A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-nine

Catelyn As the host trooped down the causeway through the black bogs of the Neck and spilled out into the riverlands beyond, Catelyn's apprehensions grew. She masked her fears behind a face kept still and stern, yet they were there all the same, growing with every league they crossed. Her days were anxious, her nights restless, and every raven that flew overhead made her clench her teeth. She feared for her lord father, and wondered at his ominous silence. She feared for her brother Edmure, and prayed that the gods would watch over him if he must face the Kingslayer in battle. She feared for Ned and her girls, and for the sweet sons she had left behind at Winterfell. And yet there was nothing she could do for any of them, and so she made herself put all thought of them aside. You must save your strength for Robb, she told herself. He is the only one you can help. You must be as fierce and hard as the north, Catelyn Tully. You must be a Stark for true now, like your son. Robb rode at the front of the column, beneath the flapping white banner of Winterfell. Each day he would ask one of his lords to join him, so they might confer as they marched; he honored every man in turn, showing no favorites, listening as his lord father had listened, weighing the words of one against the other. He has learned so much from Ned, she thought as she watched him, but has he learned enough? The Blackfish had taken a hundred picked men and a hundred swift horses and raced ahead to screen their movements and scout the way. The reports Ser Brynden's riders brought back did little to reassure her. Lord Tywin's host was still many days to the south . . . but Walder Frey, Lord of the Crossing, had assembled a force of near four thousand men at his castles on the Green Fork. â€Å"Late again,† Catelyn murmured when she heard. It was the Trident all over, damn the man. Her brother Edmure had called the banners; by rights, Lord Frey should have gone to join the Tully host at Riverrun, yet here he sat. â€Å"Four thousand men,† Robb repeated, more perplexed than angry. â€Å"Lord Frey cannot hope to fight the Lannisters by himself. Surely he means to join his power to ours.† â€Å"Does he?† Catelyn asked. She had ridden forward to join Robb and Robett Glover, his companion of the day. The vanguard spread out behind them, a slow-moving forest of lances and banners and spears. â€Å"I wonder. Expect nothing of Walder Frey, and you will never be surprised.† â€Å"He's your father's bannerman.† â€Å"Some men take their oaths more seriously than others, Robb. And Lord Walder was always friendlier with Casterly Rock than my father would have liked. One of his sons is wed to Tywin Lannister's sister. That means little of itself, to be sure. Lord Walder has sired a great many children over the years, and they must needs marry someone. Still . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do you think he means to betray us to the Lannisters, my lady?† Robett Glover asked gravely. Catelyn sighed. â€Å"If truth be told, I doubt even Lord Frey knows what Lord Frey intends to do. He has an old man's caution and a young man's ambition, and has never lacked for cunning.† â€Å"We must have the Twins, Mother,† Robb said heatedly. â€Å"There is no other way across the river. You know that.† â€Å"Yes. And so does Walder Frey, you can be sure of that.† That night they made camp on the southern edge of the bogs, halfway between the kingsroad and the river. It was there Theon Greyjoy brought them further word from her uncle. â€Å"Ser Brynden says to tell you he's crossed swords with the Lannisters. There are a dozen scouts who won't be reporting back to Lord Tywin anytime soon. Or ever.† He grinned. â€Å"Ser Addam Marbrand commands their outriders, and he's pulling back south, burning as he goes. He knows where we are, more or less, but the Blackfish vows he will not know when we split.† â€Å"Unless Lord Frey tells him,† Catelyn said sharply. â€Å"Theon, when you return to my uncle, tell him he is to place his best bowmen around the Twins, day and night, with orders to bring down any raven they see leaving the battlements. I want no birds bringing word of my son's movements to Lord Tywin.† â€Å"Ser Brynden has seen to it already, my lady,† Theon replied with a cocky smile. â€Å"A few more blackbirds, and we should have enough to bake a pie. I'll save you their feathers for a hat.† She ought to have known that Brynden Blackfish would be well ahead of her. â€Å"What have the Freys been doing while the Lannisters burn their fields and plunder their holdfasts?† â€Å"There's been some fighting between Ser Addam's men and Lord Walder's,† Theon answered. â€Å"Not a day's ride from here, we found two Lannister scouts feeding the crows where the Freys had strung them up. Most of Lord Walder's strength remains massed at the Twins, though.† That bore Walder Frey's seal beyond a doubt, Catelyn thought bitterly; hold back, wait, watch, take no risk unless forced to it. â€Å"If he's been fighting the Lannisters, perhaps he does mean to hold to his vows,† Robb said. Catelyn was less encouraged. â€Å"Defending his own lands is one thing, open battle against Lord Tywin quite another.† Robb turned back to Theon Greyjoy. â€Å"Has the Blackfish found any other way across the Green Fork?† Theon shook his head. â€Å"The river's running high and fast. Ser Brynden says it can't be forded, not this far north.† â€Å"I must have that crossing!† Robb declared, fuming. â€Å"Oh, our horses might be able to swim the river, I suppose, but not with armored men on their backs. We'd need to build rafts to pole our steel across, helms and mail and lances, and we don't have the trees for that. Or the time. Lord Tywin is marching north . . . † He balled his hand into a fist. â€Å"Lord Frey would be a fool to try and bar our way,† Theon Greyjoy said with his customary easy confidence. â€Å"We have five times his numbers. You can take the Twins if you need to, Robb.† â€Å"Not easily,† Catelyn warned them, â€Å"and not in time. While you were mounting your siege, Tywin Lannister would bring up his host and assault you from the rear.† Robb glanced from her to Greyjoy, searching for an answer and finding none. For a moment he looked even younger than his fifteen years, despite his mail and sword and the stubble on his cheeks. â€Å"What would my lord father do?† he asked her. â€Å"Find a way across,† she told him. â€Å"Whatever it took.† The next morning it was Ser Brynden Tully himself who rode back to them. He had put aside the heavy plate and helm he'd worn as the Knight of the Gate for the lighter leather-and-mail of an outrider, but his obsidian fish still fastened his cloak. Her uncle's face was grave as he swung down off his horse. â€Å"There has been a battle under the walls of Riverrun,† he said, his mouth grim. â€Å"We had it from a Lannister outrider we took captive. The Kingslayer has destroyed Edmure's host and sent the lords of the Trident reeling in flight.† A cold hand clutched at Catelyn's heart. â€Å"And my brother?† â€Å"Wounded and taken prisoner,† Ser Brynden said. â€Å"Lord Blackwood and the other survivors are under siege inside Riverrun, surrounded by Jaime's host.† Robb looked fretful. â€Å"We must get across this accursed river if we're to have any hope of relieving them in time.† â€Å"That will not be easily done,† her uncle cautioned. â€Å"Lord Frey has pulled his whole strength back inside his castles, and his gates are closed and barred.† â€Å"Damn the man,† Robb swore. â€Å"If the old fool does not relent and let me cross, he'll leave me no choice but to storm his walls. I'll pull the Twins down around his ears if I have to, we'll see how well he likes that!† â€Å"You sound like a sulky boy, Robb,† Catelyn said sharply. â€Å"A child sees an obstacle, and his first thought is to run around it or knock it down. A lord must learn that sometimes words can accomplish what swords cannot.† Robb's neck reddened at the rebuke. â€Å"Tell me what you mean, Mother,† he said meekly. â€Å"The Freys have held the crossing for six hundred years, and for six hundred years they have never failed to exact their toll.† â€Å"What toll? What does he want?† She smiled. â€Å"That is what we must discover.† â€Å"And what if I do not choose to pay this toll?† â€Å"Then you had best retreat back to Moat Cailin, deploy to meet Lord Tywin in battle . . . or grow wings. I see no other choices.† Catelyn put her heels to her horse and rode off, leaving her son to ponder her words. It would not do to make him feel as if his mother were usurping his place. Did you teach him wisdom as well as valor, Ned? she wondered. Did you teach him how to kneel? The graveyards of the Seven Kingdoms were full of brave men who had never learned that lesson. It was near midday when their vanguard came in sight of the Twins, where the Lords of the Crossing had their seat. The Green Fork ran swift and deep here, but the Freys had spanned it many centuries past and grown rich off the coin men paid them to cross. Their bridge was a massive arch of smooth grey rock, wide enough for two wagons to pass abreast; the Water Tower rose from the center of the span, commanding both road and river with its arrow slits, murder holes, and portcullises. It had taken the Freys three generations to complete their bridge; when they were done they'd thrown up stout timber keeps on either bank, so no one might cross without their leave. The timber had long since given way to stone. The Twins—two squat, ugly, formidable castles, identical in every respect, with the bridge arching between—had guarded the crossing for centuries. High curtain walls, deep moats, and heavy oak-and-iron gates protected the approaches, the bridge footings rose from within stout inner keeps, there was a barbican and portcullis on either bank, and the Water Tower defended the span itself. One glance was sufficient to tell Catelyn that the castle would not be taken by storm. The battlements bristled with spears and swords and scorpions, there was an archer at every crenel and arrow slit, the drawbridge was up, the portcullis down, the gates closed and barred. The Greatjon began to curse and swear as soon as he saw what awaited them. Lord Rickard Karstark glowered in silence. â€Å"That cannot be assaulted, my lords,† Roose Bolton announced. â€Å"Nor can we take it by siege, without an army on the far bank to invest the other castle,† Helman Tallhart said gloomily. Across the deep-running green waters, the western twin stood like a reflection of its eastern brother. â€Å"Even if we had the time. Which, to be sure, we do not.† As the northern lords studied the castle, a sally port opened, a plank bridge slid across the moat, and a dozen knights rode forth to confront them, led by four of Lord Walder's many sons. Their banner bore twin towers, dark blue on a field of pale silver-grey. Ser Stevron Frey, Lord Walder's heir, spoke for them. The Freys all looked like weasels; Ser Stevron, past sixty with grandchildren of his own, looked like an especially old and tired weasel, yet he was polite enough. â€Å"My lord father has sent me to greet you, and inquire as to who leads this mighty host.† â€Å"I do.† Robb spurred his horse forward. He was in his armor, with the direwolf shield of Winterfell strapped to his saddle and Grey Wind padding by his side. The old knight looked at her son with a faint flicker of amusement in his watery grey eyes, though his gelding whickered uneasily and sidled away from the direwolf. â€Å"My lord father would be most honored if you would share meat and mead with him in the castle and explain your purpose here.† His words crashed among the lords bannermen like a great stone from a catapult. Not one of them approved. They cursed, argued, shouted down each other. â€Å"You must not do this, my lord,† Galbart Glover pleaded with Robb. â€Å"Lord Walder is not to be trusted.† Roose Bolton nodded. â€Å"Go in there alone and you're his. He can sell you to the Lannisters, throw you in a dungeon, or slit your throat, as he likes.† â€Å"If he wants to talk to us, let him open his gates, and we will all share his meat and mead,† declared Ser Wendel Manderly. â€Å"Or let him come out and treat with Robb here, in plain sight of his men and ours,† suggested his brother, Ser Wylis. Catelyn Stark shared all their doubts, but she had only to glance at Ser Stevron to see that he was not pleased by what he was hearing. A few more words and the chance would be lost. She had to act, and quickly. â€Å"I will go,† she said loudly. â€Å"You, my lady?† The Greatjon furrowed his brow. â€Å"Mother, are you certain?† Clearly, Robb was not. â€Å"Never more,† Catelyn lied glibly. â€Å"Lord Walder is my father's bannerman. I have known him since I was a girl. He would never offer me any harm.† Unless he saw some profit in it, she added silently, but some truths did not bear saying, and some lies were necessary. â€Å"I am certain my lord father would be pleased to speak to the Lady Catelyn,† Ser Stevron said. â€Å"To vouchsafe for our good intentions, my brother Ser Perwyn will remain here until she is safely returned to you.† â€Å"He shall be our honored guest,† said Robb. Ser Perwyn, the youngest of the four Freys in the party, dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to a brother. â€Å"I require my lady mother's return by evenfall, Ser Stevron,† Robb went on. â€Å"It is not my intent to linger here long.† Ser Stevron Frey gave a polite nod. â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Catelyn spurred her horse forward and did not look back. Lord Walder's sons and envoys fell in around her. Her father had once said of Walder Frey that he was the only lord in the Seven Kingdoms who could field an army out of his breeches. When the Lord of the Crossing welcomed Catelyn in the great hall of the east castle, surrounded by twenty living sons (minus Ser Perwyn, who would have made twenty-one), thirty-six grandsons, nineteen great-grandsons, and numerous daughters, granddaughters, bastards, and grandbastards, she understood just what he had meant. Lord Walder was ninety, a wizened pink weasel with a bald spotted head, too gouty to stand unassisted. His newest wife, a pale frail girl of sixteen years, walked beside his litter when they carried him in. She was the eighth Lady Frey. â€Å"It is a great pleasure to see you again after so many years, my lord,† Catelyn said. The old man squinted at her suspiciously. â€Å"Is it? I doubt that. Spare me your sweet words, Lady Catelyn, I am too old. Why are you here? Is your boy too proud to come before me himself? What am I to do with you?