A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty-six

Jon Jon was showing Dareon how best to deliver a sidestroke when the new recruit entered the practice yard. â€Å"Your feet should be farther apart,† he urged. â€Å"You don't want to lose your balance. That's good. Now pivot as you deliver the stroke, get all your weight behind the blade.† Dareon broke off and lifted his visor. â€Å"Seven gods,† he murmured. â€Å"Would you look at this, Jon.† Jon turned. Through the eye slit of his helm, he beheld the fattest boy he had ever seen standing in the door of the armory. By the look of him, he must have weighed twenty stone. The fur collar of his embroidered surcoat was lost beneath his chins. Pale eyes moved nervously in a great round moon of a face, and plump sweaty fingers wiped themselves on the velvet of his doublet. â€Å"They . . . they told me I was to come here for . . . for training,† he said to no one in particular. â€Å"A lordling,† Pyp observed to Jon. â€Å"Southron, most like near Highgarden.† Pyp had traveled the Seven Kingdoms with a mummers' troupe, and bragged that he could tell what you were and where you'd been born just from the sound of your voice. A striding huntsman had been worked in scarlet thread upon the breast of the fat boy's fur-trimmed surcoat. Jon did not recognize the sigil. Ser Alliser Thorne looked over his new charge and said, â€Å"It would seem they have run short of poachers and thieves down south. Now they send us pigs to man the Wall. Is fur and velvet your notion of armor, my Lord of Ham?† It was soon revealed that the new recruit had brought his own armor with him; padded doublet, boiled leather, mail and plate and helm, even a great wood-and-leather shield blazoned with the same striding huntsman he wore on his surcoat. As none of it was black, however, Ser Alliser insisted that he reequip himself from the armory. That took half the morning. His girth required Donal Noye to take apart a mail hauberk and refit it with leather panels at the sides. To get a helm over his head the armorer had to detach the visor. His leathers bound so tightly around his legs and under his arms that he could scarcely move. Dressed for battle, the new boy looked like an overcooked sausage about to burst its skin. â€Å"Let us hope you are not as inept as you look,† Ser Alliser said. â€Å"Halder, see what Ser Piggy can do.† Jon Snow winced. Halder had been born in a quarry and apprenticed as a stonemason. He was sixteen, tall and muscular, and his blows were as hard as any Jon had ever felt. â€Å"This will be uglier than a whore's ass,† Pyp muttered, and it was. The fight lasted less than a minute before the fat boy was on the ground, his whole body shaking as blood leaked through his shattered helm and between his pudgy fingers. â€Å"I yield,† he shrilled. â€Å"No more, I yield, don't hit me.† Rast and some of the other boys were laughing. Even then, Ser Alliser would not call an end. â€Å"On your feet, Ser Piggy,† he called. â€Å"Pick up your sword.† When the boy continued to cling to the ground, Thorne gestured to Halder. â€Å"Hit him with the flat of your blade until he finds his feet.† Halder delivered a tentative smack to his foe's upraised cheeks. â€Å"You can hit harder than that,† Thorne taunted. Halder took hold of his longsword with both hands and brought it down so hard the blow split leather, even on the flat. The new boy screeched in pain. Jon Snow took a step forward. Pyp laid a mailed hand on his arm. â€Å"Jon, no,† the small boy whispered with an anxious glance at Ser Alliser Thorne. â€Å"On your feet,† Thorne repeated. The fat boy struggled to rise, slipped, and fell heavily again. â€Å"Ser Piggy is starting to grasp the notion,† Ser Alliser observed. â€Å"Again.† Halder lifted the sword for another blow. â€Å"Cut us off a ham!† Rast urged, laughing. Jon shook off Pyp's hand. â€Å"Halder, enough.† Halder looked to Ser Alliser. â€Å"The Bastard speaks and the peasants tremble,† the master-at-arms said in that sharp, cold voice of his. â€Å"I remind you that I am the master-at-arms here, Lord Snow.† â€Å"Look at him, Halder,† Jon urged, ignoring Thorne as best he could. â€Å"There's no honor in beating a fallen foe. He yielded.† He knelt beside the fat boy. Halder lowered his sword. â€Å"He yielded,† he echoed. Ser Alliser's onyx eyes were fixed on Jon Snow. â€Å"It would seem our Bastard is in love,† he said as Jon helped the fat boy to his feet. â€Å"Show me your steel, Lord Snow.† Jon drew his longsword. He dared defy Ser Alliser only to a point, and he feared he was well beyond it now. Thorne smiled. â€Å"The Bastard wishes to defend his lady love, so we shall make an exercise of it. Rat, Pimple, help our Stone Head here.† Rast and Albett moved to join Halder. â€Å"Three of you ought to be sufficient to make Lady Piggy squeal. All you need do is get past the Bastard.† â€Å"Stay behind me,† Jon said to the fat boy. Ser Alliser had often sent two foes against him, but never three. He knew he would likely go to sleep bruised and bloody tonight. He braced himself for the assault. Suddenly Pyp was beside him. â€Å"Three to two will make for better sport,† the small boy said cheerfully. He dropped his visor and slid out his sword. Before Jon could even think to protest, Grenn had stepped up to make a third. The yard had grown deathly quiet. Jon could feel Ser Alliser's eyes. â€Å"Why are you waiting?† he asked Rast and the others in a voice gone deceptively soft, but it was Jon who moved first. Halder barely got his sword up in time. Jon drove him backward, attacking with every blow, keeping the older boy on the heels. Know your foe, Ser Rodrik had taught him once; Jon knew Halder, brutally strong but short of patience, with no taste for defense. Frustrate him, and he would leave himself open, as certain as sunset. The clang of steel echoed through the yard as the others joined battle around him. Jon blocked a savage cut at his head, the shock of impact running up his arm as the swords crashed together. He slammed a sidestroke into Halder's ribs, and was rewarded with a muffled grunt of pain. The counterstroke caught Jon on the shoulder. Chainmail crunched, and pain flared up his neck, but for an instant Halder was unbalanced. Jon cut his left leg from under him, and he fell with a curse and a crash. Grenn was standing his ground as Jon had taught him, giving Albett more than he cared for, but Pyp was hard-pressed. Rast had two years and forty pounds on him. Jon stepped up behind him and rang the raper's helm like a bell. As Rast went reeling, Pyp slid in under his guard, knocked him down, and leveled a blade at his throat. By then Jon had moved on. Facing two swords, Albett backed away. â€Å"I yield,† he shouted. Ser Alliser Thorne surveyed the scene with disgust. â€Å"The mummer's farce has gone on long enough for today.† He walked away. The session was at an end. Dareon helped Halder to his feet. The quarryman's son wrenched off his helm and threw it across the yard. â€Å"For an instant, I thought I finally had you, Snow.† â€Å"For an instant, you did,† Jon replied. Under his mail and leather, his shoulder was throbbing. He sheathed his sword and tried to remove his helm, but when he raised his arm, the pain made him grit his teeth. â€Å"Let me,† a voice said. Thick-fingered hands unfastened helm from gorget and lifted it off gently. â€Å"Did he hurt you?† â€Å"I've been bruised before.† He touched his shoulder and winced. The yard was emptying around them. Blood matted the fat boy's hair where Halder had split his helm asunder. â€Å"My name is Samwell Tarly, of Horn . . . † He stopped and licked his lips. â€Å"I mean, I was of Horn Hill, until I . . . left. I've come to take the black. My father is Lord Randyll, a bannerman to the Tyrells of Highgarden. I used to be his heir, only . . . † His voice trailed off. â€Å"I'm Jon Snow, Ned Stark's bastard, of Winterfell.† Samwell Tarly nodded. â€Å"I . . . if you want, you can call me Sam. My mother calls me Sam.† â€Å"You can call him Lord Snow,† Pyp said as he came up to join them. â€Å"You don't want to know what his mother calls him.† â€Å"These two are Grenn and Pypar,† Jon said. â€Å"Grenn's the ugly one,† Pyp said. Grenn scowled. â€Å"You're uglier than me. At least I don't have ears like a bat.† â€Å"My thanks to all of you,† the fat boy said gravely. â€Å"Why didn't you get up and fight?† Grenn demanded. â€Å"I wanted to, truly. I just . . . I couldn't. I didn't want him to hit me anymore.† He looked at the ground. â€Å"I . . . I fear I'm a coward. My lord father always said so.† Grenn looked thunderstruck. Even Pyp had no words to say to that, and Pyp had words for everything. What sort of man would proclaim himself a coward? Samwell Tarly must have read their thoughts on their faces. His eyes met Jon's and darted away, quick as frightened animals. â€Å"I . . . I'm sorry,† he said. â€Å"I don't mean to . . . to be like I am.† He walked heavily toward the armory. Jon called after him. â€Å"You were hurt,† he said. â€Å"Tomorrow you'll do better.† Sam looked mournfully back over one shoulder. â€Å"No I won't,† he said, blinking back tears. â€Å"I never do better.† When he was gone, Grenn frowned. â€Å"Nobody likes cravens,† he said uncomfortably. â€Å"I wish we hadn't helped him. What if they think we're craven too?† â€Å"You're too stupid to be craven,† Pyp told him. â€Å"I am not,† Grenn said. â€Å"Yes you are. If a bear attacked you in the woods, you'd be too stupid to run away.† â€Å"I would not,† Grenn insisted. â€Å"I'd run away faster than you.† He stopped suddenly, scowling when he saw Pyp's grin and realized what he'd just said. His thick neck flushed a dark red. Jon left them there arguing as he returned to the armory, hung up his sword, and stripped off his battered armor. Life at Castle Black followed certain patterns; the mornings were for swordplay, the afternoons for work. The black brothers set new recruits to many different tasks, to learn where their skills lay. Jon cherished the rare afternoons when he was sent out with Ghost ranging at his side to bring back game for the Lord Commander's table, but for every day spent hunting, he gave a dozen to Donal Noye in the armory, spinning the whetstone while the one-armed smith sharpened axes grown dull from use, or pumping the bellows as Noye hammered out a new sword. Other times he ran messages, stood at guard, mucked out stables, fletched arrows, assisted Maester Aemon with his birds or Bowen Marsh with his counts and inventories. That afternoon, the watch commander sent him to the winch cage with four barrels of fresh-crushed stone, to scatter gravel over the icy footpaths atop the Wall. It was lonely and boring work, even with Ghost along for company, but Jon found he did not mind. On a clear day you could see half the world from the top of the Wall, and the air was always cold and bracing. He could think here, and he found himself thinking of Samwell Tarly . . . and, oddly, of Tyrion Lannister. He wondered what Tyrion would have made of the fat boy. Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it, the dwarf had told him, grinning. The world was full of cravens who pretended to be heroes; it took a queer sort of courage to admit to cowardice as Samwell Tarly had. His sore shoulder made the work go slowly. It was late afternoon before Jon finished graveling the paths. He lingered on high to watch the sun go down, turning the western sky the color of blood. Finally, as dusk was settling over the north, Jon rolled the empty barrels back into the cage and signaled the winch men to lower him. The evening meal was almost done by the time he and Ghost reached the common hall. A group of the black brothers were dicing over mulled wine near the fire. His friends were at the bench nearest the west wall, laughing. Pyp was in the middle of a story. The mummer's boy with the big ears was a born liar with a hundred different voices, and he did not tell his tales so much as live them, playing all the parts as needed, a king one moment and a swineherd the next. When he turned into an alehouse girl or a virgin princess, he used a high falsetto voice that reduced them all to tears of helpless laughter, and his eunuchs were always eerily accurate caricatures of Ser Alliser. Jon took as much pleasure from Pyp's antics as anyone . . . yet that night he turned away and went instead to the end of the bench, where Samwell Tarly sat alone, as far from the others as he could get. He was finishing the last of the pork pie the cooks had served up for supper when Jon sat down across from him. The fat boy's eyes widened at the sight of Ghost. â€Å"Is that a wolf?† â€Å"A direwolf,† Jon said. â€Å"His name is Ghost. The direwolf is the sigil of my father's House.† â€Å"Ours is a striding huntsman,† Samwell Tarly said. â€Å"Do you like to hunt?† The fat boy shuddered. â€Å"I hate it.† He looked as though he was going to cry again. â€Å"What's wrong now?† Jon asked him. â€Å"Why are you always so frightened?† Sam stared at the last of his pork pie and gave a feeble shake of his head, too scared even to talk. A burst of laughter filled the hall. Jon heard Pyp squeaking in a high voice. He stood. â€Å"Let's go outside.† The round fat face looked up at him, suspicious. â€Å"Why? What will we do outside?† â€Å"Talk,† Jon said. â€Å"Have you seen the Wall?