Square Root Using Sequential Cordic

Square root using Sequential Cordic Assignment-2 Submitted to: Dr. Sumam David Dept. of Electronics & Communication Engineering NITK Surathkal Submitted by: Rakshith Sharma 10EC87 Vikas Majjagi 10EC107 Mullapudi Srinivas 10EC99 Algorithm: This is implemented for a range of input values < 0. 75 since Xin should be less than 1 for the bit notation we used. Here we use the vectoring Mode of CORIC and its Hyperbolic subcase to calculate Xout=sqrt(xin2 -yin2 ) And yout= 0 Bit notation: [MSB(sign bit)] . (bit 1 to 15 for +ve fraction)] If we use xin=M+ ? and yin=M -1/4 we can compute xout=sqrt(M). The other equations of the cordic remain the same ie, X(i+1)=x(i)+d(i)*y(i)*2-i Y(i+1)=y(i)+d(i)*x(i)*2-i Z(i+1)= z(i) – d(i)*a(i) where a(i)=tan-1 (2-i) In this case we use 16bit fixed point notation with one sign bit and 15 bits in Q15 notation. A total of 12 iterations are used to reach the result where y(i) is sufficiently close to 0 and x(i) is approximately equal to sqrt(M).In case o f hyperbolic, it is necessary to repeat shift iteration number for 4 th and 7th iterations in order to make the series to converge. The final obtained x(i) is to be multiplied by 1. 207534056 to get the result. The flow chart for the algorithm implement in the VHDL code is as shown in the following page. d(i)=1 if x(i)*y(i)0 Y(i) has gone to 0(apprx) input M=0. 63998413 output X(i)=0. 80035533 Y=0? &sh ift>12 Yes No Yes X(i)=sqrt(M) Yes Check iteration number Shift=4 or 7? Shiftrep= 0? No No Shiftrep+1 Shift+1 d(i)=-1 No x(i)*y(i)

Local environment in forest park district, Wuhan

Thesis statement: Barbecues have negative impacts on the environment because barbecues polluted the air and lake and also harmed the ecosystem in the forest park by decreasing the area of habitats and number of species.Abstract: The purpose of this research was to find the influence that human had in this area. The methods of this research were to investigate the local environment. The findings of this research were show the quality of the air and water and some living things in this area. The result of this research was to determine that the pollution was caused by human activities. The conclusion of this research was that human should do something to protect the environment.Introduction:  The purpose of this report was to find the influence that human had in this area. The five measurable objectives were the quality of air, water, soil, the population in this area and the number of plants or animals. The location is forest park district, Wuhan. The thesis statement of this report is that if want to access the human impact on the area and the area is measured and then the human impact can be determined.Methodology:  First of all, a map of PengLai Park was drawn and be explained. Then two trees, two bushes and two animals were being classified and searched on the internet. A food web and a food chain were not observed. After that, detailed the plants and animals distribution by using the quadrant method. Firstly, a 10m time’s 10m box was made up by two l0 meters long ropes. And then, the locations of each box which used in this research were recorded. Thirdly, the number of organisms that existed in the box were counted by four people and be recorded. After that, a picture of the location and all the things that appear in the box was been taken. By using the eyes and noses to determine the quality of the local air, water, and soil. The things that have done to the area in terms of pollution were by looking around their behavior.Findings:  Sands and clays have been found and the road was made up with cements. The majority plants exist in the park Chinese Sweet Gum and Zelkova  Schneiderina. A large amount of plants in this park were planted by human. The majority plants exist in the park were birdsand cats and human being. There was few living animals exist in the pool, nevertheless, there were still some aquatic plants exist in the pool. The food chain and food web was not observed.The local quality of air, water and soil were not very well because the environment is polluted by human effect such as smoking. Besides, there were lots of garbage throws by the neighbors who live nearby and nobody clean them in time. What is more, the water in the pool was really smells bad so that we can found out the quality of water is poor. Last but not least, some plants show the poor quality of the soil and it was damaged seriously. In a word, the local environment was damaged and polluted.According the data from these two tables, they sh ow that the average amount of the plants b is 5, and the average amount of the animals is 1. On the other hand, the total area of the park is about 27602 meter squares. The  total number of plants was 138010 and there were 27602 animals existed. These information shows that there is a few plants and animals exist in this area because of the pollution. Moreover, the number of plants and animals is not changeable.According to the pollution caused by human being, it is easy to determine that human lead to some severe consequences. For example, the garbage all around the park and nobody clean them, the poor quality of air and water. However, people who live nearby did something to protect this area and to improve the poor environment. Though there are lots of drawbacks, but humans are still try to something for this area so that can make the quality of their life become better. Since different living things have its own habitats and habits so that they live in the different area. By u sing the quadrant method, it shows some area have more living things than others.Discussion:  The information of the finding part shows the several following things. First of all, the environment is not very well; the quality of water and air is poor, the soil shows the bad consequence of the environment in this area. On the other hand, it shows how human's impact on the park’s environment, such as throwing garbage anywhere, but also human did some good things to protect the environment. The finding supports the idea of what average people thought. The park is polluted, and it causes the decreasing of the plants and animals. The garbage which was thrown by neighbors who lived nearby also worsens the pollution. Furthermore, some planting areas were destroyed by human as well.The information which given by methodology is very valuable for this research. For example, the Quadrant Method helps to found out the total number of the living plants and animals and it offers a huge c onvenience. Besides, the observation done by the groups showed how human impact on the local environment. The sense of sight and smell also help to determine the quality of air. The Secchi Disk is not used in this research because the water in the pool was not deep enough.Conclusion:  The information in the findings can prove the thesis statement and the data was used to analysis the human impact on the local environment. As an  artificial park, most of the stuff in there was built by human being. It was a place with high rate of human activities so that there were so much pollution and damage. The high rate of human activities is also the reason there lots of garbage in the park. The information about the park can also be used to help protect the environment of the park. As a citizen of Wuhan, human should try the best to protect the environment and the government should think some solutions such as let some volunteers to clean the park in time and so on. In brief, no matter ho w poor the environment is, humans should take good care of it.

Professionalism in the Job Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Professionalism in the Job Environment - Essay Example Professionalism is comprised of attitudes and behaviors. Attitudes are often described and measured because of their relationship to behaviors. Behaviorists use recognition, praise, and a regular feedback system to tell the worker how he is doing. How we do our jobs has a direct impact on one's success in his/her job. When the conduct and behavior of workforce is perceived as unprofessional, it directly impacts the integrity and public relations as a whole in an organization. Unprofessional relationship between senior and junior could affect the morale in workplace. This will result in the emergence of environment of favoritism, misuse of authority and detract of manager's ability as a leader. In an office environment people treat coworkers with a professional respect; in a social setting they treat their friends completely different. The level of personalization in the workplace depends on the context, emotional support, expressions, trust, and situation of the environment. Dressing style is also a key component of professionalism. First impressions count. A professional consultant who doesn't take the time to maintain a professional appearance presents the image of not being able to perform adequately on the job. This professional dress code is codified because many professionals have never been taught appropriate professional appearance and demeanor. ... A fresh haircut, spit-shined shoes and a crisp suit go a long way in establishing a professional demeanor. It's also about quality; most professionals can spot a cheap suit at twenty paces and high-quality dress shoes are de-rigueur. To be successful, research and practice and carefully plan the professional image you want to project. For example, if you come to an interview dressed professionally, you will feel a sense of confidence and others will sense your self-assurance. Many employers interpret your appearance in terms of what you know about the world around you and what attention you give to detail. Effective communication is also the part of professionalism. How you present your ideas are equally important. These communication skills have to be developed, honed and added to on an on-going basis as a part of your job. They are at the heart of interpersonal skills and the greater your awareness of how it all works, the more effective your communication will be. However, even the best communicators can have their communication skills undermined when they get wrong-footed, face potential humiliation, feel misunderstood or get really surprised by someone else's behavior. That's when it all seems to fall apart and people regress to all kinds of inappropriate and unhelpful behavior. One can ensure positive interactions with his coworkers with the use of different mode of communications. If the audience isn't happy with your approach or the communication itself, it has not served its purpose. You can create a positive interaction by including your audience in small talk Just as what yo u say is vital, so is how you say it. Pay attention to kinesics or body movements,

Informal interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Informal interview - Essay Example What are the core competencies and skills needed by an individual in order to be successful as the HR Director? What is your perspective of the HRD in an organization? What are the implications of the importance of the role of HRD on the top management in an organization? Interview summary The professional interviewed was Mr. Ali Javaid. He has five years of experience as a human resource director (HRD) in Sunshine Company. There is a whole range of job duties and responsibilities assigned to Ali by his company. As the HRD of the company, Ali manages the activities to hire the personnel, develop their skills as per the needs of the company, motivates them using different types of strategies, and ensures that the performance of the workforce is up to the standards established by the company. Ali oversees the process of recruitment including the development and circulation of notices about the employment opportunities, advertising, application screening, establishment of the schedules of interview, and contacting the interested candidates after the completion of the process of recruitment. Ali assumes the responsibility to circulate and coordinate all information and documentation about the evaluation of the employees. He ensures the compliance of the organization with the practices of equal opportunity and employment established by the state (â€Å"Director of Human†). Ali regularly develops new programs of employee orientation. He administers the benefits and provides the employees with information about retirement and personnel benefits. Salary schedules are maintained and updated by him. Ali has established and maintains an electronic system of employee records that consists of the employees’ application materials, licensure documentation, official transcripts, and documents. Ali prepares all sorts of contracts and other documents about compensation and employment. He also monitors the vacations and leaves of the employees. He also prepares and delivers the payroll information. These are only few of the duties and responsibilities performed by Ali in the company as its HRD. The main competencies needed to be successful as a HR Director include negotiation skills, job knowledge, qualified recruitment, effective training, and the power to influence others. Successful HR Directors have such communication skills that enable them to communicate in a way that is a win win situation for the employees and the company. Each organization has certain constraints while employees have their own needs. HR Directors listen to the concerns of the employees and help them understand the organization’s position and tendency to resolve their problems. This requires good interpersonal skills which a HR Director must have in order to succeed. The HR Director should have comprehensive job knowledge (Heisler). He should have a firm understanding of the job duties and responsibilities along with comprehensive knowledge of the applicable saf ety regulations, labor laws, and state and federal policies. The core competency of recruitment means that the HR Director minimizes the expenditures of the company related to the advertisement of job and the selection process. It also means that the HR Director should be qualified enough to establish a fair system of skill evaluation to select the right personnel for the company. The HR Director should have knowledge of the latest developments and advancements of technology so as to make best use of them for the training and skill development of the employees at the

