Evaluation of Product; Apple's Macbook Pro Essay

Evaluation of Product; Apple's Macbook Pro - Essay Example On the other hand, outside the manufacturer environment, MacBook Pro is a fast moving product in the market. Consumer Reports ranks MacBook Pro as one of the best laptop computers in the market and a quickly moving product by consumer choice (Rawson). The evaluation of this product in terms of market and consumer setting involves three factors: the users of the product, the environment within which the product is found, and the product itself in terms of satisfying consumer tastes and preferences. The manufacturer-consumer factors and interactions give critical insights into the product in question. The product is designed to suit the end user without difficulty. Although Apple utilizes sophisticated technologies in designing and manufacturing unique and high quality for the market, end user strategies are also implemented. Simplicity in terms of usability and sophistication in terms of manufacturer and functionality are the drives of MacBook Pro. The pricing of the product takes into account the cost of production and the fact that Apple operates on a profit motive. However, due to the utilization of strategic resources and high-tech production processes, the product has affordable prices when it reaches the market (Stanton 147). Locally, regionally, and internationally, the environment within which the product is offered is a competitive one. For this reason, competition becomes vital for successful operations and market performance. The marketing strategies employed by Apple for MacBook Pro seek to address consumer needs. What makes this process different from many other rival firms is the follow-up and consumer feedback programs that Apple runs. The company designs and manufactures products with integrated consumer-based features. The product itself is crucial in the entire evaluation process. MacBook Pro’s ranking against other substitutable products is crucial in accounting for the realized product trends in the various markets where the

Proposed amendment Essay Example for Free

Proposed amendment Essay Brief Presentation of Issue The 9/11 tragedy has led the US Federal Government to enact laws of national security that crosses all boarders. On October 2001, the US Congress has passed into law the US Patriot Act which formulates homeland security measures and combating burdens of the State on vulnerabilities and risks of present and future terrorist threat. The US Patriot Act of 2001 was the first enacted law that legally addresses the strong counter-terrorism measures of the US government that empowers all rules and regulations of the state’s homeland security. All US government agencies were enjoined to formulate a national and international operating guidelines relating to addressing a firmer global counter-terrorism policies and strategic sharing of burdens of information with allied international governments. The timeline of enforcement of the US Patriot Act of 2001 has accounted serious human errors in the conduct of enforcement to which the standard operating procedures constituted by the rules of court have been summarily neglected and to the point of being grossly deviated, specifically in serving search and arrest warrants that is likewise violating the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The issue of encroachment of the rules of court in issuance of search and arrest warrant has become a constitutional concern of the US Congress and the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights (Leggiere, P. 2004). Framing of An Amendment to Search and Seizure Order The above cited issues has come the proposal to supplement the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights that constitutes the provision on search and seizure. The 4th Amendment may be therefore supplemented with an enabling clause as an Amendment on specific provision that states: â€Å"Constitutional liabilities in the issuance of search and seizure order. † A Brief Resolution of the Proposed Amendment The following proposed resolution formulates and creates the enabling clause of the Amendment: â€Å"Whereas, be it known that the facade of human error in the conduct of search and seizure may infringe the performance and call of duty in safeguarding the national security and protecting the lives of citizenry, and may violate the civil and constitutional rights of every citizens of the state and the immigrants;† â€Å"Whereas, be it further known that deviation and neglect in issuing search and seizure order may not constitutionally uphold the enforcement of such law and jeopardize the 4th Amendment of the Bill of Rights;† â€Å"Be it resolved, as it is hereby resolve that the proposed amendment shall state the provision of Constitutional liabilities in the issuance of search and seizure order,† that shall egally address the unauthorized and illegal search and seizure prior to the proceedings of proper and appropriate Court of laws. † Thus, the Amendment on â€Å"Constitutional liabilities in the issuance of search and seizure order† seeks to uphold the constitutional right of every state citizen and immigrants and deterrence to commission of human error of conducting authorities. Exploratory Issues to the Amendment The â€Å"constitutional liabilities in the issuance of search and seizure order† emanates an action that supplant the human error, as may be singled out in the performance and call of duty, and the flaws of government directives, authorization and function that engages constitutional liabilities in the conduct of search and seizure. Given the fact that despite the continuing violation of human rights, the human error and flaws of authorities are not given due response by the Court of law due to the absence of fundamental and legal precedents that shall interpret the violation. Likewise, the human error itself defeats 6th Amendment of the Bill of Rights wherein the fair trial composes the right of a person to be served with proper procedure prior to prosecution. To cite a relative incident, we can quote the disclosure of Phil Leggiere (2004) who stated in his investigative article, that: â€Å" the US Congress and Senate approve the Military Commissions Act, which authorizes torture and strips non-US citizen detainees (suspected of terrorist ties) of the right of habeas corpus—which includes formal charges, counsel and hearings—and also empowers the US president at his discretion to declare US citizens as enemy combatants and subject to detention without charge or due process†. The above cited disclosure further stated that, in so far as the US Court of law is concerned, the constitutional liability of the US government authority that has been directly involved is still pending for court interpretation and documentation of circumstantial facts. Obviously, the violation boils down to the presumed call of duty and in the name of national security to which the constitutional liability is impeded to surface (Leggiere 2004). Pros and Cons Pros. The primary advantage of adopting the proposed Amendment would enable a legal precedent that shall formally address the constitutional liability of the human error and the fine tuning of the US government authorities in the conduct of enforcement. The Court of law shall then recognize the pleadings of human right violations from the circumstance of complex conduct of search and seizure. The parliamentary procedure and judicial process may use the proposed Amendment as an examining tool on the extent and scope of violations wherein qualification and determination of offense shall be dealt with both civil and criminal punishment. Above all the benefits of the proposed Amendment is the articulation and emphasis of the search and seizure application to which the people, and specifically the victims of mistaken identity, shall be safeguarded from harm of circumstantial neglect, denial and justification of acquiring national security measures. Cons What could be claimed as a disadvantage upon the passage of the proposed Amendment is the dysfunction in covert and strategic operation in homeland security management. The dysfunction could be a vague issue but could be a burden in gathering of intelligence information for suspected terrorists and enemies of the state. However, in today’s application of advanced cyber-technologies, the US authorities may ultimately resort and rely on such expensive tools that may be useful enough for intelligence reconnaissance. Although it is still a common knowledge and understanding that the CIA still rely on the so-called open-source information relative to legal, Para-legal and covert extraction (Elsea, J. K. 2004). At this point of view, the covert extraction of information from sources (which could have been a result of torture), would be employed by the proposed Amendment. In which case, expose’ of information in the open court may bring vulnerability of covert operation. However, in that regard, there may be a venue to contain the inquiry on constitutional liabilities. Conclusion The Bill of Rights represents the people itself in the annals of democratic fundamentals. It is where the Constitution is made to uphold the moral virtues of citizenry and the government that represent them. Without the moral virtues of a constitution, a volatile and fragile democracy negates the human rights. It is therefore a moral obligation of every citizen in various governments to protect and lead into vanguard the proliferation of moral ascendancy for their rights above all the creation of the fundamental law of the land. References American Homepage. The Bill of Rights. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://ahp. gatech. edu/bill_of_rights_1789. html. Bruns, R. A. (1986). A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the United States Constitution. National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives Trust Fund Board, Washington, DC. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://www. archives. gov/national-archives- experience/charters/print_friendly. html? page=constitution_history_content. htmltitle=NARA%20%7C%20The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20United%20States%3A%20A%20History. Human Rights Watch (2004). Immigrants’ Rights under Attack in House Bill (H. R. 10). Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://www. hrw. org/english/docs/2004/10/06/usdom9469. htm. Jennifer K. Elsea, J. K.(2004). U. S. Treatment of Prisoners in Iraq: Selected Legal Issues. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://www. us. gov/RL32395/pdf. Leggiere, P. (2004). Bill of Rights Under Bush: A Timeline. Mondo Globo Alpha. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://mondoglobo. ning. com/group/questionauthority/forum/topic/show? id=1509099%3ATopic%3A2937. Rapczynski, J. (2000). Search and Seizure. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2000/2/00. 02. 04. x. html. Rodley, N. S. (1999). The Treatment of Prisoners Under International Law. Oxford Press, 2nd Edition. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://books. google. com/books? id=pOpdOyPn36ECpg=PA3lpg=PA3dq=protocol+on+treatment+of+war+prisonerssource=webots=vmMso_Qs-3sig=C2BMjcTvmC. Yale University (2007). 1996-2007: The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. The Lillian Goldman Law Library in Memory of Sol Goldman, 127 Wall Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06520. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from http://www. yale. edu/lawweb/avalon/lawofwar/geneva03. htm.

Essay --

Social networking has become increasingly popular over the past few years, especially with many new media sites and apps being released. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedln are perfect examples of social media sites where people can post what they are doing and where they are at with pictures for the general public to see. Different companies and establishments are using social networking to check on their employees and to see how they carry themselves out side of work. Outside of our work and jobs, we represent the companies and establishments that we work for. Major companies and establishments want their employees to be responsible and act maturely when they are inside and outside of work. Employees are expected to hold the integrity of the company and their image. Sharron Smalls was a principal at the Jane Addams High School in Chicago, Illinois when a photo of her and another man drizzling chocolate upon themselves surfaced. Much controversy circulated over this case whether Sharron should be fired or still be able to keep her job. Margie Feinberg who is a spokeswoman fo...

An Analytical

Does Lili Rose make a right choice in the story â€Å"Curly Red † by Joyce Carol Oates? Why or why not? Lili Rose the protagnist of the story ,†Curly Red†by Joyce Carol Oates depicts the tension between her and her father by stating †Daddy ? I had to do it. I did'nt have any choice. I'wondered if it was true,dont we always have choices. †This quote focuses on the decisions Lili Rose had to made about the involvement of her brothers in the racist crime. She made the right decision following her consciousness rather than loyality of her family.She lived a guilt free life after confessing the crime of her brother and correcting the family mistake by suppurting the truth. Lili Rose did not conceal the truth from the society instead she amend the mistake. Her ethical nature and loyality to truth made her different from her family . She decides to live a guilt free life. She was not sorry about anything she did and was determined that if it again ahppens to h er she would do it again. Lili betrayed her family by revealing the secretof the involvement of her brothers in the murder. She confessed by stating,†I said Mom? It was Leo and Mario.I saw them with the baseball bat. They were the ones†. Her mother reacted furiously after listening this which indicates that her anger was releasing in physical way. Lili provided justice to Jadro Filer who was innocent. She gave justice to his family by confessing the truth beside the loyality of her family. Lili's father was assuaging his own guilt by supporting Jadro Filer's family financially. Lili was against this and thought that life cannot be retained by money. lili's parents try to protect leo and mario from the crime. lili followed her inner consciousness and told the truth which left her alone the wholelife.Lili Rose's †love†towards her brothers changes into†hate† when she realizes the horrible nature of her brothers . This illustrates in the story when Li li states †Only years later would I wonder what leo and mario had done to me if they'd guessed all that i knew. † lili feels that it is her personal responsibility to tell the truth about their crime as she did not want to carry this guilt her whole life. Hence,Lili Rose followed her consciousness rather than her family and supported the truth . she made the right choice which however changed her life forever. Delete ReplyReply ForwardMovePrint Actions NextPrevious