† â€Å"I'm fat, not blind,† Samwell Tarly said. â€Å"Of course I saw it, it's seven hundred feet high.† Yet he stood up all the same, wrapped a fur-lined cloak over his shoulders, and followed Jon from the common hall, still wary, as if he suspected some cruel trick was waiting for him in the night. Ghost padded along beside them. â€Å"I never thought it would be like this,† Sam said as they walked, his words steaming in the cold air. Already he was huffing and puffing as he tried to keep up. â€Å"All the buildings are falling down, and it's so . . . so . . . â€Å" â€Å"Cold?† A hard frost was settling over the castle, and Jon could hear the soft crunch of grey weeds beneath his boots. Sam nodded miserably. â€Å"I hate the cold,† he said. â€Å"Last night I woke up in the dark and the fire had gone out and I was certain I was going to freeze to death by morning.† â€Å"It must have been warmer where you come from.† â€Å"I never saw snow until last month. We were crossing the barrowlands, me and the men my father sent to see me north, and this white stuff began to fall, like a soft rain. At first I thought it was so beautiful, like feathers drifting from the sky, but it kept on and on, until I was frozen to the bone. The men had crusts of snow in their beards and more on their shoulders, and still it kept coming. I was afraid it would never end.† Jon smiled. The Wall loomed before them, glimmering palely in the light of the half moon. In the sky above, the stars burned clear and sharp. â€Å"Are they going to make me go up there?† Sam asked. His face curdled like old milk as he looked at the great wooden stairs. â€Å"I'll die if I have to climb that.† â€Å"There's a winch,† Jon said, pointing. â€Å"They can draw you up in a cage.† Samwell Tarly sniffled. â€Å"I don't like high places.† It was too much. Jon frowned, incredulous. â€Å"Are you afraid of everything?† he asked. â€Å"I don't understand. If you are truly so craven, why are you here? Why would a coward want to join the Night's Watch?† Samwell Tarly looked at him for a long moment, and his round face seemed to cave in on itself. He sat down on the frost-covered ground and began to cry, huge choking sobs that made his whole body shake. Jon Snow could only stand and watch. Like the snowfall on the barrowlands, it seemed the tears would never end. It was Ghost who knew what to do. Silent as shadow, the pale direwolf moved closer and began to lick the warm tears off Samwell Tarly's face. The fat boy cried out, startled . . . and somehow, in a heartbeat, his sobs turned to laughter. Jon Snow laughed with him. Afterward they sat on the frozen ground, huddled in their cloaks with Ghost between them. Jon told the story of how he and Robb had found the pups newborn in the late summer snows. It seemed a thousand years ago now. Before long he found himself talking of Winterfell. â€Å"Sometimes I dream about it,† he said. â€Å"I'm walking down this long empty hall. My voice echoes all around, but no one answers, so I walk faster, opening doors, shouting names. I don't even know who I'm looking for. Most nights it's my father, but sometimes it's Robb instead, or my little sister Arya, or my uncle.† The thought of Benjen Stark saddened him; his uncle was still missing. The Old Bear had sent out rangers in search of him. Ser Jaremy Rykker had led two sweeps, and Quorin Halfhand had gone forth from the Shadow Tower, but they'd found nothing aside from a few blazes in the trees that his uncle had left to mark his way. In the stony highlands to the northwest, the marks stopped abruptly and all trace of Ben Stark vanished. â€Å"Do you ever find anyone in your dream?† Sam asked. Jon shook his head. â€Å"No one. The castle is always empty.† He had never told anyone of the dream, and he did not understand why he was telling Sam now, yet somehow it felt good to talk of it. â€Å"Even the ravens are gone from the rookery, and the stables are full of bones. That always scares me. I start to run then, throwing open doors, climbing the tower three steps at a time, screaming for someone, for anyone. And then I find myself in front of the door to the crypts. It's black inside, and I can see the steps spiraling down. Somehow I know I have to go down there, but I don't want to. I'm afraid of what might be waiting for me. The old Kings of Winter are down there, sitting on their thrones with stone wolves at their feet and iron swords across their laps, but it's not them I'm afraid of. I scream that I'm not a Stark, that this isn't my place, but it's no good, I have to go anyway, so I start down, feeling the walls as I descend, with no torch to light the way. It gets darker and darker, until I want to scream.† He stopped, frowning, embarrassed. â€Å"That's when I always wake.† His skin cold and clammy, shivering in the darkness of his cell. Ghost would leap up beside him, his warmth as comforting as daybreak. He would go back to sleep with his face pressed into the direwolf s shaggy white fur. â€Å"Do you dream of Horn Hill?† Jon asked. â€Å"No.† Sam's mouth grew tight and hard. â€Å"I hated it there.† He scratched Ghost behind the ear, brooding, and Jon let the silence breathe. After a long while Samwell Tarly began to talk, and Jon Snow listened quietly, and learned how it was that a self-confessed coward found himself on the Wall. The Tarlys were a family old in honor, bannermen to Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the South. The eldest son of Lord Randyll Tarly, Samwell was born heir to rich lands, a strong keep, and a storied two-handed greatsword named Heartsbane, forged of Valyrian steel and passed down from father to son near five hundred years. Whatever pride his lord father might have felt at Samwell's birth vanished as the boy grew up plump, soft, and awkward. Sam loved to listen to music and make his own songs, to wear soft velvets, to play in the castle kitchen beside the cooks, drinking in the rich smells as he snitched lemon cakes and blueberry tarts. His passions were books and kittens and dancing, clumsy as he was. But he grew ill at the sight of blood, and wept to see even a chicken slaughtered. A dozen masters-at-arms came and went at Horn Hill, trying to turn Samwell into the knight his father wanted. The boy was cursed and caned, slapped and starved. One man had him sleep in his chainmail to make him more martial. Another dressed him in his mother's clothing and paraded him through the bailey to shame him into valor. He only grew fatter and more frightened, until Lord Randyll's disappointment turned to anger and then to loathing. â€Å"One time,† Sam confided, his voice dropping from a whisper, â€Å"two men came to the castle, warlocks from Qarth with white skin and blue lips. They slaughtered a bull aurochs and made me bathe in the hot blood, but it didn't make me brave as they'd promised. I got sick and retched. Father had them scourged.† Finally, after three girls in as many years, Lady Tarly gave her lord husband a second son. From that day, Lord Randyll ignored Sam, devoting all his time to the younger boy, a fierce, robust child more to his liking. Samwell had known several years of sweet peace with his music and his books. Until the dawn of his fifteenth name day, when he had been awakened to find his horse saddled and ready. Three men-at-arms had escorted him into a wood near Horn Hill, where his father was skinning a deer. â€Å"You are almost a man grown now, and my heir,† Lord Randyll Tarly had told his eldest son, his long knife laying bare the carcass as he spoke. â€Å"You have given me no cause to disown you, but neither will I allow you to inherit the land and title that should be Dickon's. Heartsbane must go to a man strong enough to wield her, and you are not worthy to touch her hilt. So I have decided that you shall this day announce that you wish to take the black. You will forsake all claim to your brother's inheritance and start north before evenfall. â€Å"If you do not, then on the morrow we shall have a hunt, and somewhere in these woods your horse will stumble, and you will be thrown from the saddle to die . . . or so I will tell your mother. She has a woman's heart and finds it in her to cherish even you, and I have no wish to cause her pain. Please do not imagine that it will truly be that easy, should you think to defy me. Nothing would please me more than to hunt you down like the pig you are.† His arms were red to the elbow as he laid the skinning knife aside. â€Å"So. There is your choice. The Night's Watch†Ã¢â‚¬â€he reached inside the deer, ripped out its heart, and held it in his fist, red and dripping—†or this.† Sam told the tale in a calm, dead voice, as if it were something that had happened to someone else, not to him. And strangely, Jon thought, he did not weep, not even once. When he was done, they sat together and listened to the wind for a time. There was no other sound in all the world. Finally Jon said, â€Å"We should go back to the common hall.† â€Å"Why?† Sam asked. Jon shrugged. â€Å"There's hot cider to drink, or mulled wine if you prefer. Some nights Dareon sings for us, if the mood is on him. He was a singer, before . . . well, not truly, but almost, an apprentice singer.† â€Å"How did he come here?† Sam asked. â€Å"Lord Rowan of Goldengrove found him in bed with his daughter. The girl was two years older, and Dareon swears she helped him through her window, but under her father's eye she named it rape, so here he is. When Maester Aemon heard him sing, he said his voice was honey poured over thunder.† Jon smiled. â€Å"Toad sometimes sings too, if you call it singing. Drinking songs he learned in his father's winesink. Pyp says his voice is piss poured over a fart.† They laughed at that together. â€Å"I should like to hear them both,† Sam admitted, â€Å"but they would not want me there.† His face was troubled. â€Å"He's going to make me fight again on the morrow, isn't he?† â€Å"He is,† Jon was forced to say. Sam got awkwardly to his feet. â€Å"I had better try to sleep.† He huddled down in his cloak and plodded off. The others were still in the common room when Jon returned, alone but for Ghost. â€Å"Where have you been?† Pyp asked. â€Å"Talking with Sam,† he said. â€Å"He truly is craven,† said Grenn. â€Å"At supper, there were still places on the bench when he got his pie, but he was too scared to come sit with us.† â€Å"The Lord of Ham thinks he's too good to eat with the likes of us,† suggested Jeren. â€Å"I saw him eat a pork pie,† Toad said, smirking. â€Å"Do you think it was a brother?† He began to make oinking noises. â€Å"Stop it!† Jon snapped angrily. The other boys fell silent, taken aback by his sudden fury. â€Å"Listen to me,† Jon said into the quiet, and he told them how it was going to be. Pyp backed him, as he'd known he would, but when Halder spoke up, it was a pleasant surprise. Grenn was anxious at the first, but Jon knew the words to move him. One by one the rest fell in line. Jon persuaded some, cajoled some, shamed the others, made threats where threats were required. At the end they had all agreed . . . all but Rast. â€Å"You girls do as you please,† Rast said, â€Å"but if Thorne sends me against Lady Piggy, I'm going to slice me off a rasher of bacon.† He laughed in Jon's face and left them there. Hours later, as the castle slept, three of them paid a call on his cell. Grenn held his arms while Pyp sat on his legs. Jon could hear Rast's rapid breathing as Ghost leapt onto his chest. The direwolf's eyes burned red as embers as his teeth nipped lightly at the soft skin of the boy's throat, just enough to draw blood. â€Å"Remember, we know where you sleep,† Jon said softly. The next morning Jon heard Rast tell Albett and Toad how his razor had slipped while he shaved. From that day forth, neither Rast nor any of the others would hurt Samwell Tarly. When Ser Alliser matched them against him, they would stand their ground and swat aside his slow, clumsy strokes. If the master-at-arms screamed for an attack, they would dance in and tap Sam lightly on breastplate or helm or leg. Ser Alliser raged and threatened and called them all cravens and women and worse, yet Sam remained unhurt. A few nights later, at Jon's urging, he joined them for the evening meal, taking a place on the bench beside Halder. It was another fortnight before he found the nerve to join their talk, but in time he was laughing at Pyp's faces and teasing Grenn with the best of them. Fat and awkward and frightened he might be, but Samwell Tarly was no fool. One night he visited Jon in his cell. â€Å"I don't know what you did,† he said, â€Å"but I know you did it.† He looked away shyly. â€Å"I've never had a friend before.† â€Å"We're not friends,† Jon said. He put a hand on Sam's broad shoulder. â€Å"We're brothers.† And so they were, he thought to himself after Sam had taken his leave. Robb and Bran and Rickon were his father's sons, and he loved them still, yet Jon knew that he had never truly been one of them. Catelyn Stark had seen to that. The grey walls of Winterfell might still haunt his dreams, but Castle Black was his life now, and his brothers were Sam and Grenn and Halder and Pyp and the other cast-outs who wore the black of the Night's Watch. â€Å"My uncle spoke truly,† he whispered to Ghost. He wondered if he would ever see Benjen Stark again, to tell him.

