Macbeth Diary Entries Essay

I am weary and suspective of Macbeth as he questions much of my movement with Fleance that afternoon. I really feel something amiss. Maybe it is just Macbeth’s insecurity for all i know. It is late and Fleance is waiting for me in the woods. I must go now. Macbeth and I just had just came back from a battle. A great one indeed. We had came ashore and were proceeding back to Forres when we came upon this desserted and gloomy heath where we were most shcoked to be greeted by three witches that had long beards strecthing from their ragged cloaks. I was uncertain what gender they were, but i knew something was wrong. At first sight, the three creatures greeted Macbeth Thane of Glamis. They then started chanting prophesis that concerned Macbeth and me. The first witch chanted,†All hail,Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Glamis† followed by the next â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee,Thane of Cawdor† and the last of which chanted â€Å"All hail, Macbeth ,that shalt be king hereafter! † â€Å"Hail† they chanted three times together and continued prophesising. â€Å"Lesser then Macbeth, and greater. â€Å"the first witch chanted. Continued the second â€Å"Not so happy, yet much happier. â€Å"Thou shalt get kings ,though thou be none So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo. † Chanted the last of witch. I was overwhelmed by suspision when i heard those prophesies whilst Macbeth was, I should say rather engrosed and interested in their prophesies. Macbeth wanted them to stay but in a blink of an ey e, they suddenly disappeared into thin air. Macbeth was furious. â€Å"Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more†Macbeth Was truely interested in these creatures prophesy, but i just got a bad feeling about this. Dear Diary, The news my cousin brought filled me with an unimaginable grief. My family, brought to the graves by such feeble means, so defenceless and alone while I was off in England arguing with Malcolm about my loyalty, which how dare he question it! Only a monster would kill innocent children and women, there was no reason for it! How can they live with themselves? As I write I am miles away from Fife for how could I stay when that atrocity happened in the place where I would have rested? I can never forgive myself for what happened that day, that fateful day which has brought me nothing but pain. I lay in my bed last night feeling alone and confused. My thoughts were in flux; I had ranged between crushing, overwhelming depression, during which I had shed countless tears onto my blankets, and anger so volatile I got up to put on my armour and immediately head to Fife (thrice), in hopes of catching the perpetrator only to remember my family, take off my armour, and lay back down. My wife would not have liked me to be dwelling on avenging their deaths but it is the only thing my mind has been set on. I have thought of killing myself, taking away the pain but I cannot do that! What would people think? I have no heir to my title or wealth, they would think I killed my family myself! Then I think of that assassin and him off gallivanting killing more innocent people and breaking other peoples hearts and I know he’s got to be finished. If I ever find out who has killed my loved ones, I will be the death of them or they be the death of me. Macduff I am writing this entry, sitting at a desk in Scone. I have recently witnessed my dear friend Macbeth crowned King of Scotland. I am still in shock after the strange happenings of the past few days, so I am not yet overcome with neither joy nor grief. I should be happy for Macbeth, yet I feel that something inside me will not allow me to be so. These events, I fear, have not happened by chance, but that something evil, something supernatural is at work. Macbeth and I felt immense pride, on that fateful day as we rode, victorious, over the moor. We had just defeated the ghastly Norwegians, though by uncivilized means. Macbeth rightly said â€Å"So foul; and fair a day I have not seen†. Not far into our journey, we came upon three weird sisters. They all hailed Macbeth Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king hereafter. True, he was Thane of Glamis, but we were puzzled, to say the least, about the other two statements. As I was intrigued, I questioned them about my future. In reply, they told me that my sons would me kings, and that I would be â€Å"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater†. This confuses me greatly, for had they not just said that Macbeth would be king? Of course, I chose not to believe these ‘instruments of darkness’. Amazingly, minutes after the sisters had vanished, Macbeth was announced Thane of Cawdor. We were both quite taken aback, for the beings had foretold that very thing. I think our minds both raced towards the third prediction, â€Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter! I believe that Macbeth began to think about how to make the third prophecy a reality. We spoke no more about it. Surprisingly, Malcolm was named Duncan’s successor, though Macbeth was firm favourite in my mind, at least.

David Fletcher Case Study

Case Study: David Fletcher 1. What are David’s greatest strengths as a team leader? Greatest developmental needs? How did these strengths and weaknesses affect David’s ability to build a successful team the first time around? Points for Class Discussion: Greatest Strengths: * David is focused on the objective of the team and he is well aware of the function of the team once assembled. * David is also good in building mutual connection with his team members as exemplified by his â€Å"student-teacher† relationship with Stephanie. Developmental Needs: * David lacks people skills; He should be more critical in identifying and analyzing interpersonal problems within his organization and address these problems promptly. He should realize that collaboration of his team is as important as their individual contribution, if not more. Effects to Team Building: Having a clear objective of what the team is supposed to be doing will help a lot in achieving its goal. This was evident when the team was smoothly running the first couple of months. However, as the team was not built on solid foundation and members are not really compatible working with each other, cracks eventually formed that lead to the downfall of the group. 2. What type of team was David trying to assemble? What type of team do you think would be most appropriate for this specific business environment? David Fletcher was originally trying to build a research team composing of analysts who are experts in certain industries. His preference of having experts for team members came from the need to analyze and sift through huge amount of research data that can assist him in coming up with sound investment decisions. His decision of building a research team to handle the details of his day to day operations would be the most appropriate strategy given his specific business environment. 3. Discuss what you think the biggest problems/obstacles faced by David in the transition to teams. Considering that David’s strengths rely on his ability to focus on what is in front of him and make sense out of the chaos of information that floods his day to day operation, one of his biggest obstacle is his lacks of skill in observing how his team members interact with each other which highlights his ineffectiveness in people management. Additionally, the lack of structure in the way they organized their team is not really helpful in the overall cohesion and synergy of the group although they claim to have only one goal which is to make money for their investors and improve their portfolio. This brings in another obstacle for David as his initial intention for a team loosely rely on the strength of each individual members instead of capitalizing on a harmonious relationship of the group. 4. Assess David’s second attempt to build a team. As David’s original team falls apart, his effort of building another team has the potential to follow the same route and fall into similar obstacles that lead to the downfall of the original team if he doesn’t analyze deeper the circumstances and factors that lead to the failure. Although the potential team members are promising, there is no guarantee of a cohesive team not unless David invests more on his people to build a harmonious relationship between his subordinates. On the other hand, his initiative to persevere even if challenged with the task of starting all over again to rebuild the team is commendable. 5. What advice would you give to Mary Robinson? Points for discussion: Joining a group involves a lot of risks especially if it is a small, closely-knit team since the interactivity between members is relatively high. Although Mary’s initial impression is positive, there is no guarantee that she can effectively work with the members in the long run. Furthermore, focusing on her area of expertise alone does not guarantee her success since David’s team is involved in various industries which may require her to work with other experts of her team. On the other hand, being in a focused and driven team will greatly improve her skills in portfolio management. If she possesses adequate people skills to blend and work with her team members without any complications then joining David’s team may prove to be a great career move for her.

Illegal Aliens Burden Healthcare and Border Security Essay

An increasing number of people from all over the globe are migrating into America for one reason or another. This has raised alarm to the American government as it is a great burden to the healthcare system and a threat to the national security. Migrations that are legal can be beneficial to the American government while on the other hand migrations that are illegal seem to create disorders in the society (Edwards Jr. ). Aliens are not referred as illegal because of color, race, ethnicity or even nationality, but it is immigration into a country without the qualifications to migrate in the right way. Every country has outlined guidelines that an individual or group must go through before migrating into the country. Illegal immigration has been a problem in America with illegal aliens increasingly becoming associated with the burdening of the health care system and the security of the American borders (Edwards Jr. ). The American health care system ensures that health care services offered citizens are subsidized. The American government has been trying its best to reduce the population that is not insured but the illegal aliens that storm into the borders every now and again have been increasing the numbers each time. In the year 1998, a total of 37% aliens who had been staying in the America did not have health insurance (Edwards Jr. ). This is not fair really as many aliens get free treatments with the tax of the Americans. A reduction in insurance coverage has made most of these aliens poor as compared to the natives. Additionally, in the education system, the illegal aliens have not been able to take their children to schools. This creates more problems as lack of education results to increased criminals hence threatening border and general security. The illegal aliens have been a great problem to deal with as they have really cost the health system of the Americans. It is clear that hospitals and other medical facilities cannot run well without financial aid. This financing is expected to come from the citizens who pay taxes and have got insurance on their health. On the other hand, one cannot see a dying patient and start asking if he or she is an alien or a native individual. A doctor would rather choose to give medication to that patient than ask whether he is an alien or an American citizen. This has led to exhaustion of the medical facilities in the American hospitals and led to even closure of some hospitals. For instance in California, 84 hospitals have been closed (Edwards Jr. ). It is a fact that the illegal aliens in the United States have really been a great burden to the government. Apart from Illegal aliens burdening the insurance systems in America, the illegal aliens have caused border insecurity. It is clear that at one point or another, individual can commit a mistake or even a crime. Once that has been done, an individual is expected to pay damages for that crime committed (Edwards Jr. ). Aliens that are illegal are not insured and thus they are not eligible to pay for the damages they cause. What makes it worse, most of the rude people in the society are the illegal aliens who have no clue how an offence can be punished. They go ahead and do such crimes and they walk away. This has been a burden to the insurance system of the United States of America. In terms of security, illegal aliens have really burdened the American government. To begin with, to deter more aliens from crossing the borders to gain access of the resources of the Americans, there has been a need to increase the patrol at the borders of America; this is a practice that is very costly as it includes recruiting many police security officials to watch over the people migrating into the American soil illegally. This was enhanced upon realization that some people cross the borders to gain access into the American soil. This has been a burden to the border patrol as they have to watch every time even during the night on any one crossing the border (Edwards Jr. ). Further still, in the prisons systems of the Americans, most of the inmates are aliens. This sends a clear signal that most of the crimes committed in USA are done by the illegal aliens that stay inside the borders of America. Apart from the burden the illegal aliens give to the American prison systems, they have also sent a signal of the national security threat. It is stipulated that 29% of the prisoners in the state and federal prisons are aliens (Edwards Jr. ). This implies that most of the criminals that are arrested are aliens. This is a threat to the security as they try all ways to combat crime in the USA; illegal aliens keep committing those crimes. Therefore one can conclude that illegal aliens are really costing the Americans. Law enforcement systems in America waste billions of dollars each year in the enforcing the law that is often broken by the illegal aliens. To enforce law involves the activities of the judges, lawyers and the prosecutors. These personalities demand a lot of money in one single sitting to issue a sentence to a criminal. Most of the people who need these procedures are the aliens since they do not understand the American constitution well and they end up finding themselves in the hands of criminals all the time (Edwards Jr. ). This has posed a lot of burden to the American government as it tries to control the level of crime rates in America. Generally, the illegal aliens in the American soil have led to negative impacts in the United States and even in politics, the illegal aliens have taken part in the frauds of the voting exercises either at a fee by the American politicians or even personal willingness. It is also clear that most of the terrorist attacks in the American soil are done by the aliens that are illegally in the country (Edwards Jr. ). Further still, most companies have often believed that the aliens offer cheap labor and have gone further in substituting the aliens with the American employees in their companies. This in the end has adverse effects on the American citizens. In conclusion, illegal aliens in the United States and the illegal migrants have really brought a lot of burden, not only to the American government, but also to the entire population of America. Despite the measure being put in place to deter more aliens from flocking into the country, there have still been a number of aliens who come into the American boundaries illegally.

