History Study Notes Essay

Topic 1 Investigating History †¢ interpret and construct time lines †¢ define the terms that describe historical periods of time †¢ the terminology and concepts of historical time, including year, decade, generation, century, age, BC/AD, BCE/CE †¢ sequence societies and events within specific periods of time †¢ ask historical questions †¢ distinguish between fact and opinion †¢ draw some conclusions about the usefulness of sources including a website †¢ examine differing historical perspectives and interpretations †¢ explain cause and effect †¢ identify significant people of the past  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ examine the motives for people. s actions in the past †¢ the process of historical inquiry: . Fact and opinion . †¢ the usefulness of sources as evidence including a website . †¢ differing perspectives . cause and effect . history as the study of people †¢ explain the consequences of people. s actions †¢ describe some aspects of family/community heritage †¢ heritage issues †¢ appreciate the value of preserving and conserving our heritage Ancient Egypt †¢ the origins of the society or period †¢ identify the origins of the society or historical period †¢ daily life of men and women in the society or period  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ describe how both men and women lived in the society or period †¢ Civics and citizenship in the society or period †¢ describe the way in which the people of the society or period were governed †¢ describe the rights and freedoms of different groups in the society or period †¢ beliefs and values of the people of the society or period †¢ explain the beliefs and values of the society †¢ impact of significant people and/or events †¢ explain the impact made by significant people and/or events on the society or period †¢ contacts with other peoples †¢ outline the contacts that the society had with other peoples.

Advantages of Road Transport

There are numerous advantages of road transport in comparison to other modes of transport. 1. Less capital quality:- Road transport required much less capital investment as compared to other modes of transport such as railways and air transport. 2. Door to door services: – The outstanding advantage of road transport is that it provides door to door or warehouse to warehouse services. 8. Saving in packing cost: – As compared to other modes of transport, the process of packing in motor transport is less complicated. Goods transported by motor transport require less packing or no packing in several cases. Flexible services:- Road transport has a great advantage over other modes of transport for its flexible services. Its routes and timings can be adjusted and changed to individual requirements without much inconvenience. 5. Suitable for short distance:- Delays in transit of gods on account of intermediate loading and handling are avoided. Goods can be loaded direct into a road vehicle and transported straight to their place of destination. Price skimming is a business technique which involves charging a high price for a product when it is released initially, and gradually lowering the price over time. The goal of this practice is to ensure that the price matches consumer willingness to pay, generating profits for the company both over time and in the short term. nder some market conditions, the use of price skimming is a strategy to grab higher profits with a new or differentiated product. By charging high prices initially, a company can build a high-quality image for its product. Charging initial high prices allows the firm the luxury of reducing them when the threat of competition arrives. By contrast, a lower initial price would be difficult to increase without risking the loss of sales volume.

Literature review for online booking system for dry cleaners

For online booking system for dry cleaners - Literature review Example undry, ironing, dry cleaning and shoe repair to residents of east, west, north and south Belfast; the system is user-friendly and easy to use for clients. It contains pages about the all washed up laundry and dry cleaning company, delivery service which includes the online booking service, prices, frequently asked questions, where to find them and the their contacts. In addition, they have also created pages that are in line with the services that they offer, these are; domestic laundry services, commercial laundry services, dry cleaning services, ironing services, tailoring and shoe repair service. The visibility of similar websites that are available online is not at its best since it requires a lot of effort before one can locate a laundry and dry cleaning business that is online. The most common places that an individual can find such businesses is in online directories and even in such places, services such as online booking are absent. Just like other websites, the most common security threat for such websites is hacking to steal the clients’ credit card information or other crucial data. According to Morgan (2006), the most common attack will be on SQL databases through the SQL direct injection attack; this injection attack occurs where the hacker gains access to a website and alter the databases either by deleting records in the datable or entire tables of data; the method they do this is through making use of the weak points in the website code especially the way the website code queries the database. However this can be solved through keeping databases error quiet; this means that when a hacker tries to detect vulnerabilities to exploit he will only find friendly messages that do not expose the vulnerabilities (Fernandez, Abrahà £o & Insfran, 2011, p 118). The other solution is to ensure all the data that is entered through form is checked and sanitized for any malicious content before being entered in to the database (Aggarwal et al, 2005, p97).

Critical thinking assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical thinking assignment - Essay Example Conversely, soil in front of laboratory might have been used in forensic testing. The soil texture is compacted, which means that the soil has purity. The permeability of the soil could be measured during the chemical process. Basing on the soil’s texture, one can make conclusions concerning its composition (Orthmann and Hess 4). The physical properties to be assessed can also include weight, color, boiling point, and melting point of the soil. Compaction can be instrumental in determining the consistency in soil samples of the same origin. Observation of color change is necessary in an experiment that measures consistency in the samples of soils. The density gradient method assists in identifying an element found in the soil. In the experiment, a soil sample is placed in a cylinder containing solutions of varying densities. A band on the surface of the cylinder signifies the presence of elements in a soil sample. As such, the particles are suspended in between the solutions of different densities. Observation method can also be instrumental in detecting elements in the soil when the sample is dissolved in a solution. This information can be useful during a criminal investigation, as it assists in analyzing evidence in a crime

Cessationism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cessationism - Essay Example Depending on their level of belief against spiritual gifts, cessationists may be divided into four groups, classical, concentric, consistent and full cessationists. In general, cessationists believe that cessation ended with the end of the apostolic era; beginning on the day of Pentecost and ending when the last apostle died to the fulfilment of the purpose of God in history1. In other words, cessationists believe that miraculous activities were purposely meant to authenticate the church and to aid its stable establishment2. According to the Bible (Exodus 4:1-8), Moses was given the power to perform extraordinary works in order to establish his ministry before Pharaoh as being authentic. In a similar manner, Elijah before Ahab authenticated his ministry as noted in 1 Kings 17:1 and 18:24-25. In the New Testament, the book of Acts, the apostles performed miracle acts after they were filled with the Holy Ghost in replication of Jesus’ works. In general, many authors have agreed that biblically, miracles may be clustered according to periods; Moses, the prophets including Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, among others, the first coming of Jesus, and the Second coming of Christ3. However, the bible is silent in certain periods which may not mean that miracles did not happen at such times. Citing scriptures such as Ephesians 2:20 and 1Corinthians 13: 8-10 and works written by people in ancient periods such as Justin Martyr, Augustine, Clement of Rome, and Origen among others, Cessationists make their claims against the existence of miracles today4. However, a close analysis of these claims reveal that they go against the teachings of the bible concerning the continuation of spiritual gifts as stated in Romans 11:29. While Cessationists in their different categories believe that God still has the power to perform miracles through humans, this never happens in the current day noting that God’s mission of establishing a stable church has been

Comparative Analysis of The Communist Manifesto by Marand The Gospel Essay

Comparative Analysis of The Communist Manifesto by Marand The Gospel by Andrew Carnegie - Essay Example new phenomenon but industrialization led to the emergence of the two classes which included the laborers or the proletariats and the owners of the means of production or the bourgeoisie (Marx and Friedrich). Carnegie on ‘the gospel of wealth’, wealthy individuals who have amassed their wealth through businesses must adopt a just distribution approach that guarantees good use of the money. Money from entrepreneurship venture must be protected and not spent on frivolous purposes which have no significant implication on the society and the people. The presence of poverty within the capitalistic world can be completely removed if entrepreneurs become philanthropists who share their business spoils with the disadvantaged in the society (Carnegie). In this paper, the thesis of Carnegie and Marx will be compared to provide a critical evaluation of how they impact on the society. The paper will adopt the position taken by Carnegie in the ‘gospel of wealth’ and advocate for the redistribution of profits and proceeds from business in capitalistic economies. In the communist manifesto, Marx highlighted his views of the society and how industrialisation had created significant segregation of people into different classes. As captured in the opening phrase of the manifesto, the history of human beings has an age old practise of dividing the human population into various classes based on their economic abilities and the influence they hold in the society. The class struggles have not necessarily been influenced by everything, but more specifically the principle forms of production within the society. When the industrial revolution arose, the European society was defined by the position that the individuals held within the industries and the production factors that they controlled (Carnegie). Those individuals who had the power to own the means of production such as raw materials, the cottage industries among other form of production belonged to the upper class and

How pedagogical principles could be applied to information systems Coursework

How pedagogical principles could be applied to information systems likes Intranet in organizations - Coursework Example Focusing on this aspect, the essay describes about how pedagogical principles can be applied in information system such as intranet in organisations for better management of information and learning. Pedagogical Principles Pedagogical principles are effective tool for information management and learning which can demonstrate the aspects to be educated. They are pragmatic and can produce rich set of real-world and instructional experiences which can be further used in organisations for solving practical problems. Pedagogical principles are functional proposition of training and knowledge development. These principles simplify the procedure of devising instructive strategies which in turn determine how people experience, involve and react to the informative components. Ideally, pedagogical principles are first expressed in general terms and afterwards with respect to specific actual learning environment (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). The applicability of pedagogical principles have alwa ys considered as interesting topic from the viewpoint of information system. Pedagogical principles are influenced by national, cultural and circumstantial situations. During innovation process, pedagogical principles are developed and applied according to experiences. The implementation of pedagogical principles occurs by perception of regular viability and the influence of market, competitive environment and collective development such as information system (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). There are several pedagogical principles and some of the important principles are as follows. Involvement of learners: Pedagogy must involve the learners and motivate them. This involvement must be evident of being educational, i.e. having educational objectives and inspiring. In other words, learners’ involvement must be pleasurable that would make them to continue to use information system (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Effective learning: Another vital pedagogical principle is related with effective learning which can be demonstrated by the utilisation of different approaches, allowing learners to extend the knowledge or by providing genuine learning prospects, allowing them to understand multiple perspectives on a single subject among others (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Summative evaluation: Summative evaluation is also an important pedagogic principle which is used for understanding work or educational opportunities. It helps to understand the criteria that are required to be developed for accomplishing better performance (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Simplicity: According to pedagogical principle, learning must be simple, i.e. effective learning should be open, accessible, intuitive and must not necessitate guidance for utilisation. Inclusion: Pedagogy must support inclusive activities with respect to diverse types s of job accomplishments and within different social or cultural groups (Anderson & McCormick, 2011). Information System in Organisations Information system is the term which is commonly used in various fields including business with different purposes. It play vital role in organisations to utilise knowledge and to accomplish strategic organisational objectives. Organisations generally spend considerable amount of money in order to successfully integrate information syst

Gender Roles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gender Roles - Essay Example This paper describes the observations of male and female actions, relationships and behaviours under the experiment held by the author. To conduct the experiment, the author puts together a small shopping list for a local convenience store that has multiple chains across the country and frequently attracts the same overall clientele. The shopping list was to provide a basic reason for his being there as well as an excuse to wander all around the store and make observations without arousing suspicion on the part of the store employees. The ‘shopping list’ also assisted with data collection in that it provided him with an easy checklist for data collection. It was necessary to visit the store two separate times in order to observe a male employee on the floor and a female employee on the floor (i.e. assisting customers). It was as important to observe both a male and a female employee at work in order to determine the role gender played in whether or not a customer would r eceive service as it was to observe the service received by male and female customers. However, because these visits were made during comparable times of the weekday, the number of customers was approximately equal and the demands on the employees’ time were also approximately equal (both had ample time to personally assist each customer that entered the store). In addition, the two employees observed were of similar age range, each appearing to be in their early 20s and both talking with customers and other employees of college issues.

