The Documentary True Life Aired Their Twelfth Episode On...

The documentary series True Life aired their fourteenth episode on season †¦ â€Å"I have schizophrenia.† In this episode three young adults, Joshua, Ben, and Amber, are followed through their daily routines recording how this illness affect their lives and how they manage to handle their mental illness. Each one of them experiences this illness different and that influences their decisions on medical care and the way they interactions others and the outside world. Society often sees people that suffer from schizophrenia as weird and crazy. It is common for society to want to separate them out from the rest of society by putting them in mental hospitals. Joshua is a 25 year old from Westchester Pennsylvania. Out of the three of the young adults†¦show more content†¦After coming back to his mothers house for a second time he does not deny him, him staying over she fears that without her he will end up homeless or dead. Ben is 23 and had his schizoaffective disorder under control until his grandfather got diagnosed with cancer and passed away. His grandfather death causes Ben to relapse. His mental disorder started at the age of 18 but was well controlled now after his relapse, Ben claims that God talks to him and blames him for that his family is going through. After two weeks of falling into depression Ben considers going to psychology and therapy. His doctor recommended ben to go out once a week and interact with others, following the doctor’s order made Ben become more stable. Nineteen-year-old Amber diagnosed with Paranoia Schizophrenia is more in control but stress from school becoming and obstacle for her. Amber gets good grades and is very competitive with her self so much that she blames herself for not being able to cope with an intense school schedule. She looked for treatment and once a month visits her therapist. She states towards the end of the show she joined care group meetin g (National alliance of mental illness) hoping to connect with others just like her. She was able to open up and tell others about her condition, something she had never done before. Schizophrenia is a complex, chronic mental disorder, which is categorized by certain symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions,

The Debate Over Write My Paper for Me

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Growing Up Without a Mother Essay Example For Students

Growing Up Without a Mother Essay Abhorrence, resentment, and abandoned were all the feelings I started having as early as the 9th grade. Hatred turned very quickly into violence. I found myself getting into fights and sometimes not even going to school. Having all these feels building up and towards one persons is not healthy, especially when it’s your own mother. Every child needs their mother or someone in their life growing up. I know it’s wrong to say but, growing up and having these feeling about someone you really love is not okay. My mother decided very early that a family wasn’t what she wanted. Growing up and watching the streets take your mother away is hurtful for a child, especially when you have a child that just wanted to be loved. I held a grudge for years towards my mother; I blamed her for everything that went wrong in my life. I always felt like I was missing that mother figure in my life. I didn’t feel like my life was complete. So one day me and my boyfriend at the time (now my husband) prayed and talked about it. He encouraged me to reached out to her, to settle all these feeling I kept stored away. So I did. It was great having that mother and daughter relationship I always wanted growing up over the years. One year around the holidays, we flew my mom out for a visit to spend sometime with her grandkids. She ended up staying for four months! During that four months she did absolutely nothing! We did everything to please her and make her feel welcome. We even took her shopping but everything we brought for her from shoes, clothes, jewelry etc. she wouldn’t wear. She would just pack it away in her suitcase. She started acting spoiled, by asking me to buy this or that every time we went out. At that point I knew she was only here to use me for gifts, not out of love. She was using me so she could go back home and brag to her sisters. I started to notice she were being neglectful toward my kids and husband. I stop purchasing things for her and when she noticed I wasn’t going to spend any more money on her, she was ready to leave. She arrived with one bag and left with three full bags. It was then, I realized that everything happens for a reason. In my heart I forgave her but I’m better off without her in our lives. SometimeslLife is what you make of it. I had to look at who I was and who I wanted to be. Forgiveness is part of the healing process. I had to make that decision to heal. It was a commitment for me to let go of the past. Deciding to forgive her was a hard and committed decision. It was so difficult to forgive her but that was a chapter in my life that I wanted closed. In the end, I realized that I’m a great mother and wife and I have a lovely family of my own. I had and have the greatest father growing up and that’s all I could ever want or need. I am content with that.

Polar Bear Crisis free essay sample

Bear Crisis In May 2008, the U. S listed the polar bear as a  threatened species  under the  Endangered Species Act. The Arctic is one of the most discussed on climate change, due to the fact that warming is greatest there and because what happens in the Arctic has the can eventually impact the rest of the Earth. So far, not only has it affected the way the ice is melting and the weather is changing, but it is mainly affecting the animals that are living there (for example, polar bears). Although, there are many environmentalists, and companies tried to solve, or at least help the situation (like Coca-Cola and WWF), the problem is not getting any better. As sea ice is being reduced in the area, the polar bears basis for survival is being threatened, said John Laird, WWFs Nunavut regional conservation director. The sea ice is melting earlier in the spring which is sending the polar bears to land earlier without them having developed as much fat reserves for the ice free season. We will write a custom essay sample on Polar Bear Crisis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By the end of the summer they are skinny bears, which in the worst case can affect their ability to reproduce. Also, The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that, . . . extensive scientific studies have indicated that the increased observation of bears on land is a result of changing distribution patterns and a result of changes in the accessibility of sea ice habitat. It is crazy to think that all of these things are all being affected because we are not taking care of our planet; even though it’s happening thousands of miles away. Because we put trash on the ground, pollute the air etc. animals are being affected, especially the polar bears. Since bears use the sea ice to hunt for their main prey, seals, without the sea ice, their range are drastically reduced. On top of it all, the oil and gas development along the edges of the land mass and you have more problems. It has been said that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050.

Practice Telephone English Using Role Plays for ESL

Practice Telephone English Using Role Plays for ESL Role-playing refers to taking parts in a pretend situation to focus on specific English skills. When we telephone others, especially when we telephone business or other professionals for appointments, there is a purpose to our conversation. Using these role plays will help you or your class develop telephone language skills while practicing situations that can also be used in person. Use important telephone phrases to begin your conversation, you can also use these telephone English tips to help negotiate the conversation successfully. Role Playing Suggestions Here are some role plays for you to use in practicing your telephone English. Requesting Travel Information Student A: Choose a city in your country. You are going to travel to this city for a business meeting over the next weekend. Telephone a travel agency and reserve the following: Round-trip flightHotel room for two nightsRestaurant recommendationPrices and departure times Student B: You work in a travel agency. Listen to student A and offer him/her the following solutions: Round-trip flight: Air JW $450 Coach, $790 First ClassHotel room for two nights: Hotel City $120 a night in the downtown area, Hotel Relax $110 a night near the airportRestaurant Recommendation: Chez Marceau - downtown - average price $70 a person Product Information Student A: You need to purchase six new computers for your office. Call JAs Computer World and ask for the following information: Current special offers on computersComputer configuration (RAM, Hard Drive, CPU)GuarantyPossibility of discount for an order of six computers Student B: You work in at JAs Computer World answer student As questions using the following information: Two special offers: Multimedia Monster - with latest Pentium CPU, 256 RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, Monitor included - $2,500 AND Office Taskmaster - cheaper CPU, 64 RAM, 10 GB Hard Drive, Monitor not included - $1,2001 Year guaranty on all computersDiscount of 5% for orders of more than five computers Leaving a Message Student A: You want to speak to Ms Braun about your account with her company, WW. If Ms Braun isnt in the office, leave the following information: Your nameTelephone number: 347-8910 (or use your own)Calling about changing conditions of your contract with WWYou can be reached until 5 oclock at the above number. If Ms Braun calls after 5 oclock, she should call 458-2416 Student B: You are a receptionist at WW. Student A would like to speak to Ms Braun, but she is out of the office. Take a message and make sure you get the following information: Name and telephone number - ask student A to spell the surnameMessage student A would like to leave for Ms BraunHow late Ms Braun can call student A at the given telephone number Selling Your Product Student A: You are a salesperson for Red Inc. You are telephoning a client who you think might be interested in buying your new line of office supplies. Discuss the following information with your client: New line of office supplies including: copy-paper, pens, stationary, mouse-pads and white boardsYou know the customer hasnt ordered any new products during this past yearSpecial discount of 15% for orders placed before next MondayAny order placed before Monday will not only receive the discount but also have its company logo printed on the products at no extra charge Student B: You work in an office and receive a telephone call from your local office supplier. As a matter of fact, you need some new office supplies so you are definitely interested in what the salesperson has to offer. Talk about the following: New pens, stationary and whiteboardsDo they have any special offersYou would like to place an order for 200 packages of copy paper immediately