Litterature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Litterature - Essay Example Baldwin’s socio-economic, gender, racial, and religious conditions shape a personal-universal writing style, which aims to write for people who establish and develop their identities, using their own frame of references. Cultural Issues and Influences Baldwin’s cultural issues intersect concerns for race, gender, and class, where Harlem is one of the strongest cultural influences on Baldwin. The poverty of his family and neighborhood and the religiosity of his stepfather affected his work aesthetics and style. Gerald Meyer believes that the key to understanding Baldwin’s politics is through analyzing his Harlem roots and culture. While some writers like Langston Hughes saw Harlem as a black Mecca, Baldwin lived in it and remembers it as a ghetto.† Baldwin’s â€Å"The Harlem Ghetto† dispels notions of aesthetic greatness that some writers attribute to it: †¦the buildings are old and in desperate need of repair, the streets are crowded and dirty; there are too many human beings per square mile†¦ All of Harlem is a place pervaded by a sense of congestion, rather like the insistent, maddening, claustrophobic pounding in the skull that comes from trying to breathe in a very small room with all the windows shut.† (39 qtd. in Meyer 274). ... Furthermore, though coming from a low economic status with racial and gender concerns, Baldwin resists being a black fundamentalist or to conform to any label. Instead, he supports diverse views, a devotion which signifies his multiracial and multi-gender politics. He does not want to be seen as a Negro writer or as a gay writer per se (Field 7). In writing for all, nevertheless, critics charged him for having no unifying ideology. Francois Burgess disparages Baldwin’s works as being too broad: â€Å"Alone among Black contemporary writers, Baldwin could not or did not know how to find a central ideology that would give to his work coherence and unity† (Bobia 54 qtd. in Field 7). But this paper believes that Baldwin only writes from what he feels is personally right, which resonate with those who experience or witness the same struggles. Baldwin does not have to conform to the frameworks and labels of others to become the writer that he wants to be. Aside from Harlem, Pa ris shaped Baldwin’s writings through the theme of expatriation. Baldwin leaves America, not only because he is disillusioned with the persecution of his race and gender in the U.S., but more so because he wants to distance himself from these struggles, in order to find his identity, including his writing voice. Price describes Baldwin’s Parisian stopover as a â€Å"liberating experience,† that gives him â€Å"the sanction, if one can accept it, to become oneself† (313 qtd. in Tomlinson 136). Baldwin cannot be himself in a society that attacks him from different sides. The physical distance refreshes him, reminding him of his roles and functions as a writer and as an American. Robert Tomlinson argues that the theme of expatriation in Baldwin’s works

U.S. History from 1700 to 1877 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S. History from 1700 to 1877 - Essay Example The book ‘The Negro in American Rebellion’ by William Wells Brown, a noted literary figure, highlights the contributions of African-Americans in the military, in previous wars and in various slave uprisings. Recounted in less traditional historical point of view, the book argues that the African-American involvement and contributions to the war efforts were ignored or misrepresented in other traditional historical documentation which chronicled the life of African-American soldiers. The essay also describes that the book has a few weaknesses but on the whole the author’s arguments are convincing as they were backed by primary sources, such as newspaper articles and documents published by the government. The author’s agenda is mentioned in the essay in details and is apparent from the beginning: To promote the rights of African-Americans, acknowledge the contributions of the African-Americans in the war, support the anti-slavery efforts and bestow voting rights to soldiers of African descent in the Union. In conclusion, author of this essay suggests that Brown’s book is important in the understanding of the American history and experience as a whole in that it offers a disparate insight of life in the past. It factually depicts the struggles of the African-American soldiers and argues for the acknowledgement of their heroism. The experiences of the African-American soldiers in uprisings, rebellion and war cannot be discounted as they form a collective consciousness of the American life.

Looking for richard Documentary Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Looking for richard Documentary Movie - Essay Example From his impromptu interviews in the streets of New York and the Global Theatre in London, we glean that indeed a lot of people regard a Shakespearean play as all Greek to them. Someone even wryly commented, â€Å"it sucks†. Pacino clearly attempts to modernize this Shakespearean tragedy, lacerate all the 16th century trappings cloaking it and present it under a new light influenced by 21st century modernism. In other words, he wants to make it hip. We can just surmise that Pacino, who was a high school dropout, had belabored Shakespeare in his high school days because of the 16th century lingo that helped to make his high school days exasperating and a survival of the fittest contest. to elucidate and instruct us on the intricacies and character motivations of a Shakespearean play. He particularly disentangles the complexity of the theme in Richard III and outlines in order to simplify the complex relationships by the character personae involved in the War of the Roses i.e. the Houses of York and Lancaster. He teaches us that Richard III is all about the intense competition by both houses to take accession to the throne of England and the ambition and lust for power even within one family and the use of unscrupulous and Machiavellian means to eliminate all those who stand in the way to one’s inexorable march to the throne. Pacino also attempts to show theater afficionados the hectic preparations needed to stage-manage a Shakespearean play. He thus assembles his cast, rehearses them for particular scenes while intermittently analyzing and dissecting the elements composing that segment and possibly to ease the strain of the Shakespearean denouement, he clowns around. Then the actors lay bare their Shakespearean souls with all the intensity they can muster by enacting specific scenes of the play. There was Lady Anne

Evaluations and Assessments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluations and Assessments - Essay Example The purpose of these assessments is to ensure that students are acquiring the essential skills, concepts and subject knowledge in social studies; that they have the opportunity to engage in a broad range of social topics that include civics, economics, geography, history, and general social studies skills. The plan is to eventually these across the state by 2008-09 in order to measure student learning in social studies. 9 CBAs are targeted for elementary school. They are believed to be better able to assess the subject as compared to standardized multiple choice and short answer questions for instance as well as have other advantages. The main component of the CBA is the rubric page. This details how a student can reach proficiency for the particular assessment. Besides this, the CBA mentions support materials, provides a student checklist, suggested resources etc. Both formal and informal assessments are similar in that they seek to provide a measure of student performance, usually as a summative assessment of learning. However, formal assessments are conducted under stricter exam conditions because their scores are noted on the student records. On the other hand, informal assessments are typically used to provide students with practice for the real formal assessments and may not be conducted under such strict conditions. The CBA issued by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction are formal assessments. Any other student assessments conducted entirely by the teacher would be considered as informal. The Content and Regional Focus for GLEs for grade 1 is based as Families and the concepts of near and far, now and then; for grade 2 is based on Community and the same concepts. A simple example of a pre-assessment question is given below. Another question could test the student’s knowledge and understanding of a

HUNTING THE NIGHTMARE BACTERIA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HUNTING THE NIGHTMARE BACTERIA - Essay Example Bacterial infections long before the discovery of penicillin used to result in deaths from simple infected wounds. As times progressed, scientific intervention relieved people from the fatality of sepsis. However resistant genes and bacteria seem to have brought back such infections. In the case of Addie Rerecich, a MRSA infection from a single scrape wound resulted, which aggravated upon further treatment and multiplied due to medical intervention, exacerbating her debility to the point where doctors deemed it untreatable, yet bought her some time with surgical intervention. Similarly David Ricci introduced NMD-1 into the United States, leaving doctors who had never treated a patient for such a bacteria; no choice but to quarantine him. Likewise, the alarming outbreak of KPC in New York threatened patient admission in the NIH, leaving the doctors baffled with the inability to control the spread of such a bacteria. The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics has thus posed problems for the doctors, pharmacists, microbiologists and researchers time after time due to the fact that medical resources are finite and the invading organisms are gaining strength in their pathogenicity. As a result, medicines no longer prevent their spread as efficiently as they used to. There are many possible reasons that may have fueled the growth of resistant bacteria beyond the control of health specialists. Firstly, the antibiotics are often prescribed for ailments that do not require them, which results in bacteria becoming resistant to a specific class of anti-microbial drugs. Secondly, it is due to the silent spread of these bacteria across individuals who often do not exhibit symptoms unless it is too late and the bacteria have spread. Unlike humans, the bacteria can transmit mutated genes across contaminated water and grow resistant to antibiotic medication even before they have entered their hosts. Moreover, it may also result

Mental Health Issues in long term care Research Paper

Mental Health Issues in long term care - Research Paper Example Census Bureau, 2009). There are two main reasons responsible for this trend: 1. The baby-boomer generation is growing old with most of the people in this group being in their 50s currently. 2. The life expectancy has moved from 47.3 years in 1900s to 77 years in 2000 (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2010). This has been achieved largely due to improved sanitation, nutrition and rapid advancement in medical technologies. These factors have contributed to the dramatic rise in lifespan and proportionate increase in health care issues - especially mental health issues among the older American population. Statistics reveal that over 14 million people live in long term care facilities of which nearly 90% are over 65 years (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2010). These long term care facilities vary in scope from institutions and homes for the mentally challenged to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2001), 67% of nursing home residents exhibit some form of mental or behavioral problems. ... ncidence of mental health problems in long term care residents is therefore extremely high (American Health Care Association, 2003): Mental Retardation 2.82% Depression 42.79% Psychiatric diagnosis 18.76% Dementia 45.35% Behavioral problems 30.62% Mental Health Issues in Long Term Care Facilities Following are some of the common mental health issues faced by residents in long term care facilities: 1. Depression: Depression is the most common mental health issue among residents in long term care facilities. Older people often experience loneliness, helplessness, hopelessness, frustration and anger towards the later phase of their life. Symptoms of depression include feeling ‘low’ and not enjoying things that once used to be very interesting to them, difficulty falling asleep or sleeping all the time, loss or increase in appetite, crying or acting out emotionally, anger, irritability, suicidal behavior, restlessness or slowed movements. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2000), although older Americans, over the age of 65 years, make up only 13% of the population, they account for 20% of the people who commit suicide. In fact older Americans have the highest suicide rate of any age group (National Institute of Mental Health, 2000). The most important factor that helps address depression in residents of long term care facilities has been found to be human interaction especially with their loved ones. 2. Delirium: Delirium is mostly caused by acute illness or drug toxicity. It may also be caused by fever, acute infection mostly urinary tract infection, medical conditions such as diabetes or as a reaction to leaving familiar people and places. Delirium always involves periods of diminished consciousness. A person suffering from delirium may act

