Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Essay

The play that I have studied is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Act three, scene one, the climax of this play, is a scene where much conflict occurs. This scene opens with two of Romeo’s friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, talking. Tension and suspense is established when Benvolio says, ‘The day is hot, the Capulets abroad, And, if we meet, we shall not ‘scape a brawl’ The ‘fiery Tybalt’ enters looking for Romeo. He felt that Romeo had insulted him by going to the Capulet masked ball and he wanted to exact his revenge. Mercutio deliberately insults him and draws his sword. Just as Benvolio tries to calm them down, Romeo enters. Tybalt tries to incite Romeo into fighting by insulting him: ‘Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford/ No better term than this, – thou art a villain. ‘ Romeo resists Tybalt’s challenge because he is now related by marriage to him. Mercutio is embarrassed by Romeo’s inaction and he challenges Tybalt. As Romeo tries to stop the fight Mercutio is mortally wounded by Tybalt. As Mercutio dies he says, ‘A plague o’ both your houses! / They have made worms’ meet of me. ‘ Romeo realises he is partially responsible for his friend’s death and his anger leads him to kill Tybalt. He then realises he is ‘fortune’s fool’ and flees the place. The Prince of Verona arrives and decides to exile Romeo from the city. What are the underlying causes of conflict in this scene? The main cause of the conflict in this scene arises ‘From ancient grudge’ between two major families in Verona – the Capulets and the Montagues. The feud is so strong that the play opens with their servants fighting. Indeed, the rift is so strong that the Prince of Verona is prompted to announce, ‘If ever you disturb our streets again/ Your lives will pay the forfeit of the peace. ‘ Another cause of the conflict is the mercurial nature of Tybalt. He saw Romeo’s appearance at the Capulet masked ball as an insult and was determined to challenge Romeo. Mercutio also contributed to the conflict. He was very quick to engage in a quarrel with Tybalt and condemned Romeo for avoiding conflict, ‘O calm, dishonourable, vile submission! ‘ Finally Romeo has much internal conflict in this scene. He is being challenged and insulted by Tybalt but feels he cannot retaliate because he is now secretly married to Juliet, Tybalt’s cousin. It is clear there is much conflict in this scene and many reasons for it – this conflict adds greatly to our enjoyment of the play.

Philosophy Essay Essay

Alan Chalmers, a British-Australian philosopher of science and best-selling author, suggests a common view of science by which scientific knowledge is ‘reliable’ and ‘objectively proven’ knowledge that is derived from facts of experience, experimental procedure and observations. This essay aims to discuss the problems that are likely to be highlighted by a Popperian hypothetico-deductivist when confronted with Chalmers’ adverse views on the validity of the scientific method. Both Alan Chalmers and Karl Popper – renowned for the development of hypothetico-deductivist/falsificationist account of science – represent the two major, contradictory theories (falsification and induction) regarding the functionality of science. I will be structuring my argument around these two models and the several complications surrounding the inductivist’s account of science that are seemingly solved by Popper’s alternative. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the topic being discussed, let me provide an introduction to inductivism, the issues raised by this method and the falsificationist account that aimed to solve these issues. Introduced by Ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle (5th century BC), induction is a process that begins with the observation of natural phenomena and ends with the assembly of a scientific law to describe the general regularity of said phenomena. This intuitive process was accepted within the scientific community for centuries yet the basis of Aristotle’s method relies entirely on human ability to simply observe natural phenomena, see a pattern and make observational statements. If there were to exist a large number of observational statements that were repeated under several varying circumstances in which no conflicting observation was made, these observational statements could then be promoted to universal or generalised statements that refer to all events of a particular kind given certain conditions (SCIE1000 Lectures Notes, 2014). Now to address the problems associated with this account of the scientific method that might be pinpointed by hypothetico-deductivists when confronted  with Chalmers’ view: the problem of induction, the questionable objectivity of this method and whether it can provide any certainty about laws that govern our universe. Chalmers states that, â€Å"scientific knowledge is reliable knowledge because it is objectively proven knowledge (Chalmers, 1976).† Due to the fact that inductive inferences are based on observations of natural phenomena, a crucial assumption of the uniformity of nature – which cannot be proven – must be made, meaning that there is always room for contradictory evidence to arise. Similarly, the problem of induction refers to the inability to classify knowledge gained by inductive methods as either a priori (logical or mathematical reasoning, requiring no previous worldly experience) or a posteriori (requires some knowledge of worldly happenings) as the former would be an uninformed, irrational statement and the latter would require knowledge of every possible happening in the universe in order to justify the law at hand. For this reason, there is absolutely no certainty provided by this process, as there is always the probability that future contradictory observations may deem any inductive inference invalid. The weakened principle of inductive inference then states that, at best, the inductivist method gives a probability of an event occurring given specific circumstances (SCIE1000 Lectures Notes, 2014). Chalmers also boldly claims that his common view of science is unquestionably objective and that speculative imaginings play no role in this process; however, there is obvious subjectivity evident in the discovery of scientific hypotheses. The subjectivity of speculative imaginings expressed by an individual experiencing a brief moment of intuitive thought processes allows consideration of an hypotheses that may have otherwise been overlooked. As a response to inductivism and the problems recognized with this method, Karl Popper proposed a knew scientific method that aims to establish the best current ‘law’ available at a given time until it is falsified – hypothetico-deductivism or falsification. The name itself, hypothetico-deductivism, explains the process of stating bold, testable ‘laws’/hypotheses and drawing deductive inferences regarding the hypothesis’ ability to withstand exposure to rigorous testing and attempts to falsify  it. So, rather than attempting to prove the legitimacy of scientific laws fabricated by intuitive induction, falsificationism aims to deduce the best, current law to describe natural phenomena based on the inability to falsify it, therefore making the current provisional law acceptable until a time when it is falsified by conflicting evidence. Falsification effectively trumps the method of induction as it strives to provide information about the world and its ‘laws’ by outlining what they are not rather than making grand generalisations about universal happenings when acknowledging only a portion of the evidence that could possible be out there. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of science, similarly to inductivism, falsification is not a flawless method. In my opinion however, I find the method of falsification convincingly more rational and commonsensical than inductivism. Due to limitations of space, I will explain briefly one of the few issues associated with falsificationism. The issue at hand that is faced by the method of falsification is that, â€Å"Popper presents cases where one theory is being tested against our experimental data, but hypotheses are tested in groups. When we â€Å"test† a theory, we are assuming a lot of other theories in the background (SCIE1000 Lectures Notes, 2014).† The issue then is that if anomalous data is encountered, should it be derived that the entire theory – consisting of several individual hypotheses – is rejected and if not, how is an individual hypothesis isolated from the rest? This rejection of a theory, in my opinion, doesn’t have detrimental affects to our understanding of science as this particular theory may be falsified yet the creation of a new, falsifiable theory is not out of the question. Also, unlike Chalmers, however, falsificationism does not claim any degree of certainty or ‘proof’ of their claims which compels me to believe that Popper had a greater grasp on the uncertainty that is the universe. Conclusively, Popper’s response to Chalmers’ claim that science is reliable due to its objectively proven nature using inductivism would highlight three key issues and propose how his method of falsification solves these issues. The problem of induction that occurs within inductivism – the inability to classify inductive inference as either a priori or a posteriori – and also  the assumption of uniformity of nature are abolished in Popper’s method where all scientific laws have the ability to be falsified upon the observation of new, contradictory evidence. Although falsification is unable to provide any degree of certainty, it does not make bold claims about the workings of the universe that are likely to be uniformed and incorrect. And lastly, objectification is dismissed in falsification, as the method by which a hypothesis was created is irrelevant to whether or not the claim can be provisionally accepted or rejected based on real-world observ ations. Bibliography Chalmers, A. (1976). What is this thing called science?. 1st ed. St. Lucia, Q.: University of Queensland Press. SCIE1000 Lecture Notes (2014). 7th ed. Brisbane: University of Queensland, pp.187-225.

Fairtax (fairtax.org) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Fairtax (fairtax.org) - Research Paper Example gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes with a federal retail sales tax to be levied once at the point of purchase on all new goods and services. According to proposed policy, every household of the United States is also eligible to receive a sales tax rebate each month. This rebate is equal to the product of (1) the sales tax rate of 23% and (2) the family consumption allowance divided by twelve. One of controversial aspects of the FairTax reform is the ability to be revenue-neutral, which means whether it would generate the same amount of overall federal tax revenues. Supporters of the FairTax claim the 23% rate is revenue-neutral while opponents disagree. Another common criticism of the FairTax is that it is regressive. That is, lower level income households bear a larger than equitable portion of the tax burden because most of their income is spent on essential daily need consumption items. Simultaneously, the proponents of the reform argu e that the FairTax can be progressive due to exemptions or rebates. This particular paper aims to analyze both sides of the debate and provide necessary empirical evidence based on the previous literature research regarding the controversial nature of the FairTax. In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, laid out certain criteria forejudging tax structures and tax policies. Specifically, he felt that equity, explicitness, simplicity of compliance, and economy of administration should be the cornerstones of any tax system. The current federal tax system is criticized as being too complicated and unfair (Slemrod, 58). Efforts to simplify the current tax system, e.g., Tax Reform Act of 1986, are often viewed as ineffectual in creating a fairer or simpler system (Hite and Roberts, 121). For example, the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform (2005) points out that â€Å"our current tax code is a complicated mess. Instead of clarity, we have

Electrically Driven Membrane Processes Research Paper

Electrically Driven Membrane Processes - Research Paper Example used for purification of water that does not necessarily require removal of dissolved organic constituents and waters that only requires removal of 3,000 mg/L dissolved solids. Having limited number of rivers to supply fresh water in United Arabs Emirates (UAE), the large amounts of surface water and brackish ground water need to be purified to boost the nation’s fresh water capacity. The UAE government states that drinking water should meet the basic standards set for drinking water. Electrodialysis facilitates wastewater reuse besides providing other myriad economic benefits. Electrodialysis desalting systems are electrically driven and have the capacity to remove high percentage of dissolved salts. According to Loveless, Aamir and Ghaffour, ED systems use membranes that are derived from ion exchange materials and are reinforced by open weave cloth for physical strength (1355). Subjecting the membrane to electrical current makes the solution on one side of the membrane to be partially desalted while that on the other side gets more concentrated hence moving ions from the region of low concentration to highly concentrated region. The present paper is a survey study on the problem of fresh water in UAE and how electrically driven membrane processes can be useful in boosting water supply. Usually, water is a critical resource for human, animal and plant life. However, the biggest percentage of water available contains substances that make it unfit for not only human and animal consumption, but also to support plant life. This survey report was developed as part of the global efforts seeking to shed more light on water re-use and reclamation. The data used was collected over a decade with most of it having been derived from local agencies that plays a role in water recycling. This survey report is strictly designed for educational use and was complied with a view of providing detailed overview of dissolved organic constituents’ management through application of

