titanic is the important key to make this film successfully and memorable. What are the ideological elements portray in the movie Titanic? Through the discussion of the focus group, findings showed that respondent M1, F1, F3 and F4 also agreed that the film Titanic has portrayed the class studies, Because ,most the scene has showing the different classes life obviously. There have several scene in this movie has strongly portrayed the class studies in the discussion such as the scene of the lower class peoples are playing lousy instrumental and sing the local song at the lower floor of the ship, while the high class peoples are playing violin, piano and so on at upper level has showing the different lifestyle of different classes lifestyle. The film Titanic always showing different classes of people can get different treat in the ship. This film has shows the social status obviously through their lifestyle, this film has shows that same social status should be grouping together. The status symbol in this film is being portrayed most of the time especially the higher class will look down at the lower class. Besides that, respondent F2 said that the race studies were portrayed in this film; because the film has shows there have different races passengers in the ship, this show obviously through their costume and spoken language. What is the most preferred mise-en-scene element by the viewers in the movie Titanic? From the discussion of the focus group, findings showed that the most preferred mise-en-scene element by the viewers in the movie Titanic is the setting, there have three respondents are preferred the setting when viewing the film Titanic. The setting in this film mostly is in the ship, it is suitable and luxurious setting, show the social status of some character obviously in this film and also the Titanic cruise is grand and extravagant, its look real and viewer can feel like they are inside the ship while watching this film. Following is the costume; because it can giving audiences the knowledge about the England last century high and low classes people costumes. Besides that, findings showed that the most preferred mise-en-scene element by when viewing a film is the acting style. Four of the respondents said that they are preferred acting style when viewing a film. They are preferred acting style, the reason is because the good acting style can lead the movie into higher level and credit for the whole artwork, audiences will have no interest to certain film that the poor performance of actor or actress. The acting style of character can enhance the storyline of film. Achievement of Objectives This research has investigated the five mise-en-scene elements those are seen in the movie Titanic. We can know this through the findings of content analysis. The results showed that these five mise-en-scene elements (acting style, setting, space arrangement, lighting and costume) are done well in this film in order to make it run smoothly and memorable. Besides that, the finding of the focus group has showed that the ideological elements portrayed in the movie Titanic. Among five of the respondent, four of them agreed that the ideological element that portrayed the most in the film Titanic is the class studies. It is because the contrasting between high and low culture is strong portrayed in this film. Besides, the race studies also have portrayed in the film, because audiences can able to view that the passengers in the ship is consist by different races, this shows obviously through their costume and spoken language. The most preferred mise-en-scene of Titanic by viewers also has found in the focus group. The result shows that the setting in this film is the most preferred mise-en-scene aspect when they are viewing this. Among the five respondents, there have three respondent that is preferred the setting of the film Titanic. Besides that, the focus group also found out that normally audiences are preferred the acting style while watching a film. Suggestions for Future Research Researcher need to do a lot of research from various sources and aspects to develop a better understanding about the mise-en-scene and ideological models in conducting this research. Readings of the journals regarding the researched by past researcher was needed in the progress. So, the journal, past research and book is helpful for this research because it can give the researcher the ideas and suggestion which are helpful in guiding the researcher from the beginning until the end of this research. Furthermore, the focus group is useful for this research topic, better to find the respondent that who have the basis understanding about the mise-en-scene and ideological models, students of film studies was preferred, so that the result can be more deeply and accurate. Additionally, Researcher need to me consistent, persistent and stay awake all the time when conducting research, although it is stress, but the researcher need to be patient and confidence to finish it. Conclusion The main purpose of this research is to analyze the mise-en-scene and ideological elements portrayed in the film Titanic, and also to discover which mise-en-scene aspect that viewers preferred by viewing the film Titanic. The five mise-en-scene elements have been analyzed through content analysis at the end of this study. Besides that, setting, the most preferred mise-en-scene element by the viewers when viewing the film Titanic has found out through the focus group discussion. And the ideological elements portrayed in this film which is the class studies has found out through the focus group discussion. In order to get the better understanding and concepts for this study, readings for the pass research is very important either through online or book. These concepts can help to researcher conduct the research smoothly. As a conclusion, through this research assignment, the three objective of research has been achieved, and also answered the three question of study, hopefully the film Titanic can be conducted by future researcher because this film is the good example of film successfully.