Globalization and North East India Essay Example for Free

Globalization and North East India Essay I.Introduction Ever since the term ‘globalization’ appeared for the first time in the second half of twentieth century no other word has meant so many different things to different people and has evoked as much emotions. The forces of globalization affect virtually every country in the world. It has opened the door of many new opportunities as well as formidable challenges. All spheres of life–social, political, cultural and economic–have been subjected to both the positive and negative elements of globalization. With all its promises on the overall qualitative improvement of life and social harmony, some see it as the saviour of universal peace and prosperity. On the other hand, rising mercury of its negative elements some condemn it as a new kind of chaos. While everyone welcomes the new opportunities that has emerged one cannot simply leave those negative elements unattended. Therefore, the main task now is to analyze, understand and manage globalization doing our best to harness its benefits and keep those negative consequences at bay. 1 India joined the club of globalized economy in 1991when its economy is under the spell of fiscal and balance of payment crisis which compel her to initiate several structural adjustment programme and economic liberalization. Since then, India’s share to the global economy is getting larger. Today, looking at overall health of the economy and growth performance2, India seems to have struck the right note of the globalization string. With its vast natural and human resources and ability to synchronize the speed of change taking place in the international market, many have considered the India’s economy as one of the most resilient economy in the world. Now, the most pertinent question arises in the recent years is; has the benefits of globalization disbursed to all the regions of the Indian union? Certainly the answer is NO. India’s attempt to tackle the problems of income inequalities has been going on since independence under the centralized planning system. It, however, failed to provide the necessary growth impetus to the poorer states to reduce regional disparities in any meaningful manner in spite of four decades of economic planning. In the post globalization era, considering the size and diversity of the country, shrinking role of government would ultimately be a failure to achieve the set objective. With the opening of economy, states with better infrastructure facilities, better skill labour and work culture, investor friendly environment and more importantly states which can reform themselves in accordance to the need of the market oriented economy have attracted much of the private investment–both national as well as foreign. These states have grown much faster than states which are not, leading to widening disparities.3 This has posed a great challenge to academicians and polic y makers, even though globalization is an uneven process with unequal distribution of benefits and losses, who must ensure the benefits of globalization be distributed to all the regions/states of Indian union. Secondly, to what extent the high growth rate achieved so far has been translated into development for the well-being of its people? It is all the more necessary to ascertain the magnitude of development because development shouldn’t be seen as mere enhancement of national or personal income as it alone cannot serve the objective of securing the socio-economic equality. High growth rate achieved so far is a big accomplishment as the resources so generated could be utilized for developmental purposes to meet the desired social ends.4 It would, however, be highly injustice and misleading to interpret economic growth and economic development synonymously, yet a popular cynicism among the political circle in particular, as development covers much wider range and value. In short, achievement of higher growth rate should be reflected in terms of quality of life of the people. The failure to realize the value of high growth is the main reason for the rejection of ‘shining India/feel good factor’ slogan of the ruling party in 2004 general election. This implies that the higher growth rate achieved so f ar in the post globalization period could not be translated in terms of improvement in the quality of life of the common people. According to Sen any reform programme should consists of three R’s–reach, range and a reason–which every responsible individual should analyze, understand and act accordingly. The values of high growth often depend on what the size, composition and nature of that growth do to the lives and freedoms of the people involved.5 With the increasing concern of widening of inter-state disparities and lack of development, it is highly imperative to assess the effects of globalization on North East India-a relatively uncharted region of the country-as fifteen years is long enough to give some clear pictures. With this objective, the present study attempts to locate the clues of the following quarries; has the region been able to gain from the benefits of globalization? What are the major issues and challenges confronting or likely to confront in the coming years? What are the unexplored opportunities that can be harnessed? This would require examining the prevalent scenario of the region in the pre and post globalization period. The present study shall cover 1980 to 2005 considering 1991 as the dividing year of the two periods. The study has been organized into five sections including introduction. In section II, a brief profile of NE states has been sketched. In section III, some of the issues and formidable challenges needed to be addressed sooner than the later has been discussed. In section IV, discussed the unexplored opportunities in the region. Finally, we conclude the study in section V . II.North East Profile The North East India comprises of eight contiguous states6 of highly undulating hilly terrains, covering 263,179 sq km which is about 8% of the total geographical area of the country. The region is one of the landlocked regions of South Asia. About 4500 km i.e. 98% of its border is with five different countries of South Asia–Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. No other region of the Indian union share common border with so many different countries connecting with the heartland through the tenuous 22 km Siliguri corridor. The region is the home of extraordinarily diverse mosaic of ethnic groups having distinctive social, cultural and economic identity, more akin to their South Asia neighbours than main land India. The total population of the region is about 38 million, 3.8 per cent of the country’s total population, of which Assam contributes 68 per cent of the total population. Assam recorded the highest density of population with 340 per sq. km., which is also higher than the national average of 313 per sq. km., followed by Tripura with 305 per sq. km. Otherwise, the region is sparsely populated with an overall density of population of 149 per sq. km. Table 1 The decennial growth rate recorded in most of the states during the previous decade is higher than the national level of 21.54 per cent. Nagaland recorded the highest growth rate (64.46 per cent), also highest among the states of the Indian union, followed by Sikkim (33.25 per cent) and Meghalaya (30.65 per cent). Only Tripura (16.03% per cent) and Assam (18.92 per cent), two of the most populated states, have recorded lower growth rate than all India level. The region is richly endowed with bio-diversity, hydro-potential, minerals like oil and natural gas, coal, limestone, dolomite, graphite, quartzite, sillimonite etc. and forest wealth. Over 10 per cent of forest products requirement in the country are met from this region only. The region has a very high potential to generate hydropower i.e. about 80 per cent of the total hydropower potential in the country. Arunachal Pradesh alone is expected to generate 2,67,474 MW i.e. 30 per cent of the total available in the country. With varied geo-climatic condition, the region is ideally suited for horticulture, floriculture and other plantation crops. A variety of fruits like pineapples, banana, orange, lemon, mango, papaya etc. grow abundantly in the region. The region is famous for most number of orchid varieties in the country. Tea is the major plantation crop grown in the region and is the largest producer in the country contributing over 95 per cent of the total production. The region is also richly endowed with varieties of medicinal plants having high value in the international market. But, due to the lack of proper infrastructure, transport and communication system and geo-political condition of the region these resources largely remained untapped. Source: Report of the Twelfth Finance Commission, p 61. The region is grossly deficient of infrastructure to tap the available resources and push the economy forward. An examination of the infrastructure index–a composite profile of the availability of physical, social and institutional infrastructure available in the states revealed that all the states of the region are at the lowest rung of the infrastructure index ladder. It shows that the level of infrastructural development in the region is almost negligible. In terms of human development index–a composite index capturing the three dimensions of human development viz. economic, education and health-the region have done reasonably well than most of the states of Indian union. Among the eight states, Assam ranked the lowest, which has been placed in lower middle category and Mizoram in high category while rest of the states are either in high middle or middle category. The success of these states in this regard is mainly induced by the education sector. Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya the literacy rate in the remaining states, as shown in Table 1, are higher than the national average. The economy of the region primarily depends on agriculture sector contributing over 40 per cent of the income and employ about 70 per cent of the total working population. Although NSDP share of agriculture sector has declined to about 30 per cent, the number of population dependent upon this sector continued to remain high even in the post globalization period. The decline in the NSDP’s share of agriculture sector has been more or less compensated by the increase in the share of service sector. That is, the service sector growth rate during the corresponding period is commendable. Nevertheless, the industrial sector in the region continued to be in pathetic condition. Industrially the region is one of the most backward regions in India. Only Assam, and to some extent Meghalaya, have moved ahead of the rest of the states in terms of industrial development whose industrialization centered on tea, oil and timber. An examination on the overall annual compound growth rate of NSDP in the region revealed that there is a slight improvement in post globalization period though varies from stat to state. Source: http://mospi.nic.in/rept%20_%20pubn/ftest.asp?rept_id=nad03_1993_1994type=NSSO Note: * At 1980-81 prices, ** From 1993 to 2002 only, †  at Current Price, a denotes Acceleration, d denotes Deceleration During the decade of 80s only Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland experienced higher annual compound growth of NSDP than the national level. However, in the post globalization period i.e. 1991-2002, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura have performed better than the national level. The growth rate experienced in these states is not only higher but also accelerating. Though the NSDP growth rate of Manipur is lower than the national level but higher than the previous decade and is accelerating. While Assam’s growth rate is lower in the post globalization but grows at an accelerating rate which is a positive sign. In the post globalization period the growth performances in the region have improved marginally. The higher growth rate of NSDP in the region is mainly induced by higher and accelerating growth rate of service sector. The higher growth rate of NSDP experienced in some of the states is not commensurate with the growth rate of per capita income. The per capita income growth rates of all the states, baring Tripura, falls below the national level in the corresponding period. While Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland have worsened, the performance of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura seem to be relatively better than the previous decade. The lower growth rate of per capita income experienced may be attributed to high growth rate of population, particularly poorer section of the society. The percentage of population living below the poverty line in the region continued to remain high. Only Mizoram seems to have done exceptionally well in poverty eradication where the percentage has declined from 36 per cent in 1983 to 19.47 per cent in 1999-2000. In the remaining states there is only a marginal decline in poverty ratio. In 1983, the percentage of population living below the poverty line at national level is much higher than that of all the states of the region. It is just the reversal in 1999-2000-all the states other than Mizoram have higher percentage than national level of 26.1 per cent. Over one-third of the population is still consists of the most vulnerable section of the society. Further, an examination on the per capita per month consumption expenditure revealed that the inequality in the per capita monthly consumption expenditure has also increased in spite of the improvement in the growth performance in the post globalization period. In 1993-94, Assam has the lowest per capita per month consumption expenditure followed by Manipur and Sikkim. These three states are even lower than the national level of Rs. 328.18 per month. However, in 1999-2000, only Assam and Sikkim experienced lower per capita per month consumption expenditure than that of national level of Rs. 590.98 per month. The increase in consumption expenditure in the globalization era is quite impressive. At the same time, inequality in consumption expenditure, as revealed by the Gini coefficient8, has also increased in most of the states which is an indication of widening disparities among different sections of the society. This implies that the benefits of higher growth rate experienced, though marginally, in the post reform period have not been tickled down to the poorer sections of the society in the desired pace and the problem of income inequality within the state has worsened. An overall scenario of the region in the post globalization period is not very impressive as in the case of other region of the Indian union. This may be attributed to the prevailing geo-political condition in the region and attitude of the central government in tackling the issues of the region. In the following section we shall examine some of the issues and challenges which required an immediate attention. III.The Challenges Being one of the most neglected regions of the Indian union, overall state of affairs in the region is quite alarming. The unattended issues and problems of the past are being accumulated, multi-layered and have become multifarious. Over and above, the mounting pressures of emerging challenges of rapid transformation need to be countered. The clock is ticking fast and situation in the region is very delicate which may explode anytime from now if not tackled carefully. At this juncture the old habit of alibis and hinting would only aggravate the maladies of the past and swell negative elements of the globalization. Instead, it is the time to think and act collectively. The region has more issues to be addressed and challenges to face than any other parts of the country. Of which, the three most important areas which require immediate attention are insurgency, infrastructure and governance. All the other issues are derivatives which would dry up once these three are addressed. a.Insurgency The problem of insurgency in the region has a long history. The insular politics and Delhi centric approach of the Indian government is at the core of much of the discontents, widespread criticism, feelings of subjugation and notion of being colonized. There is a constant fear in the minds of the people that their identity is being eroded due to the submergence into the vast ocean of Indian humanity.9 The people of the region started alienating themselves and the feeling of self-determination started to germinate. With the aim of preserving their own identity various ethnic groups inhabiting in the region, undisturbed for centuries, began to differentiate among each other severing the local ties and affinities and started to struggle with arms.10 Thus, insurgency has mushroomed in the region and the secessionist movements, either for sovereignty or for separate homeland, began to lock horns leading to a vertical division among various ethnic groups. Therefore, prior to any policy pro gramme to resolve the problem of insurgency in the region, the political processes that has been framed and pursued to convert a breeding ground of insurgencies must be reversed first. Simultaneously, the attitude and security obsess mindsets of the central government should also change and embrace the region with open arms so as to restore the lost confidence of the common people. Insurgency is the major problem inflicting the region. With the passage of time it has increasingly become more complex and difficult to understand as their objectives, role and activities varied widely.11 In the name of nationalist movement they were involved and interfered in every state’s affairs including household chores, like a moral police, of their people. Each insurgent group runs parallel government. In a way, apart from Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, all the remaining states have multiple governments. The problem of insurgency has become the stumbling block in the course of development. It foundered every development strategy and hampered all the developmental works. Kidnapping, extortion, killing, bandh, strikes and curfews have become the order of the day. At the same time, the numbers and activities of the plain criminals masquerading as insurgents have also increased alarmingly. Today, the region has become the killing field and specialized in the export to death bodies, if not the manufacturing products. In short, the region has reached the pinnacle of the industrialization of insurgency and criminalization process. It would not be easy to find the solution. However, keeping in mind the rising global terrorism, it would be wise to work on a holistic approach for amicable solution sooner than the later. At the same time, what every insurgent group, operating in the region, should realize is that the formation of separate homeland or attainment of more autonomy or sovereignty is not the solution because within itself formation of new group with new demand can not be ruled out. b.Infrastructure The rich natural and human resources available in the region could not be utilized to the full extent mainly due to the geo-political condition, including ever-deteriorating law and order, which has a lot of implication on the development of must needed infrastructure. The negligence of the central government in the past and due to the problems of insurgency at present resulted into the gross deficiency of infrastructure in the region. This has crippled the free flow of factors as well as products. In such a situation, it would be hard for the region to accrue the benefits of globalization. It is also not surprising to find the lack of FDI inflow in the region. During January 2000 to Mach 2006 the region received only 9 million US dollar i.e. 0.04 per cent of the total FDI inflow in the country. The lack of infrastructure, as revealed by the infrastructure index given in Table 2, has not only spoiled the prospect of economic development but has also created a horizontal division amon g various ethnic groups affecting the fabrics of social harmony in the region. All the â€Å"constituent states of the region are internally locked–themselves locked and locking out others, unable to connect with each other physically in terms of poor transport links, and more seriously, unable to make connections intellectually and emotionally with their closest neighbours, or even with and among their own people.