Unemployment in Columbia

Its infamy impacts tourism and trade, despite Colombia being the second largest producer of coffee in the world. The unemployment, especially among the youth, acts like fuel to the fire with regards to Colombians economic uncertainty. The country Itself does have the potential to have a stable economy and at least the minimum acceptable level of public welfare. It will be Interest to analyze why the country Is embroiled In warfare Instead of welfare, which Is why I have chosen It to be the topic of my research. 2. Relationships between selected economic concern and country?Economy/other variables (40 points): According to the US Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) World Fact Book, Colombia had a total work force of about 21. 27 million (2010 estimates). For a country whose population stood at 44,725,543 (2011 CIA estimates this figure is abysmal. The unemployment rate is at 11. 8% (2010 estimates). It is also important to note that nearly half of the country population (45. 5% â€⠀œ 2010 estimates) lives below the poverty line. According to a SEPAL (United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) 1 7% of these are homeless.It Is obvious that when a errors remains unemployed for a long time, he or she cannot provide the bare necessities of life for their families. However, the high level of poverty In Colombia Is not just attributed to unemployment alone but to the quality of work that those who are employed have. Nearly 32% of those who state themselves to be employed do not have a formal work contract or access to a healthcare system while 48% hold informal jobs such as street vendors and garbage recyclers (SEPAL). So not only is the population of Colombia plagued with unemployment but those who are employed ark in very low paying jobs.When a person is unable to support his or her family by legal means, they find themselves to be helpless and turn towards illegal trades to earn a living. This applies especially to the youth, who find themselves without an education, without a job and without a bright future prospect. They tend to get Involved in the local drug mafia In one way or the other. Those who are considered Incapable of violence or physical brutality, find work on cocaine farms while the others get Involved In more dangerous aspects of the trade.This draining of possible working populace towards an Illegal sector Tanat Is causing more nary than good to ten overall progress AT ten nature takes its toll on the economy. High unemployment has also led to an increase in the economic class divide among the population. The upper class, which accounts for 20% of the population, accounts for about 75% to 80% of the Gross National Product (GNP). The rest of the 20% GNP is shared between the remaining 80% of the population. Being far richer than the masses, the elite class has access to education, healthcare and security.

Communication in Criminal Justice Settings Paper Essay

There are different forms of communication, as we go through our everyday process we use different forms of communication all day long withier we are aware of it or not. Within those forms there are verbal and nonverbal communications, and in the criminal justice field there are defiantly times you should use these two forms of communication. Non-verbal communication, also known as body language according to research it states that only about 10% of communication involves the actual words people say, but 30% of communication is the way in which people say those words, called voice intonation. All the rest of our communication, about 60%, is done nonverbally. You can use your non-verbal skills such as active listening, understanding body language, and detecting deception. For instance a person’s body language is called cues. A person can sometimes communicate without even speaking by using their body; you can tell by the way a person walks/movement whether the person is happy, sad or even mad. Also when a person is being nonverbal they use their facial expressions and behaviors that communicate with other independent of words. In the criminal justice field you non-verbal communication is very important. This form of communication would be considered your best friend no matter what it is you are doing, wither it may be talking to a witness, out on patrol, or integrating a criminal. Verbal communications involves conveying thoughts or ideas. When it comes to verbal communication you are going to want to be aware of three components Speech, Language, and Conversation. Speech is the most progressive component in verbal communication. Language is the complex component of verbal communication. Conversation is the most important component of verbal communication. There are many barriers; they may include physical, emotional, and semantic barriers. Emotional barriers may include police officers having low self-esteem or another form of depression. Officers with low self-esteem questions themselves/ lacks self-confidence and even fears being put down or even ridiculed by former officers. The physical barriers can also develop a form of a breakdown in communication. Some physical barriers messages can’t be transmitted and that can be caused by faulty equipment. An example a defunct radio transmitter a way officer communicates with one another in which they can’t because the transmitters are not working. Semantics involve the selection of words you choose to aid you with your communication. If the wrong word is chosen obviously, the communication will not be as effective and the entire message can be misread. Ineffective listening also plays its role in hindering the communication process. If an individual is not fully engaged in the speaker perhaps because the topic does not interest them, , or development of your own biases or set opinions on what is being said have been established in which you with a closed mind, this can lend to ruining the communication between you and the sender. To develop strategies to overcome the barriers that occur as a police officer you must first understand the barriers. You must see the barrier just as you would any other obstacle how can you get around or through certain barriers/obstacle. Once you understand different types of barriers and how they come about is how you as an officer develop strategy to overcome the different types of barriers. In summary you need to develop all these key components of communication in order to better yourself and to enhance your career. Each of these component will allow you to perform your job the best as possible, wither it may be used to testify in court, questioning a witness/criminal, talking to your supervisor, etc. These components of communication that we use on a daily bases are key essentials and a must need in this field in order to survive. Without communication both verbal and non-verbal there will be no success. You will not be able to effectively do your job wither it may be communicating to you peers, to suspects, lawyers or judges. Everything we do revolve around proper communication, it is the key and essential part of the criminal justice process. References CJ Communications in the USA, Module 1 (2nd ed.) CJ Communications in the USA, Module 3 (2nd ed.) CJ Communications in the USA, Module 8 (2nd ed.)