Inclusion of Homosexuals in Government Service Essay

Inclusion of Homosexuals in Government Service - Essay Example It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures" (Lutz, 2004, 192). The male homosexuals are popularly known as gays and female homosexuals, lesbians. The subject of homosexuality has been phenomenally discussed and many thoughts have been developed over the past years. Experts such as psychologists and scholars have developed many insights on it, which became the basis for further analysis and critical thinking by doctors, psychiatrists, society and judiciary. This phenomenon has been legally intervened all over the world many times, but that attempt has been criticized by homosexuals on the plea that it is equal to the denial of human rights. Hence, there have been arguments both in favor of and against this phenomenon across courtiers in the world. Some feel that homosexuality is a criminal offence and homosexuals have to be trailed, charged and imprisoned for developing good behavior and lead a dignified life. A few think that it is the resul t of bad thinking / mental disorder and they can be corrected through counseling, personal repentance and believing to god. It is also believed by some people that it is a quite natural and normal phenomenon, which is genetically developed. The issue is getting more and more public support and it is evident from a recent public opinion poll in the US, which reveals that "the public is slowly shifting towards acceptance of a homosexual orientation as normal and natural for a minority of adults. Increasingly, Americans support equal rights for gays and lesbians, including the right to marry or enter into civil unions" (About Public Opinion). At this juncture, this paper attempts to explore the various thoughts on homosexuality and its repercussions on various walks of life. It also tries to assess the involvement of homosexuality in government sector in the US. The paper takes a narrative approach to describe the issue of homosexuality in the US in general and in the government sector in particular. The paper takes in detail the issue of homosexuality and its reasons with great emphasis on the much debated opinion that whether homosexuality is innate or chosen. As already stated one of the factors that influence man to become homosexual is genetics. The main contention of this argument is that men and women become gay and lesbian not because they do not intend to be straight, but they are influenced by the inborn and environmental factors. In this context, the present essay tries to explore the findings of various studies undertaken across the world on homosexuality and homosexual behavior with more emphasis on genetically motivated behavior rather than chosen behavior. The paper focuses on the genetically motivated homosexuality among men and women and the discussion, throughout the paper relies on the controversy that homosexuality is innate and there is nothing contrary to natural in it. Studies undertaken across the world are reviewed and analyzed critically to arrive at logical conclusions on homosexuality. Further, the paper tries to investigate into the involvement of homosexual practice among government employees in the United State s of America. The paper also throws lights on the implications of the inclusion of homosexuals in the government service of the Federal Government. Many instances of dismissal and

Insufficient Staffing and Medication Errors Essay

Insufficient Staffing and Medication Errors - Essay Example Understanding the different factors affecting health care delivery to the patients should be analyzed in order to make sure its objectives are attained. One of the issues that healthcare systems should address in order to optimize its role in delivering quality health care to its patients is medication error. Medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate use of harm to a patient while medication is in control of the health care professional, patient or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures and system including prescribing, order communication, administration, education, monitoring, and use. According to various studies concerning errors in patient medications, there are around 7,000 to 7,400 people in the United States who dies due to such form of negligence. Specifically in New York, there is approximately 1,400 people die every year or twenty percent of medical injuries are due to medicati on errors. Lawsuits have been filed across the United States health care system as a result of medication errors, which exposed the patients into dangerous situations that eventually cause the death of some patients. According to the National Law Journal, out of the 13 largest medical negligence lawsuits in the US in 2002, seven of these were in New York alone. The number of deaths from medication errors in the US per year is at least one death every day. In addition, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research found that a total of 1.3 million people are injured because of medication errors. Types of Medication errors Medication errors occur in different ways and at any degree. Medical negligence of this type may be made by any health care practitioner, from the nursing staff to the attending physicians. One type of medication error may be a misdiagnosis of a patient’s illness identified as a diagnostic error. A mistake as complicated as this, may result to more serious prob lems when made. Misdiagnosis could result to recommending an incorrect choice of therapy to the patient that would further injure them. Failure to use an indicated diagnostic test is also a result of diagnostic error that may cause a patient’s illness to become worse and very serious. Test results may also be misinterpreted due to an error in diagnosis. Patients suffer the consequences of not being able to get the right treatment to their illnesses when such diagnostic error happens. In addition, when patients are misdiagnosed, medical staff may not be able to correctly handle abnormal situations that are brought about by the patient’s illness or disease. Equipment failure is another form of medication error that is classified under this category. Some examples of this are dead batteries in defibrillators and easily dislodged or bumped valves of intravenous pumps. When such conditions are unnoticed, patients may have increased doses of medication over a short period of time that may be too dangerous, worse, fatal to the. Physicians are not spared in committing medication errors as well. The same thing goes with the nurses. Their roles require them to be in close contact with the patients. While physicians prescribe the medications or recommend the proper treatment necessary for the patients, the nurses are those who implement them.

Product Liability Claims in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Product Liability Claims in the UK - Essay Example However, such inequities cannot be redressed through the law, since they arise from political and judicial differences that exist in the U.K. and Japan. As compared to Western law systems, especially in the U.K. which is governed by the EU and UK Competition law that prohibits any interference with competition, in Japanese law systems traditional theories still predominate and the only remedy available is to introduce litigation to annul an administrative act, unlike the U.K. where there are five kinds of remedies: mandamus, certiorari, prohibition, injunction and declaration (www.iias.nl).In a class action case dealing with UK tax treaties with Japan and other countries, the UK Court found bilateral treaty discrimination and reached a similar decision as in Metallgesellschaft/Hoechst v. CIR(European Court of Justice), where the EU treaty prohibits such discrimination to In the case of NEC Semi-Conductors Ltd, et al. v. CIR (November 24, 2003), the UK Court’s conclusions about discrimination were based upon the freedom of establishment principle, under Article 43 of the EU Treaty (www.bnatax.com). However, as opposed to this case law of U.K. Courts deciding in favor of establishments outside the U.K. being protected from discrimination, recent Japanese decisions on product liability claims reveal an opposite trend. The decision of the Nagoya District Court on 30th June 1995 went against MacDonalds and they were held liable for damages revealing that Japanese courts do not impose a burden of proof in civil proceedings (Nottage, 2000). Â  

Fundamental of International Buisness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fundamental of International Buisness - Essay Example It describes the increase of trade and investing due to the falling of barriers and the interdependence of countries, particularly trade liberalisation or "free trade" (Globalization, 2005). So, the main driven forces of the Southeast Asia market include political, social and economic changes. Political driven forces were caused by changes in political doctrines. Primarily, a struggle between socialist and capitalist countries is over (Buckley, Ghauri, 1999). If we assume that "the essence of globalization is a subordination of human rights, labor rights, consumer right" (Ralph Nader), we should accept the view that trade and market relations is nothing more than subordination of human rights. But it is not true. To support this point of view, it is possible to use the theory of Adam Smith who wrote that markets function without conscious control because individuals take their private decisions in response to publicly-known signals (Himmelweit, et al. 2001). It is possible to agree t hat American and European companies create jobs overseas at the expense of domestic jobs, which does not break the rights of workers from the poorest countries. In addition, the globalization of industries has created surplus production capacity on a massive scale. Proposition of quality products which compete with the national brands does not humiliate consumers rights.

Out sourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Out sourcing - Essay Example Originally, outsourcing started as a simple way to cut down on personnel costs by the hiring of sub-contractors to do certain parts of the manufacturing process. This concept later on was expanded to other functions which a sub-contractor is better able to do and at a lower cost. Usually, the outsourced functions are those in the logistics, distribution, delivery and the other parts that usually constitute a supply chain of a large manufacturing or merchandising or any fast-moving consumer goods distribution company. The early sub-contractors were usually located just nearby, maybe in the next town or the next country. Gradually, it expanded to nearby countries (termed as near-shoring) and with the advent of better information technologies and improved means of transport, it later on still came to called as off-shoring (work sent out to faraway countries). The usual jobs outsourced are either back-office functions (accounting, auditing, finance, human resources, legal, etc.) or those with front-office responsibilities like customer service, order taking, sales, etc. The term for it now is business process outsourcing (BPO) which is construed to mean services. Discussion Benefits of Outsourcing - The original rationale or justification for sub-contracting and later on BPO was to cut down costs. When a certain function is outsourced, the usual benefit is transforming fixed costs into variable costs. This lessens the need to invest in infrastructure to increase capacity and at the same time allows the organization to respond more quickly to changes in markets in which it operates. The additional benefit is greater speed of response to sudden changes in the external environment. Perhaps a persuasive argument for outsourcing is to gain a key competitive advantage by allowing the firm to focus on its more core functions and let non-essential administrative functions be performed by an outside third-party supplier. Total global BPO industry is estimated at about $154 billion annually and is considered as a natural extension of the free-trade movement and the globalization of business and industry (Duening & Click, 2005:vii). The organizations using BPO now are more inclined towards to availing themselves of the lowest-cost provider wherever they are located on the world. Big improvements in information technology is largely responsible for a rapid growth of the BPO industry, hence it is sometimes termed as information technology-enabled services (ITES). It now includes content-rich materials such as newsletters, Power Point presentations, video and graphics animations, sales kits, teaching materials, etc. New BPO sub-sectors are knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) and legal process outsourcing (LPO) which is geared towards the production of outputs that are more knowledge intensive. The outsourced industry is growing at an estimated 10-12% compounded annual growth rate and has now expanded to jobs which normally required intensive education and ample technical training. An example is reading, analyzing and interpreting the X-ray and CT (computed tomography) scans of mostly American patients in outsourced business parks located in India, the Philippines and Russia. Outsourcing is a legitimate business strategy to enhance revenues or profits (Sople, 2009:43). As Business Strategy –

Competitiveness between both Developing and Developed Nations Research Paper

Competitiveness between both Developing and Developed Nations - Research Paper Example Despite the forces of globalisation, national advantage and locality are among the key factors that determine competitiveness. This paper looks at the evidence from trans-national corporations and specific industries in various nations. Nations like China, Japan, US, UK and Germany. Research shows that global competition has really gone high tech. The competition is very stiff. (Porter, 1998) It is very clear that the factors that determine the competitiveness of nations are quite numerous. When public finances in a nation are mismanaged, and inflation occurs, this highly affects the business environment a great deal. This results in the undermining of incentives that are necessary for investment in the business sector. Other factors include having a quality judicial system within a nation. Training and education within a nation are among the factors that drive competitiveness. Nations that ensure that their labour force is trained and has access to the latest technologies and new kn owledge are normally very competitive. (Peng, 2006) Just as the factors are numerous, they matter quite differently in different nations. This also depends on the nation's stage of development. According to the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), there are various driving factors that influence the competitiveness in a nation.  The world economic forum has over the years measured the competitiveness of nations in an international environment. The Growth competitiveness index is used to assess the competitiveness of nations. Research reveals that Poland still remains the worst performing nations among European Union nations. It actually ranks forty-eight behind Greece that ranks forty-seven. The Czech Republic ranks twenty-nine while Estonia ranks twenty-five. Poland has got weaknesses in its labour market that is quite rigid. Research shows that unemployment in this nation.