† Catelyn had been a girl the last time she had visited the Twins, but even then Lord Walder had been irascible, sharp of tongue, and blunt of manner. Age had made him worse than ever, it would seem. She would need to choose her words with care, and do her best to take no offense from his. â€Å"Father,† Ser Stevron said reproachfully, â€Å"you forget yourself. Lady Stark is here at your invitation.† â€Å"Did I ask you? You are not Lord Frey yet, not until I die. Do I look dead? I'll hear no instructions from you.† â€Å"This is no way to speak in front of our noble guest, Father,† one of his younger sons said. â€Å"Now my bastards presume to teach me courtesy,† Lord Walder complained. â€Å"I'll speak any way I like, damn you. I've had three kings to guest in my life, and queens as well, do you think I require lessons from the likes of you, Ryger? Your mother was milking goats the first time I gave her my seed.† He dismissed the red-faced youth with a flick of his fingers and gestured to two of his other sons. â€Å"Danwell, Whalen, help me to my chair.† They shifted Lord Walder from his litter and carried him to the high seat of the Freys, a tall chair of black oak whose back was carved in the shape of two towers linked by a bridge. His young wife crept up timidly and covered his legs with a blanket. When he was settled, the old man beckoned Catelyn forward and planted a papery dry kiss on her hand. â€Å"There,† he announced. â€Å"Now that I have observed the courtesies, my lady, perhaps my sons will do me the honor of shutting their mouths. Why are you here?† â€Å"To ask you to open your gates, my lord,† Catelyn replied politely. â€Å"My son and his lords bannermen are most anxious to cross the river and be on their way.† â€Å"To Riverrun?† He sniggered. â€Å"Oh, no need to tell me, no need. I'm not blind yet. The old man can still read a map.† â€Å"To Riverrun,† Catelyn confirmed. She saw no reason to deny it. â€Å"Where I might have expected to find you, my lord. You are still my father's bannerman, are you not?† â€Å"Heh,† said Lord Walder, a noise halfway between a laugh and a grunt. â€Å"I called my swords, yes I did, here they are, you saw them on the walls. It was my intent to march as soon as all my strength was assembled. Well, to send my sons. I am well past marching myself, Lady Catelyn.† He looked around for likely confirmation and pointed to a tall, stooped man of fifty years. â€Å"Tell her, Jared. Tell her that was my intent.† â€Å"It was, my lady,† said Ser Jared Frey, one of his sons by his second wife. â€Å"On my honor.† â€Å"Is it my fault that your fool brother lost his battle before we could march?† He leaned back against his cushions and scowled at her, as if challenging her to dispute his version of events. â€Å"I am told the Kingslayer went through him like an axe through ripe cheese. Why should my boys hurry south to die? All those who did go south are running north again.† Catelyn would gladly have spitted the querulous old man and roasted him over a fire, but she had only till evenfall to open the bridge. Calmly, she said, â€Å"All the more reason that we must reach Riverrun, and soon. Where can we go to talk, my lord?† â€Å"We're talking now,† Lord Frey complained. The spotted pink head snapped around. â€Å"What are you all looking at?† he shouted at his kin. â€Å"Get out of here. Lady Stark wants to speak to me in private. Might be she has designs on my fidelity, heh. Go, all of you, find something useful to do. Yes, you too, woman. Out, out, out.† As his sons and grandsons and daughters and bastards and nieces and nephews streamed from the hall, he leaned close to Catelyn and confessed, â€Å"They're all waiting for me to die. Stevron's been waiting for forty years, but I keep disappointing him. Heh. Why should I die just so he can be a lord? I ask you. I won't do it.† â€Å"I have every hope that you will live to be a hundred.† â€Å"That would boil them, to be sure. Oh, to be sure. Now, what do you want to say?† â€Å"We want to cross,† Catelyn told him. â€Å"Oh, do you? That's blunt. Why should I let you?† For a moment her anger flared. â€Å"If you were strong enough to climb your own battlements, Lord Frey, you would see that my son has twenty thousand men outside your walls.† â€Å"They'll be twenty thousand fresh corpses when Lord Tywin gets here,† the old man shot back. â€Å"Don't you try and frighten me, my lady. Your husband's in some traitor's cell under the Red Keep, your father's sick, might be dying, and Jaime Lannister's got your brother in chains. What do you have that I should fear? That son of yours? I'll match you son for son, and I'll still have eighteen when yours are all dead.† â€Å"You swore an oath to my father,† Catelyn reminded him. He bobbed his head side to side, smiling. â€Å"Oh, yes, I said some words, but I swore oaths to the crown too, it seems to me. Joffrey's the king now, and that makes you and your boy and all those fools out there no better than rebels. If I had the sense the gods gave a fish, I'd help the Lannisters boil you all.† â€Å"Why don't you?† she challenged him. Lord Walder snorted with disdain. â€Å"Lord Tywin the proud and splendid, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, oh, what a great man that one is, him and his gold this and gold that and lions here and lions there. I'll wager you, he eats too many beans, he breaks wind just like me, but you'll never hear him admit it, oh, no. What's he got to be so puffed up about anyway? Only two sons, and one of them's a twisted little monster. I'll match him son for son, and I'll still have nineteen and a half left when all of his are dead!† He cackled. â€Å"If Lord Tywin wants my help, he can bloody well ask for it.† That was all Catelyn needed to hear. â€Å"I am asking for your help, my lord,† she said humbly. â€Å"And my father and my brother and my lord husband and my sons are asking with my voice.† Lord Walder jabbed a bony finger at her face. â€Å"Save your sweet words, my lady. Sweet words I get from my wife. Did you see her? Sixteen she is, a little flower, and her honey's only for me. I wager she gives me a son by this time next year. Perhaps I'll make him heir, wouldn't that boil the rest of them?† â€Å"I'm certain she will give you many sons.† His head bobbed up and down. â€Å"Your lord father did not come to the wedding. An insult, as I see it. Even if he is dying. He never came to my last wedding either. He calls me the Late Lord Frey, you know. Does he think I'm dead? I'm not dead, and I promise you, I'll outlive him as I outlived his father. Your family has always pissed on me, don't deny it, don't lie, you know it's true. Years ago, I went to your father and suggested a match between his son and my daughter. Why not? I had a daughter in mind, sweet girl, only a few years older than Edmure, but if your brother didn't warm to her, I had others he might have had, young ones, old ones, virgins, widows, whatever he wanted. No, Lord Hoster would not hear of it. Sweet words he gave me, excuses, but what I wanted was to get rid of a daughter. â€Å"And your sister, that one, she's full as bad. It was, oh, a year ago, no more, Jon Arryn was still the King's Hand, and I went to the city to see my sons ride in the tourney. Stevron and Jared are too old for the lists now, but Danwell and Hosteen rode, Perwyn as well, and a couple of my bastards tried the melee. If I'd known how they'd shame me, I would never have troubled myself to make the journey. Why did I need to ride all that way to see Hosteen knocked off his horse by that Tyrell whelp? I ask you. The boy's half his age, Ser Daisy they call him, something like that. And Danwell was unhorsed by a hedge knight! Some days I wonder if those two are truly mine. My third wife was a Crakehall, all of the Crakehall women are sluts. Well, never mind about that, she died before you were born, what do you care? â€Å"I was speaking of your sister. I proposed that Lord and Lady Arryn foster two of my grandsons at court, and offered to take their own son to ward here at the Twins. Are my grandsons unworthy to be seen at the king's court? They are sweet boys, quiet and mannerly. Walder is Merrett's son, named after me, and the other one . . . heh, I don't recall . . . he might have been another Walder, they're always naming them Walder so I'll favor them, but his father . . . which one was his father now?† His face wrinkled up. â€Å"Well, whoever he was, Lord Arryn wouldn't have him, or the other one, and I blame your lady sister for that. She frosted up as if I'd suggested selling her boy to a mummer's show or making a eunuch out of him, and when Lord Arryn said the child was going to Dragonstone to foster with Stannis Baratheon, she stormed off without a word of regrets and all the Hand could give me was apologies. What good are apologies? I ask you.† Catelyn frowned, disquieted. â€Å"I had understood that Lysa's boy was to be fostered with Lord Tywin at Casterly Rock.† â€Å"No, it was Lord Stannis,† Walder Frey said irritably. â€Å"Do you think I can't tell Lord Stannis from Lord Tywin? They're both bungholes who think they're too noble to shit, but never mind about that, I know the difference. Or do you think I'm so old I can't remember? I'm ninety and I remember very well. I remember what to do with a woman too. That wife of mine will give me a son before this time next year, I'll wager. Or a daughter, that can't be helped. Boy or girl, it will be red, wrinkled, and squalling, and like as not she'll want to name it Walder or Walda.† Catelyn was not concerned with what Lady Frey might choose to name her child. â€Å"Jon Arryn was going to foster his son with Lord Stannis, you are quite certain of that?† â€Å"Yes, yes, yes,† the old man said. â€Å"Only he died, so what does it matter? You say you want to cross the river?† â€Å"We do.† â€Å"Well, you can't!† Lord Walder announced crisply. â€Å"Not unless I allow it, and why should I? The Tullys and the Starks have never been friends of mine.† He pushed himself back in his chair and crossed his arms, smirking, waiting for her answer. The rest was only haggling. A swollen red sun hung low against the western hills when the gates of the castle opened. The drawbridge creaked down, the portcullis winched up, and Lady Catelyn Stark rode forth to rejoin her son and his lords bannermen. Behind her came Ser Jared Frey, Ser Hosteen Frey, Ser Danwell Frey, and Lord Walder's bastard son Ronel Rivers, leading a long column of pikemen, rank on rank of shuffling men in blue steel ringmail and silvery grey cloaks. Robb galloped out to meet her, with Grey Wind racing beside his stallion. â€Å"It's done,† she told him. â€Å"Lord Walder will grant you your crossing. His swords are yours as well, less four hundred he means to keep back to hold the Twins. I suggest that you leave four hundred of your own, a mixed force of archers and swordsmen. He can scarcely object to an offer to augment his garrison . . . but make certain you give the command to a man you can trust. Lord Walder may need help keeping faith.† â€Å"As you say, Mother,† Robb answered, gazing at the ranks of pikemen. â€Å"Perhaps . . . Ser Helman Tallhart, do you think?† â€Å"A fine choice.† â€Å"What . . . what did he want of us?† â€Å"If you can spare a few of your swords, I need some men to escort two of Lord Frey's grandsons north to Winterfell,† she told him. â€Å"I have agreed to take them as wards. They are young boys, aged eight years and seven. It would seem they are both named Walder. Your brother Bran will welcome the companionship of lads near his own age, I should think.† â€Å"Is that all? Two fosterlings? That's a small enough price to—† â€Å"Lord Frey's son Olyvar will be coming with us,† she went on. â€Å"He is to serve as your personal squire. His father would like to see him knighted, in good time.† â€Å"A squire.† He shrugged. â€Å"Fine, that's fine, if he's—† â€Å"Also, if your sister Arya is returned to us safely, it is agreed that she will marry Lord Walder's youngest son, Elmar, when the two of them come of age.† Robb looked nonplussed. â€Å"Arya won't like that one bit.† â€Å"And you are to wed one of his daughters, once the fighting is done,† she finished. â€Å"His lordship has graciously consented to allow you to choose whichever girl you prefer. He has a number he thinks might be suitable.† To his credit, Robb did not flinch. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"Do you consent?† â€Å"Can I refuse?† â€Å"Not if you wish to cross.† â€Å"I consent,† Robb said solemnly. He had never seemed more manly to her than he did in that moment. Boys might play with swords, but it took a lord to make a marriage pact, knowing what it meant. They crossed at evenfall as a horned moon floated upon the river. The double column wound its way through the gate of the eastern twin like a great steel snake, slithering across the courtyard, into the keep and over the bridge, to issue forth once more from the second castle on the west bank. Catelyn rode at the head of the serpent, with her son and her uncle Ser Brynden and Ser Stevron Frey. Behind followed nine tenths of their horse; knights, lancers, freeriders, and mounted bowmen. It took hours for them all to cross. Afterward, Catelyn would remember the clatter of countless hooves on the drawbridge, the sight of Lord Walder Frey in his litter watching them pass, the glitter of eyes peering down through the slats of the murder holes in the ceiling as they rode through the Water Tower. The larger part of the northern host, pikes and archers and great masses of men-at-arms on foot, remained upon the east bank under the command of Roose Bolton. Robb had commanded him to continue the march south, to confront the huge Lannister army coming north under Lord Tywin. For good or ill, her son had thrown the dice.