American Music and Protest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Music and Protest - Essay Example In essence, artists such as Haggard, Sandler, Dylan and Lennon used music to express what they were going through as a reaction to what they saw their society go through. Music became a medium of expression for all manner of thought and emotions to go beyond the common feelings of love and sorrow towards more complex emotional states such as regretting the actions of a nation or taking the death of innocents in stride. As discussed by (Rodnitzky,1999, Pg. 56), â€Å"Protest music began as a merger of topical political songs and union songs†. Protest music certainly did not become a mainstream genre of music but there were several notable songs which can be discussed with regard to how some musicians saw war protestors and how they reacted to the idea of war. With war, comes support for the war or protests against the war and it is about these very war protestors that Merl Haggard’s Okie from Muskogee has been performed. Haggard seems to have no patience with the individuals who were protesting against the war in Vietnam since the first line of the song makes it clear that people in Muskogee don’t smoke Marijuana. Similarly, Haggard mentions that the taking of LSD and burning draft cards is only an activity such protesters would engage in. The image of the war protester given by Haggard is a person who is promiscuous, and behaves as the hippies do in San Francisco. In comparison Haggard takes the city of Muskogee in Oklahoma to be a city where people remain patriotic even if they do not believe in the war. They may protest, but they are not against American cultural or social values as noted in the song, â€Å"We dont smoke marijuana in Muskogee;/ And we dont take our trips on LSD. (Haggard, 1969, Pg. 1)†. In fact, even famous protest song writers recognize that by leading people to do something, the performers may actually become what they hate. As discussed by Peddie (2006), remaining true to the ideals was difficult for Dylan himself who

CRJS475IP3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CRJS475IP3 - Research Paper Example This amendment was introduced in 1789 in the Congress by James Madison. Under this amendment, any type of search and seizure including arrest is not allowed without a reasonable cause. A warrant must be issued for arrest or search by a law enforcement officer. The Supreme Court of the U.S. has outlined that the purpose of this amendment is to guarantee privacy, security, and dignity to citizens against invasion acts done by Government officials, regardless of the fact that the officer may be investigating a crime. However the major aim is to safe the citizens from ‘unreasonable’ search and seizure (Penven, 2012). However, in this case the investigators do not have warrants but they do have a probable cause to carry out a search. The probable cause defined by the court is when the facts reasonably show that a crime has been committed or is about to be committed. The investigators must have reasonable information or situation which leads a reasonable person to believe that a crime may be committed. Investigators must have legally sufficient reasons to carry out a search and believe that the search would uncover criminal activity (Henry, 2009). As in this case, the suspect had explosives in his house which are dangerous and can reasonably cause damage to the citizens around him. Moreover, the presence of computers, cell phones, and laptops gives the investigators reasonable cause to believe that he was involved or being involved in an indecent or criminal activity. The Fifth Amendment also sets boundaries for the police officers to carry out procedures fairly. It outlines that a person must not be answerable for a capital or infamous crime without the presence of a grand jury, nor should a person be held for the same crime twice, nor shall he be compelled to be a witness against himself in any case, nor he shall be deprived of life, liberty or property

Fashion Industry Through H&M and GAP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Fashion Industry Through H&M and GAP - Essay Example This showed that the Gap is interested in these charities, too. Also, the Gap on their web page has emphasized their socially responsible projects. H&M also targets young people, and they also stress corporate responsibility, as this is part of their web page, telling about their activities in protecting the environment. Additionally, on their web page, H&M has a social media room, where people can post on the wall, tweet and read blogs about fashion.   H&M indicates that they get their fashion ideas from designer runways, then â€Å"rip them off’† and bring the ideas to their stores. For instance, H&M’s blog states that Prada might consider using them for reproducing their skirts and shirts, and their designer, Zara, goes to the fashion shows and copies the looks, trends and designs. So, basically, H&M’s claim to fame is that they get the ideas from the runway, then pares it down to affordable prices, so that designer looks can be had for less. The Gap is a bit different, as they do not emphasize couture, so they probably do not get their ideas from the runways. What they emphasize is classic – â€Å"modern, sexy, American, cool† is their motto. Therefore, the ideas that they emphasize are different, seasonal takes on classic designs, with less emphasis on runway looks and more emphasis on what has been popular for ages, then put different twists on these looks. Both GAP and H&M outsource all of their manufacturing, mostly to Asia. This means that the companies have to worry about getting the clothing into the distribution warehouses and out to individual stores. How do these companies control their transportation costs?   With H&M, they control transportation costs by concentrating their stores on the coasts, and virtually neglecting the Midwest. Their stores are concentrated into clusters, which means that there is less fuel to be spent going from store to store. Also, the stores that are not on the coasts are still by bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, which is another way that merchandise may be transported.  Ã‚  

Are you a leader If so, why If not, why not Reflect on your Essay

Are you a leader If so, why If not, why not Reflect on your performance in a leadership role. What did you do well What did - Essay Example The Australian Leadership Development Centre believes on one meaning of this word. It may just be a simple yet strong definition. According to the Centre, leadership is â€Å"any behaviour that influences the actions and attitudes of followers to achieve certain results† (Killian, 2007). There are some people who say that for one to be a leader that person should have followers. Example, a person who can be so timid and quiet can be pushed by certain factors like emotions and intellect to come out of his shell and make his voice be heard. People then noticed him and took quite a following because of his belief. That does make him a leader already? He can be considered as a leader. Another definition for leadership is â€Å"about managing energy, first in yourself and then in those around you.† That made the first example a leader, he is a made leader rather than a born leader (de Percy, 2009). There are people who were born to lead. They are those who do have a very str ong personality, will to serve and always make it a point that their opinions are heard, convincing and influential. Most of the times these people are born from a family of leaders and they were brought up with high awareness of the advocacy is to be heard and make others follow. The school is where the foundation of being a leader begins. This is where the skills are discovered and enhanced. From a simple classroom organization to the next level of a club or organization are considered as the learning grounds of a person who dreams to become a leader. Skills are needed to become a leader. But the first step in becoming one is being confident and making one self to be heard with pride and without the fear for the criticism that might be awaiting that person once he opens his mind and mouth to make way for his thoughts and opinions to be heard. This is also the place where everything starts to shape up. If one realizes that he could not stand the criticism being brought up to him, t hat person tends to be just one of the followers. However, when one continues to fight for his opinions and debate on criticisms, that person is on his way in becoming a leader. Being a leader though also involves quite a few factors. One factor that may come into mind is one’s willingness to lead. Even if one person do have the characteristics of being a leader, if that person have other things in mind that hinders him from being one, he would not become one. That person do have all that it takes to become an effective leader but ought to be a follower, he would not become a leader. Willingness to lead is the first step on becoming a leader. Leading a pact of people should be in one’s heart and mind to do his role efficiently. If one is just forced to the position of a leader, therefore that person would not be efficient for the reason that being a leader is not what he wants to be in his life. Next is that the person needs to have a goal. Why does he want to be a lea der? For the fame? For the power? There are so many reasons that can be stated on why a person would want to be a leader. If the cause of that want is perceived by the many to be for the good of everyone, therefore that prospect leader would be a leader because he has a goal and that goal was conveyed in a convincing manner which made others believe in his opinions. That is the next factor, the power to convince. As what have been stated earlier, to be a leader one should

Sweatshop Labor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sweatshop Labor - Essay Example The company ethical guidelines affect the whole operations of the business. When the guidelines are clear to all subordinates, the employees are unlikely to make unethical decisions. However, in case the company leaves the ethical issues to be decided by the supervisors, they are likely to engage in unethical issues which might end up tarnishing the reputation of the company in the market (Esbenshade, 2004). Therefore, ethical perspective such as the minimum salaries and age of the employees ensures that decision made inside the company’s premises observe these guidelines. A company influences its ethical environment by setting the standards to be met by the employees. When the standards are beyond what the employees can achieve, the subordinates are likely to engage in unethical behavior in order to achieve them (Esbenshade, 2004). This explains why some employees in Bangladesh working for one of the Wal-Mart subsidiary opted to come with their children in the workplace in order for them to help their parents to reach the set

Bancassurance Financial Project Essay Example for Free

Bancassurance Financial Project Essay ABSTRACT The business world and specifically financial industry has become challenging and of uncertain business environment in terms of new technology, political dynamics, government policies and advanced human resources. This therefore calls for dynamic leadership that needs to be creative and innovative in creating their competitive strategies. To mitigate these challenges, some firms’ managements have designed management strategies to sustain growth, acquire new businesses or merely mitigate risk facing the business. This proposal considers strategic alliances in financial industry commonly referred to as bancassurance as a business strategy adopted by commercial banks, SACCOs and insurance companies as one of the pursuit of their diverse organizational objectives and challenges. The purpose of this research was to establish if financial organizations such as banks, SACCOs, and insurance companies can mitigate some of management problems such as high loan default leading to high credit risks, switching of customers due to dissatisfaction, declining profits, resistance to buy new insurance products hence minimum market growth among others. To achieve the mentioned objectives, the study used structured questionnaires and personal interviews on a randomly sampled target of 48 participants from banks, SACCOs, and insurance staff within Nyeri County to investigate the effect of this strategy on performance in the current turbulent financial markets. The data was collected and analyzed using content analysis, descriptive measures and correlation analysis. The study found out that, Bancassurance model was a good source of revenues, customer acquisition, and retention and as one of the factors that investors consider before taking the risk of investing in commercial industry. The study also revealed that Bancassurance has very minimal influence on determining the success and speed of compensating business losses, death of insured applicants among others regardless of the existence of the strategic alliances. The study will be of significance to law makers, policy makers, business entrepreneurs, scholars among others.

