Addicted to Food? Essay

Obesity and overeating are growing problems in America today. In this article by Oliver Grimm, he cited studies that speculate that in 2000 112,000 deaths were caused by obesity. There is also evidence that up to 1/3 of the US population may be considered overweight or obese. These numbers are startling and the root of this problem is under intense debate and scientific inquiry.   This search by scientist has led to many discoveries and theories behind why some people are unable to control their eating habits or their weight. One question that this article attempts to address is â€Å"Is overeating and addiction to food similar to drug addiction and what role does body chemistry play?†. Hormones are the regulators of the human body. There is much current research being aimed at these chemicals within the body and especially how they affect brain chemistry and maybe even addictive behaviors. Dopamine is one hormone that has been examined in both drug addicts and obese individual. Dopamine produces a reward sensation in the brain when we get something we want or when we are surprised. There is some research that says that drug addicts and obese individuals tend to have fewer dopamine receptors in the brain. This may cause them to have the urge to continue consuming food or drugs beyond a normal need. With fewer receptors, the brain may continue to look for ways to sate itself. Research the author cited pointed to rats that were denied dopamine soon would not eat anything. Another chemical that may prove to be important in fighting the obesity epidemic and drug addiction is leptin. This hormone has been shown to curb hunger when it is released from adipose (fat) cells where it eventually reached the hypothalamus. Lab animals deprived of this chemical soon became obese. This hormone may provide a vital link in helping severely obese people control their eating. If individuals have a faulty feedback mechanism or a lack of production of leptin, this may cause them to want to eat more. Other areas to be explored are how certain parts of the brain react to addiction, satiety and pleasure. Areas of the brain that have been researched that Mr. Grimm examines are the amygdala and the orbitofrontalis(OFC).   The amygdale seems to have some involvement in our response to food or drugs when we are hungry for them. It does not seem to be activated as much when we have taken in food or drugs. The OFC is generally thought of as an area of the brain that helps us to maintain rational behavior and use good judgment. This area may be operating differently in addicts. The author says that diet, exercise and lifestyle are the best ways to live healthy and control weight. His view; however, is that all research cited shows. â€Å"the brain processes stimuli related to eating in much the same way that it does to other addictive stimuli†(Grimm, 2007).   For us to have a better understanding of why certain people find it so hard to control their weight we may have to look more at addictive behaviors and the research that has been conducted. â€Å"For all their differences, drug addiction and obesity seem to be two sides of the same coin.† (Grimm, 2007) 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are you being asked to believe in this article? In Mr. Grimm’s article we asked to believe that 9.1% of medical expenditures if for overweight and obese patients. We are also asked to believe that one-third of the US population may be overweight or obese according to studies. Overweight is defined a having a body mass index greater than 25. Simply put, body mass index is your weight divided by your height. We are asked to believe that obesity and being overweight are at epidemic proportions in this country. We are also being asked to believe that much of a person’s behavior when it comes to addiction and food consumption in obese individuals may be directly related to the person’s brain chemistry or factors affecting it. While the author agrees that there are many factors in a healthy lifestyle and behavior control, much of the article deals with research that says that hormones, brain function and chemical activity are huge contributors in how a person reacts to stimuli. Leptin and dopamine are seen as avenues that may lead to breakthroughs in the area of obesity. Areas of the brain such as the amygdala and the OFC are seen as possible areas that may lead to a better understanding of cravings and addictions. I believe that the main idea that the author is trying to convey is that drug addiction and food consumption are very closely related. We are asked to consider that a person who is obese may be in a similar predicament as a drug addict. The article says that drugs that help drug addicts may also help us to treat severe obesity. Again we are asked to parallel the two dilemmas and weigh their relevance to one another. It is hard for people to associate obesity with drug addiction, but Mr. Grimm would like us think otherwise and keep an open mind to the possibility of research in drug addiction that could lead to breakthroughs in obesity and weight management.

Rhetorical Analysis of “Making a Killing off Captivity” by Melissa Richards

Kept in captivity since 1961, orcas have been spectacles for millions of people each year who flock to marine parks around the world in hopes of entertainment and education. The chance to get close to such an incredible creature that one may not have the opportunity to see otherwise is undoubtedly an amazing experience. But Melissa Richards questions in â€Å"Making a Killing off Captivity†, at what cost are we getting this experience? She argues that the positive image big-name aquatic parks create for animals is in actual fact leading people to unknowingly support a cruel industry. Explaining the detrimental effects of taking an orca out of its natural habitat, Richards emphasizes her concern for the conservation of Orcas and the importance of treating these powerful and dangerous creatures with respect. Richards begins by setting a joyful scene of a SeaWorld orca performance, an invitation for the reader to enter a high spirited fun spectacle of an orca. Weighing several tonnes the orca circles, leaps and splashes the delighted audience. Suddenly, the mood shifts horrifically as the trainer becomes victim to an orca attack in front of a stunned audience. The sharp change in mood is established by Richards when she says, â€Å"The show ended to a usual bout of applause and cheers, until ‘Tilly' grabbed his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, by her ponytail and dragged the woman into his tank. † Just as one would think that the spectacle was over, the reader is shocked at the unexpected ending as the audience would have been at Seaworld. The reader's perception of the orca as being a fun loving, friendly creature, emphasized by the amusing nickname ‘Tilly', immediately changes to perceiving the orca as a villain. Richards questions â€Å"what could have prompted this sudden violent outburst from Tilikum, a whale who has been in captivity for almost thirty years? † This question brings new dimension to the matter at hand. Suddenly the situation isn't as black and white as one would have assumed. She elaborates by stating, â€Å"the stress of being captive and made to perform daily had elicited a frustration against his trainer†. Richards manipulates the reader's perception towards the orca, from a villain to a victim. The deliberate changes of perception towards orcas helps in avoiding predictability in Richards' argument, this is an effective way to keep the reader focused and intrigued in her writing. Richards elaborates by stating that captivity has had many detrimental effects on orcas including ‘atypical illnesses, erratic behavior, deformities, neurotic problems and early death'. These conditions bring light to the fact that the matter at hand is life threatening and ‘counterproductive to the goals of wildlife appreciation and conservation'. Intertwining these critical issues of wildlife conservation and animal cruelty, she stresses the urgency in her argument. There is a need to convey the message that action must be taken immediately. It is acknowledged that to know whether the orcas are being mistreated in their artificial habitat, we must know the natural habitat of an orca. Richards does a commendable job of familiarizing the reader the sheer magnitude of a creature that many people are unknown to via statistics. Travelling â€Å"one hundred nautical miles every day† (qtd Landeau 1) and weighing â€Å"1. to 3. 6 tons† it is no wonder that their power and strength has earned them the nickname of the â€Å"wolves of the sea†. Despite the general unfamiliarity of these exotic creatures, Richards draws comparisons of the behavior and characteristics of Orcas to that of humans. Orcas have been found to create social and familial bonds with one another, The idea that whales share similar bonds to thei r family as we do encourages the readers to change their belief that whales may not be as alien of a species as they had imagined. This is further elaborated when Richards states â€Å"Mothers are the main caretakers of their offspring, but fathers will remain with their own matriarchal pod, helping to care for the young within this maternal line. † Words such as â€Å"caretakers†, â€Å"helping† and â€Å"care† appeal to the reader's emotions as we see how affectionate the orca species can be within their pod just as we are affectionate to our kin. â€Å"The familial bonds within orca pods are very strong and only can be broken through death and capture of member† (qtd Williams 9). Suddenly, the loving image of an orca pod is brought back to our harsh reality as she clearly states that captivity devastates innocent orca families. While Richards draws emphasis to the social behavior of orcas, she also informs us of their impressive cognitive abilities. â€Å"orcas are one of the few animals besides humans to have such distinctive language and shared speech patterns among individuals living in the same area† This shows that not only do orcas have strong communal bond with each other, they also communicate so effectively that this is a rare occurrence in the animal kingdom. She stresses the similarity between the reader and the orca species here, this creates familiarity. Moreover, she compares the habitat and behavior of orcas in the wild to those held captive in marine parks. Incorporating the opinion of a former Seaworld trainer (Jeffrey Ventre), a truly credible source considering her experience, the argument is strengthened by a bold statement. â€Å"the SeaWorld system is the best of all seaquaria in the world, if I was an orca, that would be the last place I'd want to live† This suggests that even at its best, marine parks and seaquarias are far from the ideal habitat for an orca. Ventre compares an orca tank to â€Å"an acoustically dead cement pond† emphasizing the numbing atmosphere of a captive orca's habitat. Case studies of orcas being neurologically and physically damaged because of captivity add credibility to Richards case. Due to â€Å"inadequate space in which to swim† (qtd Williams 52), the dorsal fins of an orca can collapse. This could happen as a result of colliding with the side of the small tank. The size of orca tanks can have great effect on the neurological stability of an orca where some have been documented to self induce physical damage. According to ‘Listening to Whales' by Alexandra Morton, a young killer whale was observed â€Å"rushing over to a particular spot and banging her head against the underside of a dock†. Swimming in circles and being separated from their families causes the orca to become neurotic. Isolation can be severely detrimental for an orca as some are forced to be in solitary confinement. If orcas cannot adapt to captivity they are made to endure horrifying conditions as in the case study of â€Å"Junior† who died â€Å"lethargic and psychotic† after being kept in an indoor pool without natural light and other orcas. Richards emphasized that orcas are highly social creatures so the idea that it is common practice for captive orcas to be isolated is truly shocking. To further support her argument, Richards shows us how captivity is harmful to orcas with the use of numbers and statistics. After the first orca was taken into captivity in 1961 â€Å"at least 106 (79%) are now dead† (qtd Williams 4). The average lifespan of an orca is approximately sixty to eighty years, which means the majority of orcas do not die from a natural death. This is addressed when Richards states â€Å"one in five of these deaths were a result of avoidable or preventable causes†. It is clear that preventing the death of orcas is not unachievable if more people knew the risks of captivity. Richards appeals to the reader by explaining how the relationship between a mother orca and it's offspring can be heartbreakingly affected by living in a tank. After a giving birth to a series of orcas that died in weeks, â€Å"Corky† the killer whale was encountering a problem in which her offspring could not instinctually find the spot on Corky to nurse on. This is because of the circular nature of the tank. In the wild, orcas travel in straight lines that make it easier for the offspring to feed. Corky had been continuously pregnant for almost ten years and â€Å"finally at the young age of twenty one, Corky stopped ovulating. † † The death of multiple innocent babies that was so easily avoidable is tragic and makes the reader sympathize with these creatures. Other occurrences that may not be seen in the wild is aggression between orcas. Richards documents a sickening account of two orcas fighting aggressively. â€Å"As Kandu hemorrhaged into the tank and spouted blood from her blowhole onto the stage, SeaWorld staffed ushered a shocked audience out of the audience†¦ This gruesome event graphically conveys the point that captivity induces strange behavior in orcas, ultimately due to neurological damage. This study makes a point of noting the sheer strength and ferocity that an orca can possess. Overall I believe Richards does a commendable job of conveying her argument. She uses credible sources and reliable statistics in order to support her point of view. I have personally been to an orca show in California, reading this article made me reflect on that experience and completely change my percep tion. At the time the experience was completely positive and almost magical as we stepped in to a fantasy land where Shamu was almost a cartoon character, jumping and leaping out of glee. Reading this article has made me realize that Shamu is far from an enchanting Disney character but is actually one of the fiercest, most powerful predators in the ocean. Richards has achieved this with her various case studies that enlightened me on the magnitude of an orca and its ability to kill not only humans but other orcas too. She has persuaded the reader to support her argument with the use of emotions. However, Richards has made an effort to avoid rambling needlessly to provoke empathy by using clear facts to accompany her opinions. An aspect of her research paper that I would change would be the incorporation of the Vancouver Aquarium. The aim of Richards argument was to eliminate captivity in order to conserve the orca population and animal cruelty. However, she has shown Vancouver aquarium in a positive light by stating it â€Å"eliminates parallel surfaces, reduces noise transmission and improves acoustics within the water†. Although Vancouver Aquarium vowed to end orca shows after the death of an orca in their aquarium, I believe Richards message in this quotation is that these conditions are acceptable for an orca in captivity. My personal belief is that no orca should be taken from their natural habitat and away from their pod at all. I believe that this article was written at a point in time that it was needed the most. Conservation and wildlife protection is of utmost importance as hundreds of species a day are rapidly moving towards extinction. This article has shown that we need to be more aware of how we treat animals. Ultimately, Richards has done a fantastic job of educating the reader about a topic that is alien to many. With the use of powerful statistics, thought provoking points and emotional case studies, she has produced a strong argument. The ultimate reaction I believe many readers will walk away from this article with is disappointment, distaste and disillusionment towards orca shows and marine parks. The next time one makes a trip to SeaWorld they must question whether they are going for a day of education and entertainment or whether they are supporting a business built on exploitation of innocent orcas.