The image of the ideal wife in early modern Venice in art and text

1. The image of the ideal wife in early modern Venice in art and text. The Republic of Venice otherwise known as La Serenissima had a reputation for its security and political unity. It had a reputation for its ‘unsullied liberty, unwavering religiousity, social harmony and unfailingly peaceful intentions. ‘1 Art was used throughout the city to show and teach social and political virtues and expectations, according to Muir ‘artistic patronage became an arm of government. In consideration of this it was also a way of social propaganda, as high ranking members of the scuolas including the Dukes and Doges could depict them selves performing virtuous acts, thus promoting their reputation in the eyes of the republic. Venetian art depicting women at home gave a portrayal of what was expected from women in a domestic environment, and by their husbands. There was a strong family ethic within Venice promoting civic unity and strength, which was paramount in the running of the state. The images were all made how society expected the wife to be and what stereotypes were imposed upon women. All images of women were depicted through the eyes of men, and how they wished for others to perceive their household. Women were expected to provide their husbands with an heir to the household, their only other material contribution being a dowry which would add to the prestige and worth of the family name. Virtues such as faith, chastity and fecundity were required of a woman to contribute to the success of a household. A good wife would add to the familial reputation and allow for a higher social status for the man. If one originated from a good household he was a more stable member of the Venetian community which prided itself on unity and regulation. As the women were an essential component to the running of the household and domesticity there were often confined to running of a successful household. Wider more worldly concerns of the running of the republic were left to the patriarchal ruling of the state, as the women had absolutely no political power. Within the household women were separated from the men within the living space. Venetian writers advised that the mistress of the household should have their room separate from their husbands, but linked, and placed furthest away from the entrance of the household. 2 The domestic spaces of women and men were extremely separate. ‘The male servants never go into the women's apartments when they do not know for certain if there are daughters or marriageable damsels in the house, and likewise the young female servants do not appear, or do so rarely, in the apartments of their masters but they serve in the apartments of their mistresses†¦ and they go there through very secret staircases. Two ladies on a Terrace by Vittore Carpaccio (ca. 1500) is a demonstration of the literal differences in the spaces between men and women. The painting is divided into two halves, both gendered by traditional symbology. It is an allegorical representation of women and virtue as they are surrounded by symbols that support that. Two dogs represent fidelity; a peacock wanders through the painting showing the virtues of redemption, vanity and purity. The women represented are of a high social status as they are shown in the fashions of the time of women of a high social ranking. A Venetian bride is identifiable by her pearl necklace, and could possible be seen as the mother of the young boy in the picture. The allegorical symbols that surround her show what would be expected of her in marriage. The metaphorical representation of the separation of the two highly gendered worlds of the men and women lies in the inclusion of the balcony in the scene. Various symbols are placed on this division connecting the two worlds. Two turtle doves perched on the balcony show how the relationships between the men and women are linked by love and a union of two halves. The vases containing lilies and myrtle also act as symbols of purity and marriage. A little boy climbing between the gaps in the balcony shows a transition and connection between the two halves of the painting. Children up to a certain age were placed in the care of their mothers and the female servants, as the woman were expected to fulfil the role of nurturing the child. However, the little boy is growing up and obviously on the path to adulthood as he moves across to the world of men. In contrast to the domestic scene of the two women on the balcony, the men are out doors, in the background hunting a juxtaposition of the two worlds. This supports what Scamozzi was saying about the expectation of the women to stay in doors within the domestic space maintaining the household, and being in charge of the upbringing of the children. Piero della Francesca painted portraits of his patron Federigo da Montefeltro Duke of Urbino and his wife Battista Sforza (c. 1470). The subjects of the paintings are placed in such a way that they are facing each other, showing their faces in profile allowing us to see their costume. The couple are in traditional Venetian dress, showing their prestige and social status. His wife is shown in the fashion with her string of pearls and elaborate headdress, and he in the expensive clothes of a duke. The portrait of Sfora Battista demonstrates how a wife who had fulfilled her duties, with all of the virtues of ‘Two Ladies on a Terrace,' is honoured. Sfora Battista was married to the Duke of Urbino in 1460 at the young age of thirteen. After bearing him six daughters she died shortly after the birth of their first son and heir in 1472 at the age of 25. The portrait is therefore a posthumous portrait, allegedly based on her death masks or perhaps a previous portrait. 4 She was a good wife and fulfilled all of her duties sometimes acting as regent when the Duke was away. She was a pious woman and the portrait was painted in her honour. There are various aspects of the works that support this. She is placed on the dexter side5, however there is a claim that Federigo de Montefeltro had a facial deformity on the right hand side of his face, and was therefore always painted showing his best side. Apart from this, there are other aspects of the portrait that are Sfora Battista's favour. According to what was considered fashionable at the time her skin was very pale with hardly any shadowing. The pale sky is tonally very similar and brings out the pale colouring of her skin, emphasising its purity and clarity. In contrast to smooth texture of her skin the folds of the white cloth at the back of her head and the pearls hanging from her neck and the rest of her accessories are very detailed. The fact that our attention is drawn to her jewellery and clothing make us focus on her high ranking and social status. The two paintings come as a pair, however are linked and made whole by the contiguous background, and the matching triumphs painted on the other side. The backgrounds are subtly gendered in their content. Behind the woman there are small images of households. Behind her husband images of boats, similar to the background of Carpaccio's painting, showing more male activities. The honouring of his wife continues on into the thematic content of the Trionfi, which was painted in order to celebrate the virtues of a couple. Allegorical representations show Sfora Battista as a chaste woman, as her chariot is pulled by unicorns,6 and she is accompanied by the virtuous figures of Charity, Hope and Faith, who sit at the front of the carriage. Chastity and modesty stand behind Sfora at the back. She is surrounded by all of the virtues required in a perfect wife. Federigo is also shown wearing armour, surrounded by virtues that would show his status as a great ruler. However, as much as he is shown as a great ruler it is obviously the importance of his wife that adds to his success, as the two portraits are equal in content and importance of the subjects. Veronese's depiction of the mistress Guistinia Guistiniani Lady of the Barbaro Villa is a further celebration of a good Venetian wife. With a dowry of ten thousand duckets she brought fortune and a good name, and bore her husband four sons. Marcantonio Barbaro worked in conjunction with the architect Palladio, and the artist Veronese in creating the villa in Maser, with an ‘interdependance of themes that refer metaphorically to family, State and Church. These themes were mainly expressed through the artistry of Veronese's frescoes that are featured through out the villa. Symbols of eternity and the elements which are featured in other frescoes of the household contribute to an allegory of Love throughout the household. A collegue of Marcantonio Barbaro, Bendetto Varchi, speaks of the importance of love in a household: ‘Love still binds with firm friendships the villas and cities; it governs the marital knot and deticates its laws to faithful friends where all good resides. ‘ The goddess of Love herself surrounded by the other Olympian gods looks down on the mistress of the household Guistiniana and her son, who looks out to greet visitors into the house, reiterating her power in the household. An allegorical symbol of fecundity is above her reminding us of her fulfilled duty as a wife by providing a son and heir to her husband. Her status as a mother as well as mistress of the household is repeated and emphasised by the fact that one of her children is standing on one side of her and one of her servants on the other. An empty space in the group suggests the absence of Marcantonio Barbaro as the master of the household. The boy is separated from the two women in the image indicating a social gender difference, similar to that of Carpaccio's ‘Two Ladies on a Balcony'. Although he is tied to his mother at the moment in time, due to his young age, in time he will have to separate and become an absent influence, moving from the domestic world of his mother in the villa, to the outside world of men. In the interior world of the Villa Barbaro Guistiniana is clearly in control as she is placed high, like the gods depicted in the fresco, giving her a divine authority over the household, and the realm of her visitors below her. The iconography that surrounds the mistress of the household from her divine positioning ‘alludes†¦ to terrestrial love and concord, expressed in the nuptial rites of men and more particularly in Marcantonio's marriage to Giustiniana. ‘9 According to Reist a depiction of Juno, Hymenaeus, and Venus could be seen as a representation of a matrimonial scene along with the father of the bride. Other scenes also refer to the success of the household, with allegorical representations referring to the Villas wine production. The symbolism all refers to the gods and cosmos placing their blessings upon the villa Barbaro its wealth, and the fruitful union of Guistiniana and Marcantonio. The Miracle of the Speaking Infant by Titian shows a wife depicted in a negative attitude. The image depicts a Venetian noble woman unfairly accused by her husband of adultery – a unforgivable sin to be committed by a woman, as they were expected to be pious and loyal. During the time women who committed adultery could be deprived of their dowries,10 and the disapproval of her community, thus depriving her of her means to survive socially and financially. According to Venetian law the offence could be punishable by death, the woman's honour only being salvageable by her family, or kin, as it was their reputation that was effectively being tarnished by their association with the woman. Finally the child born of this situation was considered the lowest of all society, a mere bastard ‘contaminating the lineage. ‘ According to the myth, St Anthony asks the child who his father is. By a miracle the child responds by pointingg out his father in the crowd thus saving his mother from a terrible fate. The scene could be seen as an attempt to put women in a better light, as she has been wrongly accused, supported by no one apart from her child. In reality she is a good and faithful wife, and should be loved and honoured by her husband accordingly. Visually we are made to sympathise with the woman, as her side of the story as a victim is portrayed to us first, as the painting is read from right to left. The woman is depicted with two other women, one holding her own child so that she can directly be compared to the woman who is having her child taken away from her, making us more sympathetic to her case. Titian is effectively campaigning for the necessity of the mother in the family life, as the painting is ultimately in support of the accused wife. Women in Venice were an essential part in the running of the household and family life. Good wives were celebrated for their virtues, which were specifically expressed in portraits and representations of domestic scenes. Veronese shows a wife being honoured for her contribution to the family name, whereas Titian shows a wife disgraced for not performing her familial duties. However in both cases the importance of the women in the nurture and domestic environment is demonstrated in both images. Masters of the household who had wives that would effectively add to the prestige of their family ranking and lineage honoured their wives through their portraiture, thus making eternal the contribution and importance they had to the family.

The Aerodynamics of Future Electric Cars Research Paper

The Aerodynamics of Future Electric Cars - Research Paper Example The researcher states that changes in global demand patterns, market forces, environmental concerns and the ever present danger of fleeting fossil fuel reserves are forcing automobile manufacturers and research scientists to look for alternative means to fuel automobiles. One facet of these developments has been electric vehicles that are powered exclusively through electric batteries. The emergence of electric vehicles has put in motion a number of new design challenges such as the aerodynamics of such vehicles because aerodynamics represent a large loss during normal functioning of all kinds of automobiles. Drag created by a moving vehicle represents one of the largest losses of energy created by an automobile’s engine. Conventional automobiles may lose as much as 40% of the total power to air drag. As with other conventional bodies, the aerodynamic drag exerted by air on a vehicle is directly proportional to the square of the velocity of the vehicle. For typically aerodynam ic automobiles the coefficient of drag and the accompanying area need to be as small as possible in terms of design considerations in order to minimize the drag encountered. There has been an ongoing struggle to create vehicles with as low a coefficient of drag as possible. Typically well designed vehicles display coefficients of drag of the order of 0.13 while a coefficient of drag of 0.1 is achievable through special design considerations.... Moreover considerations of an acoustical nature are also reduced through the use of electric engines that produce far less noise than conventional engines. However this has been criticized for increasing danger to blind people because the incoming vehicle would not possess a sound. (The Week, 2010) Based on these considerations it can be seen that the design of electric vehicles is an altogether different domain from conventional automobile design. The inclusion of new components such as the electric engines places new constrains on design that require solutions through out of the box thinking. This paper will attempt to describe the various major challenges being posed in terms of design and their current solutions along with their future outlook. 2. Conventional Automobile Packaging and Acoustics Conventional automobiles have been built and packaged in nearly the same way for decades. The early pioneering research into automobiles has created a stable platform that is dogmatically used as per vehicle class and usage. For example most passenger cars created along conventional design philosophy house the engine in the front and use a front wheel drive system while load carriers such as trucks use front mounted engines with rear wheel drive. Moreover recent advances in computational fields have allowed designers to create more light weight and singular construction frames better known as monocques. While some of these design elements such as a light weight bodies, four wheels and singular construction have been applied to building electrical vehicles but other packaging constraints have changed altogether. The design configuration and considerations for conventional automobiles are being

Terrorism and its effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Terrorism and its effects - Essay Example mber 11th, 2001 but the roots of it go back a long way in the Seventeenth century and terrorism one way or the other, on perhaps a bigger or a smaller scale was taking place in different parts of the world in the name of religion, sects and creed since then. ‘Terrorism’ has been referred to as ‘Extremism’ a gazillion times and perhaps that definition given to it can be considered because it defines the mindset behind it and the reasons why it is employed. Human life is of no value under the mindset of an individual who has been brainwashed with such intensity that he is convinced to relinquish his own life along with others. Carnage can never be the best vengeance or perhaps a way to prove the dignity of any religion because every religion promotes peace and conservation of Human life in the best way possible. Sometimes it’s even hard to make out what this concept holds for us in reality besides bloodshed and fear; nevertheless what’s worth looking into is the motive of these people who become a part of this horrid world (Linden, 2006). Terrorism in the most apparent manner has taken place globally in the form of Bomb blasts, which are also categorized into many forms such as suicide bombing and planted bombs with detonators which gives the terrorists an open opportunity to press the button to immense carnage bearing in mind the right time and place while having a particular target. After the horrific attacks that took place in New York, an active response was given back to ‘Terrorism’ in the form of ‘War on terrorism’ led by the United States of America and the purpose of which is to fight back with all the courage and to do whatever it takes to eradicate terrorism and related crimes. Many leading countries are now a part of the ‘War on Terrorism’ in order to face the challenges and primarily to save humanity from such ugly theories and viewpoints becoming reality (Halper & Clarke, 2004). Terrorism, over the years has been able to affect

Criminal Justice Organizations- Assignment 2 Essay - 1

Criminal Justice Organizations- Assignment 2 - Essay Example Second, there could be little assurance that this leader himself did not employ enthusiasm and generally the passion for his tasks. I found him enthusiastic, passionate and all of these were combined generally to a higher energy level. He is indeed a transformational leader. I am a firm believer of the thought that every organization requires effective leadership style. In the case of my organization with that leader I mentioned above, his usage of transformational leadership was effective at some point. I believe that the nature of our jobs or daily activities require much higher energy, and so motivational considerations. For this reason, the leader together with his leadership style was simply on the right tract. I therefore argue that the type of leadership to be employed in an organization should also depend on its nature of jobs or activities and even particularly culture. Thus, at a closer evaluation, I can attest that a motivational leadership, generally the transformational leadership fitted into the requirements and the vital needs of our firm. If someone would ask me if there are other leadership styles that could fit in, my response would be that there are a lot of them. However, I should find them complementary approaches only, because I believe transformational leadership should be the primary requirement of the organization, as far as its needs and the nature of tasks in it are concerned. As to whether there are other leadership styles that could work effectively in o ur organization, the response on this would be that there are simply variety of them in the corner. However, this does not simply contest the fact that the use of transformational leadership was not remarkably necessary, at some point. The nature of the work in the criminal justice organization is highly under both a combination of physiological and psychological undertakings. These require more zeal and passion in the long

