Utopia And Prince Essays - Machiavellianism, Niccol Machiavelli

Utopia And Prince The Prince in an effort to discover their views on Human nature---This paper can easily be transformed from this topic. Niccolo Machiavelli vs. Thomas More : Defining Human Nature It is difficult to determine Niccolo Machiavelli's and Thomas More's view on human's nature. Each took a different approach to the topic. Through Utopia, Thomas More attempted to change man's thinking by creating an ideological society. Niccolo Machiavelli, through The Prince, attempted to teach man how to deal with human nature. With this in mind, Machiavelli's concept is much more realistic than More's; therefore Machiavelli better represents human nature. Machiavelli's view of human nature in The Prince, presents, on the surface, a view of governing a state drastically different for his time. Machaivelli believed that the ruling Prince should be the sole authority determining every aspect of the state and put into effect a policy which would serve his best interests. With this, Machiavelli uses the prince as man, and the state as the man's life. These interests were gaining, maintaining, and expanding his political power. Though in some cases Machiavelli may seem harsh and immoral, one must remember that his views were derived from concern of Italy's unstable political condition in the 1500s. Machiavelli seems to be teaching the common man how to live his life so that their life is good and prosperous. Machiavelli generally distrusted citizens, stating that "...since men are a sorry lot and will not keep their promises to you, you likewise need not keep yours to them" (Machiavelli 651). Furthermore, " a prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promises" when, "such an observance of faith would be to his disadvantage; and when the reasons which made him promise are removed" (651). Machiavelli did not feel that a Prince should mistreat the citizens. This suggestion once again to serve the Prince's best interests. If a Prince can not be both feared and loved, Machiavelli suggests, it would be better for him to be feared by the citizens within his own dogma. He makes the generalization that men are, "... ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are yours" (649). He characterizes men as being self-centered and not willing to act in the best interest of the state," and when it (danger) comes nearer to you they turn away" (649). Machiavelli reinforces the Prince's need to be feared by stating: "...men are less hesitant about harming someone who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared..." (649). The bond of love is one which men, the wretched creatures they are, break when it is to their advantage to do so; "... fear is held together by a dread of punishment which will never abandon you"(649). Machiavelli suggests that the key to being a good "prince," is deception. "It is necessary to know how to disguise this nature well and to be a great hypocrite and a liar: and men are so simple-minded and so controlled by their present necessities that one who deceives will always find another who will allow himself to be deceived" (651). Machiavelli states that men judge more, "with their eyes than with their hands." And with this Machiavelli claims that, "everyone sees what you seem to be, few people perceive what you are," (652) and those who do realize what the Prince is, dare not tell, for the Prince has the power of the masses to protect him. Machiavelli, in a sense, describes how to live, successfully and prosperously, by dealing with the human's nature. He details how one is to manipulate another's thought, in order to place oneself in a more respectable position. With this, Machiavelli pronounces human nature to be very cold-blooded, deceiving, self-centered, and most of all temperamental. Thomas More, in Utopia, tried to express that the only way for a better life was through change. More's key complaints of human nature were greed, power, and pride. More, seemingly, imagined a society, in which these three things no longer existed, believing that they were man's downfall. The main thought that he attempted to instill in the minds of the English was this: Take a miserable spell of disastrous harvests, when many of thousand of men have passed on in hunger. If at the end of this famine the barns of the rich were searched, surely enough provisions would be found in them to have saved the lives of those who died from starvation and disease, if it had been rationed equally among them.