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing chemical equations 1. Complete the following sentences, using the words or groups of words in the box below. You may use some words more than once. †¢ as small as possible |†¢ decrease |†¢ molecules |†¢ quantities | |†¢ balance |†¢ different |†¢ nature |†¢ rearranging | |†¢ bonds |†¢ equal |†¢ never |†¢ release of a gas | |†¢ characteristic properties |†¢ heat |†¢ new elements |†¢ rules | |†¢ check |†¢ increase |†¢ nuclear |†¢ signs | |†¢ chemical |†¢ law of conservation |†¢ nucleus |†¢ state | |†¢ chemical equation |of mass |†¢ physical |†¢ stoichiometry | |†¢ coefficient |†¢ mass of products |†¢ precipitate |†¢ subscript symbols | |†¢ colour |†¢ mass of reactants |†¢ products |†¢ transformed | |†¢ counting |†¢ molar mass |†¢ proportions |†¢ whole numbers | a)There are three types of changes in matter: ________________________ changes, chemical changes and ________________________ changes. b)A physical change occurs when the form or the ________________________ of a substance is changed. For example, when liquid water is cooled, it becomes ice.Whether water is in liquid form or in the form of ice, the ________________________ that form water remain the same. The ________________________ of water do not change. c)A ________________________ change alters the ________________________ of a substance. The very nature of the ________________________ is altered: they are no longer the same after the change. This transformation involves ________________________ the bonds between the atoms and forming new molecules. d)A ________________________ transformation involves changes that occur in the ________________________ of the atom. The transformation causes the atoms to split and form ________________________. ) Chemical changes occur when the ________________________ between reactants (initial substances) are broken to form new ________________________ (final substances), whose characteristic properties are ________________________. During this process, the quantities of reactants ________________________, and the quantities of products ________________________. f) We can recognize that a chemical change has taken place by certain ________________________: the ________________________, the emission or absorption of ________________________, the emission of light, a change in ________________________, and the formation of a ________________________. ) A chemical change, or chemical reaction, can be represented by a ________________________, which shows how the change took place. It is useful to identify the ________________________ of the substances (solid, liquid, gas or aqueous solution) with ________________________ in parentheses to the right of the substance. h) The scientist Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier made this famous statement that expla ins the________________________: â€Å"Nothing is lost; nothing is created; everthing is ________________________. † This means that the ________________________ before the chemical reaction is equal to the ________________________ after the reaction. ) To follow the law of conservation of mass, we must ________________________ chemical equations by ________________________ the number of atoms of each element on the reactants side and on the products side of the equation. The appropriate ________________________ must be placed in front of each substance so that the number of atoms on each side of the equation is ________________________. j) Certain ________________________ must be followed when balancing a chemical equation. The coefficients must be ________________________, and they must be ________________________. New substances must ________________________ be added, nor existing substances removed.Subscripts in chemical formulas must ________________________ be changed. Finally, we must ________________________ the equation by comparing the number of atoms of each element on either side. k) When a chemical equation is properly balanced, we can find the ________________________ of reactants needed for a reaction and predict the resulting quantities of products. ________________________ is the study of these proportions. It is essential to maintain the ________________________ of the substances throughout the reaction. We can use ________________________ to convert moles into grams. 2. What kind of change is described by each of the following examples? |a) a worn tire | | | |b) limewater that turns white | | | |c) a bracelet that tarnishes | | | |d) the fission of a uranium nucleus | | | |e) rusting iron | | | |f) mercury that expands in hot weather | | | |g) the fusion of the nuclei of several atoms | | | |h) food being transformed into energy | | | |i) salt dissolving in water | | | |j) radium emitting radiation | | 3.For each of the following exam ples, name at least one sign that a chemical change is occurring. a) A match burns. | | | b) A yellow substance appears when NaI is mixed with Pb(NO3)2. | | | c) Bubbles form when chalk is mixed with hydrochloric acid. | | | d) A bright light appears when a piece of magnesium is burned. | | 4. Write a chemical formula to represent the following situation. Aluminum oxide (AlO), commonly called alumina, is formed by the reaction between aluminum (Al) and oxygen (O2). Balance the equation. | | | | | | 5. Balance each of the following chemical equations by indicating the number of atoms in each molecule involved in the reaction. a) C(s)+ H2(g) + O2(g) ( CH3OH(g) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | b)Al(s) + O2 (g) ( Al2O3(s) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | c)C(s) + Cl2(g) + H2(g) ( CHCl3(g) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6.The decomposition of 10 g of copper oxide is represented by the following equation: 2 CuO(s) ( 2 Cu(s) + O2(g) If you obtain 8 g of copper, what am ount of oxygen was released? Explain your answer. | | | | | | | | | | | | 7. Calculate the mass and the number of moles of silver produced if you make 10  mol of zinc react with sufficient silver nitrate. (The equation is not balanced. Zn(s) + AgNO3(aq) ( Ag(s) + Zn(NO3)2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8. What mass of glucose will be formed if you make 32  mol of hydrochloric acid react with sufficient carbon? (The equation is not balanced. ) HCl(l) + C(s) ( C10H16(aq) + Cl2(g) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9. Given the reaction for the synthesis of ammonia: N2(g) + 3 H2(g) ( 2 NH3(g) How many moles of hydrogen are needed to produce 50  g of ammonia? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10. Given the following equation: 2 Na(s) + 2 H2O(l) ( 2 NaOH(aq) + H2(g) How many moles of hydrogen will be produced by the complete reaction of 75  g of sodium? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ———â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Support activities – Second Year of Secondary Cycle Two |EST | | student BOOK: Chapter 4, pages 108–113 | | Related Handout: Concept review 15 | ACTIVITY 15 EST EST EST EST EST ———————–  ©ERPI Reproduction and adaptation permitted solely for classroom use with Observatory. Observatory / Guide 11129-B

Business ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business ethics - Assignment Example The mid 1900 brought a remarkable change in the attitude of the people of the United States towards society and business. Towards the end of the decade, dramatic acceleration of interest towards business ethics can be found within the big corporations as well as within academia. After the World War II the United States rose to the position of a dominant economic power in the globe. Multinational corporations based in America were expanding in size and increasing in importance. The public image of the business world steadily got altered with big businesses replacing small and medium-sized businesses. Corporations progressively started to find them more subject to public scrutiny and open criticism. This led them to respond to this changing scenario by turning sincerely to the needs of the society and developing a solid impression of social responsibility. With this initiative, corporate organizations started to launch various programs encompassing their responsibility towards the soci ety. Companies began to spend considerable sum of money for advertising these programs and for the promotion of the social benefit produced by these programs (George, 2012). All companies come into business and function with a profit maximization objective. However, it is important for corporate organizations to acknowledge that this objective has to be fulfilled along with the fulfilment of the social responsibility of the organizations; this necessitates the adherence to business ethics. Although providing high returns to the company’s shareholders remains the prime objective for any business firm, the concept of business ethics advocates that these objectives cannot be achieved at the cost of moral, environmental and social considerations. A long-term business can only prosper if it successfully satisfies the needs of the other stakeholders in the society, such as employees, customers, communities and the governments. Also, long term goals of the organization can come true if its activities are sustainable and do not contradict with the requirements of the environment. Absolute and relative ethics The concepts of 'absolute' ethics and 'relative' ethics are defined with respect to morality. Theory of absolute ethics indicates that it would not alter with change in time. Therefore, absolute ethics are universal and ever-unchanging. Theory of ethics allows ethical issues to be judged with reference to the respective environment in which the theory is applied. Relative ethics is hence flexible and context specific (Spencer, 2010). According to some experts, in the real world, there is no such existence of the concept of absolute ethics (Francis and Mishra, 2009). Ethics reveal the characteristics of an individual and therefore the ethical considerations of a firm reflect the characteristics of the firm, which is actually a collection of several individuals. Since ethical inquiry seeks justification of the actions of the firm’s actions, and because every action has an outcome that are often found to be varied in varied environments, business ethics is relative in nature (Agalgatti and Krishna, 2007). It is important

