Twitter Case Study

TWITTER SEARCHES FOR A BUSINESS MODELTwitter, the social networking site based on 140 character text messages, is the buzz social networking phenomenon of the year. Like all social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, and others, Twitter provides a platform for users to express themselves by creating content and sharing it with their â€Å"followers,† who sign up to receive someone’s â€Å"tweets. † And like most social networking sites, Twitter faces the problem of how to make money. As of October 2010, Twitter has failed to generate earnings as its management ponders how best to exploit the buzz and user base it has created. Twitter began as a Web-based version of popular text messaging services provided by cell phone carriers. Executives in a podcasting company called Odeo were searching for a new revenue-producing product or service. In March 2006, they created a stand-alone, private company called Twitter. The basic idea was to marry short text messaging on cell phones with the Web and its ability to create social groups. You start by establishing a Twitter account online, and identifying the friends that you would like to receive your messages. By sending a text message called a â€Å"tweet† to a short code on your cell phone (40404), you can tell your friends what you are doing, your location, and whatever else you might want to say. You are limited to 140 characters, but there is no installation and no charge. This social network messaging service to keep buddies informed is a smash success. Coming up with solid numbers for Twitter is not easy because the firm is not releasing any â€Å"official† figures. By September 2010, Twitter, according to comScore, had around 30 million unique monthly users in the United States, and perhaps 96 million worldwide, displacing MySpace as the number three global social network (behind Facebook and Microsoft’s Live Profile). The number of individual tweets is also known only by the company. According to the company, by early 2007, Twitter had transmitted 20,000 tweets, which jumped to 60,000 tweets in a few months. During the Iranian rebellion in June 2009, there were reported to be over 200,000 tweets per hour worldwide. In October 2010, Twitter was recording over 1. 2 million tweets a month. On the other hand, experts believe that 80 percent of tweets are generated by only 10 percent of users, and that the median number of tweet readers per tweet is 1 (most tweeters tweet to one follower). Even more disturbing is that Twittter has a 60 percent churn rate: only 40 percent of users remain more than one month. Obviously, many users lose interest in learning about their friends’ breakfast menu, and many feel â€Å"too connected† to their â€Å"friends,† who in fact may only be distant acquaintances, if that. On the other hand, celebrities such as Britney Spears have hundreds of thousands of â€Å"friends† who follow their activities, making Twitter a marvelous, free public relations tool. Twitter unfortunately does not make a cent on these activities. The answer to these questions about unique users, numbers of tweets, and churn rate are critical to understanding the business value of Twitter as a firm. To date, Twitter has generated losses and has unknown revenues, but in February 2009, it raised $35 million in a deal that valued the company at $255 million. The following September, Twitter announced it had raised $100 million in additional funding, from private equity firms, previous investors, and mutual fund giant T. Rowe Price, based on a company valuation of a staggering $1 billion! So how can Twitter make money from its users and their tweets? What’s its business model and how might it evolve over time? To start, consider the company’s assets and customer value proposition. The main asset is user attention and audience size (eyeballs per day). The value proposition is â€Å"get it now† or real-time news on just about anything from the mundane to the monumental. An equally important sset is the database of tweets that contains the comments, observations, and opinions of the audience, and the search engine that mines those tweets for patterns. These are real-time and spontaneous observations. Yet another asset has emerged in the last year: Twitter is a powerful alternative media platform for the distribution of news, videos, and pictures. Once again, no one predicted that Twitter would be the first to report on terrorist attacks in Mumbai, the landing of a passenger jet in the Hudson River, the Iranian rebellion in June 2009, or the political violence in Bangkok and Kenya in May 2010. How can these assets be monetized? Advertising, what else! In April 2010, Twitter announced it s first 386 Part Three Key System Applications for the Digital Age foray into the big-time ad marketplace with Promoted Tweets. Think Twitter search engine: in response to a user’s query to Twitter’s search function for, say netbooks, a Best Buy ad for netbooks will be displayed. The company claims Promoted Tweets are not really ads because they look like all other tweets, just a part of the tweet stream of messages. These so-called â€Å"organic tweets† differ therefore from traditional search engine text ads, or social network ads which are far from organic. So far, Best Buy, Bravo, Red Bull, Sony, Starbucks, and Virgin American have signed up. If this actually