Volumetric Analysis to Find Concentration of Acid

Volumetric Analysis to Find Concentration of Acid A. Dilshan Jayawickrama Introduction: Volumetric Analysis is a quantitative method and which deals with the volume of a particular substance used in the analysis. However in volumetric analysis most important factor is the volume. Here the volumetric analysis is proceed with known amount of solutions. But, concentrations of both the solution has not been mentioned since it is done to find out the concentration of known acid or a base. When adding known concentration solution to unknown concentration solution drop wise will result a color change at a point and this procedure called Titration. In volumetric analysis there are 5 main types as acid base titration, redox titration, precipitation titration, complexometric titration and iodometric titration (Datta and Johar, 2014). Titration is the process of observing the color change of mixed solution when known concentration solution is added to unknown concentration solution. Titrant is the solution in volumetric analysis whose concentration is known. Titrand is the solution in volumetric analysis whose concentration is to be found. (Solution with unknown concentration). Indicator is the substance used to observe the color change of the resulting solution. Equivalence point is the point which will show the color change of the resulting solution for the first time when adding solutions from burette drop wise. End point is the point at which the color change will not be disappeared and stay permanently. Phenolphthalein is used because it is slightly acidic and it can detect the pH range of 8.3 to 10.0 resulting color change colorless to pink. Phenolphthalein is insoluble in water where it is soluble is alcohols. (Matthews, 2003). Color change of Indicators (Phenolphthalein) (Pradeep and Dave, 2013) Preparation of 0.1moldm-3 of NaOH Took 10.0ml of NaOH (1moldm-3) to the graduated pipette using pipette filler and introduced it into the volumetric flask whose volume is 100ml. Then diluted the solution up to 100ml by adding distilled water until the lower meniscus of the diluted NaOH solution to tally with the ring mark present on the volumetric flask. Acid Base Titration is carried out to find the concentration of an acid or a base by neutralizing the acid or the base of which the concentration is unknown. The burette should be filled with the Base (known concentration solution) and the titration flask should contain the acid which the concentration is to be determined. Then three drops of indicator, phenolphthalein should be added to the titration flask, because the phenolphthalein will leads towards the color change in the resulting solution. In the titration above, the acid which has the unknown concentration is HCl and the base which has the known concentration is NaOH. When NaOH added with HCl, it results NaCl with H2O. Sodium hydroxide + Hydrochloric acid Sodium Chloride + Water NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O After setting up the equipment, the titration is carried out by allowing base from burette to fall into the acid drop wise and should observed the resulting solution very carefully until it occurs the color change. At some point, when the NaOH drops falls into the HCl solution will result pink color due to phenolphthalein and that pink color is not permanent since it disappears. When observing the pink color for the first time, it will be the equivalence point. Then the test should be carried out so on until pale pink color will remain without disappearing and it is called the endpoint of the titration. Once endpoint is reached, tap of the burette should close soon and get stop the titration. Then tabulate the reading by repeating the experiment at least three times to get three readings. Finally calculate the concentration of the unknown solution by putting the reading into the basic equations of chemistry. Objectives: The objective of this practical is to find out the unknown concentration of an acid or a base by Volumetric Analysis which is a quantitative analytical method. Materials: Volumetric Flask Burette Funnel Graduated Pipette Transfer pipette Beakers Hydrochloric Acid Sodium Hydroxide Phenolphthalein Burette Holder Titration Flask Pipette filer Distilled Water Methodology: First the graduated pipette was washed with a small amount of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). Then the filled sodium hydroxide was discarded and 10.0 ml of NaOH was filled to the graduated pipette using pipette filler and transferred to a volumetric flask. A little amount of distilled water was poured into the volumetric flask and swirled. Then more distilled water was added up to the volumetric flask till it rises up to the ring mark and lower meniscus balanced. Cleaned the burette with small amount of NaOH. After that the burette was fixed vertically to the burette holder and the burette was filled up to 0.00ml mark. Then the graduated pipette was washed with some (Hydrochloric) HCl acid to clean up. After cleaning the graduated pipette by HCl acid, it was filled with HCl acid whose concentration is to be found, exactly up to 10.0 ml with the help of pipette filler. Then 10.0ml of HCl acid was introduced to the titration flask and three drops of phenolphthalein was directly put into HCl acid in the titration flask without let it touching the glass of the titration flask. After that, placed the titration flask under the burette which was fixed to the holder. The tap of the burette was slowly opened to release the NaOH drop wise into the titration flask, then at one place, the NaOH drops when fall into the HCl acid will show some pink color dot for the very first time, and that point will call as the equivalence point of the titration. Then the tap was adjusted slowly to reduce the rate at which it release NaOH drops. Few seconds later at a point the pale pink color can be seen which is permanent, and that point is called the end point. Then closed the tap of the burette and the volume of NaOH which has been used to neutralize the acid is recorded. After recording the first reading continued the practical two more times to get another two readings. Results were tabulated. Results: The experiment is carried out for three times to get three readings and reading taken at each test has been tabulated below. Average volume = 32.10cm3 + 34.00cm3 + 35.20cm3 3 = 33.76 cm3 Discussion: Titration is the process of determining the concentration of unknown solution when two solutions are put into to neutralize. A chemical reaction has been used for this purpose and the reaction should be fast and should be a complete reaction. The titration should have a determinable equivalence point and an endpoint. We used HCl and diluted NaOH (0.1moldm-3) in this titration process and the indicator used is phenolphthalein which can cover a range of 8.3 to 10.0 pH value. Here, the indicator is acting like a signal showing where to stop the titration at endpoint. When NaOH added with HCl, it results NaCl with H2O. Sodium hydroxide + Hydrochloric acid Sodium Chloride + Water NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O Actually the endpoint is the neutral point where acid and base get neutralized. For this reaction, Ionic equation is: H+ + OH H2O Here at the endpoint in first titration, the whole resulting solution turned into pale pink color, but other two reading were too far apart due to some errors. The errors which may lead to deviate the readings may be: Improper calibration of glass wares Misreading the volume in graduated pipette Using of contaminated solutions Using of solutions with wrong concentrations Using indicators in wrong amounts Using impure glass wares Not transferring the proper volume and not taking the proper volume Not filling up the burette properly Using wrong solutions since all looks same (colorless) Sometimes it can be due to the usage of contaminated solutions because taking the pipette for the next test without washing. It can be due to the way which cleaned the pipette after using once. Sometimes the titration results can alter due to human errors such as difficulty with reading the burette value or sometimes hand glows can have some drops of some other solutions and get dropped to the test which is going on. As the first reading 32.10cm3 was a successful effort, but still the test 02 (34.00cm3) and test 03 (35.20cm3) was unsuccessful due to those errors. Sometimes the color change was so rapid change and unable to stop the tap of the burette on time. Conclusion: The concentration of the unknown was determined by using titration process and by the known value for the other solution. Calculation should be carried out in order to get the final answer to determine the unknown concentration of HCl. Calculation: Average volume = 32.10cm3 + 34.00cm3 + 35.20cm3 3 = 33.76cm3 Assumption: Number of moles remain unchanged Therefore by using, C1V1 = C2V2 0.100moldm-3 x 0.100dm-3 = C2 x 0.033dm-3 C2 = 0.100moldm-3 x 0.100dm-3 0.033dm-3 C2 = 0.30moldm-3 THE UNKNOWN CONCENTRATION OF HCl IS 0.30moldm-3 Reference: Pradeep, D.J. and Dave, K. (2013) ‘A Novel, Inexpensive and Less Hazardous Acid-Base Indicator’, Journal of Laboratory Chemical Education, 1(2), pp. 34-35. [Online] DOI: 10.5923/j.jlce.20130102.04 (Accessed 30 October 2014). Matthews, P. (2003) Advanced Chemistry. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press. Datta, S.C. and Johar, N.K. (2014) Undergraduate Chemistry. New Delhi: Anne Books Pvt.Ltd.

Antony and Cleopatra :: William Shakespeare Plays Literature Essays

Antony and Cleopatra The legend of Cleopatra has percolated in the world consciousness for the past 2000 years. By the time Shakespeare wrote the tragedy Antony and Cleopatra the alluring reputation of the queen had existed primarily as a biased representation of a foreign female who insinuated herself into the Roman power structure. Shakespeare’s role in perpetuating the allure of the last of the Ptolemaic rulers was the result of synthesizing the existing biases and distilling the dichotomy between the woman and the queen. Consequently, Shakespeare portrayed her not only as an alluring woman who was thought of as a wanton corrupter of Roman ideals, but as a queen who tried to do what was best for her country, and a woman who tried to do what was best for herself. Shakespeare brought all of these aspects together and molded a character that Joseph Summers describes as the â€Å"transcendent image of beauty and nobility† (135), and firmly entrenched Cleopatra into the collect ive consciousness. As suggested in the introduction to Norton’s Antony and Cleopatra, the play â€Å"presupposes familiarity not only with events dramatized in that play [Julius Caesar] but also with earlier Roman conflicts† (Cohen 847) and, I would add, the reputation of various characters. Interestingly, there is no mention of Cleopatra in Julius Caesar even though she is the mother of Caesar’s son.[1] This relationship obviously infuriated the Roman leaders and as a consequence her role with Caesar is effectively diminished and her reputation is vilified. Cicero, the great Roman orator, described Cleopatra as â€Å"unacceptably regal and arrogant† (Higgs 229), while Octavian refers to her as â€Å"the wanton daughter of the Ptolomies† (Hamer 311). Northrop Frye contends that propaganda was necessary because â€Å"she was one person the Romans were really afraid of† (Frye 123). The propaganda, as Christopher Pelling alludes, was a result of â €Å"Octavian work[ing] seduously on Italian misogyny and xenophobia† (Pelling 294). Octavian’s promulgations evoked suspicion and hostility towards Cleopatra, and their main intent was to mitigate the idea that â€Å"Cleopatra [was becoming] a legend for Romans too† (Pelling 294). There is no way they would have described her as a woman who grieved the loss of Antony so passionately that â€Å"she beat her

crime and media :: essays research papers

Abstract Crime in today’s society is very drastic. Even though crime has drop within the last 30 years, I still believe that there is a large variety of criminals out there waiting to be caught and punished for the crimes committed. On a large part, some of the crimes that are committed daily have a lot to do with the television programs that can be watched every night by every single individual. Some of the most famous or favorite television shows have an impact on our not so good society. In the following paper I will summarize the findings on the types gender, race, age, and types of crime that criminals and victims go through. Crime and the Media 3 Crime and the Media   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America’s Most Wanted is one of the most popular show nationwide. The types of individuals that are featured in this shows are among the most wanted by the FBI, depending on the crimes committed. I do want to mention that basically all of the individuals that where featured in this show tonight are African Americans. To be exact about 75% where blacks, and the other 15% where white, and the last 10% where from Hispanic backgrounds. To me that was very surprising because most of these shows have at least a variety of race and or ethnicity involved somehow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I also noticed that most of these individuals where African American Males. These individuals range between the ages of 18 to about 30 years old. There was a very old male probably around his late 50’s charged with sexual assault on a minor. This was the criminal case that involved an older White male. According to my findings I did see that the young black males where involved in different crimes. These crimes ranged between Theft, Homicide, Sexual Assault.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can honestly say that for some reason African Americans commit more criminal offenses, according to the show, â€Å" America’s Most Wanted†. This is one of the crimes that really makes me very upset. This black individual stabs a 14-year-old, female to death, while she was on her way to school. At a different time and day, this individual strikes again, attempting to kill another 14 year old, female. â€Å" Americas Most Wanted†, (Television Series, 2005) Fox. Crime and Media 4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I was trying to realize why all this individuals commit all this horrible crimes, the only reason that I can come up with is that for some reason the childhood these individuals had scared them for life.

Spartan Political and Social System Essay example -- essays research p

Spartan Political and Social Systems Sparta was, above all, a military state, and emphasis on military fitness began at birth, imprinted through society and the political system. The education of the Spartan male children prove that the military and war was constantly a huge part of Spartan society, and the laws and systems that Sparta was governed by, only enforced the militaristic attitude into the society of Sparta. That the Spartans needed to be ready for war is proved by the discord between the Spartiate and the helots, who outnumbered and under ranked the Spartans. From birth Spartan children were expected to be physically strong and when male children were ten days old they were examined by a council of elders to see if the child had enough potential to be a warrior, or if it should be ‘exposed’. The children who were exposed were left to die at Apothetae on the slopes of Mt. Tygetus. The children who passed the examination were left in the care of their mothers until they reached the age of seven, at which point they left home to live in the barrack with other males, and were educated and trained in how to be a brave and strong warrior. While these children were still living at home they were mainly left in the care of a nurse, who taught them the first stage of their life-long education in the military. The nurses taught the children fight their fears as well as general superstition, toughening up the children so they would be able to better survive when they reach the age of seven and moved the barracks. Plutarch explains in source A how boys at the age of seven were put into the care of the state, and how they would grow up constantly training physically. When in the education system the boys learnt reading a... ...er’ in Sparta caused the Spartiates to be constantly prepared for a Helot uprise, as P. Cartledge explains in source F The helots were the Spartans slaves and were treated very poorly, being purposely set apart in image, given no rights, and beaten on several occasions. In fact each time new ephors were voted in, the helots would be rounded up and given an ‘annual beating’, so as the helots knew their place. However this treatment of the helots simply made the helots hate the Spartans, causing the Spartans to be even more prepared to an uprising, bringing the whole dilemma around in a circle. Spartans lived and breathed so that they could be ready for war. Their social and political structure shows this by their education of male Spartans, their laws and government procedures and also the necessity to be ready to protect themselves from a potential helot uprise.