I need to support these results by theoretical and empirical Thesis

I need to support these results by theoretical and empirical discussion from the previous study - Thesis Example In practice also, an empirical study by Professor Michael R. Powers and Martin Shubik seems to suggest that for any given nation or region such as the GCC, the positional market should be approximated to be equated to the square-root of the number of primary insurers in that given active market (Bennaceur and Goaied, 2001). What this also seem to suggest is that the number of primary insurers in an active market is always instrumental to the reinsurance dependence that will bring about total returns, which includes stock returns. Whiles this remains a valid argument, the correspondence between reinsurance dependence and stock returns in GCC insurance companies can easily be judged as either being positive or negative and whether the relationship is significant or insignificant. Looking critically at the GCC as a regional market, it can be realized that the major motive behind ceding companies in their reinsurance bids have had to do with a need to exchange insurance risk for credit risk. Because of this, there is always much care in ensuring that the reinsurer has an optimistic financial rating. Meanwhile, the chat below shows that as far as the total gross written premiums of insurance companies for the past 4 years are concerned, there have been significant rise across the entire GCC. What this means is that ceding companies always have enough grounds to bid into reinsurance, knowing that there are favorable financial rating. On the part of the reinsurers however, they would certainly benefit from as much increased stock returns as there are increases in the premiums. This positive relation is however described to be insignificant as this has not led to growth in primary business (Judge, et al, 2000) as the backbone of the reinsuring trade deals. A well articulated discussion on the relationship that presently exists between affiliated investment and stock returns in GCC insurance companies could best be outlined if the discussion is taken from the

Qatar's CO2 Emissions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Qatar's CO2 Emissions - Research Paper Example Considering the global drive to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment, Qatar has begun taking initiatives to keep its share of the global carbon emissions and greenhouse gases in check. The urgency to introduce measures to reduce its carbon footprint came to global notice after the UNDP Human Development Report of 2007 identified it as being the highest contributor to global carbon emissions with per capita CO2 emissions being 79.3 tones/capita (â€Å"Combating Qatars CO2 emissions, Carbon World 2009 addresses reduction†). Carbon dioxide and other GHGs such as sulphur dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides liberated upon burning fossil fuels have massive negative effects on the environment. These gases upon accumulation over the earth cause climatic changes due to global warming, which in turn affect other ecological features of the planet. CO2 and GHGs allow the sun’s heat to reach the earth’s surface; however, they do not allow the infrared light or heat emitted by the earth’s surface from leaving (Williams 6). This process results in the accumulation of heat on earth, much like what happens in a greenhouse. The trapping of heat results in global warming which in turn causes massive alterations in global climates. These climatic changes affect forests, vegetation, agriculture, and rainfall, apart from causing a rise in sea level by melting the polar ice sheets (ReVelle and ReVelle 376). Such changes adversely affect all life forms on earth. However, as Williams points out, the process that is actually occurring is more complex than greenhouse effect and global warming (6). He reasons that the earth is not a perfect sphere and has irregular features on its surface such as mountain ranges, forests, oceans, polar ice caps, etc. Not two regions display the same response to excess CO2  ­and GHGs in the environment. Therefore, as Williams argues, â€Å"future climate change is regional, not

Do you consider that the 13th Company Law Directive is the right Essay

Do you consider that the 13th Company Law Directive is the right instrument to achieve an effective pan-European market for corporate control and to facilitate cross-border takeovers - Essay Example The Commission perceived that the Directive on takeovers was necessary for pan-European corporate control via the reconstruction of common rules and procedures applicable to the single market and minority shareholder protection in takeovers.4 It has been a long standing goal of the EC to harmonize company laws among the Member States, an area of EC law plagued by diversity.5 The question for consideration, is whether or not the 13th Company Law Directive is able to contribute to achieving this goal and thereby serve as the right instrument for pan-European market for corporate control and at the same time facilitate cross-border takeovers. It will be argued that the 13th Company Law Directive does not live up to its mandate since it fails to provide for harmonization of anti-takeover defenses by allowing Member States to opt out.6 Other residual threats to harmonization and by extension, threats to a pan-European market for corporate control, and the facilitation of cross-border takeovers will be explored. Article 8 of EC Directive 2004/24/EC presents an obvious problem for pan-European corporate control and the facilitation of takeovers. Article 8 provides that Member States are required to regulate that the targeted company’s board: â€Å"†¦at the latest after receiving the information (on an unsolicited bid) and until the bid is made public or the bid lapses, †¦should abstain from completing any action other than seeking alternative bids which may result in the frustration of the offer, and notably from issuing any shares which may result in a lasting impediment to the offer or to obtain control over the offeree company, unless it has the prior authorization of the general meeting of shareholders given for this purpose, during the period of acceptance of the bid.†7 It is important to note that from a transborder perspective, Article 8 is fraught with difficulties since it

Issue of increase in the length of annual report Essay

Issue of increase in the length of annual report - Essay Example All of this means that a prospective reader of the report will have to analyze a large number of pages to reach to appropriate conclusion. The analysis of this report is to analyze the issues arising out of increase in the length of annual reports. The first section of the essay covers the major reasons of increase in length. The second section analyzes the impact of the larger size in terms of effectiveness of communication to appropriate stakeholders and the problems therein. We will then conclude with the possible solutions to the problems identified. Reasons for increase in the length of annual report One of the primary reasons for the increase in the length of the annual report is the imposition with regards to the representation of information in annual reports. The various statutory laws and the mandatory disclosure that the organizations have to make in their annual reports: Director’s reports including business review: This section which has been made mandatory by the Companies Act (CA 2006) shall cover the performance of the company including analysis of the significant developments happening in the company and the industry, analysis of key financial indicators, the trends in the industry, employee information, the macro and industry level environment factors along with social and community issues and initiatives. The operating and Financial Review: These guidelines published by the ASB’s reporting statement have made it voluntary for organizations to publish the operating and financial review. For example discussion on investment in intangible assets such as brands and liquidity is a very important requirement for organizations. The 2008 Annual report of Reed Elsevier and Great Portland Estate’s annual report such discussions in length. Corporate Governance disclosure: The Listing Rules, The Disclosure and Transparency Rules (DTR), The Combined Code and supporting guidance make it mandatory for a firm listed in UK to make stateme nt of its application and compliance to the main principles of the Code. There are additional requirements imposed on by the Turnbull Guidance (on internal controls), the ‘FRC Guidance’ on audit committees. The organization is also required to ascertain its status as a going concern in the annual report through appropriate explanations. Some of the other additional items that are required as per various statutory laws in the annual reports include: Responsibility statement from the appropriate selected member Director’s liabilities for disclosures Information on gap between gender pay Greenhouse gas emissions Audit The Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) has also resulted in additional business review requirements in the annual reports of the listed organizations. Material contracts: Lord Sainsbury in 2006 also suggested adding certain important material contracts of the firm with suppliers as well as buyers that have a significant impact on the business. Certain annual reports contain certain information that is not relevant to any of the stakeholders. In addition, organizations also indulge in reporting information that does not change from year to year in annual reports. Immaterial disclosures that make it difficult for the reader to identify and analyze relevant information also increase the length of annual report. Such type of information has been called ‘clutter’ by the ASB. Majority of the clutter in the annual

Empowering through a Self-Sufficiency Strategy Essay

Empowering through a Self-Sufficiency Strategy - Essay Example To overcome the difficulties faced by the tsunami, all NGO's working in that area contributed a lot. Their activities were focussed in areas like physical well being of the victims akin to food clothing and shelter, mental aspects relating to sense of security, reinstating relationships and the economic side comprising of funds as well as resources required for daily life. The initial response of NGO's was to supply materials like food, clothing, napkins etc. More over they also concentrated in the removal of debris, dead bodies of humans and animals. Besides these activities, other services like ensuring clean drinking water, community medical camps, immunization programmes, trauma counselling etc was also done (Arnold.J.P.S. 2005). The devastation caused by the tsunami in the coastal regions has created a new challenge for NGO's working in that area, particularly in the field of water purification. To face the challenging situation NGO's have developed and installed equipments in t he region. (Asian Tsunami concentrates minds around the world. 2006.) The civil wars taking place in Afghanistan and Iraq has increased the misery of the common man living there. During the latter half of the year 2005 many natural disasters occurred in different parts of the world. Large scale of destruction has occurred. The most important effect of war on the society is the destruction of the victim's social environment, their natural living instincts and history as well as identity of their cultures (Zwi.A.B 2000 July 22). The roles that various NGO's play in Iraq are vital. At present they have tailored to the present situation of mistrust, doubt etc. NGO's have adopted the coordination mechanism which helps to locate the needy as well as to understand the situation. To cater to the present needs, NGO's have triggered the field related emergency arrangements. Due to the crisis in Iraq over 8 million people are in need for humanitarian aid. This situation has arisen due to a number of causes like corrupted basic services, failure of finding livelihoods, and uncontrolled price rises. The sadder side of Iraq is that the government and other agencies have a limited role to solve the crisis because of the lack of chance to contact the population. (NGOs Coordination Committee in Iraq. 2007). During the rehabilitation process of the Afghan war, funds around 35 million were distributed for developing the health services sector. NGO's working in the health sector of Afghanistan has brought significant changes and success in the area. Preparation of separate waiting room for female patients and a completely renovated delivery room accompanied by a neo natal ward equipped with modern equipments were also established. For the disposals of clinical waste, pits were dug up and steel and brick furnaces were constructed. NGO"s has also appointed their own staff for monitoring these activities also. (A Formula for Success in Afghanistan) The dangerous war fields of Congo, Sudan and Uganda in Africa are among the most dangerous places to live in. this fact was published by a poll conducted by Reuters. The most affected are children and woman who always find themselves in the receiving end. (Rowling.M. 7-7-2006) Rowling.M. 7-7-2006. The world's 10 worst child danger spots. According to