Problem 1

20-1. The campus pizzeria sells a single pizza for $12. If you order a second pizza, however, the pizzeria charges a price of only $5 for the additional pizza. Explain how an understanding of marginal utility helps to explain the pizzeria’s pricing strategy. 20-1-A. The pricing method that the pizzeria is using shows they understand how marginal utility works, specifically diminishing marginal utility. After hitting the level of satisfaction from the first pizza, a second pizza will not be quite as rewarding. Getting an additional pizza at a price of only $5 dollars will entice a customer to purchase it because of the lower price.Because the significance of the second pizza is less than the first, a costumer would spend less on it. 20-2. As an individual consumes more units of an item, the person eventually experiences diminishing marginal utility. This means that to increase marginal utility, the person must consume less of an item. Explain the logic of this behavior using th e example in Problem 20-1. 20-2-A. As a consumer eats their first few slices of pizza, the level of satisfaction will eventually hit a maximum where they have thoroughly enjoyed it. After hitting the level of satisfaction, every piece of pizza after that will diminish the pleasure.Therefor, eating less pizza allows the consumer the greatest enjoyment because no pleasure is being added after eating to the point of satisfaction. 20-3. Where possible, complete the missing cells in the table. 20-3-A. 20-4. From the data in Problem 20-3, if the price of a cheeseburger is $2, the price of a bag of French fries is $1, and you have $6 to spend (and you spend all of it), what is the utility-maximizing combination of cheeseburgers and french fries? 20-4-A. The utility-maximizing combination is two cheeseburgers and two orders of french fries. 20-9.Consider the movements that take place from one point to the next (A to B to C and so on) along the total utility curve below as the individual suc cessively increases consumption by one more unit, and answer the questions that follow. a. Which one-unit increase in consumption from one point to the next along the total utility curve generates the highest marginal utility? From point A to point B there is a total utility increase of 5 units, meaning the marginal utility is 5 units as well. Therefor, point A to point B generates the highest marginal utility. b.Which one-unit increase in consumption from one point to the next along the total utility curve generates zero marginal utility? Point E to point F generates no marginal utility, meaning the marginal utility is zero. c. Which one-unit increase in consumption from one point to the next along the total utility curve generates negative marginal utility? Point F to point G decreases total utility from 11 to 10 units meaning marginal utility is negative. 20-10. Draw a marginal utility curve corresponding to the total utility curve depicted in Problem 20-9. 20-12.Refer to the fol lowing table for a different consumer, and assume that each week this consumer buys only hot dogs and tickets to baseball games. The price of a hot dog is $2, and the price of a baseball game is $60. If the consumer’s income is $128 per week, what quantity of each item will he purchase each week at a consumer optimum? 20-12-A. The consumer will purchase 2 baseball game tickets and 4 hot dogs each week at a consumer optimum. Equal marginal utilities per dollar occur at the consumption level of 2 baseball game tickets and 4 hot dogs, with the total income equaling $128. The marginal utility per dollar spent equals 5.

Renaissance and Baroque art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renaissance and Baroque art - Essay Example Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was a great sculpture and considered as the foremost exponent of the Baroque style. He was a man of many talents, having designed some buildings, wrote plays, did some paintings and staged also entertainment spectacles; he was however, most noted for his sculptures and bust portraits of the rich and powerful people of his time. He worked as a sculpture in the service of some rich Italian families as his patron of the arts, more notably in service of the Borghese family and two popes which secured his work in St. Peter's Basilica. Needless to say, Bernini was greatly influenced by the demands of his patrons, who in many ways, wanted his art works to depict their religion. This resulted in a Baroque style which combined physical details with some spiritual aspects or themes, in particular the use of light in subtle ways that highlight religious worship. His favorite material in sculptures was marble. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) is considered as the foremost example of a Renaissance Man. He was equally very good in a number of fields of interest, such as a writer, poet, sculptor, painter, architect and engineer although majority of his achievements were in the arts. Michelangelo (as he is more commonly called for this shortened name) is best known for his fresco paintings in the Sistine Chapel although his output in other disciplines were truly prodigious and indicative of his genius based on his versatility and excellence.