†12 It has displaced the common understanding and linkages for peaceful coexistence and regional cooperation. In order to reconnect the lost connectivity, trade and commerce and more importantly to foster emotional attachment among various ethnic groups inhabiting in the region infrastructures like roads, transports, communications electricity, banking etc. must be developed adequately. Such exercise would not only enlarge the base for the growth of the economy in the region but also enhance the regional cooperation-an engine of growth in this era of globalization. Underdevelopment breeds insurgency and insurgency retards development. Th is two are mutually reinforcing. This is a classic case of vicious cycle of underdevelopment-insurgency-underdevelopment. Therefore, any policy programmes either to resolve the problems of insurgency or development of much needed infrastructure should go concurrently and not sequentially as it hampered the progress of one another. Further, as it has been asserted in the Planning Commission report on Transforming the North East, the approach of the central government should change from â€Å"planning for the North East to planning with the North East†.13 This implies that, under the prevailing circumstances mere allocation of funds or implementation of new policy would not suffice to tackle the problems in the region. Considering the emotional sentiments of the inhabitants and sensitivity of the issues, the region must be handled with care. Every developmental programme for the region should have the consent of the inhabitants and needs to be executed with sincerity without delay. c.Governance â€Å"The state is responsible for the creation of conducive political, legal and economic environment for building individual capabilities and encouraging private initiatives.†14 It would, however, depend on the quality of the governance–mechanism, processes, systems, structures and institutions that guide the social, economic and political relationship. Good governance exercises its legitimate political power in a manner that is perceived as equitable, non-discriminatory, socially sensitive, participatory, transparent and accountable to the people at large. This includes not only the process of transformation of human and natural endowments to a socially desired ends but also reveals the long term vision and commitment of the state to secure human well being and sustained development of the people.15 The state of governance in the region is in pathetic condition. Government machinery is on the brink of collapse. Corruption, squandering of public funds, deteriorating law and order, lack of transparency and accountability, bureaucratic rigmarole, insensitivity and so forth are quite rampant in the region. There is widespread allegation of insurgency-government officials-bureaucrats-politician nexus, including law enforcing agencies, and siphon off public funds. All this has eroded the individual capabilities and institutional capacities to meet the social objectives. Until and unless the quality of governance has been improved, no matter how much is the fund earmarked for whatever the policy programme initiated would not be successful and only the common people have to bear the brunt. Taking into consideration of the paradigm shift in the development strategy and the amount of funds allocated16 in recent time, we may no longer be able to blame the central government in the near future. The present state of affairs in the region is past deed of the central government and what the future generation will face would be decided by what our government has done today. IV.Opportunities The economy of the region has been disrupteded by the forces discussed in the preceding section in spite of her rich natural resources. Besides the natural resources, many new opportunities have also emerged with the changing contour of world economy that can boost the economy of the region. But, the need of the hour is to focus on those areas which would lead to growth of the economy, develop the sense of participation and can extinguish the social and political chasm. The two main areas that can boost the economy are as follows: a.Tourism Tourism is one sector where the region has comparative advantage. This industry is highly competitive where the tourists have a wide range of choices and look for good value of their money. With bountiful nature’s breathtaking scenic beauty, salubrious climatic conditions, extraordinarily diverse rich art and cultural heritage of the people, this region can become a hotspot for eco and adventure tourism. Tourism industry involves a vast network of business activities relating to attracting, receiving, accommodating, managing and servicing of tourists. These include hotels, restaurants, transport agency and several other related activities. The development of this industry would promote national integration and international understanding, generate employment and revenue and provide prospective buyers for local manufactured products especially handloom and handicraft products–a dyeing industry due to lack of access to market. Tourism can generate more employment per million of rupees spent than any other activities. It can generate jobs in the remotest corners for unskilled to highly specialized skilled workers which would help in the realization of plan objectives. It would also enlarge the base of locally manufactured products. All this, however, would be possible only when there is well-developed infrastructure like transport and communication and sense of participation of the people of the region. b.Border trade The lack of connectivity and access to market, the main causes for under utilization of resources and weak resource-industry linkages, have set the economy of the region by half a century behind. The region has lost the markets in her neighbourhood, particularly in Bangladesh, due to partition, insurgency and diplomatic strains and tensions. Due to the peripheral location and stiff competition from mainland industries having better access to critical inputs like finance, technology and management, the base of traditional manufacturing in the region has been eroded leading to deindustrialization. While resource base can support a variety of industries at all scales, the existing industrial structure, dominated by small-scale demand based industries has not been developed proportionately. This has widened the gap between resource base and industrial structure in the region. Further, due to the restriction of free movement of men and material across the border, the notion of isolation h as developed in the minds of the people. It is in this context, there is a strong argument to develop border trade. In this increasingly borderless world, establishment of border trade would not only provide an opportunity to revive the local manufactured units but also serve as a transit corridor for the mainland big industrial units to explore the vast Asian market. This would also bring the centrality and visibility of the otherwise peripheral north eastern region.17 It is with this vision that ‘look east policy’ was initiated in 1991. Unfortunately, as old habits die hard; the central government still continues to live in the shadow of security obsessed mindset and prefers inward looking approach. As a result, even after fifteen years of implementation of border trade agreement, it has failed to invigorate the region’s trade with their neibhouring countries. As a result, India’s look east policy has, by and large, bypassed the region. The percentage of trade with neighbouring countries have zoom up to 8 per cent of the country’s total volume of trade in 2003-04 from a mere 1.7 per cent in 1987-88. However, over two-third of the total volume of trade with these countries flow via Bay of Bengal while the land borders of the region have been left for transit corridors for illegal trade . The tepidity of the central government in implementation of the policy has only led to rise in the porosity of these borderlands. An impressionistic assessment reveals that there is a rise in negative activities like cross-border insurgency, gunrunning, smuggling drugs, narcotics and AIDS, money laundering, trafficking women, illegal immigration etc. which further add to the existing multifarious problems in the region. Conclusion Globalization has become the most potent force emerged in recent time. It virtually affects every walk of lifepositive or negative. Unlike other regions of the Indian union, North East India is more likely to swamp by its negative effects. The region is at the throes of discernible crisis. Since 1991, there has been increase in inequality and unemployment, decline in the quality of the governance, rise in smuggling, trafficking, illegal immigration, corruption, squandering of public funds, escalation in insurgency related activities, etc. These have led to underdevelopment and erosion of the capacity of the individual and quality of life. A sense of deprivation has developed particularly among the educated youths of the region. The clock is ticking fast and fuse is not long. It is time to work on a holistic approach to resolve problems in the region. Notes 1. Chanda, Nayan, 2003, â€Å"What is Globalization? Coming Together: Globalization Means Reconnecting the Human Community†, YaleGlobal Online, http://www.globalenvision.org/library/8/567. 2. Recently it has been argued that the turning point of higher growth rate in India was 1980 but not 1991 as perceived by many. For more details see Nayyar, Deepak. 2006. â€Å"Economic Growth in Independence India: Lumbering Elephant or Running Tiger?†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 15, pp. 1451-1458. 3. Some authors even argued that coastal states with open port facility have outperformed non-coastal states in the post globalization era. For more detail see Kishore, Adharsh. 2002. Towards an Indian Approach to Globalization, http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Conferences/2002/kishore.pdf. 4. Sen, Amartya, 2005, â€Å"The Three R’s of Reforms†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 40, no. 19, p. 1. 5. ibid., p. 1. 6. Sikkim becomes the member of North East Council on December 2002 after an amendment of the NEC Act 1971. Since then all development purposes of the state has been treated at per with the other seven states of the region. However, the addition of Sikkim in the North Eastern Region is yet to be reflected in the literature of NER. 7. The Report of the Special Group on Targeting Ten Million Employment Opportunities per Year over the Tenth Plan Period has viewed that Current Daily Status (CDS) is the better measure to capture unemployment than Usual Principal and Subsidiary Status (UPSS). 8. The National Human Development Report 2001 provides the estimate of Gini Coefficient for rural and urban area only. It does not provide the combine estimate of the two. 11. For more detail analysis see Roy, Sanjay K. 2005. â€Å"Conflicting Nations in North-East India†, Economic and Political weekly, vol. 40, no. 21, pp. 2176-2182. 12. Prabhakra, M. S. 2004. â€Å"Is North-East India Landlocked?†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 39, no. 42, p. 4608. 13. GOI. 1997. Transforming the North East: Tackling Backlogs in Basic Minimum Services and Infrastructure Needs, High Level Commission Report to the Prime Minister, Planning Commission, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/ne_exe.pdf, p. 2. 14. GOI. 2001. National Human Development Report, Planning Commission, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/nhdrep/nhdreportf.htm, p. 114. 15. ibid, p. 114. 16. Apart from all the constituent states being classified as Special Category States, establishment of NEC and induction of DoNER speaks the volume of fund allocated to this region. 17. Verghese, B. G., op. cit. Reference Ahluwalia, Montek S. (2000): â€Å"Economic Performance of States in Post-Reforms Period†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 35, no. 19, pp. 1637-1648. Bajpai, M. (2002): â€Å"A Decade of Economic Reforms in India: The Unfinished Agenda†, Working Paper no. 89, Center for International Development, Harvard University, http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/CID/cidwp/089.pdf. Barbora, Sanjay (2006): â€Å"Rethinking India’s Counter-insurgency Campaign in North-East†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 35, pp. 3805-3812. Baruah, Sanjib: â€Å"The Problem†, http://www.manipuronline.com/North-East/November2005/theproblem23_2.htm. Bhattacharya, B. B. S. Sakthivel (2004): â€Å"Regional Growth and Disparity in India: A Comparison of Pre and Post-Reform Decades†, http://iegindia.org/worksakthi244.pdf. Chanda, Nayan (2003): â€Å"What is Globalization? Coming Together: Globalization means reconnecting the human community†, http://www.globalenvision.org/library/8/567. Ghosh, Madhusudan (2006): â€Å"Economic Growth and Human Development in Indian States†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 30, pp. 3321-3329. GOI (1997): â€Å"Transforming the North East: Tackling Backlogs in Basic Minimum Services and Infrastructure Needs†, High Level Commission Report to the Prime Minister, Planning Commission, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/ne_exe.pdf. GOI (2001): â€Å"National Human Development Report†, Planning Commission, New Delhi, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/nhdrep/nhdreportf.htm GOI (2002): â€Å"Report of the Committee on India Vision 2020†, Planning Commission, New Delhi, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/pl_vsn2020.pdf. GOI (2004): â€Å"Report of the Twelfth Finance Commission (2005-10)†, Ministry of Finance, http://finance.rajasthan.gov.in/doc/12fcreng.pdf. Grare, Frederic Amitabh Mattoo (2003): Beyond the Rhetoric: The Economics of India’s Look East Policy, Manohar Publishers Distributors, New Delhi. Gupta, K. R. (2005): â€Å"Liberalization and Globalization of Indian Economy†, Gupta, K. R. (ed.) Liberalization and Globalization of Indian Economy, vol. VI, pp. 304-315, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi. Humanshu (2007): â€Å"Recent Trends in Poverty and Inequality: Some Preliminary Results†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 497-508. Khanna, Sushil (2005): â€Å"Economic Opportunities or Continuing Stagnation†, http://www.manipuronline.com/Economy/November2005/stagnationoropportuny18_1.htm. Kishore, Adharsh (2002): Towards an Indian Approach to Globalization, http://www.rba.gov.au/PublicationsAndResearch/Conferences/2002/kishore.pdf. Kurian, N. J. (2000): â€Å"Widening Regional Disparities in India: Some Indicators†, Economic and Political weekly, vol. 35. No. 7, pp. 538-550. Nayyar, Deepak (2006): â€Å"Economic Growth in Independent India. Lumbering Elephant or Running Tiger?†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 15, pp.1451-1458. NSSO (1997): Employment and Unemployment in India, 1993-94, 50th Round, Report No. 409. NSSO (2006): Employment and Unemployment Situation in India, 2004-05, 61st Round, Report No. 515. Prabhakra, M. S. (2004): â€Å"Is North-East India Landlocked†, Economic and Political Weekly, vo. 39, no. 42, pp.4606-4608. Ramachandran, H.: â€Å"Governance and People’s Participation†, 15 Background Paper: Vision 2020, http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/reportsf.htm. Roy, Sanjay K. (2005): â€Å"Conflicting Nations in North-East India†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 40, no. 21, pp. 2176-2182. Sen, Amartya (2005): â€Å"The Three R’s of Reforms†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 40, no. 19, pp. 1971-1974. Sinha, A. K. (2005): â€Å"India: Steps Towards Liberalization and Globalization†, Gupta, K. R. (ed.) Liberalization and Globalization of Indian Economy, vol. VI, pp. 315-330, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi. Sinha, Aseema: â€Å"Globalization, Rising Inequality, and New Insecurities in India†, http://209.235.207.197/imgtest/TaskForceDiffIneqDevSinha.pdf Upadhyay, Archana (2006): â€Å"Terrorism in the North-East: Linkages and Implications†, Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 41, no. 48, pp. 4993-4999. Verghese, B. G.: â€Å"Unfinished Business in the North East: Pointers Towards Restructuring, Reform, Reconciliation and Resurgence†, Seventh Kamal Kumari Memorial Lecture, http://www.freeindiamidia.com/economy/19_june_economy.htm.