The human resources of a business Essay Example for Free

The human resources of a business Essay The human resources of a business must be run correctly for the business to be able to achieve its objectives. There are fair main areas of human resources management: planning, recruitment and selection training and development and performance management. To understand how these areas work and the role they hold within the business structure I have decided to research into the human resources within J.D Wetherspoon. I am going to look into their recruitment and selection section in detail. J.D Wetherspoon is a chain of public houses. The first one opened in 1979 by a 24 year old law student called Tim Martin. He opened his first pub in north London, which he named Wetherspoons, after he of his former school teacher. Tim wanted to run his pub differently from regular pubs, he offered a good range of beers, a music free environment, non- smoking area and all day food. According to Tim the pub was run very badly, in spite of his hard work. Although he was struggling he want to expand so in 1980 he obtained planning permission and a pub licence to convert a car showroom into a pub. From here on his success grew. He made his first in 1983 of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½188,000! In 1996 Wetherspoons launched its first pub in Scotland. The Scots didnt enjoy Wetherspoons as they hated the lack of music and poor choice of beers and ales. Tim was aware of the change in tastes around the country so quickly changed so it would satisfy the Scots requirements. In 1998 Wetherspoon decided to open their first hotel in Shrewsbury. Two more have opened since then. By 2001 there were 500 Wetherspoons pubs around the UK, and 100 more opened in 2002. They have now announced plans to open another hundred pubs including pubs in Bath, Burnham, and Solihull; this would create 3,000 more jobs. J.D Wetherspoons has 11,200 either full or part-time employees, of which 220 are at the head office in Watford. Human Resources Management In recent years we have seen a transformation in the way companies started dealing with the people who were their employees. Instead of seeking to get the best out of people just for the sake of the business, e.g. to help the company achieve its objectives. The human resources method is a radical change; they are able to achieve the companys objectives by supporting each employee to for fill their own personal needs. A second change in people management was in the 1990s when management began to release that it should not just be the personnel department of a business that deals with people work. Instead managers should be those that are responsible for recruitment, appraisal, selection and training of employees. A third change in people management was that HRM was given a great deal more status in the organisation. Instead of being something carried on at lower levels of the organisation, HRM is now recognised as a key strategic area of the organisation. Many organisations have moved away from personnel management t the new human resources management. Human resource planning Human resources involve recruiting the right people who then met the goals set by the company. In order for these goals to be met successfully, this process should be run productively, insuring the right people for the job are hired and their skills are used correctly. Any problem would need to be identified and solved quickly and accurately. The way this works can be shown though supply and demand. The demand side The demand for labour will depend on plan on plans of the organisation for the future. J.D Wetherspoon is an organisation that continues to grow rapidly, planning to open another hundred public houses around the UK bringing them to a total of 700. When plans such as this are to take place, it is needed to recruit a great many more employees. A demand forecast needs to be made. One way to do this with the use of work studies. Work-study knows how long various jobs take and can calculate the number of employees needed and the hours they will need to work. This technique is used mainly within manufacturing companies who will need to produce a set amount of products in a given amount of time. J.D Wetherspoons would use a different techniques; management estimates. This involves looking at past employment records and estimating how many staff would be needed in future plans. The amount of staff would depend on many factors: * Size of the establishment * Amount of customers expected * Location * Number of hours worked The forecast would also need to include how many people would need to be employed at each stage of the hierarchy. Current employees through promotions or placements would fill the majority of managerial jobs. J.D Wetherspoons has estimated that their 100 pubs would create an extra 3,000 jobs. The supply side The supply of employees can come from two different places: with the business, internally or externally. Taking employees from internal sources has befits, employees already know and understand how the business runs and operates and where it is heading. There is usually development needed in the employee, so it is important that the right person is chosen to keep costs down. All the pubs within J.D Wetherspoons chain are run in the same way. This means that a member of staff has been trained they would have the right skills to work in any Wetherspoons. Or if for any reason they needed to be transferred from one pub to another, no extra training would be needed. Bar and kitchen staff in J.D Wetherspoons need to hold certain skills e.g. politeness and respect. Thoughs sort of skills are expected of staff through-out the Wetherspoons chain, man skills such as these are seen as part of a persons personality in a sense. Most of the people who work within J.D Wetherspoons are temporary, part-time employees. Students often work in such pubs to earn some extra cash; they dont see it as a career and they are unlikely to work there for long. The type of skills that they have gained while working at Wetherspoons would make them an internal asset but also an external asset to other, rival establishments. It is important for all organisations to understand why an individual wants to work for them. This way they can be trained to the appropriate level and the business can plan ahead. All employers need to know; how many people work for them at each level, how long they plan to stay in the job, their aspirations for the job and their age. This way there can always be employees who have worked there for a while and understand how the business works. If there were too many older people in employment they would all reach retirement at the same time, leaving big gaps in the structure. Younger people tend to only have jobs as a way to gain money whilst studying. Because younger people dont stay in a job for long they damage the amount of promotions that can occur. J.D Wetherspoon has to get their staff turnover right, if too many people are leaving it will cost the company more in recruiting and training. These costs are unnecessary and can be avoided if the right people are employed to star t of with. There are two ways to measure labour turn over: Employee wastage rate It is possible to calculate the number of staff leaving a business as a percentage of those who could have left. To find the wastage rate the number of staff leaving in a time period is divided by the average number of staff employed in time period and that is then multiplied by 100 to equal a percentage. This simple equation shows this: Wastage rate = number of staff leaving in a time period x 100 Average number of staff employed in time period For example, if Wetherspoons employed 100 people but found that 25 left during the year the wastage rate would be: 25 x 100 = 25% 100 This would then help them to predict future wastage rates. They are planning to recruit 3,000 people in the next year and would expect a waste rate of 25% according to this example, meaning that 750 people would leave. This is a large figure so HMR would have to look into of they are employing the right people as recruiting more people is wasting time and money. Labour stability rate This looks at those who have left after working there for some time. The stability rate is measured by dividing the amount of people who have left with more than one years service by the number employed one year ago. Then multiplying this by 100 to make a percentage. Stability index = number of staff leaving with more than one years service x 100 Number employed one year ago This method helps businesses to understand and predict what will happen within their own workforce. It also enables an organisation to make the most of the skill and potential already present within the organisation. For example if Wetherspoons had 88 employees who had been with the company for over one year and during the year 22 employees left, the labour stability index would be: 22 x100 = 25% 88 The external labour market The external labour market is more of an irregular environment. It is made up of potential employees, locally, regionally or nationally; whom have the skills and experience required at a particular time. J.D Wetherspoons is located all over the UK, both national and local labour markets are important. There are a range of factors that effect the size and nature of these labour markets such as: Trends in the size/characteristics of the working population The UK has an ageing population. There are fewer school leavers and young workers available for employment. Businesses therefore may need to employee older people to meet their human resource requirements. Competition for labour When there is a demand for employees with certain skills, companies will be at competition with other firms who are looking for the same skills. For example ten years ago everyone wanted to employee those with I.T skills. The overall level economic activity The demand for goods and services in the economy and hence, for employed is determined by whether the economy is at a boom or recession. In a period of boom generally people will have more money to spend and therefore the demand for goods and services will rise. This therefore would lead to company increasing output and the demand for labour will also increase. Education and training opportunities Over recent years many people have decided to either continue into higher education or return to it. This has put a strain on many businesses as it has limited the amount of people that are available to work full time for tem. For J.D Wetherspoons it can be viewed as an advantage. There are more people willing to work part-time in an easy, uncomplicated environment that allows flexible hours. Plus there are also more people who have completed degrees and gained higher qualifications allowing them to enter the hierarchy at a managerial level, this would cut down on costs of training managers. The effect of government policies The government tries to entice employers to train people by reducing the cost of labour and increasing the proposal of HRM. They have introduced new qualifications, NVQs and AVCEs as an attempt of increasing the quantity of those who hold the right skills for the real world. They have also planned ahead in preparing school children for the world of work by changing the curriculum, stressing an importance on numeracy, literacy and ICT. On this graph the S1 represents the current labour supply situation, in a few years when al of those in education have left the supply of labour will be greater, represented by S2. As the supply is greater the demand (D) will be less and employers will be able to lower salaries, reducing costs. Salaries have to be monitored to check people are being fairly treated. The government may decide to increase the minimum wage. If the minimum amount a person can earn increases the supply will decrease, as many employees. The green line shows this and how the demand for labour would rise. Wage Level S1 S2 D Quantity of Labour Labour markets For all businesses they must also identify and understand the characteristics of their local employment market. Information can be gained from local employment offices or job agencies. I found these examples on the Internet. This first one is average gross weekly pay, by area this is useful to Wetherspoons as it gives them actual government statistics of how much the average wage is in certain areas. It splits it into different areas because the pay is obviously not the same throughout the country. For example London has the highest paid people mainly because it is so expensive to live in London. This graph doesnt look at London, as it is only pacific for the Southwest region. For Wetherspoons to look at this before setting a wage is useful as it will set out an average wage so they dont set theirs far too high or far too low. This would attract either too many people to apply for a certain job or no one would apply. Under the average gross weekly pay by area, is the average gross weekly pay by occupation. This is also very useful as Wetherspoons can look at this and cross-reference it with the pay by area to see how much they should be paying their employees. As you can see the information from this could come in very useful to a business such as Wetherspoons when having to recruit new employees. As they would need to know the wage rates and income level of the area in which their pub or hotel is located, this will then allow them to set the right salary and attract the type of people they want. By observing local unemployment levels companies are able to judge whether it would easy or not to employ enough people in new businesses. This is something J.D Whetherspoons would have to consider when planning the new pubs they want to open. Local employment trends can radically change in a short space of time. Large companies may be forced to close or make large numbers of employees redundant, creating huge unemployment figures, a benefit to many others. I was able to gather some secondary information from labour market review, which covered the whole of the UK but also highlighted the Southwest area. This means that if Wetherspoons was to use this information to see how employment patterns and average wages were different throughout the country. This data can greatly the recruitment process. Within all local areas there will be times when a new skill is needed in the workplace and the demand for these skills will rapidly grow, faster than the supply. This can produce many problems and companies would be forced to raise wages in an attempt to beat competitors in recruiting those that have the same scarce skill. When shortages like this appear employers often start to recruit those from further a field, nationally and sometimes internationally. Without this valuable data the J.D Wetherspoons chain could find themselves falling behind the rest of the market. This data can be used to identify if their business is operating at the same level as the rest of the country. If this is not taken into account then they could find themselves loosing employees through poor wages or even not looking for the right employees in the right areas. For HRM to be efficient a business must have the right amount of employees performing the right jobs at the right time. Therefore it is important that employers and the HRM team know if an employee is not at work and their reason why. A notified absence is when the employee knows in advance that they will not be able to attend work and inform their superior. If the employer were ill they would be entitled to any sickness benefit a doctors note would be requested. Unauthorised absence are those that need to be monitored closely. When an employee simply doesnt show for their shift it lets the team down and can leave others in the lurch, plus the business would be less able to run efficiently. An accident rate is determined by the amount of accidents that have happened in the work place. All businesses have to have the equivalent of a health and safety committee. It is their job to * Investigate and report on all accidents * Construct safety rules * Oversee health and safety training * Uphold connections with health and safety bodies * Keep up to date with the relevant national statistics and reports * Recommend any updates the company may need * Advise on any approaching legislation and relevant publicity campaigns Human resources planning help to maintain a steady flow of new people into the organisation to cover any that maybe leaving. Planning also helps to organise training programmes so each member of staff has the right skills to for fill their specific job requirements. The level of skills in any organisation should rise each year effectively making the business as a whole consistently develops.