65 preguntas en entrevista residencia por matrimonio

65 preguntas en entrevista residencia por matrimonio La entrevista a los cà ³nyuges en el proceso de obtencià ³n de la residencia permanente por matrimonio es un paso que se realiza porque Inmigracià ³n quiere saber si un matrimonio es de conveniencia o si se trata de una unià ³n verdadera. Solamente en este à ºltimo caso el cà ³nyuge extranjero obtendrn definitivamente los papeles. Destacar que la entrevista para levantar la condicionalidad tiene lugar à ºnicamente en  el caso en el que el cà ³nyuge extranjero de un ciudadano americano obtuvo inicialmente una green card temporal por dos aà ±os. Esto solamente tiene lugar en los casos en los que el cà ³nyuge extranjero recibe la green card antes de haber cumplido los dos aà ±os de casado.  Es decir, no en todos los casos de residencia por matrimonio hay entrevista. Los casos en los que la green card por matrimonio es temporal y, por lo tanto, es imprescindible la entrevista como paso previo para levantar la condicionalidad de la residencia de dicho cà ³nyuge extranjero, lo comà ºn es que las preguntas se  hagan  por separado  a cada uno de los esposos.   Despuà ©s de leer este artà ­culo se tendr una idea informada de quà © preguntas esperar en la entrevista, consejos para la misma y cà ³mo evitar problemas y quà © hacer una vez que se realiza exitosamente.   El oficial de Inmigracià ³n puede preguntar lo que quiera, pero sus preguntas van a ser muy similares a las siguientes. 65 preguntas entrevista para residencia por matrimonio Las preguntas suelen referirse a varios temas: noviazgo y ceremonia de casamiento, la familia de cada uno de los cà ³nyuges y vida de casados. Por cuestiones prcticas de este artà ­culo, las preguntas se dividen en esos tres bloques. Estas preguntas aplican tanto a matrimonios entre un varà ³n y una mujer como al celebrado entre dos personas del mismo sexo, ya que las leyes federales de EE.UU. reconocen la legalidad del matrimonio igualitario y, por lo tanto, es posible derivar beneficios migratorios de dicho matrimonio. Noviazgo y boda  ¿Dà ³nde se conocieron? ¿En quà © momento pasaron de ser amigos a ser novios? ¿Quà © actividades hacà ­an en comà ºn cuando eran novios? ¿Quà © gustos y aficiones tienen en comà ºn? ¿Por quà © han tenido un noviazgo tan corto (o tan largo)? ¿Quià ©n decidià ³ que era una buena idea casarse? ¿Dà ³nde se celebrà ³ la boda? ¿A cunta gente invitaron? ¿Quià ©nes estaban presentes por parte de cada una de las familias?Describe la ceremonia y el banquete.  ¿Algo fuera de lo comà ºn? ¿Quà © se sirvià ³ para comer y para beber? ¿Cà ³mo se decidià ³ el menà º? ¿Quià ©n pagà ³ por el banquete? ¿Hasta que hora durà ³ la recepcià ³n? ¿Dà ³nde fue la luna de miel? ¿Por quà © decidieron ese destino? La vida en comà ºn  ¿Quià ©n de los dos se levanta generalmente antes? ¿A quà © hora? ¿Quià ©n hace el desayuno? ¿Quià ©n hace la comida y la cena? ¿Quià ©n hace la compra? ¿Quià ©n lava los platos? ¿Quià ©n plancha? ¿Dà ³nde se guarda la ropa de invierno? ¿Cul es la comida preferida de tu esposo/a? ¿Quà © comida detesta tu esposo/a? ¿Cuntas veces a la semana salen a comer fuera? ¿Cul fue la à ºltima pelà ­cula que vieron juntos? ¿De quà © color son las cortinas de cada cuarto de la casa? ¿Quà © electrodomà ©sticos hay en la cocina? ¿De quà © tamaà ±o es la cama matrimonial? ¿Tienen televisià ³n en el dormitorio? ¿Cà ³mo es el pijama preferido de tu esposo/a? ¿De quà © lado de la cama duermes? ¿Cul es la marca de crema, champà º, crema de dientes, etc que utiliza tu esposo/a?Si se utiliza algà ºn mà ©todo anti conceptivo,  ¿cul? ¿Cundo tuvo la esposa su à ºltima menstruacià ³n? ¿Cundo es el cumpleaà ±os de cada uno? ¿Quà © celebrac iones se festejan en la casa? ¿Quà © hicieron juntos en el à ºltimo dà ­a feriado? ¿Cul es el programa de televisià ³n favorito de tu esposo/a? ¿Cul es la estacià ³n de radio que prefiere escuchar tu esposo/a?  ¿Cul es la marca de la cmara de fotos? ¿Cuntos autos tienen? ¿Cuntos telà ©fonos de là ­nea fija hay en la casa? ¿Cul es el servicio de internet, cable? ¿Cuntas televisiones hay en la casa y en que cuarto se encuentran? ¿Quà © revistas leen o tienen suscripcià ³n? ¿Viven en una casa o apartamento? ¿Cunto se paga de renta o de hipoteca?Si hay mascotas,  ¿quià ©n las pasea y quià ©n las lleva al veterinario y cules son sus nombres? Familia  ¿Con quà © frecuencia visitan o se va a ver a la familia polà ­tica? ¿Cà ³mo te llevas con tus suegros? ¿Les has hecho regalos o te los han hecho? ¿Con quà © otros miembros de la familia se tiene relacià ³n frecuente? ¿Cundo fue la à ºltima vez que los viste?Si se tienen nià ±os,  ¿quià ©n los levanta? ¿Quià ©n les hace de comer la mayor parte de las veces? ¿Cul es su comida favorita? ¿Quià ©n los acuesta? ¿Cul es su cuento favorito? ¿Cul es su juguete favorito? ¿Van solos al retrete? ¿Utilizan asiento extra en el auto? ¿Quià ©n es la persona que los cuida cuando los padres estn fuera de la casa? Problemas que pueden surgir en la entrevista para la residencia Si Inmigracià ³n cree que se est ante un matrimonio falso para obtener la tarjeta de residencia, habr consecuencias serias por esa boda de conveniencia, si bien son ms problemticas y graves para el cà ³nyuge extranjero que se casà ³ por los papeles. Por otra parte, si un ciudadano llega a la conclusià ³n de que se han casado con à ©l o ella sà ³lo por los papeles, tiene dos opciones: denunciarlo  o, si es posible, cancelar la tramitacià ³n del permiso de residencia antes de que à ©sta sea definitiva. Adems, tener en cuenta que el divorcio cuando la residencia se obtiene por matrimonio puede tener efectos migratorios importantes, por lo que hay que analizar bien las posibles consecuencias, aà ºn cuando el divorcio se produzca despuà ©s de haber levantado la condicionalidad de la green card y, por lo tanto, haber obtenido la tarjeta de residencia permanente. Por à ºltimo, si  el matrimonio es abusivo y resulta muy dificultoso para el cà ³nyuge extranjero permanecer conviviendo con el esposo o esposa ciudadano porque todavà ­a no se ha levantado la condicionalidad de la green card, es  posible consultar con un abogado opciones migratorias, incluido  VAWA para và ­ctimas de violencia domà ©stica. Consejos para la entrevista y despuà ©s Si la entrevista tiene lugar en Estados Unidos y uno de los cà ³nyuges no habla bien inglà ©s, puede llevar a un intà ©rprete a las oficinas del USCIS. No se permite que el marido o la mujer que sà ­ habla inglà ©s traduzca para su cà ³nyuge en este tipo de situaciones.   Si todo va bien, como es realmente en la mayorà ­a de los casos, lo esposos de ciudadanos americanos deben saber que pueden obtener la ciudadanà ­a americana tras tres aà ±os de matrimonio. Es muy conveniente considerar la posibilidad de naturalizarse cuanto antes ya que hay importantes diferencias entre un ciudadano y un residente. De interà ©s para indocumentados que estn pensando en casarse Los migrantes indocumentados no siempre pueden legalizar su situacià ³n mediante una boda. Es muy conocer cules son las opciones en un  matrimonio con un ciudadano  y tener muy en cuenta que no hay opciones de ajustar estatus en los casos de  matrimonio con un residente. En estos casos lo ms aconsejable es consultar con un abogado migratorio antes de enviar papeles a Inmigracià ³n. Puntos clave Algunas residencias por matrimonio con ciudadano son condicionales La condicionalidad hay que levantarla a los dos aà ±os y dentro de plazoLa entrevista a los cà ³nyuges forma parte del trmite para levantar condicionalidadEl matrimonio de conveniencia para sacar los papeles es un fraude de leySi se levanta la condicionalidad, la green card se convierte en permanente Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Impact of micro and macro policies on the elderly with dementia Essay

Impact of micro and macro policies on the elderly with dementia - Essay Example For instance, the kind of policies governing the care of children would be very different from those governing adults especially the elderly. Therefore, sensitivity on the handling of these two classes of people is essential to reflect on the absolute care required by them. In this regard, this paper will take a keen look into the micro and macro policies surrounding the provision of quality healthcare in relation to adults with special needs. Moreover, its emphasis will be on the elderly people in the society whose needs appear to be unique as compared to other groups of people. A key eye will be on the elderly especially those with dementia by raising their safeguarding alerts (East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 7). Lastly, it will also be in contact with the effects of one macro policy through the implementation of the micro level processes. Introduction Dementia is a brain related complication characterized by reduced function on the brain’s responsibilities that may incl ude thinking, speech, behavior, and memory function. Mainly, its experience is due to the occurrence of certain brain diseases that create imparity in the normal brain function. Some of the diseases that this loss of brain functionality associates with are Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease; Alzheimer and in some cases AIDS. ... Additionally, this condition interferes with a person’s routine and daily function, as their brains no longer respond to brain commands. Unfortunately, this condition is irreversible therefore; the individuals affected require high attention and care. Further, the condition it has two categories; either being Alzheimer or Non Alzheimer related. Alzheimer is the leading cause of dementia in people who are in their late stages of life. The policy statement formulated around the vulnerable adults outlined that maintenance of the patients health was at the focus of quality delivery of health care services. Each health providing facility’s dedication was on maintaining the dignity and privacy of their patients. The achievement of this heavily relies on ensuring that no possible avoidable harm comes to them. This macro policy realization was to be through trust committees charged with delivering reasonable accommodation for this special group of people. The most vulnerable in this case would be the elderly affected by dementia. Therefore, this made up the Macro policy regulating the code of practice around the provision of specialized care for them. As a micro policy, the Trust committee in East Lancashire’s responsibility was to oversee the latter implementation of the Macro policy. Certain mechanisms came in place to meet the requirements. Concerning accommodation, they have to make sure that each gender has its own place for accommodation to uphold privacy. These include same gender toilet and bathroom facilities other than the bed area. However, same gender interactions would only occur in specialized cases like intensive care and not under any other circumstance. This is subject to choice and preference of the patients and if