NIE National Intelligence Estimates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

NIE National Intelligence Estimates - Essay Example Summary This section of my paper will be a summary of the article â€Å"Intelligence Estimates: How Useful to Congress†.1 National Intelligence Estimates (NIE’s) entail the collection or analysis of trends that are difficult and extensive to understand. This complex, estimative analysis report explores Congress efforts, under the guise of oversight, which can dilute or distort the NIE so as not to be true and accurate assessments. The scope and political influences from a variety of sources can be a bone of contention between the intelligence communities (IC) and Congress. The article describes many historically compiled examples unraveling the limitations faced by the NIE processes. NIE typically tries to cull out estimations from quite broad and extensive conclusions. However, some of the processes involve a single agency and do not intend to divulge any specific sources owing to a sense of mistrust. Considering this reluctance on the part of an administration which h olds a specific policy, may end up in a â€Å"watering down† of the conclusions so as to avoid possible controversies. As a result, a skeptical Congress has, over time, become more demanding with its insistence and request for the completed analyses. This distrust has lead to multiple efforts to pass legislations which accrue more authority to the Congress. Examples include the constant alterations into the Defense Authorization Act and the approval processes for the associated agencies such as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Without question, the scope of discontent cited in the article includes the aftermath of Iraq’s WMD Program. The article reported the well documented problems with the IC that place a great reliance on limited information, thereby resulting in wrong conclusions. Again, the findings listed in the article mention a shift in the scope and direction of the new global threat of terrorism. The current and perceived threats faced by the U.S. encourage the passing of new polices like the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004. This act enunciated new guidelines that NIE must follow in the future to avoid the repetition of the mistakes made in the past. However, much terminology inherent in the language of the act is quite problematic and difficult to interpret. The article concludes with the ongoing oversights incumbent on the future NIEs so that they may better understand Iran’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The report conveys the importance of key judgments which are included in the 2007 NIE report. The report, â€Å"Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities†, highlights a shift which in a way oversimplifies a new narrative. These judgments were included by the Director of the DNI and placed in the ‘UNCLASSIFIED’ version .This new story line no way changes the importance or the goals of the NIE, except for suggesting some changes in the mechanisms resorted to while interacting with the public. Analysis Overview In this section, I will develop an analytical response to the article in which I will offer further historical and contextual possibilities that may exemplify how the Congressional processes could be harmful. Specifically, I will address the varied issues that can have a negative impact on the customer-analyst interaction. To understand this potential non-productive interaction, the NIE has engaged in a series of collaborations

Coporate Governance Social Responsibility report Essay

Coporate Governance Social Responsibility report - Essay Example The employees are obligated to operate within the guidelines set by the HSSE&SP, which defines accountability standards for all operation levels. Compliance to the guidelines is monitored via processes of comprehensive assurance. Another important aspect of Shell UK’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities in relation to their employees regards safety. However, these two aspects are not always the case, especially where governments are not keen enough on enforcing the law. The paper also gives recommendations on how to implement CSR strategies more efficiently for Shell UK. Table of Contents Contents Page 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦4 2. Findings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 2.1 Shell UK; A brief introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 2.2 CSR/stakeholder theory†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 2.3 Shell UK’s stated position on CSR and employees†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 2.4 Criticism of Shell UK’s performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 3. Conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 4. Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 5. References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 SHELL UK LTD. ... While they are some concerns that various strategies, especially those involving employees and other stakeholders are inspired by PR, employees have embraced the strategies as a way of externality internalization that emanate from the operations of the company. The labor market has increased CSR uptake by companies since the employees want to feel positive regarding their company and employment responsibilities. Thus, companies make commitments to CSR that are in line with the values of their employees. Companies can use this as an appropriate strategy to attract high quality employees. CSR is essential in attracting favorable employees to a company. This paper seeks to discuss the CSR strategies that Shell UK employs with their employees, including human rights and safety. While information on Shell’s CSR programs is scarce, general literature on its CSR strategies and those of the oil industry were useful. Findings Shell UK: A Brief Introduction Shell is a major contributor in the UK, not only in the provision of services and products, but also in investments, tax revenues, and employment that aid in boosting the economy. The company employs approximately 6,400 employees in the UK directly. These employees are essential to Shell UK’s core business of energy provision to millions of clients who rely on the energy for powering and heating. They are also essential in the company’s upstream business, where it has been a leading player for more than 30 years in the North Sea with interests in more than fifty fields, thirty sub-sea installations, thirty platform installations, a marine terminal, and three onshore gas plans (Aguilera et al, 2009: p840). The company is responsible for twelve percent of UK gas and oil supplies. Downstream employees are

Evolving Practice of Nursing Delivery Models Assignment

Evolving Practice of Nursing Delivery Models - Assignment Example The associated programs pertinent to health care reform are inclusive of accountable care organizations (ACOs), nurse-managed health clinics, and primary care medical homes. Through expansion of the overall reach of insurance coverage, there is increased placement of greater demands on the prevailing primary care system present. Furthermore, through investment in the overall expansion of HIT – interoperable health information technology platforms – that critical implementation of system reforms can be effectively achieved (The NAP, 2011). This is not only vital in localized settings, but more so in terms of the spurred growth of community-wide exchange of information, as projected by the IOM and RWJF (2012). This has great potential of changing in profound ways, the scope, skill-mix (expertise) and distribution of nursing practice. Accordingly, the reformation within the health care delivery system foretells a number of crucial inputs by the nursing profession. These in clude: changes in the demand for RNs service provision, and the effective positioning of the nursing profession towards effectively responding to the reforms made. Furthermore, is the crucial role-play the profession has in regard to effecting a positive post-reform healthcare environment. The pertinent health reform legislation, augmented by other relevant policy initiatives, reveals a range of provisions and programs. These call upon the need for re-organization of not only the workforce responsible (in terms of delivery).

How Fitzgerald Tell the Story in Chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

How Fitzgerald Tell the Story in Chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby Essay Write about some of the ways Fitzgerald tells the story in chapter 1 The chapter begins with Nick Carraway introducing himself as the narrator. Fitzgerald uses a first-person retrospective narrative, therefore we are given Nicks point of view throughout. The chapter begins with Nick remembering his father’s advice that â€Å"all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that [he’s] had† this tells the reader that the main theme of the novel is wealth. The use of the word â€Å"advantages† suggests that Nick comes from a wealthy family. Fitzgerald makes Nick claim that â€Å"I’m inclined to reserve all judgements† yet quickly contradicts this he tells â€Å"the intimate revelations of young men† are â€Å"marred by obvious suppressions†, by Fitzgerald doing this, the audience are given an opinion on Nick, realising he is likely to be an unreliable narrator. However when Nick says â€Å"I’m inclined to reserve all judgements† the reader may also feel that Nick will give a true and honest account of the events and will not be biased against any of the characters. Fitzgerald uses this chapter to set the scene of the novel. Fitzgerald makes it clear through Nick’s narration that the events within the novel have already taken place â€Å"back from the East last autumn†, the reader instantly knows that we will be given an interpretation of the events and they will all be from Nicks point of view. Nick talks about â€Å"Midas and Morgan and Maecenas† all three of these men were renowned for their wealth. Morgan and Maecenas were real men, whereas Midas’s story is a Greek myth. By mentioning both myth and reality in the first chapter Fitzgerald tells the reader that myth and reality will be mixed throughout the novel. Fitzgerald introduces most of the main characters within this chapter as part of the establishment of the text. Gatsby is the first to be introduced excluding Nick, which could suggest that Gatsby is the protagonist of the novel. Later on in the chapter we are introduced to Tom, Daisy and Jordan as Nick goes to a dinner party over at East egg. Fitzgerald has Nick use exaggerations of expressions and body language to create an impression of Tom Buchannan and the others in East egg. Fitzgerald has Nick harshly describe Tom as being â€Å"arrogant† and powerful â€Å"not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body† by using this description Fitzgerald highlights his role as a dominant male, Fitzgerald supports this by the use of direct speech from Tom â€Å"I am stronger and more of a man than you are†, this again shows that Tom believes  he is above everybody else again re-enforcing his arrogance. Fitzgerald uses oxymoron’s to describe the way in which Tom handles Nick â€Å"he turned me around again politely and abruptly† this shows that Nick as a narrator is contradicting himself hence causing the reader to question his narrat ion once again. Throughout the chapter, Nick uses adverbs such as â€Å"accusingly† and â€Å"helplessly† when referring to Daisy, allowing Fitzgerald to give the impression that she is dominated by Tom and that they are living in a patriarchal society. This contrast is displayed by Nick’s use of adverbs such as â€Å"decisively†, â€Å"restlessly† and â€Å"crossly† when retelling Tom’s speech, showing Tom’s power. During the dinner where also introduced to myrtle in a way as her phone call interrupts dinner, we also find out about how Jordan talks about her Tom and his family, â€Å"Tom’s got some woman in new York†, therefore showing she’s not a very trustworthy character. Fitzgerald also uses simile’s to add more emphasis to the point he is making â€Å"compelled me to the room as though he were moving a checker to another square†, this also shows Tom’s power. towards the end of the chapter Nick witnesses Gatsby standing at the end of his lawn, nick describes the way in which Gatsby held out his arms as â€Å"curious† this gives the reader an urge to want to read on and find out what the green light is and what significance it holds in relation to Gatsby. Fitzgerald makes Nick use the word â€Å"vanished† at the end of the chapter which give the chapter a more dramatic end.