The Health Care Provider And Faith Diversity Religion Essay

The Health Care Provider And Faith Diversity Religion Essay I have expanded my cultural experiences by relocating from the Midwest to the Phoenix metropolitan area. The facility where I work offers a fairly mixed spectrum of cultural diversity in an intimate and professional healthcare facility. Since several of my colleagues come from unique cultural backgrounds, I wanted to better understand their perspective on how their ways of life are accepted by or incorporated into todays health care practices. This paper includes interviews that focus on Buddhism, Shintoism, and the Navajo Indian. The first question I posed to Kamm was about the spiritual perspective on healing in the Buddhist way of life. She told me that this comes through an end of suffering through wisdom, acts of compassion, and peace. A person who shows great compassion is able to draw on inner strength to overcome pain. She continued by explaining, At a physical level, that person may suffer from pain, but their mental disposition is calm. His/her mental level is able to subdue the physical pain. Because of that persons mental disposition, the bodys immune system becomes more active to fight the disease. She elaborated further to say that sometimes it also means that a person is at peace in accepting physical pain or death in an optimal way, without suffering from it. A Buddhist prefers a calm and peaceful environment. I asked Kamm about the critical components of healing of a Buddhist. She explained that diet and exercise are critical components of healing or preventing disease. She also added that Buddhists pray and meditate regularly to promote relaxation and healing. If illness does occur, many believe that using the mind can help overcome it. Kamm stated, Everything constantly changes and change is the only constant. If certain events happen, people believe it is because a person has sowed those seeds that caused that event to occur. Kamm elaborated further by saying that following death, Buddhists prefer not to disturb the body for as long a time as possible. The first 49 days following a persons death are very important. It is during that time when many prayers are offered before the new life, reincarnation, begins. Kamm explained that reincarnation occurs over and over and a follower can be reborn as any living thing. Karma is important in reincarnation and is defined as an intentional mental, verbal, or physical action and this is very important to the Buddhist (Sayadaw, 2008). Good karma is based on showing compassion and doing the right thing; this helps determine how a person will be incarnated. If a person generates bad karma by hurting or killing others, negative consequences will occur in this or another lifetime (Karma and rebirth, n.d.). Kamm briefly reminisced when she said, The people cherish ancestry. During a specific time of the year, they take a vacation to go back home to pay respect for the dead. I asked Kamm to define what is important to a Buddhist person when cared for by health care providers with other spiritual beliefs. She explained that if a physician is very knowledgeable but not compassionate, their medicine is not very effective. The basis of trust comes with a commitment, a sense of responsibility, and a genuine sense of concern. She also added that Buddhist physicians treat their patient as if he/she was their own child. My second interviewee, Taki, grew up in Japan. In her early 20s she met her future husband, an American, who was temporarily working there. Following their marriage, she moved with him to the United States. Taki explained that in Japan, Shintoism is another way of life, not a religion. There is a great respect for nature and when Shintoists are close to nature they are close to their kami. Kami are spirits with supernatural powers they worship that are often depicted as a variety of objects in nature such as trees, rocks, and animals (Blanford, 2009). Taki elaborated further to say that there is a strong aspiration for purification in all aspects of their life and this can be observed through their rituals or in their way of thinking. Like Buddhist beliefs, when someone passes away Shintoists believe that the person is reincarnated. Taki explained the spiritual perspective on healing from the Shintoist perspective. Shinto followers are accepting of some of the difficult things that come their way because they believe it is the kamis way of getting their attention. She also told me that though they may seek medical attention at medical facility, they also use other methods for healing such as in the use of herbal remedies. According to Taki, Shinto followers are very accepting of the care they receive but they are more uncomfortable when it comes down to decisions regarding complex treatment. She continued by explaining that because they are very respectful of nature and following a natural path in life, this type of complex treatment goes against their beliefs in following a natural life. They also see the dying process as one goes against their aspiration for purity in life. Taki explained that a critical component on healing includes silent prayer to one of the kami requesting a favor. The Shinto people believe that kami want their people to be happy so they pray for good health, a good life. Taki continued by explaining that they also pray during major life events such as birth, marriage and death. Sometimes they write their prayer on a plaque and leave it at the shrine. She also noted that the Shinto people keep a small shrine in their home where offerings are made to a particular kami. In response to the question regarding what is important to the Shinto follower when cared for by health care providers, Taki explained that often, the Shintoists are advocates of a natural way of healing and typically are not in favor of artificial means to live. Some patients will rely on the doctor and will be very accepting of the results, no matter how serious. My final interview was conducted with Carmen, a Navajo Indian, who has lived her entire life in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Carmen explained that the Navajos also do not have a religion that traditionally worship a god. Their way of life, which stems from their sacred beginnings, serves as their belief system which strives for balance and harmony. Carmen went on to say that Navajos believe they are connected to the land and are relatives to every living thing. Their way of life is full of ceremonial rituals and traditions that connect them to their sacred past. Throughout our life we strive for holistic wellness for which many of our rituals are based, she explained. Carmen believes that illness occurs when a person has an imbalance between body, mind, and spirit. A Navajo healer might be sought out to diagnose this imbalance by interpreting dreams, star gazing, or understanding the vibrations in nature. Following that, a healing ceremony can be planned to assist the mind in healing the body. Carmen went on to tell me that the ceremonies are conducted in their ceremonial attire and include chants, which are a form of prayer. Several days are observed for holiness and the healing process to continue following the healing ceremony. Carmen elaborated on this further to say that during this time the person needs to avoid certain activities, one of which includes bathing. This shows evidence the Navajos seriousness for a deep desire for healing to occur. The Navajo may also use herbs for treatment or seek a medical doctor for some care. Carmen relayed that in the United States, there are hospitals specifically designed to integrate the Native American practice for healing with modern medicine. She happily reported that healing ceremonies are sometimes conducted on public land before any ground breaking for a health facility. A ceremonial hogan, a Native American family dwelling that faces the east, is included in some hospitals to accommodate this way of healing (Hogan: Dine (Navajo), n.d.). Carmen also noted that if a Navajo is hospitalized, Navajo healers are sometimes brought to the patients hospital room. Carmen admitted that the Navajo are often wary of the western medicine practice. She emphasized that they want their doctors to understand their beliefs. The Navajo would like to see more medical facilities consider the Native American way of life as plans for medical facilities are made. Carmen continued explaining that the Navajo find most facilities are too business like and cold which creates stress and anxiety. This often makes it difficult to regain wellness through harmony and balance. Collectively, the people interviewed all had a consistent message for how they value the care provided to them by health care providers whose spiritual beliefs were different from their own. The care they receive needs to align with their values which might include the medical team approach that respects their beliefs, a calm and serene environment, or incorporation of healing practices unique to their ways of life. They do not want healthcare workers to assume that what is important in western medicine is necessarily shared by all peoples. When patients see health care providers let go of their own beliefs, patients feel more comfortable in their care. A sense of trust develops. Patients have greater comfort knowing that their ways of life are understood, respected, and incorporated into their care. All of these efforts promote their healing process. The Christian philosophy of faith and healing often refers to Gods power to heal. Gods will is interpreted by some as being punished for their sins, or as a way to bring a person closer to God because of a lack of faith. Todays belief in healing integrates Gods will through faith with traditional medical practices. God has given people the ability to acquire knowledge and skill to pursue and employ scientific advances to help treat or cure diseases. However, in contrast to other faiths this may not include a belief in the same god or what is important in a persons life. In conclusion, I have learned a lot in gaining a better understanding of the beliefs and values of other cultures. It has significantly increased my awareness to never assume that the care I typically provide is in agreement with the beliefs and wishes of my patient. I am more aware of the importance to first understand my patients beliefs so I can assist in their healing process that respects their culture and best meets their needs.