Media Ethics and behavior

With the most resent massacre at Virginia Tech the issue of media ethics has once again been brought into question.   This, I believe, is because of the need to understanding why or how this could happen.   Perhaps this understanding could prevent another violent incident from happening to our children and to our society and allow a certain type of closure in our grief. In researching the topic of journalistic ethics and its effects on behavior, I found three distinct concerns that related to the Virginia Tech massacre the first; does the media influence or encourage behavior? And if so, what steps is the media taking to understand this issue?   Is the media industry trying to create a plan to regulate how incidents of this nature are portrayed, or how they will be reported and in what context?   The second is on the issue of gun control; are United States laws on gun ownership not strict enough?   Do we need to get tougher?   Should we create more laws? And third is American society failing when dealing with mental health issues?   Is there enough studies being done or funding for mental health issues?   It should also be noted that in all the information on violent behavior everyone agrees that there is not one single indicator that will predict human behavior and that all avenues must be explored to fully understand human behavior which is very complex. In the United States children and young adults are among the highest at risk for experiencing violent crimes and violence.   We can also claim that a large portion of our time is spent interacting in the world of media.   Some forms of media used by American adolescents have been found to be very violent and this is where the question of media’s effect on behavior comes in.   Shortly after the Virginia Tech incident a USA Today article told of a popular game called â€Å"Assassin†. This game is played on both college and high school campuses across America.   Police officers have been urging students, â€Å"to halt the games, which involve ambushing other players with sometimes realistic looking toy gun or other objects, after the Virginia Tech shooting last week that left 33 people dead†.   The local authorities did this as a preventive measurement for the safety of the kids playing as well as others by mistaken intent (Welch). Serious crime by adolescents rose greatly in the late 1980s, and peaked in 1994. Since then juvenile crime has declined even faster than overall crime, and violent offenses by juveniles have fallen back to 1980s levels. In 2000, juveniles accounted for 17 percent of all violent crime arrests and 32 percent of all property crime arrests.   According to federal statistics juveniles account for only 9 percent of those arrested for murder, but make up one-quarter of all robbery arrests and 53 percent of all arson arrests. Since the number of Americans under the age of 18 is projected to increase, some juvenile justice experts argue the juvenile crime rate may increase as well (Public Agenda.org). But regardless of how the media reports on school killings, society needs to develop better ways of helping their children when viewing or in some cases experiencing violence.   Teaching individuals at a young age that violence in any form is not tolerated and work at understanding why young individuals see violence as a method for solving problems. The Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Student Press joined together to discuss how school violence is to be covered.   The discussion was to try to see how to balance reporting the news with minimizing harm to students across the country.   If shooters get their â€Å"fifteen minutes of fame†, especially is they are dubbed as the heroic outlaw, then this opens the possible problems of increasingly more disenfranchised â€Å"nobodies† who may view violence as a way to become noticed. Reporters pressured to get the story and make it central on the nightly news may not be sensitive to the effects of their coverage in the larger scheme of things (Fitzgerald and Mitchell).   Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the important to justice and the foundation of democracy. The organization also believes that the duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. They believe that all journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. They go on to say that professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice (www.spj.org). This organization, Society for Professional Journalism, believes that ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect. Journalists should show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.   They must be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy and recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance. Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy. Journalist must show good taste, avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes, be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges and balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed. Journalists should also â€Å"avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived, remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility, refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.   Journalist should disclose unavoidable conflicts, be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable, deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage and be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news† (www.spj.org). The meeting produced many ideals to help reporters and the public when dealing with violence and kids. As juvenile crime increased in the 1990s, nearly every state passed laws making it easier to prosecute juveniles in adult courts for serious offenses. Supporters say many juveniles are hardened criminals despite their youth, and maybe it’s not appropriate to handle serious crimes like murder and rape in the juvenile justice system. Critics say juveniles tried as adults will not get any of the counseling and rehabilitation services that might prevent them from committing more crimes. In surveys, most Americans endorse trying some juveniles as adults, but they also believe rehabilitation programs can be effective. Student journalists hope to educate the professionals about how to deal with people their age and how to be more aware of their concerns.   In turn, the professionals can guide students in how best to cover stories. The theory is that student journalists can get kids to talk without pressuring them or invading their privacy the way many journalists from out of town have done.   Yet working together with the professionals can help them through the process and through the trauma.   It may also be the case that student journalists can get through to other students in ways that adults can't, because students will more willing to read something about violence written by another student. â€Å"We want to read it from the point of view of someone who knows what we're experiencing,† said one student. Professional reporters come in, get the story, and leave, kids at a school where violence has occurred can continue to cover the story in a long-range manner, and with more breadth and depth.   â€Å"Kids know there is more depth,† said Laura Schaub, of the Oklahoma Inter-Scholastic Press Association, â€Å"but they can use professional assistance conceptualizing how to get it into the paper† (www.spj.org). In more resent weeks NBC news has been under fire for the way it handled the pictures and writings of the student who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech.   NBC announced that it would limit its use of images to â€Å"no more than 10 percent of airtime†.   Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, strongly defended the network’s decision to broadcast the material.   Families of some of the victims, some law enforcement officials and executives from competing television news organizations have accused NBC of being insensitive or exploitative in the way it presented the materials on the air. (Carter). In a study from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control I found that there were 173 incidents between July 1, 1994 and June 30, 1998. The majorities of these incidents were homicides involving the use of firearms. The total number of incidents did decrease steadily since the 1992-1993 school year. But the total number of multiple victim events appears to have increased. During August 1995 through June 1998, there were an average of five multiple victims events per year. This is compared to an average of one multiple victim event per year in the three years from August 1992 through July 1995. While the total number of events of school associated violent deaths have decreased, the total number of multiple-victim events appears to have increased (2007). In a study by the Center for Disease Control named Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a school-based survey designed to produce a nationally representative sample of risk behaviors among students in grades 9-12. This study was completed in 1997 and reported that 18.3% of high school students carried a weapons weather it was a gun, knife, or club during the 30 days preceding the survey, down from 26.1% in 1991. The survey also found that 5.9% of high school students carried a gun during the 30 days preceding the survey, 8.5% of high school students carried a weapon on school property during the 30 days preceding the survey and that 7.4% of high school students were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the 12 months preceding the survey. Nationwide, 4% of students had missed 1 or more days of school during the 30 days preceding the survey because they had felt unsafe at school or when traveling to or from school. The prevalence of weapon carrying on school property on 1 or more of the 30 days preceding the survey was 8.5% nationwide. Overall, male students (12.5%) were significantly more likely than female students (3.7%) to have carried a weapon on school property (www.cdc.gov). Research has demonstrated that exposure to both real life and media violence is associated with increased hostility and aggressive behavior and decreased empathy. However, not all adolescents will be affected by violence exposure in the same way. Those who are exposed to personal and community violence, or who have a predisposition to aggressive behavior, may be more at risk for the negative effects of violence exposure. The study explored the effects of real life and media violence exposure on two populations, 216 high school students (109 girls) and 96 adolescents (13 girls) detained in a juvenile detention center. Participants completed seven self-report instruments measuring exposure to real life and media violence, psychopathology, hostile attributions, aggression, empathy, and social desirability. Due to the differences in the samples, results were analyzed separately (Greene). Consistent with the hypotheses and the General Aggression Model, real life and media violence exposure was significantly associated with and significantly predicted increased aggression, increased hostile attributions, and decreased empathy for the high school student sample. Additionally, psychopathology was a significant mediating variable for the relationship between real life violence and aggression. For the detained adolescents, exposure to real life violence was positively associated with aggression and psychopathology, but was not significantly associated with hostile attributions or empathy. Media violence was not associated with aggression, hostile attributions, or empathy. But these results were not consistent with the hypotheses and may reflect desensitization processes or differences in aggressive practices among this high risk sample. Results of this study suggest the need for further work in the areas of prevention and interventions for violence-exposed adolescents in order to reduce negative outcomes. Additionally, future research may wish to focus more attention on high risk individuals to better understand the process through which these adolescents react to violence exposure (Anderson, Berkowitz, Donnerstein, Huesmann, Johnson, Linz, Malamouth and Wartella). Gun control is also part of this discussion.   This was the first topic brought out when the incident at Virginia Tech. was first reported.   The world news made this the center for attention.   Media placed blame for the cause in America on the topic of gun control and placed media’s involvement on the back burner.   New York mayor, Michael Bloomber stated to Newsweek, â€Å"the conversation about guns needs to move beyond the extremes of Second Amendment purity and liberal utopianism. Much of the rest of the world manages to control gun violence better than we do; this is one case where American exceptionalism is nothing to be proud of† (May 4, 2007).   But we shouldn’t forget that blame first should be put on the young man who actually did the killings and secondary blame can then be divided up equally between all other factors involved. General Public in America believes that for the most part other preventive measures are better than owning or carrying a gun.   On the web site Public agenda they conducted a survey on the general population and found that only about 21% believe that guns are useful in preventing crimes.   Most Americans say that tougher laws and punishment would be a better deterrent for crime.   They also found that a majority of Americans feel that school violence is not a serious problem in their schools and in general they feel safe.   They all admit that their community could still be susceptible to an incident like at Virginia Tech. (www.publicagenda.org). Another point the media and the public brought out was the responsibility of helping individuals with possible mental health issues that might have caused someone like Cho Seung-Hui, the killer from Virginia Tech., to behave or react as he did.   In an article in Newsweek dated April 30th, 2007 they looked into the failure of the system and the general population as to seeing the signs, â€Å"Cho had apparently dropped through the cracks of the university bureaucracy. Earlier run-ins weren’t in his records† (31). We need to encourage students who hear one of their friends make a threat to take it seriously, even if they don't believe that person would ever really so it. Look at the problem of bullying by peers in schools is another even though it may never be stopped, but listening to kids that are experiencing the bullying along with the kids bullying might help.   In doing this research I found that media isn’t the only factor in possibly making what has been happening in America worse. But to me it is clear there was an influence.   In an article written by Evan Thomas he did write about Cho Seung-Hui’s video and said he, â€Å"pays homage to â€Å"Eric and Dylan† the two videogame-addled teenagers who killed 13 students at Columbine High School in 1999† (24).   In my opinion this does show a connection between violence and the media.   The Media industry really should acknowledge this fact instead of avoiding or defending their style of reporting.   Conscious efforts and discussion is vital in order to stop a growing trend in America when it comes to crime and violence. Works Cited Anderson, Craig A., Berkowitz, Leonard., Dommerstien, Edward., Huesmann, L.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rowell., Johnson, James D., Linz, Danniel., Malamouth, Neil M., and Wartella,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ellen.   â€Å"The Influence of Media Violence on Youth†.   Psychological Science in   Ã‚  Ã‚   the Public Interest.   December 2003. V. 4. Issue 3.   p. 81-118. 30p. Center for Disease Control.   Fitzgerald, Mark, and Mitchell, Grey., Eds.   Society of Professional Journalists.   Retrieved May 3, 2007.   Greene, Kathern. â€Å"Predicting Exposure to and Linking of Media Violence: A uses and    Gratification Approach†.   Communication Studies, March 2005.   V. 56, Issue 1,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   p.71-93. 23p. Meacham, J. â€Å"The Editor’s Desk†.   Newsweek.   April 30, 2007.   p.4,4 National Center for Injury Prevention of Enterprise Communication Media Relation,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   April 21, 1999. Retrieved May 3, 2007.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Public Agenda. Retrieved May 2, 2007.    Savage, Joanne. â€Å"Does Viewing Violent Media Really Cause Criminal Violence? A   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Methodological Review†.   Aggression and Violent Behavior.   November 2004. V.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10, Issue 1, p. 99-128. 30p. Thomas, Evan.   â€Å"Making of a Massacre†.   Newsweek.   April 20, 2007.   p. 22-31 Welch, W.   â€Å"Students Urged to Stop Playing â€Å"Assassin† Game†.   USA Today. May 4,    2007.   Section: News. P. 3A   