What contribution does Slim make to Of mice an men Essay Example for Free

What contribution does Slim make to Of mice an men Essay For my coursework I am going to analyse the character of Slim and say what contribution he makes in Of Mice and Men. I will describe what he says, what he does, what other people think of him and his relationship with the other ranch hands. We first meet Slim on page fifty five, this is where the lines he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen and the prince of the ranch show how highly Slim is regarded by the ranch hands they use words that describe royalty like majesty, master and prince. Slim is not only respected for his skill as a ranch hand as they say he could kill fly on the wheelers butt with a bull whip without touching the mule but he is seen as a man who thinks things through especially before speaking when it says his ear heard more Finally to show how highly he is respected the text says his authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. Steinbeck from the start makes Slim above the other men and this is continuous throughout the whole novel till the end of the story. Slim first major contribution is when George confides in him about how him and Lennie travel round together. Slim is clever in the way he brings this topic up as he says funny how you an him string along together. But he says it calmly and invitingly to George, also the tone Slim uses offers confidence to George to talk. There is a line that say Slim neither encouraged nor discouraged him. He just sat back quiet and receptive this shows that Slim is a good listener and does not push people to talk but people after starting a conversation with him start to open up and this is what George does and he has not known Slim long but feels that he can trust Slim and tell him about when he makes Lennie go in the Sacramento river and he gets that off his chest. After being able to confess to Slim about his crime against Lennie George believes that Slim is a good man and trustworthy so he tells him about the situation in Weed and this shows how much integrity Slim has and how he now acquired Georges respect. I feel Slim comforts George when he says he aint mean, I can tell a mean guy a mile off as well as being someone to confess too and talk too. I feel this moves the story forward as we have now filled in gaps out about George and Lennies past and how they met, also how George has learnt of Lennies behaviour and aunt Clara, the bringing together of the two guys You see how Slim is highly respected by the ranch hands when they turn to his decision when Carlson wants to kill Candys old dog. I feel there is pressure put on Slim throughout this scene when both parties of Candy and Carlson turn to him for advice and he has takes time over his decision and thinks it through show that he looks at everyones aspect in depth and decides whats best and this is as reason why ranch hands look too him for advice. I think Slim does not really wanted be involved as it says he seemed to shake himself free for speech. Also during this scene you see how he is admired when the man brings the magazine to share with Slim and it is like he is a little child trying to get Slims friendship but something, which seems treasured within the ranch hands is Slims respect. But Slim is dragged back into the debate of Candys dog right at the end and I feel that Slim has the power over the dogs life but can see why it should be killed as it is getting old and is quality of life is low but he wants the killing to be done properly and that is why he tells Carlson to take a shovel. I feel that when Slim says loudly one of my lead mules got a bad hoof. Got to get some tar off it he is trying to break the silence and say that life still goes on after death. I feel Slim shows the ranch hands that they should stand up to people when he is arguing with Curley and outwits him, but his respect is emphasised by the fact that Curley can not really answer back and he is in a higher position on the ranch, and you are told of Curleys violent nature and not once does he even physically threaten Slim, showing his importance on the ranch. We see in this scene how Slim and Curley are two different people respected for different reasons, Slim is highly respected for sure as this scene shows but Curley is not really respected but feared as he likes to attack and bully the other workers. When Curley starts to beat lennie you are asked the question why does not Slim intervene in the situation but I feel this contribute to the Of Mice and Men it could be that he underestimates Lennies true strength but we will never know. I feel Slim uses his power to his advantage when he tells Curley to say that his hand got caught in a machine, he shows kindness to George and Lennie and true understanding of Lennies condition being physical and mental as he has been informed by George when he confides in him and his strength when he is moving the big bags of hay on the ranch. I feel that you see the strength of Slims character when Curleys wife has died. When he inspects Curleys wife he does it with such softness and grace and shows respect for the dead, but he also understands there is no intention by lennie and the situation he will be in if Curley catches him and this is why he tries to stop Curley from going on the hunt for Lennie when he says I think you better stay here with your wife to Curley. Slim is the only ranch hand that understands the relationship between Lennie and George and so when George kills Lennie Slim is the only one who understands and that is why he tells him a guy got to sometimes and you hadda, George. I swear you hadda. And by taking him to the pub for a drink is his way of comforting but you know Slims understanding goes much deeper than the Carlson and Curley when the last comment is made of the book. I conclude that Slim is a vital person in the book and is the only character apart from George who understands friendship and has a full set of morals. Slim has so much respect it is like a power and he uses this to exercise morals on the ranch hands. He is like the god of the story and is kind of too good to be true and John Steinbecks description makes him ideal. The is one word that can sum up what everyone in the text thinks of him and that is respect and you wish that more ranch hands were like him. Throughout the whole of the story most ranch hands seem lonely but Slim never seems too I feel he has come to terms with the depression and accepts what seems to be the inevitable life of a migrant worker and that is too be alone but sees hope in George and Lennie. Also without a character like Slim, Curley would bully the ranch hands and he is so violent you are not sure what the story would be like without him.