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The merger between the AOL and Time Warner is most certainly a challenging undertaking. To mix a traditional culture existing at Time Warner as ‘old’ company with the flexibility of the ‘new’ AOL culture was both risky and promising.The merger promised Time Warner entrance into the new digital markets where it lacked expertise and created synergies to consider. As a leader in interactive services and owner of powerful Web brands, AOL could deliver performance in areas that promised the greatest growth in the years to come. At the same time, Time Warner with its large asset base created a climate in which AOL would have resources for the realization of the most ambitious projects and undertakings.The choices vary depending on the degree of freedom companies want to have in their operations. On the one hand, AOL and Time Warner could remain to function as two separate entities, undivided by controversies. In this case, the merged company would only engage in c ost-saving and some cross-marketing strategies to increase the profits of shareholders.On the contrary, the company can choose to undertake a massive cultural overhaul in order to blend the two parts closer together. This choice is extremely risky as the two cultures represent different poles of managerial culture.In my opinion, the first choice is the most rational as both companies would need time to understand what they are dealing with. Previously functioning as part of either AOL or Time Warner, the two executive teams have elaborated their own approaches and positions, and bringing those closer together would be difficult.Both companies would thus have more time to study each other’s business models and learn the best aspects of culture and business practices. The restructuring has to be carried out proportionately to the size of both companies, or, alternatively, inclusion of executives from each company on the board could be equal. In this way, the merger would respec t both cultures and give them time to adjust to each other. Â  