Individual Behavior and Processes Essay Example

Individual Behavior and Processes Essay Example Individual Behavior and Processes Essay Individual Behavior and Processes Essay Introduction Mgt provided us with a good basis for understanding organizational behavior by exploring the most essential elements of organizations and how they function. In Week Two our exploration of organizations will become more specific by examining the most basic working elements of the workplace: people. This course will eventually ask us to contemplate the complexities of people working together in groups and teams but, in order to get our studies off to the best start we will begin by considering how individuals function within the workplace. Most students can easily describe themselves however their descriptions are often based upon their internal view of how they see themselves or how they hope others view them. In order for a person to improve their relationships they must gain an accurate understanding of how others see them. Week Two will examine the diversity among individuals and how our differences affect the way we interact with others in the workplace. Most of todays employees want to be involved and expect to have some level of responsibility in helping to meet organizational goals. They want more autonomy to make their own decisions and to accomplish their own goals. Still, employees want to have a personal life and place a very high value on their personal freedoms. More and more employers report that today’s workers often turn down overtime wages in order to spend more time doing what they enjoy! This fact demonstrates how important individual freedoms are. Each worker is different in the way they view the workplace and each has a unique set of expectations for what makes them feel happy and successful in their work. Success in the new workplace requires a set of skills for working successfully with a broad mix of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, different ages and genders, and different domestic and national cultures. When people think of diversity they primarily think of differences in age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, and sexual orientation – but diversity is much broader than that. Diversity also includes things like religious beliefs, education, experience, socio-economic class, family values, and more. Consider your own workplace: think about where people grew up, where they went to school, and how many other ways they are different. How many differences can you count among the five people with whom you work most closely? How well do you know these people and how many unknown differences might there be? These differences make people act and think in very different ways. Diversity is everywhere and organizations have two clear choices: to manage and utilize diversity or to suffer from it. Valuing diversity is extremely important for today’s organizations. Truly valuing diversity is characterized by managing and working with others while fully respecting their individual differences. Many organizations are providing training designed to help people understand and respect differences. Heres the key: instead of fearing or dreading the differences in our workforces, lets try to take advantage of them. A diverse workforce offers a rich pool of talents, ideas, and viewpoints for solving complex problems. Diversity, if managed properly, can provide a competitive advantage for an organization. Good managers understand that diversity, like conflict, can be looked upon as a barrier to success or as an opportunity for success. If an employer lets differences interfere with hiring and developing someones ability, it becomes some other companys gain. Leading employers and managers are aware that this can be used to their gain. They make an effort to understand and tap into those differences and prevent erroneous perceptions or stereotyping. In the end, their ability to understand and motivate a diverse workforce results in increased organization success. Respecting diversity is really quite simple. If an individual feels respected and understood then they are most likely to be happy in their work. Similarly, if they feel that they can effectively communicate with others then they feel important. By respecting the differences among people and enabling a positive environment for communication, effectiveness in the workplace may be significantly increased. Effective communication begins with a willingness to listen and think critically about what another person has said. People often misinterpret the messages sent by others and respond in ways that are inappropriate – we’ve all seen examples of misunderstandings in our lives. Effective communication depends on the ability of two people to send and receive messages in a way that allows their intentions to be accurately interpreted. Communication is a very dynamic process that is continually challenged by factors called â€Å"noise. † Noise is defined as anything that can interfere with effective communication (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2005, p. 295). Communicative noise is not necessarily audible; for example, noise can include a person’s mood or attitude. A lack of contextual basis can also act as a barrier to effective communication. This type of noise commonly occurs in the workplace when workers communicate via email. The mode we choose to send a message is called a channel. Email is a relatively new channel to people, so miscommunication frequently occurs because the people receiving our messages are not able to judge our intended meaning as clearly as they can in person. Practical Application and Questions for Thought How many times have you hit the â€Å"send† button on your email only to have someone call you to ask why your response was so negative? Consider what your boss would think if you sent the following email message on a payday: â€Å"Gee boss, I’m so happy with my paycheck that I feel like I’m cheating the company! † If you gave me a raise, I don’t know what I would do! † Would the response from your boss be positive or negative? What future implications might this message have for you? The answers to those questions depend on several factors like how well the boss knows you, what type of mood the boss is in, and how much money you earn compared to others in the company. That is exactly the point – you cannot know how the message will be perceived because you are not able to convey it in a way that lets the boss know you are joking. If you were to see your boss in the hallway and if you knew that he/she was in a good mood, you might smile and whisper the statement. Under those conditions, the boss is much more likely to understand that you are kidding. Youll recall that in Week One we discussed a workplace scenario in which a new director was faced with the task of fixing a supply department that was riddled with problems. Of course the director’s tasks include researching, identifying, and planning solutions for a number of procedural problems. Because the central problem was defined as a cultural deficiency, it is certain that one of the director’s first actions was to gather the middle managers and institute a culture change. This has a profound effect on the workplace, beginning with the way the employees viewed their place in the organization. Instead of being afraid of taking action for fear of making things worse or being reprimanded, they will soon take an active part in process improvement. They will also realize that they are the keys to success and that they are expected to be proactive in all areas of their jobs. Because management is openly communicating with them they understand what the standards are and how departmental success will be defined. The employees are active participants in discussions about where we need to go and how were going to get there. Most importantly they are told that above all else they are all in this situation together and that they will all succeed or fail together. The increase in motivation caused by this new culture will be instantly noticeable. When dramatic cultural change like this occurs you see the positive changes in the employees’ expressions and you can actually feel it as you walk through the department.

Ancient Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

Ancient Homosexuality Essay The modern self is primarily built up of one’s history, body, religion, politics and entertainment – a Freudian composition of what identity is. And all of these things, the very factors that make the modern self the way it is, roots from the ancients. Cicero once thought that without the knowledge of the past, once shall remain a child, hence, Simon Goldhill’s Love, Sex and Tragedy: How the Ancient World Shapes Our Lives. With Cicero’s principle in mind, Goldhill wishes his readers to have a full understanding of who they are and how they came to be the way they are. Among the very controversial societal issues that Goldhill discussed pertained to homosexuality. Sexuality, in the time of the Greco-Romans, meant a love-affair with the phallus. They paraded it in the theatres, processions, public road, and even public memorials. The phallus was part of the classical man’s body, sexuality and sensuality – which, by the way, not only applies to men, but for females as well. The Greco-Romans had a profound relationship with sexual organs and acts, which, the modern man – apparently influenced by the rules of Christianity, might find obscene. A part of Simon Goldhill’s discussions on sexuality is the root of homosexuality. The Greeks had a particular fondness over a scenario where a bearded male desires a beardless lad. In today’s terms, this is the so-called pedophilia, as practiced through the inter-crural activity. This involves the placing of one’s penis between the partner’s thighs, may it be front or rear, followed by thrusting to attain sexual pleasure. Greeks from the seventh century, reinforced pederasty among men from the upper-class society, especially in their twenties, to acquire a young boy approximately aged 12 to love and nurture until he grows to marry at age 30, and later take a boy of his own. Practicing pederasty reinforced late marriage for these males, in the hopes of reducing the possibility of overpopulation, as well as to improve the education – initiation and instruction, of the ancient Greek youth. On Greek vases, one can find a picture of the bearded man – erastes, and the beardless youth – eromenos, as the erastes touches the eromenos’s genitals. The erastes takes the intiative as the eromenos remains passive. But, the ancient Greeks prohibited the relationship between a bearded man with yet another bearded man, and it was shameful that a bearded man becomes the passive one – or pathikos. The pedagogical pederasty is an illustration of a father-son relationship, where the erastes acts as a substitute father to help the young lad on his way to manhood, maturity, and to orient him to become a productive part of the society. The erastes demonstrates this affection by little presents ranging from a bottle of oil to money. The relationship was beneficial in both parties – the erastes provides education, protection, love and a role model for the eromenos – who offers beauty and admiration in turn. In modern theory, this is called sexual reciprocity. Gay does not necessarily mean one is less man or woman than a heterosexual. The ancient Greeks have never defined it in that way. Pedagogical pederasty and the sexual reciprocity that follows it are acts that only show the so-called love – in whichever form you wish to see it, may it be erotic or platonic. However, if we do know the origins of homosexuality, how does it actually affect us as individuals? We do obtain the full understanding of our identities in terms of our sexuality, and the understanding of others’ sexuality. This book simply implies the basic lesson of respect. Ancient Homosexuality. (2017, Mar 09).