Design statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Design statement - Essay Example Financially sponsored by the universities, the website of AustraLearn is designed to promote and offer valid information about a total of 31different universities located throughout the Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific free services to interested foreign students. It also offers the prospective students not only long-term courses but also some short-term programs like a semester or a year abroad program, opportunity to participate in a high quality internship in Australia or New Zealand, the January term, or the summer abroad program. In line with this matter, the website provides the viewers the benefits of studying at each of the listed universities. It also accepts enrolment inquiries related to degree offered in each listed universities, the step-by-step application processes, financial aid, student visa, airline tickets, accommodation, etc. promoting only the different universities throughout Australia. Considering that the proposed program segregates all the Australian universities according to the geographical boundaries such as the Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania; there is a higher chance that the viewers would decide to enrol in one of the Australian universities instead of the universities located in other countries. Furthermore, the simplicity of my design might be conducted the students to choose or not Australia as preferred study destination. The goal of this project is to provide the students the opportunity to choose a university based on the standard of teaching, tuition, lodging, the distance away from home, and the courses offered in accordance to their desired future career. From the educational perspective, the program will create a democratic learning environment by giving the students the freedom and opportunity to express their own

Risk Management Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Risk Management Paper - Assignment Example The institution has a bed capacity of 112 and a home care program. Currently, MedWest has identified catheter associated urinary infections as their most significant hospital acquired infection even though other infections are also under review. Steps that have been put in place to address the issue The hospice has dealt with this problem by first tackling patient identification. Samples and specimens from and for patients must be labeled correctly. This ensures that if they are eligible for blood transfusions, they get the correct ones. Furthermore, identification is done in the patient’s presence in order to ensure accuracy. MedWest Haywood also has a communication policy for caregivers. This means that test results and other documentations must be delivered to the right medical personnel within the appropriate time. Furthermore documentation of that communication ought to be recorded. The institution has also established a standardized communication format that members of t he institution are supposed to follow. These formats include SBAR and Ticket Ride (MedWest Carolinas Health Care, 2011). Aside from communication and patient labeling, the company has also worked on medicine administration. MedWest has procedures for labeling all medications. Persons under anticoagulant therapy are more likely than others to be harmed. Therefore, specific procedures must be adhered to when dealing with these patients. The institution has standards and procedures for reducing the quantity of drug concentrations in its environs. It strictly adheres to the five principles of medical administration that focus on giving patients the right medication at the right time, to the right person, in the correct dosage, using the appropriate route. Particular emphasis is given on medicines that sound or look alike as these are likely to cause errors. Medication containers with syringes or other apparatus are labeled. Care is taken during preoperative settings as well as other pro cedural environments. A protocol for reconciling medication throughout the care continuum exists in the Hospice. Direct infections brought on by medical practitioners are controlled through adherence to national standards for hand hygiene. Medical professionals must wash hands prior to and after contact with patients. They are also expected to follow rules for isolation of patients who may be at risk of infecting others. MedWest expects its staff to adhere to national guidelines concerning difficult to treat infections. It also follows similar procedures for control of infections after surgery as well as prevention of catheter associated urinary tract infections. In surgery, MedWest Haywood prevents infections by having a time out procedure. Here, all the professionals involved in the surgery will identity the correct time out. Additionally, they must mark the surgical site but do this in accordance to preset rules. They are also supposed to surgically pause before starting the proc edure in order to ensure that the right patient, site and procedure have been identified. How the agency developed a path to remedy the problem First, the organization identified the impact of health problems and the amount of risk that patients are exposed. By showing these challenges, it would be possible to get buy in from the professionals responsible for risk exposure as well as risk mitigation. This would also ensure that management and other stakeholders of the

Ecotope Final Project Draft 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ecotope Final Project Draft 1 - Essay Example in the area between 1947 and 2011.The objective of this project was to develop a high resolution ECOTOPE MAP for the UMBC Campus for comparing current and historical mapping of ecological sites. To achieve this, I hypothesised that as time goes by, ecological changes of the landscape are prominent and the heterogeneous ecological density increases. To test this hypothesis required use of research and search of historical data. First, I conducted intensive fieldwork to determine and obtain current data. I then sampled the data I had obtained in the field into required sizes and interpreting the data procedurally. In addition, I did scale classification and digitalization to a scale of 1: 0000. I then used Ms Mary’s primary information to draw insights and do relative comparisons. Finally, I classified the ecotopes as verified by field evaluations and first hand- accounts Even more important to my study was an invaluable account of a 94 year old lady, Ms Mary. She was a resident of Catonsville around late 1940’s through early 50’s. She exponentially enriched our study by giving us a surprisingly vivid account of events as well as greatly helping in identifying the features in the map. This primary data was particularly crucial in identifying the hayfield, row crop, planted, woodlot in the 1947 map. The map in 1947 depicted a hayfield, row crops, planted crops and woodlot. There were very few visible small houses and most of the land was fenced into large portions of almost predominantly used agriculturally. Moreover, there were foot paths across the fields. The interpretation therefore is that there were very limited household due to sparse population. Most land was used agriculturally, evidence for agricultural dependency and the fact most of the land lies unused indicates small scale land use. The footpaths pointed to very limited technology. There were state of the art urban buildings,roads, a man made garden, a university among other advanced

Globalisation Of Marketing Design and Innovation Dissertation

Globalisation Of Marketing Design and Innovation - Dissertation Example According to Doyle, innovation, as a marketing strategy, has several times proved to be the key factor to reward success to many businesses. It is also considered to be the path of attaining higher growth in terms of sales, market shares, and others. However, innovation can be referred to as the development of a newly designed product, marketing channels, and marketing concepts. Thus, innovation in marketing can be stated as one of the crucial elements to achieve an efficient competitive advantage and growth. This statement can be well-observed in the case of television industry where analysts claim to witness an extraordinary chain of innovations which brought about changes in shape, color, size and other features of the genre. For instance, Lachenbruch stated that in its performance from 1953 to 1956 the television industry reached its maturity similar to radio and phonograph industries. It was the period when almost every household in America had a television set in their living r oom and thus sales of television begun to fall. By that period, a new version of television was introduced to the market, i.e. color TVs. This innovation again took the industry to its growth.   These kinds of evidence can be witnessed in almost every stage of the industry, especially in terms of style and technology. This shall be evidently identified in the further discussion.  The introduction of television can be identified in the early 1920s when television was presented in two broad paths.

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Integration - Causal Chains and Strategy - Essay Example Under the following section, each quadrant is briefly discussed, followed by their causal linkages and last part of this article provides a nine-step framework to develop such balanced scorecard system in technology-based organization. Analysis As mentioned-above balanced scorecard, system works based on four perspective such as organization capacity, internal processes, customers and financial perspective. Organizational capacity relates to the concept of increasing the capacity of the business such as production capacity, material capacity, project capacity, etc. In order to meet the demands from the customers, it is essential that the organization must have sufficient capacity to fulfill that order. Internal processes relates to the concept of how effectively the organization can perform a certain job or fulfill customer’s demand for instance. How departments are managed and integrated, how internal controls work together, etc. are the core issues highlighted through intern al processes. Third perspective solely relates to customers. Customers are most important stakeholders of any business such that their preferences, tastes, dispositions, likes and dislikes, etc. paly a profound role in developing the most adequate business strategies. From this perspective, the organization needs to assess the current demands of the customer, how to satisfy them, how to retain their loyalty, how to provide after-sales services to them, etc. are focused through this perspective. Last, but probably the most important perspective of a balanced scorecard is the financial perspective such that every organization needs to improve its financial performance and position. For this purpose, the organizations use financial ratio analysis as a technique of evaluating their performances. Some important financial ratios under this perspective include return on investment, return on assets, return on equity, net profit margin, etc. Challenges faced by Technology Organizations Befo re establishing the causal linkage between the balanced scorecard perspectives within the technology organizations, it is of crucial importance that the characteristics of technology organization are studies first. Technology organizations are the ones which can be differentiated from other organizations especially in terms of challenges that they face (Rohm and Moinoski, n.d.). Following are some of the typical challenges faced by the technology-based organizations: Their product cycles constantly and rapidly contract. They constantly have to recruit, retain and reward the best technology talent. These organizations have to make and communicate the timely and critical decisions relating to product development. They have to track the customer’s perspectives such that they have to track the customer’s featured demands and their corresponding models. They have to deal with disruptive technologies which can, not only wrap up the product but the entire business. Integratio n of Causal Chain Keeping in mind the above challenges that technology-based organizations face, the balanced scorecard system is developed through a strategy. The strategy can be referred as integration of causal chain between these four perspectives of balanced scorecard (BSI, 2007). This strategy aims at developing the organizational capacity first. The investment in organizational ca