Organizational Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Managment - Essay Example At the top of the authority structure is the Board of directors whose role is to hire the staff that have specific skills in recreational facilities and also authorize money release for other projects. They also act as tiebreakers of issues that cannot be agreed upon by the executive leadership. Next in authority is the executive leadership that consists of personalities qualified in management of health care organization. They are the brains behind the success of all the programs in the health care since they are the decision makers and suggest the way forward for the organization to improve its face (Liebler and McConnell, 2011). After the two comes the quality improvement committee. This is composed of staff members and other outside individuals with specific skills about quality improvement. Their role just as the name suggests is to act on the suggestions on how to improve the services of the organization including the recreational services to give the organization a competitive edge over other health care organizations and attract even more clients. The medical staffs are next on the authority structure and they include doctors, therapists and nurses. These individuals carry out the actual work of ensuring these terminally ill patients receive their medication on time and they stay alive longer than they would in an ordinary hospital. They also participate in suggesting the way forward for the health care organization since they are in constant touch with the patients who make the suggestions. After them comes the middle management whose role is to pick suggestions from the people in the lower leadership authority and pass them on to the higher authorities and also pass down decisions from the top to the bottom of the leadership ladder. They are the ones who carry out actual field work collecting suggestions and even ensuring suggestions are made and any complaints is dealt with. They are also in charge of the department staffs who are the

Nestle Essay Example for Free

Nestle Essay Nestle, one of the largest packaged food company has been unanimously declared a leader in its field. Founded and located in Vevey, Switzerland, it was established in 1905 and from then on it started its journey of delivering quality food products to consumers worldwide (About Nestle, 2008). Any firm, regardless of its size, national or multinational relies heavily on its purchasing department and supply management to add value to the firms operations. f a firm compromises on its purchasing standards it will suffer losses in its manufacturing process and ultimately in sales. For any manufacturing firm, purchasing and supply management are the first step which are directly linked to all consequent stages of the manufacturing process ,thereby it is extremely important to start of the entire process with an efficient and effective purchasing procedure so that it is reflected in the final product (Stilson Bachman, Sep. 2009). The globalization of Nestle as well as the accelerating competition in the food sector emphasizes on the need for regular assessments of their purchasing strategies and supply management system. The purchasing system at Nestle functions as part of the supply chain management rather than an independent function and aims to achieve cost minimization and profit optimization (Swerdlick, Summer 2008). At Nestle there are a few basic purchasing objectives: †¢ Efficient and timely delivery of goods, materials and services. †¢ Continuous assessment of the performance and reliability of suppliers. †¢ Adding value to the company functions and contributing to the growth and profitability of the company. †¢ Availing benefits offered by suppliers and encouraging competition among suppliers which tends to create a healthy working environment (Swerdlick, Summer 2008). At Nestle there are two basic purchasing roles which take into consideration the strategic and operational activities taking place within the company: †¢ Strategic buyers along with the expert opinions of other professionals are responsible for performing market analysis, screening suppliers and selecting the most appropriate ones, negotiations and contract management. Amongst the many responsibilities the most important ones that strategic buyers are faced with is the safeguarding of quality standards, adding to product development and channelling supplier technology to add value to the company products. †¢ Operational buyers, on the other hand are responsible for the operational part of the purchasing process i.e. sending purchase orders, receiving delivery for them etc. these functions can be performed by any department in the organization which requires any goods or services (Czerwonka, Summer 2008). Planning and strategy determination are extremely crucial factors involved in the purchasing process, since they are the basic steps towards the achievement of growth and profitability objectives of the company. although the basic aim that is kept in mind while determining the strategy is cost minimization but at the same time equal importance is given to the issue of supplier commitment to work with Nestle. At the same time ,strategy determination also takes into account factors of business sector objectives and value addition opportunities. These objectives eventually form the basis of a sustainable and unique market advantage (Stilson Bachman, Sep. 2008). The next step is then to come to an agreement with suppliers to impose few standardized specifications which would not only result in an efficient supply chain management but also lead to lower costs and greater price leverage (Weiss, Summer 2008). At Nestle it is strongly emphasized that purchasing is not just restricted to just one specific department rather it’s a cross functional team effort where everyone has a say in the operational activities of the purchasing process (The Keys to Success, Summer 2008). A good supplier selection is extremely important since in the long run it is the supplier who adds value to the company’s operations and contributes to its growth and success relative to its competitors. And it is for this reason that Nestle strongly believes in maintaining amiable relations with suppliers based on mutual trust and understanding. It believes that suppliers are a vital part of the company’s development process where they have a big role in identifying niche opportunities in the market, providing new product ideas and adding their innovativeness and creativity to the overall business operations. Therefore, Nestle has set a standard criteria based on which it selects the most ideal suppliers who will prove to be beneficial to both the companies (The Keys to Success (AN 32186182), Summer 2008). The criterion is: †¢ Level of innovativeness that the supplier believes in implementing in his company. †¢ Financial position and reputation in the market. †¢ Organizational structure and mode of operations in the company. †¢ Ability and willingness to adapt to the working practices and ethics followed by Nestle (About Nestle, 2008). Since Nestle is involved in food manufacturing, quality management is a crucial issue because lack of quality in food products is not only a risk to consumer health but is also a serious criminal offense in certain countries. To maintain quality standards, Nestle is highly dependent on its suppliers to assure Nestle of the delivery of top quality products and services. For this it is absolutely necessary for the suppliers to be aware of Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s quality policy as well as its safety and quality control standards (Czerwonka, Summer 2008). To further ensure that quality standards are maintained, suppliers of raw materials and packaging materials undergo an audit process where the quality of goods and services provided by any given supplier are properly assessed and inspected (Margarella, Aug. 2003). Nestle requires from its supplier that defective and faulty goods are replaced or rectified within a reasonable time period. Each supplier that gets a chance to work with Nestle undergoes intense scrutiny before it gets an approval because Nestle cannot afford to compromise on its years of excellence in delivering hygienic, nutritional, safe and high quality food products to its consumers. To ensure that the competitive advantage of quality is maintained, Nestle evaluates the ethics and business conduct, competence, sustainable environmental practices and process controls before giving its final approval to any supplier. Purchasing is not just a one-time process rather it’s an on-going process for a huge company like Nestle which is generating revenue in millions (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). For this reason it has employed a computerized information system that maintains inventory management, list of suppliers, quality issues pertaining to certain goods or suppliers, variation in prices in the market, forecasted prices etc.This system allows for timely and better decision making since real time data comprehensive data is available at all times and also the management can be immediately informed of any discrepancies in the purchasing procedure or any unexpected problems that may arise (Stilson Bachman, Sep. 2009). Nestle uses an internal web based tool (Purchasing intranet) which is extremely effective in communicating with the internal purchasing community about quantities being supplied, price variations or any such matters (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). In this age of information technology, Nestle has realized the importance of integrating technology into their day to day operations for better efficiency, cost benefits and enhancement in services to customers and it is for this reason that Nestle is also currently involved in e-procurement which has seemed to cut down on considerable costs for the company. Nestle is a strict disciplinary when it comes to following legal obligations and requirements. Purchasing is a business process which involves the entering into an agreement with a third party to purchase and facilitate the delivery of goods and services. For this reason it is extremely important to have written agreements where the terms are clearly defined and are precise thereby eliminating any chances of potential misunderstanding between both the parties   (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). Nestle feels that there is a strong link between efficient purchasing and supply management and the quality of personnel employed in the company (Principles of Purchasing, 2008). The professionalism, competence entrepreneurial qualities and pro-activeness are factors that need be there in the human resources to avail maximum benefits while procuring goods and services from suppliers (The Keys to Success (AN 32186182), Summer 2008). A motivated and dedicated purchasing team will provide and effective function and may represent a competitive advantage for the company. To avail this advantage the human resources at Nestle are trained, motivated and encouraged to create new challenges and expand knowledge while keeping in view the company objectives and policies.

A day at the cubbies game :: essays research papers

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and being a sports fan resulted in one and only true outcome; I am the Chicago Cubs’ biggest fan. True, I am not the only person in the greater Chicagoland area who will claim the title, but I stick to my guns and refuse to relinquish the self-appointed title. Every time I go home, I join the thousands of other self appointed â€Å"biggest fans† in the usual afternoon at Wrigley Field. There is nothing quite like a day at a Cubs game. For me, it’s a fun filled day of drinking watered down beer and eating cheap hot dogs and nachos with the guys. Yes, it may sound rather crude to many but to us, its bliss.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The day usually starts early in the morning, an eight o’clock train into Chicago, with the throbbing pain of a hangover after being out too late the night before catching the game at the local sports bar. After the mochas and lattes have crested over the appropriate sets of lips the whole group perks up with anticipation over the days events. Players’ statistics are discussed, along with the usual hopeful, â€Å"Maybe Derek Lee will hit a grand slam today!† and, as always, Nate and Mike get into it at least once over whether Kerry Wood or Richard Prior is a better starting pitcher. Friendly jabs are exchanged in all directions, and by the time everyone agrees to disagree the train is pulling into Union Station and we’re one step closer to the game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After catching a taxi, the short ride to the ballpark takes far longer then it should due to the hundreds of cars that are assaulting the Wrigley Field parking lots and attacking the local traffic cops. As the taxi creeps impatiently up the street, edging closer and closer to the unmoving vehicle in front of it, Wrigley Field slowly climbs out of the Chicago skyline. A beautiful thing occurs every time this happens†¦silence! Mike, Nate, Nick, Andrew, and James have all stopped their usual â€Å"guy talk† to take in the glory of our team’s home field. The striking red brick of the building, with bold green ivy lazily climbing it’s walls, and the â€Å"WRIGLEY FIELD, Home of the CHICAGO CUBS† sign screaming out from the front, all receive the deserved moment of silence and respect they demand from all who walk within their walls.