Music Appreciation Essay

The concert was at the Thayer Hall, a beautiful state of the art facility that is home for the school’s concerts, recitals, and other events. It holds up to 200 people, theater row seating, and the stage is set up fairly close to the first row seats which gives the performance a more personable feel to the audience. The wooden floor stage had a beautiful grand Steinway and Sons Piano set off to the side, that was moved later in the middle for the performance of Clarinet Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 167. The first piece on the program was Ricochet, composed by Kerry Turner. It was one of Turner’s chamber music ensemble, performed by a brass quintet; two trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba. The composition was energetic, skillfully played by the quintet in a manner that depicts life journey fast paced to get to the desired place and upon reaching it there is a slowing down pace of life either in peace or dismay. The second piece was Clarinet Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 167 by Camille Saint-Saens. This piece was performed with two instruments namely clarinet and piano. It had a slow movement, opening with tender, melodies that seemed effortless, up and down tempo, whispering softly. This was a short piece compared to other pieces in the program. It had a romantic voice and more consonance, harmonious, and cantabile movement. Camille Saint-Saens was born in Paris on October 9, 1835. His father died when he was a baby, after only having been married to his mother, Clemence a year and a day. His great aunt, Charlotte Mason, who was a learned person, also became a widow. The two ladies reared and provided for Camille Saint-Saens. He received his introduction to keyboarding from his great aunt at the age of two and a half. He was playing sonatas by the age of five years old. He was writing dance music at the age of 15. According to his auto biography (p.7) â€Å" Liszt had to show by his Galop Chromatique the  distinction that genius can give to the most commonplace themes My waltzes were better. As has always been the case with me I was already composing the music directly on paper with working it out on the piano.† http://books.google.com/books?id=MOcPAAAAYAAJ&dq=camille%20saint-saens&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q=camille%20saint-saens&f=false As Camille later in his life looked over his composition, there wa s no error in it technically, which is quite significant considering he did not have the basic knowledge of the â€Å"science of harmony.† Camille Saint-Saens, by the age of ten, gave concert played Beethoven’s Concerto in C minor and also Mozart’s concertos in B flat. He became the organist at the Church of Madeleine, which was a highly regarded post. He was well known in Paris. A virtuoso who had won prizes for his compositions; Introduction et rondo capriccioso (1863) as well as the Second Piano Concerto (1868). He held a post at Ecole Niedermayer during 1861 and 1865 as a piano professor. He had built life-long friendship with one of his students Gabriel Faure, one of the great composers of the 19th century and early 20th century. He would be what we would call a renaissance man, for his many gifts and interests. He was interested in Science and also a mathematician. During his later years, an avid traveler and writer wrote about his travels, poetry, and philosophical work. His work continued to be inspired by Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, composed symphonic poems including Danse Macabre in 1874. He is also known for his opera Samson et Dalila. He died in 1921, in Algeria. https://www.sfcv.org/learn/composer-gallery/saint-saà «ns-camille Sou rces: The following websites retrieved on November 29, 2014. The third piece was composed by Giacomo Miluccio, Rhapsody for Clarinet (ca. 1979). This beautiful and technically difficult piece was a solo for clarinet. This piece started off slow, with low pitch then increased in tempo with increasing pitch as well, that continues to a call and response type music, transitioning to dissonance, to slow – low melancholy notes, then picks up to a livelier mood. This piece evoked an uncomfortable feeling inside me, sort of giving a music background to my emotions when I am uneasy, frantic, loosing my sense of direction. I personally would not select this music to unwind after a long day at work. The fourth was selections from Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1927) composed by Erwin Schulhoff, three movements were played. The Charleston: Allegro began with a brigh tone, upbeat rhythm, producing dance to the beat of the music. The second movement, Romancero: Andantino sounded playful, with the individual instruments playing consecutively in the introduction playing the same note. The tempo is more andantino, relaxed and mezzo forte. The last movement was the Rondo-Finale: Molto Allegro con fuoco, it featured a lively theme, faster tempo (prestissimo), many repeated tones playful notes with all instruments, and concluded fortissimo rushing at the end. The fifth piece was Suite d’aprà ©s Corrette, by Darius Milhaud. This had four movements included in the program, Entree et Rondeau, Tambourin, Musette and Le Coucou. Each of the four movements had very playful melody. Darius Milhaud, One of France’s leading composer of the 20th century. He was born to a Jewish family in Aix-en-Provence. His parents’ Jewish family line came from the Comtadin sect that has been well established in France for hundreds of years and the Italian Sephardim. http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-03766.html Both of his parents had musical talents and had been playing music with his parents from his early childhood. He learned to play the violin at age 4. At the age of 17, Milhaud went to school at Paris Conservatoire where he ended up focusing on piano and composition, having the musical influence of top French composers like Paul Dukas, Charles Marie Widor (fugue), Andre Gedalge (counterpoint, composition, and orchestration) Nadia Boulanger, Maurice Ravel, George Enesco, Jacques Ibert were his students. http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/milhaud.php Milhaud and poet, Paul Claudel established a long collaborative relationship where Milhaud would compose incidental music, while Claudel will produce libretti for Milhaud’s works. Their friendship began when he served as a French attache in Rio de Janeiro in the First World War. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/darius-milhaud-mn0001175393/biography He became part of â€Å"Les Six†, a group of popular French composers under the supervision of Jean Cocteau. The group did not last very long, and had only been able to put together some piano pieces together as a whole group namely, L’Album des Six. http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/3012.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Six During his tours to foreign countries such as the U.S.A., Brazil, Vienna, London and the U.S.S.R., where he had quickly absorbed the various musical influences of these regions like jazz and Brazilian music. In 1939, he left France after the Nazi installed the Vichy Regime and many of his Jewish relatives were murdered by the Nazi Germans. An invitation to conduct at the Chicago Symphony, had given his family a timely exit visa. Through a friend of his, a famous French conductor then at the San Francisco Symphony as a conductor, Pierre Monteux, organized a teaching post for Milhaud at Mills College in Oakland, California. He is â€Å"often perceived as the champion of polytonality.† He may not be the inventor of this technique, he was able to use the technique to its possibilities. He produced at least 440 music pieces, including 12 ballets, nine operas, 12 symphonies, six chamber symphonies, 18 string quartet. He also continued to show his identity with France and the Jewish religion though his music. He later returned to France and kept a similar teaching post at Paris Conservatoire until 1971 along with his post in Mills College. http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/3012.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about He died in 1974. http://www.milkenarchive.org/people/view/all/574/Darius+Milhaud Sources: All websites retrieved on November 30, 2014 The final piece was Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon by Jean Franà §aix. The first movement was allegretto assai, it had a fast beat and very playful. This piece had a lot of dissonance. The Elegie had low pitch, the bassoon was setting the tone to a mournful sound, played in  harmony by the clarinet and oboe. The Scherzo, was the last movement played, it had a lot of energy, moving very fast. It sounded like a music for dancing, with contrasting tone color. Jean Franà §aix was born to a family of musicians on May 23, 1912. His father, Alfred Franà §aix spent sixteen years as the director for the Le Mans Conservatory of Music. His mother was a teacher and choir director also at the Conservatory. He had an early music influence, started learning piano at four, at ten he was taking music lessons with Isidor Philipp,whose long list of students were significant pianists, composers, and conductors, who was also a long time friend of Claude Debussy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isidor_Philipp Franà §aix, also studied music with Nadia Boulanger, who was a French composer, conductor, who also had a long list of well known students of musicians and composers of the 20th century. Jean Franà §aix at ten years old, composed â€Å"Pour Jacqueline† in honor of his cousin, and was published after two years. http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/2535.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about He met Maurice Ravel in 1923, who had encouraged the young Franà §aix, to pursue his path that he is currently taking. He won the first prize at the Paris Conservatoire when he was 18. In 1932, he successfully gained popularity at the premiere performance of his Concertino for Piano and Orchestra at the Baden-Baden Chamber Music Festival, in Germany. He became sought after after this that he was commissioned to write music for sixteen ballets. He had completed and extensive collection of works including orchestral works, film music, vocal works as well as chamber music. He served at Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris teaching from 1959 to 1962. According to Schott music website, although Jean Franà §aix had exposure, influence, and fondness for the French Impressionism and the Neoclassicism, and his close relationship with Francis Pulenc and the â€Å"Groupe Des Six,† â€Å"Jean Franà §aix never felt committed to any particular musical ideology.† http://www.schott-music.com/shop/persons/featured/jean-francaix/ Jean Franà §aix died in 1997, his major work, written in 1939, The Apocalypse of Saint John, first performed in 1942, and was later played at his memorial  service at Le Mans Cathedral in 1999. http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/2535.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about (Sources: all websites retrieved on November 30, 2014) The center stage’s design seemed very intimate to me in terms of the close proximity of the audience to the performers. From where I was sitting (left side, third row from the stage), I noticed that the instrumentalist were exchanging glances, waiting or taking the lead with each melody. I noticed that the instrumentalist had to tune their instruments before they start their pieces. They also seem to be constantly licking their lips. One striking event that I noticed, that I probably will not notice at a different venue where the stage is at a farther distance to the audience, is that the instrumentalists that played as a group, had a way of communicating with each other by glances and nods, whether to play solo, duo or trio. They played their musical instruments with such grace and poise. The moment the instrumentalist started performing the audience were very enthralled with the sound of the music. It was quite a life enriching experience. There was certain beauty and somewhat felt spiritual as I watch the instrumentalist play fantastic sounds with each of their instruments. The Colburn Conservatory School director welcomed the audience to the concert and with pride mentioned that most of their students have won the Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition. Jay,  I am hoping if you would be able to help me describe the following. I don’t exactly know how to go about writing description of this final music pieces. If you can, I would really appreciate it. 7. A full description of the final musical piece on the concert – 10 points Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon by Jean Franà §aix, 1912-1997 Prelude https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQywosBYkac Allegretto Assai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W682MdjDb4o

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?