Communication Essay Example for Free

Communication Essay I. Mass Media Effect on Children’s and Teens’ Body Image Outline Mass media outlets of all forms effect adolescent girls’ and young women’s body image negatively. Be it via magazine, television, movies, advertisement, or other sources, girls and young women are bombarded with mass media constantly that contain hidden messages about the â€Å"ideal† woman, and messages on ways to attain the attributes required to be socially accepted by these unspoken standards. Common attitudes acquired by children and teens from the media of what is acceptable physically, related eating disorders, media literacy’s effect on whether an individual will be easily influenced or not by subliminal mass media messages on body image will be discussed accordingly. A. Mass Media Effects on Children’s Attitudes towards overweight individuals and/or obesity 1. According to Bissell K. and Hays, H. (2011), in the article, â€Å"Understanding Anti-Fat Bias in Children: The Role of Media and Appearance Anxiety in Third to Sixth Graders’ Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Obesity† children develop attitudes about acceptable body weight from media such as television. Children view television close to 6 hours a day according to Bissell and Hays (2011). The subliminal content on acceptable body fat and physical appearance abounds. Bissell and Hays state that, â€Å"Given this amount of exposure, it seems likely children are exposed to television and images that reinforce notions about the importance of thinness and attractiveness (p. 116-7)†. Bissell and Hays also say â€Å". . . The media’s influence on the body image of children that the media perpetuate beliefs about the importance of thinness and that a negative stigma associated with being overweight i s then possibly formed (p. 117).† 2. The Social Learning Theory closely relates to the attitudes of other children towards individuals, and can be applied to this point. B. Mass media effects on eating disorders 1. In the article, â€Å"Influence of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disorder Attitudes and Behaviors in Females: A Review of Effects and Processes†, by Lopez, et al. (2010), direct effects of magazine and television on adolescent girls and young women. According to Lopez et al, â€Å"Undeniably, a substantial portion of media content consumed by children and adolescents is replete with unhealthy messages about the beauty ideal, body size, food, weight control, and the gender roles of women and girls, as well as use of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances for managing one’s emotions and self-presentation (pg. 388).† Lopez et al goes on to discuss the way that the mass media effects adolescents without their realizing it; â€Å"People are often unaware—and mass media work hard to keep it that way—of the extent to which, and just exactly how mass media play an important role in promoting consumerism, body objectification, and internalization o f the current beauty ideal (Lopez et al., 2010). 2. According to Rieves, S. (2011) â€Å"Models weigh 23% less than the average woman, while a generation ago the gap was 8%†. This ideal sets an impractical role model for young girls. Rieves (2011) also points out the startling fact that, â€Å"At the start of puberty, 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat† (p. 123). Rieves also alludes to the evidence of studies, and said â€Å"Researchers consistently ï ¬ nd a strong relationship between media exposure and the epidemiology of eating disorders at the aggregate population level† (p. 123). 3. Social Comparison Theory relates to eating disorder development and mass media influence. According to Rieves (2011), â€Å"Moreover, celebrity images contribute to unrealistic weight through social comparison (p. 124).† C. Mass Media effects regarding Media Literacy 1. In the article, â€Å"Idealism: Factors Affecting the Body Image of College Students† by Pitura A., college students participated in a study to determine the degree mass media effected body image and which media sources were more influential. Pitura says that media literacy is a crucial quality in whether or not an individual’s body image will be negatively affected by media exposure. According to Pitura (2010), â€Å"In order to become media literate one must be able to sort through the information given by the media and determine fact from fiction (p. 63). 2. According to Meng, J. and Bissell, K., (2009) â€Å"As young girls look to television and movie stars such as Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) or Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical), they see the glamorized images, to a large degree, of very thin girls (p. 7).† What viewers can distinguish between what is real and what is glamorized relates to each viewers le vel of media literacy. If a viewer has a low media literacy, the images that viewer regards as realistic and acceptable outweigh the views of viewers who hold a more realistic outlook when consuming media such as the television shows mentioned. D. Mass Media Effects Factors Contributing to Body Image 1. Several factors contribute to mass media effects on an individual. The degree of consumption of media, the media form, and peer pressure all play a role in the internalization of body image; often these ideals are excessively thin due to media images. 2. A study of girls ages 9 through 12, by Clark and Tiggerman (2006), concluded that media does in facts effects one’s body image and self-worth from adolescents and earlier; â€Å"There is no doubt, however, that the mass media are powerful transmitters of societal ideals for children, just as for adults (Clark and Tiggerman).†

Company †Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Essay Example for Free

Company – Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Essay Application Assignment †¢Application Assignment on Situational Analysis and SWOT common to all themespgs MM-112 to MM-122 PART B and C (to be submitted together) (15+ 5 Marks) Company –Strengths and weaknesses Analysis Remember this assignment is in continuity to the previous marketing assignment. Here we do a strength and weakness analysis for our company vis -a- vis competitors. We need to know: A. What special strength/ competence or assets company has to satisfy the needs of customers? B. Who competes with us in meeting those needs and what is their competence, strength or asset? Can we scale our own firm and the major competitors on those competencies and strengths? This kind of an analysis follows a 3-step process. 1Identification of all our Competitors. Competition does not stem only from products or firms that compete directly for your market share but also from any company that satisfies the same customer need. (Refer to the ‘Market concept of competition’ at the end of the assignment ) 2List the areas in which your organization or the competitor has the competence. Needless to say that these areas should be industry relevant. An indicative list of the areas in which a firm can have strength / competence is listed below. Innovation ?Ability to develop innovative products ?Amount of Rs. spent on RD ?Patents that a company has to its credit ?Technical product or service superiority Manufacturing ?Favorable Cost Structure ?Flexible production operations ?Access to Raw materials ?Quality of work force ?Capacity ?Outsourcing Finance- Access to capital ?Ability to generate funds in the short and long run ?Ability to use debt and equity financing ?Parent firms willingness to finance Management ?Quality of top and middle management ?Knowledge of business ?Culture ?Strategic goals and plans ?Entrepreneurial thrust ?Planning or operation system ?Loyalty ?Quality of strategic decision making. Marketing ?Product quality reputation ?Product differentiation ?Brand name recognition ?Customer orientation ?Breadth of the product line ?Segmentation ?Distribution ?Retailer relationship ?Advertising / Promotional skills ?Sales force ?Service Customer base ?Size and loyalty ?Market share ?Growth of segments served This list is only indicative to serve as a guide to the major areas in which a firm can have strength/ competence. You can add on or delete items to suit to your company and industry. 3Scaling your organization vis a vis the competitors on the parameters listed above-The Competitive strength Grid *(Please refer exhibit at the end of the assignment) Once the strengths / assets relevant to the industry have been identified, one has to scale one’s own firm and the major competitors on those strengths. One such grid has been done for the Luxury car market. The left side of the grid identifies the areas in which a luxury car maker can have strengths/ competencies namely product quality, product differentiation etc. On the right side various brands have been scaled with either less than average, average or above average position with respect to the strength/ competence identified. For ex. Cadillac has above average position in product quality, average when it comes to product differentiation and less than average on dealer satisfaction, all 3 areas being key to success in a car market. Assignment questions 1. Identify all the major competitors to your product. (Already done in part A of the assignment) †¢ICICI bank †¢HDFC †¢SBI †¢Deutsche Bank †¢Citibank †¢Goldman Sachs 2. Identify and list all the major strengths/assets/ competencies relevant to your industry. Core competencies: †¢Customer service †¢Risk management Compliance †¢Strategy Development †¢Strong leadership and management †¢Sales, marketing and Operations †¢Client base and brand 3. Scale your firm and any two other competitors on these strengths in a Competitive Strength Grid as is shown in the example. HSBCICICI bank Deutsche Bank †¢Customer service †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Good relationship management †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Reach to the customer is good †¢Good relationship management †¢Premier clients focused cells †¢Risk management Compliance †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Credit Risk †¢Operational Risk †¢Market Risk †¢Strategy Development †¢Reach to global markets †¢Presence in emerging economies †¢Specific to one country †¢Reach to global markets Strong leadership and management †¢Business expansions Leadership support †¢Culture of developing and retaining leaders †¢Strong international management and leadership †¢Business expansions regionally †¢Strong management presence †¢Business expansions Leadership support †¢Strong international management and leadership †¢Sales, marketing and Operations †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales †¢Consumer / Transactional Sales †¢Advisory / Relationship Management Sales Client base and brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Your local banker approach †¢Internationally renowned brand †¢Strong regional brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Internationally renowned brand 4. Do you have a competitive advantage superior to that of the competitor in any or more area? Do you see major areas for improvement in any competitive area? The areas of competitive advantage are: †¢Strategy Development †¢Reach to global markets †¢Presence in emerging economies †¢Strong leadership and management †¢Culture of developing and retaining leaders Strong international management and leadership †¢Client base and brand †¢History and strong brand †¢Your local banker approach †¢Internationally renowned brand Areas for improvement: †¢Larger presence in retail operations in emerging economies †¢Leveraging technology to increase efficiency, access to markets and risk management †¢Innovation by providing weekend banking and banking in non official hours PART C Assignment question 1. Based upon PART A and Part B of the assignment, consolidate the Strengths , Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for your organization into a SWOT Grid.