Green Computing in Kenya Essay

Abstract The main aim of this paper is to look at what green computing is, why we should care about it and why it is becoming such a force in today’s world. The paper aims to tackle the advantages of green computing not only to businesses but also to individuals as well in their day to day lives. This paper also aims to look at different green computing implementations in Kenya in order to get an understanding of the current state of green computing in the country. Finally, this paper also aims to highlight key barriers and challenges to the implementation of different green computing technologies within the country and suggest a way forward. Introduction In order to look at the current state of green computing in Kenya, we first need to understand what green computing is and what it entails. According to San Murugesan (Murugesan, 2008) in his paper on Harnessing green IT, Green IT (Also known as Green ICT or Green Computing) refers to environmentally sound IT. It focusses on the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using and disposing of computers, servers and any associated subsystems in an effective and efficient manner with minimal to no impact on the environment. These subsystems include things such as monitors, printers, and storage devices as well as other items like communication and networking equipment. Murugesan goes on to say that Green computing also strives to achieve economic viability and improved system performance and use, while abiding to ethical and social responsibilities. It is for this reason that green computing covers areas such as environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, total cost of ownership as well as cost of disposal and even recycling. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one the fastest growing industries in the world. This is due to a combination of different factors, but more recently this growth has been fuelled by the following factors. The first is the rapid pace of technology advancement. The second is the continued drop in prices of various hardware which has led to increased demand and acquisition of said hardware. According to Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., & Omuterema, S. (2012) this rapid growth in ICT is creating lots of challenges especially within developing countries like Kenya. The first of these challenges is that ICT devices have much shorter lifespans. A good example of this is mobile devices which on average are replaces every 2 years. The danger of this is that it creates a lot of Electronic waste (e-waste) which is one of the fastest growing types of waste in the modern world today and one of the most difficult to dispose of in a safe and cost effective manner. As many third world countries rely on hardware donations, most of these obsolete devices will find their way into these countries. This not only increases the rate of harmful emissions, it also endangers the lives of people as well as the environment. This in  turn leads to environmental degradation, increases the cost of doing business as well as power demands and demand for social responsibility. Basically, Green computing is becoming more of a necessity and less of an option. Why Green Computing? As we discussed earlier, ICT is playing an increasingly important role in both Business as well as in Private undertakings. This is true for most of the world as this has been fuelled by the rapid pace at which technology has been advancing. The big question then becomes, â€Å"Why should anyone care about Green Computing/ICT/IT?† In looking at this, we will understand what benefits as well as what challenges we can expect from adopting green computing technologies not only in our businesses, but in our homes as well. According to Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., & Omuterema, S. (2012), green computing focuses on more than just electricity consumption. It goes beyond the function of the ICT department. Green ICT acts as a central enabling technology to many aspects of sustainability. It goes beyond purchasing and usage considerations into how it can be used to lessen other aspects of environmental impact in the other sectors that it supports. The article goes on to say that this sustainability can be achieved through dematerialization and changing physical processes into virtual ones. Green ICT therefore brings together themes concerning the future of our current world, technology as well as the environment. San Murugesan’s article on Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices shares a similar view to that of Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., & Omuterema, S. San Murugesan’s article goes on to say that many of today’s environmental issues are having an impact on the competiveness of the IT business sector. Basically, businesses with the technology and vision to provide products and services that address the various environmental issues we have today, will enjoy some sort of competitive advantage. Many customers are now taking into consideration a service provider’s environmental records as well as initiatives. These factors are having a substantial effect on customers’ purchasing, leasing and outsourcing decisions. What are the benefits? Green computing looks to solve many of the challenges that businesses face today. An example of one of these challenges is higher energy costs. †Businesses face higher energy costs, and they may also incur additional government levies if they do not address the environmental implications of their practices.† (Murugesan, 2008, p.26). â€Å"Investors and customers are beginning to demand more disclosures from companies with regard to their carbon footprint as well as their environmental initiatives and achievements, and they have started discounting share prices of companies that poorly address the environmental problems the create †. This means that many companies today have begun to show their environmental credentials to customers as a way to gaining an upper hand over competitors. Many businesses as well as individuals are also looking to achieve better energy efficiency through adopting green initiatives. This in turn will lead to financial benefits especially when electrical energy is at a premium and energy prices continue to rise. This is actually one of the major reasons for individuals as well as companies to start adopting eco-responsible practices. This means that many companies are bound to prioritize environmental issues for energy efficiency as well as cost-control benefits. An example of this in the real world is companies such as Dell and Wall-Mart. These two companies have both adopted initiatives that force their suppliers to adhere to environmentally sound practices. In a paper titled Pervasiveness of green ICT awareness amongst Kenyan ICT personnel Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., Omuterema, S., & Mutua, S. M., (2013), the writers listed some of the various benefits of green ICT. The benefits of green ICT to the Environment/Society as well as to Companies include the following: Lower carbon emissions. Reduced resource consumption. Compliance with legal requirements. Reduced energy costs. Reduced operating costs of Data Centres. Less Hardware needed. The paper goes a step further by grouping the benefits of green ICT according to the Capital Market, Employees’, Customers’ as well as Public levels. These are shown below: Employees’ level benefits Increased employee satisfaction. Greater loyalty. Easier recruitment. Capital Market level benefits Improved ratings. Higher share prices. Greater company value. Customers’ level benefits Greater customer loyalty. Appeal to new customer groups. Greater customer satisfaction. Public level benefits Improved image. Rounded-out CSR strategy. Greater brand value. Examples/implementations of green computing in Kenya Here we shall look at examples of green computing implementations and initiatives within Kenya. The first example we shall look at is from Tea companies in Kenya go green through carbon finance (2013). Basically, several tea factories from the Nyeri district, all under the management of the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) chose to go green through a project titled â€Å"Guru Project†. The name Guru Project comes from the nearby Guru River in the Nyeri region. Much of the tea-manufacturing process requires electricity for processes like withering, cutting and drying tea leaves. Unfortunately, the factories would experience frequent power outages and poor power quality. The Guru Project aims to construct a hydro-power plant using water from the Guru River to generate power for the factories, thus allowing them to stop using the national grid. The benefit of this is that it will help reduce carbon emissions by some 38,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. On top of that, the factories will receive additional returns on their investment in lower emissions through carbon credits provided by the Clean Development Mechanism as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The second example we shall look at shows how Kenyan companies that are going green can be rewarded for it. There was an article in the Business Daily from December 10th 2013 that looks at this, Ciuri, S. (2013). The newspaper Article looks at how 2 Kenyan companies that won 6.5 million Kenya Shillings for running green Enterprises. The companies in question are Continental Renewable Energy Company and Wanda Organic Company. Continental Renewable Energy Company converts plastic waste into low cost building materials and they won 4.23 Million Kenya Shillings as a reward. Wanda Organic Company on the other hand is an organic fertiliser Distributor and won 2.16 million Kenya Shillings. They were rewarded the money by Growth Hub which is an initiative to support businesses that want to pursue environmental conservation. The next example looks at how choosing to go green can help you gain a competitive advantage over other companies, as well as gain recognition in certain markets. We shall refer to an article on the East Africa Top 100 website from January 29th 2014, Going green wins entrepreneur the 2013 SME crown (2014). It follows the story of Dinesh Tembherkar who is a mechanical engineer by profession. He founded his own company called Lean Energy Solutions after being unsatisfied with formal employment for many years. Lena Energy Solutions is a company that provides Energy Management consultancy services within East Africa. They have been involved in energy and project management and offer comprehensive energy audits, investment grade audits, trainings in energy management, manufacturing of Lean Briqs and other related projects such as Boiler conversion from oil fired to solid fuel fired and swimming pool heating. Basically, their methodology helps their clientele to improve on productivity and maximize bottom line performance. This has allowed them to differentiate their goods and services from those of competitors, and it allowed them to be recognized as one of Kenya’s fastest growing mid-sized companies in the 2013 edition of the Top 100 mid-sized firms. This competition is held in the form of a survey that is sponsored by the Nation Media Group and the consultancy firm KPMG. Finally, we shall look at how various individual can play a role in contributing to the adoption of Green computing technologies and what impact it can have on their lives. Mbori, C. (n.d.) has a very good article in one of his blogs that looks at the cost of conventional energy in Kenya. In the article we see that Kenya is classified as an energy poor country since majority of the population spend huge amounts of their household income on energy. This is especially true for rural areas. As at the time of writing the article, Kenya only provided 15 percent of the population with access to grid electricity out of which only 4 percent was in rural areas. Less than 25 percent of Kenya’s population had access to modern energy forms. This means that many households in Kenya still rely on older forms of energy for heating, cooking and lighting like kerosene, charcoal and even candles. Kenya is located along the equator, which means that there is an abundance of renewable energy in the form of sunlight which many people are yet to take advantage of. Though, there has been a surge in the adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies or solar electric systems. These systems allow you to capture the sun’s energy using photovoltaic cells and can work even on a cloudy day. Many of these PV modules are mainly use for lighting, cell phone charging as well as refrigeration and entertainment. At the time of writing the article, there were more than 200,000 PV modules installed in Kenya. That number was steadily increasing at a rate of around 30,000 PV modules annually. Mwaura, M. (2010) shared a short YouTube video and article about how one old man named Ben Mureithi who is a retired civil servant was able to use renewable energy to better his life. He settled down in a very remote part of Kiserian where there was no electricity and no running water. By installing solar panels, he was able to power his entire home for entertainment, lighting and heated water. To solve his water problem, he was able to capture rain water using  drainage pipes from his roof into a big underground tank. He is able to use the water for his day to day needs and even to irrigate plants that he grows. This proved to be so effective that in 2006 during a drought in the area, he was able to supply water to some other people in the area. People like Mr Mureithi are able to succeed in such harsh areas because they have adopted green technologies and green practices in order to make the best use of the resources available to us all. Another factor that has enabled this is the advent of low-cost solar in Kenya. Traditionally, solar has always been out of the reach of most people because the cost of setting it up has always been high. Low-Cost Solar Invades Kenya (2010) looks at some low cost solar powered technologies and kits which are currently available in Kenya today. The first one the writer looks at is the Solantern which is essentially solar powered lantern that can be charged during the day and runs at night. The lantern was intended to help replace kerosene lamps in many Kenyan households and allow them to save money and the environment at the same time. It was retailing for about 2000 Kenya Shillings in the year 2010. Another low cost solution discussed is the  ToughStuff which is a solar kit that comes with a small solar panel and different kinds of connectors. It can be used to charge a small LED lamp, mobile phones, a rechargeable power pack and some cheap rechargeable D-cell rechargeable batteries for powering other devices. The unit is sold through Chloride Exide in Kenya as well as in a few other shops. These are just a few of the many examples of technologies that promote selfsustainability as well as changing peoples’ lives for the better. Conclusion From what we have discussed in this article, we can see that Kenya still has a long way to go before we are able to achieve any major milestones in regards to green computing and adoption of green technologies. Below we shall look at a few of the major challenges that have prevented us from advancing with regards to green computing. We shall refer to the article Barriers to Implementation of Green ICT in Kenya, (Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., Omuterema, S. 2012, p.832, p.833). Lack of technical skilled or trained manpower in green ICT. (1) Green implementation is too costly. (11) Lack of green ICT workshops/seminars to update knowledge. (5) Overreliance on donations for ICT hardware acquisition. (7) Lack of top management support. (4) The rapid technology changes. (8) Lack of legislation to support green ICT implementations. (6) Existence of policies that hinder green ICT implementation. (10) Not knowing where to start in implementing green ICT. (8) General Resistance to change. (11) No budget is allocated towards implementing. (2) From the article, we see that the number one barrier to implementation of green ICT in Kenya is the lack of technical skilled or trained manpower in green ICT. This goes to show that a lot of work still needs to be done in creating awareness about the importance of going green and the opportunities available by making the switch. The way forward is to first focus on changing peoples’ opinions about green computing as a whole since a lot of the major adoption challenges are due to poor attitude and lack of information in general. It is only in this way  that we can get people to see the importance of creating a self-sufficient country, and all the good it will do not only for the environment but for all citizens as well. References Murugesan, S. (2008). Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices. IEEE Computer Society. Retrieved from University of Pittsburgh Website: http://www.pitt.edu/~dtipper/2011/GreenPaper.pdf Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., Omuterema, S. (2012). Barriers to Implementation of Green ICT in Kenya (Vol.2, No.12). International Journal of Science and Technology. Retrieved from e journals of science website: http://ejournalofsciences.org/archive/vol2no12/vol2no12_3.pdf Wabwoba, F., Wanyembi, W. G., Omuterema, S., Mutua, S. M., (2013). Pervasiveness of green ICT awareness amongst Kenyan ICT personnel (Vol.2, No.1). Retrieved from International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management website: http://ijaiem.org/volume2Issue1/IJAIEM-2013-01-15-021.pdf Tea companies in Kenya go green through carbon finance. (2013). Retrieved from UNDP website: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/articles/2013/02/20/sustainable-teacompanies-in-kenya-go-green-through-carbon-finance/ Ciuri, S. (2013). Kenyan firms receive Sh6.5m for going green. BUSINESS DAILY. Retrieved from BUSINESS DAILY Website: http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Kenyan-firmsreceive-Sh6-5m-for-going-green/-/539546/2106862/-/dls7qqz/-/index.html Going green wins entrepreneur the 2013 SME crown. (2014). Retrieved from East