Animal Abuse And Cruelty Is Wrong Sociology Essay

Animal Abuse And Cruelty Is Wrong Sociology Essay Animal abuse and cruelty is wrong. Animals arent given their rights that they are supposed to have in the first place. Using animals as lab rats is cruel and unfair. Most animal abuse or cruelty goes on with nothing be reported or said about. The punishment for abusing an animal isnt as harsh as it should be. There are not enough laws preventing animal abuse. There are not enough laws preventing animal abuse. Animals being caged up is unfair to the animals themselves. The cruelness of caging an animal up for days, weeks, months, or even years at a time with no food, water or care is the cruelest thing any human being could possibly ever do. Cruelty and neglect are also two subjects that have to deal with animal abuse. Most animal abuse goes unreported and nothing has been done to fix the problem of owners locking their pet up and leaving them for long periods of time without food, water, or care. The most common form of animal abuse has to do with an owner locking their dog or pet up for times on end, just completely neglecting them and not giving them any care or attention. More than half the cases involving animal cruelty had to do with pets. There are little laws about animal abuse or animal cruelty. In some states its actually taken seriously like in Colorado abusing or putting an animal through any kind of cruelty is a $500,000 fine, up to 6 years in jail, and a ban on owning or being around any form of living animal. Colorado is the only state to have a fine over $150,000. (U.S. Cruelty Laws Felony vs. Misdemeanor, 2011) The state with the smallest fine is Tennessee which has no fine for abusing or putting any kind of animal through cruelty.(U.S. Cruelty Laws Felony vs. Misdemeanor, 2011) The two states that have the most time that you can get up to in jail are Alabama and Louisiana at, up to ten years in jail.(U.S. Cruelty Laws Felony vs. Misdemeanor, 2011) The laws that we have now arent enforced enough as they should be. There isnt enough attention being given to this subject as there should be. There are laws about animal cruelty and abuse but arent used as much as they should be. We dont recognize animal abuse as much as we should either. There are animals being abused, tortured, or neglected every day that no one reports, notices, or does anything about. The rights that animals have now arent given to the animals like they should be or where created to be. Animal abuse isnt a case that most people look as a highly serious problem. The rights that we have given to animals or pets or have created for them arent highly used as much or given to an animal as much as they should be. Using animals as lab rats is looked down upon and felt that it shouldnt be done but yet people still test on animals all the time and nothing is done about it. Scientists do research and study on rats because they are said to be unneeded, but yet they are living therefore they are needed. If that was how everyone thought of animals we would have none left on our planet. Animals are a big role in our lives today we use them for almost everything we do and thinking that some one would neglect, torture, or abuse an animal is just wrong. Most animals that are in animal abuse or cruelty cases are pets because of a domestic dispute.(Facts About Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence, 2011) Some parents even abuse their pet in front of their child to coerce them to do what they say and what the child is told to do.(Facts About Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence, 2011) More households have pets than they do children so why spend money on an animal that is going to be a pet if your just going to abuse it?(Facts About Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence, 2011) Most families have a pet of which they consider a companion or a part of the family. Out of the 50 states there are only three that do not have animal abuse or cruelty laws.(U.S. Cruelty Laws Felony vs. Misdemeanor, 2011) If they do not fix animal abuse or animal cruelty soon we will have no more animals in the future. Hopefully in the future they will create better and more laws against abuse or cruelty, or they will pay more attention to animals being abused or not being given their rights. The rights that we have now for animals are perfectly fine its just that the animals arent given the rights they deserve to be given or have. If the government would follow through on paying attention to the case of animals being abused or treated unfair itself, there would be harsher punishment for an act as of doing so. Giving animals the rights they deserve is how it should be instead of using animals as lab rats, test subjects, or a teenagers thought of just a prank, when really in realization pushing a cow over on its back as just a prank can be very deadly for the cow actually. Animals arent given that much of their rights as they have to begin with. If they were to investigate and go deeper into the topic and subject of animals being abused there would be a lot of things that they would find out that they didnt know. Harsher punishment is another thing to talk about. If they had harsher punishment just for neglecting an animal and not taking care of it there would be a lot more animals safe. If there was harsher punishment for abusing an animal there wouldnt be as many animals getting abused, beaten, or neglected. Animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect are bad and animals arent given the rights they deserve. There are not enough laws preventing animal abuse.

Was Stalin a Great Man? :: essays research papers

According to Thoman Carlyle, a â€Å"great man† is one who shapes history and affects the course of the future. In the case of Joseph Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union from 1929-1953, one can perceive that through torment and brutal force, he was able to modernize a nation and oppress his own people. One can argue that Stalin was a great leader of the 20th century. After all, he took an undeveloped country and molded it into one of the world’s greatest industrial and military forces. But, this transformation did not come at a small cost. Stalin was so paranoid that his Communist regime would be ‘crushed’ by one of the dominating Capitalist countries of the West that he became obsessed with the mass production of industrial and agricultural machinery, neglecting the production of basic goods needed to sustain human survival. In his mind, getting Russia’s industrial sector up to par was more important than producing adequate clothing and household goods. Setting completely absurd targets for increased production in agriculture, and of coal, pig iron, oil, and steel products in his three five-year plans did work well for Stalin, and other countries began to take notice. But, in history, very few leaders have forced their own people to make the kinds of sac rifices Stalin imposed on them. To increase agricultural production, and bring in a surplus of food products, Stalin enforced and regulated his idea of â€Å"collective agriculture† – government control of farm land. In turn, the kulaks felt completely oppressed and were unwilling to give up the small amount of land they owned. Stalin would not tolerate opposition from anyone, and as a result, millions of kulaks and peasants were sent off to labor concentration camps, known as â€Å"gulags,† or were simply eliminated. It wasn’t just the lower-class peoples that he wouldn’t tolerate opposition from. Stalin was known for having other political figures that could possibly pose a threat to his regime eliminated. In 1935, he began his â€Å"purges.† He would send out his secret police to arrest and either jail or execute those in political opposition of him.

The Stereotypical Old-West Hero :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Stereotypical Old-West Hero Gunsmoke was the longest running radio show ever made. It is based on the historical city of Dodge. The series is centered around the character of Matt Dillon, who is the U.S. Marshall at Dodge. Each episode is one of his adventures, usually with his fellow helper, Chester, in keeping the peace and bringing justice in the area. Dillon's independence, sense of justice, and keen problem solving ever epitomize the stereotypical old-west hero. No matter what situation arises in Dodge, or the surrounding area, Matt Dillon is able to resolve it most often without the help of anyone else except for his faithful follower Chester. Whenever Dillon hears of a problem, he immediately goes to see what the trouble is with Chester. He doesn't listen to anyone and only brings more people if it would go better with his plan. In the episode, "Tecetta", Dillon boldly asks three gunmen to give up their guns at a bar and then tells them to leave the next morning. He says it in such a way that is unquestionable and demanding of respect. And people listen! In the episode, "The Buffalo Hunter", when Dillon and Chester go searching for the villain, Gatloff, they run into one of his skinners whose been shot. Always the independent spirit, Dillon commands Chester to stay with the man saying, "I'll ride on by myself". Dillon's sense of justice is extremely refined. He always has a keen view on how to solve the problem at hand, and usually it is something that nobody else has thought of. Dillon makes claims such as, "I don't think someone would accidentally pour 50-60 lbs. of lead in their own face", to which Chester then replies, "Oh Mr. Dillon, I hadn't thought of that". When one of the new bar girls, Tacetta, is kidnapped by Dorgan, Dillon has a plan ready. He decides to take a group of 12 men rather than just himself and Chester so that they will intimidate Dorgan, who has been judged by Dillon as having a weaker character. Dillon also knows how to decide when to go after someone and when not to. In "The Buffalo Hunter" Dillon know that Gatloff killed his own worker, but, since he doesn't have proof, he waits until Gatloff does something else that will incriminate him. Similarly, when Dorgan is killed by Horn and Watson in "Tecetta", Dillon waits until Watson causes trouble as a drunkard to get the truth out of him.