Christian Worldview Essay Example for Free

Christian Worldview Essay There is a universal absolute truth that can be known – God is the Ultimate reality. Life has meaning and purpose – death is not the end. History is purposeful and illustrates the movement toward the fulfillment of God’s plan for His creation. Human beings are created in the image of God – physical and spiritual beings who can know and relate to God. Everything that exists is a creation of God’s intelligent design. †¢The Importance of Testing a Worldview Samples (2007) states, â€Å"A person’s worldview is the prism through which one makes sense of life and death. Therefore it is critical to have a view that is genuinely clear and distinct† (p. 27). My worldview provides the basis for all of my decisions, thoughts, and actions. For this reason, I want to make sure that the prism I am using has no cracks or inconsistencies in it that will distort my vision. By applying three major tests, I will be able to determine the validity of my worldview and deepen my faith through truth. †¢Three Major Tests According to Cosgrove (2006), the following questions should be asked: Test of EvidenceÃ'Ž â€Å"Is your worldview in agreement with scientific and experiential observations? Does the worldview fit the world? † (p. 66). Test of Logical Consistency â€Å"Does every belief in the worldview agree with every other belief in that worldview? † (p. 67). Test of Existential Repugnance â€Å"Is it possible to live the worldview in the world – can it be lived in real life? † (p. 68). †¢Results Test of Evidence †¢Human biochemical design is completely different than any other species on Earth. †¢Human †¢Human mind is complex and capable of thought and reasoning.beings have personality and character and the only species on Earth with linguistic abilities. †¢Human beings are instilled with an intrinsic desire for truth, morality, purpose, and destiny. †¢Human †¢All beings have free will and the ability to choose. organisms are designed with a tendency toward selfpreservation. †¢Everything in existence (mankind, animals, nature, the Universe) has intentional design, purpose, and order. †¢Results Test of Logical Consistency †¢Human beings have self-awareness, language, creativity, and the ability to communicate. †¢Each human has a basic personality make-up of mind, will, feelings, emotions, and personal identity. †¢Everything that has been created can be investigated and known because it is rational, ordered, and predictable. †¢There †¢There are absolute moral laws reflecting the character and nature of God. is unity of spiritual and physical worlds – a reality beyond the material world (the substance of which is beyond the comprehension of mankind). †¢. Human beings are spiritually motivated and have an inherent need to believe in something greater than themselves. †¢Creation reveals God’s character and nature. †¢Results Test of Existential Repugnance †¢History proves deterioration of societal morals, values, and behavior when God is removed from the cultural equation. †¢Fulfillment is experienced when actions and behavior reflect God’s nature and character. †¢Evidence provided within the church by those who share likeminded worldviews that the worldview can be lived out in real life. †¢Above all, I live my worldview in real life daily and experience spiritual growth, diminished self-centeredness, and expanding trust in Him on a continual basis. †¢Reaction to the Results For the first time in my life, I was able to see in black and white just how much God has done for me and the depth of healing that has occurred within my mind and soul. I have experienced a worldview without God. It is a life devoid of hope, trust, and love. I realized that I still have so much to learn, but I am convinced I am on the right track and living as I was created to live. My worldview will continue to develop through experiences that bring more clarity of His character through faith and learning. Recent World Events †¢Effect of World Events on Worldview Recent world events have served to solidify my worldview and confirm the truth of God’s word in the Bible. Genesis 3:7-19 documents how we have come to live in a fallen world (NKJV). As a result, the world has to contend with sickness, sorrow, evil and death. As I see world events occur, I know that I am seeing through my own eyes the truth being revealed before me. We live in a broken world. Whether natural disasters or manmade tragedies, I know that God can see what I can’t see. Through my own experiences, I have come to know with all my heart that I can trust that God is in control. Because of this, I have no need to fear the world events that occur, but instead recognize that it is all part of His plan to redeem His people and fulfill the purpose He has for His creation. Because of this, I need not fear what is happening, but use it as the opportunity to show the love of Jesus Christ through compassion and willingness to help. †¢Ways Recent Events Have Changed Worldview The real test for my worldview comes in putting my beliefs into action. It is one thing to say, but quite another to go the extra mile and do. Recent world events have caused me to look inside and muster up the courage to act on what I believe. Amazingly, I have discovered that each time I do reach out and become involved, my love for God and others deepens, the truth of His word becomes more obvious, and my awareness of who He is expands through practical application. †¢Conclusion The presuppositions making up my worldview can never be proven or demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt. Faith is essential, for by faith, I am entrusting myself to God. As I entrust myself to God I receive certainty, connection, and the ground for my existence. It is this entrusting that I meet God in myself and in creation, even as God meets me. Through faith, I am graciously renewed. I experience connection with self, others, creation, and God, who is the healing power and sustaining ground of my life. This commitment to faith integrates and guides my daily experience. †¢In the Final Analysis My worldview is as individual as I am. Shaped by experience, my worldview has evolved to what it is today. I have discovered God’s Truth because my life is evidence of the truth. I tried every technique, medication, and therapy known to man trying to change my life – the results were nil until I became saved. God orchestrated changes within me that have transformed my being. Only God had the capability to heal my soul-sickness and fill the empty void within me that I had felt my entire life. I may not have all of the answers, but one thing I do have is unshakable faith and belief born on the evidence I have seen (and lived). †¢A Parting Thought As clearly illustrated in his admonishment to the believers in Colossae, the Apostle Paul understood the importance of testing one’s worldview; â€Å"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. † (Colossians 2:8, NKJV). Just as it was important then, this reproach should be heeded today. †¢References Cosgrove, M. (2006). Foundations of Christian thought: Faith, learning and the Christian worldview. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications. Samples, K. (2007). A world of difference: Putting Christian truth-claims to the worldview test. Dartmouth: Baker Books.