History of the Euro essays

History of the Euro essays It has been a long time in the making, but scheduled plans have marked January 1, 2002 as the date that the new Euro currency banknotes and coins will be introduced in Europe. July 1, 2002 is the designated day that the changeover to a monetary union will be complete. The discussion as to the risks and benefits of this monetary union has been all the talk around the world. This union will have vast and far-reaching effects that will touch not only the countries in the union, but the entire world. There will be a dramatic and radical economic change in Europe. All national currencies will disappear and there will be only one money, the European Currency Unit or ECU. Europes economy was in shambles after the end of World War II. They had invested a lot of money and resources to financing the war. In 1948, The United States Secretary of State George C. Marshall, suggested that the United States should assist Europe in their rebuilding, restructuring, and reconstruction. Offering U.S. capital, resources, and cooperation to the countries of Europe would accomplish this. This was known as the Marshall Plan. This plan was very successful right out of the gates. In just two years Europe was ahead in industrial production (up one hundred and thirty-eight percent) from its last year of peace before the war (Ball pg.138). The United States continued to work with and assist Europe and in 1957, the Treaty of Rome was signed. This created the European Community (EC), or as it is otherwise known as The European Economic Community (EEC). The premise behind this union was that if the countries of Europe were liked and dependent on each other financi ally, there would be less of a chance of them going to war again with each other. The European Community began with just six members. They were Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Following afterwards were the countries of Denmark, Ireland, United Kin...

Free Essays on F.D.

, â€Å"He then told her to cross her hands; he tied them with a strong rope, and led her to a stool under a large hook in the joist, put in for the purpose. He made her get upon the stool, and tied her hands to he hook.† He remembered the cries of his Aunt for mercy. â€Å"I remember the first time I ever witnessed this horrible exhibition. I was quite a child, but I well remember it. I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything.† Douglass’s long termed memory can be considered as both a gift and a curse; for to remember such acts must be disturbing and yet to remember also never lets one forget. Douglass had witnessed some unthinkable acts of cruelty, during his life span but managed to use these negativities in a positive way. He uses these memories of his past, of truth, as motivation to become a free man, to escape the making of future dehumanizing memories. He believes in truth, that the truth will set him free from this pain; it will speak for itself. It was a combination of his personal traits: observation, faith in truth, perseverance, self-education and brawn that brought him to seek, attempt, and eventually succeed in finding freedom. His momentum for freedom came from internal instinct. These traits and his exposure to both human and inhuman environments inspired him to resist the dehumanizing character of slavery. His self-sophistication and success as a pre-eminent crusader against slavery, as a speaker and a writer is amazing to me.... Free Essays on F.D. Free Essays on F.D. In Frederick Douglass’s words, â€Å"He then told her to cross her hands; he tied them with a strong rope, and led her to a stool under a large hook in the joist, put in for the purpose. He made her get upon the stool, and tied her hands to he hook.† He remembered the cries of his Aunt for mercy. â€Å"I remember the first time I ever witnessed this horrible exhibition. I was quite a child, but I well remember it. I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything.† Douglass’s long termed memory can be considered as both a gift and a curse; for to remember such acts must be disturbing and yet to remember also never lets one forget. Douglass had witnessed some unthinkable acts of cruelty, during his life span but managed to use these negativities in a positive way. He uses these memories of his past, of truth, as motivation to become a free man, to escape the making of future dehumanizing memories. He believes in truth, that the truth will set him free from this pain; it will speak for itself. It was a combination of his personal traits: observation, faith in truth, perseverance, self-education and brawn that brought him to seek, attempt, and eventually succeed in finding freedom. His momentum for freedom came from internal instinct. These traits and his exposure to both human and inhuman environments inspired him to resist the dehumanizing character of slavery. His self-sophistication and success as a pre-eminent crusader against slavery, as a speaker and a writer is amazing to me....

From the Mouth of LinkedIn 6 Things You Need to Know

From the Mouth of LinkedIn 6 Things You Need to Know I used to complain about the way LinkedIn would make changes to its platform without advising anyone about them. But I had no real right to do this, since I was not subscribed to LinkedIn’s Official Blog. Now that I am subscribed to the blog, I feel justified in my complaint. Many changes in the last month or so have blindsided members. I was rather shocked yesterday when I was told I had reached the â€Å"commercial limit† in my search and can only see three search results per search until the end of the month, when my search kitty will be replenished. Wow, LinkedIn really wants me to subscribe to Sales Navigator! But I digress. Since LinkedIn has gone through the trouble to announce a few of its changes, I thought for those of you (which means most of you) who are not subscribed to the LinkedIn Official Blog, it would be useful to give you some of the information I’ve been getting in my inbox for the last few months. Here are some useful articles from LinkedIn on the big changes that have happened. Note they talk a lot more about the things they’ve given than about the things they’ve taken away: LinkedIn Profile Photo Tips: Introducing Photo Filters and Editing  (for Mobile App Only) LinkedIn claims that â€Å"simply having a profile photo results in up to 21x more profile views and 9x more connection requests.† And now there are new tools to filter, crop and edit your photo via your LinkedIn  mobile app. You want to look your best on LinkedIn, so experiment with these features and use the tips LinkedIn provides. And if you are a speaker/author or higher level professional, do splurge on a professional photographer. Simple Tips to Improve your LinkedIn Feed  (for Mobile App Only) LinkedIn now gives you the power to customize the content in your LinkedIn feed from your mobile app. From your phone, after you click on an item in your feed, you can click on the â€Å"control icon† in the upper right corner of the update (3 dots next to each other) and go to â€Å"Improve my feed: Get recommended sources to follow.† Or you can hide posts, unfollow people, and report inappropriate activity. (On my iPhone, I discovered I could also get to this screen by clicking on my image to go to my profile, then clicking on the gear icon in the upper right, where I got a choice â€Å"Feed Preferences: Make your feed your own.†) Clicking on â€Å"Improve my feed† will bring you here: â€Å"Clean up you feed† gives you a long list of people you can unfollow. LinkedIn won’t notify them, don’t worry. And if you’d like suggestions on new companies and people to follow, tell LinkedIn you want to â€Å"Follow fresh perspectives† and you’ll be given some suggestions: How to Use the LinkedIn Notifications Tab to Stay Connected LinkedIn seems to want to help members keep on top of important events and network activity. The new Notifications tab notifies you of potential job opportunities, important milestones (birthdays, anniversaries and new positions) of your connections, â€Å"likes† or comments on your posts, who’s viewed your profile or followed you. How to Make the Most of the New LinkedIn Search This article is fairly technical in nature. You’ll get detailed instructions on how to use the search box to find people or companies, narrow your results with filters, create alerts for job openings, and use Boolean search with a set of five search operators (I told you it was technical). Good news: You can now search for posts using the search box! And you can save searches – a feature LinkedIn tried to eliminate but was persuaded by the community to reinstate. I encourage you to keep this article on hand and experiment with not only finding exactly what you want on LinkedIn, but also creating alerts for things you care about. There’s a Lot LinkedIn Didn’t Tell You About In my article last week, The Incredible Disappearing LinkedIn Profile, I covered many of the changes LinkedIn failed to write about. Please check it out if you missed it. Since then, I discovered the commercial use limit, mentioned above, as well as a change in how to receive an archive of your profile. Here are some LinkedIn Help pages that will be useful if you want to request an archive, or export your contacts. Both of these functions have moved from their previous positions! Accessing Your Account Data (Requesting your data archive) I recommend requesting an archive on a monthly or quarterly basis, depending on how active you are, and also requesting one every time you make updates to your profile. Exporting Connections (Your Contacts List) from LinkedIn If you want to email your LinkedIn connections, the best way to do it is to export a list from LinkedIn. Start from your My Network tab and then click on your number of connections, which will bring you to a screen with Manage synced and imported contacts in the upper right-hand corner.   Do NOT spam people! I recommend sending ONE email, written in a friendly manner, inviting people to your list. If they don’t join, they don’t join. Don’t risk a high spam rating by automatically adding your contacts to a marketing list. Exporting your connections is also the best way to tag and keep notes on your LinkedIn contacts, now that tagging and notes are no longer available to members with free accounts. Are you subscribed to the LinkedIn Official Blog? While it’s not perfect, the LinkedIn Blog will advise you about at least some of the things you need to know. Sign up here. If you get stuck trying to get something done on LinkedIn, try LinkedIn Help. Please share with me what you learn, and if LinkedIn Help doesn’t, well, help, I’d like to know about that too. Rest assured, a new edition of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile is in the works. Stay tuned!

Law and Ethics of At-Will Employment Research Paper

Law and Ethics of At-Will Employment - Research Paper Example We will deep-dive into the law and evaluate the ethical implications of the law. Introduction to the law The at-will-employment law in USA states that the contract of employment between an employer and employee can be terminated by either of the two parties at any point of time for any specific reason. This implies that the employee can resign from the job without any contractual obligations to the employer and the employer can separate the employee without any obligations post the separation. Because of the nature of the contract, its duration is a moment and it is renewed from every moment to moment. History The law of at-will-employment finds its beginning in the late nineteenth century. Untill that time, most of the workers in US were employed in the agricultural sector and were appointed for particular harvesting season. During that time, the workers were subjected to work for a particular master for the entire season. Workers who leave their jobs before the end of the term will have to forgo their wages for the period that they worked. Although there was no specified term for the duration of contract, the same will be implied by the courts. This was termed as the entire-contract doctrine. The entire-contract doctrine led to high income insecurity amongst the unskilled workers. With the advancement of technology and growth of production in masses and manufacturing plants, majority of the workers shifted from agricultural sector to the industrial sector. Workers in this sector were hired for the indefinite period and therefore not subjected to the entire-contract doctrine. From 1880s, some of the courts started to view the employment contract as a contract that can be terminated by any of the party at any given point of time and any reason. This evolved as the at-will-employment law and became prominent in many states. Trends in At-will-employment doctrine The at-will-employment doctrine was favorable for the laborers as it removed the monetary insecurity a rising out of the entire-contract term. It meant that the workers were paid for the time they worked even if they quit or were separated. Because of the advantage to the workers and new theories in the field of human resource management, organization started to reorganize their workforce into ‘internal labor markets’ (Doeringer & Piore, 1971). According to this arrangement, the workforce was organized in the form of hierarchical levels where significant experience and training at a particular level provided the way for the level up. Organizations started to design policies centered on the employees so that they stay with the firm for a long duration. Employees were given advantages of fixed promotion cycles along with increasing pay. During the large part of twentieth century, at-will-employment along with the concept of ‘internal labor markets’ was the norm. Workers were further benefited from the presence of unions that were responsible for negotiation of contracts and contract terms. Beginning in the 1970s, many state courts started to impose restrictions on the employers regarding their right to lay-off employees. The courts started to impose tort liabilities on firms that were proved of making unjustified dismissals. Besides this, courts also started to incorporate tenets of good faith and fairness as a part of the employment co

Public Relation is the New Propaganda Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relation is the New Propaganda - Outline Example Public relations refer to the processes, principles, and procedures guiding communication between companies, organizations, individuals with the media and the public. In most cases, public relations focus on the creation and maintenance of a positive image as well as a strong relationship with the target audience (Moloney 2006). Democracy   Democracy refers to a system of governance focusing on vesting the power in the people with the ability to rule directly or under the influence of the elected representatives (Schumpeter 2013). Political Economy of Information  For critical reasons, sociologists, political scientists and communication practitioners have the tendency of evaluating phenomena from the economists’ perspective. The condition makes them develop the aspect of becoming political economists, thus the concept of the political economy of information (Stilwell 2011). Theoretical Perspectives and Models  Various models have focused on illustrations of PR and propa ganda issues in the modern context. This section explores a critical review the most effective and prominent theoretical perceptions with the objective of understanding the research goals and scope effectively.  There are four critical theories in relation to understanding the concept of the public sphere: representative liberal, participatory liberal, discursive, and constructionist theories. Constructionist theory focuses on popular inclusion, empowerment, recognition, narrative creativity, and the eventual avoidance.

Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad Research Paper

Harriet Tubman and the underground railroad - Research Paper Example These people came out strongly to agitate for the rights and freedom of the blacks in the US and that they are considered just like any other American. Harriet Tubman Apart from the prominent personalities in the struggle for the liberation of the black man for the yolk of oppression and slavery in the US, Harriet Tubman remains one of those who in their little space fought oppression to the black and doing all what was necessary to free the slaves and fight for their rights. Childhood and Life as a Slave It is documented that Tubman was born in the 1820 and died in 1913. Tubman was a female from Maryland and later became a runaway slave making her to compare with the biblical Moses for the relentless fight she staged to help her people flee the oppressive regime that was instituted for the blacks in the US (Abnett, 2007). Tubman was involved in a risky act of using her own tact to free fellow slaves to freedom for a period stretching to over 10 years. At the time her birth, she was named Araminta Ross, she later changed her name to Harriet Tubman by combining her mother’s name and that of her husband respectively. ... It is this kind of torturous life style that Harriet developed the determination to gain her freedom and extend it to her fellow slaves in the US. Harriet also refused to cooperate with the authorities who wanted her to help punish other perceived offenders. For instance, she refused to cooperate with the authorities in punishing a fellow slave who was accused of encroaching into the store without the permission. This incidence made her sustain a permanent scar that she sustained throughout her life (Lantier, 2010). The culprit escaped punishment by fleeing and the weight hurled at him, he missed it and it fell on Harriet’s skull, it left a scar in her brain and became unconscious for several days and she later suffered from seizures in her entire life. When rumors went round that she was to be sold among other people, she had no option but to flee the site, they organized and left the camp on a night on foot through one of the white men who empathized with them. It is said th at she relied on the North Star for direction and used it to reach Pennsylvania. She later moved to Philadelphia where she was privileged to find work and saved money for her plans (Martin, Hoover, and Anderson, 2005). After her brief period in Philadelphia, she opted to return to Maryland with one main mission, helping free those under slavery, in that regard she started helping her family members out of the situation in the first trip of rescue. In her second mission, she freed her brother together with other two slaves and in her third trip, she was to free her husband but found that he was married to another wife , this did not work against her plans and she freed them together with other slaves who were seeking freedom and too them to the

Finance Article Critiques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finance Article Critiques - Essay Example Blair-Loy conducted a study to evaluate the changes that have occurred in the cultural frameworks of family responsibilities of women executives in the financial sector. She defined two gendered cultural frameworks i.e. a work devotion schema and a family devotion schema. These schemes are identified as the main causes of conflicts in the interviewees’ vision for a meaningful life. From the interviews, the older interviewees are more inclined to portray a diametrically opposed conflict between the family and work schemes, thus many avoid childbearing or getting into marriages. On the other hand, the younger respondents who did not experience the women’s movement of the 1970s have reconstituted the family scheme through sub-contracting domestic roles in order to main their demanding careers. Nonetheless, the schema on family devotion haunts all cohorts due to its emotional, normative and cognitive power. Thus, she concludes that gender, when expressed in familial cultura l frameworks, continue to be a significant constraint on the minds and the hearts of women.The study utilized a cohort study by evaluating the executives’ devotion to either family or work based on their experiences and upbringing in different periods. the different cohorts make it easy to calculate the required ratios and to relate them to factors such as the women’s movement. This makes it easy to attribute the result to specific factors. Nonetheless, such an approach will require the re-assessment of these factors over time.

DQ Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

DQ - Assignment Example This may lead to heated arguments and losing temper. It is also good practice to engage the client in the solution, by asking them their suggestions. The other key objective is to listen keenly, internalize the complaint, and, take time to understand before responding. These techniques help avoid taking issues as personal attacks. Feedback meetings with clients need to be well organized so as to maximize the outcome, while avoiding ambiguity. It is important when planning, to have in mind, which areas to collect feedback, what is to be addressed in the meeting, what the possible client reactions are, and, how to manage the reactions. It is advisable to devise a plan to be followed in the manner in which to engage the client. It is also important to schedule the meeting in an environment that is suitable to the client. On the material day, it is good to start by engaging the client on more general issues, before narrowing down to specifics. The client should be given ample time to express themselves without interjections, and, their complements, or complains well recorded. It is also good practice to respond to those issues that can be addressed on the spot, while committing to respond to the other, and make necessary adjustments soonest applicable. Self expression is an important tool to earn and maintain customer confidence. One way of doing this is to ensure that one is well informed about the company history, policies, products, services, and, future plans. This helps one to be articulate when handling the customers. When talking to clients, it is good to make prior preparations, to avoid rushing over issues. One should also talk naturally, avoiding reading lengthy documents. Eye contact should also be maintained, while avoiding distructive behavior. It is also good to explain using good examples where appropriate. While responding to client concerns, one should portray good understanding of the issues, and, when not sure

Derby Castles Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Derby Castles Management - Assignment Example The succeeding part of the document will delve directly on presenting these problems. Robin Hood can develop a SMART Goals by making a comprehensive, actionable, flexible, and goals that could be able to shift together with the shifting market demands. It should be based on perceived reality and possibilities of change in the future. Before the goals are set, Robin Hood should first identify the real essence and purpose of the organization. "Develop a long-term relationship with the customers through providing value-based services, hassle free transaction processing through the use of information wise systems of customer accommodation in order to gain customer loyalty, which will lead to profitability." Poor Marketing Strategy - Marion Montgomery, the marketing manager shared the marketing strategy they had utilized as one of the secrets behind the success of attracting diverse types of visitors-customers. She is to some extent confident that their main line in their advert which says "Derby Castle - the finest mediaeval castle in England" is a full package description of the castles features. But she does not discount the Castle's unique state of preservation, the breadth of attractions it offers, its location on the banks of the River Trent or its thousand-year span of history. In general, the advert is ineffective in the sense that it has only served lesser information than what is needed. The management is ignoring the fact that different people would have different reaction to what we can consider a poetic line, and each have different preferences in based on their expectations of the overall performance in exchange for their payment. Historical Values against Financial Values - This talks about the real value of the site. Montgomery said that "Coca-Cola have offered us a sponsorship deal. They will give us money for a particular project which will increase our revenue and also the number of visitors we are getting. The problem is that Coca-Cola is the epitome of youth and fizz while the Castle's target market is adults ABC 1, average age

DQ Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

DQ - Assignment Example This may lead to heated arguments and losing temper. It is also good practice to engage the client in the solution, by asking them their suggestions. The other key objective is to listen keenly, internalize the complaint, and, take time to understand before responding. These techniques help avoid taking issues as personal attacks. Feedback meetings with clients need to be well organized so as to maximize the outcome, while avoiding ambiguity. It is important when planning, to have in mind, which areas to collect feedback, what is to be addressed in the meeting, what the possible client reactions are, and, how to manage the reactions. It is advisable to devise a plan to be followed in the manner in which to engage the client. It is also important to schedule the meeting in an environment that is suitable to the client. On the material day, it is good to start by engaging the client on more general issues, before narrowing down to specifics. The client should be given ample time to express themselves without interjections, and, their complements, or complains well recorded. It is also good practice to respond to those issues that can be addressed on the spot, while committing to respond to the other, and make necessary adjustments soonest applicable. Self expression is an important tool to earn and maintain customer confidence. One way of doing this is to ensure that one is well informed about the company history, policies, products, services, and, future plans. This helps one to be articulate when handling the customers. When talking to clients, it is good to make prior preparations, to avoid rushing over issues. One should also talk naturally, avoiding reading lengthy documents. Eye contact should also be maintained, while avoiding distructive behavior. It is also good to explain using good examples where appropriate. While responding to client concerns, one should portray good understanding of the issues, and, when not sure

Human Resource Management Benefits' Choices Research Paper

Human Resource Management Benefits' Choices - Research Paper Example Failure to sincerely respond to these legally required benefits may result in an employer failing to retain the best of its employees thus losing the all important attract-and-retain game (Beam et al. P. 12). Employers must however be on the lookout for the extra cost impacts related to the provision of the above legally required benefits to employees. For increased discretionary benefits, employers must always be on the look out not to lose their best employees. It is thus imperative that the most desirable employees are identified and retained. To achieve success at retaining the best workers, employers have to look for the traits that make employees most desirable among their peers. The most desirable among today’s employees are those not quite like the others, have good sense of humor, and are more engaging and outgoing compared to others. In addition, the most desirable employees are not that concerned about protocols, thus ask their employers more direct questions, especially regarding the next step in task execution (MB Financial Bank, P. 7). The best employees are also self-starters, do not take time off for trivial reasons, and are rarely, if ever, late for work. Strangely, the best employees are not workaholics but only stay after if there is extra legitimate work to be done, never complaining in the process (MB F inancial Bank, P. 8). The best workers are also task oriented, use Job description only as guideline, and might require occasional restraint while at work. Finally, such employees do not expect praise but appreciate it. MB Financial Bank. Benefit Packages for Employee: Employee Legally Required Benefits, 2012. Banking Resource Center. Retrieved on May 29, 2012 from