Human Rights on Film: Regret to Inform Essay

Life taken for the purpose of valor and nobility shows a terrible disparity between actions and reasons. Hollywood, when tackling the issues and conflicts of Vietnam War has the tendency to give more focus on how to show the life of a soldier in reference to their personal relationships. They are sometimes forgetting the crucial portion to discuss the political and social aspect of war. Vietnam War had been featured in some literary works, written and in film, and it is unusual that it had been perceived in a point of view of widows, who seems like the victims of war’s aftermath. Widows of Vietnam War, when used in art, tend to create subject of sentimentality but not with Barbara Sonneborn’s award-winning masterpiece, Regret to Inform, which showcases the situations and sufferings of women who had their husbands died in the midst of fires and bullets. The movie describes not just the lives of American women but also paid attention to the same frustrations that Vietnamese soldier’s wives in the extent of the war. Brief Review On the twentieth anniversary her husband’s death, Barbara decided to meet some war widows to learn more about the war. She attempted to root the actual nature of this war and analyze its extent of devastation. With this started as a personal quest, Sonneborn had expanded the picture of the war victim’s situations as she set foot on the land where Jeff died. This journey deepened her as she said (PBS 2010). This movie anticipated long time peace by sharing the views of isolated set of people involved in Vietnam War. It serves as a challenge for those who wish to realize the actual scenarios when war was waged. Regret to Inform is not created for the awareness of the public but for the purpose of inspiring the more humane side of every human who are doubtlessly sharing the same value for love and peace. This is a love story telling how deep love for country, love for humanity and camaraderie despite of the origin, race and disparity can be grouped and be transcended. It tells the story of victims of the real enemy of mankind which is the irrationality in our reactions and decisions. From the Character’s Viewpoint  Giving equal attention on widows of soldiers on both sides, western and Asian, the movie exuded profoundly the moving story about the aftermath of war in a straightforward manner as observed through feminine eyes. Sonneborn shares the post war predicaments with her companion, Xuan Ngoc Nguyen, another widow of the war and also followed the lives of some soldiers who were at war. It transcends the boundaries given that the same conflict brought these victim’s lost – the War. On one of the scenes there, a Vietnamese widow couldn’t believe that an American wanted to listen to the stories they had regarding the war. The war created horror which is inevitable for those people who are in the midst of it. But, the worst thing that it created is its extension right after the war is over. During the war, one of the actions taken by the US military is the application of chemical known as Agent Orange which aims to oppress their enemies in the forest. Some civilians had been affected by this move and their widows could do nothing but to express the sentiments regarding this unfair causality. As they say about the situation, it is either you are dead or you are not safe. Apparently, among them, no one will ever forget the hardship they had in order to survive that non-stop battle. The film shows no evil character as usually being used to portray Viet Nam. It is more than just identifying who’s right or wrong but apparently, the victims didn’t just concentrate in one side. Viet Nam, as the setting of the war didn’t carry the weight of all the war’s burden. It is just a location where the real enemy lies. The enemy here is neither a person nor a battalion of soldiers but the collective actions of misunderstanding, lack of diplomacy, violence resulting to death of children, women and men alike. The war is in Vietnam but its terror could have surpassed the oceans. When you are relying on media to hold on to the situation, what could we expect to happen? American women had the discomfort of being uncertain by feeling like anytime, they will be receiving bad news despite the fact that the war remained far from them. This uncertainty can make a woman walk thru life in a routine based pace without a grasp on what is going to the interviews part. It managed create the heart trembling spirit of each stories told. The interview part supplied some highlights in the movie. Good questions were given in the movie providing the most. These questions provoke unbiased reasoning of the people involved and managed to remove being self fulfilling in dwelling with the depression of those being interviewed. They questioned the righteousness versus faults such as when they are trying to ask whether a soldier can be considered a murderer or a hero. Sonneborn was able to use her skill as a visual artist as she was able to apply the sustained touch of great picture quality throughout the film. The feminine voice of the documentary’s narration serves as the perfect tool to bring out the right essence of the stories given. In fact, it is not the story which served the framework of the movie but the desire of Sonneborn to see the real picture of war and expanded as she tried to achieve it. Cultural Implications to the Human Rights Issues Views against each race differ relatively. Western people viewed Vietnam as a place for war, for violence and as a country of widow maker while Vietnamese people saw Americans and they saw oppression. Wars are being brought by differences in ideologies and poor application of international and civil policy. Culture should never violate anyone’s right to have protection from harm and being hurt, thus, we need to strive for total eradication of all unnecessary risks that may result to serious health consequences. Cruelty and inhumane practices such as waging war and counter offensive actions applied on physical integrity has no space in an ideal society between men and women regardless of the belief and ethnicity of a foreign class. If there is any way that this will be contradicting to a belief or a practice, it would not show lack of respect in customs and traditions because as a culture, all actions in a community contribute to its enrichment and should always to be perceived as evolving variable that defines an individual or a group. All collective actions of people in group made the culture established and there is no way that it can be destroyed but can only change to adopt in better situation in their immediate community. It only goes towards the direction of better conditions. All people in the world who has participations in war must serve as variable in making analysis thru discovering patterns of its occurrence. In this kind of issue and conflict, social planning requires sensitivity to all differences while achieving the goal of greater good in a way that luxurious peace can be very much affordable. Intellect and Emotion It was thought that the ability of an artwork to be appreciated and affect the heart relies on the ability of the craftsman to portray life as it is with the application of all his or her intellect and mastery of the craft. Barbara Sonneborn proved this ability as she created a well crafted piece and touch people around the world. There is a very thin line between being great and sentimental and no doubt that this masterpiece is a great one. Like in Michelangelo’s sculpture ‘Pieta’, which has the Madonna figure carrying Jesus with no tears, it doesn’t require such object to show the strength of the grasp of the artist in the reality. It is not all crying. It should be humane enough to capture humanistic side of any person. The movie is intrusive in the sense that it will show you a brand new perspective in the stereotyped subject. It pioneered new ideology regarding not just the Vietnam War but the war itself as a concept. The whole movie is coherent and let you hold until the end and this quality was sustained by the creator. This movies’ intellect is a challenge for the eager young filmmakers who wanted to create sociopolitical movies. The Issues and Conflicts Sonneborn married again and had been happy but her desire to accomplish her goal of identifying the entire relations of war as a social concept to her husband’s death suggests that there is something deeper than the lost of Jeff. She deserves to resolve the agonies that are situated in all war settings. This is the only way that a conclusion can be drawn in response to the issues and conflicts of her fellows who lost their husband in parallel to valor for the nation. What are the issues, then, of these women across the globe after losing their husbands? The answer is socially and politically related to personal frustrations. The pain and anguish of war continued to haunt these women as the situations in the past pushed them to cross boundaries to sustain their life such as, in the case of Xuan Ngoc Nguyen, who also became a prostitute to survive. Conclusion Whatever happened in the past cannot be undone and reversed but the ability not to let it happen again is one of the most admired ability of the people today. That is what the movie had shown to the public and thus, making us felt more sorry. It made the audiences feel more responsible in making decisions as a group for its extent is countless and immeasurable. The movie has a personal purpose of learning social ideas and tends to track social frameworks that are resulting to unwanted public situations. Women, for example, are not intended to participate to war but its doom were not just to punish the men who were there but will also bring tears to those who are left at home, minding the babies, minding the chores, and minding all the worries of uncertainty while holding on no assurance of having their loved one’s back. For this to be achieved, Sonneborn applied the right skill of film making guided by her intuition to know the truth behind the sorrows of all women victimized by war.

Health Care System of United States

Today†s health care system is in a constant state of fluctuation and commotion. It is sometimes difficult for the health care consumer to identify a valuable resource when they need one. The purpose of this paper is to explore one of the many health care resources that are available in the greater Philadelphia area and then visit this site to learn more about it. Philadelphia, in itself is an outstanding resource to the people of the area. In terms of healthcare resource implications this is true. There are numerous teaching hospitals, museums, clinics, and educational centers in this region. I choose to learn more about Planned Parenthood, a well-known organization in this area as well as nationally. Upon entering the clinic I knew very little about Planned Parenthood. It turned out that what I knew was only a fraction of what Planned Parenthood is really all about. According to the chairperson and president of PP, young people rely on Planned Parenthood to be truthful, confidential and non-judgmental. Women and men are grateful that it is an affordable resource, accessible to all, and respectful of all persons† decisions. Patients fell safe there because they provide safe medical care by trained professionals. Parents can feel a sense of ease because they know that their children are learning correct and valuable information concerning sex. Both donors and investors can feel confident that their gifts are an investment in the health and well being of the men, women, and children in their community. This paper will relay the information received from the site visit to Planned Parenthood in Media, Pennsylvania. It will discuss the mission, services, and financial aspects of Planned Parenthood. Mission Statement. The mission of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania (PPSP) is to protect and enhance reproductive freedom, to increase access to reproductive health care services and information, and to promote sexual health. This mission provides the foundation of PPSP†s services and programs that they offer to the approximately 43,000 men, women, and children of the Delaware Valley. Planned Parenthood was found by a registered nurse named Margaret Sanger in the early 1900†³s. Her belief and reason for founding PP was this, â€Å"†¦ he first right of a child (is) to be wanted, to be desired, to be planned for with an intensity of love†¦ † (Planned Parenthood, 1999). Sanger was tired of watching women young and old die from complications of pregnancies due to lack of education and health care and was tired of seeing unwanted pregnancies carried to term because women did not know their options. Her goal was to both educate and provide for these women the reproductive services that were necessary for what she called reproductive freedom. Benefits of Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood provides numerous programs and services to the people of Southeastern Pennsylvania. I spoke with a woman named Megan (no last name was provided). She informed me of these services and programs, and helped me to gain a better understanding of what PP really is and does. Health Services. Planned Parenthood provides their services to women as well as men- it is a resource to be utilized by all. It is a common misconception that PP is for women only. They offer reproductive health care for men, women, and teens. They supply every FDA approved method of reversible birth control. These include natural family planning methods, Norplant, Depo-Provera, Birth control Pill, IUD (intrauterine device), condoms, Diaphragm, and cervical caps. Something that they offer is emergency contraception or the â€Å"morning after pill. † It decreases the likelihood of becoming pregnant even after the conception, because it decreases the healthy nature of the uterine wall. It is only effective within seventy-two hours following conception. They also offer walk-in pregnancy testing, options counseling and referrals to abortion clinics and adoption agencies. In the Media office, there are three nurse practitioners on staff who provide complete gynecological examinations including Pap tests. There is a physician who is affiliated with their office; he comes in at least twice a month or upon appointment to review all cases. The NP†s provide breast health checks and teach breast self-examinations. Mid-life services are provided for menopausal women as well hormone replacement therapy. Testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections for men and women and confidential and anonymous HIV/AIDS testing are available as well. Planned Parenthood does perform first trimester abortions. They also offer a number of other health services such as cholesterol and blood pressure screening. Educational services. PPSP offers educational programs to pre-teens, teens, parents, and caregivers on topics of human sexuality, including health care, family planning, relationships, and HIV/Aids. There are teen peer education groups as well as Latino community workshops provided by bilingual/ bicultural educators. PPSP provides a complete resource center (bookstore and library) which provides a collection of literature on reproduction health care, sexuality, etc. Advocacy. PPSP urges political action for families/ planning and other reproductive health issues by participating in Lobby Days in Harrisburg and Washington. They are also involved in letter writing campaigns and news alerts to inform and motivate the public to become more involved in reproductive health care issues. Costs. All of the above listed services are available to all who enter the clinic at a small fee. The exception is made in the case of children who are thirteen to seventeen; their services and birth control pills are offered at no charge. In all other cases the fees for these products and services are quite low; for example, a routine gynecological examination examinations cost about thirty dollars. PP accepts most insurance plans and Medicaid, including Keystone HMO, PA Blue Cross- Blue Shield, and Personal Choice. They accept US Healthcare for surgical procedures only. Funding Revenue. From July 1, 1996 to June 30, 1007, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania brought in nearly six million dollars ($5,915,000) in revenue. This included nearly $2. 5 million from patient health and surgical services, 1. million from government grants and medical assistance. Funding Expenditures. In this same fiscal year, Planned Parenthood†s total expenses (5,936,000) were in excess of their revenue by twenty-one thousand dollars. They spent about tree million dollars for patient health services and one million on surgical procedures. Over one quarter of a million was spent towards public information and advocacy. And over half a million was spent on education and training. Other funds were spent for special events, fund raising, and administration. At the end of the fiscal report there are ten pages which list the names of those who have made contributions to Planned Parenthood. These donations range from $25,000 or more to $100. PP relies on the contributions of individuals, foundations, and corporations to support their operations and activities in Southeastern PA. All contributions made to PP are tax deductible (Annual Report). I learned a tremendous amount from visiting Planned Parenthood. All of the ideas that I entered the clinic with were quickly proven wrong and limited by the woman that I interviewed. PP is a valuable resource to all women, men, and teens that are interested in maintaining or improving their reproductive health, reproductive education, or their general health. This is a resource that does not receive the publicity or recognition that it deserves. Hopefully the public is aware of what an asset Planned Parenthood is and how much they offer- more than I did before this project. We in Southeastern Pennsylvania are lucky to have PP to turn to for educational and health care needs.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fourteen