works, thousands of companies might sign up to blast messages to millions of subscribers in response to related queries. A second Twitter monetization effort announced in June 2010 is called Promoted Trends. Trends is a section of the Twitter home page that lets users know what’s hot, what a lot of people are talking about. The company claims this is â€Å"organic,† and a true reflection of what people are tweeting about. Promoted Trends are trends that companies would like to initiate. A company can place a Promoted Trends banner on the bottom of the page and when users click on the banner, they are taken to the follower page for that movie or product. Disney bought Promoted Trends for its film Toy Story 3, according to Twitter. In July 2010, Twitter announced its third initiative of the year: @earlybird accounts, which users can follow to receive special offers. Walt Disney Pictures has used the service to promote The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by offering twofers (buy one ticket, get another one free). The service could work nicely with so-called real-time or â€Å"flash† marketing campaigns in entertainment, fashion, luxury goods, technology, and beauty products. So far, Twitter has over 50,000 @earlybird followers and hopes to reach â€Å"influentials,† people who shape the purchasing decisions of many others. Another monetizing service is temporal real-time search. If there’s one thing Twitter has uniquely among all the social network sites, it’s real-time information. In 2010, Twitter entered into agreements with Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo to permit these search engines to index tweets and make them available to the entire Internet. This service will give free real-time content to the search engines as opposed to archival content. It is unclear who’s doing who a service here, and the financial arrangements are not public. Other large players are experimenting. Dell created a Twitter outlet account, @DellOutlet, and is using it to sell open-box and discontinued computers. Dell also maintains several customer service accounts. Twitter could charge such accounts a commission on sales because Twitter is acting like an e-commerce sales platform similar to Amazon. Other firms have used their Twitter followers’ fan base to market discount air tickets (Jet Blue) and greeting cards (Somecards). Freemium is another possibility: ask users to pay a subscription fee for premium services such as videos and music downloads. However, it may be too late for this idea because users have come to expect the service to be free. Twitter could charge service providers such as doctors, dentists, lawyers, and hair salons for providing their customers with unexpected appointment availabilities. But Twitter’s most likely steady revenue source might be its database of hundreds of millions of real-time tweets. Major firms such as Starbucks, Amazon, Intuit (QuickBooks and Mint. om), and Dell have used Twitter to understand how their customers are reacting to products, services, and Web sites, and then making corrections or changes in those services and products. Twitter is a fabulous listening post on the Internet frontier. The possibilities are endless, and just about any of the above scenarios offers some solution to the company’s problem, which is a lack of revenue (forget about profits). The company is coy about announcing its business model, what one pundit described as hiding behind a â€Å"Silicon Valley Mona Lisa smile. † These Wall Street pundits are thought to be party poopers in the Valley. In a nod to Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s merchant services, Twitter has turned over its messaging capabilities and software platform to others, one of which is CoTweet. com, a company that organizes multiple Twitter exchanges for customers so they can be tracked more easily. Google is selling ad units based around a company’s last five tweets (ads are displayed to users who have created or viewed tweets about a company). witter is not charging for this service. In the meantime, observers wonder if Twitter is twittering away its assets and may not ever show a profit for its $160 million investment.Sources:Matthew Shaer, â€Å"Twitter Hits 145 Million User Mark, Sees Rise in Mobile Use,† Christian Science Monitor, September 3, 2010; Jason Lipshutz, â€Å"Lady Gaga to Steal Britney Spears’ Twitter Crown,† Reuters, August 19, 2010; Emir Afrati, â€Å"Twitter’s Early Bird Ad Ploy Takes Flight,† Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2010; Jess ica Guynn, â€Å"Twitter Tests New Promoted Trends Feature with ‘Toy Story 3’ from Disney’s Pixar,† Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2010; Erica Naone, â€Å"Will Twitter’s Ad Strategy Work,† Technology Review, April 15, 2010; Jessica Vascellaro and Emily Steel, â€Å"Twitter Rolls Out Ads,† Wall Street Journal, April 14, 2010; Brad Stone, â€Å"Twitter’s Latest Valuation: $1 Billion,† New York Times, September 24, 2009; Jon Fine, â€Å"Twitter Makes a Racket. But Revenues? † Business Week, April 9, 2009.CASE STUDY QUESTIONS1. Based on your reading in this chapter, how would you characterize Twitter’s business model?2. If Twitter is to have a revenue model, which of the revenue models described in this chapter would work?3. What is the most important asset that Twitter has, and how could it monetize this asset?