Sexual Dominance In Hip Hop

Sexual Dominance In Hip Hop Take a couple days off take it off leave nothing but ya t-shirt ya panties on. Damn right imma get that thang imma put my name on it all night imma whip dat thang allstate betta put a claim on it i claim my territory, [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] In my sex room, all that I wanted! Legs in the air, witcha toes pointed! So baby welcome to my sex room! (Ludacris, Sex Room). This idea of sexual dominance, as seen in these lyrics by Ludacris is only one of the prevalent issues in the Hip-hop industry. Hip-Hop today has become one of the most popular genres of music in our society and has rapidly. Due to its enormous cross-over appeal, hip hop culture has become a potentially great unifier of diverse populations. Although created by black youth on the streets, hip hops influence has become worldwide. Approximately 75% of the rap and hip hop audience is nonblack. It has gone from the fringes, to the suburbs, and into the corporate boardrooms. Like many groundbreaking musical genres, rap has expanded popular aural territory. Bringing together sound elements from a wide range of sources and styles and relying heavily on rich Afrodiasporic music, rap musicians technological in(ter)ventions are not ends in and of themselves, they are means of cultural ends, new contexts in which priorities are shaped and expressed (______95). With such a strong following over the past two decades from the various cultures, hip-hop has contributed greatly to the growth of our culture and the views of various aspects it encompasses, such as the interpretation of gender roles and lifestyle. Gender roles are defined by ________ as a set of perceived behavioral norms associated particularly with males or females, in a given social group or system(). Through these graphic and implicit songs and images portrayed by Hip-hop artists, it has brought people of our society today to interpret the gangster lifestyle, which many of these rap songs embrace as an acceptable form of culture. Not only has this gangster culture/lifestyle become more widely accepted, but it has become a driving force in the hip-hop industry, drastically changing the way in which both males and females are being represented and beginning to present themselves to adapt to this popular culture. The success of films like Goodfellas, Scarface, The Godfather trilogy and TV series like the Sopranos document all too well Americas fascination with the gangster lifestyle. Since the introduction of hip hop in the late 1970s countless rap songs have distinguished a lifestyle of unrelenting violence, vulgarity, misogyny and crime reinforced in the showing off of weapons, expensive jewelry, and scarcely dressed women which are seen as sex objects that are to be used and discarded at will. Well known rap artist of the twenty-first century, 50 Cent shows a perfect example of the gangster lifestyle which culture has recently began to embrace in his song, I Get Money here, Im stanky rich, Ima die tryna spend this shit, Southsides up in in this bitch, Yeah I smell like the vault, I used to sell dope, I did play the block, Now I play on boats, in the south of France, Baby, St. Tropez, Get a tan? Im already black Rich? Im already that Gangsta, get a gat Hit a head in a hat Call that a riddle rap Shit, f**k the chitter chat (50 Cent). The money, weapons, dope, and materialistic objects in this quote, such as the boat all directly show the way in which modern hip-hop depicts how they think culture should be and what is necessary to gain that gangster image. This masculine gangster image has become so successful at penetrating the very core of the hip-hop community that its biggest stars have become casualties. These stars begin to blur the lines between the bad boy roles they depict in their songs and videos with reality ultimately placing themselves in trouble with the law; and worse, ending in their death just as in the cases with two popular hip hop artist/rappers Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Although everyday people may not take these bad boy ideals to the extremes that these artists do, people are greatly influenced by the more cultural aspects of the gangster lifestyle such as the clothes, jewelry, cars, and possession of women as sexual objects. The glamorization of such lifestyles, as the reinforcement o f stereotypes, and the interpretations of society have quickly began to impact American culture as it cultivates a thuggish and materialistic stance as the bona fide response to what is necessary to fit into our culture and society and along the way has produces its own set of gender roles. In every aspect of hip-hop gender roles are inescapable. The gangster life style itself is greatly based around masculinity. Beyond Beats and Rhymes, author Kevin Powell says, We live in a society where manhood is all about conquering and violenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. And what we dont realize is that ultimately that kind of man hood ultimately kills you. As a male growing up in this hip-hop culture, the lyrics, and evocative images are telling you that to be a man you must evoke a sense of strength and power, but not everyone has that power. One way in which you can gain access is through the use of your body and your ability to present yourself physically as somebody who deserves respect, this is exa ctly what these hip-hop artist have done. Look at artists such as 50 Cent who has sculpted himself to fit this masculine idea associated with hip-hop, by creating a muscular physique, tattooing his body, and placing expensive bling around his neck. Videos expand on this idea of masculinity as they show these artists with extensive amounts of extravagant materialistic goods such as cars, houses, or boats and multitudes of submissive women in and around them. This masculine, gangster lifestyle along with the hip-hop ideals have especially shaped societies view of female gender roles through various avenues. One of the major forms which have contributed to the demoralization of female gender roles is imagery in the forms of both film and photography. From CD covers and posters to music videos and movies, women are portrayed in hip-hop as sexually dominated objects. CD covers such as Gangster Rap by Ice T, Tip Drill by Nelly, and Night at the Booty Bar by Disco D all show women in very little, to no clothing centered around the lead male artist which conveys to the viewers the sense of male dominance over these women. Even female hip-hop artist have conformed to this misogynistic and demeaning lifestyle as they too, through posters show themselves wearing very little clothing and using the sexual inference of lollipops or popsicles in order to appeal to the male gaze. Even these female rappers, such as Missy Elliot, are likely to display a fair bit of sexual preoccupation (Brummet 252). If these celebrity icons, are conforming to this misogynistic ideal how do we expect the youth of our s ociety to not conform as well? These images have quickly contributed to culturistic production of a disease much like bulimia, a cultural sickness of our time. That sickness is becoming the psyche of young women. Who they are in this culture, where they fit, what their value is, or their lack of value, because if this is the only image that they see of themselves in a pseudo-glamorous way, meaning if they look at a fashion magazine theres no girl that looks like Tamico on the block [an average black girl], but in the videos there is, she said. But they see them in this one objectified way and its hurting them. While media images might be written off as only pictures or fantasy representation, they remain a very real part of American culture, with real-life implications for viewers and consumers. As if these explicit still images are not demeaning enough, the technological advance have allowed these women to be portrayed in an even more graphic way through the multi-media form of mus ic videos. At the beginning of the music video era in the late 1950s these forms of media were used as a means of marketing to boost music sales, but today we have strayed a great deal from music videos such as the 1961 video Travelin Man by Ricky Nelson which consisted of him standing on the stage with a few intercessions of different places around the world thrown in. For the most part the gaze in this video is focused on a male figure not a women as much of these hip-hop videos today are. The women in these videos greatly outnumber the artist in these videos and through the actions, are portrayed as walking bling of these male artists, just like the chains around their necks or their fancy cars. Women, then, are offered as objects to be looked at. They are, often literally, hangers on, writhing around the male canter of the image. Think how many music videos show women reaching longingly for the male star (Brummet 252). One of the videos that that most explicitly does this is the controversi al music video produced for Nellys song Tip Drill which portrays every aspect of the gangster lifestyle and completely degrades women through explicit and erotic behaviors and actions. Nelly uses these women as hypersexualized props to fuel male fantasies and show his power and masculinity over them. This video immediately starts out by showing women in very little clothes, even some without any clothes. As it progresses you see Nelly and a few other men walking into an extravagant home with women lined up along a winding stairway as if they were women of a whore house ready to be selected, and then they all turn to the side to show their curves. Throughout the video you see Nelly and his crew throwing money at these women including at their genitalia as the women shake their asses and rub themselves or rub each other while the men watch. One can also see the misogynistic views as the rappers control the women, at times putting them into positions as if they are toys of sexual pleas ure, yet for the most part these women in the video are placing themselves in these sexual positions implying the complete control of the mans will has over these women. Unlike the still images which hint to sexual actions, for example the lollipop in relation to oral sex, these videos actually act them out in ways which are not open for interpretation. Studies have discussed and demonstrated correlational links between young peoples degree of media involvement (including the like or dislike of a particular genre) on sexual attitudes and gender schemas (Hansen Hansen, 1991; Roe, 1995; Rubin, 2002; Ward, Hansbrough, Walker, 2005) For example, teens with highly sexual media diets were shown to be more likely to engage in sexual intercourse than teens with low sexual content in their media diets. This quote solidifies the idea of how these music videos are directly contributing to the sexual demoralization of these women through the interpretation of the female identity. The identity portrayed by these women in this pseudo-reality/culture evokes the idea that all women must be skinny, curvy, wear scantily clad clothing, and act sexually forward and submissive in the presence of men as in the videos. Women in hip-hop are portrayed, in [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] videos, as either silent, willing strippers or complaining, troublesome meddlers. The characters that they play have such a limited role that they need to look a certain way immediately to fit their role in society. No longer do we feel that the body is a more or less disappointing given instead, the body is the outer expression of our self (Giddens 104). Although the images depicted in these videos may represent a pseudo-culture/reality young women today are taking this identity and interpreting it as a true reality, acting the same actions out in their everyday life. Hip-hop imagery screams to women that beauty is only skin deep and that they are here for no other reason than to please men sexually. Although both videos and photographs explicitly and directly show the actions and characteristics which define women in hip-hop, the most prominent form of portrayal, lyrics cannot simply be passed over. Rhetoric, language is never simply a form of expression it is a functional tool that is manipulated to achieve desired ends. Once again hip-hop brings another form, lyrics to contribute to producing the identity of what it means to be a woman in this hip-hop culture through written text. A beat, a picture, even a video, like Lil Waynes can show certain ideals through imagery, but do not have a definitive meaning without lyrics. Lyrics are what make these graphic, shameful female stereotypes definitive. The words used in hip-hop are highly rhetorical and greatly define who a rapper/hip-hop artist is. According to Read it in Brail, Itll Still be Funky by ______ its states that Rap lyrics are a critical part of a rappers identity, strongly suggesting the importance of authorship and individuality in rap music (_____95). A concrete example of these rhetorical degraging lyrics is expressed through Three 6 Mafias song, Slob on my Knob here, Slob on my nob Like corn on the cob Check in with me. And do your job Lay on the bed And give me head Dont have to ask Dont have to beg Juicy is my name Sex is my game Lets call the boys Lets run a train Squeeze on my nuts Lick on my butt The natural curly hair Please dont touch First find a mate Second find a place Third find a bag to hide the whole face Real name Grover I said Ben over (Three 6 Mafia, Slob on my Knob). From the lyrics of this song one can see the vulgar language that has become associated with women in this culture. Whoever made up the saying Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, was obviously not around at the time hip-hop was produced because these words are not only hurting individuals in a verbal sense, but physical sense as well. When did so many young women, especially those from the middle and upper middle-classes begin to find pleasure in being called Bitches and Hoes instead of slapping the person referring to them in that degrading manner? Music of the past never conveyed the message that hip-hop does today; the lyrics have drastically changed and have brought the culture of our time to change with it. In the 1950s Elvis became a revolutionary, being crowned The King of Rock Roll, his hip shaking beats and smooth love lyrics helped him to capture the hearts of many especially the women. Today those smooth love lyrics have turned into words of hate, violence, sex, and drugs followed by base pounding, head rattling beats. Im sure that Elvis didnt capture the hearts of millions of women by calling them bitches, hos or whores like many of the hip-hop songs of today do. The lyrics of today have moved from the compassionate lyrics of artists such as Elvis, Tony Benet, Stevie Wonder, and Boyz II Men, to degrading sexual lyrics of artist such as Nelly, 50 Cent, Tupac, NWA, and Dr. Dre. Analyzing lyrics such as these from one of Elvis famous songs Love me Tender here, it is almost impossible to not interpret and identify the compassionate and loving meaning of his words, Love me tender, love me sweet. Never let me go. You have made my life complete. And I love you so. Love me tender love me true. All my dreams fulfill. For, my darling I love you. And I always will (Elvis Presley, Love me Tender). Even within these first two versus it shows how much Elvis cares for the person he is talking about, saying things such as never let y ou go, You make my life complete, and I will always love you. You dont see that compassion in lyrics such as these from songs like Bitches Aint Shit, by Dr. Dre here, Bitches aint shit but hoes and tricks. Lick on deez nutz and suck the dick. Gets the fuck out after youre done. And I hops in my ride to make a quick run. I used to know a bitch named Eric Wright. We used to roll around and fuck the hoes at night. Comparing these there is no doubt that times have changed and that instead of expressing the loving nature as lyrics of the past have, they degraded women to bitches and hos. There are the lyrics, which heavily feature the terms bitch and ho as standard forms of reference for women (Brummet 252). Hip-hop has directly extended its threats specifically towards women using their lyrics to objectify them as objects of sexual pleasure, violence, and disrespect. Were telling people women are bitches and hos and sluts and not worthy of respect, she said. And thats exactly how socie ty is seeing us (http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/03/hip.hop/index.html). This young woman here understands the idea that these lyrics are actually talking about her and all the other women that listen to these hip-hop songs, not some made up person or just the girls in the videos, like other girls believe. Its funny when I hear women when these rappers are calling women; you know bitches and hoes say theyre not talking about me. I say yo! They are talking about you. If George Bush were to get on national TV and makes a speech and started calling black people niggers, would you be like, I dont know who George Bush is talking about, but he aint talking about me (Byron Hurts, Beyond Rhythm and Beats). A cultivation of rhetorical lyrics, videos, and images have brought hip-hop to become one of the most influentially, culturally evolving forms of music/media and along the way has produced gender roles which have degraded our sociological views of women.

Exploring Conscience and Motive: Man is NOT a Machine :: Philosophy Essays

Exploring Conscience and Motive: Man is NOT a Machine Many philosophers believe that all human action stems from desire or motive or urge or some such thing. On this view, if men ever do the good or the right it is because in some sense they desire to. Perhaps the desire to do the right is sometimes nothing more than the pressures of past societal or parental training, or conceivably it might stem from some sort of social instinct planted deep within us, or more likely it stems from the realization that it is in the long-term interest of the agent. But in any case it is supposed that men do not act independently of some kind of desire. Consider the stark expression of this view from an important ethical theorist, Richard Brandt: . . . action-tendencies are a multiplicative function of valences (occurrent desires and aversions), and hence . . . an action-tendency is always zero in magnitude if there is no valence attached to the contemplated action itself or its expected outcome . . . no intentional action will occur without desire or aversion directed at it or its outcome, and hence no rational, ideally criticized action will take place without desire or aversion. (If some philosophers have thought, as some seem to have done, that a person can do his duty even if so doing is not positively valenced for him . . . , perhaps 'out of respect' for duty in some sense, they were wrong; and their psychology of morality needs basic revision.)1 This appears to be a purely mechanistic view of human action. Exactly the same thing as Brandt says of human action could be said of the movement of billiard balls . A billiard ball does not move unless there is a positive valence in the direction of its movement. This view has a powerful appeal to the human imagination,--so much so that many philosophers find it self-evident, and find that they are unable even to conceive an alternative. Paul Henle, speaking of an approach to ethics which seems to deny that men always act from desire, flatly declares that such an approach creates "an insoluble problem of ethical motivation".2 On the other hand, there is a remarkable tradition, mainly derived from Kant, which denies that human action must always be understood as stemming from desires and motives. This tradition acknowledges of course that men are often and even usually motivated by desire.