There is strong pressure for individuals to become beautiful and to find a beautiful mate. Every day, people spend time and money to become beautiful. We may not be aware of it but we are likely to have experienced or witnessed how people use time and seem to have insufficient time in making themselves beautiful. Teenage siblings race to use the bathroom first because a sibling takes an hour or more to prepare for school.A range of beauty products clutter the bathroom cabinet or dresser with products used for different parts of the body or for various purposes and applied during the day and at night.Couples pressure each other to hurry up so they would beat rush hour traffic and not be late for work. People put on make-up, shave or brush their teeth while racing in the motorway. Cosmetic surgery has become popular. These are just examples of how people invest time and money to meet the pressure of becoming beautiful. Beauty is also strong consideration in looking for a partner or sel ecting a mate. Physical beauty is the initial determinant of attraction, which determines an individual’s interest in another person. While perceptions of beauty depend on personal taste, social influences can sway choices and outcomes.Even if a person finds someone attractive, if their friends or peers disagree then chances are they will not end up with that person. Acceptance of a partner by their peers is important to individuals. An interesting question is how far individuals consider social influences in selecting their partners and how well social influences on beauty standards in partner selection guarantee a good relationship. External Influences on Individual Perceptions of Beauty Perceptions of beauty that individuals use in finding and selecting a partner depend on external influences.These external influences not only affect ideas of a beautiful partner but also determine how well individuals meet the acceptable standards of a beautiful partner. The media as deter minant of standards of beauty. The media is a social institution that creates ideas of beauty and influences individual self-perception (Engeln-Maddox & Miller, 2008). The media is the biggest source of ideas of beauty expressed through different venues such as print magazines, television commercials or shows, and online programs. Mass accessibility led to the exposure and consumption of media by many people.Media also provides ideas of body image as a standard of beauty (Gallagher & Pecot-Hebert, 2007). Media changes the perception of individuals about themselves to make people desire the ideal standards of appearance and beauty. A study on the impact of media towards focus on appearance and beauty of African American girls showed that the portrayal of women as sex objects led to the greater consciousness and focus on personal appearance (Gordon, 2008). African American girls exposed to media portraying Black women as sex objects and who identified themselves with the characters in the media developed greater focus on their appearance.Media also affects individual ideas of beauty by causing individuals to make self-evaluations of their attractiveness. A research on the link between media, body evaluation and perceptions of attractiveness of college men and women showed that those who had positive evaluations of their bodies relative to media ideals perceived themselves as attractive while those who negatively evaluated their bodies reported negative effects on their self-esteem (Tyler, Lopez & Flores, 2009).The impact of media on individual ideas of beauty depends on internalization of ideal beauty and dissatisfaction with one’s body or looks. Internalization of ideal beauty means its acceptance and pursuit of this beauty standard (Dittmar, Halliwell & Stirling, 2009). The internationalization of thin models as ideal beauty influences decisions to undergo a physical makeover that could include cosmetic surgery (Heyes, 2007). Dissatisfaction with oneâ⠂¬â„¢s physical appearance also reinforces the impact of the ideal beauty on body image and self-perception (Engeln-Maddox, 2006).Culture as determinant of standards of beauty. People pursue standards of beauty prevailing in the culture to which they closely associate (Englis, Solomon & Ashmore, 1994). Having large eyes, breasts or hips depends on the beliefs of what constitutes beauty in women. In Africa, having large hips is beautiful because it represents fertility. In Latin America, women with large hips are beautiful with beauty showcased in dances. Changes in the beauty norms also cause shifts in individual ideas of beauty.Standards of beauty within a cultural context are exemplified by patterns of consumption (Bloch & Richins, 1993). Different types of cosmetics, hair products, and beauty enhancement procedures are popular beauty commodities in different cultures. Innovations in product development, technological tools, and marketing strategies for these products are a contin uous activity to create and meet demand. Peers as determinants of standards of beauty. Peers are agents of socialization (Campbell, 1980). Individuals learn about what constitutes beauty from peers.Individual attitudes and behaviors towards beauty is a reflection of collective ideas of beauty. The extent of association or identification with a peer group leads to a stronger influence on beauty standards (Campbell, 1980). A study on changing racial stereotypes through peer groups showed that exposure to positive stereotypes about African Americans led to the development of positive stereotyping by the group and its individual members (Tan et al. , 2001). People consider and adjust to the attitudes and beliefs of their peer groups on a number of issues including ideal beauty.Peers also influence perceptions of attractiveness of a potential mate. A study of social influences on interpersonal interaction showed that women were influenced by perceptions of their peers over the physical a ttractiveness of men as shown by personal ratings that considered initial feedback from other women (Graziano et al. , 1993). Peer Pressure and Fear of Judgment as Drivers of Likes and Dislikes Peer groups affect individual likes and dislikes by influencing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors toward beauty and related aspects.Peer pressure and fear of judgment are determinants of individual likes and dislikes. Peer pressure. Individuals are susceptible to persuasion in making decisions and doing actions depending on collective attitudes and behavior of peers (Griskevicius, Cialdini & Goldstein, 2008). If most or all peers adopt a similar attitude and behave similarly towards something, the extent of persuasive influence of peers is higher. Peer pressure refers to the psychological strain experienced by individuals when comparing themselves with their peers (Daido, 2006).If there is a significant gap, then a person feels greater pressure to consider and adopt the common beliefs and prac tices of the peer group. Fear of judgment. Fear is an emotional state that has a direct relationship with threat avoidance (Maner & Gerend, 2007). In peer groups, fear could emerge in the form of apprehensions over judgments from peers that affect acceptability and support from the group as well as anticipation of conflict with the group. The fear drives individuals to avoid the cause of the fear.A way of avoiding the outcomes feared is to comply with group peer beliefs and activities. Physical and Inner Beauty Beauty could be visible or non-visible or both (Fatovic-Ferencic, Durrigl & Holubar, 2003) Visible beauty is physical and observable by sight. Non-visible beauty refers to characteristics or values that may not be viewable but observable through personality, attitudes, decisions and behaviors. Physical beauty and inner beauty are interrelated but one component could dominate the other. A person may be beautiful on the outside but not beautiful on the inside.While the common p erception of beauty is as physical attribute, beauty comprises the balance between the physical and non-physical components. Informed judgments. With beauty having physical and non-physical components, making judgments requires knowing someone first. A study on the length of acquaintance with consensus over personality judgments showed that the longer one knows and interacts with a person, the more accurate the personal judgment is with the consensus over the personality judgment (Biesanz, West & Millevoi, 2007).Time is a factor in knowing a person. Judgments on beauty, covering both physical and inner beauty, require time to know a person. Physical beauty can be judged immediately based on first impression but judgments on overall beauty require knowing the individual first. Cognitive autonomy. Decision-making on life-changing personal matters such as having a relationship or selecting a partner are done individually. Although, external influences are important, people should learn to balance autonomous thinking with social influences.Cognitive autonomy is an important quality especially for young people and adults who face difficult life choices. This concept refer to the ability to evaluate ideas, express opinions, make decisions, use comparative assessments, and do self-evaluations (Beckert, 2007). Developing cognitive autonomy enables individuals to balance personal preferences with external influences. Self-efficacy. Individuals have varying needs and objectives. Although external feedback can help individuals, developing self-efficacy is important for individuals to make a plan and act to achieve their own goals.Individuals have a close understanding of what they want to achieve and self-efficacy is the factor that mediates planning and goal fulfillment (Lippke et al. , 2009). Other people may not have the same extent of understanding of the person’s goals and plans. The plan to enter into a relationship is achievable through self-efficacy. The C urrent Study The study will investigate the concept of beauty, including the distinction of inner and outer beauty, based on the perspectives of a representative sample of senior students at the university.Views and experiences of the pressures of being beautiful and finding the perfect partner based on standards of beauty will also be gathered. The study will then determine the extent that individuals weigh personal taste and social ideals of beauty, particularly peer influences, in finding the perfect partner and the extent that the balance contributes to the success in finding the perfect mate. Hypotheses 1. University students achieve greater balance between personal taste and social ideals of beauty in finding a life partner when beauty is considered as having inner and outer components.2. A balance between personal taste and social ideals of beauty contributes to the greater success in finding a partner. Method Participants The participants will be 60 randomly selected senior students at the university, evenly distributed between males and females. Senior students are those currently enrolled and expected to graduate after completing the current semester and one more semester. Senior university students will be selected as participants because they are likely to encounter the issue of finding a perfect partner as they near graduation and while establishing their careers.Having males and females as participants would determine any differences between perceptions of beauty, pressure of achieving beauty, and selection of the perfect life partner based on beauty. The participants have to bring with them two of their closest peers to provide an assessment of the physical attributes and perceived personality typology of partner choices. The selection of the respondents will be made by coordinating with the school registry to identify senior university students. Of the list obtained, 30 males and 30 females will be randomly selected.They will be contacted to se ek their permission and schedule a session together with two of their closest friends to participate in the quasi-experiment and answer the questionnaire. Those selected who refused to participate will be replaced by randomly selecting from the list until 60 respondents are completed. Materials The data collection instrument is a structured questionnaire with closed questions requiring the selection of a range of answers including yes/no, ranking a list of items, selecting a single answer from a given list, and rating based on extent of agreement or disagreement.The questions or statements cover the four topics on concept of beauty, pressures of being beautiful, finding a lifetime partner based on personal and/or peer ideas of beauty, and extent that personal and/or peer ideals of beauty contribute to the success in finding the perfect partner. Procedure The quasi-experiment will start with the selected participants going over pictures with basic information and personality descript ions of thirty men for women participants and thirty women for male participants. The graduation pictures of individuals wearing togas will be taken from yearbooks to control other visual factors such as clothing.The pictures will be selected to consider diverse physical and personality attributes based on the yearbook descriptions. The respondents will be asked to select one person from the set of pictures as a potential partner. They will rate the physical attributes and perceived personality traits of the person in the picture. Their friends will view the pictures, select one picture they think is the perfect partner for their friend, and rate the physical features and perceived personality type. The participant will be shown the choice of their peers and explanations for the choice.The participants are given the chance to decide whether to retain their choice or select the choice of their peers. Regardless of their choice, the participants will be asked to answer the questionnai re. The responses will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to summarize responses, t-test to determine differences in responses as influenced by gender, and correlation to determine the relationship between variables. References Beckert, T. (2007). Cognitive autonomy and self-evaluation in adolescence: A conceptual investigation and instrument. North American Journal of Psychology, 9(3), 579-594.Biesanz, J. , West, S. , & Millevoi, A. (2007). What do you learn about someone over time? The relationship between length of acquaintance and consensus and self–other agreement in judgments of personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(1), 119-135. Bloch, P. , & Richins, M. (1993). Attractiveness, adornments, and exchange. Psychology & Marketing, 19(6), 467-470. Campbell, B. (1980). A theoretical approach to peer influence in adolescent socialization. American Journal of Political Science, 24(2), 324-344. Dittman, H. , Halliwell, E. , & Stirling, E.(2009). Und erstanding the impact of thin media models on women’s body-focused affect: The roles of thin-ideal internalization and weight-related self-discrepancy activation in experimental exposure effects. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(1), 43-72. Engeln-Maddox, R. (2006). Buying a beauty standard or dreaming of a new life? Expectations associated with media ideals. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30(1), 258-266. Engeln-Maddox, R. (2008). Talking back to the media ideal: The development and validation of the critical processing of beauty images scale.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(1), 159-171. Englis, B. , Solomon, M. , & Ashmore, R. (1994). Beauty before the eyes of beholders: The cultural encoding of beauty types in magazine advertising and music television. Journal of Advertising, 23(2), 46-94. Fatovic-Ferencic, S. , Durrigl, M. , & Holubar, K. (2003). Beauty: Soul or surface?. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2(2), 82-85. Gallagher, A. , & Pecot-Hebert, L. (2007). â€Å"You need a makeover! †: The social construction of female body image in A Makeover Story, What Not to Wear, and Extreme Makeover.Popular Communication, 5(1), 57-79. Gordon, M. (2008). Media contributions to African American girls’ focus on beauty and appearance: Exploring the consequences of sexual objectification. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(1), 245-256. Graziano, W. , Jensen, Campbell, L. , Shebilske, L. , & Lundgren, S. (1993). Social influence, sex differences, and judgments of beauty: Putting the interpersonal back in interpersonal attraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(3), 522-531. Griskevicius, V. , Cialdini, R. , & Goldstein, N. (2008).Applying (and resisting) peer influence. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(2), 84-88. Heyes, C. (2007). Cosmetic surgery and the televisual makeover: A Foucauldian feminist reading. Feminist Media Studies, 7(1), 17-32. Lippke, S. , Wiedmann, A. , Ziegelmann, J. , Reuter, T. , & Schwarzer, R. (2009) . Self-efficacy moderates the mediation of intentions into behavior via plans. American Journal of Health Behavior, 33(5), 521-529. Maner, J. , & Gerend, M. (2007). Motivationally selective risk judgments: Do fear and curiosity boost the boons or the banes?.Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes, 103(2), 256-267. Tan, A. , Tan, G. , Avdeyeva, T. , Crandall, H. , Fukushi, Y. , Nyandwi, A. , Chin, H. , Wu, C. , & Fujioka, Y. (2001). Changing negative racial stereotypes: The influence of normative peer information. The Howard Journal of Communications, 12(3), 171-180. Tyler, K. , Lopez, S. , & Flores, L. (2009). The media, body evaluation, and perceptions of physical attractiveness among college-aged women and men. Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research, 14(1), 25-33.