Human Development Essay

In this paper we will discuss the life span perspective of human development. Then we will summarize three theories related to human growth and development and identify at least one influential theorist for each. Then we will identify aspects of the life span perspective. Finally we will explain how heredity and the environment influence human development. There are six lifespan perspectives on human development the life expectancy (measured at birth) of American men and women, differentiated by race. For the 2005, the latest data available, the life expectancy for men of all races is 75. 2 years and 80. 4 years for women. Life-long which is no age period dominated development. Multi-dimensional that development is about biological, cognitive, socioemotional and spiritual dimensions. Multidirectional is some aspects of development increase while other decrease. Plastic is depending on one life conditions and what development paths our body takes. Historically-embedded is development influenced by historical conditions. Multidisciplinary is psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientist and medical researchers all study human development and share different concerns. Contextual is the individual continually responds to and act on context. According to (Hernandez, 2008) â€Å"The lifespan perspective is about understanding that changes occur in every period of development and these changes must be looked at as a product of the culture and of the specific situation surrounding the change. † There are a lot of things that define lifespan but one perspective is life-long. Life is not dominated by one moment or period in your life. According to experts, the life span perspective of human development involves three key developmental domains (Hernandez, 2008). These are the physical domain, the cognitive domain, and the social domain. The physical domain deals with the physical changes that a person goes through. For example, height, shape changes, weight fluctuations, and puberty can all be described as changes that happen in the physical domain. Here are three theories: Freud’s psychosexual development theory, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development and Havighurst’s developmental stage and tasks. * What influence me about Freud’s view is I believe there is some truth that in some way we all have sexual impulses repressed. But on the other hand I believe that Erikson view about we learn to be assertive and learn to be create is also true. Finally Havighurst of development tasks are based on personal independence stages. Lifespan perspective is contextual meaning â€Å"the individual continually responds to and acts on contexts, which include a person’s biological makeup, physical environment, and social, historical, and cultural contexts† (Santrock, 1999). The heredity and the environment influence human development is how researchers tend to be interested in dimensions that determined by genetics. For example, Javier has two biological daughters who share the same biological mother. Both are tall, well mannered, and musically inclined. Despite these similarities, the older child appears socially reserved and quiet, while the younger one, who was born into the same family environment, seems more outgoing. In addition, one of his children has been diagnosed with a learning disability while the other seems exceptionally well-functioning cognitively. You must understand that nature versus nurture, heredity is in your genealogy their no way to change it accept your lifestyle choices-drinking-smoking and doing drugs will affect all organs muscles and brain functions leading down the path to cancer, heart attack, stroke, emphysema, hallucinations, depression, suicidal thoughts and so on, eat healthy exercise and get a genealogy test done of your immediately family to see what if any â€Å"diseases† carry over to your blood line. Grandparents-mother and father of both and siblings-slap stepmothers and stepchildren as well as aunts and uncles-with or without children. * In this paper we discussed the life span perspective of human development. Then we summarized three theories related to human growth and development and identify at least one influential theorist for each of them. Then we identify aspects of the life span perspective. Finally we explained how heredity and the environment influence human development. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reference 1. Bowen, J. R. (2011). Infant Social Development. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com 2. http://social. jrank. org/pages/300/Heredity-Versus-Environment. html#ixzz1HJ4qvhaS 3. Santrock, (1999). The Lifespan perspective on Human Development. Retrieved from http://www. sasked. gov 4. Hernandez, (2008). Heredity Versus Environment-The Nature-nurture controversy exploring heredity and environment: Research methods, beyond heritability. Retrieved from http://social. jrank. org 5. : Life Expectancy at Birth by Race and Sex, 1930–2005 — Infoplease. com http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0005148. html#ixzz1HMEhhXPX *.