“Chicago” by Carl Sandburg Essay

In The Poem â€Å"Chicago†, the poet Carl Sandburg uses personification, diction, and imagery to show his love and pride for his home city of Chicago. In the first stanza â€Å"HOG Butcher for the World, / Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, / Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler; / Stormy, husky, brawling, / City of the Big Shoulders:†(1-5), Sandburg uses personification to tell the reader how important his city is to the rest of the nation by listing the important jobs done there. The last two lines of the first stanza also allude to the power of Chicago. Another strong element used by Sandburg is diction. The words Sandburg uses to express his feelings about Chicago are powerful and emotional. Sanburg uses strong diction in the second stanza, â€Å"They tell me you are wicked†¦/And they tell me you are crooked†¦/And they tell me you are brutal†(6-8). In theses lines. Words like â€Å"brutal†, â€Å"crooked†, and â€Å"wicked† could have all easily been replaced with simpler less emotion evoking words like â€Å"bad†, but Sandburg wants the reader to feel a stronger connection to the poem and to Chicago its self. Sandburg also uses imagery in this poem to convey his feelings for Chicago. â€Å"Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with / white teeth, (20).this is a power full image of someone who is dirty, maybe because of the hardships they have been through, yet is still smiling, happily and showing that they still have some clean untouched part of them selves left inside. Carl Sandburg uses Personification, imagery, and diction in â€Å"Chicago† to give people who doubt his city’s strength his idea of Chicago.

Mcdonald’s and Kfc: Recipes for Success in China

McDonald’s and KFC: Recipes for Success in China 1. Assess KFC’s strategy in China? What should KFC do next? KFC’s strategy in China firstly aimed to be the first leader in foreign quick –service restaurant. KFC differentiated itself from other local Chinese fast food restaurants by not only providing normal standard KFC foods but also offering customers with high quality service with different concept and ambiance. Moreover, KFC adapted itself in the foods variety to match with customer needs. Its menu localization brings the concept of â€Å"American brand with Chinese characteristics.People are significant resource for KFC. Thus, KFC started talent development since the first day it started by offering training and providing career growth within the company. This talent development program, later on, greatly supported the expansion of KFC in China successfully. During crisis, KFC created opportunities for itself by expanding aggressively in China. Neve rtheless, KFC developed its own logistics system with STAR system. The own logistics system helps KFC to lower the costs, control the quality and deliver products and services to customers faster.With all these strategic plans, KFC succeeds in China greatly. To compete with other foreign fast foods which are coming to China in the near future, KFC should consider backward integration. KFC may set up its own farm to raise its own chickens and other major ingredients in order to control the quality and safety of the materials. This farm will be the only supplier for all the franchised KFC stores in China in order to control the quality and standards of foods. KFC should also set up training center.All the employees should be trained here and hence, to control the quality of the services in different stores. Nevertheless, in order to gain customers trust and loyalty, KFC should also focus on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to show its concern of brining the best quality foods to customers while protecting environment and society. KFC should maintain its core competency of its products while keep developing its food innovations to reach its changing customers preferences and cultures. 2. Assess McDonald’s strategy in China?What should McDonald’s do next? McDonald strategy in China was to maintain the first world standards as a global brand. It focused to keep its quality of food consistency and food preparation process. It first kept the food menu instead of adaptations to local preference. With this strategy, McDonald did not gain great success at the beginning as KFC did. However, it gradually learned to adapt to local preferences by offering different menu to match with customer needs. It also expands in China through joint venture or sole proprietor instead of franchising.It also took a strategic move to link with China’s SinoPec and build drive-through outlets. It offers convenience to customers by offering 24-hour service. Though, it didn’t use aggressive expansion, gradual expansion of McDonald helps it learn and develop itself steadily in the long term. In order to compete with other fast foods business in China, McDonald should keep its core competence of high quality standards. However, it should also start its R&D center in China in order to understand Chinese market and hence, to offer the right products to match with customer needs.This may be done through more variety of foods. To maintain high quality of products, McDonald had fewer suppliers who could meet its standard. This might bring higher costs to McDonald. In order to compete in the long run, McDonald should find lower-cost source of materials. Similarly to KFC, it should consider backward integration to have its own farm to be its source of major raw materials and ingredients. This will not only result in lower costs but also in higher quality of the raw materials.Moreover, with the concept of 24-hour service, McDonald should consi der to have more variety of foods such as night meal which may include warm milk or smaller-size burger, more variety of salads instead of only heavy big meal. It should also try to differentiate itself from other restaurants by offering different services such as delivery service, fast-process-time-guarantee service (this is to ensure its fast service), and nice ambiance (as it also opens at night, instead of providing normal counter seats, McDonald may offer the sofa seats so that customers can come and relax, work or have a small meeting here).With this concept, customers may not only perceive McDonald as a fast food restaurant but more like a cafe or nice informal meeting point with their friends and colleagues during both rush hour and non-rush hour. This may help McDonald to capture more customer groups and hence generate more revenues.

Summary of the Battle of Stamford Bridge

Summary of the Battle of Stamford Bridge The Battle of Stamford Bridge was part of the invasions of Britain following the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 and was fought September 25, 1066. English Army Harold Godwinson7,000 men Norwegian Army Harald HardradaTostig Godwinson7,500 men Battle of Stamford Bridge Following the death of King Edward the Confessor in 1066, succession to the English throne fell into dispute. Accepting the crown from the English nobles, Harold Godwinson became king on January 5, 1066. This was immediately challenged by William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada of Norway. As both claimants began building invasion fleets, Harold assembled his army on the south coast with the hope that his northern nobles could repel Hardrada. In Normandy, Williams fleet gathered, but was unable to depart St. Valà ©ry sur Somme due to adverse winds. In early September, with supplies low and his troops obligations expiring, Harold was forced to disband his army. Shortly thereafter, Hardradas forces began landing at Tyne. Aided by Harolds brother, Tostig, Hardrada sacked Scarborough and sailed up the Ouse and Humber Rivers. Leaving his ships and part of his army at Riccall, Hardrada marched on York and met the Earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria in battle at Gate Fulford on September 20. Defeating the English, Hardrada accepted the citys surrender and demanded hostages. The date for the surrender and hostage transfer was set for September 25 at Stamford Bridge, just east of York. To the south, Harold received news of the Viking landing and attacks. Racing north, he gathered a new army and arrived at Tadcaster on the 24th, after marching nearly 200 miles in four days. The next day, he advanced through York to Stamford Bridge. The English arrival caught the Vikings by surprise as Hardrada had expected Harold to stay in the south to confront William. As a result, his forces were not prepared for battle and much of their armor had been sent back to their ships. Approaching Stamford Bridge, Harolds army moved into position. Before the battle commenced, Harold offered his brother the title of earl of Northumbria if he would desert. Tostig then asked what Hardrada would receive if he withdrew. Harolds reply was that since Hardrada was a tall man he could have seven feet of English earth. With neither side willing to yield, the English advanced and began the battle. The Viking outposts on the west bank of the River Derwent fought a rearguard action to allow the rest of the army to prepare. During this fight, legend refers to a single Viking berserker who single-handedly defended Stamford Bridge against all odds until stabbed from below the span by a long spear. Though overwhelmed, the rearguard provided Hardrada time to assemble his forces into a line. In addition, he dispatched a runner to summon the rest of his army, led by Eyestein Orre, from Riccall. Pushing across the bridge, Harolds army reformed and charged the Viking line. A prolonged melee ensued with Hardrada falling after being struck by an arrow. With Hardrada slain, Tostig continued the fight and was aided by Orres reinforcements. As sunset approached, both Tostig and Orre were killed. Lacking a leader the Viking ranks began to waver, and they fled back to their ships.   Aftermath and Impact of the  Battle of Stamford Bridge While exact casualties for the Battle of Stamford Bridge are not known, reports suggest that Harolds army suffered a large number of killed and wounded and that Hardradas was nearly destroyed. Of the approximately 200 ships the Vikings arrived with, only around 25 were needed to return the survivors to Norway. While Harold had won a stunning victory in the north, the situation in the south was deteriorating as William began landing his forces in Sussex on September 28. Marching his men south, Harolds depleted army met William at the Battle of Hastings on October 14. In the battle, Harold was killed and his army defeated, opening the way for the Norman conquest of England. Resources and Further Reading UK Battlefield Resource Centre: Battle of Stamford BridgeBritain Express: Battle of Stamford BridgeBattle of Stamford Bridge

Oak is the Official U.S. National Tree

Oak is the Official U.S. National Tree The mighty oak tree was  voted  the United States favorite tree in a National Arbor Day Foundation poll taken in 2001.  Nearly five years later, a  Congressional passage and a presidential signing of a historic bill made it the official  national tree of the United States in late 2004. Americas national tree is the mighty oak. The Congressional Passage of the Official National Tree Having oak as our national tree is in keeping with the wishes of the hundreds of thousands of people who helped choose this striking symbol of our nation’s great strength, said John Rosenow, the  president of The National Arbor Day Foundation. The oak was selected during a four-month-long open voting process hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation. From the first day of voting, oak was the people’s clear choice, finishing with more than 101,000 votes, compared to almost 81,000 for the magnificent runner-up, the redwood. Rounding out the top five were the dogwood, maple, and pine. The Voting Process People were invited to vote for one of 21 candidate trees, based on broad tree categories (general) that included the state trees of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each voter also had the option to write in any other tree selection they preferred. Advocates of the oak praised its diversity, with more than 60 species growing in the United States, making oaks America’s most widespread hardwood tree. There is an oak species that grows naturally in nearly every state in the continental U.S.   Why Oak Trees Are so Important Individual oaks have long played a part in many important American historical events, from Abraham Lincoln’s use of the Salt River Ford Oak as a marker in crossing a river near Homer, Illinois, to Andrew Jackson taking shelter under Louisiana’s Sunnybrook Oaks on his way to the Battle of New Orleans. In the annals of military history, Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution, took its nickname from the strength of its live oak hull, famous for repelling British cannonballs. Uses for oak tree wood are of major importance and in high demand as a commercially harvested tree species. Oak has an extremely dense wood and resists insects and fungal attacks because of its high tannic acid content. It saws even and true with beautiful grain desired for building the best furniture and cabinets along with the durability necessary for fine flooring. It is a perfect wood for long-lasting timbers for building, perfect planking for shipbuilding and the barrel staves used for storing and aging fine whiskey spirits.