Impact of Decision Making at McDonalds

Impact of Decision Making at McDonalds This academic essay is related to strategic management and leadership in McDonalds. The purpose of this assignment is to understand the impact of decision making in an organisation i.e. McDonalds. In this cut throat competition which is prevailing in the market, it is my understanding that leadership and proactive strategy plays vital role in overall organisations success. In addition to this it has become apparent that strategic management and leadership operate at parallel level in an organisation. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: It deals with the most fundamental and basic question that involve the very existence of the whole organisation and guide the whole companys future. (Napuk,1999) Strategic management entails both strategic planning and implementation, and is the process of identifying and executing the organizations strategic plan, by matching the companys capabilities with the demands of its environment.(Arit Gadiesh and James Gilbert, 2001) In laymans term strategic management provides overall direction to the organisation. This in turn entails specifying the organisations mission, vision and objectives, developing plans etc. LEADERSHIP: Leadership is defined as influence, that is the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievements of the groups mission. Visionary leadership inspires the impossible: fiction becomes truth. (Corporate strategy 1997 Richard Lynch) In leadership, people run the organisation to one place or another for the achievement of its objectives. Leadership is a great tool in achieving success for the organization, not just through charisma, but through good judgement, proper motivation of employees effective utilization of materials. LINK BETWEEN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: Due to a rapidly changing world, organizations face incredible pressures in delivering immediate results. This necessitates for strategic management because there is a great need to maximize every available resource to achieve the organizations goal. To manage an ever increasing demand for company effectiveness, there is a great need for strategic leadership to approach these conditions priorities. For any ongoing business, it is mainly important to implement strategies through effective leaders. Real strategic leadership means taking responsibility for the future as well as what is happening today. A primary goal of strategic leadership is gaining a better understanding of the business conditions, the environment and the leading indicators that identify new trends and situations that may arise. According to the situation, leadership styles can be varied like autocratic, democratic and charismatic and so on. In any organisation it is required to have a good strategic management with good leadership skills. These two must be in parallel positions for the organizations success. LEADERSHIP STYLES ON DIFFERENT SITUATION IN MCDONALDS As I have taken McDonald as case study, I would like to discuss the management style that operates in this company. Based on my understanding, McDonald operates with a Democratic style of management. This realisation comes to me while I am working with the company and it gives freedom and flexibility of change according to different situations. In this style, the employee and people associated with the company have more participatory role in the decision making process. McDonald has a democratic style and there is a less gap between manager and employees. They have two way relationships between them. They have a comfortable working pattern. So the manager can easily get the feedback from the employees. Also on the other hand, the employees understand the situation and they follow the rules without any difficulty. There are same levels of working. According to the different situation they have a different style of leadership. In this particular approach, the store manager has all power to run the branch but still allows employees to share their ideas and insights. Also in McDonald, every employee has a participative role in the decision making process. All employees have to work with their strengths and provide input on how to delegate work within the team. The management gives more importance to work in a team rather than doing individually. In McDonald, ideas move freely amongst the group and discussed openly thus ultimately achieving their objective. This works both ways for the company by fulfilling individual objectives in line with the overall objective of organisation. The management of this organization motivates the employees to do more work by involving them into decisions which really affects the objective of the organisation. This particular approach influences the productivity of employees and they feel important to be a part of the organisation by providing a value. They lead all the employees to the same level and the manager always tries to know the strengths and weakness of employees. To overcome these difficulties, they provide appropriate training career development programmes. McDonald has flexible working hours which provides stress-free environment. They are free to ask with the manager about schedules. The way McDonald management adapts to different situations, a strong relationship is being formed between the subordinates and the managers. OBJECTIVE OF MCDONALDS: The main objective of McDonald is to make people aware of each product on offer, feel positive about it and remember it. The right message has to be communicated to the right audience through the right media. Because of this, McDonald need to give importance understand the value of both employees and customers. Happy employees serve well and results to satisfied customers. This serves as a win-win situation for both organisation and employee. McDonald has continuously done internal marketing this is important as it precedes external marketing. It goes in line with the ultimate aim of creating not just service leadership but management service. This delivery process is the key to achieving the aim of the company. IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP STYLE ON STRATEGIC DECISION: Good leadership is adapting to any changes at any time doing the right things at the right time. Because of democratic style of leadership, employees can work comfortably and they can share their ideas and insights with the management. Also in McDonald, managers effectively delegates work to their subordinates and give them full control and responsibility to the tasks. Managers welcome feedback on the result of initiatives and the work environment. Strategic decision has to be made by leaders who have the ability to take effective decisions and adapt to changes in any situation. Because of democratic leadership, employees and managers easily understand the situation and cope with it. They work freely and comfortably. In McDonald all employees have a right to participate in the objective of organisation. McDonald has a strategic decision which is implicated and formulated by leaders and managers of the organisation. First they decide the future plans and objective of McDonald and how to get there in minimum time. They also motivate people to do more work and they appreciate their work by giving the performance award at the end of month. CONCLUSION: From above discussion, I came to a conclusion that in adapting democratic style McDonald is really effective in providing value to employees. Although this style may bring out differences in ideas, it still ends up with formulating a common decision. McDonalds management leadership style is useful as well as to other organisations where managers and employees easily understand the situation and work accordingly. Strategic management and leadership correlates with each other. Without making any effective strategic decision, leadership cannot work and it cannot reach to the final objective of an organisation.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Epic of Beowulf Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