Application for a Business University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Application for a Business University - Essay Example Waking up in the morning and realizing that I have done great things is what I always want to achieve. My family owns the biggest ceramics manufacturer in ABCDEFG. At our company, we ensure that our products are satisfactory to our customers. As the company is still expanding, I am aware that XXX MBA would help and guide me to be a better businessperson and take my family business to the next level, especially in the fast-growing market. XXX offers small-personalized classes which allow more interactions among the students. Teamwork is very crucial in the business world, and effective teamwork requires effective and consistent commitment and communication efforts. Hence, XXX program will greatly improve my leadership skills as I would be required to demonstrate strategic thinking, excellent collaborative skills, and self-awareness. These are the important characteristic of a successful businessperson or entrepreneur. In my undergraduate studies, I was required to take YYY, which was a blend of academic study with community service and it played an important role in developing my leadership skills. I learned a lot from this experience, as it required the development of effective communication skills among team members. I also realized that teamwork is the key to success for any project. In addition, I also learned how to apply business concepts that I had learned from my previous business classes to a real-world business situation. This experience is helpful when doing my current MBA program at ZZZ. In my marketing class at ZZZ, I gained a lot of experience working in a team. There were five members of our team and we collaborated with each other to utilize our strengths while converting weaknesses into strengths. Each person played a complementary role to other members of our team. We all worked and contributed effectively due to our great team leadership skills.

Why the American Civil Rights Movement was more successful than Essay

Why the American Civil Rights Movement was more successful than movements for foreigners rights in Japan have been (at least so far) - Essay Example In the U.S, the major social movement was the African-American Civil Rights movement whose main goal was to bring an end to discrimination and racial segregation to the Africans living in the country. The movement heavily campaigned on civil resistance by arranging civil disobedience and non-violence protests, which would lead to crisis all over the country. Industrial boycott was the mostly used as it negatively affected the country’s economic activities as almost all Africans worked as factory workers all over the entire country. Their efforts were rewarded when the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed (DAngelo, 2001). The Act banned any form of discrimination based on a person’s religion, color, sex, race and national origin in employment and public interaction. Another enactment that was pushed by the movement was the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which stated the voting rights of migrants to the U.S and protecting these rights. The foreigner rights movement in Japan fought f or the few migrants to the country who were subjects to discrimination, harsh treatment by the authorities and racial discrimination. The movement arranged protests and boycott but only a few people came out to fight for their rights. The movement did not have the numbers to push for an end of the oppression foreigners were going through. Another reason why the foreigner rights movements in Japan failed to be successful was the lack of major legislative processes that would lead to the enactment of Acts that would help fight for their rights. The political opportunity and framing theory of social movement clearly explains why the movement in the U.S became successful and contributed to the passage of major bills, which resulted to the end of migrant oppression in the country as compared to the foreigner movement in Japan (Tsuda, 2006). One of the key bases that led to the success of

The New Media, and New Forms of Communications Essay

The New Media, and New Forms of Communications - Essay Example According to studies, over sixty percent U.S households have a personal computer and more than fifty percent have access to internet. Considering this spread of modern communication devices, it seems necessary to look into their effects on communication and other social spheres. This study intends to look into various scholarly works on the issue ranging from the positive and negative impacts of modern means of communication on society, especially on young ones. The Positive Side of Modern Means of Communication There are various advantages of the use of these modern means of communication according to scholars. In the opinion of Matusitz (2007), it is the best way of communication for the people who are intimidated by others’ expression. According to him, people who are generally shy and reserved in face-to-face interaction tend to communicate naturally on internet (Matusitz). A similar opinion comes from Wakefield and Rice too; according to them, cyber communication is an ef fective way for those children who might not otherwise be confident to communicate. Another point as put forward by Matusitz (2007) is that internet helps conquer the geographical barriers too. ... An obvious benefit pointed out by Matusitz (2007) is that internet leads to the disappearance of the barriers erected by society and geography. It is evident that the people who do not have a chance to interact in their physical world can easily remain in touch through the modern means of communication. Thus, in the opinion of Wakefield and Rice (2008), by integrating internet with communication, students become able to share knowledge, personal perspectives, and experiences effectively. In addition, there comes the finding that the modern ways lead to more social interaction as people who spend time in the ‘digital realm’ tend to make tons of friends (Matusitz, 2007). Furthermore, there comes the finding that the development of virtual communities using modern means like internet helps improve the psychological wellbeing of people. This claim is based on the ideology that such virtual communities help sharing of interests, principles and beliefs. Thus, for those who fac e physical barriers, the virtual society gives a ‘sense of social interaction, and belonging’ (Matusitz , 2007). Almost the same notion comes from Wakefield and Rice; according to them, more and more youth are using internet as the main source of self-help. For purposes ranging from medical condition, support groups, and other issues that require emotional support, internet has become the best and easiest way. While other people work on the sociological and psychological benefits of modern means of communication, Janko (2002) looks into how the quality of information passed improves when modern means of communication are used; according to him, by using

Crowdsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crowdsourcing - Essay Example Most studies done on crowdsourcing have focused more on the quality of results and throughput with very or no attention on efficiency or the tradeoff therein. This is because; the number of tasks to be performed is usually very small. Additionally, the tasks performed by users are also small, and as a result, the techniques employed to guarantee result quality and scale the tasks that arise, does not tackle the aspect of efficiency. This paper aims at evaluating existing result-improvement mechanism, and proposes a novel technique that is independent of task complexities and size, but ensures efficiency and a tradeoff between quality of results and efficiency. Keywords: Efficiency; Throughput; Result Quality; Crowdsourcing; Data INTRODUCTION Crowdsourcing is very popular and has become very important for data collection-labeled data- that are dependent on human input to ensure quality of data as demonstrated by reCAPTCHA, Amazon Mechanical Turk, ESP game, and Netflix among others. Cr owdsourcing is the distribution of small chunks of large, complicated tasks to a large community of users over the internet who offers small contributions towards solving or offering a solution (Brabham 2008). In addition to data labeling, crowdsourcing has been utilized in double keying individual words, image labeling, word disambiguation and grading of word pairs that depict relatedness (Sautter & Bohm 2011). There are a number of challenges that arise from crowdsourcing including lack of guarantees for correctness with regards to human inputs. This can be as a result of accidental mistakes resulting from misjudgment or sloppiness. Sometimes, users may cheat to increase their chances of receiving a reward by cheating to reduce their effort. These challenges require development of crowdsourcing techniques that can ensure data quality, efficiency, counter errors, work with very large data sets, and yield high throughput. Previous studies and crowdsourcing mechanisms such as r-Redun dancy, have focused more on working with large tasks, countering errors, yielding high throughput and ensuring data quality (Eckert et al. 2010). This study, however, proposes novel techniques that are independent of task complexities and size but ensure efficiency and enables tradeoff between quality of results and efficiency. THE NEED FOR EFFICIENT CROWDSOURCING TECHNIQUES FOR COMPLEX TASKS Crowdsourcing mechanisms such as r-Redundancy, have focused more on working with large tasks, countering errors, yielding high throughput and ensuring data quality. They have assumed that most users offer meaningful and correct inputs. These mechanisms have ensured data quality, even in the presence of dishonesty, cheating and inability but do not discourage such a behavior (Wauthier & Jordan 2011). Therefore, a mechanism that probes users, is required, one that would not only ensure quality and high throughput, but ensure efficiency, as well. OVERVIEW OF EFFICIENT CROWDSOURCING TECHNIQUES FOR COMPLEX TASKS There are crowdsourcing techniques that combine error countering, data quality enforcement, and large tasks handling. v-Voting is one such mechanism that mostly focuses on countering errors (Alonso et al. 2008). It reduces the required number of inputs unlike r-Redundancy by obtaining inputs from different users and combining them to the final result. There is also Vote Boosting, which is a mechanism that builds on v-Voting to increases throughput