Stereo Field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Stereo Field - Essay Example One of the radical changes in music production was marked through the development of computer music that involved pre-recorded media, speakers and stereos. Thus, the association between the music creation and physical human movement got disrupted through the use of computer that brought a type of non-instrumental composition in addition to the music production functions such as synthesis, recording and sequencing. However, the link between music and physical human movement has once again revived in the realm of computer music due to the use of latest sensors and the evolution of custom interfaces. The real time and highly interactive technologies allow computer music to extend itself to the physical world of human movement and thus, open the gate towards the creation of extremely imaginative alternative musical instruments such as the hyper instruments (HI’s) that were introduced by Tod Machover. Such interactive music systems offer limitless possibilities. Conventional instru ments are highly interactive systems as they respond immediately to a specific physical action with a corresponding musical action. Hyper instruments are directly derived through conventional instruments and therefore, they respect this basic link with traditional instruments. However, hyper instruments revolutionize the functionality of conventional instruments since they fundamentally enhance the two sides of the interaction.

Apple Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apple - Essay Example This is a unique technique to apple. It contains a wide range of products that welcomes support from many customers who purchase them. The company is a leading innovator of mobile devices. It enjoys most profits from the sale of mobile technology than other companies. The retail stores ensure a strong customer relationship with the company. High pricing of commodities differentiate it with the prices at Hp. While Hp specializes in manufacture of PCs, apple switched and concentrated on producing mobile devices. Apple enjoys a cost strategy to remain and sustain the market. Their products have a unique technology that enjoys the market share. Despite the high pricing that rocks the market, still the company registers large number of sales. The customers believe that the products are of high quality because of the company’s reputation. This technique puts the company as the second most valued brand in the whole world. Despite the high competition that is in the technology business, apple still uses high pricing as strategy that enables them remain relevant in the

Quality and IT Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quality and IT Management - Essay Example 2. Role of Quality Gurus Some of the most famous quality gurus include Armand Feigenbaum, Edwards Deming, Philip Crosby, Kaoru Ishikawa, Genichi Taguchi, and Shigeo Shingo (Beckford 2002, p. 54). All of these gurus brought different concepts of quality which not only helped the companies achieve competitive advantage in the past but also provide appropriate directions towards success to the companies belonging to the present world. We can take example of Masaaki Imai who came up with the concept of Kaizen in 1986, which led Japan’s way to huge success in the field of technological development. Kaizen is an umbrella, which includes all Japanese practices related to quality management. Imai focused on continuous improvement in all departments of a company. Shigeo Shingo was a Japanese quality guru who focused on zero quality control and brought the concept of Poka-Yoke which means to identify the errors before they become some real defects. Kaoru Ishikawa was another Japanese qu ality guru who also believed in some other concepts other than just provision of quality products to the customers. He focused on after sales service, company and the customers, and quality of the management. One of the main teachings of all quality gurus was quality control, which means to ensure quality in all stages of a product development. In the engineering domain, quality control results in accepting or rejecting a manufactured product (Unhelkar 2003, p. 303). In the view of quality gurus, the process of quality control includes certain actions which are necessary for the control and verification of required characteristics of any product or services provided by a company. Fryman (2002, p. 6) found that the main purpose of quality control is to eliminate all factors which can result in unsatisfactory product performance. Along with quality control, some American quality gurus, such as, Dr. Joseph Juran and Dr. W. Edwards Deming also focused on quality management that leads a company’s way towards success. The primary objective of quality management is to increase customer satisfaction with the company’s products and services. Deming’s quality cycle comprised of some key steps, which included Plan, Do, Study, and Act. Deming focused on bringing improvements in quality of products and services by reducing the elements of variability and uncertainty in design and features of the products and services. On the other hand, Juran believed in the philosophy of ‘fitness for use’ and advocated the use of ‘quality cost measurement’. Philip Crosby was a Western American quality guru who believed in the concept of ‘conformance to requirements’. Crosby came up with four main concepts related to quality management. The first one was that quality is not goodness or elegance rather it is conformance to the requirements of the customers. The second concept was that the system for creating quality has nothing to do with appraisal rather it is concerned with prevention. Third concept was the zero defects standard of quality whereas the fourth concept was that measurement of quality should be the price of nonconformance. Crosby focused on reducing the manufacturing expenses by doping things right at the first time instead of correcting them. In the past, the teachings of quality gurus really helped companies become more competitive in nature, lower the product manufacturing costs, improve

Capital Punishment | Should Capital Punishment be Abolished?