Helios Solar Farm Project Scope Construction Essay

Helios Solar Farm Project Scope Construction Essay The purpose of this scope statement is to define, document, approve, and control the scope of a 100MW Solar Energy Plant Project of Phoenix Group. The appointed project team shall plan, execute, control, and close the project according to this document. Overview of the project Project Name: Helios Solar Farm Nature: 100MW Photovoltaic Power Plant Location: Greece Time: 5 years after project initiation date Cost: 400,000,000.00 Euro The renewable energy sector has experienced significant growth in recent years fuelled by EU energy policy, technological innovation, and rising fossil fuel prices. On April 25, 2007, the Hellenic Regulatory Energy Authority (REA) issued a National Program for the Development of Power Stations in Greece, which state that by the end of 2010, 21% of Electric Energy consumed must be from Renewable Energy sources as per commitments to EU Strategic Development. Encouraged by the policy and the continuous investment return and low operating risk nature of Solar Power Project, the Phoenix Group decide to establish a 100MW Photovoltaic Power Plant named Phoenix Solar Energy Plant in Greece. Project Scope The Helios Solar Farm will be a ground-based very large scale photovoltaic power plant consisting of 10 inter-connected solar farms, each capable of producing 10 MW of electricity within a margin of 5%. Once completed, it shall cater for the electricity needs of over 1,500,000 solar panels which can annually generate 100,000 MWh electricity to fulfill the needs of approx. 30,000 family homes, and save around 50,000 Tones CO2 per year. Project Objectives To design and to construct the Photovoltaic Power Plant. To be profitable not only for the shareholders but also the final users. To have efficient communication and organization through all the project development. Dismantle the entire complex at the life cycles end (35 years after construction). Capitalize on any technological breakthroughs take place during the design/build and construction phase of the project within the fields of Architecture, Engineering, Sociology and Business. The initial planning budget for this project is 400,000,000.00 Euro Project Requirements: Provide Project Management services throughout the projects life-cycle. Provide maintenance services for a period of 35 years after finishing construction. Define business units for the performance of the project as logistics, purchasing, engineering, marketing, accounting and finance and so on. Determine the policies for the project development as the foundation. Acquire funding, sponsorships and strategic partnerships by means of Business Development. Environment research. To set up logistical routes to enhance effective and low cost material transportation. Planning for overall the project such as materials, human resources, etc. Quality controls. Project Assumptions: Stable long term investment return. Improve quality of life. Worlds biggest photovoltaic power plant. Long term benefits for economy and environment. Project Constraints: A negative position in the public ´s mind as activism, monopolies, traditionalist ideology, corruption. Mega Project scale. A risk of snowball effect when small problem might occurred but without been detected because the magnitude of the project. Lack of material or skilled labor. Global economic situation. Lack of sponsor and/or client commitment. Supply Chain shortfalls. Limited Logistics capacity of selected location. Project Deliverables: 100MW Photovoltaic Power Plant delivered 5 years following Project Initiation. Connection to main power grid. To provide sustainable facilities according to Eco- friendly policies. Conformance to relevant Standards, Codes of Practice (CoP), HAZMAT and Health and Safety guidelines. Plant decommissioning at the end of the projected life cycle. Provide Operation and Maintenance (OM) Manuals. Project Acceptance Criteria: The Project will be delivered within the agreed time and budget Everything has to be test and should fulfill the highest quality standards according to the established criteria. Paperwork should be submitted at delivery time. Periodical Auditing/Quality checks carried out in regular intervals throughout the Project. Reports and status progress should be delivered in the team meetings. Semi-independent operational status for each division to ensure flexibility. Divisions should operate according to project needs and requirements but have to adhere to the following constraints: Project Organization Structure Project Management Provide Project Services throughout the projects life cycle. Conduct Risk Assessment on a quarterly basis. Provide Time and Cost management services. Implement QMS Perform QA in accordance with implemented QMS. Supply Chain Division All tasks should be accomplished and performed according to the shipment policies and products specifications. Freight quotes agreements and contracts should be specify at the beginning of the project for the project duration, price increases should be regulated with a matrix and % limits in order to overpass the budget. Constant supervision and tracking transportation performance in order to avoid delayed material. To hire a customs agencies in order to fulfill the import regulations and to prevent extra costs. Warehouse forecast and cycle counts. Customs and taxes verification completed before the imports. Engineering Design and Build according to current Eurocode Codes and Standards, amend if necessary. Complete Pilot project prior to initiation of the Design Phase. Provide full set of drawings. Technical Specifications should adhere to current Eurocode Codes and Standards. Use of green materials and techniques where applicable. Risk analysis Compile Health and Safety Manuals. Provide decommission plan in compliance with current Hazmat Codes and Standards. Human Resources Personnel salaries should conform to current international treaties and regulations, with annual readjustments. Roles and responsibility description documentation should have done before starting the project. Detailed HRM will be performed by each Division semi-autonomously. Detailed and clear Union agreements should be signed and documented before starting the construction or hiring according to current laws and regulations. Conflict resolution always has to be guided by the established policies. Business Development Budgets and reports has to be accurate and be done by using the latest information and reliable data including external factors like tax rates, possible changes in taxes or any other variable covering a range of 12 to 15 years within reasonable forecasting capabilities.. Liaison duties following project initiation phase up to 3 years before completion to ensure political and public support, forming of strategic alliances/partnerships in inter-governmental and international organization level. Perform a Feasibility Study prior to initiation of Design Phase. Publicity campaign strongly oriented into the positive positioning. Contra-marketing plan in order to fight negative public opinion. Initial Work Breakdown Structure Politic statement Purpose Provide guidance for planning and handling negotiations with land owners and authorities in concern of Helios Solar Farm project. Scope This statement provides guidance for purchasing/leasing land, communication with public authority. Land Purchasing/Leasing Policy All activities involve purchasing and/or leasing of land during the project life cycle shall be reported to the project Management Board and must be conducted in accordance with the following procedure: I. An application and a report containing the complete details of the land (location, environment, legal owner, value, term of use, applicable laws or regulations, and etc.) must be filed and submitted to the Management Board by the Project Manager. II. If the application is approved by the Management Board, the board will grant an operating budget as state in the application to the Project Team, and will have authority to make expenditures within that budget. The project manager will be charged with the responsibility of preparing and executing legal agreement with land owner(s), and ensuring appraisal of land selected in terms of cost and suitability. III. The Management Board has right to deny an application, and the denied application shall not be submitted again. IV. While dealing and negotiating with the landowner and any relevant third party, the project team shall bear in mind the matter of confidential of the project. Public Communication Policy While communicating with any public authority, the project team shall keep in mind that: I. All external communication shall be documented. II. Communication shall be effective and efficient. III. Develop sustaining effective relationships with authorities. IV. Promote company image and reputation. V. All communications that may influence the project must be reported to the Project Manager. Environment statements Purpose: State the environmental objectives of the Helios Solar Farm Project. Scope: This statement provides a guidance to manage the environment throughout the Project Life Cycle. . Environmental Policy: I. The Project Manager shall educate, train and motivate staff to conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner. II. All activities in the project shall conform to most international environmental regulations and standards. III. Conduct an environmental impact assessment of each project phase, and act accordingly. Quality Policy Phoenix Group is committed to uphold the following quality statements: Achieve or exceed customer expectations. Maintain and expand employee competencies. Strive for constant improvement. Take all necessary steps to achieve project goals. Probable quality issues during the course of the project Quality involves everyone and all activities in the projects, any mistake or constrain can affect the whole project quality. Examples of lack of quality are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of skilled labor. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mistake in management process. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Low quality material. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Delay in product delivery. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Customer requirement not fulfilled. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Installation shortfalls à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Capacity limits of harbor in selected location. Cause-and-effect Diagram Quality criteria of the project Customer Satisfaction: Customer and stakeholders requirements are fulfilled. Product and service quality data collection processes are well established. Business planning criteria: The project planning process is well established. All plans are reviewed regularly for progress and corrective actions taken when necessary. The business planning process includes managing the linkage to other areas of the value delivery chain. The vision and planned strategic are achieved. Business results are achieved as a result of good business planning. Management criteria: Project objectives, goals and schedules are clearly defined. There is a good data collection, analysis and understanding of root cause. Alternative solutions are reviewed and results have been achieved. Reviews are standardized and future plans are made. Key processes or activities are monitored and controlled. The key processes or activities are managed systematically. The project performance method has routinely been improved and documented Employee development criteria: Project and quality team are well managed. Employee training programs are implemented and sustained. Employees are empowered to make decisions and proposals. Quality audits system Follow the instruction of ISO 10011-1 Standard for Planning and Performing Quality Audits, we suggest similar project in the future shall follow the procedures listed below to perform the quality audit to improve its quality: Prepare an audit plan, this should be prepared by the audit manager and approved by the customer before the audit begins. The plan will define the objectives and scope of the audit, explain how long each phase of the audit will take, specify where and when the audit will be carried out.  It will also introduce the lead auditor and his team members, identify the quality elements, the groups and areas that will be audited, list the documents and records that will be studied and the people who are responsible for quality and whose areas and functions will be audited. The plan has to explain when meetings will be held with auditees senior management, and clarify who will get the final audit  report and when it will be ready. (ISO 10011-1) Perform the audit plan. This step starts with having an open meeting with the auditees senior management to introduce the audit team and the audit plan, confirm that the auditee is ready to support the audit process.  Then, the auditors have to Prepare audit working papers, such as quality management checklists and forms for record observations and collect evidence.   The evidence can be collected by interviewing personnel, reading documents, reviewing manuals, studying records, reading reports, scanning files, analyzing data, observing activities and examining conditions. Evidence shall be confirmed by more objective means.   Clues can be found through investigate evidences; the auditors must study the evidence and  document their observations; key nonconformities which are supported by the evidence and cross-referenced to the standards that are being violated must be listed. Auditors must draw conclusions about how  well the quality system is applying its policies and ach ieving  its objectives, and discuss evidence, observations, conclusions, recommendations, and nonconformities with senior managers of auditee before they prepare a final audit report.   (ISO 10011-1) Prepare the final audit report. The audit report should be dated  and signed by the lead auditor. This report should include the detailed audit plan, a review of the collected evidence, a discussion of the conclusions that were drawn, a list of the nonconformities that were identified, a judgment about how well the quality system  complies with all quality system requirements, and an assessment of the quality systems ability to achieve   quality objectives and apply the quality system policy.   The final report shall be sent to the client by lead auditor, and the client should send it to the auditee. (ISO 10011-1) The final step is to take remedial actions to correct or prevent nonconformities; and  a follow-up audits should be scheduled in order to verify that corrective and preventive actions were taken. (ISO 10011-1)