The Lead of Beowulf Huy Ngo   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beowulf displays the qualities of a good leader that were mentioned in the speech given by Hrothgar. The speech speaking of the vices and virtues of great political leaders contains many of the same qualities that Beowulf embodies. His boastfulness, generosity and kindness are evidence that he is a good leader and provides for his people. Although the qualities he posses may not be the best-fit qualities of a common man, they are admirable qualities of a strong leader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beowulf’s high self-regard acts as a promise to his people. It is a promise saying that he will provide for them and he can keep his country in order and away from harm. Because Beowulf speaks very highly of himself he is required to support his claims and give to the people. Hrothgar claims that flaunting is a way to keep the Geats happy because they believe what he says. â€Å"I will stand by my word make good my promises. To your Geat-friends now will make you come with counsel courage for their hearts through long comfort years†(1706). The Geats need someone to believe in and who would believe in someone with low self-esteem or someone who didn’t believe in themselves. The people need assurance and they found that assurance in Beowulf. Beowulf reassures his people that the Dragon will be dealt with and gives them courage to withstand this threat. â€Å" I lived in my youth through hard war-moments--- now here I am ready battle weary king battered with winters for final glory-time if that grim hall burner will come to meet me from his mound of gold† (pg. 81). Beowulf wants to reassure his people that he can once again succeed in defeating his enemies. The people believe that Beowulf will succeed again. Beowulf’s obligations to the people require him to slay the dragon. Beowulf’s self centeredness is what makes him an ideal leader in the eyes of Hrothgar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason Beowulf is seen as a good leader is because he does not share the characteristics that were spoken of Heremod. Heremod was portrayed as a bad leader due to his murderous attitude and actions. The vices of Heremod characterize a bad leader and Hrothgar points them out like in his treatment of the Danes. Not so kind was Heremod to the kin of Ecwela care heavy Shield Danes—he brought them no joy but baleful murder ... ...y of your strength lasts for a while but not long after Sickness or spear point will sever you from life. (1762-64) †¦or bane-bearing age – the brightness of your eye will dim and darken. (1767-68) Hrothgar predicts that Beowulf’s pride would be his demise and he was correct because Beowulf chooses to fight the dragon alone in his older years. Beowulf is no longer in his prime and he knows he will not be around forever and hopes to make a final â€Å"score† and let the people live out the rest of their days wealthy and without worry. But Beowulf still wants to fight the beast alone. â€Å"Our old gift lord meant to manage this monster hot battle alone once again with his great wonder strength armed with a war name earned through a lifetime forged now with deeds† (2642-46). Beowulf is not fighting these monsters because he believes he is a god but because he wishes to carry out a promise he gave long ago to his people. His only desire is to make the Geats happy. Beowulf risks his life for his people. He was the apitamy of great kings and was dedicated to his country and people. His promise to the people and his devotion, generosity and kindness are the reasons he is Hrothgar’s ideal leader.

Friday, July 19, 2019

How Big is Your Gun Essay -- Gun Control

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, in 1791, stated â€Å"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.† The controversy soon started on who, what, and how the founding fathers bestowed these rights. Who should be allowed to carry arms? What type of arms should be allowed to bear? How can the people obtain these arms? All of these questions have been debated, discussed, and argued by both sides of the controversy. Who should be allowed to keep and bear arms? Federal law states that one must be eighteen years old or older to purchase a rifle or shotgun, and twenty-one years old or older to purchase a handgun. The pro-gun advocate argues that eighteen to twenty year olds should be allowed to own handguns and sixteen year olds should be allowed to have a rifle or shotgun, while their opponents are arguing that the law should be increased require a rifle or shotgun owner to be twenty-one or older and handgun owner to be at lease twenty four years old. One must also be a legal citizen of the United States, who has not renounced their citizenship, must not use or be addicted to any controlled substances, and must not have been dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces to purchase and keep a gun. Noticeably absent are laws prohibiting gun ownership by alcoholics, although it is illegal to possess a gun while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. People for stronger gun control regulati ons argue that alcohol use mixed with guns dramatically increases the risk of accidental shootings. Activists on both sides of the gun control issue are still perfecting their arguments on the legality of gun ownership by pe... ...n years of age as long as they have no knowledge that the buyer is not allowed to own a gun. Gun control activists contend that this loophole puts guns in the hands of thieves, killers, and the mentally ill. Stricter registration laws are also sought after by proponents of gun control, the manufacturer and gun shop are required to register who they sold the gun to, but a sale between two individuals is not required to be registered to any authority. Gun activists see this exchange as free commerce and do not approve of the recommended registration requirements. Whether the path to gun ownership should be a straight shot or an obstacle course will remain an ongoing debate. There are concessions made by both sides of the personal weapon controversy, but there will never be complete agreement on who should be able to own, what type of weapon, or how they got it.