Catelyn Ned and the girls were eight days gone when Maester Luwin came to her one night in Bran's sickroom, carrying a reading lamp and the books of account. â€Å"It is past time that we reviewed the figures, my lady,† he said. â€Å"You'll want to know how much this royal visit cost us.† Catelyn looked at Bran in his sickbed and brushed his hair back off his forehead. It had grown very long, she realized. She would have to cut it soon. â€Å"I have no need to look at figures, Maester Luwin,† she told him, never taking her eyes from Bran. â€Å"I know what the visit cost us. Take the books away.† â€Å"My lady, the king's party had healthy appetites. We must replenish our stores before—† She cut him off. â€Å"I said, take the books away. The steward will attend to our needs.† â€Å"We have no steward,† Maester Luwin reminded her. Like a little grey rat, she thought, he would not let go. â€Å"Poole went south to establish Lord Eddard's household at King's Landing.† Catelyn nodded absently. â€Å"Oh, yes. I remember.† Bran looked so pale. She wondered whether they might move his bed under the window, so he could get the morning sun. Maester Luwin set the lamp in a niche by the door and fiddled with its wick. â€Å"There are several appointments that require your immediate attention, my lady. Besides the steward, we need a captain of the guards to fill Jory's place, a new master of horse—† Her eyes snapped around and found him. â€Å"A master of horse?† Her voice was a whip. The maester was shaken. â€Å"Yes, my lady. Hullen rode south with Lord Eddard, so—† â€Å"My son lies here broken and dying, Luwin, and you wish to discuss a new master of horse? Do you think I care what happens in the stables? Do you think it matters to me one whit? I would gladly butcher every horse in Winterfell with my own hands if it would open Bran's eyes, do you understand that? Do you?† He bowed his head. â€Å"Yes, my lady, but the appointments—† â€Å"I'll make the appointments,† Robb said. Catelyn had not heard him enter, but there he stood in the doorway, looking at her. She had been shouting, she realized with a sudden flush of shame. What was happening to her? She was so tired, and her head hurt all the time. Maester Luwin looked from Catelyn to her son. â€Å"I have prepared a list of those we might wish to consider for the vacant offices,† he said, offering Robb a paper plucked from his sleeve. Her son glanced at the names. He had come from outside, Catelyn saw; his cheeks were red from the cold, his hair shaggy and windblown. â€Å"Good men,† he said. â€Å"We'll talk about them tomorrow.† He handed back the list of names. â€Å"Very good, my lord.† The paper vanished into his sleeve. â€Å"Leave us now,† Robb said. Maester Luwin bowed and departed. Robb closed the door behind him and turned to her. He was wearing a sword, she saw. â€Å"Mother, what are you doing?† Catelyn had always thought Robb looked like her; like Bran and Rickon and Sansa, he had the Tully coloring, the auburn hair, the blue eyes. Yet now for the first time she saw something of Eddard Stark in his face, something as stern and hard as the north. â€Å"What am I doing?† she echoed, puzzled. â€Å"How can you ask that? What do you imagine I'm doing? I am taking care of your brother. I am taking care of Bran.† â€Å"Is that what you call it? You haven't left this room since Bran was hurt. You didn't even come to the gate when Father and the girls went south.† â€Å"I said my farewells to them here, and watched them ride out from that window.† She had begged Ned not to go, not now, not after what had happened; everything had changed now, couldn't he see that? It was no use. He had no choice, he had told her, and then he left, choosing. â€Å"I can't leave him, even for a moment, not when any moment could be his last. I have to be with him, if . . . if . . . † She took her son's limp hand, sliding his fingers through her own. He was so frail and thin, with no strength left in his hand, but she could still feel the warmth of life through his skin. Robb's voice softened. â€Å"He's not going to die, Mother. Maester Luwin says the time of greatest danger has passed.† â€Å"And what if Maester Luwin is wrong? What if Bran needs me and I'm not here?† â€Å"Rickon needs you,† Robb said sharply. â€Å"He's only three, he doesn't understand what's happening. He thinks everyone has deserted him, so he follows me around all day, clutching my leg and crying. I don't know what to do with him.† He paused a moment, chewing on his lower lip the way he'd done when he was little. â€Å"Mother, I need you too. I'm trying but I can't . . . I can't do it all by myself.† His voice broke with sudden emotion, and Catelyn remembered that he was only fourteen. She wanted to get up and go to him, but Bran was still holding her hand and she could not move. Outside the tower, a wolf began to howl. Catelyn trembled, just for a second. â€Å"Bran's.† Robb opened the window and let the night air into the stuffy tower room. The howling grew louder. It was a cold and lonely sound, full of melancholy and despair. â€Å"Don't,† she told him. â€Å"Bran needs to stay warm.† â€Å"He needs to hear them sing,† Robb said. Somewhere out in Winterfell, a second wolf began to howl in chorus with the first. Then a third, closer. â€Å"Shaggydog and Grey Wind,† Robb said as their voices rose and fell together. â€Å"You can tell them apart if you listen close.† Catelyn was shaking. It was the grief, the cold, the howling of the direwolves. Night after night, the howling and the cold wind and the grey empty castle, on and on they went, never changing, and her boy lying there broken, the sweetest of her children, the gentlest, Bran who loved to laugh and climb and dreamt of knighthood, all gone now, she would never hear him laugh again. Sobbing, she pulled her hand free of his and covered her ears against those terrible howls. â€Å"Make them stop!† she cried. â€Å"I can't stand it, make them stop, make them stop, kill them all if you must, just make them stop!† She didn't remember falling to the floor, but there she was, and Robb was lifting her, holding her in strong arms. â€Å"Don't be afraid, Mother. They would never hurt him.† He helped her to her narrow bed in the corner of the sickroom. â€Å"Close your eyes,† he said gently. â€Å"Rest. Maester Luwin tells me you've hardly slept since Bran's fall.† â€Å"I can't,† she wept. â€Å"Gods forgive me, Robb, I can't, what if he dies while I'm asleep, what if he dies, what if he dies . . . † The wolves were still howling. She screamed and held her ears again. â€Å"Oh, gods, close the window!† â€Å"If you swear to me you'll sleep.† Robb went to the window, but as he reached for the shutters another sound was added to the mournful howling of the direwolves. â€Å"Dogs,† he said, listening. â€Å"All the dogs are barking. They've never done that before . . . † Catelyn heard his breath catch in his throat. When she looked up, his face was pale in the lamplight. â€Å"Fire,† he whispered. Fire, she thought, and then, Bran! â€Å"Help me,† she said urgently, sitting up. â€Å"Help me with Bran.† Robb did not seem to hear her. â€Å"The library tower's on fire,† he said. Catelyn could see the flickering reddish light through the open window now. She sagged with relief. Bran was safe. The library was across the bailey, there was no way the fire would reach them here. â€Å"Thank the gods,† she whispered. Robb looked at her as if she'd gone mad. â€Å"Mother, stay here. I'll come back as soon as the fire's out.† He ran then. She heard him shout to the guards outside the room, heard them descending together in a wild rush, taking the stairs two and three at a time. Outside, there were shouts of â€Å"Fire!† in the yard, screams, running footsteps, the whinny of frightened horses, and the frantic barking of the castle dogs. The howling was gone, she realized as she listened to the cacophony. The direwolves had fallen silent. Catelyn said a silent prayer of thanks to the seven faces of god as she went to the window. Across the bailey, long tongues of flame shot from the windows of the library. She watched the smoke rise into the sky and thought sadly of all the books the Starks had gathered over the centuries. Then she closed the shutters. When she turned away from the window, the man was in the room with her. â€Å"You weren't s'posed to be here,† he muttered sourly. â€Å"No one was s'posed to be here.† He was a small, dirty man in filthy brown clothing, and he stank of horses. Catelyn knew all the men who worked in their stables, and he was none of them. He was gaunt, with limp blond hair and pale eyes deep-sunk in a bony face, and there was a dagger in his hand. Catelyn looked at the knife, then at Bran. â€Å"No,† she said. The word stuck in her throat, the merest whisper. He must have heard her. â€Å"It's a mercy,† he said. â€Å"He's dead already.† â€Å"No,† Catelyn said, louder now as she found her voice again. â€Å"No, you can't.† She spun back toward the window to scream for help, but the man moved faster than she would have believed. One hand clamped down over her mouth and yanked back her head, the other brought the dagger up to her windpipe. The stench of him was overwhelming. She reached up with both hands and grabbed the blade with all her strength, pulling it away from her throat. She heard him cursing into her ear. Her fingers were slippery with blood, but she would not let go of the dagger. The hand over her mouth clenched more tightly, shutting off her air. Catelyn twisted her head to the side and managed to get a piece of his flesh between her teeth. She bit down hard into his palm. The man grunted in pain. She ground her teeth together and tore at him, and all of a sudden he let go. The taste of his blood filled her mouth. She sucked in air and screamed, and he grabbed her hair and pulled her away from him, and she stumbled and went down, and then he was standing over her, breathing hard, shaking. The dagger was still clutched tightly in his right hand, slick with blood. â€Å"You weren't s'posed to be here,† he repeated stupidly. Catelyn saw the shadow slip through the open door behind him. There was a low rumble, less than a snarl, the merest whisper of a threat, but he must have heard something, because he started to turn just as the wolf made its leap. They went down together, half sprawled over Catelyn where she'd fallen. The wolf had him under the jaw. The man's shriek lasted less than a second before the beast wrenched back its head, taking out half his throat. His blood felt like warm rain as it sprayed across her face. The wolf was looking at her. Its jaws were red and wet and