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 5

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example Auditing had never been influential and applicable as it is today. Each corporation feels the need to examine its accounts from time to time, and especially when change is about to occur, so that it can determine their correctness and fairness, as well as detect of any irregularity. Auditing is broad and can be conducted for systems, data, and finances which are of great concern in this context. Auditing can be described as an examination and verification of accounting data with an aim of establish the correctness and reliability of the accounting reports and statements (Shirin, 2009). However, numerous controversies exist over establishing a standard against which actual audit performances can be measured. Therefore, organizations may have difficulties in assessing the effectiveness and quality of their audit, even if it serves the purpose. Audit quality has been described by Fearnley et al as the â€Å"market assessed joint probability that a given auditor will both discover a bre ach in the client’s accounting system and report the breach† (2011, p. 2007). Organization’s committees and shareholders need enhanced audit quality for the sake of delivering appropriate organization audit results and opinions. Firm rotation of auditors has been campaigned for and applied in some countries as a way of improving audit quality. The issue of audit quality that auditors’ rotation attempts to address There are several factors that affect the quality of audit. Nowadays, clients want to be confident of the financial reports they get, to make future projections of the business. Internationally, various initiatives have been proposed to establish a standard or enforce some consistencies across borders, in how the auditors ought to accomplish the audit objective, and what financial statements clients should expect (ICAEW, 2010). The number of recently reported financial failures in organizations call for more accountability and undertaking of effec tive measures for countries, firms, and audit practitioners, whom are all affected in case of any unexpected undesirable effect after auditing. There have been cases of firms experiencing frauds and even bankruptcy after a repetitive auditing by specific auditors, while auditors are sometimes prevented from delivering certain quality audit results due to differences in countries’ regulations, economic incentives, their ability, and expertise. Considering the perceived audit failures, there is an urge for audit effectiveness and efficiency to enhance clients’ confidence in the quality of audit reports. This remains the greatest problem in quality control. Rotation of auditors is one of the strategies recommended, but still debatable over its success in promoting audit quality. Rotation of auditors The concept of auditors’ rotation is related to job rotation of employees, but unlike the later, which is intended to enhance motivation, the former has clear based obj ectives to impact on the quality of audits. Due to the established failure and fraud cases when a former auditor has been reemployed for a longer term by a specific client, companies avoid hiring similar auditing firms for a subsequent number of years to conduct their audits. The issue surfaced since the 90s and proposes that audit firms serve as client auditors for a certain period, then replaced by others. AICPA requirement proposes seven years of an auditor firm or auditor service, after which rotation occurs

Communicating With Confidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Communicating With Confidence - Essay Example A writer’s ability to quickly attract attention and create interest in the target audience gives them an edge towards communicating confidently. Generation of new ideas through creative and critical thinking leads to a better understanding of the topic and makes the writer to clearly understand the research problem. Communicating credible information obtained by the use of the proper research methodology creates confidence. Multiple measuring instruments such as interviews and questionnaires can be used to avoid biasness in the information. Writers should also be able to use relevant and intellectually stimulating examples with other supporting details to give evidence of deep thinking. In today’s world where there is an overload of information due to high technology, effective and clear communication is essential in order to create a good impression. For a person to communicate confidently, a combination of technical knowhow and appropriate formatting of information to fit the target audience is necessary. Effective communication skills are beneficial because they foster healthy relationships between individuals and organizations and enhance the chances of people building on a successful career. Therefore, a person with the ability to communicate confidently in a world where information is constantly changing and a great deal of time is spent on writing stands a better chance of being successful. According to Mati (2009), many business people lack the ability to communicate effectively in writing therefore businesses must be committed to rewarding the best writing practices. A number of factors have to be considered for a person to improve writing skills and communicate concisely. The initial step involves deciding on the audience or readers that the message is being conveyed to and the format of communication which defines whether the tone will be formal or otherwise. For example, a written letter