Literature Review On Green Logistics

Literature Review On Green Logistics The United States consumes 20.8 million barrels of oil everyday which leads the world; China is a distance second with 7.5 million barrels per day (Oil consumption, retrieved 8 Apr 2011). The number one transportation fuel used in the United States is gasoline and that fuel is used to keep our approximately 250 million vehicles running. Today there are about 250 million vehicles on the roads that use gasoline with the average miles driven at about 12 thousand per year (Gasoline explained, retrieved 8 Apr 2011). It doesnt take a rocket scientist to understand how dependent Americans are on their vehicles and that we will only change our habits if given an affordable choice. The auto maker that provides the cheapest and most reliable options to go green is the one who will reap the benefits of profit. Even though many loyal consumers may continue to purchasing GM vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green to stay competitive because fuel prices are on the rise and competitors are passing them up by providing more fuel efficient options. There are many challenges facing todays automakers. A dilemma has developed in the auto industry as it pertains to profit and or moral responsibility. Auto production is not as profitable as before because of a flood of choices in vehicles. The auto industry makes money by mass producing a style of vehicle the consumer is asking for. On top of all that the government continues to introduce strict environmental regulation that auto makers must conform to. A perfect storm has developed between the auto makers and environmental responsibility in an effort to meet the challenges of producing a sustainable and profitable industry for the future (Nieuwenhuis, P., Wells, P., and retrieved 8 Apr 2011) The transition to a new business model has not come easily. In 2008 the General Motors Corporation sat on the edge of going into bankruptcy needing the United States government to bail it out with a $13.4 billion loan. President Bush expressed his concern fearing that liquidating the company would cause even more economic hardship in America (Hinton, C., 2008). In mid-2009 GM finally declared bankruptcy even after the $13.4 billion dollar loan given by the government a year before. The bankruptcy would only negatively affect a portion of the organization that would later be called the bad GM that included the undesirable parts of GM like older factories, unpopular brands, and healthcare and pension liabilities. The Good GM that included the more desirable modern factories and popular auto brands would be spared in the downsizing and reemerged in the new GM in July 2009 (McCracken, J., 2009). Most realize that supply and demand is the backbone of any for profit organization. In the case of GM or any other supplier, production is driven by the customer or consumer. If the customer wants hybrids-electric vehicles the auto manufacturer will supply them if they dont there will not be any regardless of any perceived moral responsibility of the auto maker. With that understanding the need to look into GM further to find the trigger events is necessary. Remember trigger events are the things that cause an organization to change (Spector, 2010, p.18). With General Motors some of the triggers came in the form of the commodities needed to produce the vehicles. With the increased costs of materials needed to produce vehicles like steel and aluminum GMs profit margins were reduced. The expensive material needed to produce vehicles cannot easily be replaced with a cheaper material so the auto maker is stuck. One interesting perceived trigger for change by GM is oil prices. Keep in min d that oil prices may not be a trigger in the view of GM but is a trigger in the view of the government (who now holds a large part of GMs stock) based on the U.S. oil consumption each year. So in GMs case oil prices are a direct change trigger. The fact is that oil prices affect the day-to-day cost that the consumer pays out more than it affects the auto maker who can absorb the year-to-year cost of rising oil prices. Besides the issue with production cost GM experienced a lot external change triggers through the pressure from the government and the media. With recent attention on the environment and the high cost of fuel GM just as all the other auto manufacturers are now answering the call from customers for less polluting more fuel efficient vehicles. Because GM was known for its large gas guzzling SUVs, luxury cars while other auto manufacturers like Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen were already making fuel efficient vehicles high gas prices became a change trigger for GM. Not only did GM need to make a business model change based on these triggers but they would need to do so in a catch-up mode because the before mentioned organizations already had began developing the technology needed for the change (GM Corporation, 2008). Even though some consumers may continue purchasing GM vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green just to stay competitive because public opinion, pressure from the government and rising fuel costs. The most important reason GM must change its current business model by going green is because their competitors will pass them by and steal their customer base if they dont. As a result of public pressure and the politics of the auto industry GM is simultaneously making progress and history. This year General Motors produced the first production version of a hybrid vehicle called the Chevy Volt. The sale will serve as a test in America to see if consumers will be willing to spend their hard earned money in the name of helping the environment. The event will also serve to test which of two marketing concepts Americans prefer, one is the before mentioned hybrid vehicle with batteries that can be plugged in at your home and recharged and two the series hybrid production car. The Volt is the first to pop through the hybrid-electric market but BMW is ready to release their version hybrid- electric concept. Later this year BMW plans to release the Fisker Karma, a luxury sports sedan (Voelc ker, J., 2011). There are many different approaches to change and just as many opinions of which change model or redesign to use. The answer to which way to go is dependent on the end goals of the organization. General Motors desperately needed to rethink and turnaround their sinking business because they were running out of money and feeling pressure from sluggish sales. As mentioned the GM organization was in need of a change based on the need to stabilize and increase its profits. Part of what GM decided to do fits firmly into the definition of a turnaround which is when an organization doesnt look to change its current business practices to meet the expectations of the stakeholders or consumers but instead reevaluates its assets in an effort to cut the fat. When an organization implements turnaround they streamline and reprioritize the areas critical to increase profits. This was displayed in the actions of GM through their decision to close out dated factories, draw downs, reducing health insur ance, and pension benefits (Spector, 2010, p.15). In many cases turnaround alone is not enough to meet the organizational goals and in the case of GM they needed to look at changing in their organizational business plan. Based on rising oil prices and political pressure from the government and the public through the media the days of gas guzzling SUVs and luxury sedans may be in the past. General Motors now must look at reducing its vehicles dependence on gasoline and branch through organizational redesign into the hybrid-electric vehicle market. One of the triggers that have motivated General Motors to make a change was pressure from the United States government based on their agreement to bailout GM. In a statement on auto industry restructuring by the new CEO of General Motors Frederick Henderson the government has given GM 60-days to come up long-term viability of the company including restructuring of the financial obligations to the bond holders, unions, and other stakeholders. Henderson went on to say General Motors was one or two generations behind in the development of green technologies. He added that hybrids will be one direction GM will go in the new business model and that GM must move quickly to catch up with Toyota and Honda while at the same time advancing the development of their electrically-powered vehicles like the Chevy Volt (WSJ Staff, 2009). General Motors is currently working with over 30 utility companies in the U.S. to work through any issues dealing with the required electrical access in anticipation to its roll out of new electrical vehicles that will be ready in about two years. The partnership includes some big players in the field include Duke Energy, Southern California Edison and the Electrical Vehicle Institute. All the main players will figure out the details such as tax and tax incentives and the locations and times an electric car owner can plug in for a charge or recharging. General Motors engineers are working towards building an enduring infrastructure for green vehicles that will be used in the future. Britta Gross a GM engineer saysWe know that when the vehicle is in the showroom and ready for sale, its got to work seamlessly with the infrastructure. Its the whole picture. We got to make sure the infrastructure is ready. General Motors is getting in on the ground floor with its partnership with the utilities. The groups will develop policies, tax incentives on the expensive green vehicles. The idea is to design electric cars that will be low demand type usage vehicle traveling only abut 40 miles between charges. Other issues GM and their partners will need to work out is the speed in which a vehicle can recharge, voltage, and amperage (Krisher, T., 2009). This month General Motors will be the first of the big three American auto makers to roll out a new electric car known as the Volt. GM is committed to ensuring the Volt is marketed well because they understand how much America needs this type of vehicle. The worlds first mass produced production electrical vehicle will be released in Boston Mass. The Volt is a hybrid-electric vehicle with a gas engine that is only engaged after about 35 miles which is the current one charge battery life. After the 35 miles the electric engine will be replaced by the internal combustion engine. For those Americans who travel the 35 miles or less in their daily travels to work will get indefinite gas mileage. Just in time to charge/track the infinite mileage the Environmental Protection Agency has developed a way to measure the energy used by electric vehicles. The EPA figures the amount of electricity needed to charge the Volts rechargeable battery gives the Volt a fuel rating of about 93 miles per ga llon. The 93 miles per gallon is the highest rating of any vehicle in history for any US car manufacturer. As far as the looks of the Volt which is very important to the American consumer the vehicle looks just like a traditional gas powered vehicle until you open the hood. Under the hood are two electric motors, a four-cylinder gas engine and a huge T-shaped battery pack that runs the vehicle. In 2009 the U.S. government bailed out General Motors and in turn they have pinned their hopes on the Volts success. The Volt is GMs future as far as its advancement in green technology (Kronenberg, J., 2011). Now that General Motors has identified the need to change through the triggers discussed earlier and they then redesigned their business model as well as made some hard choices that fit under the turnaround concept that meet their current and future needs it now time to look at if the changes have been successful. In March 2004 President Obama invested billions of dollars to assist GM and to keep the organization from falling through. The U.S. government also guided GM through a uniqueness of a divided bankruptcy that kept the good GM and cut lose the parts of GM that were losing money. Its widely accepted that GMs bailout has developed into a great success. Just in recent weeks General Motors has announced its highest returns since 1999 a $4.7 billion profit, the first time thats happened since 2004. A year ago sales were 46% lower that present day sales. The expectations are that GM will continue to increase their Market share and their profit margines even in the face of rising fuel prices. In addition to the new growth/profits GM has begun paying back the billions of dollars it owes the U.S. government. The future looks bright as well with GM producing two more new vehicles but the star is the most electric Chevrolet Volt the plug-in-play hybrid car. GM has also advertised that they have m ore new vehicles and technologies on the way (Editorial, 2011). With any organizational change the requirement to reflect objectively to the changes is a must. The importance of revisiting the changes is to ensure the changes made have stuck and that the old habits havent resurfaced. Just because an organization has developed a great strategy that should be successful doesnt mean it will be successful. One way to look back in an effort to identify successes in a winning strategy is to answer a few well thought out questions. The first question should be; does the strategy fit the organizations situation? In the case of GM the change in their business model was designed partly by their external situation in that the U.S. government forced them into developing a strategy that would sustain the organization long term. The strategy also satisfied the internal needs of GM because they needed to reduce the bad GM that was keeping them from turning a profit. The bad side of GM was of course the old factories, unpopular brands and also costly healthcare and benefits. The change satisfied both GM their customers and the U.S. government. The second question is; has the strategy yielded a sustainable competitive advantage? This question is answered in the fact that GM new strategy is innovative in respect to the development of hybrid-electric vehicles and in producing the first production car that is a hybrid. The third question is; Has the strategy produced good financial performance? The answer to this last quest ion is a thundering yes. General Motors based solely on the organizational redesign and updated business model have produced a 46% market value increase compares to pre-strategy implementation (Gamble, J., Thompson, A., 2011). General Motors was by all accounts forced to change the way they conducted business. The economy and GMs stakeholders both applied their unique pressures that included significant a bailout by the U.S. government. If not for the pressures mentioned above who knows if GM would have ever changed their organizational practices. Supply and demand will always drive organizations to change. So you can see that even although consumers may continue to purchase General Motors vehicles regardless of fuel prices, GM must change its current business model by going green in an effort to stay competitive for two main reasons. First, fuel prices are on the rise. But more importantly, GM vehicle competitors like Honda and Toyota will pass them bye if they dont change.

Analysis of Data Mining Tools

Analysis of Data Mining Tools Assignment 2 Data-mining tools use algorithms to sets of information to reveal trends and patterns in the information, which analysts use to develop new business strategies. Analysts use the result from data-mining tools to build models that, when exposed to new information sets, perform a various information analysis functions. The analysts provide business solutions by putting together the analytical techniques and the business problem at hand, which often reveals important new correlations, patterns, and trends. The more common forms of data-mining analysis capabilities include: Cluster analysis Association detection Statistical analysis CLUSTER ANALYSIS Cluster analysis is a method used to isolate a data set into fundamentally unrelated gatherings with the end goal that the individuals from every gathering are as near one another as conceivable to each other and the distinctive gatherings are as far separated as could be expected under the circumstances. Bunch investigation is regularly used to fragment client data for client relationship administration frameworks to help associations recognize clients with comparative behavioral characteristics, for example, groups of best clients or onetime clients. Bunch examination additionally can reveal normally happening designs in data. Data-mining apparatuses that comprehend human dialect are finding sudden applications in prescription. IBM and the Mayo Clinic uncovered shrouded designs in therapeutic records, finding that newborn child leukemia has three particular bunches, each of which most likely advantages from custom fitted medicines. Caroline A. Kovac, general administrator of IBM Life Sciences, expects that mining the records of growth patients for grouping examples will turn up pieces of information indicating the way colossal walks in curing malignancy. An incredible case of group investigation happens when endeavoring to fragment clients in view of postal districts. Understanding the socioeconomics, way of life practices, and purchasing examples of the most beneficial sections of the populace at the postal division level is vital to an effective target showcasing procedure. Focusing on just the individuals who have a high inclination to buy items and administrations will help a top of the line business cut its deals and advertising costs immensely. Seeing every client section by postal district permits a business to decide the significance of every portion. ASSOCIATION DETECTION Whirlpool Corporation, a $4.3 billion home and business apparatus producer, utilizes several RD engineers, information examiners, quality confirmation experts, and client benefit faculty who all cooperate to guarantee that every era of machines is superior to the past era. Whirlpool is a case of an association that is picking up business insight with affiliation identification information mining apparatuses. Association detection uncovers how much factors are connected and the nature and recurrence of these connections in the data. Whirlpools guarantee examination apparatus, for example, utilizes factual investigation to consequently distinguish potential issues, give brisk and simple access to reports, and perform multidimensional examination on all guarantee data. This affiliation location information mining instrument empowers Whirlpools chiefs to take proactive measures to control item surrenders even before the greater part of its clients know about the deformity. The instrument likewise permits Whirlpool staff to dedicate more opportunity to esteem included errands, for example, guaranteeing high caliber on all items as opposed to sitting tight for or physically dissecting month to month reports. Many individuals allude to affiliation discovery calculations as affiliation manage generators since they make tenets to decide the probability of occasions happening together at a specific time or taking after each other in a legitimate movement. Rates more often than not mirror the examples of these occasions; for instance, 55 percent of the time, occasions An and B happened together, or 80 percent of the time that things An and B happened together, they were trailed by thing C inside three days. A standout amongst the most widely recognized types of affiliation location examination is market wicker bin investigation. Showcase wicker container examination breaks down such things as sites and checkout scanner data to recognize clients purchasing conduct and foresee future conduct by distinguishing affinities among clients selections of items and administrations. Showcase wicker container investigation is much of the time used to create advertising effort for cross-offering items and administrations (particularly in managing an account, protection, and back) and for stock control, rack item situation, and other retail and promoting applications. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Statistical analysis performs such limits as information connections, transports, numbers, and change examination. Data mining devices offer learning pros a broad assortment of powerful quantifiable limits so they can quickly fabricate a variety of true models, take a gander at the models doubts and authenticity, and research the diverse models to choose the best one for a particular business issue. Kraft is the producer of immediately obvious sustenance brands, for instance, Oreo, Ritz, DiGiorno, and Kool-Aid. The association realized two data mining applications to ensure solid flavor, shading, notice, surface, and appearance for the lions share of its food lines. One application researched thing consistency and the other separated process assortment diminishing (PVR). The product consistency tools, SENECA (Sensory and Experimental Collection Application), aggregates and inspects information by consigning careful definitions and numerical scales to such qualities as chewy, sweet, crunchy, and smooth. SENECA then structures models, histories, figures, and examples in perspective of customer testing and surveys potential thing redesigns and changes. The PVR gadget ensures relentless flavor, shading, notice, surface, and appearance for every Kraft thing since even little changes in the warming methodology can realize huge abberations in taste. Surveying every gathering technique, from recipe rules to treat blend shapes and sizes, the PVR gadget can make gigantic cost save reserves for each thing. Using these sorts of data burrowing systems for quality control and bundle examination guarantees that the billions of Kraft things that accomplish purchasers yearly will continue tasting mind blowing with every snack. Forecasting is a run of the mill sort of quantifiable examination. Formally described, appraisals are conjectures made on the commence of time-game plan information. Time-game plan information is time-stamped information accumulated at a particular repeat. Instances of time-course of action information join web visits each hour, bargains each month, and calls each day. Deciding data mining mechanical assemblies allow customers to control the time game plan for guaging works out. Exactly when discovering designs and intermittent assortments in esteem based information, use a period course of action figure to change the esteem based information by units of time, for instance, changing week after week information into month to month or general information or hourly information into step by step information. Associations base era, hypothesis, and staffing decisions on a vast gathering of financial and market pointers along these lines. Deciding models allow relationship to consider an extensive variety of variables when choosing. Nestlà © Italiana is a bit of the multinational goliath Nestlà © Group and starting at now summons Italys sustenance industry. The association upgraded bargains assessing by 25 percent with its data mining guaging course of action that enables the associations boss to settle on target decisions in perspective of truths instead of subjective decisions in light of nature. Choosing bargains gauges for intermittent treat store things is a basic and testing errand. In the midst of Easter, Nestlà © Italiana has only four weeks to promote, pass on, and offer its customary things. The Christmas day and age is to some degree additionally, persisting from six to two months, while diverse events, for instance, Valentines Day and Mothers Day have shorter time designations of around one week.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Have Always Enjoyed Mathematics :: College Admissions Essays