Capital Punishment | Should Capital Punishment be Abolished? Death sentence being one of the harshest punishments known to man has taken a gradual humanized change over the years. Being a mode of punishment prominently followed in most parts of the world has now been abolished in many countries because of a wave of abolishment initiated a few decades back. India seems to be stuck between the global trend to end death penalty and the nations that is still follow. It has taken a very safe ground by giving a minimal provision and leaving it to the discretion of the judiciary to award the punishment in special circumstances. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether capital punishment should be banned or not? While considering the historical as well as present scenario of capital punishment and comparing with other countries where it has been abolished. Introduction Capital punishment is the practice of executing someone as punishment for a specific crime after a proper legal trial. It is usually only used as a punishment for particularly serious types of murder, but in some countries treason, types of fraud, adultery and rape are capital crimes.  [1]  In Indian the traditional way of awarding this punishment is handing by the neck till the death of the criminal. In other countries, shooting, electric chair, etc,are the various devices used for the purpose. The term capital originates from capitalis, literally regarding the head (Latin caput). Hence, a capital crime was originally one punished by the severing of the head.  [2]   Amongst democratic countries today, it is rare to find capital punishment being practiced. In fact, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S. are the only ones who still have the death penalty. However, it is mainly found in poor, undemocratic and authoritarian states that the death penalty is still being used, and usually as a means of political oppression. The European Union and the Council of Europe refuses its member states to practice the death penalty, or at least desire them to show that they no longer actively practice it (i.e. a moratorium). Although the United States had suspended executions in 1973, they resumed them in 1977. However, not all the states perform capital punishment, with at least 12 of them having banned it at the time of writing? Most of the countries except China, a few countries in South Africa and Belarus in Europe, have moved towards abolishing death penalty  [3]  . Though being a member of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is adopted by the United Nations and stands to bring countries to abolish death penalty, India has not taken this important step to abolish such a grave punishment. Capital punishment is nothing but judicial murder, it is said, especially when an innocent life is destroyed. Besides this, capital punishment, as is generally supposed, is not deterrent. Murders and other heinous crimes have continued unabated, in spite of it. The result of such views has been that in recent years there has been an increasing tendency in western countries to award life imprisonment instead of capital punishment. Muslims countries, to be more serve in this respect. Despite frequent demands from all society Indian has not so far abolished capital punishment. But even in India there has been a decline in the frequency of such punishment. It is now awarded only in cases of hardened criminals and only when it is established that the murder was not the result of a momentary impulse, the result of serious provocation, but well-planned and cold-blooded. In such cases, it is felt that nothing else than capital punishment would be executed for that crime. Those who indulge in anti-social and sternest possible measures should be taken against them, specially when they are habitual offenders. India has not so far abolished capital punishment but used it more judiciously. Sociologists are of the view that capital punishment serves no useful purpose. By sending the criminals to gallows, we in no way help or provide relief to the family of the murdered. The sociologists, therefore, suggest that the murderer should be sentenced for life to work and support the family of murdered person as well as his own. In this way, innocent women and children would be saved from much suffering, hunger and starvation.  [4]   Philosophers view on capital punishment According, to Kants view no state can exist if there is no law and if there is no law then there is no society and no state. Therefore legislation of law is necessary. Therefore by Kants view if a person has violated such laws by doing a crime then a person who has violated such law must be punished. According to Kant punishment is a legal act that definitely has a certain basis. This basis is a crime. If there is no crime there must be no punishment. Punishment of innocent people is a result of a worthless legislation; this means that the legal system is unable to establish guilt and make a differentiation between innocent people and criminals.  [5]  Kants opinion towards death penalty is justified only if there is a murder. According to him if there is a murder then he must die. Theory of punishment:- by both H.L.A Hart and (1959) in England and John Rawls (1955) in the United States. Defining the concept of punishment must be kept distinct from justifying punishment. A definition of punishment is, or ought to be, value-neutral, at least to the extent of not incorporating any norms or principles that surreptitiously tend to justify whatever falls under the definition itself. To put this another way, punishment is not supposed to be justified, or even partly justified, by packing its definition in a manner that virtually guarantees that whatever counts as punishment is automatically justified. (Conversely, its definition ought not to preclude its justification.)  [6]   Historical Background Capital punishment is regarded as one of the severest form of punishment in the history of mankind. During the medieval era, capital punishment was sentenced even for extremely trivial and inconsequential matter or in other words we can say that they were executed for minor crimes such as stealing, cheating or even trespassing. Also, the methods of administering death penalty were immensely harsh and gruesome. Most historical records and various primitive tribal practices indicate that the death penalty was a part of their justice system. This was the only method for them to provide justice for every crime done by a person. However, during medieval times the capital punishment was rather insensitive. The punishment which was given to the accused cant be compare to the act which has been done by accused. One of the oldest methods of practicing capital punishment was hanging. This method was originated from Persia and was restricted only for male criminals. The method was considered to be comparatively less harsh as it was relatively simpler with no involvement of blood. This form of punishment is prevalent to date in countries such as Singapore, Japan, India, Pakistan and three states in US.  [7]   In the earlier time death penalty laws can be found in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon (18th century BCE), in which death penalty was given for different crimes. But in the Draconian Code of Athens (7th century BCE), times where every crime was punishable by death and was the most extreme capital systems in ancient times. Later on under Roman law in the 5th century BCE, a person could even be sentenced to death for simply writing an insulting song  [8]  . The Romans also used it for a wide range of offenses, though citizens were exempted for a short time during the republic. It also has been sanctioned at one time or another by most of the worlds major religions. In medieval and early modern Europe the death penalty was largely used as a generalized form of punishment, and often accompanied by torture. Similarly, in medieval and early modern Europe, before the development of modern prison systems, the death penalty was also used as a generalised form of punishment. For example, in 1700s Britain there were 222 crimes which were punishable by death, including crimes such as cutting down a tree or stealing an animal.  [9]  Thanks to the notorious Bloody Code, 18th century (and early 19th century) Britain was a hazardous place to live. For example, Michael Hammond and his sister, Ann, whose ages were given as 7 and 11, were reportedly hanged at Kings Lynn on Wednesday, September 28, 1708 for theft. The local press did not, however, consider the executions of two children newsworthy.  [10]   Present scenario But the time has changed now, the judiciary in most countries has adopted a more civilized attitude towards this punishment and death penalty is reserved for extremely heinous crimes. Three quarters of executions worldwide occur in Asia. 95% of Asians live in jurisdictions that carry out capital punishment. China alone accounts for 90% of all executions in Asia. The country executed approximately 5000 people in 2008. Thats a rate per capita dozens of times higher than in the U.S., and yet its a steep drop for the numbers of some decades earlier. India is also retentionist (meaning the opposite of abolitionist) but only executed one person in the first decade of the new millennium. Singapore used to kill a similar proportion of its citizens as China, but the rate has dropped recently. Japan, on the contrary, is executing more and more people. Saudi Arabia is known for its particularly gruesome methods  [11]   We can see from the above graph there is lot of change in figures earlier only death penalty was sentenced as compared to medieval times. Pakistan , U.S. and China are at the highest peak. Pakistan and china are the main contributors in increasing the percentage of death penalty in Asia. The most recent executions in South Korea took place in December 1997, when 23 people were executed at short notice on the same day. Similarly, nineteen executions occurred in 1995 and 15 in 1994, in each instance occurring all on the same day. No executions have occurred since 1998, but this de facto suspension has not been reinforced by law. Since 1999, lawmakers have thrice endorsed a bill favoring life imprisonment without parole in place of the death penalty, but each time the proposal has stalled and failed to move forward. The need remains to develop a culturally appropriate pro-abolition argument that could persuade the Korean public that the death penalty is unworkable and wrong. On 21 January 2007, in the Inhyeokdang case, the Korean Court acquitted 8 persons who had been executed 32 years earlier. The hope is that, in light of strong arguments based on the risk to innocent persons and the irreversibility of capital punishment, Korea will effectively transition from de fact o to formal abolition. Capital Punishment should be banned or not? Most of the people now feel that punishment for crimes like murders should not be death but some re formative or deterrent sentence. Death sentence cannot reform a criminal since once dead he cannot be reformed. The governments, which have abolished death sentence, find that there is no increase in the number of murders in the countries after the abolition. Some social reformers still feel that life imprisonment is a more severe kind of punishment. However, capital punishment puts an end to the criminals life, life imprisonment forces him to spend his whole life within the boundaries of a prison. Over 37 countries have already abolished the death sentence and the after-effects of it have not been harmful. India, which is the birthplace of great luminaries, should also abolish death sentence and replace it with some other kind of punishment, which aims to abolish crime, not merely kill criminals.  [12]   In India, capital punishment is granted for different crimes, counting murder, initiating a childs suicide, instigating war against the government, acts of terrorism, or a second evidence for drug trafficking. Death penalty is officially permitted though it should be used in the rarest of rare cases as per the judgement of Supreme Court of India. Amongst the retentionist countries around the world, India has the lowest execution rate with just 55 people executed since independence in 1947.  [13]   In the case of Bachan Singh v State of Punjab  [14]  , wherein a Constitutional Bench with a 4:1 majority upheld the constitutional validity of death penalty and the scope of the provision which enabled the imposition of death penalty. Justice Bhagwati took a dissenting opinion and held that the death sentence is unconstitutional and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. laws which are to be used to avoid and prevent people from committing such offences and not to take the life a person using the same laws. The State has no right to take the life of a person. India according to me should abolish death sentence. Article 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution provides for Right to equality before law and protection of life and personal liberty respectively. Article 14 states, The state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India  [15]  . And Article 21 states, No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law  [16]  . If a procedure of law itself takes a life of a person, who is to be blamed, and who should be punished for it? Is it fair to kill a person? If not, what is the difference between a murderer and the society who takes the life of a murderer by sentencing him to death? In a landmark case of Bachan Singh vs. State of Punjab  [17]  , a panel of four judges of the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of death penalty but Justice Bhagwati differed in his opinion. The four judge panel led by Chief Justice Y.V. Chandrachud suggested a set of guidelines for determining the aggravating circumstances which would warrant the imposition of death penalty and other mitigating circumstances for awarding the lesser punishment of imprisonment for life. Further, the Supreme Court held that the aggravating circumstances which result in special reasons as per the Criminal Procedure Code must be considered to be sentenced to death. And finally held that death sentence should be imposed only in Rarest of Rare cases. The death sentence as a punishment can also have a deterrent effect against the potential murderers. But J. Bhagwati argues that death sentence will have a greater deterrent effect as opposed to the life sentence. J. Bhagwati enriches the court with various scholars over the world who would agree with his opinion and this very opinion has favored the abolition of death penalty in their countries. He says it is not a rational conviction but merely an unreasoned belief which is entertained by some people including a few penologists, judges, jurists and legislators that death penalty has a uniquely deterrent effect  [18]  . Reference was also made to the Fifty Fourth Law Commission report  [19]  which also took a view that death sentence acts as a deterrent. It says that every human being dreads death suggesting that death sentence had a greater deterrent effect than other punishments. As the punishment is more deterrent than others it becomes arbitrary and unreasonable and viol ates article 14 ad 21 of the Constitution. Therefore it should be not be completely abolished. Hence, it should be executed only in rarest of rare cases. Conclusion Death penalty is the harshest of punishments provided in the IPC, which involves the judicial killing or taking the life of the accused as a form of punishment  [20]  . It is a mode of punishment which extinguishes the life of an accused. In India, death sentence has gone through a number of changes but still remains as the harshest punishment. It is the punishment for murdering another human being. It is true that killing someone is cruel, but it is also not reasonable for a society to kill someone. The only difference between these is that the accused in a murder case is punished by the society but there is no one to punish the society. The rule of law is set up to protect and regulate both the society as well as the people in the society. In conclusion, I feel that death penalty should be completely abolished. Though I am also morally against death penalty this analysis has made my views even stronger. But it should be executed only in the rarest of rare case like there is nothing else left instead of capital punishment for giving justice to someone. The views suggested by philosophers also suggest the same meaning that it should be executed only in the case of murder or we can say that in the rarest of rare cases.

Scientific Developments During the Renaissance Essays -- European Hist

Scientific Developments During the Renaissance Historians often refer to the renaissance as a Scientific Revolution. It was during this period that Nicolas Copernicus first suggested the revolution of the Earth around the Sun. This was groundbreaking, as previous to this it was generally thought that the Earth was stationary, and all the planets, including the Sun, orbited the Earth. It was also Copernicus' theory that directly led to the discoveries of Kepler, Galileo and Newton. It could therefore be argued that Copernicus' discovery was the most important of the Renaissance. However, the huge advances in the field of astronomy often overshadow many of the developments in other scientific fields, where the scientists Vesalius, Harvey and Boyle also made an impact. Copernicus' theory, outlined in De Revolutionibus orbium coelestium (`On the Revolutions of Heavenly Bodies,' 1543) is often cited as the greatest discovery of the renaissance. However, at the time of its publication, in the year of Copernicus' death, the theory was widely disregarded. The historian Arthur Koestler comments that `it does not seem to have generated heated discussion.' Moreover, the theory wasn't wholly invented by Copernicus; it was merely revived from ancient texts, and the publication was postponed until the year of Copernicus' death, for fear of public reaction. The astronomer Galileo comments on this: Our teacher Copernicus, who though he will be of immortal fame to some, is yet by an infinite number (for such is the multitude of fools) laughed at and rejected. This evidence throws a somewhat uncertainty onto whether Copernican theory is as important as previously suggested. It would appear that the hypothesis made little or ... ... universe today. Kepler used mathematics to support and strengthen Copernican theory as well as hypothesising the laws of planetary motion. Galileo became well known, due to his findings with his telescope, whereas Copernicus' and Kepler's ideas were largely ignored. Galileo again proved Copernican theory by discovering sunspots and the infinity of the universe. I therefore suggest, in response to the question, that there was not one discovery in the renaissance that was more significant than the others, but that the work of these three scientists was equally significant, in that they provided evidence for an astronomical theory, that is still believed today. The discoveries in other fields such as medicine and chemistry were undoubtedly important, but I feel that the discoveries made by Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo were the most significant of the renaissance.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty-seven