Precision System Inc Essay Example for Free

Precision System Inc Essay The decision that the group would take is to implement a web-based ordering system that would allow customers to configure their orders in accordance with the specification that they want. Through this the data entry error will decrease. The necessary steps for planning the implementation of a web-based ordering system are stated bellow. The first step in implementing this course of action is to determine the objectives of the company. As for our PSI it aims to reduce its error in order entry stage of the business process. The company should also take into account the customers that will be using the website so that we can better design it in accordance with their characteristics and the data information that they would provide as deemed necessary to process an order. We should also take into account the constraints of creating a website such as bandwidth so that we can properly take this into account in the design phase of the website construction. The second step is to construct metrics that will help in determining the success or the failure of the selected course of action. Such metrics for PSI includes that the incremental cost for the web-based ordering system should not be more than 15.72% of the estimated annual failure cost. This will help the company evaluate whether the investment is fulfilling its intended purpose or not. The third step is to define system specifications. PSI should identify the features that can be done through the website which comprises of the ordering features for the goods sold by the company. PSI should also specify business requirements which are as follows: customer may change or cancel their order one week from the required delivery date of the equipment after which the order is said to be final, the allowed mode of payments will also be identified, the maximum and minimum orders needed for a certain transaction, and all other policies that the company wants to implement. PSI should not forget to identify the role of the customers in this web-base ordering system which is imputing their order specifications and sending the request for the order through the said website. We can use site map or written system requirements depending on the complexity of the specifications the company aims to make. Lastly, we need to identify the infrastructure needed for the system if there is any. The forth step is building a content map. It is where we actually identify the text, pictures, sounds, database, and any data form that will be contained in the website that PSI aims to create. The data should be match with the firms’ specifications so that the content will be appropriate for its intended purpose. It is but necessary in this stage to identify the person who will be responsible for the implementation of this website. PSI should also identify the persons who has the authority to alter the data in the website. To ensure everything is in its proper place, a content plan should be develop. The fifth and final step is the identification of management and maintenance personnel. PSI should identify the person who will be responsible for the overall system so that the website operations can properly be monitored. The maintenance personnel should also be identified due to the fact that we would rather not let the website stale and lose the return on investment that we might have generated if resources were properly use. After the stated steps above, we can now operationalize the plan we have formulated above so that we can actually have a website that will be able to take the orders of our customers. The steps to be followed under the implementation phase would be stated bellow. The first thing to do is to find a vendor who will create the website for the company at the least amount of economic outflow without sacrificing its quality. In here, PSI and the vendor company should list the tasks assigned to each party so that there is no redundancy of work. The list of tasks should include the date and time of implementation so that we can ensure that the necessary task to be performed is being accomplished. The second step is preparing the company for change which is not an easy thing to do. People in the organization especially those who might lose their job or have a hard time coping with new systems being installed would naturally oppose such a change. That is why a considerable time should be spent to ensure that the people of the organization is ready for any alteration in their normal work environment. The employees of PSI which are currently in the order entry department won’t be fired but their responsibility will no longer include that of encoding the orders of the company. The third step is to inform the customers with the web-based ordering system because they are also one of the stakeholders for the change that we are going to implement. Informing them of the modifications will hopefully get them on-board with our decision which will make the implementation of the change easier on the companies part. Lastly, we should track our results and modify operations for necessary improvement. We will track the results of the project by comparing the actual from the metrics develop in the planning phase of the study. Through this, we will know where we are and where we are suppose to be. If we are far from our goals we need to check what we are doing wrong and fine-tune the operations. This cycle of improvements never ends as business of today always seeks for improvement.

The Power of Peer Pressure Essay -- Peer Pressure Essays

Today, children can kiss their youth goodbye. Starting as young as 12 years old, tweens, the term coined for kids in between child and teen, begin to face the cruel world of reality: drugs, sex, alcohol and violence. At 12 years old, the world should be perfect. Instead, the world is far from it. Kids have too much exposure to the dangers the world has to offer at an early age because of what surrounds them. Because of the influences of peer pressure, parenting and, of course, the relentless media, today's children face problems at a young age that can potentially lead to serious complications in the long term. Everyone's doing it, right? Wrong. Peer pressure is when a child does something he or she does not want to do as a result of being pressured by friends. All children experience peer pressure and give into it at one time or another. Fortunately, most children are not "experimenting" with drugs, sex, alcohol and violence. Even though most kids are not indulging in these activities, there still are a handful who are and they attempt to pressure other kids to do what they a...