Economics Term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics - Term Paper Example In various means, advertising and customer researchers continuously encounter the test of making images that depict respondents to marketing-related stimuli, this represents as a data for purposes of analysis. This data will incarcerate the fundamental nature of significant utilization practices; that will be communicated to research findings for interested audiences; or play a role in executing the pictorial components of marketing stratagem (Morris, 1997). Generic advertising was the common methodology used in enticing consumers to purchase a product or avail a certain service. This method captures the public attention in an instant, but this will not sustain if the advertisement is boring and dry. The generic approach is very important in preparing advertising messages that concentrates on the customer benefits that apply to all brands in a product category, as opposed to benefits that are unique to specific brands. Rather than being generic, companies and advertising agencies are finding effective means and faster communication of messages to the direct consumers. In the new millennium, the internet-based technology has played a key role in expanding a wide array of consumers in a small span of time worldwide. The potential of the World Wide Web on the Internet as a commercial medium and market has been widely documented in a variety of media. However, a critical examination of its commercial development has received little attention (Ricciuti, 1995). In this fast-paced environment, technology was always an important tool in spreading the good news and to easily communicate with direct customers. The development of internet-based technologies opened endless possibilities for Marketers. Marketing research can be carried out subtly by actively archiving the procedures that each individual undertakes on the Web, through Web tracking software (Culnan, 1999). When we make a whole new set of variables available to the marketer, the

Takeover regulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Takeover regulation - Essay Example The hostile takeover occurs when managers from the desired organization refuse the acquisition tender or merger request, and the original organization continues to pursue the acquisition through alternative, yet legal means. As one would assume this process occurs within a variety of structured regulations that differ between countries. Notably, in the United Kingdom defensive tactics by managers are prohibited, whereas in the United States, Delaware law gives managers a good deal of room to manoeuvre. The purpose of this investigation then is the critical assessment of the divergent regulatory patterns for defensive actions against takeovers within the United States and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the analysis proposes a means of improving on the current practice. Overview Structural Significance of Takeover Regulation In recent years one of the most comprehensive analyses of the divergent takeover regulatory patterns between the United States and the United Kingdom was presen ted in Armour and Skeel’s ‘The Divergence of U.S. ... the United States regulations are established by the judicial branch of state government and thus lead to laws that support organizational defense manoeuvres. To a large extent the United States has precluded Wall Street from privatizing takeover’s in the same way that the City of London has because 1930s United States federal regulation pre-empted the self-regulation that occurs in the United Kingdom and hindered the ability of institutional investors to collude towards alternative approaches. United States Regulations In further understanding the intentionality behind takeover regulations it’s necessary to gain a deeper recognition of the history of the regulatory process in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Indeed, Armour and Skeel have argued that the most prominent reasons the United States regulatory process has progressed in this direction, while the United Kingdom’s has progressed in a decidedly pro-shareholder position is because of the hist ory of investor practices. In the United States perhaps the most prominent regulation was established with the 1934 Williams Act. Later amended in 1968 this act was established by the Securities and Exchange Commission and required mandatory disclosure of information related to cash tender offers from companies seeking to acquire another company.2 The 1968 amendment functioned as a means of closing loopholes that had increasingly been exploited in the complex business environment.3 While this regulation seemingly goes against the pervading notion that the United States judicial process favors management intervention, legal interpretation of the Williams Act notes that that the law provides equal opportunity for management and the offeror to present their cases.4 One of the most notable aspects of the

Is the current welfare system a problem Essay Example for Free

Is the current welfare system a problem Essay Poverty and inequality has always been the problem that confronts the many leaders of different nations. It was a long weary issue yet unfaltering. The many times we can behold it, the many times will I yell the grievances of the poor and the deprived. Hierarchy of classes occurs since time immemorial. The Biblical times even have account for that, but the most disgusting is the continuous perpetuation of the situation, the despicable and unfathomable exploitation of the poor by the elites and the growing wealth disparity. How many times did proposals were made and yet proposals remain as it is, it never attempt to address the basic needy of the poor. People grew weary and tired in of hoping that all their ails were to be address accordingly, but it was always a fancy illusion. When somebody toils for subsistence, the state always exploits him, his vulnerable soul. Heavy taxes and the cost of living were surging. How can he find fulfillment in a society, which he lives thereby/ it’s all useless. Even justice was at all naught. It favors those who live in luxury and never was fashioned to the marginal population. In every corners of the world, anvil is laid for the rich, and never for the poor. Sometimes, you cannot blame for their wrongdoings, for their transgression on the lives of others. The society pushes them to do so, and apparently, their body reacts. Even the figures published by the government were all falsely done. In a broader perspective poverty does not alleviate, it even upsurge. We need not to dig deeper on the and establish a methodology to measure a single family their capability or incapability to sustain their family to come up to a conclusive grounds that they are really belongs to the poverty line. It is more then enough to see their famished predisposition. But famish must be understood not on its context only. Everybody feels famish at times, anyway. Famish co-exist with duration. The longevity of being coiled to starvation is not a natural process of life. It is a disease inflicted by the society’s unsophisticated individuals. Thus, it is problems that need to be resolve before it’s too late to mend it. Enough for the hullabaloo’s of many politicians who intermittently exhibit their philanthropist being, because as quoted and which I have absorb the lot â€Å"those that are lavish in words are niggard in deeds†, it is undoubtedly true. We cannot deny the fact that we are inclined to let things bend over us, to satisfy our tiny whims or our desire to shower ourselves with gold. But let this not blind us. In the far end, we will become the victim of our addiction. For if we let the hurricane whirls on our surrounding and we keep still, we will sink in the center and drown out to death. The powerless and aimless vast number and keeps on expanding poverty-stricken families will one day, gain their leverage to unite in numbers and fight the oppressors of the world, to oust them in power and to establish a society devoid of injustices and inequality. The rise of modernism aggravated the plight of the poor; you cannot blame them to raise a couple of counter reactions against the elites; their rights and privileges were deprived and naturally, they were determined to assert it. Why should we wait for ‘Nature’s vendetta’ to come when we can make tiny reparations and adjustments to give what is due for our brothers and sisters. This about it, tomorrow will never become brighter, while the remnants of injustices are alive. Yet, we are looking forward to a brighter future. Let’s then mark an end to widening poverty line in our own tiny ways.