Rainy season

The wet season, monsoon season or rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfalloccurs. It usually lasts one or more months. The term â€Å"green season† is also sometimes used as aeuphemlsm by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics andsubtropics. under the K ¶ppen climate classification, fo In contrast to areas with savannaclimates and monsoon reglmes,medlterranean climates have wet winters and dry summers.Tropical rainforests technically do not have dry or wet seasons, since their ainfall is equally distributed throughout the year. Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mld-season, when the Intertroplcal convergence zone or monsoon trough moves poleward of their location during the middle of the warm season. When the wet season occurs during a warm season, or summer, precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening hours.The wet season is a time when air qualityimproves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows substantially, leading to crop yields late in the season. Floods cause rivers to overflow their banks, and some animals to retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures. Animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wetter regime.Character of rainfall: In areas where the heavy rainfall is associated with a wind shift, the wet season becomes known as the monsoon. [7] Since rainfall during the wet season is predominantly due to daytime heating which leads to diurnal thunderstorm activity ithin a pre-existing moist airmass, rainfall is mainly focused during the late afternoon and early evening hours within savannah and monsoon regimes.This also leads to much of the total rainfall each day falling during the initial minutes of the downpour,[6] before the storms mature i nto their stratiform stage. [8] While most locations have only one wet season, areas of the tropics can experience two wet seasons as the monsoon trough, or Intertropical Convergence Zone, can pass over locations in the tropics twice per year. Since rain forests have equitable rainfall throughout the year. hey do not technically have a wet seasom The situation Is different for locations within the Mediterranean climate regime.In the western United States, during the cold season from September through May, extratropical cyclones from the Pacific ocean move Inland Into the region due to a southward migration of the Jet stream during the cold season. This shift in the Jet stream brings much of the annual precipitation to the and also brings the potential for heavy rain and strong low pressure systems. [10] The peninsula of Italy experiences very similar weather to the western United States in this regard. Areas affected Areas with a savanna climate In Sub-Saharan Africa, such as Ghana, Burkina [1 3] 5] and Botswana have a distinct rainy season. 1 7] Also within the savannah climate regime, Florida and East Texas have a rainy Monsoon regions include southeast Asla(lnclualng Inaonesla ana nortnern sectlons 0T Australla's Nortn, [21] Polynesia,[22] Central America,[23] western and southernMexico,[24] the Desert Southwest of the United States, southernGuyana, portions of northeast Brazil. Northern Guyana experiences two wet seasons: one in late spring and the other in early winter. 25] In western Africa, there are two rainy seasons across southern sections with only one across the north. 27] Within the Mediterranean climate regime, the west coast of the United States and theMediterranean coastline of Italy, Greece,[28] and Turkey experience a wet season in the winter months. [29] Similarly, the wet season in the Negev desert of Israel extends from October through May. [30] At the boundary between the Mediterranean and monsoon climates lies the Sonoran desert, which r eceives the two rainy seasons associated with each climate regime. [31] The wet season is known by many different local names hroughout the world. For example, the wet season period of the year in Mexico is known as storm season.Effects In tropical areas, when the monsoon arrives daytime high temperatures drop and overnight low temperatures increase. [32] During the wet season, a combination of heavy rainfall and in some areas, such as Hong Kong, a wind more off the ocean, significantly improve air quality. [33] In Brazil, the wet season is correlated to weaker trade winds off the ocean. [26] The pH level of water becomes more balanced due to the charging of local aquifers during the wet season. Rainy Season The wet season, monsoon season or rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfalloccurs. It usually lasts one or more months. The term â€Å"green season† is also sometimes used as aeuphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics andsubtropics. Under the Koppen climate classification, fo In contrast to areas with savannaclimates and monsoon regimes,mediterranean climates have wet winters and dry summers.Tropical rainforests technically do not have dry or wet seasons, since their rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year. Some areas with pronounced rainy seasons will see a break in rainfall mid-season, when the intertropical convergence zone or monsoon trough moves poleward of their location during the middle of the warm season. When the wet season occurs during a warm season, or summer, precipitation falls mainly during the late afternoon and early evening hours.The wet season is a time when air qualityimproves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows substantially, leading to crop yields late in the season. Floods cause rivers to overflow their banks, and some animals to retreat to higher ground. Soil nutrients diminish and erosion increases. The incidence of malaria increases in areas where the rainy season coincides with high temperatures. Animals have adaptation and survival strategies for the wetter regime.Character of rainfallIn areas where the heavy rainfall is associated with a wind shift, the wet season becomes known as the monsoon. Since rainfall during the wet season is predominantly due to daytime heating which leads to diurnal thunderstorm activity within a pre-existing moist airmass, rainfall is mainly focused during the late afternoon and early evening hours within savannah and monsoon regimes. This also leads to much of the total rainfall each day falling during the initial minutes of the downpour, before the storms mature into their stratiform stage.While most locations have only one wet season, areas of the tropics can experience two wet seasons as the monsoon trough, or Intertropical Convergence Zone, can pass over locations in the tropics twice per year. Since rain forests have equitable rainfall throughout the year, they do not technically have a wet season. The situation is different for locations within the Mediterranean climate regime.In the western United States, during the cold season from September through May, extratropical cyclones from the Pacific ocean move inland into the region due to a southward migration of the jet stream during the cold season. This shift in the jet stream brings much of the annual precipitation to the region, and also brings the potential for heavy rain and strong low pressure systems. The peninsula of Italy experiences very similar weather to the western United States in this regard.Areas affectedAreas with a savanna climate in Sub-Saharan Africa, such as Ghana, Burkina Fa so, Darfur, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Botswana have a distinct rainy season. Also within the savannah climate regime, Florida and East Texas have a rainy season.   Monsoon regions include southeast Asia(including Indonesia and Philippines), northern sections of Australia's North, Polynesia, Central America, western and southernMexico, the Desert Southwest of the United States, southernGuyana, portions of northeast Brazil. Northern Guyana experiences two wet seasons: one in late spring and the other in early winter.In western Africa, there are two rainy seasons across southern sections with only one across the north. Within the Mediterranean climate regime, the west coast of the United States and theMediterranean coastline of Italy, Greece, and Turkey experience a wet season in the winter months. Similarly, the wet season in the Negev desert of Israel extends from October through May. At the boundary between the Mediterranean and monsoon climates lies the Sonoran desert, which receive s the two rainy seasons associated with each climate regime.The wet season is known by many different local names throughout the world. For example, the wet season period of the year in Mexico is known as storm season. Effects In tropical areas, when the monsoon arrives daytime high temperatures drop and overnight low temperatures increase. During the wet season, a combination of heavy rainfall and in some areas, such as Hong Kong, a wind more off the ocean, significantly improve air quality. In Brazil, the wet season is correlated to weaker trade winds off the ocean. The pH level of water becomes more balanced due to the charging of local aquifers during the wet season.Water also softens, as dissolved materials lower in concentration during the rainy season. Erosion is also increased during rainy periods. Arroyosthat are dry at other times of the year fill with runoff, in some cases with water as deep as 10 feet (3. 0 m).   Leaching of soils during periods of heavy rainfall deple tes nutrients.   The excessive runoff from land masses significantly impacts nearby ocean areas, which are more stratified, or less mixed, due to stronger surface currents forced by the heavy rainfall runoff.FloodsWidespread flooding can occur if rainfall becomes excessive, which can lead to landslides and mudflows in mountainous areas. Such floods cause rivers to leave their banks and homes to go underwater. Floods can be exacerbated by fires during the previous dry season, which cause soils which are sandy or composed of loam to become hydrophobic, or repellent of water.There are various ways government organizations help their residents deal with wet season floods. Flood plain mapping is conducted, which helps diagnose what areas are more prone to flooding. Instructions on how to control erosion through outreach is also done via telephone or the internet.HumansThe wet season is the main period of vegetation growth within the Savanna climate regime. However, this also means that wet season is a time for food shortages before crops reach their full maturity. This causes seasonal weight changes for people in developing countries, with a drop occurring during the wet season until the time of the first harvest, when weights rebound. Malaria incidence increases during periods of high temperature and heavy rainfall. Animals Cows calve, or give birth, at the beginning of the beor wet season[clarify].The onset of the rainy season signals the departure of the Monarch butterflyfrom Mexico. Tropical species of butterflies show larger dot markings on their wings to fend off possible predators and are more active during the wet season than the dry season. Within the tropics and warmer areas of the subtropics, decreased salinity of near shore wetlands due to the rains causes an increase in crocodile nesting. Other species, such as the arroyo toad, spawn within the couple of months after the seasonal rains. Armadillosand rattlesnakes seek higher ground.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Seventy