How Effective Is Homeschooling Essay Example for Free

How Effective Is Homeschooling Essay Education is a basic requirement for inculcating civic, moral and intellectual faculties of a human being. While imparting education in a public setup is the commonest of all methodologies adopted worldwide, learning at home under the guidance of parents and/or professional teachers is also a widespread practice. Popularly referred to as homeschooling, this system of learning has come to the fore replacing formal educational methodologies. The history of homeschooling dates back to the 1920s, but the real revolution occurred in the 1960s and the 1970s when the liberal alternative school movement was set rolling. Researching into the topic, it is evident that most parents opting for homeschooling fall under radical socialists and naturalists who do not have faith in the bureaucratic setup of the American society. Moreover, the gasping nature of fierce competition has also contributed to the withdrawal from traditional educational means. There are legal liabilities and the issue of compulsory schooling attendance as far as public schooling is concerned. Albeit the environmental aspects and the mold of teaching are arguably in proximity with what can be termed as ideal in a public education system, many parents in the United States of America deem it an added advantage for their kids that they should gain access to a comprehensive educational repertoire at home. In matters of homeschooling, the legal issues involved with affiliation and certification are taken care of correspondence schools or umbrella schools. What set homeschooling distinctly apart from the conventional modes of education are facilities of unit studies, child-oriented educational materials and above all, constant parental supervision. This essay is going to discuss elaborately on the efficacy of homeschooling and its relevance in the hustling ways of modern world. All the major school of thoughts propagated by scholars and researchers will be thoroughly reviewed, thus allowing for the development of a set of viewpoints on homeschooling. The prevalence of homeschooling in the United States of America has been such in the past decade or so that it has been made legal in many states. In fact today it is widely regarded to be a perfect alternative mode of teaching at the K-12 level (Cooper 109). The media too has focused on the issue rigorously and has brought about a remarkable change in the mindset of even the most orthodox of parents and educators. Going by sheer statistics, 300, 000 children were taught at home in 1990. This number increased almost with a vertical leap by the end of 1998 when there were more than 1. 5 millions of homeschooled children across the country (Saba Gattis 1). Since the US government’s educational policy allows for autonomy of sorts for each state, the process of imbibing any new measure is relatively easier. The designated council or board of a particular state can decide for themselves which method suits young learners the most. Accordingly, each state is designated with certain number of grants or permissions by virtue of which they can permit homeschooling. The results just speak for themselves as a vast majority of homeschooled children excel remarkably well in a broad spectrum of academic disciplines, ranging from winning the national spelling bees to earning themselves coveted degrees at the leading universities in the country. Now before delving deep into various argumentative doctrines on homeschooling, let’s just look into the basics of this rapidly evolving trend. The first question we are going to deal with involves the reason behind homeschooling. What are the unique aspects of homeschooling? Why do people tend to prefer this mode of education over public schooling? Due to the independent, state-specific educational system in America, public schools are accessible to all free of charge. For working parents not belonging to the elite segments of the society, the rationale behind choosing public schools is quite self-explanatory. But the growing trend of homeschooling calls for our attention and makes us inquisitive to investigate into the root of educational philosophies. First and foremost, fostering a child at home demands a persistent level of commitment for both parents. It not only helps the child learn in a known environment, but also strengthens the family togetherness. Since a child spends most of its time at home, the well cultivated families do not wish to assign the task of imparting education to external teachers (Stevens 30). It is purely a question of family values that a child should learn from its parents and not from those who do not share their personal spaces. Besides, many parents are guided by stern religious beliefs and want their children to follow the same paths. In public schools, children may confront teachers, instructors or fellow students with different religious faiths. So the parents feel safer with homeschooling. Another extremely valid reason behind homeschooling involves the learning environment of public schools. The quality of education in a public institution is bound to suffer due to large number of students and inadequacy of teaching tools. Albeit the student-teacher ratio is quite healthy in American public schools especially at the primary level, it still is not enough for every child to get the required attention. Moreover, children studying at public schools are taught a similar curriculum. If a particular child has different fields of interest, it is not encouraged to develop skills and knowledge on those lines. The imaginative faculties of mind slowly become blunt and ineffectual due to the institutionalized methods of teaching. Homeschooling, on the other hand, is helpful for identifying a child’s interests and unique areas of talent. Hence, education does not become a loathsome burden for the children. By relating to what they are taught, they can enjoy while they learn (Rockett 138). Most families belonging to minority groups regard homeschooling to be the best available option for their kids. This is because those children are hardly paid attention to by their local teachers at public schools (Saba Gattis 3). It is never wise to send children with physical or mental deformities to public schools. The span and extent of attention they need can never be expected from teachers who have to look after a class of pupils. It is far better to keep those children at home and build up the required infrastructure with teaching aids. Hiring a teacher at home is a plausible solution in such cases. By resolving to one-on-one teaching modes, a challenged kid’s potential can be maximized. News of massacres, illegal drug trafficking and teen sexuality hit the headlines frequently in the US. Researches show that parents who are aware of these events choose homeschooling to ensure safety of their kids. These parents feel they can control the company of their children if they learn from home. Moreover, in the US public schools, many children hail from troubled families and tend to act violently and in a bullying manner towards other students. Contours of homeschooling decidedly relieve of such headaches. The legal aspects of homeschooling are still subject to a lot of debate and controversy. Given the parochial setup of homeschools, it is elementary to infer that they must be stripped off many benefits available at public schools, including the system of tests. The existing rights in favor of homeschooling in the United States of America were hard earned. It was by the Supreme Court’s verdict in the 1920s that enabled the states to intervene into educational affairs. Homeschooling, a fringe and distant possibility during those days, has undoubtedly come a long way. Keeping in mind the thesis question of this paper, it is now time to ponder over certain theoretical conjectures on learning in general. The schools of thought on learning and education are, however, subject to a varied degree of hypothesis. Scholars are yet to arrive at a stable perception as to which methodology of teaching augurs well for most young students. Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory is one of the seminal works of literature throwing a searching light into the complex processes of assimilation and deliverance for young, pliant minds. But since this theory was formed primarily from heuristic studies, its accuracy is questionable. Nevertheless, many later theories on education and learning are grounded on the assumptions made by this theory. According to Jean Piaget, the three main pillars of learning are organization, equilibrium and progression. The basis of his argument concentrated on the predictability of children’s cognitive formation. To put it differently, he pointed out that a child develops newer thought patterns with age and maturity. It is inherent in a child that it should search for newer elements in everything it sees. Known as organization, this process is responsible for accumulation of knowledge. What directly relates to this process is a cognitive phenomenon called schemes. This phenomenon is involved with preparing a mental picture of things to do. In other words, when a kid is asked to perform a lengthy multiplication, he/she prepares a mental framework as to how to go about the task in an organized manner. The next phenomenon comes when the child explores a better way to carry out a task. It is called adaptation. When new information is passed on, the child has to first of all ‘take’ it in before it can be processed and assimilated (Clements 2). Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory has crucial implementations in the context of choosing the best curriculum for homeschooling. His insightful analysis of the role of parents in children’s education helps in decision making as to how children learn. Do they imitate what they see, or do parents need to play a more guiding part in showing their children what and where to look for? Since this system of education does not involve social interaction which is so typical of classroom teaching, extra care has to be taken in devising learning plans. Diagnosing the intelligence quotient of a child is just as important as judging the level of prior education, should the student be an advanced learner. The final module for course works and other study materials should be prepared after careful scrutiny of the learner’s temperament. As a novel research effort in the field of educational psychology and motivation theory, Piaget’s findings indeed simplified the understanding of children’s cognitive bloc. The second argument that can be propelled concerns the role of academic materials or learning resources in the curricula of pupils. What is often seen in public schooling environments is that a vast array of course materials covering every subject are available. This is particularly favorable as far as step-by-step learning is concerned. The student can make the required shift from one level to another without having to skip any of the important learning modules. But espousing homeschooling methodologies often throw up a quandary for parents as to the suitability of the course materials at hand (Perry 54). This occurs mainly because of the lack of awareness about academic resources for a given standard. This usually happens for the first child in a household with more than one child. Due to lack of knowledge and experience, parents feel uncertain about the proper educational grooming techniques. Hence for the beginners, it generally takes a couple of years to gain command over the objectives and modes of teaching, including ‘unschooling’ and ‘phonics’ (Suarez 1). It is followed the most important part of the system, e. . , selecting the right tools and integrating them to create a congenial environment for learning at home. Unit study, for example, is a widely trusted educational methodology for homeschooling. The depth of this methodology and the fun of learning associated with it make for an ideal module for the beginners. Several subjects such as Mathematics, Social Sciences, History, Geography and Theology are combined together under a common natural or to pic-specific theme like water, animals, or ancient Egypt. For instance, if the academic discipline to be discussed in a particular sitting is Mathematics, the child would be introduced to the story of ancient Egypt and how Mathematics flourished over there. No doubt, the commonality of the central topic generates the fun of unit study methods. The young learner can relate just one topic to a variety of academic disciplines. However, it is to be made sure that the thematic topic should have connections with all the subjects. Study of languages occupies an important place in unit study. Not only does it help in communicating, it also gives the children a broad view of the world and people around them (Field 85). Far from just as an educational ploy to bring out the untapped resources of a child, the societal significance of homeschooling can never be underrated. It is imperative that we understand the significance of homeschooling from a twofold perspective. Firstly, the coziness of the family bondage gets stronger and closer with all the members of it spending time together. This is precisely the reason why many mainstream parents are falling back on homeschooling as the prospective mode of education for their kids. However, some shortcomings of this educational model are also there, especially the accusation that little kids do not get the chance to interact socially with others. This lack of socializing sometimes tells upon the mental health of even the most meritorious boy in a pool of ordinary geeks who, after all, know how to enjoy the little things life has to offer. But it is a minor glitch in a far greater canvas of a revolutionary and highly individualistic learning framework.