A Game of Thrones Chapter Seven

Arya Arya's stitches were crooked again. She frowned down at them with dismay and glanced over to where her sister Sansa sat among the other girls. Sansa's needlework was exquisite. Everyone said so. â€Å"Sansa's work is as pretty as she is,† Septa Mordane told their lady mother once. â€Å"She has such fine, delicate hands.† When Lady Catelyn had asked about Arya, the septa had sniffed. â€Å"Arya has the hands of a blacksmith.† Arya glanced furtively across the room, worried that Septa Mordane might have read her thoughts, but the septa was paying her no attention today. She was sitting with the Princess Myrcella, all smiles and admiration. It was not often that the septa was privileged to instruct a royal princess in the womanly arts, as she had said when the queen brought Myrcella to join them. Arya thought that Myrcella's stitches looked a little crooked too, but you would never know it from the way Septa Mordane was cooing. She studied her own work again, looking for some way to salvage it, then sighed and put down the needle. She looked glumly at her sister. Sansa was chatting away happily as she worked. Beth Cassel, Ser Rodrik's little girl, was sitting by her feet, listening to every word she said, and Jeyne Poole was leaning over to whisper something in her ear. â€Å"What are you talking about?† Arya asked suddenly. Jeyne gave her a startled look, then giggled. Sansa looked abashed. Beth blushed. No one answered. â€Å"Tell me,† Arya said. Jeyne glanced over to make certain that Septa Mordane was not listening. Myrcella said something then, and the septa laughed along with the rest of the ladies. â€Å"We were talking about the prince,† Sansa said, her voice soft as a kiss. Arya knew which prince she meant: Jofftey, of course. The tall, handsome one. Sansa got to sit with him at the feast. Arya had to sit with the little fat one. Naturally. â€Å"Joffrey likes your sister,† Jeyne whispered, proud as if she had something to do with it. She was the daughter of Winterfell's steward and Sansa's dearest friend. â€Å"He told her she was very beautiful.† â€Å"He's going to marry her,† little Beth said dreamily, hugging herself. â€Å"Then Sansa will be queen of all the realm.† Sansa had the grace to blush. She blushed prettily. She did everything prettily, Arya thought with dull resentment. â€Å"Beth, you shouldn't make up stories,† Sansa corrected the younger girl, gently stroking her hair to take the harshness out of her words. She looked at Arya. â€Å"What did you think of Prince Joff, sister? He's very gallant, don't you think?† â€Å"Jon says he looks like a girl,† Arya said. Sansa sighed as she stitched. â€Å"Poor Jon,† she said. â€Å"He gets jealous because he's a bastard.† â€Å"He's our brother,† Arya said, much too loudly. Her voice cut through the afternoon quiet of the tower room. Septa Mordane raised her eyes. She had a bony face, sharp eyes, and a thin lipless mouth made for frowning. It was frowning now. â€Å"What are you talking about, children?† â€Å"Our half brother,† Sansa corrected, soft and precise. She smiled for the septa. â€Å"Arya and I were remarking on how pleased we were to have the princess with us today,† she said. Septa Mordane nodded. â€Å"Indeed. A great honor for us all.† Princess Myrcella smiled uncertainly at the compliment. â€Å"Arya, why aren't you at work?† the septa asked. She rose to her feet, starched skirts rustling as she started across the room. â€Å"Let me see your stitches.† Arya wanted to scream. It was just like Sansa to go and attract the septa's attention. â€Å"Here,† she said, surrendering up her work. The septa examined the fabric. â€Å"Arya, Arya, Arya,† she said. â€Å"This will not do. This will not do at all.† Everyone was looking at her. It was too much. Sansa was too well bred to smile at her sister's disgrace, but Jeyne was smirking on her behalf. Even Princess Myrcella looked sorry for her. Arya felt tears filling her eyes. She pushed herself out of her chair and bolted for the door. Septa Mordane called after her. â€Å"Arya, come back here! Don't you take another step! Your lady mother will hear of this. In front of our royal princess too! You'll shame us all!† Arya stopped at the door and turned back, biting her lip. The tears were running down her cheeks now. She managed a stiff little bow to Myrcella. â€Å"By your leave, my lady.† Myrcella blinked at her and looked to her ladies for guidance. But if she was uncertain, Septa Mordane was not. â€Å"Just where do you think you are going, Arya?† the septa demanded. Arya glared at her. â€Å"I have to go shoe a horse,† she said sweetly, taking a brief satisfaction in the shock on the septa's face. Then she whirled and made her exit, running down the steps as fast as her feet would take her. It wasn't fair. Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older; maybe by the time Arya had been born, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way. Sansa could sew and dance and sing. She wrote poetry. She knew how to dress. She played the high harp and the bells. Worse, she was beautiful. Sansa had gotten their mother's fine high cheekbones and the thick auburn hair of the Tullys. Arya took after their lord father. Her hair was a lusterless brown, and her face was long and solemn. Jeyne used to call her Arya Horseface, and neigh whenever she came near. It hurt that the one thing Arya could do better than her sister was ride a horse. Well, that and manage a household. Sansa had never had much of a head for figures. If she did marry Prince Joff, Arya hoped for his sake that he had a good steward. Nymeria was waiting for her in the guardroom at the base of the stairs. She bounded to her feet as soon as she caught sight of Arya. Arya grinned. The wolf pup loved her, even if no one else did. They went everywhere together, and Nymeria slept in her room, at the foot of her bed. If Mother had not forbidden it, Arya would gladly have taken the wolf with her to needlework. Let Septa Mordane complain about her stitches then. Nymeria nipped eagerly at her hand as Arya untied her. She had yellow eyes. When they caught the sunlight, they gleamed like two golden coins. Arya had named her after the warrior queen of the Rhoyne, who had led her people across the narrow sea. That had been a great scandal too. Sansa, of course, had named her pup â€Å"Lady.† Arya made a face and hugged the wolfling tight. Nymeria licked her ear, and she giggled. By now Septa Mordane would certainly have sent word to her lady mother. If she went to her room, they would find her. Arya did not care to be found. She had a better notion. The boys were at practice in the yard. She wanted to see Robb put gallant Prince Joffrey flat on his back. â€Å"Come,† she whispered to Nymeria. She got up and ran, the wolf coming hard at her heels. There was a window in the covered bridge between the armory and the Great Keep where you had a view of the whole yard. That was where they headed. They arrived, flushed and breathless, to find Jon seated on the sill, one leg drawn up languidly to his chin. He was watching the action, so absorbed that he seemed unaware of her approach until his white wolf moved to meet them. Nymeria stalked closer on wary feet. Ghost, already larger than his litter mates, smelled her, gave her ear a careful nip, and settled back down. Jon gave her a curious look. â€Å"Shouldn't you be working on your stitches, little sister?† Arya made a face at him. â€Å"I wanted to see them fight.† He smiled. â€Å"Come here, then.