The Taino and the Spanish Essay -- History Spanish Historical Papers

The Taino and the Spanish Cristà ³bal Colà ³n landed on an unknown island in the Caribbean on October 10, 1492. He planted banners in the beach claiming the land for the Spanish throne. Colà ³n’s perceptions and interactions with the indigenous people, the Taino, sparked the events that lead to the colonization of the Americas. Colà ³n’s perceptions of the Taino were misinterpreted by him. His misconceptions about the Taino were built from a compilation of his own expectations, readings of other explorers, and strong religious influence in Western Europe. The Taino also misunderstood the Spanish as well. Their false beliefs about the Spanish were driven by their religious beliefs as well as their mythology. Through misunderstandings backed by the religions, physical appearances, and the histories of both the Taino and the Spanish, the Taino believed that the Spanish were god-like figures that fell from the sky, while the Taino were perceived by the Spanish as simplistic, uncultured natives, that would be easily converted to Christianity and used as servants (Wilson, Hispanola p. 48-49).1 To better comprehend these events one must look at the preceeding events in both the lives of the Taino and The Spanish. Before the time of Cristà ³bal Colà ³n, Spain had recently had several encounters with colonization. They had taken over the kingdom of Granada and the Canary Islands. These colonizations gave Spain their model for subsequent colonizations. The dominance of Christianity in the colonizations was quite evident. Religious unity was believed to be required for social order and was a premise for the exercise of power (Quesada, Implicit Understanding p. 97-107).2 This relates to the Taino in that the Spanish believed the Taino would be c... ... encountered the Taino is dependent upon the understanding the religious and historical backgrounds of both. One must understand that the mythology of the Taino, the expectations of the Spanish, and the appearances of both played a major role in the reactions of these two cultures when they collided. Works Cited Colà ³n, Cristobal. The Diario of Cristà ³bal Colà ³n’s Voyage to America, Transcription and Translation Oliver Dunn and James E. Kelley Jr. de Las Casas, Bartolomà ©. The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account. Translation, Briffault, Herma, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London  © 1992. Quesada, Miguel. Miguel Quesada, â€Å"Spain 1492: Social values and structures,† Stuart Schwartz, ed. Implicit Understandings, Cambridge University Press. The Mission. Directed by Joffà ©, Roland. Written Credits, Bolt, Robert. Genre, Drama.  ©1986.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-seven

Eddard He was walking through the crypts beneath Winterfell, as he he had walked a thousand times before. The Kings of Winter watched him pass with eyes of ice, and the direwolves at their feet turned their great stone heads and snarled. Last of all, he came to the tomb where his father slept, with Brandon and Lyanna beside him. â€Å"Promise me, Ned,† Lyanna's statue whispered. She wore a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood. Eddard Stark jerked upright, his heart racing, the blankets tangled around him. The room was black as pitch, and someone was hammering on the door. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† a voice called loudly. â€Å"A moment.† Groggy and naked, he stumbled his way across the darkened chamber. When he opened the door, he found Tomard with an upraised fist, and Cayn with a taper in hand. Between them stood the king's own steward. The man's face might have been carved of stone, so little did it show. â€Å"My lord Hand,† he intoned. â€Å"His Grace the King commands your presence. At once.† So Robert had returned from his hunt. It was long past time. â€Å"I shall need a few moments to dress.† Ned left the man waiting without. Cayn helped him with his clothes; white linen tunic and grey cloak, trousers cut open down his plaster-sheathed leg, his badge of office, and last of all a belt of heavy silver links. He sheathed the Valyrian dagger at his waist. The Red Keep was dark and still as Cayn and Tomard escorted him across the inner bailey. The moon hung low over the walls, ripening toward full. On the ramparts, a guardsman in a gold cloak walked his rounds. The royal apartments were in Maegor's Holdfast, a massive square fortress that nestled in the heart of the Red Keep behind walls twelve feet thick and a dry moat lined with iron spikes, a castle-within-a-castle. Ser Boros Blount guarded the far end of the bridge, white steel armor ghostly in the moonlight. Within, Ned passed two other knights of the Kingsguard; Ser Preston Greenfield stood at the bottom of the steps, and Ser Barristan Selmy waited at the door of the king's bedchamber. Three men in white cloaks, he thought, remembering, and a strange chill went through him. Ser Barristan's face was as pale as his armor. Ned had only to look at him to know that something was dreadfully wrong. The royal steward opened the door. â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark, the Hand of the King,† he announced. â€Å"Bring him here,† Robert's voice called, strangely thick. Fires blazed in the twin hearths at either end of the bedchamber, filling the room with a sullen red glare. The heat within was suffocating. Robert lay across the canopied bed. At the bedside hovered Grand Maester Pycelle, while Lord Renly paced restlessly before the shuttered windows. Servants moved back and forth, feeding logs to the fire and boiling wine. Cersei Lannister sat on the edge of the bed beside her husband. Her hair was tousled, as if from sleep, but there was nothing sleepy in her eyes. They followed Ned as Tomard and Cayn helped him cross the room. He seemed to move very slowly, as if he were still dreaming. The king still wore his boots. Ned could see dried mud and blades of grass clinging to the leather where Robert's feet stuck out beneath the blanket that covered him, A green doublet lay on the floor, slashed open and discarded, the cloth crusted with red-brown stains. The room smelled of smoke and blood and death. â€Å"Ned,† the king whispered when he saw him. His face was pale as milk. â€Å"Come . . . closer.