Study of Organized Retail in Rural Indian Markets

Study of Organized Retail in Rural Indian Markets Shubham Kumar Retailing accounts for around 10% of the Indian GDP and the Indian retail market is estimated to be worth around US $600 billion in 2015 and to reach US$1.3 trillion by 2020. It is also one of the fastest in the world in terms of growth and already consists of 1.2 billion people. In order to understand the standing of organized retailing in the rural Indian markets, one must first understand what is meant by organized retailing itself. 1.1 Organized Retailing   Ã‚   With more than 15 million owner manned mom-and-pop stores, India is often called a nation of shopkeepers. This is referred to as unorganized retailing and it refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing such as the local corner shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand carts and pavement vendors, etc. On the other hand, organized retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the publicly traded supermarkets, corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. The face of retailing in India was changed by the emergence of organized retail formats along with a shift in the Indian consumers attitude. The above figure shows the evolution of the Indian retail market. However, organized retailing in the Indian markets has mostly been in the urban regions and the overall Organized Retail Penetration (ORP) is low at 8% (in 2015) showing that a lot of potential still exists. 1.2 Organized Retailing in Rural Indian Markets The unorganized retailers hold advantages such as being personal, strong relationships, serving as points of news, offering credit and helping the people in difficult times. Further, they understand the local requirements and offer low prices as they have low overheads. By 2012, urban Indian markets was where 85% of the organized retailing took place in India. However, with a lot of foreign players entering, limited and expensive desirable real estate and foreign investment restrictions have pushed the Indias retail market closer to maturity. The rural Indian market on the other hand, consists of 833,087,662 people (68.84% of total) living in around 6,40,867 villages. Development of the rural market began after the Green Revolution when the demand for farm inputs like hybrids seeds and fertilisers began rising. Yet only a small part of the vast rural market remains covered by organized retailers such as DCM Shrirams Hariyali, HULs Project Shakti and ITCs e-Choupal. The following figure shows the evolution of the different retailing formats in the rural markets: Organized retailing offers certain advantages such as operating in a large scale with multiple outlets, being highly efficient and hold high bargaining power over suppliers due to their volume purchases. In addition to these advantages, following are some drivers which are fueling organized retailing in the rural markets: 2.1 Scope This study looks at various secondary sources of information regarding the major players involved in organized retailing in the rural Indian markets. An analysis of their marketing mix along with their strategies is done and the opportunities and challenges for retailing in these markets are identified. Following are the organized retailing entities covered as a part of this study: Warana Bazar Godrej Aadhaar ITC e-Choupal Caupal Sagar HUL Shakti DSCL Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar 2.2 Major Organized Retailers in Rural India Due to its vast potential and growth, the rural Indian market has been successful in attracting many large corporate houses and come up with innovative means to cater to their needs. Some of these firms include international players such as HUL, ITC, Gilette etc. While some of these initiatives were successful, some were not able to gain enough traction. 2.2.1 Warana Bazar Warana Bazar (WB) was founded in the year 1976 and started operating in 1978 in Warana, Maharashtra. It operates as a consumer co-operative store and has become immensely successful. By 2015, WB had 2 large departmental stores, 55 branches and 3 franchisees in 101 villages spread across Kolhapur and Sangli in Maharashtra in addition to being present in Goa and Karnataka. The yearly turnover reached à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¹132 crores with a daily turnover of more than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¹35 lakhs powered by only 610 employees and 24,000 members. The stores provided 30,000 different types of goods across 24 sections. They also eliminated the middlemen by purchasing 70% of the goods directly from the manufacturers or from authorized stockists and agents. The goods were priced cheaper than anywhere else, suggesting an everyday low pricing policy. In addition to this, innovative ideas have proven to be crucial in the success of WB. They educated the customers about spurious goods and in addition to this, it felicitates the mothers around Warananagar who give birth to a girl child in order to help improve the sex ratio. Vilasrao. A training center coined Tatyasaheb Kore Consumers Cooperative Training Centre was also established in 1996 to gain access to trained salesmen. 2.2.2 Godrej-Future Group: Aadhaar Stores Godrej Aadhaar (GA), the agri services cum retail initiative of Godrej Agrovet Ltd., a subsidiary of Godrej Industries Ltd., came into operation in December 2003 by opening a center at Manchar, Pune in Maharashtra. Initially, the Aadhaar stores were owned and operated by Godrej Agrovet itself. After a joint venture with the Future Group in 2008, some company-owned outlets were closed and expanded through franchisees. By 2012, it entered the cash-and-carry business selling to wholesalers and Aadhaar outlets. By 2013, there were 45 Aadhaar outlets in Punjab and Gujarat. Image 1: An Aadhar store in Punjab Initially, 1/3rd of the overall sales of Aadhar outlets came from farm inputs, while the rest came equally from apparel, consumer durables and consumer goods. Since then, the share of farm inputs has decreased and presently, more than 90% of the sales came from groceries and consumer goods. Rekhi says. The new strategies have yielded results, and Aadhaar was looking to break even. 2.2.3 ITC Ltd.: e-Choupal Choupal Saagar ITC Ltd. Launched e-Choupal and later Choupal Saagar as a part of the e-Choupal initiative. E-choupals are small kiosks across the agricultural regions of India having computers and internet access and run by a Sanchalak (trained fanner). These kiosks enabled the local farmers to obtain information on wholesale prices, good farming practices, and to place orders for agricultural inputs. In 2004, Indias biggest cigarette maker, ITC, opened its first rural hypermarket Choupal Saagar. By 2007, it had 24 such outlets in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and by 2013, 21 of these were earning profits. Though it plans to have 100 such store, ITC has not expanded further yet. Choupal Saagar, is essentially a hub with collection and storage facilities and a unique rural hypermarket offering multiple services all in one place. Choupal Saagars also include farmer facilitation centers with services such as sourcing, training, soil testing, health clinic, cafeteria, banking, investment services, fuel station etc. Image 2: A typical Choupal Sagar store. Before launching Choupal Saagar, ITC first had to developed the market. This was done by using the its e-Choupal linkages to buy agricultural produce from farmers helping them increase their productivity and incomes by removing the middlemen and empowering them. After this, Choupal Saagar stores were launched to sell a variety of products and services including farm inputs, consumer goods and consumer durables, apparel and fuel. These stores were located near the stock points of ITCs e-Choupals, ensuring that there existed 1 Choupal Sagar around 25-30 e-Choupals. The farmers could come in, sell their produce, receive cash and then spend it to buy other products at the same place. Thus, the sustainability of this model was ensured. ITC then took this model a step further by introducing Choupal Fresh in 2006 in Hyderabad. The Choupal Fresh would complete the supply chain which begins at the e-Choupals by offering the urban consumers fresh fruits, vegetables and other farm products. 2.2.4 HUL: Project Shakti Project Shakti was started to reach the massive under-served rural Indian markets which could not be economically and effectively reached through traditional methods. In these remote villages, HUL identified underprivileged women and trained them to become Shakti Entrepreneurs (SEs) i.e. distributors of HUL products in villages, in the process enabling them to earn a sustainable income through this business. Initially, the women were trained to be entrepreneurs and were called Shakti ammas, and in the later stages, this was augmented by the addition of Shaktimaan or the male members who helped in the distribution of the HUL products and further increased the income. Considerable resources are invested by HUL to train the villagers to become entrepreneurs, thus, besides being a sales, distribution and communication initiative, Shakti also serves as a micro-enterprise initiative improving the standards of life and providing employment opportunities. HUL is benefitted as the project helps enhance HULs direct rural reach and enables better communication of HULs brands effectively in media-dark regions. In 2001, Project Shakti started from 17 SEs in a single state and by 2008, it had grown to more than 45,000 SEs. Additional projects associated with Project Shakti are Shakti Day, i-Shakti Unit and Shakti Vani Programme. 2.2.5 DSCL: Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd (DSCL) Hariyali stores were started in 2002 selling farm products, groceries and household goods. In 6 years, it operated 300 stores in India and became the largest rural retail chain. Each Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar operated in an area of 20 kms., catering to agricultural land of about 50,000-70,000 acres touching approx. 15,000 farmers. The value proposition was that of Unnati Ghar Sansaar and Gaon providing valuable technical assistance, soil water testing services, retailing agricultural inputs, facilitating the farmers with credit and providing a platform to the farmers to sell their produce, crop finance, transfer information on weather, price of the products based on demand and supply, all under one roof. It had collaborations with the likes of Tata Agrico, Bajaj Allianz Life, Apollo Pharmacy, Eicher Motors and HDFC Bank. However, the rural market presents a lot of challenges for organized retailing and not all players have been able to succeed in this venture. Revenues kept on increasing at a good rate but the business was not able to earn a profit which caused DSCL to reevaluate its strategy. First, it slowed down expansion and later it shut down some stores and finally after 10 years of trying, it exited the business. Presently, it sells only petroleum products sourced from Bharat Petroleum at 37 locations in the countryside dropping the revenues but also limiting the losses. An ex-employee of said that the outlet didnt offer any discounts and, unlike local grocery stores, didnt sell on credit which might be the main reasons behind its collapse. Image 3: A closed Hariyali store in Haryanas Ladwa village. 3.1 Challenges for Organized Retailing in Rural Indian Markets Typical problems of retailing in rural markets: Low disposable incomes Illiteracy and low awareness Higher overhead costs Fluctuating demand that depends on the monsoon Diverse buying habits Difficulty in competing with mom-and-pop stores 3.2 Distribution and Logistics Models The typical distribution models and hub and spoke model do not always succeed in the rural markets and are very expensive to implement. Taking the example of HUL, taking its huge product portfolio to the remotest of villages was a big challenge. However, the company realized that the conventional hub-and-spoke distribution model which it used to great effect in both urban and semi-urban markets would turn out to be very expensive when penetrating the smaller scattered villages. Hence, it came up with Project Shakti and created local entrepreneurs using self-help groups. This developmental approach made sure that even the remotest of villages could be reached and the market developed without a large investment in the distribution infrastructure. On the other hand, Haryali Kisaan Bazaar was not successful as it could not implement such cost-effective and innovative distribution models, therefore failing to keep its costs low and earn a profit. The sustainability of organized retailing in the rural markets depends upon the ability of the firms to come up with innovative distribution and logistics models such as using public distribution stores, distribution vans, non-government organizations etc. Yet another example can be taken of ITCs Choupal Sagar which used technology to reduce its costs as well as empower the farmers by enabling them to get better deals for their produce. 3.3 Ensuring Sustainability through Market Development In order to generate sales in the remote rural markets, they must be first developed so that the consumers have the required knowledge to find value from the product and the disposable income to be able to afford the product. Organized retail however, does not help in increasing the rural incomes but only meets the consumption requirements. This makes the business models unsustainable. In order to sustain, the organized retailers must simultaneously work to develop these markets by implementing innovative ideas. Looking at ITC, it did not straight away establish the Choupal Sagar stores, instead ITC focused on developing linkages through its e-Choupal program first. It developed a strong network to buy agricultural products from farmers and improve productivity, helping raise their incomes and in the process, reduce its procurement costs. It was after establishing the e-Choupals and a certain level of trust with the rural markets that ITC went on to launch the Choupal Sagar stores which sold a variety of products and services to these rural markets. HULs Project Shakti also ensured sustainability by ensuring the development of the markets through self-help groups called the Shakti Markets. Similarly, Warana Bazar being a consumer co-operative store also helped in the development of the rural markets. Due to a lack of substantial developmental efforts, organized retailers such as the Hariyali Kisaan Bazar and Aadhar Stores have run into trouble, unable to make profits and sustain the business. While the Hariyali Kisaan Bazar have been reduced to selling fuel products, Aadhar Stores have had to shut down a lot of stores and recreate its product mix. Franchises are an attractive way of expanding organized retail stores as local franchisees are better at maintaining customer relationships as they understand the local consumption patterns better. References Equbal, D. S. (2012, January). Organized Retailing in India: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 02(01), 281-291. Govt. of India. (2011). Rural Urban Distribution of Population. Census of India 2011. Haidar, P. (2015, July). Modern Rural Marketing Network. Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, XXV(01), 91-102. India Brand Equity Foundation. (2017). Retail Industry in India. Jain, V. (2016, August). Challenges for Organized Retailing in India. International Journal of Research in Commerce Management, 07(08), 45-46. Poonam Talwar, S. S. (2011, July Dec.). Retailing Prospects in Rural Market. International Journal of Computer Science and Communication, 02(02), 527-529. Surajit Dey, D. S. (2012, Nov. Dec.). Organized Retail in the Rural Markets in India. IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM), 06(01), 16-25.

The Connection between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People Essay example

The Connection between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People In the essay The Chosen People, Stewart Ewen, discusses his perspective of middle class America. Specifically, he explores the idea that the middle class is suffering from an identity crisis. According to Ewen’s theory, â€Å"the notion of personal distinction [in America] is leading to an identity crisis† of the non-upper class. (185) The source of this identity crisis is mass consumerism. As a result of the Industrial Revolution and mass production, products became cheaper and therefore more available to the non-elite classes. â€Å"Mass production was investing individuals with tools of identity, marks of personhood.† (Ewen 187) Through advertising, junk mail and style industries, the middle class is always striving for â€Å"a stylistic affinity to wealth,† finding â€Å"delight in the unreal,† and obsessed with â€Å"cheap luxury items.† (Ewen 185-6) In other words, instead of defining themselves based on who they are on the inside , the people of middle class America define themselves in terms of external image and material possessions. A Bug’s Life is an animated Disney film that tells the story of how a colony of ants fight back against and overcome the domination and oppression of the bullying grasshoppers. When looking at the movie through the lens of Ewen’s theory about identity, several connections concerning identity are found between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People. Furthermore, by looking at identity issues in A Bug’s Life under this new light, Ewen’s theory becomes incomplete. In the Chosen People, Ewen fails to explore the positive aspects of conformity, gender in relationship to identity or the correlations between tradition and identity. Under the microscope of Ewen’s theory, A Bug’s Life changes from an everyday kid movie to a film riddled with identity issues. The first connection between A Bug’s Life and The Chosen People occurs when Ewen is explaining the rise of industrialism in the United States. He asserts that â€Å"For those laboring in many of the factories, industrial conditions systematically trampled upon their individuality and personhood† and that â€Å"artisan craft and small-scale manufacturer fell to an emerging economy of larger scale.† (187) The ants of the colony can be seen as beings who have had their â€Å"individuality and personhood† trampled because of the grasshop... ...nd less likely to change. Ewen does suggest that the trends of the middle class are becoming increasingly ingrained in the values and mindset of the middle class because of World War II and the â€Å"yuppie culture of the 1980’s.† (196) Yet, Ewen’s trends, fashions and styles that could be appropriately deemed traditions, are not explored from the perspective of tradition. Upon comparing the issues of identity crises suggested in A Bugs Life with those in Stewart Ewen’s The Chosen People, the sources and characteristics of identity crises in Ewen’s essay are found incomplete. Ewen limits his exploration of the sources and characteristics of identity crises of the middle class to consumerism and materialism as well as the obsession with image, style and fashion. By restricting his analysis to these issues, Ewen overlooks the perspectives of identity crises in relationship to tradition, the positive aspects of conformity and gender roles. Bibliography: A Bugs Life. Walt Disney and Pixar Productions. 1998. Ewen, Stewart. â€Å"The Chosen People.† Literacies. Ed. Terence Brunk, Suzanne Diamond, Priscilla Perkins and Ken Smith et al. New York:: Norton, 1997. 183-97.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty-one