Ferris Beach: Automobiles and Motorcycles as Symbols :: McCorkle Ferris Beach Essays

Ferris Beach:  Ã‚   Automobiles and Motorcycles as Symbols  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      During adolescence, one makes a transition from a child to a young adult. It is common for an adolescent to be confused and frustrated with new ideas regarding morals and beliefs. People, places, and experiences teach adolescents about life and how to handle different situations., and the environments of the individuals become instrumental for their development. In the novel Ferris Beach, Jill McCorkle provides an example of the learning process of an adolescent girl in the 1970's. Kate Burns accepts the changes of a shifting South and eventually embraces a change within herself. In McCorkle's novel, cars and highways provide an index for understanding the new changes in the South. At this time, cars became possessions of most families and the automobile's prevalence sparked many changes for adolescents in America. McCorkle uses the car in her novel as a "vehicle" for Kate Burns to learn about life and growing up. The car was first considered a common household item in the 1970's, which signified a sizable change in American life and increased opportunity for all people. One major change made with the increase in cars was the building of roads which McCorkle notes, "...Mrs. Poole rented out Brown's Econo Lodge on Old 301, which had gone bust with the building of I-95" (McCorkle 35). The process of the old Econo Lodge being torn down and replaced by the new road calls for a lot of physical changes. The destruction of the Econo Lodge is comparable to Kate losing her girlish attributes. As the new road is being paved, Kate's figure is maturing and taking on a more womanly shape. Most people enjoy knowing they have security in a situation and dislike periods of transition. Therefore, when towns across America experienced the construction of roads, citizens were anticipating and impatiently waiting its completion. Kate possess a similar attitude regarding the culmination of her adolescence. She lon gs for this growth to reach finality and hopes that she will someday appear as womanly as Angela, "...so young-looking and glamorous in her two-piece sparkly gold suit right below her navel (16).    The building of I-95 increased opportunities for those with cars. Distances between cities seemed shorter and many consumer goods became widely accessible. The ability to travel on modern roads allows Kate and her dad to make the trip to Ferris Beach.

Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay -- Song of

Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Whitman's poem "Song of Myself #44" stands as a confession and testaments of not only who he is and what he is, but also as who we are, we being people in general. The poem is not about a self-idolizing author claiming to be the greatest being of all time. Instead it paints a picture for all mankind alike to relate to. It puts a mirror in front of the world and presents an angle of an image that, though familiar, we have never seen or realized before. In the very beginning of the poem, Whitman addresses the world upon a pedestal, asking them to stand and explore with him the unknown. And what is unknown is eternity and the meaning of life. From this beginning there is a tone of a confession or a speech that is set out to reveal something new and something of importance. He "strips away" what is known, or rather, all the little things of life, that which really does not matter much, and tries to get to the bottom of it all. And what lies at the bottom is eternity. This is the unexplainable, the unattainable, but also the essential. Eternity cannot be captured by people, it "lies in bottomless reservoirs"(1136). It is a force that has been present for many years, and will continue forth for more than anyone will ever know. But it is through this force that people have grown and learned to exist. The poem puts in writing the constantly moving force of life and time. We were born somewhere along the line of life and will die somewhere as well, but we still were present in the nurturing existence of time; everyone has his or her time, place, and moment of life. In line 1142, Whitman writes, in my opinion, a kind of commentary of society, that whi... ...nd then to "Monstrous sauroids" or dinosaurs roaming the earth. The whole process has "been steadily employed to complete and delight me"(1167). I do not feel that he intentionally means that he alone is the product of the universe's existence, but I feel that he speaks of himself in such a way but does not exclude everyone else from the realization that they too are the end result of history. It reads to me more like a confidence boaster rather than an egotistical look at life. But this is arguable as, in the beginning of the poem, he says "It is time top explain myself"(1133), but he includes as along by saying "I launch all men and women forward with me into the unknown"(1134), so it is a matter of perspective. I feel, however, that it is not just Whitman but everyone who can now stand as the completion of nature, the final product of history, which is life. Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Essay -- Song of Visualizing Eternity in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself Whitman's poem "Song of Myself #44" stands as a confession and testaments of not only who he is and what he is, but also as who we are, we being people in general. The poem is not about a self-idolizing author claiming to be the greatest being of all time. Instead it paints a picture for all mankind alike to relate to. It puts a mirror in front of the world and presents an angle of an image that, though familiar, we have never seen or realized before. In the very beginning of the poem, Whitman addresses the world upon a pedestal, asking them to stand and explore with him the unknown. And what is unknown is eternity and the meaning of life. From this beginning there is a tone of a confession or a speech that is set out to reveal something new and something of importance. He "strips away" what is known, or rather, all the little things of life, that which really does not matter much, and tries to get to the bottom of it all. And what lies at the bottom is eternity. This is the unexplainable, the unattainable, but also the essential. Eternity cannot be captured by people, it "lies in bottomless reservoirs"(1136). It is a force that has been present for many years, and will continue forth for more than anyone will ever know. But it is through this force that people have grown and learned to exist. The poem puts in writing the constantly moving force of life and time. We were born somewhere along the line of life and will die somewhere as well, but we still were present in the nurturing existence of time; everyone has his or her time, place, and moment of life. In line 1142, Whitman writes, in my opinion, a kind of commentary of society, that whi... ...nd then to "Monstrous sauroids" or dinosaurs roaming the earth. The whole process has "been steadily employed to complete and delight me"(1167). I do not feel that he intentionally means that he alone is the product of the universe's existence, but I feel that he speaks of himself in such a way but does not exclude everyone else from the realization that they too are the end result of history. It reads to me more like a confidence boaster rather than an egotistical look at life. But this is arguable as, in the beginning of the poem, he says "It is time top explain myself"(1133), but he includes as along by saying "I launch all men and women forward with me into the unknown"(1134), so it is a matter of perspective. I feel, however, that it is not just Whitman but everyone who can now stand as the completion of nature, the final product of history, which is life.

Oil and Gas industry

The global OLL and gas Industry also Involves the exploration and production of commodity and energy trading, pipeline monitoring and renewable energy. Petroleum is proved to be one of the most valuable commodities in the world today and a vital factor in the sustenance of industrial civilization. Crude oil production accounts for a significant amount of the world's oil consumption, approximately 53% In the Middle East, 32% In Europe and Asia, 44% In South and Central America, 41% in Africa and 40% in North America.Developed countries represent the largest consumers of oil globally. Station is a fully Integrated OLL and gas company operating In Industry segments such as the production and refining of petroleum, natural gas, and petrochemicals. Crude oil is the largest segment of the global oil and gas market, accounting for 62. 9% of the markets total volume. The natural gas segment accounts for the remaining 37. 1% of the market. Classically accounts for 35. 8% of the global 011 and gas market value, while the Americas accounts for a further 31. % of the global market, Europe accounts for 24. 8% while the middle east accounts for 7. 9% of the global market. Where geographic segmentation Is concerned the axis of the OLL market Is shifting from the trade between the Middle East exporters and US and European importers to one that links Asian developing markets to Middle East, which no longer has sufficient oil to support these markets' growing needs. Oil production In the US was the largest in the world in 2012 3. 1. 42. 1. Market structure, size, growth and cyclical As indicated above, the global oil and gas industry comprises two streams, which are ‘upstream – made up of petroleum exploration, production and extraction Including activities such as signing of leases, placing produced liquids and gas into pipelines, midstream – comprising of processing and transporting of produced liquids and gas from the well site to a downstream facility suc h as a refinery, downstream facilities deal with refining and processing of crude OLL and gas products, as well as their distribution and marketing.Some companies operate in the industry as fully integrated companies (I. E. Having both upstream and downstream interests) while others concentrate on a particular sector, such as exploration and production (E) or refilling and marketing. The global oil and gas industry exhibited a volatile performance over the past five years (2008-2013), largely driven by the global economic slowdown and subsequent recovery. Although tensions in the Middle East and increasing difficulty In the extraction process threaten to hinder growth over the next five years, however greater economic activity in emerging markets will keep demand buoyant. IL and gas exports account for more than of the value of global exports and provide more than 25% GAP in Russia, Central Asia and members of the organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Just over 1 0% of the value of the world's stock markets is invested in the oil and gas industry. The global oil and gas industry after a significant decline in 2009 has returned to dynamic growth in terms of market consumption, statistics show oil and gas supplies 57% of global commercial energy consumption.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-nine