† Arya climbed up on the window and sat beside him, to a chorus of thuds and grunts from the yard below. To her disappointment, it was the younger boys drilling. Bran was so heavily padded he looked as though he had belted on a featherbed, and Prince Tommen, who was plump to begin with, seemed positively round. They were huffing and puffing and hitting at each other with padded wooden swords under the watchful eye of old Ser Rodrik Cassel, the master-at-arms, a great stout keg of a man with magnificent white cheek whiskers. A dozen spectators, man and boy, were calling out encouragement, Robb's voice the loudest among them. She spotted Theon Greyjoy beside him, his black doublet emblazoned with the golden kraken of his House, a look of wry contempt on his face. Both of the combatants were staggering. Arya judged that they had been at it awhile. â€Å"A shade more exhausting than needlework,† Jon observed. â€Å"A shade more fun than needlework,† Arya gave back at him. Jon grinned, reached over, and messed up her hair. Arya flushed. They had always been close. Jon had their father's face, as she did. They were the only ones. Robb and Sansa and Bran and even little Rickon all took after the Tullys, with easy smiles and fire in their hair. When Arya had been little, she had been afraid that meant that she was a bastard too. It been Jon she had gone to in her fear, and Jon who had reassured her. â€Å"Why aren't you down in the yard?† Arya asked him. He gave her a half smile. â€Å"Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,† he said. â€Å"Any bruises they take in the practice yard must come from trueborn swords.† â€Å"Oh.† Arya felt abashed. She should have realized. For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair. She watched her little brother whack at Tommen. â€Å"I could do just as good as Bran,† she said. â€Å"He's only seven. I'm nine.† Jon looked her over with all his fourteen-year-old wisdom. â€Å"You're too skinny,† he said. He took her arm to feel her muscle. Then he sighed and shook his head. â€Å"I doubt you could even lift a longsword, little sister, never mind swing one.† Arya snatched back her arm and glared at him. Jon messed up her hair again. They watched Bran and Tommen circle each other. â€Å"You see Prince Joffrey?† Jon asked. She hadn't, not at first glance, but when she looked again she found him to the back, under the shade of the high stone wall. He was surrounded by men she did not recognize, young squires in the livery of Lannister and Baratheon, strangers all. There were a few older men among them; knights, she surmised. â€Å"Look at the arms on his surcoat,† Jon suggested. Arya looked. An ornate shield had been embroidered on the prince's padded surcoat. No doubt the needlework was exquisite. The arms were pided down the middle; on one side was the crowned stag of the royal House, on the other the lion of Lannister. â€Å"The Lannisters are proud,† Jon observed. â€Å"You'd think the royal sigil would be sufficient, but no. He makes his mother's House equal in honor to the king's.† â€Å"The woman is important too!† Arya protested. Jon chuckled. â€Å"Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms.† â€Å"A wolf with a fish in its mouth?† It made her laugh. â€Å"That would look silly. Besides, if a girl can't fight, why should she have a coat of arms?† Jon shrugged. â€Å"Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister.† There was a shout from the courtyard below. Prince Tommen was rolling in the dust, trying to get up and failing. All the padding made him look like a turtle on its back. Bran was standing over him with upraised wooden sword, ready to whack him again once he regained his feet. The men began to laugh. â€Å"Enough!† Ser Rodrik called out. He gave the prince a hand and yanked him back to his feet. â€Å"Well fought. Lew, Donnis, help them out of their armor.† He looked around. â€Å"Prince Joffrey, Robb, will you go another round?† Robb, already sweaty from a previous bout, moved forward eagerly. â€Å"Gladly.† Joffrey moved into the sunlight in response to Rodrik's summons. His hair shone like spun gold. He looked bored. â€Å"This is a game for children, Ser Rodrik.† Theon Greyjoy gave a sudden bark of laughter. â€Å"You are children,† he said derisively. â€Å"Robb may be a child,† Joffrey said. â€Å"I am a prince. And I grow tired of swatting at Starks with a play sword.† â€Å"You got more swats than you gave, Joff,† Robb said. â€Å"Are you afraid?† Prince Joffrey looked at him. â€Å"Oh, terrified,† he said. â€Å"You're so much older.† Some of the Lannister men laughed. Jon looked down on the scene with a frown. â€Å"Joffrey is truly a little shit,† he told Arya. Ser Rodrik tugged thoughtfully at his white whiskers. â€Å"What are you suggesting?† he asked the prince. â€Å"Live steel.† â€Å"Done,† Robb shot back. â€Å"You'll be sorry!† The master-at-arms put a hand on Robb's shoulder to quiet him. â€Å"Live steel is too dangerous. I will permit you tourney swords, with blunted edges.† Joffrey said nothing, but a man strange to Arya, a tall knight with black hair and burn scars on his face, pushed forward in front of the prince. â€Å"This is your prince. Who are you to tell him he may not have an edge on his sword, ser?† â€Å"Master-at-arms of Winterfell, Clegane, and you would do well not to forget it.† â€Å"Are you training women here?† the burned man wanted to know. He was muscled like a bull. â€Å"I am training knights,† Ser Rodrik said pointedly. â€Å"They will have steel when they are ready. When they are of an age.† The burned man looked at Robb. â€Å"How old are you, boy?† â€Å"Fourteen,† Robb said. â€Å"I killed a man at twelve. You can be sure it was not with a blunt sword.† Arya could see Robb bristle. His pride was wounded. He turned on Ser Rodrik. â€Å"Let me do it. I can beat him.† â€Å"Beat him with a tourney blade, then,† Ser Rodrik said. Joffrey shrugged. â€Å"Come and see me when you're older, Stark. If you're not too old.† There was laughter from the Lannister men. Robb's curses rang through the yard. Arya covered her mouth in shock. Theon Greyjoy seized Robb's arm to keep him away from the prince. Ser Rodrik tugged at his whiskers in dismay. Joffrey feigned a yawn and turned to his younger brother. â€Å"Come, Tommen,† he said. â€Å"The hour of play is done. Leave the children to their frolics.† That brought more laughter from the Lannisters, more curses from Robb. Ser Rodrik's face was beet-red with fury under the white of his whiskers. Theon kept Robb locked in an iron grip until the princes and their party were safely away. Jon watched them leave, and Arya watched Jon. His face had grown as still as the pool at the heart of the godswood. Finally he climbed down off the window. â€Å"The show is done,† he said. He bent to scratch Ghost behind the ears. The white wolf rose and rubbed against him. â€Å"You had best run back to your room, little sister. Septa Mordane will surely be lurking. The longer you hide, the sterner the penance. You'll be sewing all through winter. When the spring thaw comes, they will find your body with a needle still locked tight between your frozen fingers.† Arya didn't think it was funny. â€Å"I hate needlework!† she said with passion. â€Å"It's not fair!† â€Å"Nothing is fair,† Jon said. He messed up her hair again and walked away from her, Ghost moving silently beside him. Nymeria started to follow too, then stopped and came back when she saw that Arya was not coming. Reluctantly she turned in the other direction. It was worse than Jon had thought. It wasn't Septa Mordane waiting in her room. It was Septa Mordane and her mother.