Factors Affecting The Rate Of Photosynthesis Biology Essay

Factors Affecting The Rate Of Photosynthesis Biology Essay The purpose of this experiment is to observe the factors affecting the Photosynthetic rate of leaves, which is measured in two ways. Firstly changing the light intensity, this will determine the rate of increase or decrease in photosynthesis. Secondly changing the availability of nutrients (Concentration of CO2) to the plants, this will directly affect the photosynthetic rate. To test the light intensity, an elodea submerged in a beaker was placed at different measurement away from the plant, to see if oxygen (bubbles) is produced. To test the availability of nutrients, different molarities of Sodium Bicarbonate was diluted in 500 ml of water with Elodea, to see if rate of photosynthesis increased or decreased. The result shows, as light intensity increases, the rate of reaction will increase at a proportional rate until a certain level is reached. At a light intensity of 400 the average increase in rate of reaction was 746v. At 4 the average increase in rate of reaction was 8676v, a difference of 7930v, which shows the rate of reaction is greatly influenced by light intensity. As the molarity of Sodium Bicarbonate increases, the rate of reaction will also increase at a proportional rate with respect to light intensity. At 0.05M the average increase in rate of reaction was 0.80r. At 0.1M the average increase in rate of reaction was 1.90r, a difference of 1.1r, which shows the rate of reaction is also significantly influenced by the availability of nutrients. Both light intensity and availability of nutrients are important factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis. Aim To investigate how different factors affect the rate of photosynthesis. The variables that will be changed are different intensity of light and different molarities of Sodium bicarbonate and then measuring the rate of reaction (photosynthetic rate). Hypothesis Throughout this experiment the light intensity and different molarities of Sodium Bicarbonate will be varied. The variable that is measured will be time, for rate of reaction. As light intensity increases the rate of reaction will increase at a proportional rate. As the concentration of NaHCO3 increases the rate of the reaction will also increase at a proportional rate. Introduction Every species on earth needs some kind of energy source in order to survive. In animal cells, the mitochondria produce ATP from cellular respiration. However, the plant cells have a different type of center that produces energy-chloroplasts. Plants go through the process of photosynthesis. The main process of photosynthesis is the absorption of light by chlorophyll, found in leaves and the immersion of carbon dioxide from the environment, and together they produce oxygen and sugar (energy). The equation below represents the photosynthesis reaction: The purpose of this experiment is to test whether factors such as light intensity and level of Carbon dioxide, will affect the rate of photosynthesis, which are the two most important variables in the photosynthesis process. This was demonstrated by Robert Hill in 1938, known as The Hill Reaction. Robert Hill and his associates at the University of Illinois found that the photosynthetic rate varies with light intensity, and as the light intensity increases, the reaction rate also increases up to a certain point. Apparatus needed for the Experiment Elodea 20mm ² syringe Capillary tubing Stand Stopwatch Ruler NaHCO ³ Solution Bench lamp Distilled water Figure A) Potometer Method The apparatus is set (see Fig. A) with the syringe full of the 0.01M solution of NaHCO3 solution. Two marks 10cm apart are made on the capillary tubing. The syringe is placed 0.05m away from the lamp. Using the syringe plunger the meniscus of the NaHCO3 is set so that it is level with the first mark. A stopwatch is then started. The meniscus should gradually move down the capillary tube as the elodea produces oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. As the oxygen is produced it increases the pressure in the syringe and so the meniscus is pushed down the tube. Light Intensity = 1 / Distance ² (m) When the meniscus reaches the level of the bottom mark the stopwatch should be stopped. Light intensities have been worked out using the following equation: 6. Using the same piece of elodea and the same distance between the lamp and the syringe the experiment (steps 1 to 5) should be repeated for the other concentration of NaHCO3. 7. The experiment (steps 1 to 6) should then be repeated at each different distance between the syringe and the light for all the NaHCO3 concentrations. The remaining distances are 0.05m, 0.06m, 0.07m, 0.08m, 0.1m, 0.2m, 0.3m, and 0.5m. 8. The entire experiment should then be repeated three times in order to obtain more accurate data and to get rid of any anomalies that may occur in a single experiment. In order to make this experiment as accurate as possible a number of steps must be taken. The same piece of elodea should be used each time in order to make sure that each experiment is being carried out with the same leaf surface area. The amount of NaHCO3 solution should be the same for each experiment. 20mm ² should be used each time. The distance should be measured from the front of the lamp to the syringe. Although taking these steps will make the experiment more accurate, its accuracy is still limited by several factors. From these recorded times I will work out the rate of the reaction using the following equation. Rate of the Reaction = 1 / Time (s) Results Table1. (Average of the 4 trails of Molarity against Light intensity): Molarity of NaHCO3 Light Intensity 1/d ² (m) 0.00 (Distilled water) 0.01 0.02 0.05 0.07 400 3571 1666 1099 523 200 278 1670 5183 988 600 375 204 4998 4485 1175 1005 473 156 5590 2300 1770 1445 621 100 9990 3150 2900 2552 1224 25 4762 3984 2850 1640 11 5945 4348 3780 2830 4 16480 11904 5196 6578 Using these results I worked out the rate Rate Of the Reaction = 1 / Time(s) x 1000 The rate was multiplied by 1000 to make the numbers easier to handle. Table2.Average of the 4 trails in rate of reaction: Molarity of NaHCO3 Light Intensity 1/d ² (m) 0.00 (Distilled water) 0.01 0.02 0.05 0.07 400 0.28 0.60 0.91 1.91 5.00 278 0.60 0.19 1.01 1.67 2.67 204 0.20 0.22 0.85 1.00 2.11 156 0.18 0.43 0.56 0.69 1.61 100 0.10 0.32 0.34 0.39 0.82 25 0.21 0.25 0.35 0.61 11 0.17 0.23 0.26 0.35 4 0.06 0.08 0.19 0.15 Light intensity against NaHCO3 Graph1. Analysis Discussion of Results Analysis: Distilled water: With the distilled water the rate of reaction went up from 0.1 to 0.4 when the light intensity was increased from 100 to 400. This is a 4 times rise which is quite large. The curve on the graph does however level out quite soon showing that the rate is being limited by the lack of NaHCO3 in the water. 0.01M NaHCO3: At a light intensity of 4 the rate is 0.06 but this rises to 0.6 when the light intensity is brought up to 400. The curve is very shallow and levels off towards a light intensity of 350 400. 0.02M NaHCO3: The amount of NaHCO3 is double that of the 0.01M NaHCO3 experiment. The rate also finishes off twice that of the 0.01M experiment. This would suggest that there was a directly proportional relationship between the amount of NaHCO3 and the rate of reaction. 0.05M NaHCO3: The curve for the 0.05M NaHCO3 is steeper than the previous curves. The rate rises to 1.9 at a light intensity of 400. 0.07M NaHCO3: The 0.07M NaHCO3 test produces a line which is steeper than all the previous curves. The plant is using the extra CO2 to photosynthesize more. As the plant has more CO2 the limiting factor caused by the lack of CO2 is reduced. This test did produce a big anomaly. The rate for a light intensity of 400 is 5. By following the line of best fit I can see that this result should be more like 3.5. The elodea for this test was very close to the light source. It is possible that it had been left here for a while which caused the lamp to heat the elodea up. This would have increased the rate of reaction of the plants enzymes which would have increased the photosynthesis rate. 0.1M NaHCO3: The 0.1M NaHCO3 produced the steepest line. Near the end of the line it looks as if the rate of reaction is hit by another limiting factor. The line goes up steadily but then between a light intensity of 300 and 400 levels off very quickly. This would suggest that at a 0.1M NaHCO3 is sufficient for the plant to photosynthesize at its maximum rate with its current environmental conditions. Increasing the NaHCO3 concentration after this level would therefore have no effect unless the next limiting factor was removed. Discussion: The hypothesis was that the rate of photosynthesis would increase if the light intensity and NaHCO3 levels were increased (please refer to Graph1). As the elodea absorbed the light and CO2 it produced oxygen gas which increased the pressure in the syringe. This pushed the air bubble in the capillary tube down. The chloroplasts produce ATP and reduce NADP to NADPH2 when exposed to light. It is at this stage of the reaction that oxygen is produced as a waste product, furthermore, the data collected was supported by the results obtained by Robert Hill and his associates at the University of Illinois, where they predicted, as the light intensity and NaHCO3 levels increased, the rate of photosynthesis will also increase up to a certain level (please refer to Graph2) As predicted when the light intensity increases so does the rate of photosynthesis. It was predicted that a level would be reached where increasing the light intensity would have no more effect on the rate of reaction as there would be some other limiting factor which limits the rate of the reaction. The rate increases at a steady rate as the light intensity increases until near the end of each line where the rate decreases. This is either because the photosynthesis reaction has reached its maximum rate of reaction or another factor is limiting the rate. As 6 different CO2 concentrations were used I can see that the first five reactions are not occurring at their maximum rate as there is the 0.1M NaHCO3 rest which is occurring at a faster rate then the other 5. The photosynthesis reactions of the other five tests must therefore be limited by the concentration of CO2 to the plant. As predicted when the NaHCO3 concentration is increased the plant in able to get more CO2 which causes the rate of reaction to go up. It was predicted that once the NaHCO3 had been raised above a certain level increasing the rate further would have no effect as there would be other limiting factors limiting the rate of the reaction. As the NaHCO3 concentration the water was increased the rate of photosynthesis also increased. The plant therefore made more oxygen as a waste product. At a NaHCO3 concentration of 0.1M once the light intensity gets above 300 the rate of reaction decreases significantly. This could be because photosynthesis is occurring at its maximum possible rate or because another limiting factor is restraining the rate of reaction. The fact that the curve levels off so quickly indicates that there is another limiting factor restraining photosynthesis. It could be temperature. These tests are being carried out at room temperature so the temperature would have to be raised another 15 °C before the enzymes in the plants cells were at their optimum working temperature. More tests could be done by using water that was at a higher temperature to see what effect this would have on the photosynthesis rate. It is however impossible to raise the plants temperature without affect other factors. For instance the actual amount of oxygen released by the plant is slightly more than the readings would suggest as some of the oxygen would dissolve into the water. At a higher temperature less oxygen would be able to dissolve into the water so the readings for the photosynthesis rate could be artificially increased. It is also possible that the photosynthetic reactions in the plant are occurring at their maximum possible rate and so cannot be increased any more. The light is probably not a limiting factor as all but one of the curves level off before the maximum light intensity of 400 is reached. The maximum light intensity that the plants can handle is therefore just below 400.Water will not be a limiting factor as the plants are living in water. They therefore have no stomata and absorb all their CO2 by diffusion through the leaves. Graph1. Light intensity against NaHCO3 MY RESULTS Graph2. Light intensity against NaHCO3 SOURCE Limitations and Improvement The accuracy of this experiment is limited by a number of factors. Some of the oxygen give off is used for respiration by the plant. Some of the oxygen dissolved into the water. Some was used by small invertebrates that were found living within the pieces of elodea. The higher light intensities should be quite accurate but the smaller light intensities would be less accurate because the light spreads out. The elodea will also get background light from other experiments. The lights are also a source of heat which will affect the experiments with only a small distance between the light and the syringe. This heating could affect the results. Using the same piece of elodea for each experiment was impractical as the elodeas photosynthesis rate decreased over time. By using a different piece of elodea for each experiment did create the problem of it being impossible for each piece to have the same surface area. This experiment could be improved in a number of ways. It could be repeated more times to help get rid of any anomalies. A better overall result would be obtained by repeating the experiment more times because any errors in one experiment should be compensated for by the other experiments. Each person should have done their experiments in a different room to cut out all background light. All the experiments should be done sequentially. A perspex screen could have been placed between the light and the syringe to reduce any heating effect that the light may have. The experiment could have been carried out with higher NaHCO3 to see if increasing the concentration would increase the rate of photosynthesis, or if a concentration of 0.1M NaHCO3 produces the maximum rate of photosynthetic reaction. Conclusion The intention of this experiment was to investigate different factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis. The hypothesis was, as light intensity increases the rate of reaction will increase at a proportional rate. As the concentration of NaHCO3 increases the rate of the reaction will also increase at a proportional rate. This was correct, supported by the data collected which shows at a light intensity of 400 the average increase in rate of reaction was 746v. At 4 the average increase in rate of reaction was 8676v, a difference of 7930v, which shows the rate of reaction is greatly influenced by light intensity. This was demonstrated by Robert Hill and his associates, with similar results to this experiment, which they found that the photosynthetic rate varies with light intensity, and as the light intensity increases, the reaction rate also increases up to a certain point.