Jon The mare whickered softly as Jon Snow tightened the cinch. â€Å"Easy, sweet lady,† he said in a soft voice, quieting her with a touch. Wind whispered through the stable, a cold dead breath on his face, but Jon paid it no mind. He strapped his roll to the saddle, his scarred fingers stiff and clumsy. â€Å"Ghost,† he called softly, â€Å"to me.† And the wolf was there, eyes like embers. â€Å"Jon, please. You must not do this.† He mounted, the reins in his hand, and wheeled the horse around to face the night. Samwell Tarly stood in the stable door, a full moon peering over his shoulder. He threw a giant's shadow, immense and black. â€Å"Get out of my way, Sam.† â€Å"Jon, you can't,† Sam said. â€Å"I won't let you.† â€Å"I would sooner not hurt you,† Jon told him. â€Å"Move aside, Sam, or I'll ride you down.† â€Å"You won't. You have to listen to me. Please . . . â€Å" Jon put his spurs to horseflesh, and the mare bolted for the door. For an instant Sam stood his ground, his face as round and pale as the moon behind him, his mouth a widening O of surprise. At the last moment, when they were almost on him, he jumped aside as Jon had known he would, stumbled, and fell. The mare leapt over him, out into the night. Jon raised the hood of his heavy cloak and gave the horse her head. Castle Black was silent and still as he rode out, with Ghost racing at his side. Men watched from the Wall behind him, he knew, but their eyes were turned north, not south. No one would see him go, no one but Sam Tarly, struggling back to his feet in the dust of the old stables. He hoped Sam hadn't hurt himself, falling like that. He was so heavy and so ungainly, it would be just like him to break a wrist or twist his ankle getting out of the way. â€Å"I warned him,† Jon said aloud. â€Å"It was nothing to do with him, anyway.† He flexed his burned hand as he rode, opening and closing the scarred fingers. They still pained him, but it felt good to have the wrappings off. Moonlight silvered the hills as he followed the twisting ribbon of the kingsroad. He needed to get as far from the Wall as he could before they realized he was gone. On the morrow he would leave the road and strike out overland through field and bush and stream to throw off pursuit, but for the moment speed was more important than deception. It was not as though they would not guess where he was going. The Old Bear was accustomed to rise at first light, so Jon had until dawn to put as many leagues as he could between him and the Wall . . . if Sam Tarly did not betray him. The fat boy was dutiful and easily frightened, but he loved Jon like a brother. If questioned, Sam would doubtless tell them the truth, but Jon could not imagine him braving the guards in front of the King's Tower to wake Mormont from sleep. When Jon did not appear to fetch the Old Bear's breakfast from the kitchen, they'd look in his cell and find Longclaw on the bed. It had been hard to abandon it, but Jon was not so lost to honor as to take it with him. Even Jorah Mormont had not done that, when he fled in disgrace. Doubtless Lord Mormont would find someone more worthy of the blade. Jon felt bad when he thought of the old man. He knew his desertion would be salt in the still-raw wound of his son's disgrace. That seemed a poor way to repay him for his trust, but it couldn't be helped. No matter what he did, Jon felt as though he were betraying someone. Even now, he did not know if he was doing the honorable thing. The southron had it easier. They had their septons to talk to, someone to tell them the gods' will and help sort out right from wrong. But the Starks worshiped the old gods, the nameless gods, and if the heart trees heard, they did not speak. When the last lights of Castle Black vanished behind him, Jon slowed his mare to a walk. He had a long journey ahead and only the one horse to see him through. There were holdfasts and farming villages along the road south where he might be able to trade the mare for a fresh mount when he needed one, but not if she were injured or blown. He would need to find new clothes soon; most like, he'd need to steal them. He was clad in black from head to heel; high leather riding boots, roughspun breeches and tunic, sleeveless leather jerkin, and heavy wool cloak. His longsword and dagger were sheathed in black moleskin, and the hauberk and coif in his saddlebag were black ringmail. Any bit of it could mean his death if he were taken. A stranger wearing black was viewed with cold suspicion in every village and holdfast north of the Neck, and men would soon be watching for him. Once Maester Aemon's ravens took flight, Jon knew he would find no safe haven. Not even at Winterfell. Bran might want to let him in, but Maester Luwin had better sense. He would bar the gates and send Jon away, as he should. Better not to call there at all. Yet he saw the castle clear in his mind's eye, as if he had left it only yesterday; the towering granite walls, the Great Hall with its smells of smoke and dog and roasting meat, his father's solar, the turret room where he had slept. Part of him wanted nothing so much as to hear Bran laugh again, to sup on one of Gage's beef-and-bacon pies, to listen to Old Nan tell her tales of the children of the forest and Florian the Fool. But he had not left the Wall for that; he had left because he was after all his father's son, and Robb's brother. The gift of a sword, even a sword as fine as Longclaw, did not make him a Mormont. Nor was he Aemon Targaryen. Three times the old man had chosen, and three times he had chosen honor, but that was him. Even now, Jon could not decide whether the maester had stayed because he was weak and craven, or because he was strong and true. Yet he understood what the old man had meant, about the pain of choosing; he understood that all too well. Tyrion Lannister had claimed that most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it, but Jon was done with denials. He was who he was; Jon Snow, bastard and oathbreaker, motherless, friendless, and damned. For the rest of his life—however long that might be—he would be condemned to be an outsider, the silent man standing in the shadows who dares not speak his true name. Wherever he might go throughout the Seven Kingdoms, he would need to live a lie, lest every man's hand be raised against him. But it made no matter, so long as he lived long enough to take his place by his brother's side and help avenge his father. He remembered Robb as he had last seen him, standing in the yard with snow melting in his auburn hair. Jon would have to come to him in secret, disguised. He tried to imagine the look on Robb's face when he revealed himself. His brother would shake his head and smile, and he'd say . . . he'd say . . . He could not see the smile. Hard as he tried, he could not see it. He found himself thinking of the deserter his father had beheaded the day they'd found the direwolves. â€Å"You said the words,† Lord Eddard had told him. â€Å"You took a vow, before your brothers, before the old gods and the new.† Desmond and Fat Tom had dragged the man to the stump. Bran's eyes had been wide as saucers, and Jon had to remind him to keep his pony in hand. He remembered the look on Father's face when Theon Greyjoy brought forth Ice, the spray of blood on the snow, the way Theon had kicked the head when it came rolling at his feet. He wondered what Lord Eddard might have done if the deserter had been his brother Benjen instead of that ragged stranger. Would it have been any different? It must, surely, surely . . . and Robb would welcome him, for a certainty. He had to, or else . . . It did not bear thinking about. Pain throbbed, deep in his fingers, as he clutched the reins. Jon put his heels into his horse and broke into a gallop, racing down the kingsroad, as if to outrun his doubts. Jon was not afraid of death, but he did not want to die like that, trussed and bound and beheaded like a common brigand. If he must perish, let it be with a sword in his hand, fighting his father's killers. He was no true Stark, had never been one . . . but he could die like one. Let them say that Eddard Stark had fathered four sons, not three. Ghost kept pace with them for almost half a mile, red tongue lolling from his mouth. Man and horse alike lowered their heads as he asked the mare for more speed. The wolf slowed, stopped, watching, his eyes glowing red in the moonlight. He vanished behind, but Jon knew he would follow, at his own pace. Scattered lights flickered through the trees ahead of him, on both sides of the road: Mole's Town. A dog barked as he rode through, and he heard a mule's raucous haw from the stable, but otherwise the village was still. Here and there the glow of hearth fires shone through shuttered windows, leaking between wooden slats, but only a few. Mole's Town was bigger than it seemed, but three quarters of it was under the ground, in deep warm cellars connected by a maze of tunnels. Even the whorehouse was down there, nothing on the surface but a wooden shack no bigger than a privy, with a red lantern hung over the door. On the Wall, he'd heard men call the whores â€Å"buried treasures.† He wondered whether any of his brothers in black were down there tonight, mining. That was oathbreaking too, yet no one seemed to care. Not until he was well beyond the village did Jon slow again. By then both he and the mare were damp with sweat. He dismounted, shivering, his burned hand aching. A bank of melting snow lay under the trees, bright in the moonlight, water trickling off to form small shallow pools. Jon squatted and brought his hands together, cupping the runoff between his fingers. The snowmelt was icy cold. He drank, and splashed some on his face, until his cheeks tingled. His fingers were throbbing worse than they had in days, and his head was pounding too. I am doing the right thing, he told himself, so why do I feel so bad? The horse was well lathered, so Jon took the lead and walked her for a while. The road was scarcely wide enough for two riders to pass abreast, its surface cut by tiny streams and littered with stone. That run had been truly stupid, an invitation to a broken neck. Jon wondered what had gotten into him. Was he in such a great rush to die? Off in the trees, the distant scream of some frightened animal made him look up. His mare whinnied nervously. Had his wolf found some prey? He cupped his hands around his mouth. â€Å"Ghost!† he shouted. â€Å"Ghost, to me.† The only answer was a rush of wings behind him as an owl took flight. Frowning, Jon continued on his way. He led the mare for half an hour, until she was dry. Ghost did not appear. Jon wanted to mount up and ride again, but he was concerned about his missing wolf. â€Å"Ghost,† he called again. â€Å"Where are you? To me! Ghost!† Nothing in these woods could trouble a direwolf, even a half-grown direwolf, unless . . . no, Ghost was too smart to attack a bear, and if there was a wolf pack anywhere close Jon would have surely heard them howling. He should eat, he decided. Food would settle his stomach and give Ghost the chance to catch up. There was no danger yet; Castle Black still slept. In his saddlebag, he found a biscuit, a piece of cheese, and a small withered brown apple. He'd brought salt beef as well, and a rasher of bacon he'd filched from the kitchens, but he would save the meat for the morrow. After it was gone he'd need to hunt, and that would slow him. Jon sat under the trees and ate his biscuit and cheese while his mare grazed along the kingsroad. He kept the apple for last. It had gone a little soft, but the flesh was still tart and juicy. He was down to the core when he heard the sounds: horses, and from the north. Quickly Jon leapt up and strode to his mare. Could he outrun them? No, they were too close, they'd hear him for a certainty, and if they were from Castle Black . . . He led the mare off the road, behind a thick stand of grey-green sentinels. â€Å"Ouiet now,† he said in a hushed voice, crouching down to peer through the branches. If the gods were kind, the riders would pass by. Likely as not, they were only smallfolk from Mole's Town, farmers on their way to their fields, although what they were doing out in the middle of the night . . . He listened to the sound of hooves growing steadily louder as they trotted briskly down the kingsroad. From the sound, there were five or six of them at the least. Their voices drifted through the trees. † . . . certain he came this way?† â€Å"We can't be certain.† â€Å"He could have ridden east, for all you know. Or left the road to cut through the woods. That's what I'd do.† â€Å"In the dark? Stupid. If you didn't fall off your horse and break your neck, you'd get lost and wind up back at the Wall when the sun came up.† â€Å"I would not.† Grenn sounded peeved. â€Å"I'd just ride south, you can tell south by the stars.† â€Å"What if the sky was cloudy?† Pyp asked. â€Å"Then I wouldn't go.† Another voice broke in. â€Å"You know where I'd be if it was me? I'd be in Mole's Town, digging for buried treasure.† Toad's shrill laughter boomed through the trees. Jon's mare snorted. â€Å"Keep quiet, all of you,† Haider said. â€Å"I thought I heard something.