Statistical Forecasting in Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Statistical Forecasting in Business - Term Paper Example On the other hand, regression analysis in business forecasting answers the question â€Å"by how much†. In this regard, both simple and multiple regression analysis shows the relationship between the dependent variable against the independent variables (IV: within subject factors e.g. products differentiation, product prices etc.). A business normally comes up with a model based on its operations and then using the available historical data formulates a regression equation which can be used able to predict the future values. An example of a regression model is shown below;SV = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1P + ÃŽ ²2M+†¦+ ÃŽ ²nXi In this model, ÃŽ ²Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s are the coefficients of the various independent variables and which signifies the amount of dependent variable change (in this case sales volumes), either positive or negative, once one of the independent variable’s changes by a single unit. P, product differentiation, and M, market share, are examples of independent variables. ÃŽ ²n shows that the variables can be as many as possible depending on the business itself. According to Jain, C. L. (2000), business forecasting is normally completed through the application of data mining processes where models are used to predict future using existing/historical data from which business potential if projected based on different business activities as well as transactions. To Jain, the sole purpose of data mining is to establish the presence of predictive criteria which might be present if large volumes of historical data are used.

How Can the Interactive Approach to Management be Successfully Research Paper

How Can the Interactive Approach to Management be Successfully Implemented in an Organization - Research Paper Example Stage one organizations are small, single-business enterprises managed by one person. The owner-entrepreneur has close daily contact with employees and each phase of operations (Silzer, 2010). Most employees report directly to the owner, who mates all the pertinent decisions regarding mission, objectives, strategy, and daily operations. Implementation of the interactive approach is easy in such an organization because of the number of staff. Stage two organizations differ from Stage I enterprises in one essential aspect: an increased scale and scope of operations force a transition from one-person management to group management. Stage 3 consists of organization whose operations, though concen ­trated in a single field or product line, are scattered over a wide geographical area and large enough to justify having geographically decentralized operating units. These units all report to corporate headquarters and conform to corporate policies, but they are given the flexibility to tailor their units strategic plan to meet the specific needs of each respective geographic area. Ordinarily, each of the geographic operating units of a Stage III Organization is structured along functional lines. Stage one and two organizations have limited communication channels and as such, implementation of the interactive strategy by the management is easy. In stage three organizations, the channels are much more complicated and implementation of this management approach requires a lot of input from the manager and cooperation from the employees. The managers role in the implementation process is in leading and setting the tone, and style of strategy imple ­mentation (Hatum, 2010). There are two ways that the manager can use to implement the interactive management approach: They can opt for an active, visible role or a low-key, behind the scenes role; it will be

Personality Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personality Development - Essay Example Similarly, if a person lacks the cognitive abilities by nature, that is, if there is some inherited mental deficiency, development will be at stake. Cognition, by virtue of its definition, plays the most vital part in developing an individual's personality. Moreover, evolution, genes, and environment are three other factors that highly contribute to the development of personality. It is not only the history of humankind and its birth but also the type of environment they are exposed to which shape an individual. As far as aggression is concerned, it takes its roots from all three factors. Evolution can lead to the appearance of aggressive personalities if relying on the trait of aggression for human survival is deemed necessary and vital for sustainability. If in the past, people who were more aggressive succeeded in sustaining themselves better, it is an evidence of a high proportion of aggressive personalities present today. Furthermore, it is also certain that an individual's pers onality is also a result of their genes. ... Circumstances in life, which an individual faces and the demands of those situations are best, reflected in the type of their personality. For a child, the parents are the best role models. In that, they shape the child's personality through different ways and interactions. For example, if a child's parents appreciate their time management, innovative drawings, or projects and encourage them to opt for newer challenging tasks, the child will be high on conscientiousness. Moreover, if those parents encourage behavior such as public speaking, socializing and deter them from introversion, the child will grow up to be an extrovert. Behaviors encouraged by parents, tend to be repeated and become a part of the child's personality. Self-efficacy is another important factor that plays a part in shaping an individual's personality. Basically, ''self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave... A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways'' (Bandura, 1994). A person is rightly defined by their level of self-belief. If a person lacks the desired self efficacy, it is very likely that they will be adversely effected by the minor challenges in life or certain tasks and will not be able to cope up to achieve desired goals. Such behaviors lead to a weak personality that is easily discouraged and deterred by trivial problems. However, individuals who possess a strong self-efficacy can be seen as those with stronger personalities, those

Personal Reflection reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Reflection reaction paper - Essay Example The entire scientific enterprise can be characterized as the development of sensitivities and ideas necessary to become more fully aware of what is happening all around us. Seen in this perspective, the discovery of the birthplace of the universe is a four-million-year learning event (Swimme, 1996, p. 1). In the present-day times, we face the challenge of identifying the meanings such discoveries have for human existence. It has become essential to integrate science’s understanding of the universe with more ancient intuitions concerning the meaning and destiny of the humans. This would be an opportunity to conciliate science, cultural tradition and religion. We are challenged here with understanding the significance of the human enterprise within an evolving universe. Upon our success in meeting this challenge rests the vitality of so much of the Earth Community, including the quality of life all future children will enjoy (Swimme, 1996, p. 3). The enterprise of cosmology –that is, the exploration of the origin, development and destiny of the universe– started at the beginning of humanity. As humans, we require a cultural orientation. â€Å"We are not given a fixed and final form to our orientation in life but must discover and deepen this orientation through the process of psychic development† (Swimme, 1996, p. 9). We have many different answers to the question â€Å"What does it mean to be human in this universe?† Brian Swimme proposes us to reflect on this issue, which has implications for our daily life, our family and our role in communities. From the primitive cave dwellers, people have marveled at the mystery of the cosmos, and created explanations for its origins and essence. However, Swimme points out that modern humanity might be the first culture to ignore the primordial tradition of celebrating the

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

International Business - Essay Example Apart from the fact that most countries wanted to protect their sovereignty and independence, there were other factors that Hill (2009) noted as being a cause to reasons countries were not opening up to each other in terms of trade. Some of these factors have been named to include geographic distance, time zone differences, language, differences in government regulation, culture, and business systems. With time, there seemed to be two major causes of trade revolution, which was going to lead to an eventual state of international trading opportunities for most countries. The first of this was the fact that most of the factors listed by Hill (2009) seemed to have had their solutions. For example there became more rapid means of transport cross geographic learnt and the learning of foreign languages increased (quote). The second issue was that countries started appreciating the benefits they would derive from trading freely among themselves (quote). Today, trade liberalization seem to b e a more popular and preferred term to sovereignty. As countries started opening up their doors to each other for international trading to begin, the need to ensure that such international trade were taking place in a state of perfect organization of trade was necessitated. Quickly, technology would be employed for most of the processes and acts of international trading, making integration, regularization of trade and non-physical commerce even easier. At the point that technology was merged into international trade was the point that quote (year) argues that the wake of globalization was born. In this essay there is a discussion on globalization, which is today used as a term not only to define the notion that countries trade among themselves but that countries are now moving towards a world in which national economies are merging into an interdependent global economic system. By global economic system, reference is being made to the fact that the kind of economic relations

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Education - Research Paper Example Twenty-one questions answered on a scale apply as the measurement tool to measure job satisfaction. In addition, factor analysis in the nature of varimax rotation facilitates the grouping of the survey questions on six major factors. These are opportunity for autonomy and growth, quality of supervision, career advancement opportunities, pay benefits, physical and job stress and job security. Questions used in the National Health and Retirement Survey serve to find out in this survey of intentions to quit or leave current positions. A panel of experts reviews the survey to gauge content, format, readability and usability. Finally, a test on the project involving nurses from different environments occurs. Data collection is takes place through a descriptive questionnaire of twenty one questions measured on a scale out of seven. The overall response rate is one thousand, five hundred and seventy four respondents. There is the use of descriptive statistics to compares BS and AD educates Registered Nurses. Variables measured include job satisfaction and duration of career. All the nursing variables finally get comparison by application of age cohorts. 91.5% of the one thousand, five hundred and seventy four respondents are working nurses and complete the remaining survey questions (McIntosh et al., 2005). There is exclusion of some nurses from the survey leaving a total of one thousand and thirty nine nurses whose responses contribute to the findings. Four hundred and ninety three nurses list AD as their highest level of education. On the other hand, five hundred and forty six list BS as their highest education level. AD and BS nurses work in different environments with BS nurses working in hospitals while AD nurses work in private care. BS educated nurses cite more job satisfaction in terms of career growth and longevity. BS nurses

Research paper on Faith Wilding (An Artist) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Faith Wilding (An Artist) - Research Paper Example She is the frontrunner of cyber-feminism in the U.S., where cyber-feminism is relatively a new term that studies the relationship between technology and women. Her main focus is on improving the contribution of women in the field of biotechnology. Faith Wilding frequents the U.S. and Europe and her audio lectures are â€Å"broadcast by RIAS Berlin; WDR Cologne; and National Public Radio, USA† ("Faith Wilding"). Her list of publications include; â€Å"MEANING, Heresies, Ms. Magazine, The Power of Feminist Art† ("Faith Wilding"). She has also published many other magazines and books. The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded her â€Å"two individual media grants† ("Faith Wilding"). At present, â€Å"she is the faculty member at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and the MFA in Visual Art Program at Vermont College of the Union Institute and University† ("Faith Wilding"). Wilding has been very active the feminist art movement since her support for the founding of Feminist Art Program in California (Jones & Heathfield 253). This program proved to be a stepping stone for politicizing and theorizing the feminist art. She and her husband participated in antiwar movements during the 60s. This laid the foundation for her future feminist art endeavors. Her artwork tells the story how she observed the enforced patriarchy throughout her life. This context gives her the energy to express the prejudiced and biased social structure of the world. Wilding creates artwork based on feminist themes. Many of her artworks depict satire aimed at the patriarchal attitudes of the society. Her artwork themes have evolved with time. The 1970s is generally marked with highly politicized Anglo-American feminist art movements. Wildings early works certainly depict that era but as time progressed her artwork also evolved and modified incorporating other elements of the social injustice towards women. The politicized feminist art form generally criticized the