I Have Always Enjoyed Mathematics    I have always thoroughly enjoyed Mathematics, and perhaps naturally, I am looking towards a degree course in finance. However, I have other interests beside Mathematics. I believe a Business and Management degree course would be more satisfying because of its diverse elements. When recently I became Deputy Head Girl, my interest in management was awakened. I now have important responsibilities. I have become much more aware of time-management, working as part of a team, setting targets, and representing both the Headmaster and the pupils. Being part of the Sixth Form Council, the school's prefectorial forum, has made me more confident in expressing my opinions, and developing my listening skills.    Working as a clerical assistant in an architectural firm in London for my work experience was very rewarding: I improved my computer skills and my ability to tackle new situations. I have also worked for the British Council in Cairo teaching English.    I am thoroughly enjoying the International Baccalaureate, and one particular recent project stands out, the Science project. As secretary of our group, I had to make sure that everyone was working, and organise meetings, prepare a formal presentation, which was recorded on video. This project showed how a team worked under pressure, and that working together was essential.    I enjoy sport and started playing squash when I first came to Gigglesworth and earlier this year I was appointed captain, once again useful experience for dealing with people who are not always willing. Not only do I work with my peers, but I also lead them: I can see how individual efforts affect the entire team. Directing fund raising events for Amnesty International further refined my organisation skills. Recruiting new members to the group tested my promotional abilities as well.    I completed Silver level in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in 1999. I have nearly completed the Gold, which has been very demanding but great fun.

Robotics Essay -- essays research papers fc

Robotics The image usually thought of by the word robot is that of a mechanical being, somewhat human in shape. Common in science fiction, robots are generally depicted as working in the service of people, but often escaping the control of the people and doing them harm. The word robot comes from the Czech writer Karel Capek's 1921 play â€Å" R.U.R.† (which stands for "Rossum's Universal Robots"), in which mechanical beings made to be slaves for humanity rebel and kill their creators. From this, the fictional image of robots is sometimes troubling, expressing the fears that people may have of a robotized world over which they cannot keep control. The history of real robots is rarely as dramatic, but where developments in robotics may lead is beyond our imagination. Robots exist today. They are used in a relatively small number of factories located in highly industrialized countries such as the United States, Germany, and Japan. Robots are also being used for scientific research, in military programs, and as educational tools, and they are being developed to aid people who have lost the use of their limbs. These devices, however, are for the most part quite different from the androids, or humanlike robots, and other robots of fiction. They rarely take human form, they perform only a limited number of set tasks, and they do not have minds of their own. In fact, it is often hard to distinguish between devices called robots and other modern automated systems. Although the term robot did not come into use until the 20th century, the idea of mechanical beings is much older. Ancient myths and tales talked about walking statues and other marvels in human and animal form. Such objects were products of the imagination and nothing more, but some of the mechanized figures also mentioned in early writings could well have been made. Such figures, called automatons, have long been popular. For several centuries, automatons were as close as people came to constructing true robots. European church towers provide fascinating examples of clockwork figures from medieval times, and automatons were also devised in China. By the 18th century, a number of extremely clever automatons became famous for a while. Swiss craftsman ... ...ng time. Research into developing mobile, autonomous robots is of great value. It advances robotics, aids the comparative study of mechanical and biological systems, and can be used for such purposes as devising robot aids for the handicapped. As for the thinking androids of the possible future, the well-known science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov has already laid down rules for their behavior. Asimov's first law is that robots may not harm humans either through action or inaction. The second is that they must obey humans except when the commands conflict with the first law. The third is that robots must protect themselves except, again, when this comes into conflict with the first law. Future androids might have their own opinions about these laws, but these issues must wait their time. Bibliography Buckley, Ruth V. "Robot." Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc. 1993. Gibilisco, Stan. The McGraw-Hill Illustrated Encyclopedia of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. McGraw-Hill, Inc. New York, 1994. Warring, R. H. Robots and Robotology. Tab Books Inc. Blue Ridge Summit, Pa. 1984. And various sites on the internet.

Benefits of Returning to School

The many benefits to returning to school and some of the obstacles I had and have to overcome to see my dream come alive. What I want to see happen and by faith it’s going to happen. | I have many reasons for returning to school. I had the chance to get a job in television station, and have never done television before and wanted to at least have a general idea of what would be expected to do this job. First thing that came to my mind about going back to school I didn’t know if I would be able to do the work. I had been out of school so long would I remember the simple things, was scared and didn’t know if or how I would be able to maintain, but with the grace of God I’m doing it. The first couple classes to me was like a refresher, because I had been out of school for so long once I saw the work it all came flooding back. Plus, I wanted to start my own business and what better way to have a successful business than to know everything there is to know before you jump in to deep. I would have to say the benefits of my degree would be seeing single parents like me with goals and dreams and no one to help them fulfill them. With no one to even watch their children, while they try to attempt to start the process. Seeing single parents smile when they have the help that is needed to gain a better life is enough for me. If I just gave up and let the Devil win I wouldn’t be able to help those in need. Everything from computer problem to no lights, and I still made a way. I live by faith and there is nothing better that knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ got my back through it all, and willing to make a way for me to see my dream come alive. Helping other people is what I want to do in life. Single parents will be my main focus, helping them find the benefits they will need to assure their families are stable. I have always been kindhearted, and wanted to help people. What other way than to keep someone from going through what I had to alone. My life style has changed so much I’m more spiritual, open minded, and more aware of the many road blocks along the way. If I can help at least one family it would warm my heart and that would be enough for me. I have been where a lot of people are and at the same time not knowing that the next person may be going through something more serious than I. So what’s more fulfilling than to help ones that feels like me, over come some of the obstacles I had to, to make a better life for their children. The many obstacles I had to overcome just to start my degree were very overwhelming early in the process. First day class started my computer crashed, had to get another one since it was early on in the process I was able to start over. Next, my internet service stops working. Then in to the program once everything was back on track second class my new computer wants to stop working, couldn’t access the portable document formats. If it wasn’t one thing it was something else. I was determined to get my degree, by any means necessary, neighbors house, friends houses, libraries, anywhere where there was an internet connection I was trying to get there. My number one strategy for overcoming the many obstacles is prayer and that’s how I plan to get through the rest of my degree. A wise man once said, â€Å"No weapons formed against me shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me, Says the Lord† (Isaiah 54:17 KJB). Plus I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 KJB). I also know that whatever God does it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it (Ecclesiastes 3:14 KJB). Everything I do in life these days I pray and ask the Lord to show me his way. Like with this paper, I really don’t know how to write a good paper. When I sat down after I wrote the first draft and started typing it parts of it changed. I worked hard and hope it shows and pray it’s the way it was suppose to be done. I don’t see any more obstacles that are too much for me not to get my degree. I feel that if it took this much hard work to get something I really want then it will be will worth the fight. I fight everyday, willing and ready for what else the devil has to put in my way. I can honestly say that the hard work that comes alone with my degree will be well worth it once I have that piece of paper with my name on it.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty

Arya High,† Syrio Forel called out, slashing at her head. The stick swords clacked as Arya parried. â€Å"Left,† he shouted, and his blade came whistling. Hers darted to meet it. The clack made him click his teeth together. â€Å"Right,† he said, and â€Å"Low,† and â€Å"Left,† and â€Å"Left† again, faster and faster, moving forward. Arya retreated before him, checking each blow. â€Å"Lunge,† he warned, and when he thrust she sidestepped, swept his blade away, and slashed at his shoulder. She almost touched him, almost, so close it made her grin. A strand of hair dangled in her eyes, limp with sweat. She pushed it away with the back of her hand. â€Å"Left,† Syrio sang out. â€Å"Low.† His sword was a blur, and the Small Hall echoed to the clack clack clack. â€Å"Left. Left. High. Left. Right. Left. Low. Left!† The wooden blade caught her high in the breast, a sudden stinging blow that hurt all the more because it came from the wrong side. â€Å"Ow,† she cried out. She would have a fresh bruise there by the time she went to sleep, somewhere out at sea. A bruise is a lesson, she told herself, and each lesson makes us better. Syrio stepped back. â€Å"You are dead now.† Arya made a face. â€Å"You cheated,† she said hotly. â€Å"You said left and you went right.† â€Å"Just so. And now you are a dead girl.† â€Å"But you lied!† â€Å"My words lied. My eyes and my arm shouted out the truth, but you were not seeing.† â€Å"I was so,† Arya said. â€Å"I watched you every second!† â€Å"Watching is not seeing, dead girl. The water dancer sees. Come, put down the sword, it is time for listening now.† She followed him over to the wall, where he settled onto a bench. â€Å"Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos, and are you knowing how that came to pass?† â€Å"You were the finest swordsman in the city.† â€Å"Just so, but why? Other men were stronger, faster, younger, why was Syrio Forel the best? I will tell you now.† He touched the tip of his little finger lightly to his eyelid. â€Å"The seeing, the true seeing, that is the heart of it. â€Å"Hear me. The ships of Braavos sail as far as the winds blow, to lands strange and wonderful, and when they return their captains fetch queer animals to the Sealord's menagerie. Such animals as you have never seen, striped horses, great spotted things with necks as long as stilts, hairy mouse-pigs as big as cows, stinging manticores, tigers that carry their cubs in a pouch, terrible walking lizards with scythes for claws. Syrio Forel has seen these things. â€Å"On the day I am speaking of, the first sword was newly dead, and the Sealord sent for me. Many bravos had come to him, and as many had been sent away, none could say why. When I came into his presence, he was seated, and in his lap was a fat yellow cat. He told me that one of his captains had brought the beast to him, from an island beyond the sunrise. ‘Have you ever seen her like?' he asked of me. â€Å"And to him I said, ‘Each night in the alleys of Braavos I see a thousand like him,' and the Sealord laughed, and that day I was named the first sword.† Arya screwed up her face. â€Å"I don't understand.† Syrio clicked his teeth together. â€Å"The cat was an ordinary cat, no more. The others expected a fabulous beast, so that is what they saw. How large it was, they said. It was no larger than any other cat, only fat from indolence, for the Sealord fed it from his own table. What curious small ears, they said. Its ears had been chewed away in kitten fights. And it was plainly a tomcat, yet the Sealord said ‘her,' and that is what the others saw. Are you hearing?† Arya thought about it. â€Å"You saw what was there.† â€Å"Just so. Opening your eyes is all that is needing. The heart lies and the head plays tricks with us, but the eyes see true. Look with your eyes. Hear with your ears. Taste with your mouth. Smell with your nose. Feel with your skin. Then comes the thinking, afterward, and in that way knowing the truth.† â€Å"Just so,† said Arya, grinning. Syrio Forel allowed himself a smile. â€Å"I am thinking that when we are reaching this Winterfell of yours, it will be time to put this needle in your hand.† â€Å"Yes!† Arya said eagerly. â€Å"Wait till I show Jon—† Behind her the great wooden doors of the Small Hall flew open with a resounding crash. Arya whirled. A knight of the Kingsguard stood beneath the arch of the door with five Lannister guardsmen arrayed behind him. He was in full armor, but his visor was up. Arya remembered his droopy eyes and rustcolored whiskers from when he had come to Winterfell with the king: Ser Meryn Trant. The red cloaks wore mail shirts over boiled leather and steel caps with lion crests. â€Å"Arya Stark,† the knight said, â€Å"come with us, child.† Arya chewed her lip uncertainly. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Your father wants to see you.† Arya took a step forward, but Syrio Forel held her by the arm. â€Å"And why is it that Lord Eddard is sending Lannister men in the place of his own? I am wondering.† â€Å"Mind your place, dancing master,† Ser Meryn said. â€Å"This is no concern of yours.† â€Å"My father wouldn't send you,† Arya said. She snatched up her stick sword. The Lannisters laughed. â€Å"Put down the stick, girl,† Ser Meryn told her. â€Å"I am a Sworn Brother of the Kingsguard, the White Swords.† â€Å"So was the Kingslayer when he killed the old king,† Arya said. â€Å"I don't have to go with you if I don't want.† Ser Meryn Trant ran out of patience. â€Å"Take her,† he said to his men. He lowered the visor of his helm. Three of them started forward, chainmail clinking softly with each step. Arya was suddenly afraid. Fear cuts deeper than swords, she told herself, to slow the racing of her heart. Syrio Forel stepped between them, tapping his wooden sword lightly against his boot. â€Å"You will be stopping there. Are you men or dogs that you would threaten a child?† â€Å"Out of the way, old man,† one of the red cloaks said. Syrio's stick came whistling up and rang against his helm. â€Å"I am Syrio Forel, and you will now be speaking to me with more respect.† â€Å"Bald bastard.† The man yanked free his longsword. The stick moved again, blindingly fast. Arya heard a loud crack as the sword went clattering to the stone floor. â€Å"My hand,† the guardsman yelped, cradling his broken fingers. â€Å"You are quick, for a dancing master,† said Ser Meryn. â€Å"You are slow, for a knight,† Syrio replied. â€Å"Kill the Braavosi and bring me the girl,† the knight in the white armor commanded. Four Lannister guardsmen unsheathed their swords. The fifth, with the broken fingers, spat and pulled free a dagger with his left hand. Syrio Forel clicked his teeth together, sliding into his water dancer's stance, presenting only his side to the foe. â€Å"Arya child,† he called out, never looking, never taking his eyes off the Lannisters, â€Å"we are done with dancing for the day. Best you are going now. Run to your father.† Arya did not want to leave him, but he had taught her to do as he said. â€Å"Swift as a deer,† she whispered. â€Å"Just so,† said Syrio Forel as the Lannisters closed. Arya retreated, her own sword stick clutched tightly in her hand. Watching him now, she realized that Syrio had only been toying with her when they dueled. The red cloaks came at him from three sides with steel in their hands. They had chainmail over their chest and arms, and steel codpieces sewn into their pants, but only leather on their legs. Their hands were bare, and the caps they wore had noseguards, but no visor over the eyes. Syrio did not wait for them to reach him, but spun to his left. Arya had never seen a man move as fast. He checked one sword with his stick and whirled away from a second. Off balance, the second man lurched into the first. Syrio put a boot to his back and the red cloaks went down together. The third guard came leaping over them, slashing at the water dancer's head. Syrio ducked under his blade and thrust upward. The guardsman fell screaming as blood welled from the wet red hole where his left eye had been. The fallen men were getting up. Syrio kicked one in the face and snatched the steel cap off the other's head. The dagger man stabbed at him. Syrio caught the thrust in the helmet and shattered the man's kneecap with his stick. The last red cloak shouted a curse and charged, hacking down with both hands on his sword. Syrio rolled right, and the butcher's cut caught the helmetless man between neck and shoulder as he struggled to his knees. The longsword crunched through mail and leather and flesh. The man on his knees shrieked. Before his killer could wrench free his blade, Syrio jabbed him in the apple of his throat. The guardsman gave a choked cry and staggered back, clutching at his neck, his face blackening. Five men were down, dead, or dying by the time Arya reached the back door that opened on the kitchen. She heard Ser Meryn Trant curse. â€Å"Bloody oafs,† he swore, drawing his longsword from its scabbard. Syrio Forel resumed his stance and clicked his teeth together. â€Å"Arya child,† he called out, never looking at her, â€Å"be gone now.† Look with your eyes, he had said. She saw: the knight in his pale armor head to foot, legs, throat, and hands sheathed in metal, eyes hidden behind his high white helm, and in his hand cruel steel. Against that: Syrio, in a leather vest, with a wooden sword in his hand. â€Å"Syrio, run,† she screamed. â€Å"The first sword of Braavos does not run,† he sang as Ser Meryn slashed at him. Syrio danced away from his cut, his stick a blur. In a heartbeat, he had bounced blows off the knight's temple, elbow, and throat, the wood ringing against the metal of helm, gauntlet, and gorget. Arya stood frozen. Ser Meryn advanced; Syrio backed away. He checked the next blow, spun away from the second, deflected the third. The fourth sliced his stick in two, splintering the wood and shearing through the lead core. Sobbing, Arya spun and ran. She plunged through the kitchens and buttery, blind with panic, weaving between cooks and potboys. A baker's helper stepped in front of her, holding a wooden tray. Arya bowled her over, scattering fragrant loaves of fresh-baked bread on the floor. She heard shouting behind her as she spun around a portly butcher who stood gaping at her with a cleaver in his hands. His arms were red to the elbow. All that Syrio Forel had taught her went racing through her head. Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. Fear cuts deeper than swords. The man who fears losing has already lost. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Fear cuts deeper than swords. The grip of her wooden sword was slick with sweat, and Arya was breathing hard when she reached the turret stair. For an instant she froze. Up or down? Up would take her to the covered bridge that spanned the small court to the Tower of the Hand, but that would be the way they'd expect her to go, for certain. Never do what they expect, Syrio once said. Arya went down, around and around, leaping over the narrow stone steps two and three at a time. She emerged in a cavernous vaulted cellar, surrounded by casks of ale stacked twenty feet tall. The only light came through narrow slanting wi ndows high in the wall. The cellar was a dead end. There was no way out but the way she had come in. She dare not go back up those steps, but she couldn't stay here, either. She had to find her father and tell him what had happened. Her father would protect her. Arya thrust her wooden sword through her belt and began to climb, leaping from cask to cask until she could reach the window. Grasping the stone with both hands, she pulled herself up. The wall was three feet thick, the window a tunnel slanting up and out. Arya wriggled toward daylight. When her head reached ground level, she peered across the bailey to the Tower of the Hand. The stout wooden door hung splintered and broken, as if by axes. A dead man sprawled facedown on the steps, his cloak tangled beneath him, the back of his mailed shirt soaked red. The corpse's cloak was grey wool trimmed with white satin, she saw with sudden terror. She could not tell who he was. â€Å"No,† she whispered. What was happening? Where was her father? Why had the red cloaks come for her? She remembered what the man with the yellow beard had said, the day she had found the monsters. If one Hand can die, why not a second? Arya felt tears in her eyes. She held her breath to listen. She heard the sounds of fighting, shouts, screams, the clang of steel on steel, coming through the windows of the Tower of the Hand. She could not go back. Her father . . . Arya closed her