Inventions Are Not Just Scientific Advancement but Also Cultural Practices

Technological inventions are not just scientific advancement but also cultural practices The paper is to explain Hugh Mackay’s arguments regarding how technology is always â€Å"cultural through and through†. In relation to his conceptions, cassette-based Walkman, Discman and iPod are used as examples to illustrate how technological inventions are not just scientific advancement but also cultural practices. In the book Consumption and Everyday Life published in 1997, Hugh Mackay argued that â€Å"technology is cultural through and through†, stating that every technological artifacts is totally related with and influenced by culture.The argument can be analyzed in more details by applying the case of portable music players (PMPs) to the Circuit of Culture. The Circuit consists of five major cultural processes, which are production, regulation, representation and consumption and identity of certain artifacts. The Circuit can start at any point, and one must go thro ugh every process when studying each case completely. As all parts are connected with each other, it may appear again in other parts (Martin, 2003). To begin with, the process of production is organized culturally. In the past, Sony did not intend to do market research until the Walkman is introduced.Now every companies recognize the importance of market research (will be discussed later). Besides, Sony designers enjoy great functional and occupational status that motivate their work (du Gay, P. , 1997, p. 58-59, 62-63). As the Walkman and hence Sony becomes so successful, designers and programmers in technological artifacts producers like Microsoft and Apple are highly valued. Similarly, one of the reasons that why iPod becomes popular is that Apple performs excellent market researches and provides a comfortable working environment for its designers.Representation of PMPs refers to how they are imaged and defined. Since the Walkman was initially designed for young music-listeners, its advertisements often focus on the technical qualities of the Walkman: small but with high sound quality, which is unbelievable at that time (du Gay, P. , 1997, p. 26). But then the market research shows that not only youngsters but also those who participate in outdoor activities consume the Walkman. Therefore Sony started to customize the Walkman to satisfy different markets in Japan and all over the world.For example, solar-powered, water proof and other special designs for outdoor activities are then developed for hikers and divers (du Gay, P. , 1997, p. 65-68). This not only shows that how advertising can shape a product and open new market, but also how important market research is: knowing what consumers want is the key to produce a popular product. Furthermore, although the Walkman was originally decided for portable music, but as times goes and technology advances, different consumers now use PMPs for different purposes.For example, most teenagers may use it to listen to their own music. For clergies and pious believers, they may be used to listen to the scripture or sermon. For hardworking learners, they may keep learning when they are travelling by listening to â€Å"talking-books†. Sometimes even museum or gallery visitors help themselves to focus on their trip or enhance their imagination by listening to some â€Å"scenery music†. In fact, how PMPs were consumed can show its identity. PMPs associate different people and groups with the environment differently.According to Sony’s own market research into the Walkman usage, it can be divided to two parts, namely â€Å"escape† and â€Å"enhancement†. The former one refers to the most common usage: listening to music or talking-books by PMPs while travelling, which usually provide an opportunity for one to enjoy his or her â€Å"small world†, but disconnect one from the surrounding â€Å"background music† and hence the society temporarily. The latter one refers to using PMPs to focus on one’s work or just relax, which actually help one to strengthen one’s connection to the environment or the productivity in workplace (du Gay, P. 1997, p. 92-94). While radio and television encouraging home-based consumption, PMPs has introduced a new culture of consumption and the way of listening to music: â€Å"private listening at public place†, which has blurred the difference of public and private place. In the past, it was widely accepted that â€Å"public place† refer to space shared by everyone in the community, while â€Å"private place† refer to space owned by particular person or group, say, one’s home (du Gay, P. , 1997, p. 113-114). But now, everyone with a PMP can enjoy his or her own music or channels in public place.If one plays his or her PMSs too loudly, it may disturb the one around him or her. Therefore, in some place, for example the London Underground, there exist regulations limiti ng the maximum volume of PMPs (du Gay, P. , 1997, p. 117). And in Hong Kong, there are several â€Å"quite carriages† in former KCR discouraging people from making noise in the carriages. Apart from the Circuit of Culture, the transformation from cassette-based Walkman and the Discman to iPod (and smart phone) is cultural, too.Firstly, the size of PMPs is getting smaller so that it is easier to carry in today’s busy and crowded cities. Secondly, the mode of playing and selecting music has changed, too. Using the Walkman and the Discman, one could only forward or backward the content linearly, or else one may need to make his or her own cassette or CD. But nowadays one may set up his or her own playlist by using iTunes to combine one’s favourite songs from different albums easily instead of bringing portable hardware like cassettes and CDs out.Last but not least, iPod has much more functions than the Walkman and the Discman, such as photo viewer, calendar, stopwa tch and many games. All these changes are responding the modern culture: advocating for convenience, freedom and individualism. To conclude, the production of a product is closely related with its consumption, and market research is the bridge between the two that helps customize the identity of the product and hence helps the company to represent it by advertisement.The invention of PMPs has developed a new culture of listening to music, which is a reflection of our modern culture but for the good of the community, its usage needs to be regulated so as to protect the right of every users and non-users nearby. Finally, it shows us that these technological inventions are not just scientific advancement but also about cultural practices all the time. Reference: du Gay, P. , Hall, S. , James, N. , Mackay, H. and Negus, K. 1997: Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman, London: Sage Martin, F. (ed. ) 2003: Interpreting Everyday Culture, London: Arnold. 176-178