Shakespearian tragedy :: essays research papers

By Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¦s time, the characteristics of tragedy in drama had been redefined. In the plays of the early Greeks, the tragic hero was a noble man who rose to the heights of success only to be plummeted to defeat and despair by his own tragic flaw, or hamartia. The plot structure in these early tragedies was relatively straightforward; the motive of the dramatist was to elicit pity and terror from the audience through empathy with the tragic hero. What once had been a relatively simple form was gradually altered by playwrights to allow for more depth in characterization, more flexibility in plot structure, and the element of comic relief. Hamlet ¡Ã‚ ¦s situation, for example, is considered a tragic one although it differs from the relatively simple plots found in the earlier Greek tragedies. He is a nobleman, revered by his countrymen, who strives to alter the world around him. Ultimately, he must forfeit his own life to see justice done. The plot that unfolds in Shakespeare ¡Ã‚ ¦s drama includes politics, murder, and domestic strife, but still evokes pity and terror in the audience, precisely as intended by the early tragedians. Students can analyze the elements of tragedy in Hamlet, comparing and contrasting Prince Hamlet ¡Ã‚ ¦s plight with that of tragic heroes in Greek tragedies and in modern tragedies. Suggested modern tragedies for such a comparison include Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, and Mourning Becomes Electra, by Eugene O ¡Ã‚ ¦Neill. The play takes play in Denmark. Young Prince Hamlet has found out that his father Old King Hamlet had been killed by his uncle Claudius, who had taken the throne. The wraith of his dead father pleads for him to revenge his  ¡Ã‚ §death most foul. ¡Ã‚ ¨ Hamlet under great pressure and stress becomes, or acts insane.

Solitude/Isolation in The Birthmark and in Hawthorne’s Life Essay

Solitude/Isolation in â€Å"The Birthmark† and in Hawthorne’s Life  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   In the Nathaniel Hawthorne tale, â€Å"The Birthmark,† we see and feel the solitude/isolation of the scientist, Aylmer, in his laboratory; also of Georgiana in the totally separated lab apartment; also of Aminadab, who lives by himself in a room off of the laboratory. Are these examples of solitude not a reflection of the very life of the author?    According to A.N. Kaul in his Introduction to   Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, the themes of isolation and alienation were ones which Hawthorne was â€Å"deeply preoccupied with† in his writings (2). Hawthorne’s personal isolation from people from 1825 to 1837 was probably due to his lifelong shyness among people. This reluctance to freely socialize may have been a result of a foot injury: â€Å"an injury to his foot at the age of nine reduced his physical activity for almost two years† (Martin 16). Wagenknecht says in Nathaniel   Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances, that this accident â€Å"reduced him for over two years to a state of invalidism that probably contributed toward developing his taste for reading† (2). Or Nathaniel Hawthorne’s shyness was perhaps due to the death of his father when he was but four years old. Regarding the impact of this death upon Hawthorne, Edmund Fuller and B. Jo Kinnick in â €Å"Stories Derived from New England Living,† say:    When the news came of his father’s death, Hawthorne’s mother withdrew into her upstairs bedroom, coming out only rarely during the remaining forty years of her life. The boy and his two sisters lived in almost complete isolation from her and from each other (29).    The Norton Anthology: American Literature states that as a coll... ... Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel . The Birthmark Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=HawBirt.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=1&division=div1    James, Henry. Hawthorne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997.    Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.      Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al.   New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989. Solitude/Isolation in The Birthmark and in Hawthorne’s Life Essay Solitude/Isolation in â€Å"The Birthmark† and in Hawthorne’s Life  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   In the Nathaniel Hawthorne tale, â€Å"The Birthmark,† we see and feel the solitude/isolation of the scientist, Aylmer, in his laboratory; also of Georgiana in the totally separated lab apartment; also of Aminadab, who lives by himself in a room off of the laboratory. Are these examples of solitude not a reflection of the very life of the author?    According to A.N. Kaul in his Introduction to   Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, the themes of isolation and alienation were ones which Hawthorne was â€Å"deeply preoccupied with† in his writings (2). Hawthorne’s personal isolation from people from 1825 to 1837 was probably due to his lifelong shyness among people. This reluctance to freely socialize may have been a result of a foot injury: â€Å"an injury to his foot at the age of nine reduced his physical activity for almost two years† (Martin 16). Wagenknecht says in Nathaniel   Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances, that this accident â€Å"reduced him for over two years to a state of invalidism that probably contributed toward developing his taste for reading† (2). Or Nathaniel Hawthorne’s shyness was perhaps due to the death of his father when he was but four years old. Regarding the impact of this death upon Hawthorne, Edmund Fuller and B. Jo Kinnick in â €Å"Stories Derived from New England Living,† say:    When the news came of his father’s death, Hawthorne’s mother withdrew into her upstairs bedroom, coming out only rarely during the remaining forty years of her life. The boy and his two sisters lived in almost complete isolation from her and from each other (29).    The Norton Anthology: American Literature states that as a coll... ... Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel . The Birthmark Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=HawBirt.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=1&division=div1    James, Henry. Hawthorne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1997.    Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers Inc., 1965.      Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne.† The Norton Anthology: American Literature, edited by Baym et al.   New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-two