Elements of Information Security

Elements of Information Security The fast growing of internet technologies and information technologies forces individuals, educational institutes or enterprises to use the internet that also introduces numerous illegal users which destroy or attack network security with the help of various fake websites, Trojan horse or other viruses, fake mails and many more (Yim et al, 2014). Computer systems are mostly affected by this network attacks and even can bring computer networks in state of paralysation. Intruders or illegal users use huge information from computer networks for their personal benefits. Further, some invaders use that information to cause huge disastrous activities by targeting military or government departments that can cause threat to national as well as social security. Information security elements: The security of information needs to be based on business objectives and ensures enterprise security. The protection of networks needs to be handled by top management of enterprises. The system for security needs to be cost effective. The policies related to information security needs to be published in detailed manner by describing role of each employee in enterprises. The system needs to be monitored on continuous basis that will avoid unauthorised access to information systems and enhance privacy of network as well (Lesjak et al, 2015). During development of information systems, analysis of risks, analysis of business impact and classification of information documents needs to be considered. Reassessment of information system needs to be done on continuous basis for its modifications and improvement of networks. Organizations culture also needs to be considered while developing secured information system. Security characteristics: Data needs to be integrated in effective manner and its modification needs to be done by authorised persons only. Data encryption needs to be considered for avoiding any unauthorised access form external users (Xie et al, 2014). Data should be available to authorised users on their demands only. The flow of data needs to be controlled in effective manner by following appropriate information patterns like data access, contents or communication for secured IT systems. Security awareness: The certain awareness programs needs to be introduced at different organizational levels for the IT security purposes. Education related to security needs to be done in such manner that should be cost effective and strategies need to be developed for security purposes (Ahmad et al, 2014). The awareness gap is created due to lack of inappropriate knowledge related to security of information technology systems. Network security threats: The human errors like improper usage by operators, vulnerabilities related to security configuration, lack of security awareness among users, or usage of simple passwords are some threats that can affect IT security systems. Security attacks in terms of active or passive attacks may possess threat to information or data stored in the systems and at the same time, privacy or confidentiality of security systems may also be suffered due to these attacks (Cardenas et al, 2013). Lack of secure networking software may also make IT systems more vulnerable to hackers and unauthorised users. Illegal users which can access personal information by unauthorised manner are also one of network security threat that is affecting IT systems. Security solutions: Firewalls are networking devices which are used for restricting passage of traffic in between the different networks. This consists of both software as well as hardware components and helps in implementing policies of security in effective manner (Zhao and Ge, 2013). Detection system for intrusion monitors IT systems on real time basis by using various sensors, analysers or components of user interface. This system works by gathering information from different sources or networks and accordingly analyses invasion signs by interpreting patterns of unauthorised activities on the system. References Ahmad, A., Maynard, S. and Park, S. (2014) Information security strategies: towards an organizational multi-strategy perspective. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 25(2), pp.357-370. Cardenas, A., Manadhata, P. and Rajan, S. (2013) Big data analytics for security. IEEE Security Privacy, 11(6), pp.74-76. Lesjak, C., Hein, D. and Winter, J. (2015) Hardware-security technologies for industrial IoT: TrustZone and security controller. In Industrial Electronics Society, IECON 2015-41st Annual Conference of the IEEE (pp. 002589-002595). IEEE. Xie, F., Peng, Y., Zhao, W., Gao, Y. and Han, X. (2014) Evaluating Industrial Control Devices Security: Standards, Technologies and Challenges. In IFIP International Conference on Computer Information Systems and Industrial Management (pp. 624-635). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Yim, K., Castiglione, A. and You, I. (2014) Prosperity of IT security technologies in homeland defense. J. Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 5(2), pp.169-171. Zhao, K. and Ge, L. (2013) A survey on the internet of things security. In Computational Intelligence and Security (CIS), 2013 9th International Conference on (pp. 663-667). IEEE.

Remilitarization of the Rhineland :: essays research papers

Question 23 23. With dictators, nothing succeeds like success. That observation, by Adolf Hitler, is not as trite as it sounds. Hitler was referring to his own successful remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936. Before he moved into the Rhineland, Hitler was securely "in his box". Pursuant to the Versailles Treaty and the Locarno pact of 1926, Germany had been forced to keep this territory demilitarized as a guarantee against renewed aggression; futhermore, an unguarded Rhineland left Germany naked to a French attack. From the German point of view, this was not "fair"; it violated German sovereignty. But it was the price Germany paid for invading France and the low countries in 1914. And it was the lid on the box that contained Hitler's grand strategic ambition. In March of 1936 Hitler decided to roll the dice and take an extremely perilous venture (Goff. 235). Hitler's reason for moving into the Rhinland was a ratification one month earlier of a mutual assistance pact between France and Russia that he felt was aimed at Germany (Medlicott 84-90, 110). Hitler cited the mutual non-aggresion pact as violating and therefore invalidating the Locarno Treaty (Winton 1). Hitler was weak. Germany was still struggling through the Depression and Germany's armed forces were still in pitiful shape, hopelessly outgunned by the French. Had the French army responded in force to the remilitarization, had it simply marched into the Rhineland, Hitler would have had to retreat. Hitler later declared "If the French had then marched into the Rhineland, we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs" (Goff 236). A retreat on the German part would have signified collapse, possibly the collapse of Hitler's rule. However, Hitler felt the French would be disinclined and not act upon his move...and he was right. The militarization of the Rhineland was a direct blow to French security. It rendered worthless the promises of military aid by France to her eastern European allies Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania if any of them were attacked by Germany (Medlicott 84-90, 110) .There were numerous reasons why France and Great Britain did not retaliate, but the most prevalent are as follows: 1. a genuine hatred for war by those who remembered WWI. This was accompinied by a non-enthusiastic attitude toward heavy military spending. 2. a, perhaps, repentful attitude by Britain toward Germany because they felt they were dealt with too harshly at Versailles; therefore their desire for revision was understandable.

Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay -- Kate Chopin Awakening Essays

Kate Chopin's The Awakening Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening expresses the difficulty of finding a woman’s place in society. Edna learns of new ideas such as freedom and independence while vacationing in Grand Isle. Faced with a choice to conform to society’s expectations or to obey personal desires for independence, Edna Pontellier realizes that either option will result in dissatisfaction. Thus, Edna’s awakening in Grand Isle leads to her suicide. Edna’s awakening occurs during her family’s vacation in Grand Isle. It is here that she learns to freely express herself and be unreserved in her behavior and speech. Through the Creole women, Edna becomes free from the chains that bind her to societal expectations. Adele initiates Edna’s arousing as does the local flirtatious man, Robert Lebrun. It is at Grand Isle that Edna feels most alive: engaging in idle talk, flirting unabashedly, receiving loving attention from a man, paints, learning to swim, an awareness of independence, and becoming conscious of her sexuality. Through the contrast of her experiences (depression when at home and joy when playing at sea), Edna recognizes an awakening, or a change, within her self. She discovers a part of herself separate from her husband, children, and previous life. This discovery fuels her incendiary rejection of her domestic responsibilities when she returns to her home in New Orleans. This ignites the passiona te fire of her heart, causing her to shake previous responsibilities, open a house independent of her husband to quench her sexual desires, and liberate herself from domestic restraints. Conclusively, Edna’s vivification causes her to feel responsible for only her passions and urges, neglecting remaining responsibilit... ...nt for personal independence. It is only through the futile attempts to investigate which option (convention or passion) is best that Edna realizes there is no appropriate choice to be made. Edna recognizes, through her awakening, the existence of two entirely unlike female models of society. Neither of the models fit her, and thus, she stands in societal purgatory waiting, in vain, for some sort of epiphany as to which model is best for her. She cannot fully connect with either female model, nor can she remove connections that bind her to each. She is unwilling to compromise. Through her stubborn frigidity, Edna chooses a non-choice, to surrender to the author of her awakening: the sea. From the sea, Edna learns of her independence. Into the sea, Edna surrenders society’s undesired requirement of action. The sea becomes both the giver of life and provider of death. Kate Chopin's The Awakening Essay -- Kate Chopin Awakening Essays Kate Chopin's The Awakening Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening expresses the difficulty of finding a woman’s place in society. Edna learns of new ideas such as freedom and independence while vacationing in Grand Isle. Faced with a choice to conform to society’s expectations or to obey personal desires for independence, Edna Pontellier realizes that either option will result in dissatisfaction. Thus, Edna’s awakening in Grand Isle leads to her suicide. Edna’s awakening occurs during her family’s vacation in Grand Isle. It is here that she learns to freely express herself and be unreserved in her behavior and speech. Through the Creole women, Edna becomes free from the chains that bind her to societal expectations. Adele initiates Edna’s arousing as does the local flirtatious man, Robert Lebrun. It is at Grand Isle that Edna feels most alive: engaging in idle talk, flirting unabashedly, receiving loving attention from a man, paints, learning to swim, an awareness of independence, and becoming conscious of her sexuality. Through the contrast of her experiences (depression when at home and joy when playing at sea), Edna recognizes an awakening, or a change, within her self. She discovers a part of herself separate from her husband, children, and previous life. This discovery fuels her incendiary rejection of her domestic responsibilities when she returns to her home in New Orleans. This ignites the passiona te fire of her heart, causing her to shake previous responsibilities, open a house independent of her husband to quench her sexual desires, and liberate herself from domestic restraints. Conclusively, Edna’s vivification causes her to feel responsible for only her passions and urges, neglecting remaining responsibilit... ...nt for personal independence. It is only through the futile attempts to investigate which option (convention or passion) is best that Edna realizes there is no appropriate choice to be made. Edna recognizes, through her awakening, the existence of two entirely unlike female models of society. Neither of the models fit her, and thus, she stands in societal purgatory waiting, in vain, for some sort of epiphany as to which model is best for her. She cannot fully connect with either female model, nor can she remove connections that bind her to each. She is unwilling to compromise. Through her stubborn frigidity, Edna chooses a non-choice, to surrender to the author of her awakening: the sea. From the sea, Edna learns of her independence. Into the sea, Edna surrenders society’s undesired requirement of action. The sea becomes both the giver of life and provider of death.