† His men brought him close. Ned steadied himself with a hand on the bedpost. He had only to look down at Robert to know how bad it was. â€Å"What . . . ?† he began, his throat clenched. â€Å"A boar.† Lord Renly was still in his hunting greens, his cloak spattered with blood. â€Å"A devil,† the king husked. â€Å"My own fault. Too much wine, damn me to hell. Missed my thrust.† â€Å"And where were the rest of you?† Ned demanded of Lord Renly. â€Å"Where was Ser Barristan and the Kingsguard?† Renly's mouth twitched. â€Å"My brother commanded us to stand aside and let him take the boar alone.† Eddard Stark lifted the blanket. They had done what they could to close him up, but it was nowhere near enough. The boar must have been a fearsome thing. It had ripped the king from groin to nipple with its tusks. The wine-soaked bandages that Grand Maester Pycelle had applied were already black with blood, and the smell off the wound was hideous. Ned's stomach turned. He let the blanket fall. â€Å"Stinks,† Robert said. â€Å"The stink of death, don't think I can't smell it. Bastard did me good, eh? But I . . . I paid him back in kind, Ned.† The king's smile was as terrible as his wound, his teeth red. â€Å"Drove a knife right through his eye. Ask them if I didn't. Ask them.† â€Å"Truly,† Lord Renly murmured. â€Å"We brought the carcass back with us, at my brother's command.† â€Å"For the feast,† Robert whispered. â€Å"Now leave us. The lot of you. I need to speak with Ned.† â€Å"Robert, my sweet lord . . . † Cersei began. â€Å"I said leave,† Robert insisted with a hint of his old fierceness. â€Å"What part of that don't you understand, woman?† Cersei gathered up her skirts and her dignity and led the way to the door. Lord Renly and the others followed. Grand Maester Pycelle lingered, his hands shaking as he offered the king a cup of thick white liquid. â€Å"The milk of the poppy, Your Grace,† he said. â€Å"Drink. For your pain.† Robert knocked the cup away with the back of his hand. â€Å"Away with you. I'll sleep soon enough, old fool. Get out.† Grand Maester Pycelle gave Ned a stricken look as he shuffled from the room. â€Å"Damn you, Robert,† Ned said when they were alone. His leg was throbbing so badly he was almost blind with pain. Or perhaps it was grief that fogged his eyes. He lowered himself to the bed, beside his friend. â€Å"Why do you always have to be so headstrong?† â€Å"Ah, fuck you, Ned,† the king said hoarsely. â€Å"I killed the bastard, didn't I?† A lock of matted black hair fell across his eyes as he glared up at Ned. â€Å"Ought to do the same for you. Can't leave a man to hunt in peace. Ser Robar found me. Gregor's head. Ugly thought. Never told the Hound. Let Cersei surprise him.† His laugh turned into a grunt as a spasm of pain hit him. â€Å"Gods have mercy,† he muttered, swallowing his agony. â€Å"The girl. Daenerys. Only a child, you were right . . . that's why, the girl . . . the gods sent the boar . . . sent to punish me . . .† The king coughed, bringing up blood. â€Å"Wrong, it was wrong, I . . . only a girl . . . Varys, Littlefinger, even my brother . . . worthless . . . no one to tell me no but you, Ned . . . only you . . . † He lifted his hand, the gesture pained and feeble. â€Å"Paper and ink. There, on the table. Write what I tell you.† Ned smoothed the paper out across his knee and took up the quill. â€Å"At your command, Your Grace.† â€Å"This is the will and word of Robert of House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and all the rest—put in the damn titles, you know how it goes. I do hereby command Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King, to serve as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm upon my . . . upon my death . . . to rule in my . . . in my stead, until my son Joffrey does come of age . . . â€Å" â€Å"Robert . . . † Joffrey is not your son, he wanted to say, but the words would not come. The agony was written too plainly across Robert's face; he could not hurt him more. So Ned bent his head and wrote, but where the king had said â€Å"my son Joffrey,† he scrawled â€Å"my heir† instead. The deceit made him feel soiled. The lies we tell for love, he thought. May the gods forgive me. â€Å"What else would you have me say?† â€Å"Say . . . whatever you need to. Protect and defend, gods old and new, you have the words. Write. I'll sign it. You give it to the council when I'm dead.† â€Å"Robert,† Ned said in a voice thick with grief, â€Å"you must not do this. Don't die on me. The realm needs you.† Robert took his hand, fingers squeezing hard. â€Å"You are . . . such a bad liar, Ned Stark,† he said through his pain. â€Å"The realm . . . the realm knows . . . what a wretched king I've been. Bad as Aerys, the gods spare me.† â€Å"No,† Ned told his dying friend, â€Å"not so bad as Aerys, Your Grace. Not near so bad as Aerys.† Robert managed a weak red smile. â€Å"At the least, they will say . . . this last thing . . . this I did right. You won't fail me. You'll rule now. You'll hate it, worse than I did . . . but you'll do well. Are you done with the scribbling?† â€Å"Yes, Your Grace.† Ned offered Robert the paper. The king scrawled his signature blindly, leaving a smear of blood across the letter. â€Å"The seal should be witnessed.† â€Å"Serve the boar at my funeral feast,† Robert rasped. â€Å"Apple in its mouth, skin seared crisp. Eat the bastard. Don't care if you choke on him. Promise me, Ned.† â€Å"I promise.† Promise me, Ned, Lyanna's voice echoed. â€Å"The girl,† the king said. â€Å"Daenerys. Let her live. If you can, if it . . . not too late . . . talk to them . . . Varys, Littlefinger . . . don't let them kill her. And help my son, Ned. Make him be . . . better than me.† He winced. â€Å"Gods have mercy.† â€Å"They will, my friend,† Ned said. â€Å"They will.† The king closed his eyes and seemed to relax. â€Å"Killed by a pig,† he muttered. â€Å"Ought to laugh, but it hurts too much.