Tyrion Are you certain that you must leave us so soon?† the Lord Commander asked him. â€Å"Past certain, Lord Mormont,† Tyrion replied. â€Å"My brother Jaime will be wondering what has become of me. He may decide that you have convinced me to take the black.† â€Å"Would that I could.† Mormont picked up a crab claw and cracked it in his fist. Old as he was, the Lord Commander still had the strength of a bear. â€Å"You're a cunning man, Tyrion. We have need of men of your sort on the Wall.† Tyrion grinned. â€Å"Then I shall scour the Seven Kingdoms for dwarfs and ship them all to you, Lord Mormont.† As they laughed, he sucked the meat from a crab leg and reached for another. The crabs had arrived from Eastwatch only this morning, packed in a barrel of snow, and they were succulent. Ser Alliser Thorne was the only man at table who did not so much as crack a smile. â€Å"Lannister mocks us.† â€Å"Only you, Ser Alliser,† Tyrion said. This time the laughter round the table had a nervous, uncertain quality to it. Thorne's black eyes fixed on Tyrion with loathing. â€Å"You have a bold tongue for someone who is less than half a man. Perhaps you and I should visit the yard together.† â€Å"Why?† asked Tyrion. â€Å"The crabs are here.† The remark brought more guffaws from the others. Ser Alliser stood up, his mouth a tight line. â€Å"Come and make your japes with steel in your hand.† Tyrion looked pointedly at his right hand. â€Å"Why, I have steel in my hand, Ser Alliser, although it appears to be a crab fork. Shall we duel?† He hopped up on his chair and began poking at Thorne's chest with the tiny fork. Roars of laughter filled the tower room. Bits of crab flew from the Lord Commander's mouth as he began to gasp and choke. Even his raven joined in, cawing loudly from above the window. â€Å"Duel! Duel! Duel!† Ser Alliser Thorne walked from the room so stiffly it looked as though he had a dagger up his butt. Mormont was still gasping for breath. Tyrion pounded him on the back. â€Å"To the victor goes the spoils,† he called out. â€Å"I claim Thorne's share of the crabs.† Finally the Lord Commander recovered himself. â€Å"You are a wicked man, to provoke our Ser Alliser so,† he scolded. Tyrion seated himself and took a sip of wine. â€Å"If a man paints a target on his chest, he should expect that sooner or later someone will loose an arrow at him. I have seen dead men with more humor than your Ser Alliser.† â€Å"Not so,† objected the Lord Steward, Bowen Marsh, a man as round and red as a pomegranate. â€Å"You ought to hear the droll names he gives the lads he trains.† Tyrion had heard a few of those droll names. â€Å"I'll wager the lads have a few names for him as well,† he said. â€Å"Chip the ice off your eyes, my good lords. Ser Alliser Thorne should be mucking out your stables, not drilling your young warriors.† â€Å"The Watch has no shortage of stableboys,† Lord Mormont grumbled. â€Å"That seems to be all they send us these days. Stableboys and sneak thieves and rapers. Ser Alliser is an anointed knight, one of the few to take the black since I have been Lord Commander. He fought bravely at King's Landing.† â€Å"On the wrong side,† Ser Jaremy Rykker commented dryly. â€Å"I ought to know, I was there on the battlements beside him. Tywin Lannister gave us a splendid choice. Take the black, or see our heads on spikes before evenfall. No offense intended, Tyrion.† â€Å"None taken, Ser Jaremy. My father is very fond of spiked heads, especially those of people who have annoyed him in some fashion. And a face as noble as yours, well, no doubt he saw you decorating the city wall above the King's Gate. I think you would have looked very striking up there.† â€Å"Thank you,† Ser Jaremy replied with a sardonic smile. Lord Commander Mormont cleared his throat. â€Å"Sometimes I fear Ser Alliser saw you true, Tyrion. You do mock us and our noble purpose here.† Tyrion shrugged. â€Å"We all need to be mocked from time to time, Lord Mormont, lest we start to take ourselves too seriously. More wine, please.† He held out his cup. As Rykker filled it for him, Bowen Marsh said, â€Å"You have a great thirst for a small man.† â€Å"Oh, I think that Lord Tyrion is quite a large man,† Maester Aemon said from the far end of the table. He spoke softly, yet the high officers of the Night's Watch all fell quiet, the better to hear what the ancient had to say. â€Å"I think he is a giant come among us, here at the end of the world.† Tyrion answered gently, â€Å"I've been called many things, my lord, but giant is seldom one of them.† â€Å"Nonetheless,† Maester Aemon said as his clouded, milk-white eyes moved to Tyrion's face, â€Å"I think it is true.† For once, Tyrion Lannister found himself at a loss for words. He could only bow his head politely and say, â€Å"You are too kind, Maester Aemon.† The blind man smiled. He was a tiny thing, wrinkled and hairless, shrunken beneath the weight of a hundred years so his maester's collar with its links of many metals hung loose about his throat. â€Å"I have been called many things, my lord,† he said, â€Å"but kind is seldom one of them.† This time Tyrion himself led the laughter. Much later, when the serious business of eating was done and the others had left, Mormont offered Tyrion a chair beside the fire and a cup of mulled spirits so strong they brought tears to his eyes. â€Å"The kingsroad can be perilous this far north,† the Lord Commander told him as they drank. â€Å"I have Jyck and Morrec,† Tyrion said, â€Å"and Yoren is riding south again.† â€Å"Yoren is only one man. The Watch shall escort you as far as Winterfell,† Mormont announced in a tone that brooked no argument. â€Å"Three men should be sufficient.† â€Å"If you insist, my lord,† Tyrion said. â€Å"You might send young Snow. He would be glad for a chance to see his brothers.† Mormont frowned through his thick grey beard. â€Å"Snow? Oh, the Stark bastard. I think not. The young ones need to forget the lives they left behind them, the brothers and mothers and all that. A visit home would only stir up feelings best left alone. I know these things. My own blood kin . . . my sister Maege rules BearIsland now, since my son's dishonor. I have nieces I have never seen.† He took a swallow. â€Å"Besides, Jon Snow is only a boy. You shall have three strong swords, to keep you safe.† â€Å"I am touched by your concern, Lord Mormont.† The strong drink was making Tyrion light-headed, but not so drunk that he did not realize that the Old Bear wanted something from him. â€Å"I hope I can repay your kindness.† â€Å"You can,† Mormont said bluntly. â€Å"Your sister sits beside the king. Your brother is a great knight, and your father the most powerful lord in the Seven Kingdoms. Speak to them for us. Tell them of our need here. You have seen for yourself, my lord. The Night's Watch is dying. Our strength is less than a thousand now. Six hundred here, two hundred in the ShadowTower, even fewer at Eastwatch, and a scant third of those fighting men. The Wall is a hundred leagues long. Think on that. Should an attack come, I have three men to defend each mile of wall.† â€Å"Three and a third,† Tyrion said with a yawn. Mormont scarcely seemed to hear him. The old man warmed his hands before the fire. â€Å"I sent Benjen Stark to search after Yohn Royce's son, lost on his first ranging. The Royce boy was green as summer grass, yet he insisted on the honor of his own command, saying it was his due as a knight. I did not wish to offend his lord father, so I yielded. I sent him out with two men I deemed as good as any in the Watch. More fool I.† â€Å"Fool,† the raven agreed. Tyrion glanced up. The bird peered down at him with those beady black eyes, ruffling its wings. â€Å"Fool,† it called again. Doubtless old Mormont would take it amiss if he throttled the creature. A pity. The Lord Commander took no notice of the irritating bird. â€Å"Gared was near as old as I am and longer on the Wall,† he went on, â€Å"yet it would seem he forswore himself and fled. I should never have believed it, not of him, but Lord Eddard sent me his head from Winterfell. Of Royce, there is no word. One deserter and two men lost, and now Ben Stark too has gone missing.† He sighed deeply. â€Å"Who am I to send searching after him? In two years I will be seventy. Too old and too weary for the burden I bear, yet if I set it down, who will pick it up? Alliser Thorne? Bowen Marsh? I would have to be as blind as Maester Aemon not to see what they are. The Night's Watch has become an army of sullen boys and tired old men. Apart from the men at my table tonight, I have perhaps twenty who can read, and even fewer who can think, or plan, or lead. Once the Watch spent its summers building, and each Lord Commander raised the Wall higher than he found it. Now it is all we c an do to stay alive.† He was in deadly earnest, Tyrion realized. He felt faintly embarrassed for the old man. Lord Mormont had spent a good part of his life on the Wall, and he needed to believe if those years were to have any meaning. â€Å"I promise, the king will hear of your need,† Tyrion said gravely, â€Å"and I will speak to my father and my brother Jaime as well.† And he would. Tyrion Lannister was as good as his word. He left the rest unsaid; that King Robert would ignore him, Lord Tywin would ask if he had taken leave of his senses, and Jaime would only laugh. â€Å"You are a young man, Tyrion,† Mormont said. â€Å"How many winters have you seen?† He shrugged. â€Å"Eight, nine. I misremember.† â€Å"And all of them short.† â€Å"As you say, my lord.† He had been born in the dead of winter, a terrible cruel one that the maesters said had lasted near three years, but Tyrion's earliest memories were of spring. â€Å"When I was a boy, it was said that a long summer always meant a long winter to come. This summer has lasted nine years, Tyrion, and a tenth will soon be upon us. Think on that.† â€Å"When I was a boy,† Tyrion replied, â€Å"my wet nurse told me that one day, if men were good, the gods would give the world a summer without ending. Perhaps we've been better than we thought, and the Great Summer is finally at hand.† He grinned. The Lord Commander did not seem amused. â€Å"You are not fool enough to believe that, my lord. Already the days grow shorter. There can be no mistake, Aemon has had letters from the Citadel, findings in accord with his own. The end of summer stares us in the face.† Mormont reached out and clutched Tyrion tightly by the hand. â€Å"You must make them understand. I tell you, my lord, the darkness is coming. There are wild things in the woods, direwolves and mammoths and snow bears the size of aurochs, and I have seen darker shapes in my dreams.† â€Å"In your dreams,† Tyrion echoed, thinking how badly he needed another strong drink. Mormont was deaf to the edge in his voice. â€Å"The fisherfolk near Eastwatch have glimpsed white walkers on the shore.† This time Tyrion could not hold his tongue. â€Å"The fisherfolk of Lannisport often glimpse merlings.† â€Å"Denys Mallister writes that the mountain people are moving south, slipping past the ShadowTower in numbers greater than ever before. They are running, my lord . . . but running from what?† Lord Mormont moved to the window and stared out into the night. â€Å"These are old bones, Lannister, but they have never felt a chill like this. Tell the king what I say, I pray you. Winter is coming, and when the Long Night falls, only the Night's Watch will stand between the realm and the darkness that sweeps from the north. The gods help us all if we are not ready.† â€Å"The gods help me if I do not get some sleep tonight. Yoren is determined to ride at first light.† Tyrion got to his feet, sleepy from wine and tired of doom. â€Å"I thank you for all the courtesies you have done me, Lord Mormont.† â€Å"Tell them, Tyrion. Tell them and make them believe. That is all the thanks I need.