eyes. For a moment she was too frightened to move. They had killed Jory and Wyl and Heward, and that guardsman on the step, whoever he had been. They could kill her father too, and her if they caught her. â€Å"Fear cuts deeper than swords,† she said aloud, but it was no good pretending to be a water dancer, Syrio had been a water dancer and the white knight had probably killed him, and anyhow she was only a little girl with a wooden stick, alone and afraid. She squirmed out into the yard, glancing around warily as she climbed to her feet. The castle seemed deserted. The Red Keep was never deserted. All the people must be hiding inside, their doors barred. Arya glanced up longingly at her bedchamber, then moved away from the Tower of the Hand, keeping close to the wall as she slid from shadow to shadow. She pretended she was chasing cats . . . except she was the cat now, and if they caught her, they would kill her. Moving between buildings and over walls, keeping stone to her back wherever possible so no one could surprise her, Arya reached the stables almost without incident. A dozen gold cloaks in mail and plate ran past as she was edging across the inner bailey, but without knowing whose side they were on, she hunched down low in the shadows and let them pass. Hullen, who had been master of horse at Winterfell as long as Arya could remember, was slumped on the ground by the stable door. He had been stabbed so many times it looked as if his tunic was patterned with scarlet flowers. Arya was certain he was dead, but when she crept closer, his eyes opened. â€Å"Arya Underfoot,† he whispered. â€Å"You must . . . warn your . . . your lord father . . . † Frothy red spittle bubbled from his mouth. The master of horse closed his eyes again and said no more. Inside were more bodies; a groom she had played with, and three of her father's household guard. A wagon, laden with crates and chests, stood abandoned near the door of the stable. The dead men must have been loading it for the trip to the docks when they were attacked. Arya snuck closer. One of the corpses was Desmond, who'd shown her his longsword and promised to protect her father. He lay on his back, staring blindly at the ceiling as flies crawled across his eyes. Close to him was a dead man in the red cloak and lion-crest helm of the Lannisters. Only one, though. Every northerner is worth ten of these southron swords, Desmond had told her. â€Å"You liar!† she said, kicking his body in a sudden fury. The animals were restless in their stalls, whickering and snorting at the scent of blood. Arya's only plan was to saddle a horse and flee, away from the castle and the city. All she had to do was stay on the kingsroad and it would take her back to Winterfell. She took a bridle and harness off the wall. As she crossed in back of the wagon, a fallen chest caught her eye. It must have been knocked down in the fight or dropped as it was being loaded. The wood had split, the lid opening to spill the chest's contents across the ground. Arya recognized silks and satins and velvets she never wore. She might need warm clothes on the kingsroad, though . . . and besides . . . Arya knelt in the dirt among the scattered clothes. She found a heavy woolen cloak, a velvet skirt and a silk tunic and some smallclothes, a dress her mother had embroidered for her, a silver baby bracelet she might sell. Shoving the broken lid out of the way, she groped inside the chest for Needle. She had hidden it way down at the bottom, under everything, but her stuff had all been jumbled around when the chest was dropped. For a moment Arya was afraid someone had found the sword and stolen it. Then her fingers felt the hardness of metal under a satin gown. â€Å"There she is,† a voice hissed close behind her. Startled, Arya whirled. A stableboy stood behind her, a smirk on his face, his filthy white undertunic peeking out from beneath a soiled jerkin. His boots were covered with manure, and he had a pitchfork in one hand. â€Å"Who are you?† she asked. â€Å"She don't know me,† he said, â€Å"but I knows her, oh, yes. The wolf girl.† â€Å"Help me saddle a horse,† Arya pleaded, reaching back into the chest, groping for Needle. â€Å"My father's the Hand of the King, he'll reward you.† â€Å"Father's dead,† the boy said. He shuffled toward her. â€Å"It's the queen who'll be rewarding me. Come here, girl.† â€Å"Stay away!† Her fingers closed around Needle's hilt. â€Å"I says, come.† He grabbed her arm, hard. Everything Syrio Forel had ever taught her vanished in a heartbeat. In that instant of sudden terror, the only lesson Arya could remember was the one Jon Snow had given her, the very first. She stuck him with the pointy end, driving the blade upward with a wild, hysterical strength. Needle went through his leather jerkin and the white flesh of his belly and came out between his shoulder blades. The boy dropped the pitchfork and made a soft noise, something between a gasp and a sigh. His hands closed around the blade. â€Å"Oh, gods,† he moaned, as his undertunic began to redden. â€Å"Take it out.† When she took it out, he died. The horses were screaming. Arya stood over the body, still and frightened in the face of death. Blood had gushed from the boy's mouth as he collapsed, and more was seeping from the slit in his belly, pooling beneath his body. His palms were cut where he'd grabbed at the blade. She backed away slowly, Needle red in her hand. She had to get away, someplace far from here, someplace safe away from the stableboy's accusing eyes. She snatched up the bridle and harness again and ran to her mare, but as she lifted the saddle to the horse's back, Arya realized with a sudden sick dread that the castle gates would be closed. Even the postern doors would likely be guarded. Maybe the guards wouldn't recognize her. If they thought she was a boy, perhaps they'd let her . . . no, they'd have orders not to let anyone out, it wouldn't matter whether they knew her or not. But there was another way out of the castle . . . The saddle slipped from Arya's fingers and fell to the dirt with a thump and a puff of dust. Could she find the room with the monsters again? She wasn't certain, yet she knew she had to try. She found the clothing she'd gathered and slipped into the cloak, concealing Needle beneath its folds. The rest of her things she tied in a roll. With the bundle under her arm, she crept to the far end of the stable. Unlatching the back door, she peeked out anxiously. She could hear the distant sound of swordplay, and the shivery wail of a man screaming in pain across the bailey. She would need to go down the serpentine steps, past the small kitchen and the pig yard, that was how she'd gone last time, chasing the black tomcat . . . only that would take her right past the barracks of the gold cloaks. She couldn't go that way. Arya tried to think of another way. If she crossed to the other side of the castle, she could creep along the river wall and through the little godswood . . . but first she'd have to cross the yard, in the plain view of the guards on the walls. She had never seen so many men on the walls. Gold cloaks, most of them, armed with spears. Some of them knew her by sight. What would they do if they saw her running across the yard? She'd look so small from up there, would they be able to tell who she was? Would they care? She had to leave now, she told herself, but when the moment came, she was too frightened to move. Calm as still water, a small voice whispered in her ear. Arya was so startled she almost dropped her bundle. She looked around wildly, but there was no one in the stable but her, and the horses, and the dead men. Quiet as a shadow, she heard. Was it her own voice, or Syrio's? She could not tell, yet somehow it calmed her fears. She stepped out of the stable. It was the scariest thing she'd ever done. She wanted to run and hide, but she made herself walk across the yard, slowly, putting one foot in front of the other as if she had all the time in the world and no reason to be afraid of anyone. She thought she could feel their eyes, like bugs crawling on her skin under her clothes. Arya never looked up. If she saw them watching, all her courage would desert her, she knew, and she would drop the bundle of clothes and run and cry like a baby, and then they would have her. She kept her gaze on the ground. By the time she reached the shadow of the royal sept on the far side of the yard, Arya was cold with sweat, but no one had raised the hue and cry. The sept was open and empty. Inside, half a hundred prayer candles burned in a fragrant silence. Arya figured the gods would never miss two. She stuffed them up her sleeves, and left by a back window. Sneaking back to the alley where she had cornered the one-eared tom was easy, but after that she got lost. She crawled in and out of windows, hopped over walls, and felt her way through dark cellars, quiet as a shadow. Once she heard a woman weeping. It took her more than an hour to find the low narrow window that slanted down to the dungeon where the monsters waited. She tossed her bundle through and doubled back to light her candle. That was chancy; the fire she'd remembered seeing had burnt down to embers, and she heard voices as she was blowing on the coals. Cupping her fingers around the flickering candle, she went out the window as they were coming in the door, without ever getting a glimpse of who it was. This time the monsters did not frighten her. They seemed almost old friends. Arya held the candle over her head. With each step she took, the shadows moved against the walls, as if they were turning to watch her pass. â€Å"Dragons,† she whispered. She slid Needle out from under her cloak. The slender blade seemed very small and the dragons very big, yet somehow Arya felt better with steel in her hand. The long windowless hall beyond the door was as black as she remembered. She held Needle in her left hand, her sword hand, the candle in her right fist. Hot wax ran down across her knuckles. The entrance to the well had been to the left, so Arya went right. Part of her wanted to run, but she was afraid of snuffing out her candle. She heard the faint squeaking of rats and glimpsed a pair of tiny glowing eyes on the edge of the light, but rats did not scare her. Other things did. It would be so easy to hide here, as she had hidden from the wizard and the man with the forked beard. She could almost see the stableboy standing against the wall, his hands curled into claws with the blood still dripping from the deep gashes in his palms where Needle had cut him. He might be waiting to grab her as she passed. He would see her candle coming a long way off. Maybe she would be better off without the light . . . Fear cuts deeper than swords, the quiet voice inside her whispered. Suddenly Arya remembered the crypts at Winterfell. They were a lot scarier than this place, she told herself. She'd been just a little girl the first time she saw them. Her brother Robb had taken them down, her and Sansa and baby Bran, who'd been no bigger than Rickon was now. They'd only had one candle between them, and Bran's eyes had gotten as big as saucers as he stared at the stone faces of the Kings of Winter, with their wolves at their feet and their iron swords across their laps. Robb took them all the way down to the end, past Grandfather and Brandon and Lyanna, to show them their own tombs. Sansa kept looking at the stubby little candle, anxious that it might go out. Old Nan had told her there were spiders down here, and rats as big as dogs. Robb smiled when she said that. â€Å"There are worse things than spiders and rats,† he whispered. â€Å"This is where the dead walk.† That was when they heard the sound, low and deep and shivery. Baby Bran had clutched at Arya's hand. When the spirit stepped out of the open tomb, pale white and moaning for blood, Sansa ran shrieking for the stairs, and Bran wrapped himself around Robb's leg, sobbing. Arya stood her ground and gave the spirit a punch. It was only Jon, covered with flour. â€Å"You stupid,† she told him, â€Å"you scared the baby,† but Jon and Robb just laughed and laughed, and pretty soon Bran and Arya were laughing too. The memory made Arya smile, and after that the darkness held no more terrors for her. The stableboy was dead, she'd killed him, and if he jumped out at her she'd kill him again. She was going home. Everything would be better once she was home again, safe behind Winterfell's grey granite walls. Her footsteps sent soft echoes hurrying ahead of her as Arya plunged deeper into the darkness.