† Ned was not laughing. â€Å"Shall I call them back?† Robert gave a weak nod. â€Å"As you will. Gods, why is it so cold in here?† The servants rushed back in and hurried to feed the fires. The queen had gone; that was some small relief, at least. If she had any sense, Cersei would take her children and fly before the break of day, Ned thought. She had lingered too long already. King Robert did not seem to miss her. He bid his brother Renly and Grand Maester Pycelle to stand in witness as he pressed his seal into the hot yellow wax that Ned had dripped upon his letter. â€Å"Now give me something for the pain and let me die.† Hurriedly Grand Maester Pycelle mixed him another draught of the milk of the poppy. This time the king drank deeply. His black beard was beaded with thick white droplets when he threw the empty cup aside. â€Å"Will I dream?† Ned gave him his answer. â€Å"You will, my lord.† â€Å"Good,† he said, smiling. â€Å"I will give Lyanna your love, Ned. Take care of my children for me.† The words twisted in Ned's belly like a knife. For a moment he was at a loss. He could not bring himself to lie. Then he remembered the bastards: little Barra at her mother's breast, Mya in the Vale, Gendry at his forge, and all the others. â€Å"I shall . . . guard your children as if they were my own,† he said slowly. Robert nodded and closed his eyes. Ned watched his old friend sag softly into the pillows as the milk of the poppy washed the pain from his face. Sleep took him. Heavy chains jangled softly as Grand Maester Pycelle came up to Ned. â€Å"I will do all in my power, my lord, but the wound has mortified. It took them two days to get him back. By the time I saw him, it was too late. I can lessen His Grace's suffering, but only the gods can heal him now.† â€Å"How long?† Ned asked. â€Å"By rights, he should be dead already. I have never seen a man cling to life so fiercely.† â€Å"My brother was always strong,† Lord Renly said. â€Å"Not wise, perhaps, but strong.† In the sweltering heat of the bedchamber, his brow was slick with sweat. He might have been Robert's ghost as he stood there, young and dark and handsome. â€Å"He slew the boar. His entrails were sliding from his belly, yet somehow he slew the boar.† His voice was full of wonder. â€Å"Robert was never a man to leave the battleground so long as a foe remained standing,† Ned told him. Outside the door, Ser Barristan Selmy still guarded the tower stairs. â€Å"Maester Pycelle has given Robert the milk of the poppy,† Ned told him. â€Å"See that no one disturbs his rest without leave from me.† â€Å"It shall be as you command, my lord.† Ser Barristan seemed old beyond his years. â€Å"I have failed my sacred trust.† â€Å"Even the truest knight cannot protect a king against himself,† Ned said. â€Å"Robert loved to hunt boar. I have seen him take a thousand of them.† He would stand his ground without flinching, his legs braced, the great spear in his hands, and as often as not he would curse the boar as it charged, and wait until the last possible second, until it was almost on him, before he killed it with a single sure and savage thrust. â€Å"No one could know this one would be his death.† â€Å"You are kind to say so, Lord Eddard.† â€Å"The king himself said as much. He blamed the wine.† The white-haired knight gave a weary nod. â€Å"His Grace was reeling in his saddle by the time we flushed the boar from his lair, yet he commanded us all to stand aside.† â€Å"I wonder, Ser Barristan,† asked Varys, so quietly, â€Å"who gave the king this wine?† Ned had not heard the eunuch approach, but when he looked around, there he stood. He wore a black velvet robe that brushed the floor, and his face was freshly powdered. â€Å"The wine was from the king's own skin,† Ser Barristan said. â€Å"Only one skin? Hunting is such thirsty work.† â€Å"I did not keep count. More than one, for a certainty. His squire would fetch him a fresh skin whenever he required it.† â€Å"Such a dutiful boy,† said Varys, â€Å"to make certain His Grace did not lack for refreshment.† Ned had a bitter taste in his mouth. He recalled the two fair-haired boys Robert had sent chasing after a breastplate stretcher. The king had told everyone the tale that night at the feast, laughing until he shook. â€Å"Which squire?† â€Å"The elder,† said Ser Barristan. â€Å"Lancel.† â€Å"I know the lad well,† said Varys. â€Å"A stalwart boy, Ser Kevan Lannister's son, nephew to Lord Tywin and cousin to the queen. I hope the dear sweet lad does not blame himself. Children are so vulnerable in the innocence of their youth, how well do I remember.† Certainly Varys had once been young. Ned doubted that he had ever been innocent. â€Å"You mention children. Robert had a change of heart concerning Daenerys Targaryen. Whatever arrangements you made, I want unmade. At once.† â€Å"Alas,† said Varys. â€Å"At once may be too late. I fear those birds have flown. But I shall do what I can, my lord. With your leave.† He bowed and vanished down the steps, his soft-soled slippers whispering against the stone as he made his descent. Cayn and Tomard were helping Ned across the bridge when Lord Renly emerged from Maegor's Holdfast. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† he called after Ned, â€Å"a moment, if you would be so kind.† Ned stopped. â€Å"As you wish.† Renly walked to his side. â€Å"Send your men away.† They met in the center of the bridge, the dry moat beneath them. Moonlight silvered the cruel edges of the spikes that lined its bed. Ned gestured. Tomard and Cayn bowed their heads and backed away respectfully. Lord Renly glanced warily at Ser Boros on the far end of the span, at Ser Preston in the doorway behind them. â€Å"That letter.† He leaned close. â€Å"Was it the regency? Has my brother named you Protector?† He did not wait for a reply. â€Å"My lord, I have thirty men in my personal guard, and other friends beside, knights and lords. Give me an hour, and I can put a hundred swords in your hand.† â€Å"And what should I do with a hundred swords, my lord?† â€Å"Strike! Now, while the castle sleeps.