Impact Of U.S. Foreign Policy In Middle East Essay Example for Free

Impact Of U.S. Foreign Policy In Middle East Essay Brief Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The continuing saga of Middle East manifest from the biblical exegesis on the life of Israelites’ struggle in search for the promise land. The struggle from Egypt fleeing on foot and crossing the Red Sea has long been withdrawn from the crusade of Moses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The exploration of Men from the Christian world has not only found the beauty of Arabian nights, the wonders of Pyramid in Egypt and anthropological finding on the wealth of the Pharaoh but the richness of Middle East resources in oil wells and gold.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A few among men found Middle East in search of destiny from its aboriginal concepts to the foundation of Islam. The transformation of Middle East to the life of the world is carried out by the insatiable desire of men to capture the once pristine and innocent Muslim world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today, Middle East surpasses from the annals of time where the dryness of desert is dumped with bloodbath; the fate of the Middle Eastern people is laid from the palm of the explorer. Shooting Birds with One Stone: The US in Iran-Iraq Conflict   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The holocaust of Iran-Iraq war is described as one of pandemic mass slaughtering in the 20th century history of Middle East with human casualty toll estimated figures of about 1 to 2 million. It was not only the loss of lives but of financial cost of war that is attributed to being a substantial health budget of poor countries in South East Asia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Iraq invaded Iran on September 22nd 1980. In which earlier before on that fateful date, similar local rebellion occurred that sparked the invasion. Two years later, Iranian civilian populace resistance enabled the fight and causing Iraqi’s withdrawal. A twist of fate has changed the offensive positioning of Iran but defeated by Iraq’s modernized weapons.   The Iran-Iraq war lasted for eight years from 1980 to 1988.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The defection of Iraq to the Communist Russian Soviet has pledged the supplying of weaponry and financial aids relatively to purchase modernized weapons from France. Meanwhile, the United States covertly provided weaponry to Iran through the facilitation of Israel. The reasons behind the covert activity of US were due to the cold war conflict with Soviet Union. In which case, the US was likened to shooting two birds with one stone—overcoming two enemies with a single shot of sling—without direct participation in the battlefield.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utilizing the US-Israel diplomatic ties, access to intelligence information were secretly supplied to Iran by the CIA,   to overwhelm the fallacy of possible direct aggression of Soviet troops, to mislead Iran from its defensive strategies and rely dependency to US (Shalom, S.R., 2005). By providing the so-called open source information, the CIA purposely makes the cover of plans to position with Iran at the time of winning the war. Likewise, a disintegrating information reached Moscow for a possible direct participation of US. The information was passed to demoralize and disintegrate Iraqi’s offensive-defensive position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the point of view of Iran-Iraq war, the US gained strategic collaboration with Israel and somehow sympathy of compliment from Iranian ruler Ayatollah Khomeini having supplied with armaments. The US ploy for being diplomatic and yet covertly supporting the war has earned an advantage in the Arabian and Persian oil consortium. Liberalized oil exportation favored the US benefits. The Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein was taken out from the picture of economic and diplomatic ties between the US, the Arabs, Persians and Israelites. What has left with Saddam was the blunt and contemplative Libyan ruler Khadafy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The US clandestine activities in the Iran-Iraq conflict is perceived by political analysts, military historians and economist as having been brought about by protecting interest to oil resources in the Gulf and preempting the Soviet Union’s armament support to Iraq. Motivated by the similar interest, US continuously enhanced its diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia as a preferential option in the impact of Iran-Iraq war to the rest of Middle Eastern countries.   In which case, the US government has utilized the CIA to examine the scenario of rippling effect of Iran-Iraq war and furthering the military and economic aid to Saudi Arabia in accord of protecting the Gulf. Predicted War:   Achievement and Idolatry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Indeed, the US has enabled to predict the forthcoming turmoil when the Gulf war broke out in 1990. The Operation Desert Storm has propelled a more strategic US alliance to Saudi Arabia to directly involve at the frontline of defense against the invading Iraqi troops.   The presence of US was caught between conflicting Muslim countries and justified by the Soviet instigated Iraqi invasion to Saudi Arabia. The Gulf war was defined as an indirect hostility of superpowers between the US and Soviet Union. Regardless of the ideological Islamic conflict between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the US and Soviet Union aggravated the situation. The cost of Gulf war accounted for substantial armament demand and supply from US and Soviet Union. The opportunity of business has proven in the substantial sale of armaments. Added to that, the US has forged a more established economic ties with Saudi Arabia and invested facilities/technologies on oil production. The end of US-Soviet cold war engages single domination of US in the Gulf. The achievements of US Pentagon’s Operation Desert Storm resulted isolation of Iraq from Islamic allies of US.   However, as the US allied governments in Middle East restructure its international diplomatic relations to the Christian world, various Islamic opposition hold the vacuum of power. The influence has instigated alliances in support of Islamism doctrines. Diversity in beliefs to Islamism has drawn divisiveness among Muslim sectarian and fundamentalist. The elevated contrast of ideologies in Islamism has emerged secessionism. The Muslim idolatry in Islam has primarily miscarriage the Oslo Agreement from its conception.   The Oslo accord on September 13th 1993 was supposed to bring the future of Israelites and Palestinian people but it was plagued by hunger, political-economic plunder and resistance of Islamic radicals that Israel accounted human carnage of 854 and surviving 5,051 casualties. The inadequacy of Israel to promoting political and monetary indulgence to Palestine broke down the Oslo (Pipes, D., 2003).   Likewise, the abortion of Oslo was claimed by the then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the inability of Palestinian ruler Yasser Arafat to break the spell of terrorism and yet continue harboring in his regime (Netanyahu, B., 2002). The effect of aborted Oslo accord enticed Islamic radicals and collaborated with regimes that are enemies of US and its allies. The collaboration of Islamic radicals with Iraqis and Palestinian secessionist trekked down the converging network of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. In which the plagued of terrorism brought about the 9/11 attack to the US. Retaliating Effect: The 9/11 US Tragedy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The September 11th 2001 attack to the US was called as unprecedented and described with bursting indignation of US allies against terrorism. The condemnation to the terroristic attack was acted upon by member states of the United Nations for a call to disarm the belligerent countries and regimes with weapons of mass destruction. Among are Iraq and North Korea in focal point of investigation. The US claimed lately that it found out Iraq conspired with the terroristic handiwork of al-Qaeda. More so, US have known its enemy way back from its role in the Iran-Iraq war. And, the result of intelligence gathering on Iraq aid to al-Qaeda.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The synthesis on the cobweb of US presence to conflicts in Middle East has met the retaliating effect as attributed in the 9/11 tragedy. As the attack was described as cowardice in character, it cannot deny the consideration for a retaliatory factor that instigated the 9/11 tragedy. In contrast, Iraq did not plunge into strategic position which obviously constructed the conspiracy theory of US and its allies in the United Nations. In addition to the theory, it was even more concluded that Iraq was in possession of lethal armament which ruled out by the UN Security Council to be disarmed and eradicated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2003, pursuing Baghdad in Iraq lightened the city with bombardment and advancing US military troops. The short-lived US invasion to Iraq and consequently capturing Saddam Hussein has shown relevance to the dominion of US. The bringing to international court of Justice and prosecution of Saddam relive the Iraqi people to restoring the democracy and government. It was not for US to directing the role of Iraqis in restructuring their way of life but to promulgate socio-political-economic diplomatic ties and exploration of Iraq resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What transpired over the extremely pressuring presence of US in the Middle East, with its counter-terrorism agenda, the faà §ade of human carnage and uncertainty that stem from the indigenous war of Muslim in its Islam faith, is a continuing impact of US in Middle East with the excesses of   its foreign policy for wealth and power domination. References Celalifer, A. (2005). Paradoxical Policies-EU, Iran and US Triangle. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from www.turkishweekly.net CRS Report for Congress (2007). US Foreign Aid to Israel. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from www.state.gov Harris, M. (2006). Why did the US invade Iraq in 2003? Retrieved January 18, 2008 from www.google.com/search Islamic Thinkers Society (2006). US-Iran relationship more then what it seems? Retrieved January 18, 2008 from www.islamicthinkers.com. National Intelligence Council (2004). Mapping the Global Future. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from www.cia.gov Netanyahu, B. (2002). Concordia: The Speech that Rioting Cancelled. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from www.israelinews.com Pipes, D. (2003). Why Oslo’s Hopes Turned to Dust. New York Post. Retrieved January 17, 2008 from www.danielpipes.org. Shalom, S.R. (2005). The United States and the Iran-Iraq War. Retrieved January 18, 2008 from www.zmag.org.