Catelyn As the host trooped down the causeway through the black bogs of the Neck and spilled out into the riverlands beyond, Catelyn's apprehensions grew. She masked her fears behind a face kept still and stern, yet they were there all the same, growing with every league they crossed. Her days were anxious, her nights restless, and every raven that flew overhead made her clench her teeth. She feared for her lord father, and wondered at his ominous silence. She feared for her brother Edmure, and prayed that the gods would watch over him if he must face the Kingslayer in battle. She feared for Ned and her girls, and for the sweet sons she had left behind at Winterfell. And yet there was nothing she could do for any of them, and so she made herself put all thought of them aside. You must save your strength for Robb, she told herself. He is the only one you can help. You must be as fierce and hard as the north, Catelyn Tully. You must be a Stark for true now, like your son. Robb rode at the front of the column, beneath the flapping white banner of Winterfell. Each day he would ask one of his lords to join him, so they might confer as they marched; he honored every man in turn, showing no favorites, listening as his lord father had listened, weighing the words of one against the other. He has learned so much from Ned, she thought as she watched him, but has he learned enough? The Blackfish had taken a hundred picked men and a hundred swift horses and raced ahead to screen their movements and scout the way. The reports Ser Brynden's riders brought back did little to reassure her. Lord Tywin's host was still many days to the south . . . but Walder Frey, Lord of the Crossing, had assembled a force of near four thousand men at his castles on the Green Fork. â€Å"Late again,† Catelyn murmured when she heard. It was the Trident all over, damn the man. Her brother Edmure had called the banners; by rights, Lord Frey should have gone to join the Tully host at Riverrun, yet here he sat. â€Å"Four thousand men,† Robb repeated, more perplexed than angry. â€Å"Lord Frey cannot hope to fight the Lannisters by himself. Surely he means to join his power to ours.† â€Å"Does he?† Catelyn asked. She had ridden forward to join Robb and Robett Glover, his companion of the day. The vanguard spread out behind them, a slow-moving forest of lances and banners and spears. â€Å"I wonder. Expect nothing of Walder Frey, and you will never be surprised.† â€Å"He's your father's bannerman.† â€Å"Some men take their oaths more seriously than others, Robb. And Lord Walder was always friendlier with Casterly Rock than my father would have liked. One of his sons is wed to Tywin Lannister's sister. That means little of itself, to be sure. Lord Walder has sired a great many children over the years, and they must needs marry someone. Still . . . â€Å" â€Å"Do you think he means to betray us to the Lannisters, my lady?† Robett Glover asked gravely. Catelyn sighed. â€Å"If truth be told, I doubt even Lord Frey knows what Lord Frey intends to do. He has an old man's caution and a young man's ambition, and has never lacked for cunning.† â€Å"We must have the Twins, Mother,† Robb said heatedly. â€Å"There is no other way across the river. You know that.† â€Å"Yes. And so does Walder Frey, you can be sure of that.† That night they made camp on the southern edge of the bogs, halfway between the kingsroad and the river. It was there Theon Greyjoy brought them further word from her uncle. â€Å"Ser Brynden says to tell you he's crossed swords with the Lannisters. There are a dozen scouts who won't be reporting back to Lord Tywin anytime soon. Or ever.† He grinned. â€Å"Ser Addam Marbrand commands their outriders, and he's pulling back south, burning as he goes. He knows where we are, more or less, but the Blackfish vows he will not know when we split.† â€Å"Unless Lord Frey tells him,† Catelyn said sharply. â€Å"Theon, when you return to my uncle, tell him he is to place his best bowmen around the Twins, day and night, with orders to bring down any raven they see leaving the battlements. I want no birds bringing word of my son's movements to Lord Tywin.† â€Å"Ser Brynden has seen to it already, my lady,† Theon replied with a cocky smile. â€Å"A few more blackbirds, and we should have enough to bake a pie. I'll save you their feathers for a hat.† She ought to have known that Brynden Blackfish would be well ahead of her. â€Å"What have the Freys been doing while the Lannisters burn their fields and plunder their holdfasts?† â€Å"There's been some fighting between Ser Addam's men and Lord Walder's,† Theon answered. â€Å"Not a day's ride from here, we found two Lannister scouts feeding the crows where the Freys had strung them up. Most of Lord Walder's strength remains massed at the Twins, though.† That bore Walder Frey's seal beyond a doubt, Catelyn thought bitterly; hold back, wait, watch, take no risk unless forced to it. â€Å"If he's been fighting the Lannisters, perhaps he does mean to hold to his vows,† Robb said. Catelyn was less encouraged. â€Å"Defending his own lands is one thing, open battle against Lord Tywin quite another.† Robb turned back to Theon Greyjoy. â€Å"Has the Blackfish found any other way across the Green Fork?† Theon shook his head. â€Å"The river's running high and fast. Ser Brynden says it can't be forded, not this far north.† â€Å"I must have that crossing!† Robb declared, fuming. â€Å"Oh, our horses might be able to swim the river, I suppose, but not with armored men on their backs. We'd need to build rafts to pole our steel across, helms and mail and lances, and we don't have the trees for that. Or the time. Lord Tywin is marching north . . . † He balled his hand into a fist. â€Å"Lord Frey would be a fool to try and bar our way,† Theon Greyjoy said with his customary easy confidence. â€Å"We have five times his numbers. You can take the Twins if you need to, Robb.† â€Å"Not easily,† Catelyn warned them, â€Å"and not in time. While you were mounting your siege, Tywin Lannister would bring up his host and assault you from the rear.† Robb glanced from her to Greyjoy, searching for an answer and finding none. For a moment he looked even younger than his fifteen years, despite his mail and sword and the stubble on his cheeks. â€Å"What would my lord father do?† he asked her. â€Å"Find a way across,† she told him. â€Å"Whatever it took.† The next morning it was Ser Brynden Tully himself who rode back to them. He had put aside the heavy plate and helm he'd worn as the Knight of the Gate for the lighter leather-and-mail of an outrider, but his obsidian fish still fastened his cloak. Her uncle's face was grave as he swung down off his horse. â€Å"There has been a battle under the walls of Riverrun,† he said, his mouth grim. â€Å"We had it from a Lannister outrider we took captive. The Kingslayer has destroyed Edmure's host and sent the lords of the Trident reeling in flight.† A cold hand clutched at Catelyn's heart. â€Å"And my brother?† â€Å"Wounded and taken prisoner,† Ser Brynden said. â€Å"Lord Blackwood and the other survivors are under siege inside Riverrun, surrounded by Jaime's host.† Robb looked fretful. â€Å"We must get across this accursed river if we're to have any hope of relieving them in time.† â€Å"That will not be easily done,† her uncle cautioned. â€Å"Lord Frey has pulled his whole strength back inside his castles, and his gates are closed and barred.† â€Å"Damn the man,† Robb swore. â€Å"If the old fool does not relent and let me cross, he'll leave me no choice but to storm his walls. I'll pull the Twins down around his ears if I have to, we'll see how well he likes that!† â€Å"You sound like a sulky boy, Robb,† Catelyn said sharply. â€Å"A child sees an obstacle, and his first thought is to run around it or knock it down. A lord must learn that sometimes words can accomplish what swords cannot.† Robb's neck reddened at the rebuke. â€Å"Tell me what you mean, Mother,† he said meekly. â€Å"The Freys have held the crossing for six hundred years, and for six hundred years they have never failed to exact their toll.† â€Å"What toll? What does he want?† She smiled. â€Å"That is what we must discover.† â€Å"And what if I do not choose to pay this toll?† â€Å"Then you had best retreat back to Moat Cailin, deploy to meet Lord Tywin in battle . . . or grow wings. I see no other choices.† Catelyn put her heels to her horse and rode off, leaving her son to ponder her words. It would not do to make him feel as if his mother were usurping his place. Did you teach him wisdom as well as valor, Ned? she wondered. Did you teach him how to kneel? The graveyards of the Seven Kingdoms were full of brave men who had never learned that lesson. It was near midday when their vanguard came in sight of the Twins, where the Lords of the Crossing had their seat. The Green Fork ran swift and deep here, but the Freys had spanned it many centuries past and grown rich off the coin men paid them to cross. Their bridge was a massive arch of smooth grey rock, wide enough for two wagons to pass abreast; the Water Tower rose from the center of the span, commanding both road and river with its arrow slits, murder holes, and portcullises. It had taken the Freys three generations to complete their bridge; when they were done they'd thrown up stout timber keeps on either bank, so no one might cross without their leave. The timber had long since given way to stone. The Twins—two squat, ugly, formidable castles, identical in every respect, with the bridge arching between—had guarded the crossing for centuries. High curtain walls, deep moats, and heavy oak-and-iron gates protected the approaches, the bridge footings rose from within stout inner keeps, there was a barbican and portcullis on either bank, and the Water Tower defended the span itself. One glance was sufficient to tell Catelyn that the castle would not be taken by storm. The battlements bristled with spears and swords and scorpions, there was an archer at every crenel and arrow slit, the drawbridge was up, the portcullis down, the gates closed and barred. The Greatjon began to curse and swear as soon as he saw what awaited them. Lord Rickard Karstark glowered in silence. â€Å"That cannot be assaulted, my lords,† Roose Bolton announced. â€Å"Nor can we take it by siege, without an army on the far bank to invest the other castle,† Helman Tallhart said gloomily. Across the deep-running green waters, the western twin stood like a reflection of its eastern brother. â€Å"Even if we had the time. Which, to be sure, we do not.† As the northern lords studied the castle, a sally port opened, a plank bridge slid across the moat, and a dozen knights rode forth to confront them, led by four of Lord Walder's many sons. Their banner bore twin towers, dark blue on a field of pale silver-grey. Ser Stevron Frey, Lord Walder's heir, spoke for them. The Freys all looked like weasels; Ser Stevron, past sixty with grandchildren of his own, looked like an especially old and tired weasel, yet he was polite enough. â€Å"My lord father has sent me to greet you, and inquire as to who leads this mighty host.† â€Å"I do.† Robb spurred his horse forward. He was in his armor, with the direwolf shield of Winterfell strapped to his saddle and Grey Wind padding by his side. The old knight looked at her son with a faint flicker of amusement in his watery grey eyes, though his gelding whickered uneasily and sidled away from the direwolf. â€Å"My lord father would be most honored if you would share meat and mead with him in the castle and explain your purpose here.† His words crashed among the lords bannermen like a great stone from a catapult. Not one of them approved. They cursed, argued, shouted down each other. â€Å"You must not do this, my lord,† Galbart Glover pleaded with Robb. â€Å"Lord Walder is not to be trusted.† Roose Bolton nodded. â€Å"Go in there alone and you're his. He can sell you to the Lannisters, throw you in a dungeon, or slit your throat, as he likes.† â€Å"If he wants to talk to us, let him open his gates, and we will all share his meat and mead,† declared Ser Wendel Manderly. â€Å"Or let him come out and treat with Robb here, in plain sight of his men and ours,† suggested his brother, Ser Wylis. Catelyn Stark shared all their doubts, but she had only to glance at Ser Stevron to see that he was not pleased by what he was hearing. A few more words and the chance would be lost. She had to act, and quickly. â€Å"I will go,† she said loudly. â€Å"You, my lady?† The Greatjon furrowed his brow. â€Å"Mother, are you certain?† Clearly, Robb was not. â€Å"Never more,† Catelyn lied glibly. â€Å"Lord Walder is my father's bannerman. I have known him since I was a girl. He would never offer me any harm.† Unless he saw some profit in it, she added silently, but some truths did not bear saying, and some lies were necessary. â€Å"I am certain my lord father would be pleased to speak to the Lady Catelyn,† Ser Stevron said. â€Å"To vouchsafe for our good intentions, my brother Ser Perwyn will remain here until she is safely returned to you.† â€Å"He shall be our honored guest,† said Robb. Ser Perwyn, the youngest of the four Freys in the party, dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to a brother. â€Å"I require my lady mother's return by evenfall, Ser Stevron,† Robb went on. â€Å"It is not my intent to linger here long.† Ser Stevron Frey gave a polite nod. â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Catelyn spurred her horse forward and did not look back. Lord Walder's sons and envoys fell in around her. Her father had once said of Walder Frey that he was the only lord in the Seven Kingdoms who could field an army out of his breeches. When the Lord of the Crossing welcomed Catelyn in the great hall of the east castle, surrounded by twenty living sons (minus Ser Perwyn, who would have made twenty-one), thirty-six grandsons, nineteen great-grandsons, and numerous daughters, granddaughters, bastards, and grandbastards, she understood just what he had meant. Lord Walder was ninety, a wizened pink weasel with a bald spotted head, too gouty to stand unassisted. His newest wife, a pale frail girl of sixteen years, walked beside his litter when they carried him in. She was the eighth Lady Frey. â€Å"It is a great pleasure to see you again after so many years, my lord,† Catelyn said. The old man squinted at her suspiciously. â€Å"Is it? I doubt that. Spare me your sweet words, Lady Catelyn, I am too old. Why are you here? Is your boy too proud to come before me himself? What am I to do with you?