Progression of Human Resource Information System

Progression of Human Resource Information System EXECUTIVE SUMMARY : Human Resource Information System has become one of the core software for each and every company. The companies policies are now monitored by the HRIS system.   Bank Dhofar strives to provide efficient service to its employees. They are in disadvantage in meeting these objective because they are having an out dated and inflexible human resource system.   In response to these challenges the company has   come to a conclusion that a proper human resource information system will be a major improvement for them by providing an efficient human resource system. Various potential alternatives for replacing the current human resource system has been analysed in the document. The recommendations and the strategy for going with the replacement of the HR system has been studied. The existing human resource application lack the needed functionality and flexibility which can allow the Bank Dhofar to deliver the HR services as effectively as possible. Human resources information systems have functioning right from the 1980s. In the initial days it was a simple computer application. It went on expanding from a simple application to a complex one where the whole organization details are being entered within the system. HRIS also is the name of the human resources discipline for HRIS specialists and other human resources professionals involved in the technology for employment and personnel matters. (Alan Price, 2004) INTRODUCTION In this modern world, the technology is changing day by day. Without the use of proper and latest technologies, the business cannot survive long. In order to make the human resource department more efficient there are many new technologies which are been introduced in the market. HRIS ( Human Resource Information System ) is one of these technologies which has been introduced. It is an integrated system which is designed to help the human resource management in decision making. It clubs the human resource management with information technology to reduce the time for decision making process, but also helps in complex consultations that come under the human resource work.  Ã‚   The main purpose of any HRIS system is to computerize employee records and to maintain upto date account of the decisions that need to be made or that has been made as part of the human resource management preparation. There are some defined principal areas of human resource that are affected by the Human resource information system. It includes Payroll, Employee benefits, Time and employee management and HR management.   Once these four areas of regularly updated, the system allows the user to see online the history of the employee details right from being appointed till the payroll and perks received by him. All the personal data of the employees can be viewed in flash (Bratton John and Gold Jeffrey (2003). The role of human resource is changing day by day with the introduction of rapid technologies, with the result of globalization and with the changes in the stake holders. The current issue of the human resource now a days is to manage the global human resources. The workers are migrating from one place to another, the expatriate employees issue are some of the common. The another issue is the increase presence of the female employees. The female employees are now competing in the job race which were mostly the male dominated one. The another issue is the employee behavior. The employer cannot terminate or dismiss an under performing employees as easily as they used to do earlier.(Heuring, Linda 2003). The existing human resource application lack the flexibility to allow the company to deliver the human resource services as effectively as possible. There were issues and challenges that directly impacted the company.   The challenges were as follows. The inability for job applicants to apply online The risk of shadowing the sensitive employee information Difficulty in obtaining the timely information for the management. Lack of flexibility of the current system to meet the changing business. (Cornelius N.E., Human). BANK DHOFAR Bank Dhofar was first started in the year 1990 in the name of Bank Dhofar Al Omani. It started its operations with two branches, one in Muscat and the other branch in Salalah. For the corporate growth of the bank Bank dhofar has assured   Effective Human Resource planning and management. In 2008 Bank dhofar had included a new organisational structure for the bank. A strategic five plan was launched. The introduction of new products, services and the investments made in upgrading the banks technological platform makes it clear that Bank Dhofar is scaling up its business to meet increased customer demands. The bank is committed to its ‘Customer First philosophy to build a strong relationship with customers. Technology plays a vital role in how a bank conducts business. Bank Dhofar is making significant investments in technology, giving customers convenient banking access, better service and greater value for money. Bank Dhofar is committed to continuously upgrading systems to enhance our customers experience. For employing the   people it has implemented the HRIS system within their database. This is helping them a lot for maintenance of employee records. The problem bank Dhofar faced with the old way of HR management was that they were keeping all their   employee records manual. The HR manager left for a new job and a other employee who joined has to figure out that system. The other weakness was that the manual workforce administration system was creating inefficiency and it was resulting in strain relation between the employees and the manager. Many companies have seen a need to transform the way Human Resource operations are performed in order to keep up with new technology and increasing numbers of employees. In the past recording keeping was done on paper and with spreadsheets. Mangers at Bank Dhofar realized that there was a need to change to a more computerized system and looked into different HRIS vendors. By making the move to a HRIS system, Bank Dhofar is able to keep more accurate records as well as better prepare for future growth. To meet the challenge of handling 800 new employees, Bank Dhofar acquired Web-based technology programs from an international company, like electronic pay stub, electronic timesheet software, time-off system, and human resource information system. By adapting these new programs, Bank Dhofar was able to reduce waste and cost. LITERATURE REVIEW (Tannenbaum, 1990) defined Human Resource Information system as a technology which is used to collect, store the information, analyse the collected information, and distribute the information to the human resource.   It is basically a online solution which is used for data entry. It can tackle many issues within the organization. It is used to manage all the employee information, to analysis and report the employee information, and to store the applicant tracking and resume management. HRIS is a systematic procedure for collecting, storing, retrieving and analyzing the data which is needed by the organization about its employees, their personnel activities and organization unit characteristics. HRIS is an integration between human resource management and the information technology (Kovach et al., 1999). Human Resource Information system is not limited to the computer hardware, software application which has a technical part of the system, it includes the employees, the procedures, policies and the data which is required to manage the human resource functions (Hendrickson, 2003). Human Resource information system merges the human resource management as a discipline and in a particular basic human resource activities and processes with the information technology (Gerardine DeSanctis, 1986). The core business functions of the HRIS system are Employee information, Payroll management and the benefits.   The system helps in streamlining the processes which frees up the Human resource staff to do the project work and solving the issues of employees. Before the implementation of the HRIS the resumes were handed over to the companies physically. The HR management staff has to physically handle it and then forward those applications to the specified department. But with the implementation of the HRIS system, the applications applying for job can straight away email their resumes through internet.   (De Cenzo David A. and Robbins Stephen P. 1996). The whole   employee information because of HR basic process are automated and stored in the connected database. HRIS simplifies the reporting and management decision support activities.   The system can be allowed for data sharing and integration with each department within the organization. The finance department and the supply chain department can be shared. An HRIS is used for employment actions such as applicant tracking, performance management, attendance, compensation and benefits management, work force analyses, and scheduling.   A very popular use of HRIS is employee self-service. Many employers are utilizing their HRIS to addition the human resources department staff by enabling employees for find answers to common questions they would have asked a human resources rmanagement people. Components of HRIS There are three major components of an Human Resource Information System (Kovach et al., 1999). Input   - > Maintenance of Data > Output. Input :   The user enters the employees information into the system. The input can be in the form of data entry or through scanning of the related documents. Maintenance :   The user updates the records which were entered in the input stage. The new employee records are also added in this component. Output : This is the most visible function in an HRIS system. According to Kovach et al., (1999) output is to generate valuable information for the user, the system has to process the output then do the necessary calculations and then that output has to presented in the form in which the management can understand it. The companies have realized the many of the cost reductions and efficiency gains very soon after implementing the human resource information system.   The pay back period or the time it takes to pay back the investment will be any where between one to three years .   HRIS contributes to cost reduction, customer satisfaction and innovation (Broderick and Boudreu, 1992). The disadvantages of the human resource information system are the human error during feeding the data within the system. The other disadvantage of this system is it is a costly technology to update the system and malfunction or insufficient application to support the human resources need. (Fombrun C. J., Tichy, 1984) One of the most significant challenges facing human resource managers today is the justification of the costs associated with the purchase and implementation of a Human Resource Information System. Most organizations already have a policy of cost justifying any new technology, and todays tight economy dictates that this be done for every new investment of this nature. The cost justification of an HRIS has always been a challenge as methods for quantifying the costs of personnel systems have only recently received much attention by executives and human resource practitioners. In comparison to financial and operational information systems, cost benefit analysis for HRIS are recent and still quite rare. (Scarborough, 2001) There is a growing realization that human resources cost money and that their inefficient use may lead to red ink on the corporate ledger. For many companies, as much as 90% of the corporate budget is spent on salaries and benefits. However, few are able to make the link between their people costs and the corporate bottom line. Although there was difficulty adapting to a new way of recordkeeping, Bank Dhofar was able to find a system that will help support the current and future growth of the company. Fortunately, some of the HR staff had experience working with an HRIS and were able to help their colleagues imagine new processes, as aided by a system. In order to help Bank Dhofar ease the HR burden of implementing a new HR system, the management of Bank Dhofar was convinced to look for a vendor to help implement and maintain a HRIS system. This system has helped Bank Dhofar better prepare for current and future growth. (Dessler Gary, 1999) The Internet is an increasingly popular way to recruit applicants, research technologies and perform other essential functions in business. Delivering human resource services online (eHR) supports more efficient collection, storage, distribution, and exchange of data (Friesen, 2003). An intranet is a type of network used by companies to share information to people within the organization. An intranet connects people to people and people to information and knowledge within the organization; it serves as an â€Å"information hub† for the entire organization. Most organizations set up intranets primarily for employees, but they can extend to business partners and even customers with appropriate security clearance (Byars Rue, 2004). The human resource department is the group formally established by an organization to help manage the organizations people as effectively as possible for the good of the employees, the company, and society. HR professionals include external consultants and service providers with HR expertise. At the end of the day, however, the managing of human resources gets done through a working partnership of HR professionals, line managers, and employees. At times, this partnership extends outside the organizationfor example, as the firm strives to forge better working relationships with its suppliers (Schuler and MacMillian, 1984). It may also venture into local education facilities as the HR staff works with schools to prepare students for internships in the firm. And, increasingly, companies use HR consultants to help with activities such as compensation, benefits, training, recruiting and selection, and implementing large-scale organizational change. RECOMMENDATION The weekness which has been identified as the contemporary issues in the human resource can be solved by implementing the Human Resource Information System in the company.  Ã‚   The organization has to strictly implement the system so that the employee record can be maintained in the sequence order. The performance of the employee can be analysed and proper justification can be given while appraisal of the salaries. The under performing employee can be notified.   The following are the recommendation for implementing the system. * A good human resource management team has to be set up Every company should have a proper human resource management system. The employees are the asset to the organization. If the employees with a high caliber are selected for the company, the company can gain their experience and run in making profits. * Selecting of the proper HRIS system after examining the need of the organization. The management has to select a proper HRIS system for the organization.   The organization has to first set up a team to manage the selection process of the HRIS system. The next step must be the team has to set a goal for the project. Once the goals are developed, The vendor who will be supplying the system has to be selected precisely. The actual need of what the organization is looking has to be identified. Demonstration for the new product has to be checked by the team members. Once the demonstrations are finished and all the questions have been answered, the selection has to be done. After selecting the vendor, the technical environment of the company and whether the new application will be suited for the same technical environment has to be verified.   After doing the budgeting and proper research the system has to be selected and implementation has to started. * Carefully entering the employee information within the system The next important part of the system will be to enter the employee information from starch. All the personal data of each and every employee has to be entered properly. Because this data will be base for the system. * All the new recruits resumes must be posted within the system The team has to see to it that all the resumes of the new recruited employees has to be entered in the system. This will help the management to clearly understand the strength of the employee. * Any employee appraisal / memos has to be entered within the system. Any memo issued to the employee either it might be in the form of appraisal / warning letters those has to be entered in to the system. * The automated attendance system should be linked to the system CONCLUSION Bank Dhofar is a good examples of facing issues similar to human resources information technology and human resources information systems. It know the importance of new technology, human resources information systems, and data security. Because of the increasing complexity of human resource management, nearly all medium to large size companies employ human resource professionals as full time employees, as vendors with long term contracts, and/or as consultants who work on short term projects. The ways organizations allocate responsibility for HR activities are many. Regardless of how HR activities are structured, however, companies that are most concerned with HR management seek professionals who effectively perform as the roles of business partner, enabler, monitor, innovator, and adapter. When this occurs, HR professionals can help organizations link their HR activities to the business. The three major groups that uses the advantages of HRIS are the human resource professionals, th e managers and the employees. The human resource professionals depends on the system for fulfilling their job functions, the managers rely on the system to provide the data collection and for analyzing the data especially for the salary increments of their employees. The employees are the end users of the system.   The usage of HRIS depends upon the size of the organization and the modules which the organization adopts. The study which has been done shows that the human resource professionals agree that the use of HRIS system leads to long professional standing within the organization.   The HR professions has to improve their IT skills and has to use this system inorder to remain competitive in the market. The role of integrating human resource management and information technology has lead to competitive advantage and has attracted many human resource personnels and managers. The usages of this system has increased remarkly well among organization of different sizes mostly bec ause of their increasing role in human resource management.