† He whistled, and his raven flew to him and perched on his shoulder. Mormont smiled and gave the bird some corn from his pocket, and that was how Tyrion left him. It was bitter cold outside. Bundled thickly in his furs, Tyrion Lannister pulled on his gloves and nodded to the poor frozen wretches standing sentry outside the Commander's Keep. He set off across the yard for his own chambers in the King's Tower, walking as briskly as his legs could manage. Patches of snow crunched beneath his feet as his boots broke the night's crust, and his breath steamed before him like a banner. He shoved his hands into his armpits and walked faster, praying that Morrec had remembered to warm his bed with hot bricks from the fire. Behind the King's Tower, the Wall glimmered in the light of the moon, immense and mysterious. Tyrion stopped for a moment to look up at it. His legs ached of cold and haste. Suddenly a strange madness took hold of him, a yearning to look once more off the end of the world. It would be his last chance, he thought; tomorrow he would ride south, and he could not imagine why he would ever want to return to this frozen desolation. The King's Tower was before him, with its promise of warmth and a soft bed, yet Tyrion found himself walking past it, toward the vast pale palisade of the Wall. A wooden stair ascended the south face, anchored on huge rough-hewn beams sunk deep into the ice and frozen in place. Back and forth it switched, clawing its way upward as crooked as a bolt of lightning. The black brothers assured him that it was much stronger than it looked, but Tyrion's legs were cramping too badly for him to even contemplate the ascent. He went instead to the iron cage beside the well, clambered inside, and yanked hard on the bell rope, three quick pulls. He had to wait what seemed an eternity, standing there inside the bars with the Wall to his back. Long enough for Tyrion to begin to wonder why he was doing this. He had just about decided to forget his sudden whim and go to bed when the cage gave a jerk and began to ascend. He moved upward slowly, by fits and starts at first, then more smoothly. The ground fell away beneath him, the cage swung, and Tyrion wrapped his hands around the iron bars. He could feel the cold of the metal even through his gloves. Morrec had a fire burning in his room, he noted with approval, but the Lord Commander's tower was dark. The Old Bear had more sense than he did, it seemed. Then he was above the towers, still inching his way upward. Castle Black lay below him, etched in moonlight. You could see how stark and empty it was from up here; windowless keeps, crumbling walls, courtyards choked with broken stone. Farther off, he could see the lights of Mole's Town, the little village half a league south along the kingsroad, and here and there the bright glitter of moonlight on water where icy streams descended from the mountain heights to cut across the plains. The rest of the world was a bleak emptiness of windswept hills and rocky fields spotted with snow. Finally a thick voice behind him said, â€Å"Seven hells, it's the dwarf,† and the cage jerked to a sudden stop and hung there, swinging slowly back and forth, the ropes creaking. â€Å"Bring him in, damn it.† There was a grunt and a loud groaning of wood as the cage slid sideways and then the Wall was beneath him. Tyrion waited until the swinging had stopped before he pushed open the cage door and hopped down onto the ice. A heavy figure in black was leaning on the winch, while a second held the cage with a gloved hand. Their faces were muffled in woolen scarves so only their eyes showed, and they were plump with layers of wool and leather, black on black. â€Å"And what will you be wanting, this time of night?† the one by the winch asked. â€Å"A last look.† The men exchanged sour glances. â€Å"Look all you want,† the other one said. â€Å"Just have a care you don't fall off, little man. The Old Bear would have our hides.† A small wooden shack stood under the great crane, and Tyrion saw the dull glow of a brazier and felt a brief gust of warmth when the winch men opened the door and went back inside. And then he was alone. It was bitingly cold up here, and the wind pulled at his clothes like an insistent lover. The top of the Wall was wider than the kingsroad often was, so Tyrion had no fear of falling, although the footing was slicker than he would have liked. The brothers spread crushed stone across the walkways, but the weight of countless footsteps would melt the Wall beneath, so the ice would seem to grow around the gravel, swallowing it, until the path was bare again and it was time to crush more stone. Still, it was nothing that Tyrion could not manage. He looked off to the east and west, at the Wall stretching before him, a vast white road with no beginning and no end and a dark abyss on either side. West, he decided, for no special reason, and he began to walk that way, following the pathway nearest the north edge, where the gravel looked freshest. His bare cheeks were ruddy with the cold, and his legs complained more loudly with every step, but Tyrion ignored them. The wind swirled around him, gravel crunched beneath his boots, while ahead the white ribbon followed the lines of the hills, rising higher and higher, until it was lost beyond the western horizon. He passed a massive catapult, as tall as a city wall, its base sunk deep into the Wall. The throwing arm had been taken off for repairs and then forgotten; it lay there like a broken toy, half-embedded in the ice. On the far side of the catapult, a muffled voice called out a challenge. â€Å"Who goes there? Halt!† Tyrion stopped. â€Å"If I halt too long I'll freeze in place, Jon,† he said as a shaggy pale shape slid toward him silently and sniffed at his furs. â€Å"Hello, Ghost.† Jon Snow moved closer. He looked bigger and heavier in his layers of fur and leather, the hood of his cloak pulled down over his face. â€Å"Lannister,† he said, yanking loose the scarf to uncover his mouth. â€Å"This is the last place I would have expected to see you.† He carried a heavy spear tipped in iron, taller than he was, and a sword hung at his side in a leather sheath. Across his chest was a gleaming black warhorn, banded with silver. â€Å"This is the last place I would have expected to be seen,† Tyrion admitted. â€Å"I was captured by a whim. If I touch Ghost, will he chew my hand off?† â€Å"Not with me here,† Jon promised. Tyrion scratched the white wolf behind the ears. The red eyes watched him impassively. The beast came up as high as his chest now. Another year, and Tyrion had the gloomy feeling he'd be looking up at him. â€Å"What are you doing up here tonight?† he asked. â€Å"Besides freezing your manhood off . . . â€Å" â€Å"I have drawn night guard,† Jon said. â€Å"Again. Ser Alliser has kindly arranged for the watch commander to take a special interest in me. He seems to think that if they keep me awake half the night, I'll fall asleep during morning drill. So far I have disappointed him.† Tyrion grinned. â€Å"And has Ghost learned to juggle yet?† â€Å"No,† said Jon, smiling, â€Å"but Grenn held his own against Halder this morning, and Pyp is no longer dropping his sword quite so often as he did.† â€Å"Pyp?† â€Å"Pypar is his real name. The small boy with the large ears. He saw me working with Grenn and asked for help. Thorne had never even shown him the proper way to grip a sword.† He turned to look north. â€Å"I have a mile of Wall to guard. Will you walk with me?† â€Å"If you walk slowly,† Tyrion said. â€Å"The watch commander tells me I must walk, to keep my blood from freezing, but he never said how fast.† They walked, with Ghost pacing along beside Jon like a white shadow. â€Å"I leave on the morrow,† Tyrion said. â€Å"I know.† Jon sounded strangely sad. â€Å"I plan to stop at Winterfell on the way south. If there is any message that you would like me to deliver . . . â€Å" â€Å"Tell Robb that I'm going to command the Night's Watch and keep him safe, so he might as well take up needlework with the girls and have Mikken melt down his sword for horseshoes.† â€Å"Your brother is bigger than me,† Tyrion said with a laugh. â€Å"I decline to deliver any message that might get me killed.† â€Å"Rickon will ask when I'm coming home. Try to explain where I've gone, if you can. Tell him he can have all my things while I'm away, he'll like that.† People seemed to be asking a great deal of him today, Tyrion Lannister thought. â€Å"You could put all this in a letter, you know.† â€Å"Rickon can't read yet. Bran . . . † He stopped suddenly. â€Å"I don't know what message to send to Bran. Help him, Tyrion.† â€Å"What help could I give him? I am no maester, to ease his pain. I have no spells to give him back his legs.† â€Å"You gave me help when I needed it,† Jon Snow said. â€Å"I gave you nothing,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Words.† â€Å"Then give your words to Bran too.† â€Å"You're asking a lame man to teach a cripple how to dance,† Tyrion said. â€Å"However sincere the lesson, the result is likely to be grotesque. Still, I know what it is to love a brother, Lord Snow. I will give Bran whatever small help is in my power.† â€Å"Thank you, my lord of Lannister.† He pulled off his glove and offered his bare hand. â€Å"Friend.† Tyrion found himself oddly touched. â€Å"Most of my kin are bastards,† he said with a wry smile, â€Å"but you're the first I've had to friend.† He pulled a glove off with his teeth and clasped Snow by the hand, flesh against flesh. The boy's grip was firm and strong. When he had donned his glove again, Jon Snow turned abruptly and walked to the low, icy northern parapet. Beyond him the Wall fell away sharply; beyond him there was only the darkness and the wild. Tyrion followed him, and side by side they stood upon the edge of the world. The Night's Watch permitted the forest to come no closer than half a mile of the north face of the Wall. The thickets of ironwood and sentinel and oak that had once grown there had been harvested centuries ago, to create a broad swath of open ground through which no enemy could hope to pass unseen. Tyrion had heard that elsewhere along the Wall, between the three fortresses, the wildwood had come creeping back over the decades, that there were places where grey-green sentinels and pale white weirwoods had taken root in the shadow of the Wall itself, but Castle Black had a prodigious appetite for firewood, and here the forest was still kept at bay by the axes of the black brothers. It was never far, though. From up here Tyrion could see it, the dark trees looming beyond the stretch of open ground, like a second wall built parallel to the first, a wall of night. Few axes had ever swung in that black wood, where even the moonlight could not penetrate the ancient tangle of root and thorn and grasping limb. Out there the trees grew huge, and the rangers said they seemed to brood and knew not men. It was small wonder the Night's Watch named it the haunted forest. As he stood there and looked at all that darkness with no fires burning anywhere, with the wind blowing and the cold like a spear in his guts, Tyrion Lannister felt as though he could almost believe the talk of the Others, the enemy in the night. His jokes of grumkins and snarks no longer seemed quite so droll. â€Å"My uncle is out there,† Jon Snow said softly, leaning on his spear as he stared off into the darkness. â€Å"The first night they sent me up here, I thought, Uncle Benjen will ride back tonight, and I'll see him first and blow the horn. He never came, though. Not that night and not any night.† â€Å"Give him time,† Tyrion said. Far off to the north, a wolf began to howl. Another voice picked up the call, then another. Ghost cocked his head and listened. â€Å"If he doesn't come back,† Jon Snow promised, â€Å"Ghost and I will go find him.† He put his hand on the direwolf's head. â€Å"I believe you,† Tyrion said, but what he thought was, And who will go find you? He shivered.