† Renly looked back at Ser Boros again and dropped his voice to an urgent whisper. â€Å"We must get Joffrey away from his mother and take him in hand. Protector or no, the man who holds the king holds the kingdom. We should seize Myrcella and Tommen as well. Once we have her children, Cersei will not dare oppose us. The council will confirm you as Lord Protector and make Joffrey your ward.† Ned regarded him coldly. â€Å"Robert is not dead yet. The gods may spare him. If not, I shall convene the council to hear his final words and consider the matter of the succession, but I will not dishonor his last hours on earth by shedding blood in his halls and dragging frightened children from their beds.† Lord Renly took a step back, taut as a bowstring. â€Å"Every moment you delay gives Cersei another moment to prepare. By the time Robert dies, it may be too late . . . for both of us.† â€Å"Then we should pray that Robert does not die.† â€Å"Small chance of that,† said Renly. â€Å"Sometimes the gods are merciful.† â€Å"The Lannisters are not.† Lord Renly turned away and went back across the moat, to the tower where his brother lay dying. By the time Ned returned to his chambers, he felt weary and heartsick, yet there was no question of his going back to sleep, not now. When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die, Cersei Lannister had told him in the godswood. He found himself wondering if he had done the right thing by refusing Lord Renly's offer. He had no taste for these intrigues, and there was no honor in threatening children, and yet . . . if Cersei elected to fight rather than flee, he might well have need of Renly's hundred swords, and more besides. â€Å"I want Littlefinger,† he told Cayn. â€Å"If he's not in his chambers, take as many men as you need and search every winesink and whorehouse in King's Landing until you find him. Bring him to me before break of day.† Cayn bowed and took his leave, and Ned turned to Tomard. â€Å"The Wind Witch sails on the evening tide. Have you chosen the escort?† â€Å"Ten men, with Porther in command.† â€Å"Twenty, and you will command,† Ned said. Porther was a brave man, but headstrong. He wanted someone more solid and sensible to keep watch over his daughters. â€Å"As you wish, m'lord,† Tom said. â€Å"Can't say I'll be sad to see the back of this place. I miss the wife.† â€Å"You will pass near Dragonstone when you turn north. I need you to deliver a letter for me.† Tom looked apprehensive. â€Å"To Dragonstone, m'lord?† The island fortress of House Targaryen had a sinister repute. â€Å"Tell Captain Qos to hoist my banner as soon as he comes in sight of the island. They may be wary of unexpected visitors. If he is reluctant, offer him whatever it takes. I will give you a letter to place into the hand of Lord Stannis Baratheon. No one else. Not his steward, nor the captain of his guard, nor his lady wife, but only Lord Stannis himself.† â€Å"As you command, m'lord.† When Tomard had left him, Lord Eddard Stark sat staring at the flame of the candle that burned beside him on the table. For a moment his grief overwhelmed him. He wanted nothing so much as to seek out the godswood, to kneel before the heart tree and pray for the life of Robert Baratheon, who had been more than a brother to him. Men would whisper afterward that Eddard Stark had betrayed his king's friendship and disinherited his sons; he could only hope that the gods would know better, and that Robert would learn the truth of it in the land beyond the grave. Ned took out the king's last letter. A roll of crisp white parchment sealed with golden wax, a few short words and a smear of blood. How small the difference between victory and defeat, between life and death. He drew out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped his quill in the inkpot. To His Grace, Stannis of the House Baratheon, he wrote. By the time you receive this letter, your brother Robert, our King these past fifteen years, will be dead. He was savaged by a boar whilst hunting in the kingswood . . . The letters seemed to writhe and twist on the paper as his hand trailed to a stop. Lord Tywin and Ser Jaime were not men to suffer disgrace meekly; they would fight rather than flee. No doubt Lord Stannis was wary, after the murder of Jon Arryn, but it was imperative that he sail for King's Landing at once with all his power, before the Lannisters could march. Ned chose each word with care. When he was done, he signed the letter Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King, and Protector of the Realm, blotted the paper, folded it twice, and melted the sealing wax over the candle flame. His regency would be a short one, he reflected as the wax softened. The new king would choose his own Hand. Ned would be free to go home. The thought of Winterfell brought a wan smile to his face. He wanted to hear Bran's laughter once more, to go hawking with Robb, to watch Rickon at play. He wanted to drift off to a dreamless sleep in his own bed with his arms wrapped tight around his lady, Catelyn. Cayn returned as he was pressing the direwolf seal down into the soft white wax. Desmond was with him, and between them Littlefinger. Ned thanked his guards and sent them away. Lord Petyr was clad in a blue velvet tunic with puffed sleeves, his silvery cape patterned with mockingbirds. â€Å"I suppose congratulations are in order,† he said as he seated himself. Ned scowled. â€Å"The king lies wounded and near to death.† â€Å"I know,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"I also know that Robert has named you Protector of the Realm.† Ned's eyes flicked to the king's letter on the table beside him, its seal unbroken. â€Å"And how is it you know that, my lord?† â€Å"Varys hinted as much,† Littlefinger said, â€Å"and you have just confirmed it.† Ned's mouth twisted in anger. â€Å"Damn Varys and his little birds. Catelyn spoke truly, the man has some black art. I do not trust him.† â€Å"Excellent. You're learning.† Littlefinger leaned forward. â€Å"Yet I'll wager you did not drag me here in the black of night to discuss the eunuch.