Midterm Exam 9th Grade Palestine

U. N. R. W. A Date: 8th Nov. 2012 Department of Education Time: Name:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Midterm English language test Grade: 9th Reading Around the world, people also found natural ways to shelter from the weather. In cold regions, traditional houses were often low with thick walls and small windows that faced away from the direction of storms. In the hot rainforests of South-East Asia, people built their homes above the ground and high on hills to catch every cool wind. In the hot, dry Middle East, traditional courtyard houses did something similar.Their thick, white walls reflected the sun’s heat and kept everything inside cool. The height of these walls also provided cool shade in the courtyard all day. During the last 100 years, most people have stopped living in traditional houses with their old ways of protecting against the weather. Now, we heat and cool our modern brick and concrete houses and apartments with electricity, oil and g as. Read and answer the following questions 1. What has changed during the last 100 years? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2. How are homes built in the middle east? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3. What are the materials used in building modern houses? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4. From the text find the opposite of: Cold: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Modern: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ]1[ Low: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5. The underlined pronoun their line 7 refers to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6. T or F 1) Traditional houses in cold places were often built with high and thick walls. ( ) 2) White walls does not reflect the sun's heat. ( ) Vocabulary Complete the following sentences using words from the list Shade Excuse me mud port whole hurry bookcase remember forget in time ) Sandy: I must †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to take my guidebook. Muna: And don't †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to take your Turkish phrase book. 2) The old man sat in the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of the wall. 3) The Masai people used †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. in building their houses. 4) We should †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. because we are late. 5) He got to the meeting just †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6) Constantinople is a ver y important †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. for Turkey. 7) Sara cleaned the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ house yesterday. 8) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, can you take a photograph of me and my friend? 9) I'm going to buy a new †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ next week. Grammar I. Complete the sentences with correct forms of the verbs between brackets 1- Arabs †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Spain 500 years ago. (occupy) 2- Salim usually †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦(put) on black shoes but now she (wear)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ white trainers. 3- Water †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. of hydrogen and oxygen. (consist) ]2[ 4- I †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. a new car three days ago. (buy) 5- She †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ that movie. (already, see) 6- We †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. two tests so far this semester. (have) 7- Lamis used to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. a lot when she was young. (cry) II. Choose the correct answer 1- I'm going to buy ( a – an – the ) umbrella. 2- Lamis used to ( cry – cries – cried ) a lot when she was young. 3- Suha still ( hasn’t – has – have ) cleaned the room. Listening a) Listen and answer – Where is the flight taking off to? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2- How many hours is the flight? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3- what is the flight number? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. b) T o r F 1- The plan will fly at a height of 7839 meters. () 2- The local time in Seattle is 11:45. () c) A word that means commander †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Speaking Complete the following dialogue London For five days 11 I would like fish suitcase smaller Officer: Passport and ticket, please. Sam: Here is my passport, and my ticket. Officer: Where are you heading today? Sam: I am going to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. for a conference. Officer: How long will you be staying?Sam: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ]3[ gate B Officer: Thank you. How many bags are you bringing today, sir? Sam: I want to check the large †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. , and I want to carry the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦one on with me. Officer: What do you want for your meal? Chicken or fish? Sam: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, please. Officer: Good. Your seat is reserved. You can go to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Officer: Thank you. Goodbye. Writing Number the sentences in the correct order and write as a paragraph ___ From here, turn south and walk to the famous Blue Mosque. ___ Inside, be sure to look at the wonderful blue tiles that give the place its name. __ The centre of Sultanahmet Park is a good place to start your tour of ancient Istanbul. ___ When you leave, go back across the gardens, past your star ting point, to a much older building, Aya Sofya. ___ As you go, look up at the many domes and the six tall minarets of this famous example of Islamic architecture. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Good luck ]4[Captain: Hello everyone, this is the captain speaking, and I want to welcome you to Flight 18 for Seattle. Our flight time today is 2 hours and 14 minutes, and we will be flying at an average height of 8 839. 2 meters. The local time in Seattle is a quarter to twelve (11:45), and the current weather is sunny, but there is a chance of rain later in the day. We will be arriving at Gate 13 at Seattle airport. On behalf of Sky Airlines and the crew, I want to wish you an enjoyable stay in the Seattle area or at your final destination. Sit back and enjoy the flight.

Echoes of Heaven Analysis Essay

With the state of the modern world being what it is, sometimes it can be very difficult for even strong believers to hold on to their faith absolutely.   There are so many questions that need answering and it can all seem so overwhelming.   There are, however, solutions and there are respites one can find in their belief.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hello, my name is Charles Elephant, or â€Å"Njoguâ€Å" in my language.   I am a master’s degree scholar at New York University, a born-again Christian, and a former resident of a small town in Kenya called Mukurwe-ini.   Through my unique life-experience I have gained the advantage of having had many different perspectives regarding the mysteries of spiritual life and the world in general.   It was because of this, in fact, that I decided to write a book that would delve into questions such as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why is there so much violence in the world today?   Are Muslims or Christians truly right?   Why would God allow so many slayings in His name to take place?   What is the true nature of Christianity?   What are the fundamental differences between the major religions of the world and why are they all so at odds with one another?   Why must there be so much religious turmoil in contemporary society?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All of these questions, and many others, are addressed at length in my book, Echoes of Heaven:   God’s Love is Better than Life Itself.   I, too, was once haunted by such uncertainties.   Today, though, I have found a spiritual peace and sense of direction that is so amazing that I feel utterly compelled to share it with others.   Today, I have access to a well of faith-based power so deep that I can’t bear to see others without it.   Today, I found when I once was very lost and I don’t want anyone else to go on feeling forlorn and as if they’ve wandered astray.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If any of that describes you, then Echoes of Heaven:   God’s Love is Better than Life Itself, is definitely for you.   More than that, though, if you’re simply another interested and keen mind on the path of life, than the book is for you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So, what are you waiting for?   The answers that you’re looking for are just a few hours of reading away and the rewards of doing so are myriad.   Find more strength in your faith and solidify your spirit today! ———————————————————————————————————    Praise for Charles Elephant’s Echoes of Heaven:   God’s Love is Better than Life Itself: -â€Å"Charles Elephant has written a truly magnificent piece.   Full of wonder and a depth of religious inquest lacking in many other novels, Echoes of Heaven is a truly masterful work.† -†Deeply moving†¦an inspiration.† -†Without question one of the most interesting religious works of the year.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Echoes of Heaven:   God’s Love is Better than Life Itself is a highly spiritual work written by a born-again Christian from a small town in Kenya.   The story details some of the author’s life and then goes on to present unique insights on religious topics as varied as the true nature of the soul and the roots of religious discord in the world today.   Whether you are a true believer, an agnostic, or an atheist, Echoes of Heaven has something very valid and beautiful with which it will touch your life.

Plight of the American Worker Essay

Ten years from now, I don’t know how wealthy I will be. I don’t know what kind of job my husband will have, nor do I know what kind of job I will have. What I do know though is the American worker is struggling, and the struggles will most likely get worse. The United States used to pride itself on providing for its families through hard work. Today, most people lacking education beyond high school struggle to maintain a lifestyle they once dreamed of. Not only are high school graduates suffering but many college graduates are as well because so many jobs have been eliminated due to globalization and technology. Globalization of companies is most likely the main reason American workers are not satisfied with their lifestyles. Companies are starting to outsource their manual labor to third world countries. People from these countries are fighting for their lives and are willing to work for less than a dollar an hour. For an example, â€Å"in Bangladesh, a garment worker makes 22 cents an hour† (Snyder). How can companies turn down such low wages for the same quality of work they would receive from employees who must earn at least minimum wage in the United States? Factories are closing everyday in the United States as new factories are built in third world countries. These factories would provide employment for many people in the U. S. , but companies are better off when they outsource their labor. Labor costs are cut significantly, and top executives are rewarded for their stellar performance. In this case, the top executives’ salaries go up, and the employees’ salaries might change a bit. The most dramatic change occurs for those high on the corporate ladder. Technology is a cause for concern for some individuals. Many jobs are eliminated because of new advancements in technology. Robots and highly advanced machines have taken the place of once very skilled workers. If jobs do open up, so many people apply for the job. They are either looking to get a job or get a job that is a step up from their previous position. For example, â€Å"over one three day period, approximately 10,000 people showed up to apply for 90 jobs making washing machines in Kentucky for $27,000 a year†(Snyder). 27,000 might sound like a lot for a college student trying to pay for rent and a tuition bill but to support a family on this income would be absurd. * Our world is extremely overpopulated and doesn’t help American’s concern for job security. Not only do individuals need to be concerned with a decrease in jobs from outsourcing and technology, but they also are factoring in how crowded the Earth has become. â€Å"Nine percent of the United States is currently unemployed† (â€Å"Unemployment rate†). The American worker wouldn’t be as affected by this number if there weren’t so many people available to work. Finally, as jobs are eliminated, individuals don’t have the resources necessary to start a new life. So many individuals have worked in the same job for long periods of time. Once certain jobs are eliminated, workers are forced to find new jobs. â€Å"They typical worker is spending 15. 4 weeks unemployed†(Frauenheim). Most of the time, if they want to earn an income equivalent to what they were making, they might even have to go back to school. Some individuals might not have the time to go back to school, or they might have started a family and have to put their children through school first. Whatever the case, with so many jobs eliminated, the American worker struggles to successfully start over. I took the side of American workers who have been in the workforce for more than a few years. I have lived a middle class lifestyle, so this is all I really know. As I talked with my mom just the other night, she told me that she wishes she could have changed occupations to make more money but didn’t have the time or the resources. Maybe the definition of hard work has changed in today’s society. Hard work in the past consisted of manual labor and farm work. Because of how society has progressively advanced, hard work now consists of spending a few additional years in school. To some, hard work might even mean having intelligence and finding a promising place to start a career. Whatever the case, the United States needs to keep its jobs here and eliminate such excessive outsourcing. My mother is a teacher, but before I know it, her job might be cut as schools start transitioning to only online courses. I am concerned for American workers, but if such an event happened to her, I would have even stronger feelings towards protecting the American worker.