Relationship Between Photography Art And Psychology Photography Essay

Relationship Between Photography Art And Psychology Photography Essay I believe that great art and photography can be produced as a result of psychic energy created from repressed drives and instincts being effectively sublimated into a creative activity. I also believe that a great deal of art created is a result and expression of what Freud referred to as the Death Drive. Furthermore I believe that increased levels of psychic energy and tension can be linked to the production of great art. Freuds death drive theory was first revealed in his 1920 essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle. Feud formulated this theory after working closely with patients suffering from severe trauma. Throughout the First World War Freud spent a great deal of time working with and observing the behaviour of the soldiers who had returned from the battlefields and trenches. Many of these soldiers were suffering from Traumatic War Neuroses (which is now referred to as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Freud observed that the soldiers often had a tendency to dream, obsess, mentally repeat and in some severe cases re-enact the traumatic events they had witnessed. This obsessive attachment to the trauma seemed to contradict Frauds previous essay The Pleasure Principle which suggests that the individual is constantly seeking to maximize his or her own pleasure. Freud suggested that the mind is split into three distinctive groups. Firstly we have the conscious, which is home to those thoughts and percepti ons of which a person is fully aware. Secondly we have the pre-conscious, which is where we store our knowledge and memories and thirdly we have the unconscious, which is material that cannot be made available voluntarily such as fears, unacceptable sexual desires, irrational wishes, shameful experiences, selfish needs, immoral urges and violent motives. The three layers of personality are often portrayed as a mental iceberg, which is used to illustrate the incredible size of the unconscious. It is important to understand that according to Freud the death drive is part the id. The id is the most instinctive and primitive part of a persons personality and is the system we come equipped with at birth. According to Freuds essay The Pleasure Principle the id does not know right from wrong, it has no perception of morals, values or standards it simply seeks to maximise its own pleasure. The ego begins to develop after birth as the child begins to interact with their environment. The ego operates on the reality principle, which is survival orientated and prevents the person from doing anything that is overly detrimental. The super ego develops later as a result of societys values, morals and standards being passed onto the child through interaction with other people and adults. The super ego is the part of the personality that strives for perfection and works in contradiction to the id. Because the id and super ego are so dramatically opposed it falls on the ego to act as the m iddleman. The ego must satisfy the ids primitive impulses without offending the super egos moral character whilst also taking into consideration the reality of the situation. Human beings are torn between two opposing instinctive drives. On the one hand we have the Eros (the life drive). The Eros is a creative drive that promotes and supports harmony, reproduction, sexual connection and preservation of both the self and the species. On the other hand we have the Thanatos (Death Drive). The Death Drive is self-destructive and instinctively seeks aggression, compulsion, repetition and obliteration. Freud believed that the Death Drive is a persons drive towards death and the wish to return to an inanimate state. There are more socially acceptable ways of expressing the creative and sexual needs of the Eros without offending the moralistic super ego. It is the Death Drives destructive and aggressive characteristics that are more difficult to express. This could result in mindless aggression, masochism and hate. Because the ego has such a difficult time satisfying the impulses of both the id and the super ego it uses tools often referred to as Ego Defence Mechanisms to reduce anxiety and protect self-esteem. These defence mechanisms include denial, displacement, intellectualization, projection, reaction formation, rationalisation, regression, sublimation and suppression. The ego defence mechanisms are used to push something that causes you anxiety into the unconscious. Freud believed that any psychic energy that is repressed would later have to emerge in one way or another. Freud stated that the psyche works to get rid of this energy in three ways. The first is catharsis, which will discharge the psychic energy through unconscious impulses such as laughter and crying. Sublimation is the second method that the psyche uses to channel the psychic energy. Sublimation converts the instincts and impulses to allow the person to express them in a way that is acceptable to the super ego write books, paint pictures, build bridges, do research, learn mathematical equations and so on (Nye 1999 pg 14) .If you cannot sublimate enough it can seriously affect your mental health. The displacement of the suppressed instincts then takes the form of the third method, which is neuroses. The neurosis is revealed in the form of symptoms. These symptoms work to reduce the psychic tension but are also detrimental to the person. These symptoms could manifest themselves in many forms such as depression, phobias, obsessions, denial and psychosis. This is why art is often used as an alternate therapy. The psychic tension is encouraged to manifest itself into something creative rather than letting it quietly fester into symptoms. Of the three defence mechanisms sublimation is the one that interests me the most. Sublimation is the mechanism that Freud believed could offer an overall explanation for artistic talent and the production of great art Since artistic talent and capacity are intimately connected with sublimation we must admit that the nature of the artistic function is also inaccessible to us along psychoanalytic lines (Clark 1965 pg165). Freuds essay on Leonardo da Vinci illustrates his theory regarding sublimation and its connection to artistic creativeness and genius. It is popularly believed that Leonardo da Vinci was homosexually inclined. He never married and was in fact charged with the act of sodomy twice in 1476 but was later released and the case dropped due to a lack of witnesses. Although anonymously accused of the act many of Leonardos contemporaries also believed him to be homosexual, Freud also believed this. It is the Oedipus complex that Freud believed could explain Leonardos homosexual inclinations. According to the Oedipus complex small children whilst in the Oedipal phase of libidinal and ego development (between the ages of three and five) harbour unconscious drives and feelings which centre around the complete possession of the parent of the opposite sex, in the case of a male child the mother would become the subject of this fixation. The child would then be in direct competition for the mothers affection with the father who at this point according to the child has become an intruder in the relationship. This would at first lead to conflict but the child soon realises that the father is bigger and in a position of authority. As the child then begins to recognise that the mother loves the father he wants to emulate his fathers masculine traits and behaviour in order to become more like him to earn favour with his mother. It is interesting that the Oedipus complex takes it name from the Greek mythological charter Oedipus who kills his father and marries his mother. Freuds views on this character were sympathetic he stated; His destiny moves us only because it might have been ours because the oracle laid the same curse upon us before our birth as upon him. It is the fate of all of us, perhaps, to direct our first sexual impulses towards our mother and our first hatred and our first murderous wish against our father (Freud 1889 p296) Leonardo was an illegitimate child, later adopted by his father and brought up in his fathers household. There is no historical record which indicates what kind of relationship Leonardo may have had with his mother or his step mother, or which tells us what kind of people they were. Nor is it known at what age Leonardo was removed from his mother to be brought up by his step mother and father (Storr 1999 pg75/76) According to Freuds theory regarding the Oedipus complex if Leonardo did not have a sufficient mother figure he would have had no need to emulate his fathers masculine traits and behaviour. This is what led Freud to conclude that Leonardo was homosexual. Being homosexual, and not being able to express himself openly would have been a great cause of stress and anxiety for Leonardo. This stress and anxiety was repressed into his unconscious and could have ultimately led to mental heath symptoms had he not been able to sublimate it so effectively. Freud believed that Leonardo was sublimating his sexuality into something more appropriate. The suppressed drives and instincts of Leonardos id were being sublimated through his creativity so effectively that he was able to create some of the worlds most amazing art works and inventions. The irony of Freuds theory is that if Leonardo had been allowed to be openly gay he would not have created this work. So what characteristics reveal the presence of the death drive and when is the death drive recognizable in art? I believe that the death drive can be observed in the work of many great artist and photographers. Common physical manifestations of the death drive in art include such bleak and morbid imagery as the grim reaper, skulls, blood, crows and hooded figures, but the manifestation does not always appear in such a literal way. The death drive is often expressed in works of art through subliminal and symbolic methods. Freud interpreted art in a similar way to how he interpreted dreams It was natural that he should apply the same technique of interpretation to works of art as he did to dreams, phantasies and neurotic symptoms. Just like dreams Freud believed that art is an expression of unconscious. The Death Drive cannot always manifest itself overtly in art. Its representation is often symbolic as the super ego would be damaged by anything that society deems a taboo or unacceptab le. Although Freuds theory regarding the interpretation of dreams was not an aesthetic one, I believe that the connection between what a person dreams and what is expressed by the subconscious during the process of sublimating psychic energy into a creative form draws many similarities and could indeed be analyzed in a similar way. Although the Freudian analysis of dreams focuses more on how the subconscious deals with and associates with our memories and emotions I think the same analysis can be used to look at how our subconscious deals with and expresses these same memories and emotions physically. One of the most obvious examples of an artist that depicts the death drive in his artwork is Damian Hirst. Hirst who has been described by a London art critics as the hooligan genius of British art seems to have an unhealthy obsession with death, his work is famously dark and notoriously unpleasant and morbid. Death, destruction and imagery related or connected to mortality are reoccurring themes in a great deal of Hirsts work, so much so that his work is often instantly identifiable purely from its subject matter. Hirst became a household name after exhibiting a series of dead animals that included a fourteen-foot tiger shark a sheep and a cow that were all preserved in a specially created formaldehyde solution. The title of the exhibition The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living seems to suggests that you cannot witness or experience your own death, an interesting title given the contents and the nature of the exhibition. Hirsts work is an examination of the processes of life and death: the ironies, falsehoods and desires that we mobilize to negotiate our own alienation and mortality. By preserving and then exhibiting these dead animals Hirst forces his audience to confront death head on. In my eyes this shocking tactic sums up exactly how the death drive can express itself in art . The death drive Hirst is also famous for creating a life size human skull cast in platinum titled For the Love of God. The skull is encased in 8601 diamonds and is currently the most expensive piece of art ever created. The use of a real human skull -which according to Hirst was purchased in Islington emphasises his fixation with mortality. The skull, which to many is regarded as the ultimate sign of death could be interpreted as an obvious incarnation of Hirsts own death drive. When interviewed by the Guardian newspaper regarding his luxurious crystal skull Hirst was quoted I just want to celebrate life by saying to hell with death, Death is such a key aspect of Hirsts work but so to is the controversy that surrounds it. Not only is Hirsts work an artistic representation of the themes and imagery often associated with the death drive but I believe that it is also a direct manifestation of the psychic energy created by the death drive. This energy is being sublimated into a creative art form. The work of Hirst would seem, if anything to be the artistic representation of someone with a wildly overactive active death drive, if this is true what has caused this? Looking into Hirsts childhood and early life there are several interesting events that could explain his need to sublimate psychic energy into other activities. Sigmund Freud believed that by viewing and analyzing a piece of art in a way similar to analyzing dreams he could gain an incite into the unconscious drives and instincts that helped create them. what he did with varying success, was to discover in the work of art evidence of the artists presumed infantile conflicts Hirsts parents separated when he was still very young, as a result his mother struggled to deal with his wild and often criminal behavior. Hirsts relationship with his mother became ever more strained as she failed to tolerate his acts of rebellion. The separation of his parents at the age of twelve would have been a great cause for stress and anxiety. A stress that could have easily developed into a mental illness had he not been able to sublimate this psychic energy so successfully through his works of art. The breakdown in the relationship between Hirst and his mother would also have been cause of anxiety. It is perhaps due to this anxiety that he was able to achieve and be so successful in later life. Hirst struggled as an artist throughout the first 23 years of his life, He persisted despite many complications and rejections, first at school and then sixth form where he was finally admitted only after his art teacher pleaded passionately with the staff begging them to give him a place. After two years spent in sixth form he left with an E grade A-Level in Art. After sixth form Hirst was then turned down and refused admission to the Leeds College of Art and Design but eventually managed to gain admission after he submitted a successful application. After his time at college Hirst worked for two years on various building sites before applying for a place to study Fine Art at Goldsmiths University in London. Again Hirst was initially refused admission but later reapplied and was granted a place. The struggle of Hirst to succeed in his artistic career in itself would be a great cause of stress and negative tension. Could this tension and psychic energy be the underlying cause of his Hirsts confrontation with death Artists have always been fascinated with death. The artist almost instinctively seeks to address and confront death. This desire to seek out and face death is reflected in the photographic work of Erik Van Der Weijde. Weijde is a professional self-publishing photographer whose work is usually architecture related and whose work is often released in intricately created limited editions. Weijdes work based in Germany looks at buildings and architecture built and used by the Nazis between 1943 and 1945. The project titled Siedlung which translates as neighborhood or settlement is a journey that focuses on houses built by the Nazis for the German working class NSDAP members. The creation of these houses was a powerful propaganda tool for the Nazi party, which artificially removed people from unemployment and enforced a deliberate sense of unity and uniformity. The first thing that I notice about these images is how cold and sterile they appear. The houses are well kept but there is no sign of life. There are no people in the streets, no visible animals. There is not even a single bird visible in the sky. This bizarre deadpan aesthetic is obviously an expression of Weijdes death drive and his deliberately simple images create a surreal soberness that unsettles the viewer. The photographs themselves whilst working well as a set do not follow any traditional systems or ru les regarding traditional architectural photography. The images have a candid feel to them, the effect of which is a sinister voyeuristic overtone that adds to the uncomfortable image subjects. Weijdes other photographic projects include a set of photographs taken at a location where Marc Dutroux used to go skating before he started kidnapping girls This project is very similar to his project about Nazi architecture. The project simply titled Ice-skating lanes consists of a collection of images taken outside a skating rink. Similarly to the Nazi project the images show no evidence or make any reference to the events that took place. Perhaps taken out of context these images would not be so cold and sobering. Both of these projects have been shot within the last couple of years Ice-skating lanes is dated 2006 and Third Reich 2007. Weijde has decided to shoot the majority of the images in these projects not in colour but in black and white. I feel that the black and white images are much more effective and evoke a much stronger sense of dread. Death is a state of minimalism and this deliberate decision to remove colour from the images gives them an archival feel, which if anything strengthens the morbidly unsettling atmosphere captured in the photographs. The production or creation of an archive reflects the death drives compulsive need for repetition. Weijdes images are so simple in fact that they gain a surreal, otherworldly characteristic. The subject of Weijdes work is so frequently morbid that it is impossible to ignore his obvious fascination with death nor is it possible to ignore his deliberate pursuit and confrontation of death. I believe that Weijde is a true example of how the d eath drive can inspire art or photography. Weijdes interest lies purely in the fascination he has regarding the locations of these terrible incidents, he is not financially motivated nor does he seek controversy. The fascination of documenting death and destruction does not end with Eric Van Der Weijde. Photographers from all over the world share a similar bond with death, a bond draws them to scenes of unimaginable carnage. Enrique Metinides is known for his macabre depictions of life in Mexico City. Having photographed his first dead body before the age of twelve, Metinides developed an obsession with documenting the recently deceased, for years he slept with his radio tuned into the frequencies of various emergency services such as the police, fire brigade and ambulance, desperately trying to eavesdrop and listen in on breaking news on disasters and tragic events that was being relayed from call centers to the emergency services. Sleeping in his clothes and listening long into the night Metinides was always prepared to leave his house at a moments notice in order to follow a scoop. Metinides employed a series of unconventional methods to ensure that he was always first on scene, these methods included hanging around outside the various police stations and morgues and volunteering with the Red Cross so that he could arrive on scene with ambulances and paramedics, by doing this he was able to document the events without any interference from the public or police. The length that Metinides went to in order to ensure his place at the front of each incident illustrates his commitment and dedication to his work, a dedication that is shared by many artists and photographers. It is possible that this energetic drive was fuelled by Metinidess own death drive the sublimation of which resulted in the obsessive habits and behavior he developed in order to successfully pursue his work. Metinidess preparations often gave him the edge over the press and other reporters allowing him to be first on the scene of each disaster, armed with his trusted camera he documented each gru esome and bloody incident. During his career Metinides worked for the Nota Roja (bloody news). Whilst working for the bloody news Metinides built a morbid portfolio of suicide jumpers, decapitated bodies, street stabbings, crime scenes, accidental electrocutions, car wrecks, airplane crashes, exploding gas tanks, train derailments and other disasters. Metinidess photography is unpleasantly tragic; he depicts these scenes of carnage in such a stark and unforgiving way. The images differ considerably from the archival styled work of Eric Van Der Weijde in both content and style. Eric Van Der Weijdes images exhibit the death drive in a more subtle and symbolic way that at first glance could easily be missed, whereas the work of Metinides expresses the death drive in a much more aggressive way. This is partly because the work of Eric Van Der Weijde is inspired by acts from the past concentrating on documenting them in the present whereas Metinidess work focuses on the chaos, unpredictable and spontaneous nature of life and death. The subject matter of Metinidess work is so brutally shocking that it almost seems unreal. The images are almost driven to the point of abstraction as the audience is forced to confront the death that Metinides has photographed. These images arent cheap magazine photoplays. The deaths and disasters are real. So why was Metinides so obsessed with confronting death? What was it that he sought to document? The underlying cause of Metinidess build up of psychic energy which lead to the necessity of sublimation was not a result of repressed sexual as it had been with Leonardo Da Vinci, nor was it the result of a broken home or childhood conflicts with his mother. I believe that Metinidess entire career developed as a result of the first dead body he encountered as a child. The son of a popular restaurant owner young Metinides befriended the policemen and women that would eat there. They invited him to the station where he encountered his first corpse; the corpse had been laid on a track and beheaded by a train This scene took the fear out of me, so I could continue to look at these kinds of images for the next fifty years From then on Metinides used his box camera to take and collect pictures of accidents. Now this of course is not the usual behavior of a teenage boy and I believe could be the route of his lifetime fascination with the dead. Other interesting facts known about Metinides are that he is a passionate collector of various objects, particularly model ambulances and police cars which he owns over 4000 of. Excessive collecting is often linked to the death drive as the death drive seeks repetition. Metinides is also an obsessive archivist who even till this day compulsively catalogues video footage of live accidents from television for a growing personal archive again this behavior could be argued to be the result of the death drive but interestingly could also be explained by the Eros, the life drive that instinctively seeks to preserve and create. In an interesting interview with Metinides conducted by VMAGAZINE he tells of an incident where a man attempted to jump from the top of the Torero Stadium building because, he said he wanted to feel what death felt like. Metinidess work cannot visually convey what death feels like but it does however illustrate what death feels like to those around it. Personally I believe that Metinides work goes way beyond even the most compelling of photojournalism. When viewing Metinidess work I feel myself drawn into his images. I feel like I am watching the events from a safe distance but then the realization dawns that I am not alone. In many of Metinidess images large crowds of people have gathered around the scene of the accident and as I stare transfixed on the limp, lifeless body of a child or the cold dead face of a motor accident victim I slowly begin to pan out and notice the crowds of people not looking at the wreckage and chaos, instead there gaze is directly at me. People in the crowds are often looking straight into the lens of Metinidess camera it makes us, as the audience feel uncomfortable as there eyes meet with our own but at the same time this awkward eye contact completes the cycle of voyeurism. In a similar fashion to Damian Hirst Metinidess work exploits death. His whole career has been built around the sad and unfortunate events that ended with a person losing their live. It seems that being able to face death, whether morally right or not can be very profitable business. Death is a constant theme in the history of art and photography, I believe that the popularity of the subject lies in the audiences desire to understand and confront their own mortality. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..work shows how fragile we are and how suddenly life can be taken away from us. The fact that these images remain so admired and that Metinides is still regarded as Mexicos most popular newspaper photographer suggests that the obsession with death lies not just with the artist or the photographer but also with the audience. Perhaps the need for an artist to confront or portray death is not only a response to their own death drive but also to the death drive of their audience. I believe that by viewing work by artists such as Metinides the audience is able to sublimate some of their own negative energy. Art has long been known for its therapeutic properties Conclusion>>> Psychic energy is what fuels a persons actions. Art is a direct sublimation of this psychic energy. If you are well balanced and mentally well rounded you will have less of this psychic energy to draw from. So basically the more screwed up and mentally unstable you are the more psychic energy you have to express in your artwork. This is why many great artists are often on the edge/ verge of a mental break down.