Arya The one-eared black tom arched his back and hissed at her. Arya padded down the alley, balanced lightly on the balls of her bare feet, listening to the flutter of her heart, breathing slow deep breaths. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself, light as a feather. The tomcat watched her come, his eyes wary. Catching cats was hard. Her hands were covered with half-healed scratches, and both knees were scabbed over where she had scraped them raw in tumbles. At first even the cook's huge fat kitchen cat had been able to elude her, but Syrio had kept her at it day and night. When she'd run to him with her hands bleeding, he had said, â€Å"So slow? Be quicker, girl. Your enemies will give you more than scratches.† He had dabbed her wounds with Myrish fire, which burned so bad she had had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Then he sent her out after more cats. The Red Keep was full of cats: lazy old cats dozing in the sun, cold-eyed mousers twitching their tails, quick little kittens with claws like needles, ladies' cats all combed and trusting, ragged shadows prowling the midden heaps. One by one Arya had chased them down and snatched them up and brought them proudly to Syrio Forel . . . all but this one, this one-eared black devil of a tomcat. â€Å"That's the real king of this castle right there,† one of the gold cloaks had told her. â€Å"Older than sin and twice as mean. One time, the king was feasting the queen's father, and that black bastard hopped up on the table and snatched a roast quail right out of Lord Tywin's fingers. Robert laughed so hard he like to burst. You stay away from that one, child.† He had run her halfway across the castle; twice around the Tower of the Hand, across the inner bailey, through the stables, down the serpentine steps, past the small kitchen and the pig yard and the barracks of the gold cloaks, along the base of the river wall and up more steps and back and forth over Traitor's Walk, and then down again and through a gate and around a well and in and out of strange buildings until Arya didn't know where she was. Now at last she had him. High walls pressed close on either side, and ahead was a blank windowless mass of stone. Quiet as a shadow, she repeated, sliding forward, light as a feather. When she was three steps away from him, the tomcat bolted. Left, then right, he went; and right, then left, went Arya, cutting off his escape. He hissed again and tried to dart between her legs. Quick as a snake, she thought. Her hands closed around him. She hugged him to her chest, whirling and laughing aloud as his claws raked at the front of her leather jerkin. Ever so fast, she kissed him right between the eyes, and jerked her head back an instant before his claws would have found her face. The tomcat yowled and spit. â€Å"What's he doing to that cat?† Startled, Arya dropped the cat and whirled toward the voice. The tom bounded off in the blink of an eye. At the end of the alley stood a girl with a mass of golden curls, dressed as pretty as a doll in blue satin. Beside her was a plump little blond boy with a prancing stag sewn in pearls across the front of his doublet and a miniature sword at his belt. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen, Arya thought. A septa as large as a draft horse hovered over them, and behind her two big men in crimson cloaks, Lannister house guards. â€Å"What were you doing to that cat, boy?† Myrcella asked again, sternly. To her brother she said, â€Å"He's a ragged boy, isn't he? Look at him.† She giggled. â€Å"A ragged dirty smelly boy,† Tommen agreed. They don't know me, Arya realized. They don't even know I'm a girl. Small wonder; she was barefoot and dirty, her hair tangled from the long run through the castle, clad in a jerkin ripped by cat claws and brown roughspun pants hacked off above her scabby knees. You don't wear skirts and silks when you're catching cats. Quickly she lowered her head and dropped to one knee. Maybe they wouldn't recognize her. If they did, she would never hear the end of it. Septa Mordane would be mortified, and Sansa would never speak to her again from the shame. The old fat septa moved forward. â€Å"Boy, how did you come here? You have no business in this part of the castle.† â€Å"You can't keep this sort out,† one of the red cloaks said. â€Å"Like trying to keep out rats.† â€Å"Who do you belong to, boy?† the septa demanded. â€Å"Answer me. What's wrong with you, are you mute?† Arya's voice caught in her throat. If she answered, Tommen and Myrcella would know her for certain. â€Å"Godwyn, bring him here,† the septa said. The taller of the guardsmen started down the alley. Panic gripped her throat like a giant's hand. Arya could not have spoken if her life had hung on it. Calm as still water, she mouthed silently. As Godwyn reached for her, Arya moved. Quick as a snake. She leaned to her left, letting his fingers brush her arm, spinning around him. Smooth as summer silk. By the time he got himself turned, she was sprinting down the alley. Swift as a deer. The septa was screeching at her. Arya slid between legs as thick and white as marble columns, bounded to her feet, bowled into Prince Tommen and hopped over him when he sat down hard and said â€Å"Oof,† spun away from the second guard, and then she was past them all, running full out. She heard shouts, then pounding footsteps, closing behind her. She dropped and rolled. The red cloak went careening past her, stumbling. Arya sprang back to her feet. She saw a window above her, high and narrow, scarcely more than an arrow slit. Arya leapt, caught the sill, pulled herself up. She held her breath as she wriggled through. Slippery as an eel. Dropping to the floor in front of a startled scrubwoman, she hopped up, brushed the rushes off her clothes, and was off again, out the door and along a long hall, down a stair, across a hidden courtyard, around a corner and over a wall and through a low narrow window into a pitch-dark cellar. The sounds grew more and more distant behind her. Arya was out of breath and quite thoroughly lost. She was in for it now if they had recognized her, but she didn't think they had. She'd moved too fast. Swift as a deer. She hunkered down in the dark against a damp stone wall and listened for the pursuit, but the only sound was the beating of her own heart and a distant drip of water. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself. She wondered where she was. When they had first come to King's Landing, she used to have bad dreams about getting lost in the castle. Father said the Red Keep was smaller than Winterfell, but in her dreams it had been immense, an endless stone maze with walls that seemed to shift and change behind her. She would find herself wandering down gloomy halls past faded tapestries, descending endless circular stairs, darting through courtyards or over bridges, her shouts echoing unanswered. In some of the rooms the red stone walls would seem to drip blood, and nowhere could she find a window. Sometimes she would hear her father's voice, but always from a long way off, and no matter how hard she ran after it, it would grow fainter and fainter, until it faded to nothing and Arya was alone in the dark. It was very dark right now, she realized. She hugged her bare knees tight against her chest and shivered. She would wait quietly and count to ten thousand. By then it would be safe for her to come creeping back out and find her way home. By the time she had reached eighty-seven, the room had begun to lighten as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. Slowly the shapes around her took on form. Huge empty eyes stared at her hungrily through the gloom, and dimly she saw the jagged shadows of long teeth. She had lost the count. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and sent the fear away. When she looked again, the monsters would be gone. Would never have been. She pretended that Syrio was beside her in the dark, whispering in her ear. Calm as still water, she told herself. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. She opened her eyes again. The monsters were still there, but the fear was gone. Arya got to her feet, moving warily. The heads were all around her. She touched one, curious, wondering if it was real. Her fingertips brushed a massive jaw. It felt real enough. The bone was smooth beneath her hand, cold and hard to the touch. She ran her fingers down a tooth, black and sharp, a dagger made of darkness. It made her shiver. â€Å"It's dead,† she said aloud. â€Å"It's just a skull, it can't hurt me.† Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her. She edged away from the skull and backed into a second, larger than the first. For an instant she could feel its teeth digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh. Arya whirled, felt leather catch and tear as a huge fang nipped at her jerkin, and then she was running. Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya did not even slow. She leapt over a ridge of black teeth as tall as swords, dashed through hungry jaws, and threw herself against the door. Her hands found a heavy iron ring set in the wood, and she yanked at it. The door resisted a moment, before it slowly began to swing inward, with a creak so loud Arya was certain it could be heard all through the city. She opened the door just far enough to slip through, into the hallway beyond. If the room with the monsters had been dark, the hall was the blackest pit in the seven hells. Calm as still water, Arya told herself, but even when she gave her eyes a moment to adjust, there was nothing to see but the vague grey outline of the door she had come through. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face, felt the air move, saw nothing. She was blind. A water dancer sees with all her senses, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing one two three, drank in the quiet, reached out with her hands. Her fingers brushed against rough unfinished stone to her left. She followed the wall, her hand skimming along the surface, taking small gliding steps through the darkness. All halls lead somewhere. Where there is a way in, there is a way out. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Arya would not be afraid. It seemed as if she had been walking a long ways when the wall ended abruptly and a draft of cold air blew past her cheek. Loose hairs stirred faintly against her skin. From somewhere far below her, she heard noises. The scrape of boots, the distant sound of voices. A flickering light brushed the wall ever so faintly, and she saw that she stood at the top of a great black well, a shaft twenty feet across plunging deep into the earth. Huge stones had been set into the curving walls as steps, circling down and down, dark as the steps to hell that Old Nan used to tell them of. And something was coming up out of the darkness, out of the bowels of the earth . . . Arya peered over the edge and felt the cold black breath on her face. Far below, she saw the light of a single torch, small as the flame of a candle. Two men, she made out. Their shadows writhed against the sides of the well, tall as giants. She could hear their voices, echoing up the shaft. † . . . found one bastard,† one said. â€Å"The rest will come soon. A day, two days, a fortnight . . . â€Å" â€Å"And when he learns the truth, what will he do?† a second voice asked in the liquid accents of the Free Cities. â€Å"The gods alone know,† the first voice said. Arya could see a wisp of grey smoke drifting up off the torch, writhing like a snake as it rose. â€Å"The fools tried to kill his son, and what's worse, they made a mummer's farce of it. He's not a man to put that aside. I warn you, the wolf and lion will soon be at each other's throats, whether we will it or no.† â€Å"Too soon, too soon,† the voice with the accent complained. â€Å"What good is war now? We are not ready. Delay.† â€Å"As well bid me stop time. Do you take me for a wizard?† The other chuckled. â€Å"No less.† Flames licked at the cold air. The tall shadows were almost on top of her. An instant later the man holding the torch climbed into her sight, his companion beside him. Arya crept back away from the well, dropped to her stomach, and flattened herself against the wall. She held her breath as the men reached the top of the steps. â€Å"What would you have me do?