Determination in the Movie Apollo 13 Essay Example for Free

Determination in the Movie Apollo 13 Essay â€Å"Hello, Houston. This is Odyssey. Its good to see you again.† These were the words Jim Lovell said as he splashed down into the Pacific Ocean after spending 8 days in a freezing hell. Stuck in the confined quarters of the Apollo 13, those words were the embodiment of achieving your goals through determination. During the flight there were more displays of determination than I could possibly cover, so I am going to write about the three that stuck out to me the most. Jack Swigert was the one docking and flying the shuttle and didnt want to leave any room for error in his skills. Ken Mattingly, spent hours upon hours getting the boot sequence for the computer right so they could correct the shuttle path. Last but certainly not least the engineers building a CO2 filter out of spare parts without any proper tools. Jack Swigert was moved up from back up crew to main crew after Ken Mattingly got the measles. He was just as trained as the other guys but they werent a team. Everyone was a little sceptical about his skills because they had never flown with him and had had Mattingly as a pilot for a very long time. Swigert was doing a routine docking simulation when the people running it threw some engine failures at him without giving him a warning light, but he recuperated quickly and pulled off the manoeuvre flawlessly. Coming off of this success and being accepted by your new crew mates most people would be on top of the world and not feel the need to practice that move again, but not Swigert, he noticed that he used a bit to much fuel and although that’s not a horrible thing considering the situation, he insisted on practising again until he could do the manoeuvre with out any mistakes, no matter the problems. This kind of determination is only comparable to feats committed by his fellow astronauts like Ken Mattingly. Ken Mattingly was kicked off of the original Apollo 13 mission because he had contracted the measles virus. After this he went home, disconnected his phone, turned off his t.v. and went to bed. John Young Goes to Mattinglys house to wake him up because they need him to come to NASA to create a boot sequence that can be used in the emergency on the shuttle. So Ken Mattingly, after being kicked off of the job of a lifetime because of measles that he didnt actually get, being hungover, and not getting much sleep, goes to NASA and spends hours upon hours on his back in a cramped simulator kept cold and dark to emulate the situation in the actual shuttle looking for the right sequence. After many many failed attempts they finally find an ingenious solution, completely breaking the mold for all regular operations. Ken Mattingly got the boot sequence under 12 amperes, just the right amount to safely get the crew home. Mattingly wasnt on the space shuttle and yet he was one of the most important people in getting the crew home, this is because a shuttle launch only happens because of the determination of hundreds of people. Some people often overlooked in space exploration are the people who designed the ships in the first place. Not the people who built it, or the people who flew it but the ladies and gentlemen who came up with the schematics first, the engineers. At one point in the movie the CO2 levels in the craft became so dangerously high that the crew could begin experiencing blackouts and brain damage. They needed a second air filter and didnt have a spare that would fit. The engineers back on earth were told to â€Å"invent a way to put a square peg in a round hole. Rapidly.†. They were given only the parts that would have been available on the shuttle; tape, plastic bags, a space suit, hosing, things like that, no real tools, no actual spare parts, but they did it. They made that filter fit and saved the lives of three men and the reputations of many others. These engineers are one of the primary reasons everyone survived that mission. These men were given an impossible situation and told it had to be done, everyone of them not only stepped up to the plate but they hit the ball out of the park. Jack Swigert, Ken Mattingly, and the NASA engineers, they showed that sheer determination can lead to the achievement of any goals you have set for yourself. Without their determination the mission could easily have ended in three horrific and tragic deaths, but that was not the case and everyone involved will be forever grateful. Ron Howard, using the actions of these men, showed us the true meaning of determination, how anything can be done if you keep trying. Howard painted a beautiful picture of people simply doing what had to be done no matter how impossible the task. We should all look up to people like this.

Theories of Social Work in Practice

Theories of Social Work in Practice Social work as a practice was not defined as a profession until the early 20th century even in other countries there are different ideas as to what a social worker is; for example in some developing countries what in the United Kingdom as a youth worker is seen as a social worker. In England a probation officer does not need to be a qualified social worker whereas in Scotland it is necessary for the individual to be qualified. In Scotland social workers are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and have to abide by their professional code of conduct, which is important as a national guideline due to social work being such a diverse area. It is important for social work to abide by these guidelines but also to use theories that are of relevance to inform their practice. Social work theory throughout the years has continued to be an important part of social work practice. The purpose of this assignment is to critically discuss and analyse the relevance to two of these theories into practice using the ODonnell family. The two theories this assignment will look at is the attachment theory, Eriksons eight stages of man and also to look at anti oppressive practice. It is important to look at these different types of theories as they are all important dynamics that are necessary for social workers to understand the society, individuals and politically and socially influenced world in which they have to work in. An example of a mid range theory is the theory of attachment, the first theory of attachment was written by John Bowlby; Bowlby believed that the attachment between mother and infant was important to the childs future development. Bowlby also believed in four characteristics of attachment: proximity management, safe haven, secure base and separation distress. If a child suffers separation from their primary carer (their mother) then this may manifest into social problems later in life however if the child has unpredictable contact with their mother then it will have insecure attachment. Bowlby later looked at attachment throughout different ages and stages of development, to understand how a person that losses or is separated from an individual they had developed an attachment with would be affected. It has been identified that attachment behaviour is inbuilt as it can be triggered if a child is scared or frightened. If a child feels loved and valued by their primary caregiver it is highly likely that the child will develop a good level of self-esteem and perhaps may be more confident and independent in later life due to a feeling of belonging and acceptance. However should a child feel they are rejected or neglected by their primary caregiver it is like they may feel unwanted and unlovable. The positive example of attachment would allow the child to develop a trusting bond which would not be the case with the negative attachment example. This relates to Eriksons eight stages of man; this is an infants stage of psychosocial development which has two paths a child can take depending on the care they receive trust versus mistrust is established. This theory of attachment was developed further by Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s in her study Strange Situations based on observing children aged twelve to eighteen months, she described three types of attachment that she discovered during her studies these were; secure, ambivalent and avoidant attachment. Secure attachment is seen as the most preferred and beneficial to a childs positive development; the care given by the primary caregiver would be attentive and provide a solid base for the child to progress emotionally, socially and intellectually. Ambivalent attachment tends to occur when the primary carer is unreliable and unstable this would be classed as emotional neglect which may leave the child unsure of their place within the family which may result in the child displaying distressing or anxious behaviour. Children who are victims of this type of behaviour may be very attention seeking in order to gain the focus of those around them that they do not get at home. A child howev er that is a victim of avoidant attachment would perhaps be less likely to show their true feelings or talk about them as they are afraid of those they are close to leaving them. The childs lack of emotional response would possibly be because the primary caregiver in these cases will perhaps show more care and attention when the child is content however if the child shows visible signs of distress or need they will pull away from them. In some cases children exposed to avoidant care givers may take drugs or alcohol to cope with their fear of rejection from others. This attachment theory was even further developed by Main and Solomon in the 1980s they outlined a further type of attachment called disorganised attachment or insecure attachment, a childs primary caregiver in this stage is confusing to the child. Children who are subject to these varying behaviours tend to fear the loss of that attention even though they are given the attention they require. A child who has been unable to have a secure attachment, for example through abuse, fostering or adoption, is more likely to have problems in future with their relationships with others or suffer emotionally. Attachment theory has been used in social work to work with children and families and has more recently become part of mental health practice. It is important to acknowledge in social work how a persons past in terms of the family unit they were brought up in and the level of care they received can affect them in the present; also how the individuals past experiences can affect their own children. However it is also important for social workers to look other theories as well to help inform their practice and not focus on a singular theory. This theory is also a past orientated theory as it looks at how the past effects the present. In relation to the ODonnell family Kate would appear to have been a victim of avoidant attachment due to being left by her mother and taken into care at an early age. Because of her past she may be fearful of her children rejecting her as her self esteem would have been affected due to being in and out of care homes. This difficulty in attaining meaningful attachments may also have contributed to her being a lone parent and Kate is repeating history with her own children as they are developing a meaningful attachment with her friend Frances. It is also significantly appropriate to examine how this is affecting Kates children and how this may manifest later if intervention is not made by social workers to bring a closer bond to the primary carer. A further mid range theory that was touched upon in a previous passage was established by a psychosocial psychologist by the name of Erik Erikson. Eriksons theory was loosely based around Freuds past works however it was developed into what is called Eriksons Eight Stages of Man. According to Erikson at certain ages throughout a persons life they will go down one of two developmental paths, however it is necessary for those using this theory that it is not simply one path or the other. Erikson acknowledged the fact that although a person should go down the The eight stages are Trust versus Mistrust, Autonomy versus Shame, Doubt, Initiative versus Guilt, Industry versus Inferiority, Identity versus Identity Confusion, Intimacy versus Isolation, Generativity versus Self-Absorption, and finally the last stage Integrity versus Despair. The first stage takes place in infancy this is when a child is most vulnerable as they rely entirely on their care givers; if the child comes to know that they can rely on their primary caregiver as the care giver is continuously there for them then they will develop to trust more than a child whom is ignored or has unreliable caregivers and develops mistrust. Each oof these stages has an impact on the next stage of development and therefore it is detrimental to producing a balanced human being that the child passes through with more positive experiences of emotional development than negative. In the second stage autonomy versus shame this takes place when a child is around the ages of one to four the third stage initiative versus guilt takes place between the ages of four and six, if a child has in stage four the child between the ages of six to twelve industry versus inferiority In stage five identity versus role confusion this takes place in adolescence generally between the ages of twelve and twenty; at this age an up and coming adult is most likely to be at the peak of peer pressure and will be discovering who they are both as a person and sexually. This can be a very hard time for individuals but with a good base they will be likely to find who they are with easae however it is possible that they will become confused for example the loss of a father figure for a boy may result in that person being unable to undersand why the Eriksons eight stages of man have been criticized due to the fact that it was based ona study of men, it can be seen as a rigid document and does not take into account individual factors. For example an individual whom has a severe learning disability and perhaps has been psychologically examined to be at a mental age of five will not suffer from the complexities of stage five although that may be their corresponding age with Erikson s chart. Although this criticism should be kept in mind, Eriksons stages of man can be a useful tool as a guideline for use in social work. Although Eriksons model may seem very black and white it is important to remember that during each stage of development in order to have a healthy perspective in life, it is important in each stage that the strongest is the positive from the scale, there must be some level of negative development; for example a little bit of mistrust is healthy as to trust naively would eventually result in a individual putting themselves in danger. Trust versus Mistrust takes place during infancy; the route in which the infants personality takes depends on the parent to provide those needs that the infant cannot satisfy itself. If the mother does not take care of her child through neglect the infant will not develop basic trust and will take a negative step on the psychosocial scale. Autonomy versus Shame, Doubt takes place during early childhood, starting in a childs second year of life, once again children are reliant on their parents to support them during this stage. This is when a toddler tries to become an individual. If the childs vulnerability does not get the necessary support from the care givers then they will develop a sense of shame and doubt. Initiative versus Guilt takes place also during childhood normally developing during the ages of four and five; this is where a child tries to establish their own boundaries as they try to establish their identity In stage four, Industry versus Inferiority, taking place up until puberty, this is when a child tries to be recognized for their achievements, for example at school for doing a project, however if they do not get this desired recognition and feeling of achievement then it can result on them developing a feeling of inferiority, inadequacy. Parents still play an important role in this stage however as it takes place primarily at school, teachers are important. Stage five, identity versus identity confusion takes place during adolescence this is when the individual try to find a sense of themselves, this Stage six, intimacy versus isolation is the first stage to take place during adulthood, intimacy with other human beings can only happen when identity is established. The intimacy can be with a friend or a lover it involves merging personalities with others. It is important for an individual to have this intimacy otherwise it can result in them being alone and withdrawn. Stage seven, Ge nerativity versus stagnation, this is the second stage an individual goes through in adulthood, people who are generative are productive, tolerant and able to care for others and themselves equally. It is not always expressed through parenthood sometimes it can be through being a teacher. Those who are unable to develop in this stage result in a feeling of being stuck as they are unable to care for other people properly. The eighth stage is integrity versus despair, this takes place during old age, an individual in this stage establishes integrity being satisfied with their life and believing it was important and had a purpose. The person who reflects on life positively, according to Erikson, have an acceptance of death. However, a person who reflects on their life, feeling full of regret of their past it is also shown through a report to researchers that those who were more feeble through their bodys degeneration felt as though they had little control (Geppert Halisch, 2001) and t herefore despair would occur as they were not as willing to accept death. (Cloninger, 2008). Eriksons theory of psychosocial development was based on clinical evidence there has been further research into this work specifically in the adolescent stage of identity versus identity confusion. This research was accomplished by James Marcia whom