† â€Å"Where? I didn't hear anything.† The horses stopped. â€Å"You can't hear yourself fart.† â€Å"I can too,† Grenn insisted. â€Å"Quiet!† They all fell silent, listening. Jon found himself holding his breath. Sam, he thought. He hadn't gone to the Old Bear, but he hadn't gone to bed either, he'd woken the other boys. Damn them all. Come dawn, if they were not in their beds, they'd be named deserters too. What did they think they were doing? The hushed silence seemed to stretch on and on. From where Jon crouched, he could see the legs of their horses through the branches. Finally Pyp spoke up. â€Å"What did you hear?† â€Å"I don't know,† Haider admitted. â€Å"A sound, I thought it might have been a horse but . . . â€Å" â€Å"There's nothing here.† Out of the corner of his eye, Jon glimpsed a pale shape moving through the trees. Leaves rustled, and Ghost came bounding out of the shadows, so suddenly that Jon's mare started and gave a whinny. â€Å"There!† Halder shouted. â€Å"I heard it too!† â€Å"Traitor,† Jon told the direwolf as he swung up into the saddle. He turned the mare's head to slide off through the trees, but they were on him before he had gone ten feet. â€Å"Jon!† Pyp shouted after him. â€Å"Pull up,† Grenn said. â€Å"You can't outrun us all.† Jon wheeled around to face them, drawing his sword. â€Å"Get back. I don't wish to hurt you, but I will if I have to.† â€Å"One against seven?† Halder gave a signal. The boys spread out, surrounding him. â€Å"What do you want with me?† Jon demanded. â€Å"We want to take you back where you belong,† Pyp said. â€Å"I belong with my brother.† â€Å"We're your brothers now,† Grenn said. â€Å"They'll cut off your head if they catch you, you know,† Toad put in with a nervous laugh. â€Å"This is so stupid, it's like something the Aurochs would do.† â€Å"I would not,† Grenn said. â€Å"I'm no oathbreaker. I said the words and I meant them.† â€Å"So did I,† Jon told them. â€Å"Don't you understand? They murdered my father. It's war, my brother Robb is fighting in the riverlands—† â€Å"We know,† said Pyp solemnly. â€Å"Sam told us everything.† â€Å"We're sorry about your father,† Grenn said, â€Å"but it doesn't matter. Once you say the words, you can't leave, no matter what.† â€Å"I have to,† Jon said fervently. â€Å"You said the words,† Pyp reminded him. â€Å"Now my watch begins, you said it. It shall not end until my death.† â€Å"I shall live and die at my post,† Grenn added, nodding. â€Å"You don't have to tell me the words, I know them as well as you do.† He was angry now. Why couldn't they let him go in peace? They were only making it harder. â€Å"I am the sword in the darkness,† Halder intoned. â€Å"The watcher on the walls,† piped Toad. Jon cursed them all to their faces. They took no notice. Pyp spurred his horse closer, reciting, â€Å"I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men.† â€Å"Stay back,† Jon warned him, brandishing his sword. â€Å"I mean it, Pyp.† They weren't even wearing armor, he could cut them to pieces if he had to. Matthar had circled behind him. He joined the chorus. â€Å"I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch.† Jon kicked his mare, spinning her in a circle. The boys were all around him now, closing from every side. â€Å"For this night . . . † Halder trotted in from the left. † . . . and all the nights to come,† finished Pyp. He reached over for Jon's reins. â€Å"So here are your choices. Kill me, or come back with me.† Jon lifted his sword . . . and lowered it, helpless. â€Å"Damn you,† he said. â€Å"Damn you all.† â€Å"Do we have to bind your hands, or will you give us your word you'll ride back peaceful?† asked Halder. â€Å"I won't run, if that's what you mean.† Ghost moved out from under the trees and Jon glared at him. â€Å"Small help you were,† he said. The deep red eyes looked at him knowingly. â€Å"We had best hurry,† Pyp said. â€Å"If we're not back before first light, the Old Bear will have all our heads.† Of the ride back, Jon Snow remembered little. It seemed shorter than the journey south, perhaps because his mind was elsewhere. Pyp set the pace, galloping, walking, trotting, and then breaking into another gallop. Mole's Town came and went, the red lantern over the brothel long extinguished. They made good time. Dawn was still an hour off when Jon glimpsed the towers of Castle Black ahead of them, dark against the pale immensity of the Wall. It did not seem like home this time. They could take him back, Jon told himself, but they could not make him stay. The war would not end on the morrow, or the day after, and his friends could not watch him day and night. He would bide his time, make them think he was content to remain here . . . and then, when they had grown lax, he would be off again. Next time he would avoid the kingsroad. He could follow the Wall east, perhaps all the way to the sea, a longer route but a safer one. Or even west, to the mountains, and then south over the high passes. That was the wildling's way, hard and perilous, but at least no one wouid follow him. He wouldn't stray within a hundred leagues of Winterfell or the kingsroad. Samwell Tarly awaited them in the old stables, slumped on the ground against a bale of hay, too anxious to sleep. He rose and brushed himself off. â€Å"I . . . I'm glad they found you, Jon.† â€Å"I'm not,† Jon said, dismounting. Pyp hopped off his horse and looked at the lightening sky with disgust. â€Å"Give us a hand bedding down the horses, Sam,† the small boy said. â€Å"We have a long day before us, and no sleep to face it on, thanks to Lord Snow.† When day broke, Jon walked to the kitchens as he did every dawn. Three-Finger Hobb said nothing as he gave him the Old Bear's breakfast. Today it was three brown eggs boiled hard, with fried bread and ham steak and a bowl of wrinkled plums. Jon carried the food back to the King's Tower. He found Mormont at the window seat, writing. His raven was walking back and forth across his shoulders, muttering, â€Å"Corn, corn, corn.† The bird shrieked when Jon entered. â€Å"Put the food on the table,† the Old Bear said, glancing up. â€Å"I'll have some beer.† Jon opened a shuttered window, took the flagon of beer off the outside ledge, and filled a horn. Hobb had given him a lemon, still cold from the Wall. Jon crushed it in his fist. The juice trickled through his fingers. Mormont drank lemon in his beer every day, and claimed that was why he still had his own teeth. â€Å"Doubtless you loved your father,† Mormont said when Jon brought him his horn. â€Å"The things we love destroy us every time, lad. Remember when I told you that?† â€Å"I remember,† Jon said sullenly. He did not care to talk of his father's death, not even to Mormont. â€Å"See that you never forget it. The hard truths are the ones to hold tight. Fetch me my plate. Is it ham again? So be it. You look weary. Was your moonlight ride so tiring?† Jon's throat was dry. â€Å"You know?† â€Å"Know,† the raven echoed from Mormont's shoulder. â€Å"Know.† The Old Bear snorted. â€Å"Do you think they chose me Lord Commander of the Night's Watch because I'm dumb as a stump, Snow? Aemon told me you'd go. I told him you'd be back. I know my men . . . and my boys too. Honor set you on the kingsroad . . . and honor brought you back.† â€Å"My friends brought me back,† Jon said. â€Å"Did I say it was your honor?† Mormont inspected his plate. â€Å"They killed my father. Did you expect me to do nothing?† â€Å"If truth be told, we expected you to do just as you did.† Mormont tried a plum, spit out the pit. â€Å"I ordered a watch kept over you., You were seen leaving. If your brothers had not fetched you back, you would have been taken along the way, and not by friends. Unless you have a horse with wings like a raven. Do you?† â€Å"No.† Jon felt like a fool. â€Å"Pity, we could use a horse like that.† Jon stood tall. He told himself that he would die well; that much he could do, at the least. â€Å"I know the penalty for desertion, my lord. I'm not afraid to die.† â€Å"Die!† the raven cried. â€Å"Nor live, I hope,† Mormont said, cutting his ham with a dagger and feeding a bite to the bird. â€Å"You have not deserted—yet. Here you stand. If we beheaded every boy who rode to Mole's Town in the night, only ghosts would guard the Wall. Yet maybe you mean to flee again on the morrow, or a fortnight from now. Is that it? Is that your hope, boy?† Jon kept silent. â€Å"I thought so.† Mormont peeled the shell off a boiled egg. â€Å"Your father is dead, lad. Do you think you can bring him back?† â€Å"No,† he answered, sullen. â€Å"Good,† Mormont said. â€Å"We've seen the dead come back, you and me, and it's not something I care to see again.† He ate the egg in two bites and flicked a bit of shell out from between his teeth. â€Å"Your brother is in the field with all the power of the north behind him. Any one of his lords bannermen commands more swords than you'll find in all the Night's Watch. Why do you imagine that they need your help? Are you such a mighty warrior, or do you carry a grumkin in your pocket to magic up your sword?† Jon had no answer for him. The raven was pecking at an egg, breaking the shell. Pushing his beak through the hole, he pulled out morsels of white and yoke. The Old Bear sighed. â€Å"You are not the only one touched by this war. Like as not, my sister is marching in your brother's host, her and those daughters of hers, dressed in men's mail. Maege is a hoary old snark, stubborn, short-tempered, and willful. Truth be told, I can hardly stand to be around the wretched woman, but that does not mean my love for her is any less than the love you bear your half sisters.† Frowning, Mormont took his last egg and squeezed it in his fist until the shell crunched. â€Å"Or perhaps it does. Be that as it may, I'd still grieve if she were slain, yet you don't see me running off. I said the words, just as you did. My place is here . . . where is yours, boy?† I have no place, Jon wanted to say, I'm a bastard, I have no rights, no name, no mother, and now not even a father. The words would not come. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"I do,† said Lord Commander Mormont. â€Å"The cold winds are rising, Snow. Beyond the Wall, the shadows lengthen. Cotter Pyke writes of vast herds of elk, streaming south and east toward the sea, and mammoths as well. He says one of his men discovered huge, misshapen footprints not three leagues from Eastwatch. Rangers from the Shadow Tower have found whole villages abandoned, and at night Ser Denys says they see fires in the mountains, huge blazes that burn from dusk till dawn. Quorin Halfhand took a captive in the depths of the Gorge, and the man swears that Mance Rayder is massing all his people in some new, secret stronghold he's found, to what end the gods only know. Do you think your uncle Benjen was the only ranger we've lost this past year?† â€Å"Ben Jen,† the raven squawked, bobbing its head, bits of egg dribbling from its beak. â€Å"Ben Jen. Ben Jen.† â€Å"No,† Jon said. There had been others. Too many. â€Å"Do you think your brother's war is more important than ours?† the old man barked. Jon chewed his lip. The raven flapped its wings at him. â€Å"War, war, war, war,† it sang. â€Å"It's not,† Mormont told him. â€Å"Gods save us, boy, you're not blind and you're not stupid. When dead men come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits the Iron Throne?† â€Å"No.† Jon had not thought of it that way. â€Å"Your lord father sent you to us, Jon. Why, who can say?† â€Å"Why? Why? Why?† the raven called. â€Å"All I know is that the blood of the First Men flows in the veins of the Starks. The First Men built the Wall, and it's said they remember things otherwise forgotten. And that beast of yours . . . he led us to the wights, warned you of the dead man on the steps. Ser Jaremy would doubtless call that happenstance, yet Ser Jaremy is dead and I'm not.† Lord Mormont stabbed a chunk of ham with the point of his dagger. â€Å"I think you were meant to be here, and I want you and that wolf of yours with us when we go beyond the Wall.† His words sent a chill of excitement down Jon's back. â€Å"Beyond the Wall?† â€Å"You heard me. I mean to find Ben Stark, alive or dead.† He chewed and swallowed. â€Å"I will not sit here meekly and wait for the snows and the ice winds. We must know what is happening. This time the Night's Watch will ride in force, against the King-beyond-the-Wall, the Others, and anything else that may be out there. I mean to command them myself.† He pointed his dagger at Jon's chest. â€Å"By custom, the Lord Commander's steward is his squire as well . . . but I do not care to wake every dawn wondering if you've run off again. So I will have an answer from you, Lord Snow, and I will have it now. Are you a brother of the Night's Watch . . . or only a bastard boy who wants to play at war?† Jon Snow straightened himself and took a long deep breath. Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran . . . forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place. â€Å"I am . . . yours, my lord. Your man. I swear it. I will not run again.† The Old Bear snorted. â€Å"Good. Now go put on your sword.†