Eastern European Conclusions :: Russian Government Essays

Eastern European Conclusions The year 1989 represents a paradox of the modern history. Not long ago the USSR was the biggest fear of the whole world. The Soviet Union exemplified an enormous political, economical, and military power. The revolution of 1917 gave birth to a giant child. That creation walked the earth very fast, and, by the end of 1960, it enforced communist structures all over the world. China, Cuba, Poland, Czechoslovakia illustrate ramifications of the system. In 1989 the child suddenly vanished. The German reunification, the rejection of the communist rules by the liberal Hungarian government, and the Romanian revolution, which solved with the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, speak about the instability of that time. It was the end of a historical epoch. Ten years have passed since those days. I still remember learning to write using the Latin alphabet instead of the Cyrillic, the Popular Front movement in Moldova, and the impressive demonstrations and rebellions showed on television. I was just a young child. Everybody was happy and excited. New bright times were supposed to come, and they did, but not for everybody. People soon found that the new discovered capitalism meant a drop in living standards, rising unemployment, reduced social benefits, and growing inequality. This started the period of transition, but life would improve... Life did improve. Hungary, Poland, and the Baltic countries proved that capitalism meant a brighter future and a better life. The statistics regarding the economical condition of Hungary show that the country obtained immense achievements and important developments in the political and economical spheres of life. (Nations, Online) The situation of the Baltic countries is not much different from those in the Western Europe. What happened to the rest of the post-soviet countries? Why is the present situation in Eastern Europe so deplorable? Corruption affects all level of society, but it has the worst effects when it comes from the top. The whole political and economical structure of the former USSR is influenced by this social malady. The analysts are looking for a drug to treat the disease, but this virus adapts with an incredible speed. Everybody is corrupt. Such a statement sounds very paradoxical, but it is very close to reality. "The American headlines about corruption in Russia are revolving around two separate and so far unrelated allegations. One is that Yeltsin and his daughters,

Speech Pathology in Practice -- Health Care

Speech Pathology In Practice A speech pathologist is a health professional, educated at university level in the study of human communication. Speech pathologists assess and treat a wide range of communication and feeding skills, including language, voice, speech, fluency, feeding and swallowing and literacy (Private Speech Pathologists' Association of Western Australia, 2011, p. 1). They provide a wide range of services, mainly on an individual basis, but also as support for families, support groups, and providing information for the general public. Speech pathologists can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, community health centres, rehabilitation centres and private practice. In addition, the role of a speech pathologist is also to act as an advocate on behalf of people with communication disabilities (Speech Pathology Australia, 2012, p. 1). Human language is a unique mental equity and the use of language is deeply entrenched in human culture. Apart from being used to communicate and share information, it also has social and cultural uses, such as signifying ingrouping and identity (O'Connor, 2010, p. 1). The term language is often used interchangeably with communication and even speech, but it is important to define these terms in the context of speech pathology. Language can be defined as ‘code with structural properties characterized by a set of rules for producing and comprehending utterances’ (Nicolosi, Harryman, & Kresheck, 2004, p. 111). This is in contrast to speech; a ‘medium of oral communication that employs a linguistic code’ (Nicolosi et al., 2004, p. 254) or communication; ‘any means by which an individual relates experiences, ideas, knowledge and feelings to another’ (N... ...ial Educational Needs, 8(1), 2-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-3802.2008.00096.x Private Speech Pathologists' Association of Western Australia. (2011, 27 February 2012). What does a speech pathologist do? , from http://www.pspawa.com.au/html/what_do_we_do.html - What%20does%20a%20Speech%20Pathologist%20do Snowling, M. J., & Hulme, C. (2012). Interventions for children's language and literacy difficulties. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(1), 27-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00081.x Speech Pathology Australia. (2012). What is a speech pathologist? , from http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/library/1.1_What_is_a_Speech_Pathologist.pdf Steele, S., & Mills, M. (2011). Vocabulary intervention for school-age children with language impairment: A review of evidence and good practice. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 27(3), 354.