its eyes glowed golden in the dark room. It was Bran's wolf, she realized. Of course it was. â€Å"Thank you,† Catelyn whispered, her voice faint and tiny. She lifted her hand, trembling. The wolf padded closer, sniffed at her fingers, then licked at the blood with a wet rough tongue. When it had cleaned all the blood off her hand, it turned away silently and jumped up on Bran's bed and lay down beside him. Catelyn began to laugh hysterically. That was the way they found them, when Robb and Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik burst in with half the guards in Winterfell. When the laughter finally died in her throat, they wrapped her in warm blankets and led her back to the Great Keep, to her own chambers. Old Nan undressed her and helped her into a scalding hot bath and washed the blood off her with a soft cloth. Afterward Maester Luwin arrived to dress her wounds. The cuts in her fingers went deep, almost to the bone, and her scalp was raw and bleeding where he'd pulled out a handful of hair. The maester told her the pain was just starting now, and gave her milk of the poppy to help her sleep. Finally she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they told her that she had slept four days. Catelyn nodded and sat up in bed. It all seemed like a nightmare to her now, everything since Bran's fall, a terrible dream of blood and grief, but she had the pain in her hands to remind her that it was real. She felt weak and light-headed, yet strangely resolute, as if a great weight had lifted from her. â€Å"Bring me some bread and honey,† she told her servants, â€Å"and take word to Maester Luwin that my bandages want changing.† They looked at her in surprise and ran to do her bidding. Catelyn remembered the way she had been before, and she was ashamed. She had let them all down, her children, her husband, her House. It would not happen again. She would show these northerners how strong a Tully of Riverrun could be. Robb arrived before her food. Rodrik Cassel came with him, and her husband's ward Theon Greyjoy, and lastly Hallis Mollen, a muscular guardsman with a square brown beard. He was the new captain of the guard, Robb said. Her son was dressed in boiled leather and ringmail, she saw, and a sword hung at his waist. â€Å"Who was he?† Catelyn asked them. â€Å"No one knows his name,† Hallis Mollen told her. â€Å"He was no man of Winterfell, m'lady, but some says they seen him here and about the castle these past few weeks.† â€Å"One of the king's men, then,† she said, â€Å"or one of the Lannisters'. He could have waited behind when the others left.† â€Å"Maybe,† Hal said. â€Å"With all these strangers filling up Winterfell of late, there's no way of saying who he belonged to.† â€Å"He'd been hiding in your stables,† Greyjoy said. â€Å"You could smell it on him.† â€Å"And how could he go unnoticed?† she said sharply. Hallis Mollen looked abashed. â€Å"Between the horses Lord Eddard took south and them we sent north to the Night's Watch, the stalls were half-empty. It were no great trick to hide from the stableboys. Could be Hodor saw him, the talk is that boy's been acting queer, but simple as he is . . . † Hal shook his head. â€Å"We found where he'd been sleeping,† Robb put in. â€Å"He had ninety silver stags in a leather bag buried beneath the straw.† â€Å"It's good to know my son's life was not sold cheaply,† Catelyn said bitterly. Hallis Mollen looked at her, confused. â€Å"Begging your grace, m'lady, you saying he was out to kill your boy?† Greyjoy was doubtful. â€Å"That's madness.† â€Å"He came for Bran,† Catelyn said. â€Å"He kept muttering how I wasn't supposed to be there. He set the library fire thinking I would rush to put it out, taking any guards with me. If I hadn't been half-mad with grief, it would have worked.† â€Å"Why would anyone want to kill Bran?† Robb said. â€Å"Gods, he's only a little boy, helpless, sleeping . . . â€Å" Catelyn gave her firstborn a challenging look. â€Å"If you are to rule in the north, you must think these things through, Robb. Answer your own question. Why would anyone want to kill a sleeping child?† Before he could answer, the servants returned with a plate of food fresh from the kitchen. There was much more than she'd asked for: hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, a rasher of bacon and a soft-boiled egg, a wedge of cheese, a pot of mint tea. And with it came Maester Luwin. â€Å"How is my son, Maester?† Catelyn looked at all the food and found she had no appetite. Maester Luwin lowered his eyes. â€Å"Unchanged, my lady.† It was the reply she had expected, no more and no less. Her hands throbbed with pain, as if the blade were still in her, cutting deep. She sent the servants away and looked back to Robb. â€Å"Do you have the answer yet?† â€Å"Someone is afraid Bran might wake up,† Robb said, â€Å"afraid of what he might say or do, afraid of something he knows.† Catelyn was proud of him. â€Å"Very good.† She turned to the new captain of the guard. â€Å"We must keep Bran safe. If there was one killer, there could be others.† â€Å"How many guards do you want, rn'lady?† Hal asked. â€Å"So long as Lord Eddard is away, my son is the master of Winterfell,† she told him. Robb stood a little taller. â€Å"Put one man in the sickroom, night and day, one outside the door, two at the bottom of the stairs. No one sees Bran without my warrant or my mother's.† â€Å"As you say, m'lord.† â€Å"Do it now,† Catelyn suggested. â€Å"And let his wolf stay in the room with him,† Robb added. â€Å"Yes,† Catelyn said. And then again: â€Å"Yes.† Hallis Mollen bowed and left the room. â€Å"Lady Stark,† Ser Rodrik said when the guardsman had gone, â€Å"did you chance to notice the dagger the killer used?† â€Å"The circumstances did not allow me to examine it closely, but I can vouch for its edge,† Catelyn replied with a dry smile. â€Å"Why do you ask?† â€Å"We found the knife still in the villain's grasp. It seemed to me that it was altogether too fine a weapon for such a man, so I looked at it long and hard. The blade is Valyrian steel, the hilt dragonbone. A weapon like that has no business being in the hands of such as him. Someone gave it to him.† Catelyn nodded, thoughtful. â€Å"Robb, close the door.† He looked at her strangely, but did as she told him. â€Å"What I am about to tell you must not leave this room,† she told them. â€Å"I want your oaths on that. If even part of what I suspect is true, Ned and my girls have ridden into deadly danger, and a word in the wrong ears could mean their lives.† â€Å"Lord Eddard is a second father to me,† said Theon Greyjoy. â€Å"I do so swear.† â€Å"You have my oath,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"And mine, my lady,† echoed Ser Rodrik. She looked at her son. â€Å"And you, Robb?† He nodded his consent. â€Å"My sister Lysa believes the Lannisters murdered her husband, Lord Arryn, the Hand of the King,† Catelyn told them. â€Å"It comes to me that Jaime Lannister did not join the hunt the day Bran fell. He remained here in the castle.† The room was deathly quiet. â€Å"I do not think Bran fell from that tower,† she said into the stillness. â€Å"I think he was thrown.† The shock was plain on their faces. â€Å"My lady, that is a monstrous suggestion,† said Rodrik Cassel. â€Å"Even the Kingslayer would flinch at the murder of an innocent child.† â€Å"Oh, would he?† Theon Greyjoy asked. â€Å"I wonder.† â€Å"There is no limit to Lannister pride or Lannister ambition,† Catelyn said. â€Å"The boy had always been surehanded in the past,† Maester Luwin said thoughtfully. â€Å"He knew every stone in Winterfell.† â€Å"Gods,† Robb swore, his young face dark with anger. â€Å"If this is true, he will pay for it.† He drew his sword and waved it in the air. â€Å"I'll kill him myself!† Ser Rodrik bristled at him. â€Å"Put that away! The Lannisters are a hundred leagues away. Never draw your sword unless you mean to use it. How many times must I tell you, foolish boy?† Abashed, Robb sheathed his sword, suddenly a child again. Catelyn said to Ser Rodrik, â€Å"I see my son is wearing steel now.† The old master-at-arms said, â€Å"I thought it was time.† Robb was looking at her anxiously. â€Å"Past time,† she said. â€Å"Winterfell may have need of all its swords soon, and they had best not be made of wood.† Theon Greyjoy put a hand on the hilt of his blade and said, â€Å"My lady, if it comes to that, my House owes yours a great debt.† Maester Luwin pulled at his chain collar where it chafed against his neck. â€Å"All we have is conjecture. This is the queen's beloved brother we mean to accuse. She will not take it kindly. We must have proof, or forever keep silent.† â€Å"Your proof is in the dagger,† Ser Rodrik said. â€Å"A fine blade like that will not have gone unnoticed.† There was only one place to find the truth of it, Catelyn realized. â€Å"Someone must go to King's Landing.† â€Å"I'll go,† Robb said. â€Å"No,† she told him. â€Å"Your place is here. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell.† She looked at Ser Rodrik with his great white whiskers, at Maester Luwin in his grey robes, at young Greyjoy, lean and dark and impetuous. Who to send? Who would be believed? Then she knew. Catelyn struggled to push back the blankets, her bandaged fingers as stiff and unyielding as stone. She climbed out of bed. â€Å"I must go myself.† â€Å"My lady,† said Maester Luwin, â€Å"is that wise? Surely the Lannisters would greet your arrival with suspicion.† â€Å"What about Bran?† Robb asked. The poor boy looked utterly confused now. â€Å"You can't mean to leave him.† â€Å"I have done everything I can for Bran,† she said, laying a wounded hand on his arm. â€Å"His life is in the hands of the gods and Maester Luwin. As you reminded me yourself, Robb, I have other children to think of now.† â€Å"You will need a strong escort, my lady,† Theon said. â€Å"I'll send Hal with a squad of guardsmen,† Robb said. â€Å"No,† Catelyn said. â€Å"A large party attracts unwelcome attention. I would not have the Lannisters know I am coming.† Ser Rodrik protested. â€Å"My lady, let me accompany you at least. The kingsroad can be perilous for a woman alone.† â€Å"I will not be taking the kingsroad,† Catelyn replied. She thought for a moment, then nodded her consent. â€Å"Two riders can move as fast as one, and a good deal faster than a long column burdened by wagons and wheelhouses. I will welcome your company, Ser Rodrik. We will follow the White Knife down to the sea, and hire a ship at WhiteHarbor. Strong horses and brisk winds should bring us to King's Landing well ahead of Ned and the Lannisters.† And then, she thought, we shall see what we shall see.