Eddard It's the hand's tourney that's the cause of all the trouble, my lords,† the commander of the city watch complained to the king's council. â€Å"The king's tourney,† Ned corrected, wincing. â€Å"I assure you, the Hand wants no part of it.† â€Å"Call it what you will, my lord. Knights have been arriving from all over the realm, and for every knight we get two freeriders, three craftsmen, six men-at-arms, a dozen merchants, two dozen whores, and more thieves than I dare guess. This cursed heat had half the city in a fever to start, and now with all these visitors . . . last night we had a drowning, a tavern riot, three knife fights, a rape, two fires, robberies beyond count, and a drunken horse race down the Street of the Sisters. The night before a woman's head was found in the Great Sept, floating in the rainbow pool. No one seems to know how it got there or who it belongs to.† â€Å"How dreadful,† Varys said with a shudder. Lord Renly Baratheon was less sympathetic. â€Å"If you cannot keep the king's peace, Janos, perhaps the City Watch should be commanded by someone who can.† Stout, jowly Janos Slynt puffed himself up like an angry frog, his bald pate reddening. â€Å"Aegon the Dragon himself could not keep the peace, Lord Renly. I need more men.† â€Å"How many?† Ned asked, leaning forward. As ever, Robert had not troubled himself to attend the council session, so it fell to his Hand to speak for him. â€Å"As many as can be gotten, Lord Hand.† â€Å"Hire fifty new men,† Ned told him. â€Å"Lord Baelish will see that you get the coin.† â€Å"I will?† Littlefinger said. â€Å"You will. You found forty thousand golden dragons for a champion's purse, surely you can scrape together a few coppers to keep the king's peace.† Ned turned back to Janos Slynt. â€Å"I will also give you twenty good swords from my own household guard, to serve with the Watch until the crowds have left.† â€Å"All thanks, Lord Hand,† Slynt said, bowing. â€Å"I promise you, they shall be put to good use.† When the Commander had taken his leave, Eddard Stark turned to the rest of the council. â€Å"The sooner this folly is done with, the better I shall like it.† As if the expense and trouble were not irksome enough, all and sundry insisted on salting Ned's wound by calling it â€Å"the Hand's tourney,† as if he were the cause of it. And Robert honestly seemed to think he should feel honored! â€Å"The realm prospers from such events, my lord,† Grand Maester Pycelle said. â€Å"They bring the great the chance of glory, and the lowly a respite from their woes.† â€Å"And put coins in many a pocket,† Littlefinger added. â€Å"Every inn in the city is full, and the whores are walking bowlegged and jingling with each step.† Lord Renly laughed. â€Å"We're fortunate my brother Stannis is not with us. Remember the time he proposed to outlaw brothels? The king asked him if perhaps he'd like to outlaw eating, shitting, and breathing while he was at it. If truth be told, I ofttimes wonder how Stannis ever got that ugly daughter of his. He goes to his marriage bed like a man marching to a battlefield, with a grim look in his eyes and a determination to do his duty.† Ned had not joined the laughter. â€Å"I wonder about your brother Stannis as well. I wonder when he intends to end his visit to Dragonstone and resume his seat on this council.† â€Å"No doubt as soon as we've scourged all those whores into the sea,† Littlefinger replied, provoking more laughter. â€Å"I have heard quite enough about whores for one day,† Ned said, rising. â€Å"Until the morrow.† Harwin had the door when Ned returned to the Tower of the Hand. â€Å"Summon Jory to my chambers and tell your father to saddle my horse,† Ned told him, too brusquely. â€Å"As you say, my lord.† The Red Keep and the â€Å"Hand's tourney† were chafing him raw, Ned reflected as he climbed. He yearned for the comfort of Catelyn's arms, for the sounds of Robb and Jon crossing swords in the practice yard, for the cool days and cold nights of the north. In his chambers he stripped off his council silks and sat for a moment with the book while he waited for Jory to arrive. The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, With Descliptions of Many High Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children, by Grand Maester Malleon. Pycelle had spoken truly; it made for ponderous reading. Yet Jon Arryn had asked for it, and Ned felt certain he had reasons. There was something here, some truth buried in these brittle yellow pages, if only he could see it. But what? The tome was over a century old. Scarcely a man now alive had yet been born when Malleon had compiled his dusty lists of weddings, births, and deaths. He opened to the section on House Lannister once more, and turned the pages slowly, hoping against hope that something would leap out at him. The Lannisters were an old family, tracing their descent back to Lann the Clever, a trickster from the Age of Heroes who was no doubt as legendary as Bran the Builder, though far more beloved of singers and taletellers. In the songs, Lann was the fellow who winkled the Casterlys out of Casterly Rock with no weapon but his wits, and stole gold from the sun to brighten his curly hair. Ned wished he were here now, to winkle the truth out of this damnable book. A sharp rap on the door heralded Jory Cassel. Ned closed Malleon's tome and bid him enter. â€Å"I've promised the City Watch twenty of my guard until the tourney is done,† he told him. â€Å"I rely on you to make the choice. Give Alyn the command, and make certain the men understand that they are needed to stop fights, not start them.† Rising, Ned opened a cedar chest and removed a light linen undertunic. â€Å"Did you find the stableboy?† â€Å"The watchman, my lord,† Jory said. â€Å"He vows he'll never touch another horse.† â€Å"What did he have to say?† â€Å"He claims he knew Lord Arryn well. Fast friends, they were.† Jory snorted. â€Å"The Hand always gave the lads a copper on their name days, he says. Had a way with horses. Never rode his mounts too hard, and brought them carrots and apples, so they were always pleased to see him.† â€Å"Carrots and apples,† Ned repeated. It sounded as if this boy would be even less use than the others. And he was the last of the four Littlefinger had turned up. Jory had spoken to each of them in turn. Ser Hugh had been brusque and uninformative, and arrogant as only a new-made knight can be. If the Hand wished to talk to him, he should be pleased to receive him, but he would not be questioned by a mere captain of guards . . . even if said captain was ten years older and a hundred times the swordsman. The serving girl had at least been pleasant. She said Lord Jon had been reading more than was good for him, that he was troubled and melancholy over his young son's frailty, and gruff with his lady wife. The potboy, now cordwainer, had never exchanged so much as a word with Lord Jon, but he was full of oddments of kitchen gossip: the lord had been quarreling with the king, the lord only picked at his food, the lord was sending his boy to be fostered on Dragonstone, the lord had taken a great interest in the breeding of hunting hounds, the lord had visited a master armorer to commission a new suit of plate, wrought all in pale silver with a blue jasper falcon and a mother-of-pearl moon on the breast. The king's own brother had gone with him to help choose the design, the potboy said. No, not Lord Renly, the other one, Lord Stannis. â€Å"Did our watchman recall anything else of note?† â€Å"The lad swears Lord Jon was as strong as a man half his age. Often went riding with Lord Stannis, he says.† Stannis again, Ned thought. He found that curious. Jon Arryn and he had been cordial, but never friendly. And while Robert had been riding north to Winterfell, Stannis had removed himself to Dragonstone, the Targaryen island fastness he had conquered in his brother's name. He had given no word as to when he might return. â€Å"Where did they go on these rides?† Ned asked. â€Å"The boy says that they visited a brothel.† â€Å"A brothel?† Ned said. â€Å"The Lord of the Eyrie and Hand of the King visited a brothel with Stannis Baratheon?† He shook his head, incredulous, wondering what Lord Renly would make of this tidbit. Robert's lusts were the subject of ribald drinking songs throughout the realm, but Stannis was a different sort of man; a bare year younger than the king, yet utterly unlike him, stern, humorless, unforgiving, grim in his sense of duty. â€Å"The boy insists it's true. The Hand took three guardsmen with him, and the boy says they were joking of it when he took their horses afterward.† â€Å"Which brothel?† Ned asked. â€Å"The boy did not know. The guards would.† â€Å"A pity Lysa carried them off to the Vale,† Ned said dryly. â€Å"The gods are doing their best to vex us. Lady Lysa, Maester Colemon, Lord Stannis . . . everyone who might actually know the truth of what happened to Jon Arryn is a thousand leagues away.† â€Å"Will you summon Lord Stannis back from Dragonstone?† â€Å"Not yet,† Ned said. â€Å"Not until I have a better notion of what this is all about and where he stands.† The matter nagged at him. Why did Stannis leave? Had he played some part in Jon Arryn's murder? Or was he afraid? Ned found it hard to imagine what could frighten Stannis Baratheon, who had once held Storm's End through a year of siege, surviving on rats and boot leather while the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne sat outside with their hosts, banqueting in sight of his walls. â€Å"Bring me my doublet, if you would. The grey, with the direwolf sigil. I want this armorer to know who I am. It might make him more forthcoming.† Jory went to the wardrobe. â€Å"Lord Renly is brother to Lord Stannis as well as the king.† â€Å"Yet it seems that he was not invited on these rides.† Ned was not sure what to make of Renly, with all his friendly ways and easy smiles. A few days past, he had taken Ned aside to show him an exquisite rose gold locklet. Inside was a miniature painted in the vivid Myrish style, of a lovely young girl with doe's eyes and a cascade of soft brown hair. Renly had seemed anxious to know if the girl reminded him of anyone, and when Ned had no answer but a shrug, he had seemed disappointed. The maid was Loras Tyrell's sister Margaery, he'd confessed, but there were those who said she looked like Lyanna. â€Å"No,† Ned had told him, bemused. Could it be that Lord Renly, who looked so like a young Robert, had conceived a passion for a girl he fancied to be a young Lyanna? That struck him as more than passing queer. Jory held out the doublet, and Ned slid his hands through the armholes. â€Å"Perhaps Lord Stannis will return for Robert's tourney,† he said as Jory laced the garment up the back. â€Å"That would be a stroke of fortune, my lord,† Jory said. Ned buckled on a longsword. â€Å"In other words, not bloody likely.† His smile was grim. Jory draped Ned's cloak across his shoulders and clasped it at the throat with the Hand's badge of office. â€Å"The armorer lives above his shop, in a large house at the top of the Street of Steel. Alyn knows the way, my lord.† Ned nodded. â€Å"The gods help this potboy if he's sent me off haring after shadows.