AlWaleed Bin Talal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

AlWaleed Bin Talal - Essay Example His professional and financial initiatives AlWaleed’s prominence in investment surfaced in 1990s when he bought substantial shares in Citicorp, when the firm was experiencing financial crisis. Al Waleed’s bailed out Citibank with an initial investment of $550 million, an investment that has grown to about $1 billion currently. In 1997, AlWaleed was reported to have owned about 5% of News Corporation - stake that had grown to about 7% in 2010 ($3 billion) (Gustin 2). In February 1991, AlWaleed bought new preferred shares amounting to about $590 million. These investments increased his stake in Citigroup from 10% to 14.9%. Afterwards, he invested in a variety of companies including Apple Inc., AOL, MCI Inc., Fox News, Motorola and many other media and technology companies. Prior to 2007-2010 financial crises, his shares in Citibank at some point accounted for about half of his assets (Gustin 3). Al Waleed is the owner of Rotana Group, the Arab world's largest entertainmen t corporation. This company is also owned by News Group, which holds 18.97% of its stake. Rotana Group is an expansive pan-Arab media establishment that incorporates Rotana Magazine, a film production company, Rotana Record label, Rotana TV, and seven music channels (Rotana Radio). In 2005, Al Waleed stakes in Apples were disposed. On the down side, Al Waleed has happened to invest in the airline TWA and Eastman Kodak, which have performed quite poorly. He has also invested heavily in the real estate sector, where he has stakes in the Plaza Hotel and the Four Seasons hotel in New York. In December 2011, he invested $300 Million in Twitter, which gave Kingdom holding more than 3% stake in the company (Knickmeyer 5). His personal initiatives AlWaleed has participated in significant philanthropic initiatives that have build bridges between the West and the Islamic world. He strongly believes that promoting harmonious global co-existence is an imperative role of global philanthropy. In his early life, he capitalized on his advantaged upbringing to share his resources with the less-advantaged in the society. When he was growing up and started accumulated wealth, he upheld his believe in giving and sharing his wealth as an obligation to his God. Up to date, he strongly believes in the principle of giving and sharing of wealth with the less privileged. He also made efforts to dismiss the view that Saudi Arabia was not affected by poverty and reached out to poor remote desert hamlets had urban neighborhoods. As a global philanthropist and investor, AlWaleed has upheld long-term relationships with former heads of states, NGOs, academics, religious and business leaders, and political leaders from around the world. AlWaleed is also a staunch religious believer, hard-working, and gifted in multitasking. In this regards, he holds libel political and religious perceptions, and he subscribes to a Global vision of mutual respect and tolerance amongst different states, communi ties and faiths (Peel 5). There are a total of three philanthropic Foundations established by Alwaleed – all committed to supporting humanitarian projects in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world. These programs are generally

Community Oriented Policing Program Research Paper

Community Oriented Policing Program - Research Paper Example Since the implementation of the community-oriented policing, there have been significant changes with the organization of policing in United States. The effectiveness of the community-oriented policing has been attributed to various factors. Community-oriented policing breaks down the barriers separating the community from the police, while at the same time instilling a wider set of community ideals to the police officers (Dempsey & Forst, 2010). Organizationally, community-oriented policing shifted the police policy making from a traditional officialdom to one that stresses on greater environmental-organizational association and coordination. Concurrently, the change to the use of community-oriented policing came along with the crushing of the police hierarchy and the establishment of the harmonized service delivery with a huge number of private and public agencies that impact on the neighborhood safety (Oliver, 2008). These factors have contributed to the effectiveness of community -oriented policing in the reduction of crime in the society.Engaging the CommunityCommunity-oriented policing has from its onset sought to involve the community in public safety matters while establishing and solidifying the ability of the society to fight crime. For example, Operation Weed and Seed stresses on generating an active and noticeable police incidence to impact distressed communities and at the same time do capacity building in the same communities to sustain the benefits once attained (Rogers, 2009).

Nursing Theory Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nursing Theory - Article Example Moreover, the key purposes nursing theories emphasized overproviding specific guideline for establishment of nursing knowledge and practice. Moreover, nursing theories serve as a tool for determining the roles and responsibilities that are associated with specific job role, such as intensive care by nurses and further outline the reasons behind performing such roles. Nursing theories serve several purposes and are attributed to a number of characteristics that makes it necessary to ensure that people engaged in nursing and healthcare profession are able to understand such theories and implemented for providing superior care to the patients. An understanding of the nursing theories is important since they are associated with providing specific path for developing the nursing practice and knowledge and further assist in fostering of successive knowledge regarding various dimensions underlying in the nursing practices. Additionally, the prime necessity behind understanding of nursing theories is that they help in developing successive understanding variables associated with health, human beings and environment (Crossan & Robb, 1998). In self-practice while performing the job role of an intensive care nurse, knowledge regarding nursing theories is regarded to be highly essential and provides a definite path to perform the nursing tasks. Moreover, substantial level of knowledge regarding nursing theories enables healthcare executives to gain deeper understanding of the job responsibilities and further helps in taking effective decision-making while practicing. Moreover, in actual scenario, nursing practices is associated with development of substantial understanding of the factors related to nursing, such as performing job roles effectively, and ensuring patient care amongst others, which are determined with the help of knowledge established through nursing theories (Sousa & Hayman, 2002). The online journal of ‘Nursing Theory Development’ published