† asked the torchbearer, a stout man in a leather half cape. Even in heavy boots, his feet seemed to glide soundlessly over the ground. A round scarred face and a stubble of dark beard showed under his steel cap, and he wore mail over boiled leather, and a dirk and shortsword at his belt. It seemed to Arya there was something oddly familiar about him. â€Å"If one Hand can die, why not a second?† replied the man with the accent and the forked yellow beard. â€Å"You have danced the dance before, my friend.† He was no one Arya had ever seen before, she was certain of it. Grossly fat, yet he seemed to walk lightly, carrying his weight on the balls of his feet as a water dancer might. His rings glimmered in the torchlight, red-gold and pale silver, crusted with rubies, sapphires, slitted yellow tiger eyes. Every finger wore a ring; some had two. â€Å"Before is not now, and this Hand is not the other,† the scarred man said as they stepped out into the hall. Still as stone, Arya told herself, quiet as a shadow. Blinded by the blaze of their own torch, they did not see her pressed flat against the stone, only a few feet away. â€Å"Perhaps so,† the forked beard replied, pausing to catch his breath after the long climb. â€Å"Nonetheless, we must have time. The princess is with child. The khal will not bestir himself until his son is born. You know how they are, these savages.† The man with the torch pushed at something. Arya heard a deep rumbling. A huge slab of rock, red in the torchlight, slid down out of the ceiling with a resounding crash that almost made her cry out. Where the entry to the well had been was nothing but stone, solid and unbroken. â€Å"If he does not bestir himself soon, it may be too late,† the stout man in the steel cap said. â€Å"This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger . . . the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark's the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he'll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger's meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever.† â€Å"You are more than a juggler, old friend. You are a true sorcerer. All I ask is that you work your magic awhile longer.† They started down the hall in the direction Arya had come, past the room with the monsters. â€Å"What I can do, I will,† the one with the torch said softly. â€Å"I must have gold, and another fifty birds.† She let them get a long way ahead, then went creeping after them. Quiet as a shadow. â€Å"So many?† The voices were fainter as the light dwindled ahead of her. â€Å"The ones you need are hard to find . . . so young, to know their letters . . . perhaps older . . . not die so easy . . . † â€Å"No. The younger are safer . . . treat them gently . . . â€Å" † . . . .if they kept their tongues . . . â€Å" † . . . the risk . . . â€Å" Long after their voices had faded away, Arya could still see the light of the torch, a smoking star that bid her follow. Twice it seemed to disappear, but she kept on straight, and both times she found herself at the top of steep, narrow stairs, the torch glimmering far below her. She hurried after it, down and down. Once she stumbled over a rock and fell against the wall, and her hand found raw earth supported by timbers, whereas before the tunnel had been dressed stone. She must have crept after them for miles. Finally they were gone, but there was no place to go but forward. She found the wall again and followed, blind and lost, pretending that Nymeria was padding along beside her in the darkness. At the end she was knee-deep in foul-smelling water, wishing she could dance upon it as Syrio might have, and wondering if she'd ever see light again. It was full dark when finally Arya emerged into the night air. She found herself standing at the mouth of a sewer where it emptied into the river. She stank so badly that she stripped right there, dropping her soiled clothing on the riverbank as she dove into the deep black waters. She swam until she felt clean, and crawled out shivering. Some riders went past along the river road as Arya was washing her clothes, but if they saw the scrawny naked girl scrubbing her rags in the moonlight, they took no notice. She was miles from the castle, but from anywhere in King's Landing you needed only to look up to see the Red Keep high on Aegon's Hill, so there was no danger of losing her way. Her clothes were almost dry by the time she reached the gatehouse. The portcullis was down and the gates barred, so she turned aside to a postern door. The gold cloaks who had the watch sneered when she told them to let her in. â€Å"Off with you,† one said. â€Å"The kitchen scraps are gone, and we'll have no begging after dark.† â€Å"I'm not a beggar,† she said. â€Å"I live here.† â€Å"I said, off with you. Do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† â€Å"I want to see my father.† The guards exchanged a glance. â€Å"I want to fuck the queen myself, for all the good it does me,† the younger one said. The older scowled. â€Å"Who's this father of yours, boy, the city ratcatcher?† â€Å"The Hand of the King,† Arya told him. Both men laughed, but then the older one swung his fist at her, casually, as a man would swat a dog. Arya saw the blow coming even before it began. She danced back out of the way, untouched. â€Å"I'm not a boy,† she spat at them. â€Å"I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell, and if you lay a hand on me my lord father will have both your heads on spikes. If you don't believe me, fetch Jory Cassel or Vayon Poole from the Tower of the Hand.† She put her hands on her hips. â€Å"Now are you going to open the gate, or do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† Her father was alone in the solar when Harwin and Fat Tom marched her in, an oil lamp glowing softly at his elbow. He was bent over the biggest book Arya had ever seen, a great thick tome with cracked yellow pages of crabbed script, bound between faded leather covers, but he closed it to listen to Harwin's report. His face was stern as he sent the men away with thanks. â€Å"You realize I had half my guard out searching for you?† Eddard Stark said when they were alone. â€Å"Septa Mordane is beside herself with fear. She's in the sept praying for your safe return. Arya, you know you are never to go beyond the castle gates without my leave.† â€Å"I didn't go out the gates,† she blurted. â€Å"Well, I didn't mean to. I was down in the dungeons, only they turned into this tunnel. It was all dark, and I didn't have a torch or a candle to see by, so I had to follow. I couldn't go back the way I came on account of the monsters. Father, they were talking about killing you! Not the monsters, the two men. They didn't see me, I was being still as stone and quiet as a shadow, but I heard them. They said you had a book and a bastard and if one Hand could die, why not a second? Is that the book? Jon's the bastard, I bet.† â€Å"Jon? Arya, what are you talking about? Who said this?† â€Å"They did,† she told him. â€Å"There was a fat one with rings and a forked yellow beard, and another in mail and a steel cap, and the fat one said they had to delay but the other one told him he couldn't keep juggling and the wolf and the lion were going to eat each other and it was a mummer's farce.† She tried to remember the rest. She hadn't quite understood everything she'd heard, and now it was all mixed up in her head. â€Å"The fat one said the princess was with child. The one in the steel cap, he had the torch, he said that they had to hurry. I think he was a wizard.† â€Å"A wizard,† said Ned, unsmiling. â€Å"Did he have a long white beard and tall pointed hat speckled with stars?† â€Å"No! It wasn't like Old Nan's stories. He didn't look like a wizard, but the fat one said he was.† â€Å"I warn you, Arya, if you're spinning this thread of air—† â€Å"No, I told you, it was in the dungeons, by the place with the secret wall. I was chasing cats, and well . . . † She screwed up her face. If she admitted knocking over Prince Tommen, he would be really angry with her. † . . . well, I went in this window. That's where I found the monsters.† â€Å"Monsters and wizards,† her father said. â€Å"It would seem you've had quite an adventure. These men you heard, you say they spoke of juggling and mummery?† â€Å"Yes,† Arya admitted, â€Å"only—† â€Å"Arya, they were mummers,† her father told her. â€Å"There must be a dozen troupes in King's Landing right now, come to make some coin off the tourney crowds. I'm not certain what these two were doing in the castle, but perhaps the king has asked for a show.† â€Å"No.† She shook her head stubbornly. â€Å"They weren't—† â€Å"You shouldn't be following people about and spying on them in any case. Nor do I cherish the notion of my daughter climbing in strange windows after stray cats. Look at you, sweetling. Your arms are covered with scratches. This has gone on long enough. Tell Syrio Forel that I want a word with hirn—† He was interrupted by a short, sudden knock. â€Å"Lord Eddard, pardons,† Desmond called out, opening the door a crack, â€Å"but there's a black brother here begging audience. He says the matter is urgent. I thought you would want to know.† â€Å"My door is always open to the Night's Watch,† Father said. Desmond ushered the man inside. He was stooped and ugly, with an unkempt beard and unwashed clothes, yet Father greeted him pleasantly and asked his name. â€Å"Yoren, as it please m'lord. My pardons for the hour.† He bowed to Arya. â€Å"And this must be your son. He has your look.† â€Å"I'm a girl,† Arya said, exasperated. If the old man was down from the Wall, he must have come by way of Winterfell. â€Å"Do you know my brothers?† she asked excitedly. â€Å"Robb and Bran are at Winterfell, and Jon's on the Wall. Jon Snow, he's in the Night's Watch too, you must know him, he has a direwolf, a white one with red eyes. Is Jon a ranger yet? I'm Arya Stark.† The old man in his smelly black clothes was looking at her oddly, but Arya could not seem to stop talking. â€Å"When you ride back to the Wall, would you bring Jon a letter if I wrote one?† She wished Jon were here right now. He'd believe her about the dungeons and the fat man with the forked beard and the wizard in the steel cap. â€Å"My daughter often forgets her courtesies,† Eddard Stark said with a faint smile that softened his words. â€Å"I beg your forgiveness, Yoren. Did my brother Benjen send you?† â€Å"No one sent me, m'lord, saving old Mormont. I'm here to find men for the Wall, and when Robert next holds court, I'll bend the knee and cry our need, see if the king and his Hand have some scum in the dungeons they'd be well rid of. You might say as Benjen Stark is why we're talking, though. His blood ran black. Made him my brother as much as yours. It's for his sake I'm come. Rode hard, I did, near killed my horse the way I drove her, but I left the others well behind.† â€Å"The others?† Yoren spat. â€Å"Sellswords and freeriders and like trash. That inn was full o' them, and I saw them take the scent. The scent of blood or the scent of gold, they smell the same in the end. Not all o' them made for King's Landing, either. Some went galloping for Casterly Rock, and the Rock lies closer. Lord Tywin will have gotten the word by now, you can count on it.† Father frowned. â€Å"What word is this?† Yoren eyed Arya. â€Å"One best spoken in private, m'lord, begging your pardons.† â€Å"As you say. Desmond, see my daughter to her chambers.† He kissed her on the brow. â€Å"We'll finish our talk on the morrow.† Arya stood rooted to the spot. â€Å"Nothing bad's happened to Jon, has it?† she asked Yoren. â€Å"Or Uncle Benjen?† â€Å"Well, as to Stark, I can't say. The Snow boy was well enough when I left the Wall. It's not them as concerns me.† Desmond took her hand. â€Å"Come along, milady. You heard your lord father.† Arya had no choice but to go with him, wishing it had been Fat Tom. With Tom, she might have been able to linger at the door on some excuse and hear what Yoren was saying, but Desmond was too single-minded to trick. â€Å"How many guards does my father have?† she asked him as they descended to her bedchamber. â€Å"Here at King's Landing? Fifty.† â€Å"You wouldn't let anyone kill him, would you?† she asked. Desmond laughed. â€Å"No fear on that count, little lady. Lord Eddard's guarded night and day. He'll come to no harm.† â€Å"The Lannisters have more than fifty men,† Arya pointed out. â€Å"So they do, but every northerner is worth ten of these southron swords, so you can sleep easy.† â€Å"What if a wizard was sent to kill him?† â€Å"Well, as to that,† Desmond replied, drawing his longsword, â€Å"wizards die the same as other men, once you cut their heads off.†