Computers and I :: Personal Narrative Writing

Computers and I Computers are linked to almost every aspect of life. I was shown computer technology back in my early grade school years. Teachers would shuffle a pack of twenty kids at a time into a confined room filled with the new computer technology. The only thing I remember using computers for all through elementary school was to play Oregon Trail, which was like an un-evolved Nintendo game. I didn’t understand why all the adults guarded and respected the computers as if precious materials when all I used them for was to play games. Little did I know that the computer would create an unavoidable effect on my life. As I grew older and wiser I began to understand the practical use of the computer technology. I began typing my reports instead of trying to write them really really neat in pen. The typing and printing technology turned out to work really well for school related purposes; it was much easier and quicker than writing in pen. Computers weren’t foolproof though and I figured that out in high school when I accidentally erased one of my lengthy reports. Luckily I had decided to write my first draft the old fashioned way: with a pencil. Despite the forethought typing a whole report over again was still time consuming and aggravating. There was no way around re-typing my report either; as computers became increasingly available teachers demanded typed papers. Computers had already made changes in the way I spent my time. An aspect of computer technology that I found most amazing was the Internet. In college I began to utilize the Internet for purposes of self-education. The Internet has helped me gather much reference material for my artwork as well as opening me up to the whole world of contemporary art that existed on the Internet. I was exposed to a countless number of artists of whose work I would have never been able to see without the use of Internet. Now when I have a general guestion about a subject I simply look it up on the Internet. I began to realize that the Internet opened up a new world for everyone with access to it. Eventually everyone was using computers and the Internet on a regular basis.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-one