Cannabis: The Hemp Plant :: Botany

Cannabis: The Hemp Plant Probably one of the oldest plants known to man, Cannabis was cultivated for fiber, food, and medicine thousands of years before it became the "superstar" of the drug culture (Schultes, 1973). Cannabis, as it turns out, not only has many usage's, but has been employed in various ways by different cultures. Linnaeus first classified Cannabis sativa in 1753 as a monotypic species (i.e., one of its kind with respect to its genus). Now, however, this question with regard to the lack of diversity of the genus has come under fire. Richard Evan Schultes proposed a polytypic classification in 1974. Many questions still remain about Cannabis. Is there one species of Cannabis or are there several or more? Many scientists have argued that the genus is monotypic. Indeed, even the Federal government and at least a dozen states have enacted marihuana laws that are based upon the assumption that the genus consists of only a single species, C. sativa. Others, on the other hand, believe the genus is comprised of many species. For example, Russian students in the 1920's and 1930's claimed that there were at least a dozen species of Cannabis. At the time, the Russian views were not widely accepted. However, in the late 1960's scientists began to accept the idea that there were more than one species, and more investigations were initiated. Looking back, the polytypic concept of Cannabis dates to 1783 when Lamarck published an account of Cannabis indica in his Encyclopedia, (Volume 1), and fully contrasted it with the account of C. sativa (Emboden, 1974). Many species have been proposed or claimed over the years, but have been later found to be identical to existing plants. The three species now widely accepted are C. sativa, C. indica, and C. ruderalis. Cannabis sativa is very tall, loosely branched, and the branches are remotely positioned from one another. On the other hand, C. indica is low-growing and densely branched, with more compact branches and with a tendency to be more conical or pyramidal in habit. Compared to other plants, C. ruderalis is small and slightly branched. However, the cannabolic content is highest in C. indica (Schultes, 1975). Cannabis plants are comprised of both staminate and pistillate plants. The female produces large amounts of seed, and the male produces pollen. The staminate plants generally are shorter in height than the pistillate. The differences between these two necessitates two periods of harvesting.

The Chechen Wars Essay -- Islam in the North Caucasus 2014

From Western audiences, Chechnya—whether as an autonomous oblast, a sovereign state, or a war zone—has never received much consideration. Just one of dozens of ethnic groups within Russia who have declared since the end of the Soviet Union their right to self-rule and self-determination, the Chechens’ struggle for independence was drowned out in the cacophony of calls for independence during the 1990s. However, in a world so greatly affected by the events of September 11, 2001 and given the role of Chechen separatist groups in bombings of Russian apartment buildings in 1999 (which killed more than 300) and the hostage-taking of a Russian theater in 2002 (which resulted in the deaths of 130 Russians and 30 rebels), the rhetoric of Islamic fundamentalism and the terminology of terrorism has brought the Chechen people to the forefront of international concern (Trenin & Malashenko, 2004, p. 45). Yet the roots of the conflict in Chechnya, which have spurned two wa rs with the Russian Federation over the past two decades, are defined neither by terrorist activities or the Islamists who have recently come to typify the most virulent of the separatist rebels; rather, the origin is in the centuries long forging of a group that has faced common persecution from the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation. Ethnicity compounded with a new emphasis on fundamentalist religious ideology has greatly complicated a struggle that has benefited the economic and political interests of groups as disparate as elected officials, crime bosses, business leaders, and international governments (Politkovskaya, 2003). War has wrought the economic and social collapse of Chechnya and simultaneously embarrassed a Russia giant whose parti... ...thcaucasus.pdf Jaimoukha, A. (2005) The Chechens: A Handbook. New York: Routledge. Meier, A. (2005). Chechnya: To the Heart of a Conflict. New York: W. E. Norton & Company. Nikolaev. Y. V., Ed. (2013). The Chechen Tragedy: Who is to Blame? Cormack, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc. (March 19, 2013) Oliker, O. (2001). Russia’s Chechen Wars: 1994-2000. Washington: RAND. Politkovskaya, A. (2003). A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya. University of Chicago Press Tishkov, V. (2004). Chechnya: Life in a War Torn society. Berkeley, California: The University of California Press. Trenin, D. V. & Malashenko, A. V. (2004). Russia’s Restless Frontier: The Chechnya Factor in Post-Soviet Russia. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for Peace. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1538-165X.2005.tb01379.x/abstract

Medieval Ballads and Lyrics :: essays research papers fc

Recently, the term ‘ballad’ can be associated with everything from Solomon’s Song to an Aerosmith song. The dictionary defines it as a traditional story in song or a simple song. However, the medieval ballad is something of a different nature than that of the popular musical ballads of today. The definition of ballad in the medieval context is a narrative poem. The authors usually remain anonymous and the ballad is more often than not accompanied by dance (Gummere). This is not surprising considering the word ‘ballad’ comes from the Latin word ‘ballare,’ meaning ‘to dance’ (Dixon). Almost all ballads follow the same distinct criteria. They are all performed by a minstrel or troubadour complemented by music and are normally performed for an audience. All ballads tell a story with major themes of revenge, envy, betrayal, loyalty, and superstition, although they may touch on other subjects. These stories only focus on one major event and can be about the dramatic events of heroes or every day people. Though the bulk of the stories begin in the middle of an event, there is very little background information given (Knight). Characters rarely show any development and most stories lack detail. It is also important to know that there are there are three types of ballads: traditional ballads, broadside ballads and literary ballads (Dixon). Traditional ballads originated from ‘folk tales’ or other anecdotes told by peasants in England. These were most commonly passed by oral tradition. The broadside ballad is the traditional ballad’s cousin in many ways. These ballads were more common in urban or city like areas in the 16th century and were more likely to be printed and handed out instead of performed. The literary ballad is a combination of both the traditional and broadside types. These ballads appeared in the 18th century when ballads began to be published (Gummere). Medieval ballads, of course, are in the category of traditional ballads. When studying medieval ballads, it is important to remember that the entertainment in the medieval period did not include television or computers. Medieval ballads were very lengthy to capture people’s attention for long periods of time. This is how the stories were passed from one generation to the next. The passing of ballads orally was the most popular. Francis James Child was the first to put together a collection of over 300 ballads (Child). The only ballads that can be traced are those, which have been written. Medieval Ballads and Lyrics :: essays research papers fc Recently, the term ‘ballad’ can be associated with everything from Solomon’s Song to an Aerosmith song. The dictionary defines it as a traditional story in song or a simple song. However, the medieval ballad is something of a different nature than that of the popular musical ballads of today. The definition of ballad in the medieval context is a narrative poem. The authors usually remain anonymous and the ballad is more often than not accompanied by dance (Gummere). This is not surprising considering the word ‘ballad’ comes from the Latin word ‘ballare,’ meaning ‘to dance’ (Dixon). Almost all ballads follow the same distinct criteria. They are all performed by a minstrel or troubadour complemented by music and are normally performed for an audience. All ballads tell a story with major themes of revenge, envy, betrayal, loyalty, and superstition, although they may touch on other subjects. These stories only focus on one major event and can be about the dramatic events of heroes or every day people. Though the bulk of the stories begin in the middle of an event, there is very little background information given (Knight). Characters rarely show any development and most stories lack detail. It is also important to know that there are there are three types of ballads: traditional ballads, broadside ballads and literary ballads (Dixon). Traditional ballads originated from ‘folk tales’ or other anecdotes told by peasants in England. These were most commonly passed by oral tradition. The broadside ballad is the traditional ballad’s cousin in many ways. These ballads were more common in urban or city like areas in the 16th century and were more likely to be printed and handed out instead of performed. The literary ballad is a combination of both the traditional and broadside types. These ballads appeared in the 18th century when ballads began to be published (Gummere). Medieval ballads, of course, are in the category of traditional ballads. When studying medieval ballads, it is important to remember that the entertainment in the medieval period did not include television or computers. Medieval ballads were very lengthy to capture people’s attention for long periods of time. This is how the stories were passed from one generation to the next. The passing of ballads orally was the most popular. Francis James Child was the first to put together a collection of over 300 ballads (Child). The only ballads that can be traced are those, which have been written.