5 Splendid Essay Writing Guides to Upgrade Academic Skills

5 Splendid Essay Writing Guides to Upgrade Academic Skills 5 Splendid Essay Writing Guides to Upgrade Academic Skills When you set out to write an essay, it is important to try and expound upon your skill-set whenever possible. This is best done by using essay writing books for college students. These books are all designed to help students improve their current level of mastery over literary writing and analyses. They each bring different qualities and benefits as well. Below are 5 splendid guides you can use to upgrade your academic skills: Essay Writing for High School Students: A Step-by-Step Guide by Newsweek Education This guide is really designed to help high school students prepare for the writing they will need to complete in school, and in college. It is perfect for students who want step-by-step instructions on the different writing styles, various types of essays and papers, and what they need to do in order to complete them well. Writing Clear Essays (3rd Edition) by R.B. Donald, Betty Richmond Morrow, Lillian Griffith Wargetz, and Kathleen Werner This book is designed to offer clearer guidance for students who want to get to the point with their writing. Students might understand the nuts and bolts of writing but not necessarily how to make a clear argument or write with purpose. That is where this guide comes into play. The College Guide to Essay Writing by Jill Rossiter For students who are heading to college, this particular guide is a great thing to have because it offers information and tips on writing at a college level, something that might be vastly different compared to the requirements faced in school right now. It is something that students can keep by their side while they work, as a reference, to which they can turn when new tasks are assigned. Schaum’s Quick Guide to Writing Great Essays by Molly McClain, Jacqueline Roth, and Molly McClain This great guide is written by some experts in the field of writing and helps students to understand the mechanics of essay writing, and specifically how they can write better. This is a guide full of tips on writing clearly, effectively, and covering any form of an academic essay you might face while in school. The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing by Michael Harvey This particular guide is one which really breaks down each component and layer of college level writing which students might face once they reach their college classes. Such a guide is designed to give students a comprehensive breakdown not only of what components there are to each type of college level paper, but what background work is required or how to craft a great thesis for a paper. In order to improve with regard to your college level essay writing, it is best to use essay writing guides which can help you to learn new styles, new ways to evaluate yourself, and new creative writing tasks. With guides like those listed above, you can learn invaluable skills and apply them to your classes with great results.

The Early Industrial Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Early Industrial Revolution - Essay Example These colonies in the East and West Indies, and North America, served as an overseas market for England’s domestic goods, and also provided raw material and manufactured goods. The powerful British naval fleet guarded mercantile access to these markets. At the same time, England’s Scientific Revolution resulted in several inventions, such as the spinning jenny and the steam engine, which lowered production costs and market prices, and increased speed. A rapid growth in population and rising standards of living increased mass consumption and stimulated demand. This population growth also provided England with a large labor force. While the economic and political structure of Europe continued to stagnate under the feudal ancien regime, England’s fledgling democracy witnessed the curtailment of the power of the monarchy and the aristocracy, and the emergence of the influential new middle class, for whom the pursuit of money was socially acceptable. Property and contract rights were guaranteed, giving â€Å"England an important "edge" over its more backward European continental rivals† (Roger, webpage). The English Government’s commercial regulations emphasized the domestic economic interest, and supported entrepreneurs. England boasted a higher level of elementary education than Europe, which contributed towards innovation. England’s Transport Revolution, facilitated by improved road, water and rail infrastructure, and heightened by the inherent advantages of a long, indented coastline, numerous rivers and natural harbors, enabled the speedy movement of raw goods to the factories, a nd manufactured goods to the market. The Agricultural Revolution saw the transition from small land holdings into large farms, the introduction of new crop varieties and farm implements, increasing the yield of industrial raw material, such as cotton and grain. This was in contrast to Europe, where subsistence farming

Summary the content into bullet point Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary the content into bullet point - Essay Example During the second quarter, Amazon recorded a loss of 27 cents per share that is equivalent to $126 million in net loss. The loss of higher than that recorded during the first quarter, $7 million that is equivalent to 2 cents per share loss. Although Tom Szkutak, Amazon’s Chief Financial Officer, maintains that the company will continue to invest, it is recording losses in shares and drop in its stock price. Amazon is currently investing in innovative products including digital content and trading in consumer electronics. Its current investments are intended to compete other companies such as Apple Inc and Google Inc. On Thursday, 24 July 201, Amazon also experienced a fall in shares by 10 percent in late trade and a 27 cents loss per share. Seetharaman, Deepa and Orr, Bernard. Amazons heavy investing eats into bottom line, shares drop. Reuters. Web. Thu, Jul 24, 2014. Accessed Thu, Jul 24, 2014.