† It was a slim enough staff to lean on, but the Jon Arryn that Ned Stark had known was not one to wear jeweled and silvered plate. Steel was steel; it was meant for protection, not ornament. He might have changed his views, to be sure. He would scarcely have been the first man who came to look on things differently after a few years at court . . . but the change was marked enough to make Ned wonder. â€Å"Is there any other service I might perform?† â€Å"I suppose you'd best begin visiting whorehouses.† â€Å"Hard duty, my lord.† Jory grinned. â€Å"The men will be glad to help. Porther has made a fair start already.† Ned's favorite horse was saddled and waiting in the yard. Varly and Jacks fell in beside him as he rode through the yard. Their steel caps and shirts of mail must have been sweltering, yet they said no word of complaint. As Lord Eddard passed beneath the King's Gate into the stink of the city, his grey and white cloak streaming from his shoulders, he saw eyes everywhere and kicked his mount into a trot. His guard followed. He looked behind him frequently as they made their way through the crowded city streets. Tomard and Desmond had left the castle early this morning to take up positions on the route they must take, and watch for anyone following them, but even so, Ned was uncertain. The shadow of the King's Spider and his little birds had him fretting like a maiden on her wedding night. The Street of Steel began at the market square beside the River Gate, as it was named on maps, or the Mud Gate, as it was commonly called. A mummer on stilts was striding through the throngs like some great insect, with a horde of barefoot children trailing behind him, hooting. Elsewhere, two ragged boys no older than Bran were dueling with sticks, to the loud encouragement of some and the furious curses of others. An old woman ended the contest by leaning out of her window and emptying a bucket of slops on the heads of the combatants. In the shadow of the wall, farmers stood beside their wagons, bellowing out, â€Å"Apples, the best apples, cheap at twice the price,† and â€Å"Blood melons, sweet as honey,† and â€Å"Turnips, onions, roots, here you go here, here you go, turnips, onions, roots, here you go here.† The Mud Gate was open, and a squad of City Watchmen stood under the portcullis in their golden cloaks, leaning on spears. When a column of riders appeared from the west, the guardsmen sprang into action, shouting commands and moving the carts and foot traffic aside to let the knight enter with his escort. The first rider through the gate carried a long black banner. The silk rippled in the wind like a living thing; across the fabric was blazoned a night sky slashed with purple lightning. â€Å"Make way for Lord Beric!† the rider shouted. â€Å"Make way for Lord Beric!† And close behind came the young lord himself, a dashing figure on a black courser, with red-gold hair and a black satin cloak dusted with stars. â€Å"Here to fight in the Hand's tourney, my lord?† a guardsman called out to him. â€Å"Here to win the Hand's tourney,† Lord Beric shouted back as the crowd cheered. Ned turned off the square where the Street of Steel began and followed its winding path up a long hill, past blacksmiths working at open forges, freeriders haggling over mail shirts, and grizzled ironmongers selling old blades and razors from their wagons. The farther they climbed, the larger the buildings grew. The man they wanted was all the way at the top of the hill, in a huge house of timber and plaster whose upper stories loomed over the narrow street. The double doors showed a hunting scene carved in ebony and weirwood. A pair of stone knights stood sentry at the entrance, armored in fanciful suits of polished red steel that transformed them into griffin and unicorn. Ned left his horse with Jacks and shouldered his way inside. The slim young serving girl took quick note of Ned's badge and the sigil on his doublet, and the master came hurrying out, all smiles and bows. â€Å"Wine for the King's Hand,† he told the girl, gesturing Ned to a couch. â€Å"I am Tobho Mott, my lord, please, please, put yourself at ease.† He wore a black velvet coat with hammers embroidered on the sleeves in silver thread, Around his neck was a heavy silver chain and a sapphire as large as a pigeon's egg. â€Å"If you are in need of new arms for the Hand's tourney, you have come to the right shop.† Ned did not bother to correct him. â€Å"My work is costly, and I make no apologies for that, my lord,† he said as he filled two matching silver goblets. â€Å"You will not find craftsmanship equal to mine anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, I promise you. Visit every forge in King's Landing if you like, and compare for yourself. Any village smith can hammer out a shirt of mail; my work is art.† Ned sipped his wine and let the man go on. The Knight of Flowers bought all his armor here, Tobho boasted, and many high lords, the ones who knew fine steel, and even Lord Renly, the king's own brother. Perhaps the Hand had seen Lord Renly's new armor, the green plate with the golden antlers? No other armorer in the city could get that deep a green; he knew the secret of putting color in the steel itself, paint and enamel were the crutches of a journeyman. Or mayhaps the Hand wanted a blade? Tobho had learned to work Valyrian steel at the forges of Qohor as a boy. Only a man who knew the spells could take old weapons and forge them anew. â€Å"The direwolf is the sigil of House Stark, is it not? I could fashion a direwolf helm so real that children will run from you in the street,† he vowed. Ned smiled. â€Å"Did you make a falcon helm for Lord Arryn?† Tobho Mott paused a long moment and set aside his wine. â€Å"The Hand did call upon me, with Lord Stannis, the king's brother. I regret to say, they did not honor me with their patronage.† Ned looked at the man evenly, saying nothing, waiting. He had found over the years that silence sometimes yielded more than questions. And so it was this time. â€Å"They asked to see the boy,† the armorer said, â€Å"so I took them back to the forge.† â€Å"The boy,† Ned echoed. He had no notion who the boy might be. â€Å"I should like to see the boy as well.† Tobho Mott gave him a cool, careful look. â€Å"As you wish, my lord,† he said with no trace of his former friendliness. He led Ned out a rear door and across a narrow yard, back to the cavernous stone barn where the work was done. When the armorer opened the door, the blast of hot air that came through made Ned feel as though he were walking into a dragon's mouth. Inside, a forge blazed in each corner, and the air stank of smoke and sulfur. Journeymen armorers glanced up from their hammers and tongs just long enough to wipe the sweat from their brows, while bare-chested apprentice boys worked the bellows. The master called over a tall lad about Robb's age, his arms and chest corded with muscle. â€Å"This is Lord Stark, the new Hand of the King,† he told him as the boy looked at Ned through sullen blue eyes and pushed back sweat-soaked hair with his fingers. Thick hair, shaggy and unkempt and black as ink. The shadow of a new beard darkened his jaw. â€Å"This is Gendry. Strong for his age, and he works hard. Show the Hand that helmet you made, lad.† Almost shyly, the boy led them to his bench, and a steel helm shaped like a bull's head, with two great curving horns. Ned turned the helm over in his hands. It was raw steel, unpolished but expertly shaped. â€Å"This is fine work. I would be pleased if you would let me buy it.† The boy snatched it out of his hands. â€Å"It's not for sale.† Tobho Mott looked horror-struck. â€Å"Boy, this is the King's Hand. If his lordship wants this helm, make him a gift of it. He honors you by asking.† â€Å"I made it for me,† the boy said stubbornly. â€Å"A hundred pardons, my lord,† his master said hurriedly to Ned. â€Å"The boy is crude as new steel, and like new steel would profit from some beating. That helm is journeyman's work at best. Forgive him and I promise I will craft you a helm like none you have ever seen.† â€Å"He's done nothing that requires my forgiveness. Gendry, when Lord Arryn came to see you, what did you talk about?† â€Å"He asked me questions is all, m'lord.† â€Å"What sort of questions?† The boy shrugged. â€Å"How was I, and was I well treated, and if I liked the work, and stuff about my mother. Who she was and what she looked like and all.† â€Å"What did you tell him?† Ned asked. The boy shoved a fresh fall of black hair off his forehead. â€Å"She died when I was little. She had yellow hair, and sometimes she used to sing to me, I remember. She worked in an alehouse.† â€Å"Did Lord Stannis question you as well?† â€Å"The bald one? No, not him. He never said no word, just glared at me, like I was some raper who done for his daughter.† â€Å"Mind your filthy tongue,† the master said. â€Å"This is the King's own Hand.† The boy lowered his eyes. â€Å"A smart boy, but stubborn. That helm . . . the others call him bullheaded, so he threw it in their teeth.† Ned touched the boy's head, fingering the thick black hair. â€Å"Look at me, Gendry.† The apprentice lifted his face. Ned studied the shape of his jaw, the eyes like blue ice. Yes, he thought, I see it. â€Å"Go back to your work, lad. I'm sorry to have bothered you.† He walked back to the house with the master. â€Å"Who paid the boy's apprentice fee?† he asked lightly. Mott looked fretful. â€Å"You saw the boy. Such a strong boy. Those hands of his, those hands were made for hammers. He had such promise, I took him on without a fee.† â€Å"The truth now,† Ned urged. â€Å"The streets are full of strong boys. The day you take on an apprentice without a fee will be the day the Wall comes down. Who paid for him?† â€Å"A lord,† the master said reluctantly. â€Å"He gave no name, and wore no sigil on his coat. He paid in gold, twice the customary sum, and said he was paying once for the boy, and once for my silence.† â€Å"Describe him.† â€Å"He was stout, round of shoulder, not so tall as you. Brown beard, but there was a bit of red in it, I'll swear. He wore a rich cloak, that I do remember, heavy purple velvet worked with silver threads, but the hood shadowed his face and I never did see him clear.† He hesitated a moment. â€Å"My lord, I want no trouble.† â€Å"None of us wants trouble, but I fear these are troubled times, Master Mott,† Ned said. â€Å"You know who the boy is.† â€Å"I am only an armorer, my lord. I know what I'm told.† â€Å"You know who the boy is,† Ned repeated patiently. â€Å"That is not a question.† â€Å"The boy is my apprentice,† the master said. He looked Ned in the eye, stubborn as old iron. â€Å"Who he was before he came to me, that's none of my concern.† Ned nodded. He decided that he liked Tobho Mott, master armorer. â€Å"If the day ever comes when Gendry would rather wield a sword than forge one, send him to me. He has the look of a warrior. Until then, you have my thanks, Master Mott, and my promise. Should I ever want a helm to frighten children, this will be the first place I visit.† His guard was waiting outside with the horses. â€Å"Did you find anything, my lord?† Jacks asked as Ned mounted up. â€Å"I did,† Ned told him, wondering. What had Jon Arryn wanted with a king's bastard, and why was it worth his life?