† Catelyn had been a girl the last time she had visited the Twins, but even then Lord Walder had been irascible, sharp of tongue, and blunt of manner. Age had made him worse than ever, it would seem. She would need to choose her words with care, and do her best to take no offense from his. â€Å"Father,† Ser Stevron said reproachfully, â€Å"you forget yourself. Lady Stark is here at your invitation.† â€Å"Did I ask you? You are not Lord Frey yet, not until I die. Do I look dead? I'll hear no instructions from you.† â€Å"This is no way to speak in front of our noble guest, Father,† one of his younger sons said. â€Å"Now my bastards presume to teach me courtesy,† Lord Walder complained. â€Å"I'll speak any way I like, damn you. I've had three kings to guest in my life, and queens as well, do you think I require lessons from the likes of you, Ryger? Your mother was milking goats the first time I gave her my seed.† He dismissed the red-faced youth with a flick of his fingers and gestured to two of his other sons. â€Å"Danwell, Whalen, help me to my chair.† They shifted Lord Walder from his litter and carried him to the high seat of the Freys, a tall chair of black oak whose back was carved in the shape of two towers linked by a bridge. His young wife crept up timidly and covered his legs with a blanket. When he was settled, the old man beckoned Catelyn forward and planted a papery dry kiss on her hand. â€Å"There,† he announced. â€Å"Now that I have observed the courtesies, my lady, perhaps my sons will do me the honor of shutting their mouths. Why are you here?† â€Å"To ask you to open your gates, my lord,† Catelyn replied politely. â€Å"My son and his lords bannermen are most anxious to cross the river and be on their way.† â€Å"To Riverrun?† He sniggered. â€Å"Oh, no need to tell me, no need. I'm not blind yet. The old man can still read a map.† â€Å"To Riverrun,† Catelyn confirmed. She saw no reason to deny it. â€Å"Where I might have expected to find you, my lord. You are still my father's bannerman, are you not?† â€Å"Heh,† said Lord Walder, a noise halfway between a laugh and a grunt. â€Å"I called my swords, yes I did, here they are, you saw them on the walls. It was my intent to march as soon as all my strength was assembled. Well, to send my sons. I am well past marching myself, Lady Catelyn.† He looked around for likely confirmation and pointed to a tall, stooped man of fifty years. â€Å"Tell her, Jared. Tell her that was my intent.† â€Å"It was, my lady,† said Ser Jared Frey, one of his sons by his second wife. â€Å"On my honor.† â€Å"Is it my fault that your fool brother lost his battle before we could march?† He leaned back against his cushions and scowled at her, as if challenging her to dispute his version of events. â€Å"I am told the Kingslayer went through him like an axe through ripe cheese. Why should my boys hurry south to die? All those who did go south are running north again.† Catelyn would gladly have spitted the querulous old man and roasted him over a fire, but she had only till evenfall to open the bridge. Calmly, she said, â€Å"All the more reason that we must reach Riverrun, and soon. Where can we go to talk, my lord?† â€Å"We're talking now,† Lord Frey complained. The spotted pink head snapped around. â€Å"What are you all looking at?† he shouted at his kin. â€Å"Get out of here. Lady Stark wants to speak to me in private. Might be she has designs on my fidelity, heh. Go, all of you, find something useful to do. Yes, you too, woman. Out, out, out.† As his sons and grandsons and daughters and bastards and nieces and nephews streamed from the hall, he leaned close to Catelyn and confessed, â€Å"They're all waiting for me to die. Stevron's been waiting for forty years, but I keep disappointing him. Heh. Why should I die just so he can be a lord? I ask you. I won't do it.† â€Å"I have every hope that you will live to be a hundred.† â€Å"That would boil them, to be sure. Oh, to be sure. Now, what do you want to say?† â€Å"We want to cross,† Catelyn told him. â€Å"Oh, do you? That's blunt. Why should I let you?† For a moment her anger flared. â€Å"If you were strong enough to climb your own battlements, Lord Frey, you would see that my son has twenty thousand men outside your walls.† â€Å"They'll be twenty thousand fresh corpses when Lord Tywin gets here,† the old man shot back. â€Å"Don't you try and frighten me, my lady. Your husband's in some traitor's cell under the Red Keep, your father's sick, might be dying, and Jaime Lannister's got your brother in chains. What do you have that I should fear? That son of yours? I'll match you son for son, and I'll still have eighteen when yours are all dead.† â€Å"You swore an oath to my father,† Catelyn reminded him. He bobbed his head side to side, smiling. â€Å"Oh, yes, I said some words, but I swore oaths to the crown too, it seems to me. Joffrey's the king now, and that makes you and your boy and all those fools out there no better than rebels. If I had the sense the gods gave a fish, I'd help the Lannisters boil you all.† â€Å"Why don't you?† she challenged him. Lord Walder snorted with disdain. â€Å"Lord Tywin the proud and splendid, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, oh, what a great man that one is, him and his gold this and gold that and lions here and lions there. I'll wager you, he eats too many beans, he breaks wind just like me, but you'll never hear him admit it, oh, no. What's he got to be so puffed up about anyway? Only two sons, and one of them's a twisted little monster. I'll match him son for son, and I'll still have nineteen and a half left when all of his are dead!† He cackled. â€Å"If Lord Tywin wants my help, he can bloody well ask for it.† That was all Catelyn needed to hear. â€Å"I am asking for your help, my lord,† she said humbly. â€Å"And my father and my brother and my lord husband and my sons are asking with my voice.† Lord Walder jabbed a bony finger at her face. â€Å"Save your sweet words, my lady. Sweet words I get from my wife. Did you see her? Sixteen she is, a little flower, and her honey's only for me. I wager she gives me a son by this time next year. Perhaps I'll make him heir, wouldn't that boil the rest of them?† â€Å"I'm certain she will give you many sons.† His head bobbed up and down. â€Å"Your lord father did not come to the wedding. An insult, as I see it. Even if he is dying. He never came to my last wedding either. He calls me the Late Lord Frey, you know. Does he think I'm dead? I'm not dead, and I promise you, I'll outlive him as I outlived his father. Your family has always pissed on me, don't deny it, don't lie, you know it's true. Years ago, I went to your father and suggested a match between his son and my daughter. Why not? I had a daughter in mind, sweet girl, only a few years older than Edmure, but if your brother didn't warm to her, I had others he might have had, young ones, old ones, virgins, widows, whatever he wanted. No, Lord Hoster would not hear of it. Sweet words he gave me, excuses, but what I wanted was to get rid of a daughter. â€Å"And your sister, that one, she's full as bad. It was, oh, a year ago, no more, Jon Arryn was still the King's Hand, and I went to the city to see my sons ride in the tourney. Stevron and Jared are too old for the lists now, but Danwell and Hosteen rode, Perwyn as well, and a couple of my bastards tried the melee. If I'd known how they'd shame me, I would never have troubled myself to make the journey. Why did I need to ride all that way to see Hosteen knocked off his horse by that Tyrell whelp? I ask you. The boy's half his age, Ser Daisy they call him, something like that. And Danwell was unhorsed by a hedge knight! Some days I wonder if those two are truly mine. My third wife was a Crakehall, all of the Crakehall women are sluts. Well, never mind about that, she died before you were born, what do you care? â€Å"I was speaking of your sister. I proposed that Lord and Lady Arryn foster two of my grandsons at court, and offered to take their own son to ward here at the Twins. Are my grandsons unworthy to be seen at the king's court? They are sweet boys, quiet and mannerly. Walder is Merrett's son, named after me, and the other one . . . heh, I don't recall . . . he might have been another Walder, they're always naming them Walder so I'll favor them, but his father . . . which one was his father now?† His face wrinkled up. â€Å"Well, whoever he was, Lord Arryn wouldn't have him, or the other one, and I blame your lady sister for that. She frosted up as if I'd suggested selling her boy to a mummer's show or making a eunuch out of him, and when Lord Arryn said the child was going to Dragonstone to foster with Stannis Baratheon, she stormed off without a word of regrets and all the Hand could give me was apologies. What good are apologies? I ask you.† Catelyn frowned, disquieted. â€Å"I had understood that Lysa's boy was to be fostered with Lord Tywin at Casterly Rock.† â€Å"No, it was Lord Stannis,† Walder Frey said irritably. â€Å"Do you think I can't tell Lord Stannis from Lord Tywin? They're both bungholes who think they're too noble to shit, but never mind about that, I know the difference. Or do you think I'm so old I can't remember? I'm ninety and I remember very well. I remember what to do with a woman too. That wife of mine will give me a son before this time next year, I'll wager. Or a daughter, that can't be helped. Boy or girl, it will be red, wrinkled, and squalling, and like as not she'll want to name it Walder or Walda.† Catelyn was not concerned with what Lady Frey might choose to name her child. â€Å"Jon Arryn was going to foster his son with Lord Stannis, you are quite certain of that?† â€Å"Yes, yes, yes,† the old man said. â€Å"Only he died, so what does it matter? You say you want to cross the river?† â€Å"We do.† â€Å"Well, you can't!† Lord Walder announced crisply. â€Å"Not unless I allow it, and why should I? The Tullys and the Starks have never been friends of mine.† He pushed himself back in his chair and crossed his arms, smirking, waiting for her answer. The rest was only haggling. A swollen red sun hung low against the western hills when the gates of the castle opened. The drawbridge creaked down, the portcullis winched up, and Lady Catelyn Stark rode forth to rejoin her son and his lords bannermen. Behind her came Ser Jared Frey, Ser Hosteen Frey, Ser Danwell Frey, and Lord Walder's bastard son Ronel Rivers, leading a long column of pikemen, rank on rank of shuffling men in blue steel ringmail and silvery grey cloaks. Robb galloped out to meet her, with Grey Wind racing beside his stallion. â€Å"It's done,† she told him. â€Å"Lord Walder will grant you your crossing. His swords are yours as well, less four hundred he means to keep back to hold the Twins. I suggest that you leave four hundred of your own, a mixed force of archers and swordsmen. He can scarcely object to an offer to augment his garrison . . . but make certain you give the command to a man you can trust. Lord Walder may need help keeping faith.† â€Å"As you say, Mother,† Robb answered, gazing at the ranks of pikemen. â€Å"Perhaps . . . Ser Helman Tallhart, do you think?† â€Å"A fine choice.† â€Å"What . . . what did he want of us?† â€Å"If you can spare a few of your swords, I need some men to escort two of Lord Frey's grandsons north to Winterfell,† she told him. â€Å"I have agreed to take them as wards. They are young boys, aged eight years and seven. It would seem they are both named Walder. Your brother Bran will welcome the companionship of lads near his own age, I should think.† â€Å"Is that all? Two fosterlings? That's a small enough price to—† â€Å"Lord Frey's son Olyvar will be coming with us,† she went on. â€Å"He is to serve as your personal squire. His father would like to see him knighted, in good time.† â€Å"A squire.† He shrugged. â€Å"Fine, that's fine, if he's—† â€Å"Also, if your sister Arya is returned to us safely, it is agreed that she will marry Lord Walder's youngest son, Elmar, when the two of them come of age.† Robb looked nonplussed. â€Å"Arya won't like that one bit.† â€Å"And you are to wed one of his daughters, once the fighting is done,† she finished. â€Å"His lordship has graciously consented to allow you to choose whichever girl you prefer. He has a number he thinks might be suitable.† To his credit, Robb did not flinch. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"Do you consent?† â€Å"Can I refuse?† â€Å"Not if you wish to cross.† â€Å"I consent,† Robb said solemnly. He had never seemed more manly to her than he did in that moment. Boys might play with swords, but it took a lord to make a marriage pact, knowing what it meant. They crossed at evenfall as a horned moon floated upon the river. The double column wound its way through the gate of the eastern twin like a great steel snake, slithering across the courtyard, into the keep and over the bridge, to issue forth once more from the second castle on the west bank. Catelyn rode at the head of the serpent, with her son and her uncle Ser Brynden and Ser Stevron Frey. Behind followed nine tenths of their horse; knights, lancers, freeriders, and mounted bowmen. It took hours for them all to cross. Afterward, Catelyn would remember the clatter of countless hooves on the drawbridge, the sight of Lord Walder Frey in his litter watching them pass, the glitter of eyes peering down through the slats of the murder holes in the ceiling as they rode through the Water Tower. The larger part of the northern host, pikes and archers and great masses of men-at-arms on foot, remained upon the east bank under the command of Roose Bolton. Robb had commanded him to continue the march south, to confront the huge Lannister army coming north under Lord Tywin. For good or ill, her son had thrown the dice.