† â€Å"No,† Ned admitted. â€Å"I know the secret Jon Arryn was murdered to protect. Robert will leave no trueborn son behind him. Joffrey and Tommen are Jaime Lannister's bastards, born of his incestuous union with the queen.† Littlefinger lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"Shocking,† he said in a tone that suggested he was not shocked at all. â€Å"The girl as well? No doubt. So when the king dies . . . â€Å" â€Å"The throne by rights passes to Lord Stannis, the elder of Robert's two brothers.† Lord Petyr stroked his pointed beard as he considered the matter. â€Å"So it would seem. Unless . . . â€Å" â€Å"Unless, my lord? There is no seeming to this. Stannis is the heir. Nothing can change that.† â€Å"Stannis cannot take the throne without your help. If you're wise, you'll make certain Joffrey succeeds.† Ned gave him a stony stare. â€Å"Have you no shred of honor?† â€Å"Oh, a shred, surely,† Littlefinger replied negligently. â€Å"Hear me out. Stannis is no friend of yours, nor of mine. Even his brothers can scarcely stomach him. The man is iron, hard and unyielding. He'll give us a new Hand and a new council, for a certainty. No doubt he'll thank you for handing him the crown, but he won't love you for it. And his ascent will mean war. Stannis cannot rest easy on the throne until Cersei and her bastards are dead. Do you think Lord Tywin will sit idly while his daughter's head is measured for a spike? Casterly Rock will rise, and not alone. Robert found it in him to pardon men who served King Aerys, so long as they did him fealty. Stannis is less forgiving. He will not have forgotten the siege of Storm's End, and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dare not. Every man who fought beneath the dragon banner or rose with Balon Greyjoy will have good cause to fear. Seat Stannis on the Iron Throne and I promise you, the realm will bleed. â€Å"Now look at the other side of the coin. Joffrey is but twelve, and Robert gave you the regency, my lord. You are the Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm. The power is yours, Lord Stark. All you need do is reach out and take it. Make your peace with the Lannisters. Release the Imp. Wed Joffrey to your Sansa. Wed your younger girl to Prince Tommen, and your heir to Myrcella. It will be four years before Joffrey comes of age. By then he will look to you as a second father, and if not, well . . . four years is a good long while, my lord. Long enough to dispose of Lord Stannis. Then, should Joffrey prove troublesome, we can reveal his little secret and put Lord Renly on the throne.† â€Å"We?† Ned repeated. Littlefinger gave a shrug. â€Å"You'll need someone to share your burdens. I assure you, my price would be modest.† â€Å"Your price.† Ned's voice was ice. â€Å"Lord Baelish, what you suggest is treason.† â€Å"Only if we lose.† â€Å"You forget,† Ned told him. â€Å"You forget Jon Arryn. You forget Jory Cassel. And you forget this.† He drew the dagger and laid it on the table between them; a length of dragonbone and Valyrian steel, as sharp as the difference between right and wrong, between true and false, between life and death. â€Å"They sent a man to cut my son's throat, Lord Baelish.† Littlefinger sighed. â€Å"I fear I did forget, my lord. Pray forgive me. For a moment I did not remember that I was talking to a Stark.† His mouth quirked. â€Å"So it will be Stannis, and war?† â€Å"It is not a choice. Stannis is the heir.† â€Å"Far be it from me to dispute the Lord Protector. What would you have of me, then? Not my wisdom, for a certainty.† â€Å"I shall do my best to forget your . . . wisdom,† Ned said with distaste. â€Å"I called you here to ask for the help you promised Catelyn. This is a perilous hour for all of us. Robert has named me Protector, true enough, but in the eyes of the world, Joffrey is still his son and heir. The queen has a dozen knights and a hundred men-at-arms who will do whatever she commands . . . enough to overwhelm what remains of my own household guard. And for all I know, her brother Jaime may be riding for King's Landing even as we speak, with a Lannister host at his back.† â€Å"And you without an army.† Littlefinger toyed with the dagger on the table, turning it slowly with a finger. â€Å"There is small love lost between Lord Renly and the Lannisters. Bronze Yohn Royce, Ser Balon Swann, Ser Loras, Lady Tanda, the Redwyne twins . . . each of them has a retinue of knights and sworn swords here at court.† â€Å"Renly has thirty men in his personal guard, the rest even fewer. It is not enough, even if I could be certain that all of them will choose to give me their allegiance. I must have the gold cloaks. The City Watch is two thousand strong, sworn to defend the castle, the city, and the king's peace.† â€Å"Ah, but when the queen proclaims one king and the Hand another, whose peace do they protect?† Lord Petyr flicked at the dagger with his finger, setting it spinning in place. Round and round it went, wobbling as it turned. When at last it slowed to a stop, the blade pointed at Littlefinger. â€Å"Why, there's your answer,† he said, smiling. â€Å"They follow the man who pays them.† He leaned back and looked Ned full in the face, his grey-green eyes bright with mockery. â€Å"You wear your honor like a suit of armor, Stark. You think it keeps you safe, but all it does is weigh you down and make it hard for you to move. Look at you now. You know why you summoned me here. You know what you want to ask me to do. You know it has to be done . . . but it's not honorable, so the words stick in your throat.† Ned's neck was rigid with tension. For a moment he was so angry that he did not trust himself to speak. Littlefinger laughed. â€Å"I ought to make you say it, but that would be cruel . . . so have no fear, my good lord. For the sake of the love I bear for Catelyn, I will go to Janos Slynt this very hour and make certain that the City Watch is yours. Six thousand gold pieces should do it. A third for the Commander, a third for the officers, a third for the men. We might be able to buy them for half that much, but I prefer not to take chances.† Smiling, he plucked up the dagger and offered it to Ned, hilt first.