Sansa They came for Sansa on the third day. She chose a simple dress of dark grey wool, plainly cut but richly embroidered around the collar and sleeves. Her fingers felt thick and clumsy as she struggled with the silver fastenings without the benefit of servants. Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father. â€Å"I'm certain your father is well,† Sansa told her when she had finally gotten the dress buttoned right. â€Å"I'll ask the queen to let you see him.† She thought that kindness might lift Jeyne's spirits, but the other girl just looked at her with red, swollen eyes and began to cry all the harder. She was such a child. Sansa had wept too, the first day. Even within the stout walls of Maegor's Holdfast, with her door closed and barred, it was hard not to be terrified when the killing began. She had grown up to the sound of steel in the yard, and scarcely a day of her life had passed without hearing the clash of sword on sword, yet somehow knowing that the fighting was real made all the difference in the world. She heard it as she had never heard it before, and there were other sounds as well, grunts of pain, angry curses, shouts for help, and the moans of wounded and dying men. In the songs, the knights never screamed nor begged for mercy. So she wept, pleading through her door for them to tell her what was happening, calling for her father, for Septa Mordane, for the king, for her gallant prince. If the men guarding her heard her pleas, they gave no answer. The only time the door opened was late that night, when they thrust Jeyne Poole inside, bruised and shaking. â€Å"They're killing everyone,† the steward's daughter had shrieked at her. She went on and on. The Hound had broken down her door with a warhammer, she said. There were bodies on the stair of the Tower of the Hand, and the steps were slick with blood. Sansa dried her own tears as she struggled to comfort her friend. They went to sleep in the same bed, cradled in each other's arms like sisters. The second day was even worse. The room where Sansa had been confined was at the top of the highest tower of Maegor's Holdfast. From its window, she could see that the heavy iron portcullis in the gatehouse was down, and the drawbridge drawn up over the deep dry moat that separated the keep-within-a-keep from the larger castle that surrounded it. Lannister guardsmen prowled the walls with spears and crossbows to hand. The fighting was over, and the silence of the grave had settled over the Red Keep. The only sounds were Jeyne Poole's endless whimpers and sobs. They were fed—hard cheese and fresh-baked bread and milk to break their fast, roast chicken and greens at midday, and a late supper of beef and barley stew—but the servants who brought the meals would not answer Sansa's questions. That evening, some women brought her clothes from the Tower of the Hand, and some of Jeyne's things as well, but they seemed nearly as frightened as Jeyne, and when she tried to talk to them, they fled from her as if she had the grey plague. The guards outside the door still refused to let them leave the room. â€Å"Please, I need to speak to the queen again,† Sansa told them, as she told everyone she saw that day. â€Å"She'll want to talk to me, I know she will. Tell her I want to see her, please. If not the queen, then Prince Joffrey, if you'd be so kind. We're to marry when we're older.† At sunset on the second day, a great bell began to ring. Its voice was deep and sonorous, and the long slow clanging filled Sansa with a sense of dread. The ringing went on and on, and after a while they heard other bells answering from the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya's Hill. The sound rumbled across the city like thunder, warning of the storm to come. â€Å"What is it?† Jeyne asked, covering her ears. â€Å"Why are they ringing the bells?† â€Å"The king is dead.† Sansa could not say how she knew it, yet she did. The slow, endless clanging filled their room, as mournful as a dirge. Had some enemy stormed the castle and murdered King Robert? Was that the meaning of the fighting they had heard? She went to sleep wondering, restless, and fearful. Was her beautiful Joffrey the king now? Or had they killed him too? She was afraid for him, and for her father. If only they would tell her what was happening . . . That night Sansa dreamt of Joffrey on the throne, with herself seated beside him in a gown of woven gold. She had a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known came before her, to bend the knee and say their courtesies. The next morning, the morning of the third day, Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard came to escort her to the queen. Ser Boros was an ugly man with a broad chest and short, bandy legs. His nose was flat, his cheeks baggy with jowls, his hair grey and brittle. Today he wore white velvet, and his snowy cloak was fastened with a lion brooch. The beast had the soft sheen of gold, and his eyes were tiny rubies. â€Å"You look very handsome and splendid this morning, Ser Boros,† Sansa told him. A lady remembered her courtesies, and she was resolved to be a lady no matter what. â€Å"And you, my lady,† Ser Boros said in a flat voice. â€Å"Her Grace awaits. Come with me.† There were guards outside her door, Lannister men-at-arms in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms. Sansa made herself smile at them pleasantly and bid them a good morning as she passed. It was the first time she had been allowed outside the chamber since Ser Arys Oakheart had led her there two mornings past. â€Å"To keep you safe, my sweet one,† Queen Cersei had told her. â€Å"Joffrey would never forgive me if anything happened to his precious.† Sansa had expected that Ser Boros would escort her to the royal apartments, but instead he led her out of Maegor's Holdfast. The bridge was down again. Some workmen were lowering a man on ropes into the depths of the dry moat. When Sansa peered down, she saw a body impaled on the huge iron spikes below. She averted her eyes quickly, afraid to ask, afraid to look too long, afraid he might be someone she knew. They found Queen Cersei in the council chambers, seated at the head of a long table littered with papers, candles, and blocks of sealing wax. The room was as splendid as any that Sansa had ever seen. She stared in awe at the carved wooden screen and the twin sphinxes that sat beside the door. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ser Boros said when they were ushered inside by another of the Kingsguard, Ser Mandon of the curiously dead face, â€Å"I've brought the girl.† Sansa had hoped Joffrey might be with her. Her prince was not there, but three of the king's councillors were. Lord Petyr Baelish sat on the queen's left hand, Grand Maester Pycelle at the end of the table, while Lord Varys hovered over them, smelling flowery. All of them were clad in black, she realized with a feeling of dread. Mourning clothes . . . The queen wore a high-collared black silk gown, with a hundred dark red rubies sewn into her bodice, covering her from neck to bosom. They were cut in the shape of teardrops, as if the queen were weeping blood. Cersei smiled to see her, and Sansa thought it was the sweetest and saddest smile she had ever seen. â€Å"Sansa, my sweet child,† she said, â€Å"I know you've been asking for me. I'm sorry that I could not send for you sooner. Matters have been very unsettled, and I have not had a moment. I trust my people have been taking good care of you?† â€Å"Everyone has been very sweet and pleasant, Your Grace, thank you ever so much for asking,† Sansa said politely. â€Å"Only, well, no one will talk to us or tell us what's happened . . . â€Å" â€Å"Us?† Cersei seemed puzzled. â€Å"We put the steward's girl in with her,† Ser Boros said. â€Å"We did not know what else to do with her.† The queen frowned. â€Å"Next time, you will ask,† she said, her voice sharp. â€Å"The gods only know what sort of tales she's been filling Sansa's head with.† â€Å"Jeyne's scared,† Sansa said. â€Å"She won't stop crying. I promised her I'd ask if she could see her father.† Old Grand Maester Pycelle lowered his eyes. â€Å"Her father is well, isn't he?† Sansa said anxiously. She knew there had been fighting, but surely no one would harm a steward. Vayon Poole did not even wear a sword. Queen Cersei looked at each of the councillors in turn. â€Å"I won't have Sansa fretting needlessly. What shall we do with this little friend of hers, my lords?† Lord Petyr leaned forward. â€Å"I'll find a place for her.† â€Å"Not in the city,† said the queen. â€Å"Do you take me for a fool?† The queen ignored that. â€Å"Ser Boros, escort this girl to Lord Petyr's apartments and instruct his people to keep her there until he comes for her. Tell her that Littlefinger will be taking her to see her father, that ought to calm her down. I want her gone before Sansa returns to her chamber.† â€Å"As you command, Your Grace,† Ser Boros said. He bowed deeply, spun on his heel, and took his leave, his long white cloak stirring the air behind him. Sansa was confused. â€Å"I don't understand,† she said. â€Å"Where is Jeyne's father? Why can't Ser Boros take her to him instead of Lord Petyr having to do it?† She had promised herself she would be a lady, gentle as the queen and as strong as her mother, the Lady Catelyn, but all of a sudden she was scared again. For a second she thought she might cry. â€Å"Where are you sending her? She hasn't done anything wrong, she's a good girl.† â€Å"She's upset you,† the queen said gently. â€Å"We can't be having that. Not another word, now. Lord Baelish will see that Jeyne's well taken care of, I promise you.† She patted the chair beside her. â€Å"Sit down, Sansa. I want to talk to you.† Sansa seated herself beside the queen. Cersei smiled again, but that did not make her feel any less anxious. Varys was wringing his soft hands together, Grand Maester Pycelle kept his sleepy eyes on the papers in front of him, but she could feel Littlefinger staring. Something about the way the small man looked at her made Sansa feel as though she had no clothes on. Goose bumps pimpled her skin. â€Å"Sweet Sansa,† Queen Cersei said, laying a soft hand on her wrist. â€Å"Such a beautiful child. I do hope you know how much Joffrey and I love you.† â€Å"You do?† Sansa said, breathless. Littlefinger was forgotten. Her prince loved her. Nothing else mattered. The queen smiled. â€Å"I think of you almost as my own daughter. And I know the love you bear for Joffrey.† She gave a weary shake of her head. â€Å"I am afraid we have some grave news about your lord father. You must be brave, child.† Her quiet words gave Sansa a chill. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Your father is a traitor, dear,† Lord Varys said. Grand Maester Pycelle lifted his ancient head. â€Å"With my own ears, I heard Lord Eddard swear to our beloved King Robert that he would protect the young princes as if they were his own sons. And yet the moment the king was dead, he called the small council together to steal Prince Joffrey's rightful throne.† â€Å"No,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't!† The queen picked up a letter. The paper was torn and stiff with dried blood, but the broken seal was her father's, the direwolf stamped in pale wax. â€Å"We found this on the captain of your household guard, Sansa. It is a letter to my late husband's brother Stannis, inviting him to take the crown.† â€Å"Please, Your Grace, there's been a mistake.† Sudden panic made her dizzy and faint. â€Å"Please, send for my father, he'll tell you, he would never write such a letter, the king was his friend.† â€Å"Robert thought so,† said the queen. â€Å"This betrayal would have broken his heart. The gods are kind, that he did not live to see it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sansa, sweetling, you must see what a dreadful position this has left us in. You are innocent of any wrong, we all know that, and yet you are the daughter of a traitor. How can I allow you to marry my son?† â€Å"But I love him,† Sansa wailed, confused and frightened. What did they mean to do to her? What had they done to her father? It was not supposed to happen this way. She had to wed Joffrey, they were betrothed, he was promised to her, she had even dreamed about it. It wasn't fair to take him away from her on account of whatever her father might have done. â€Å"How well I know that, child,† Cersei said, her voice so kind and sweet. â€Å"Why else should you have come to me and told me of your father's plan to send you away from us, if not for love?† â€Å"It was for love,† Sansa said in a rush. â€Å"Father wouldn't even give me leave to say farewell.† She was the good girl, the obedient girl, but she had felt as wicked as Arya that morning, sneaking away from Septa Mordane, defying her lord father. She had never done anything so willful before, and she would never have done it then if she hadn't loved Joffrey as much as she did. â€Å"He was going to take me back to Winterfell and marry me to some hedge knight, even though it was Joff I wanted. I told him, but he wouldn't listen.† The king had been her last hope. The king could command Father to let her stay in King's Landing and marry Prince Joffrey, Sansa knew he could, but the king had always frightened her. He was loud and rough-voiced and drunk as often as not, and he would probably have just sent her back to Lord Eddard, if they even let her see him. So she went to the queen instead, and poured out her heart, and Cersei had listened and thanked her sw eetly . . . only then Ser Arys had escorted her to the high room in Maegor's Holdfast and posted guards, and a few hours later, the fighting had begun outside. â€Å"Please,† she finished, â€Å"you have to let me marry Joffrey, I'll be ever so good a wife to him, you'll see. I'll be a queen just like you, I promise.† Queen Cersei looked to the others. â€Å"My lords of the council, what do you say to her plea?† â€Å"The poor child,† murmured Varys. â€Å"A love so true and innocent, Your Grace, it would be cruel to deny it . . . and yet, what can we do? Her father stands condemned.† His soft hands washed each other in a gesture of helpless distress. â€Å"A child born of traitor's seed will find that betrayal comes naturally to her,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"She is a sweet thing now, but in ten years, who can say what treasons she may hatch?† â€Å"No,† Sansa said, horrified. â€Å"I'm not, I'd never . . . I wouldn't betray Joffrey, I love him, I swear it, I do.† â€Å"Oh, so poignant,† said Varys. â€Å"And yet, it is truly said that blood runs truer than oaths.† â€Å"She reminds me of the mother, not the father,† Lord Petyr Baelish said quietly. â€Å"Look at her. The hair, the eyes. She is the very image of Cat at the same age.† The queen looked at her, troubled, and yet Sansa could see kindness in her clear green eyes. â€Å"Child,† she said, â€Å"if I could truly believe that you were not like your father, why nothing should please me more than to see you wed to my Joffrey. I know he loves you with all his heart.† She sighed. â€Å"And yet, I fear that Lord Varys and the Grand Maester have the right of it. The blood will tell. I have only to remember how your sister set her wolf on my son.† â€Å"I'm not like Arya,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"She has the traitor's blood, not me. I'm good, ask Septa Mordane, she'll tell you, I only want to be Joffrey's loyal and loving wife.† She felt the weight of Cersei's eyes as the queen studied her face. â€Å"I believe you mean it, child.† She turned to face the others. â€Å"My lords, it seems to me that if the rest of her kin were to remain loyal in this terrible time, that would go a long way toward laying our fears to rest.† Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his huge soft beard, his wide brow furrowed in thought. â€Å"Lord Eddard has three sons.† â€Å"Mere boys,† Lord Petyr said with a shrug. â€Å"I should be more concerned with Lady Catelyn and the Tullys.† The queen took Sansa's hand in both of hers. â€Å"Child, do you know your letters?† Sansa nodded nervously. She could read and write better than any of her brothers, although she was hopeless at sums. â€Å"I am pleased to hear that. Perhaps there is hope for you and Joffrey still . . . â€Å" â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"You must write your lady mother, and your brother, the eldest . . . what is his name?† â€Å"Robb,† Sansa said. â€Å"The word of your lord father's treason will no doubt reach them soon. Better that it should come from you. You must tell them how Lord Eddard betrayed his king.† Sansa wanted Joffrey desperately, but she did not think she had the courage to do as the queen was asking. â€Å"But he never . . . I don't . . . Your Grace, I wouldn't know what to say . . . â€Å" The queen patted her hand. â€Å"We will tell you what to write, child. The important thing is that you urge Lady Catelyn and your brother to keep the king's peace.† â€Å"It will go hard for them if they don't,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"By the love you bear them, you must urge them to walk the path of wisdom.† â€Å"Your lady mother will no doubt fear for you dreadfully,† the queen said. â€Å"You must tell her that you are well and in our care, that we are treating you gently and seeing to your every want. Bid them to come to King's Landing and pledge their fealty to Joffrey when he takes his throne. If they do that . . . why, then we shall know that there is no taint in your blood, and when you come into the flower of your womanhood, you shall wed the king in the Great Sept of Baelor, before the eyes of gods and men.† . . . wed the king . . . The words made her breath come faster, yet still Sansa hesitated. â€Å"Perhaps . . . if I might see my father, talk to him about . . . â€Å" â€Å"Treason?† Lord Varys hinted. â€Å"You disappoint me, Sansa,† the queen said, with eyes gone hard as stones. â€Å"We've told you of your father's crimes. If you are truly as loyal as you say, why should you want to see him?† â€Å"I . . . I only meant . . . † Sansa felt her eyes grow wet. â€Å"He's not . . . please, he hasn't been . . . hurt, or . . . or . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard has not been harmed,† the queen said. â€Å"But . . . what's to become of him?† â€Å"That is a matter for the king to decide,† Grand Maester Pycelle announced ponderously. The king! Sansa blinked back her tears. Joffrey was the king now, she thought. Her gallant prince would never hurt her father, no matter what he might have done. If she went to him and pleaded for mercy, she was certain he'd listen. He had to listen, he loved her, even the queen said so. Joff would need to punish Father, the lords would expect it, but perhaps he could send him back to Winterfell, or exile him to one of the Free Cities across the narrow sea. It would only have to be for a few years. By then she and Joffrey would be married. Once she was queen, she could persuade Joff to bring Father back and grant him a pardon. Only . . . if Mother or Robb did anything treasonous, called the banners or refused to swear fealty or anything, it would all go wrong. Her Joffrey was good and kind, she knew it in her heart, but a king had to be stern with rebels. She had to make them understand, she had to! â€Å"I'll . . . I'll write the letters,† Sansa told them. With a smile as warm as the sunrise, Cersei Lannister leaned close and kissed her gently on the cheek. â€Å"I knew you would. Joffrey will be so proud when I tell him what courage and good sense you've shown here today.† In the end, she wrote four letters. To her mother, the Lady Catelyn Stark, and to her brothers at Winterfell, and to her aunt and her grandfather as well, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie, and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. By the time she had done, her fingers were cramped and stiff and stained with ink. Varys had her father's seal. She warmed the pale white beeswax over a candle, poured it carefully, and watched as the eunuch stamped each letter with the direwolf of House Stark. Jeyne Poole and all her things were gone when Ser Mandon Moore returned Sansa to the high tower of Maegor's Holdfast. No more weeping, she thought gratefully. Yet somehow it seemed colder with Jeyne gone, even after she'd built a fire. She pulled a chair close to the hearth, took down one of her favorite books, and lost herself in the stories of Florian and Jonquil, of Lady Shella and the Rainbow Knight, of valiant Prince Aemon and his doomed love for his brother's queen. It was not until later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, that Sansa realized she had forgotten to ask about her sister.