Armani Markting Plan Essay

Product:The original Armani Couture product line is the most well respected, developed and successful. Over the next three years this line should release all ties to the other products and become a stand alone business to differentiate itself and reestablish itself as the face of Giorgio Armani retaining its exclusivity and Brand distinction. This is the signature line or Armani and should remain under his management and direction. The other products Emporio, Collezioni, Armani Jean, A/X, Armani Jr. hould all be franchised to retain the Brand image yet capitalize on explosive growth potential. †¢ Promothion:ARMANI:Since  the  brand  was  founded  . almost  all  of  the  actress  have  had  close  contact  with  it  in  some  Large  awards  banquet,  Ã‚  ,such  as  in  the  Academy  Awards,  Cannes  Film  Festival,  you  can  see  the  well-designed  Armani  suit  dress. In  2005,  the  brand’s   new  Privecollection  suit  series,  priced  from  200,000  to  700,000  Yuan. Its  flagship  brand  Qiaozhi  Ou  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  Armani  has  been  widely  praised  by  the  successful  people. †¢ Place:The private holdings of Giorgio Armani span over 35 countries. They include 16 Armani casa home furnishing stores. 13 Armani Junior stores offering clothing for early to late teens and the twenty something crowd. 11 Collezioni, 120 Emporio, 94 A/X Retail outlets and 60 Giorgio Armani Boutiques for Couture offerings †¢ Price:Positioning in high-grade, aim at wealthy . Armani as high-end luxury brands, the main target consumption group is the high-income class, successful man, a famous film star, senior white-collar workers, etc. ), the main products are men’s clothing brand.

Analysing Early Marriage In Egypt Religion Essay

Analysing Early Marriage In Egypt Religion Essay Marriage is wonderful event, it bears a lot of meanings such as love, care, and responsibility. Early marriage may look like any other marriage but it has many different consequences. In that paper I will talk about the early marriage in Egypt and in the Middle East explaining its effects on the spouses and their future children. Introduction Marriage is a very happy celebration throughout the world, however, that celebration doesn’t happen in early marriage cases, there a lot of women that get married while they are still under eighteen years of age, and that happens in many different countries and nations of the world; some parents just force their daughters into marriage in that age to get fortune, titles, or for other social reasons. I believe that early marriage is definitely against all the natural human rights because early marriage will subsequently lead to early pregnancy and early responsibilities that may cause financial or even psychological problems to the parent s. Early marriage doesn’t have only negative effects on the young girl or boy only; it also extends to a series of worse effects on their children and the whole society. The Universal Declaration of Human rights suggests that the â€Å"free and full† right cannot be put into consideration or even discussed if one of the two parties is not able to take decide whether his partner suitable or not because of his lack of experience. There may be many shapes and forms of early marriage and there may be a lot of causes, but the only thing that matters is the impact of that marriage on your child regardless his gender. In that paper I will discuss the early marriage as it deprives the young kids from their childhood, and the effects of that marriage on them and the society as a whole, I will also explain its causes and its relation with poverty, overpopulation and social culture. Review of literature Neglecting the woman’s rights UNICEF (2001) and Lefevre, Murphy and Qu iroga (2004) have stated that marriage is a lovely event all over the world, it means that each of the partners is ready to share his life with the other one and is ready to bear responsibility, however, early marriage cuts the childhood of the boy or the girl and it takes place when at least one of them is not ready to be responsible even for himself therefore early marriage will just deprive him from his fundamental rights. Otoo-Oyotey and Pobi (2003) confirms that early marriage is usually arranged by the parents and they don’t care about the interest of their child in most of the cases, and those marriages often includes some force elements. Causes of early marriage P.M.Fayez (2006) has stated that parents are forcing their daughters into early marriage because they believe that by doing that they will get social and financial benefits and will reduce their financial burden Matmur (2003) and Nour (2006) have both said that parents would encourage early marriage of their y oung daughters because they see her as a financial burden where one daughter less is one mouth less to be fed

Assignment Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment Degree - Essay Example Numerical root-finding methods use iteration, producing a sequence of numbers that hopefully converge towards a limit (the so called "fixed point") which is a root. The first values of this series are initial guesses. The method computes subsequent values based on the old ones and the function f. The bisection method is based on the fact that a function will alter sign when it passes through zero. The bisection method can halve the size of the interval in each iteration and eventually find the root by evaluating the function at the middle of an interval and replacing whichever limit has the same sign. False position method is an algorithm of the prior estimate for which the function value has opposite sign from the function value at the current best estimate of the root. In this method, the root is bracketed. Similar to the secant method, the false position method also uses a straight line to approximate the function in the local region of interest. The secant method is based on the assumption that the function is approximately linear in the local region of interest and uses the zero-crossing of the line connecting the limits of the interval as the new reference point. The next iteration starts from evaluation of the function at the new reference point, and then it forms another line. The process is repeated up to the time of finding root. The Newton-Raphson method finds the slope (the tangent line) of the function at the current ... The process is repeated until the root is found. 5. Fixed Point Iteration: It is a method of computing fixed points of iterated functions. For example, given that a function f defined on the real numbers having real values and given a point x0 in the domain of f, the fixed point iteration is which gives rise to the sequence which is hoped to converge to a point x. If f is continuous, then one can prove that the obtained x is a fixed point of f, i.e., f(x) = x. 6. Muller's Method: Muller's method is generalized from the secant method, in the sense that it does not require the derivative of the function. It is an iterative method that needs three starting points, , and .A parabola is constructed that passes through the three points; then the quadratic formula is used to find a root of the quadratic for the next approximation.The following equation generalizes the secant method of root finding by using quadratic 3-point interpolation : Then the following is defined : (2) (3) (5) The next iteration is described by this equation: Source : Abramowitz, M. and Stegun, I.A. (Eds). Handbook of Mathematical Functions with formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables, 9th

The role and importance of creativity and innovation in generating Essay

The role and importance of creativity and innovation in generating competitive advantage - Essay Example Porter has emphasized that the motivation behind the formulation and adoption of any strategy is the achievement of competitive advantage. To achieve competitive advantage a business organization is required to build a steadfast choice about the form of competitive advantage it wants to accomplish and the range of resources within which it would strive to achieve that level. Competitive advantage sought by firms can be classified into two basic types; low cost and differentiation (IFM, n.d.). On the basis of these two competitive advantages Porter has come up with three generic strategies (Porter, 2008, p. 12) namely, cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. The last strategy has two sub categories, â€Å"cost focus and differentiation focus† (IFM, n.d.). These strategies help the firm deliver a better than average performance. Cost leadership Any firm that follows the strategy of cost leadership, targets at becoming the only producer in the entire industry whose cost of p roduction would be lower than all its competitors. The producer seeks to exploit economies of scale and follow competitive pricing (Richardson and Dennis, 2003). Cost leadership strategy is a key to success for several successful companies; one among them is Walmart (Baroto, Abdullah and Wan, 2012). Differentiation Under this strategy the firm concentrates on becoming unique in the products it offers. It does this by identifying certain product dimensions that consumers value the most. The firm develops its production and marketing strategies in such a way that it can satisfy the customers’ demand for those attributes and hence receives premium price for that uniqueness. For example, Apple Computers makes â€Å"differentiation by technology† (Baroto, Abdullah and Wan, 2012, p. 120) to preserve its competitive advantage. Focus The firm selects either a group of segments or a single segment from the industry in which it belongs and optimizes its strategies to serve these segments so well, as to gain competitive advantage over all its competitors. A firm can pursue this by either creating cost advantage in a targeted segment (cost focus) or by developing a differentiation in a targeted segment (differentiation). Tesco follows the focus strategy to blend elements of both differentiation and low cost (Baroto, Abdullah and Wan, 2012). Total Quality Management Total quality management (TQM) is â€Å"an art of management† (Singh, Qureshi and Butt, 2007) that became popular with business organizations in 1980s. Clark (1996) has explained that this management strategy focuses on maintaining quality of in all processes running in an organization; manufacturing, human resource, financial procurements, R&D and administration. Implementation of total quality management provides a framework that guides the organization to select competitive advantages in the face of uncertainty. These competitive advantages become the foundation on which operational deci sions are made regarding the marketplace (Tseng and Lin, 2008). Quality management is an approach that many firms consider the basis for making differentiation from competing firms (Singh, Qureshi and Butt, 2007). The role played by TQM in a firm is that of creating a demanding work environment and also lay down ways to fulfil the demands through team spirit, mutual trust, honesty, open communication and fun. In this framework, changes are appreciated, fear is defeated and resistance towards change is