Pollution in Lake Michigan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pollution in Lake Michigan - Research Paper Example The researcher states that Wetlands present one of the greatest opportunities for conservation exercises, in a modern world faced by myriad environmental scares. Inland lakes everywhere in the world are perhaps among the only environmental treasures that the world has to protect due to their diversity and environmental importance. In the United States, pollution continues to be the major threat to the integrity of such treasures, which have a chance to be protected with the right approaches. The importance of the Great lakes that hold about a fifth of the entire earth’s fresh water cannot be ignored. Pollution concerns of the Great Lakes have been raised by conservationists, inspiring conservation interventions to be designed and carried out. A highlight of the state of pollution, pollutants and conservation interventions at Lake Michigan is made in this discourse. Specific projects already on the ground by various interagency cooperation plans include the elimination of basic pollution regulations implementation plans around the Lake with follow-ups by state and federal authorities being placed under strict watch. Some of the individual conservation projects carried out by various agencies on the Lake include those by; Michigan Dune Alliance and Michigan Farmland Protection among others. It is then concluded that the Lake Michigan Shorelands Alliance is powerful agency that facilitates the conservation input at the Lake, alongside other government and non-governmental agencies at the site.

Misery made me a friend Essay Example for Free

Misery made me a friend Essay It takes an evil person to kill an inocent small boy barely old enough to fend for himself. He was only a young child, he didnt have a chance against a Monster with the strength of twenty grown men. What the Monster did was out of revenge. Revenge is a human nature but is not a good thing. To seek revenge on somebody is a very unrational way of thinking. Two wrongs do not make a right. The Bible even says, if your neighbour hits you in your cheek, turn your face for them to hit you in the other. You should not retaliate. He had watched and learned from the Laceys and knew right from wrong by the time he had first killed. He was an inteligent being, he had the brain of a very knowledgeable proffesor. This was shown in the way he did things. He knew to set up Justine for Willies murder, this would take quick thinking and someone who is on the ball. He knew that the people would look for someone to blame and punish. He did not want them coming in search for him, so when he saw Justine asleep he took his oppertunity. This lets us know he knew how mans laws worked and knew he was doing evil. He also would of known that killing Willie, Elizabeth and setting up Justine, to get her hung, would not correct what Victor did. Another reason which makes the monster unjustified is; he never approached Frankenstien before commiting the murders to try and work out an alternative solution. You could argue that Frankenstien never abandonned the Monster. The Monster ran away. Victor claimed he thought that the monster had died. A more sensible and logical thing to do would of been to talk to Frankenstien first. He could of discussed the issues he had and found out more information. In commiting the murders, he showed a weakness of will. He had choices and elected to kill, this only turned Victor and the rest of mankind against him more. Victor grudgingly put together a female companion for the Monster and backed out before the end. If he approached Victor before killing his younger brother, Victor may of been happy to do it. He may of even been able to make the Monster more attractive or helped him fit in more socially. As he was a very respected man. I feel that the Monster was not justified in his murderous behaviour. I think that he had a lot of difficult situations to get through but things could of been resolved differently. An equimilation of all the things caused the monster to snap and do what he did in my opinion. The reason which makes up my mind is that he didnt try to approach Frankenstein before he lashed out. A lot of a pain could of been avoided that way and in the end, the Monster still didnt get what he wanted. Victor was a very respeced man and came from a respected familly, withhis help i feel the Monster could of eventually been accepted by people: Take The Elephant Man, his story is very similar to the Monsters. He was a man who had a disease causing his ead to be very large and have large tumors all over his body. He was very diformed and ugly. He was always looked at as a freak. He was abused by other humans around him but never had the strength to seek revenge. He was found by a doctor who looked after him and helped him. After a lot of education and confidence building he was eventually accepted into the community. The help of the doctor made The Elephant Man feel wanted and gave him a meaning to his life. He died a happy man. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Some things you need to know about Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Some things you need to know about Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the definition of the monstrous is both entirely obvious and entirely ambiguous. Frankenstein’s creation, often dubbed ‘Frankenstein’s monster,’ is at once both innocent and murderous; corrupted and corrupting. The discrepancy between the different aspects of his nature can be read in the very definition of the word monster as it has developed over time. The definition of ‘monster’ is â€Å"Originally: a mythical creature which is part animal and part human, or combines elements of two or more animal forms and is frequently of great size and ferocious appearance. Later, more generally: an imaginary creature that is large, ugly, and frightening† (OED). This definition is particularly apt in studying the monstrous in Frankenstein, as it demonstrates the extent to which the creature labeled a ‘monster’ is construed to be something morally and physically disturbing because of its combination of elements from numerous animal forms. Being â€Å"of great size and ferocious appearance† alone would not constitute cause for moral connotations about the creature, and yet the present monstrosity also encompasses fear. It is this fear that ultimately makes the creature a monster, rather than his appearance or any innate moral compass. This essay will seek to demonstrate how Frankenstein’s creature is used to explore morality through his creation and animation, his namelessness, loneliness, and death. Finally, it will examine possible connections between Shelley’s characterization of Frankenstein and the creature, as the two are inextricably linked—not only by their relationship as creator and created, but also according to their logic, their desires, and the consequences of each of their choices throughout the novel. Firstly, the way in which Frankenstein assembles his creature is a substantial and significant part of the novel and should be closely examined. Frankenstein’s own life is put entirely on hold while he obsesses over the dark and mysterious discovery that he has made. After he makes his discovery about the creation of life, Frankenstein says, â€Å"Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate lifeless clay?† (Shelley, 46). The phrase, â€Å"the horrors of my secret toil† heavily emphasizes Frankenstein’s isolation and obsession, as he put himself under such immense stress with the scientific project that he frequently became ill. The secrecy of his project also shows how he cut himself off from his family and friends, not even writing home or attempting any social activity or life outside of his own study. In this, he loses sight of humanity, and as such he loses sight of beauty. This results in the utterly fragmented identity of his creation. At the moment of its animation, Frankenstein says, â€Å"How can I†¦ delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God† (60). Despite Victor’s greatest efforts to create something beautiful, it is clear that he focused too much on the task at hand, and upon each individual part of his appearance, rather than on the holistic nature of his creation. Victor has essentially focused more on the scientific side of his creation than upon his responsibility, as its creator, to also endow a sense of humanity. The creature is not only comprised of corpses, but of animal parts, and while he has taken care to ensure that â€Å"His limbs were in proportion,† he has entirely ignored the importance of the body as a whole, which is made up of parts that do not match. As such, he has created a monster. This foreshadows the way in which Victor, by focusing solely on the scientific endeavor and not its results, essentially causes the creature to become the monster that he perceives it to be. This will be further discussed with regards to the effects of loneliness on both Frankenstein and his creature. Another important aspect of the Frankenstein’s act of creation is that it encompasses both birth and death in one terrifying spectacle. As Frankenstein has not been able to manufacture a body himself, he has instead relied wholly on taking various body parts from both animal and human corpses in order to piece a body together. This means that while the body is comprised of the dead, it is also the birthplace of new life. The irony of this is not lost upon the narrating Frankenstein, seen in the previous quote: â€Å"I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay† (46). The culmination of both death and life in this strange creature is another aspect of its fragmented identity. Throughout Shelley’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s so-called monster is given a slew of insulting and hateful names. These are given to him by the villagers who chase him away, and more notably, by Frankenstein himself. The creature is never ascribed a name, instead being referred to as â€Å"creature,† â€Å"fiend,† â€Å"spectre,† â€Å"demon,† â€Å"wretch,† â€Å"devil,† â€Å"thing,† â€Å"being,† and â€Å"ogre† (Baldick). The lack of a name given to the creature does not only demonstrate that Frankenstein does not consider him human, though much criticism offers perspectives on this. It is true that it shows the dehumanization of the creature by its creator, but this also forces any critics or readers to similarly dehumanize the creature in discussion of him. By denying him a name, it is impossible for any essay or discussion to fully embrace the human and highly intelligent aspects granted to the crea ture. The repetition of these abstract and possibly overreaching terms emphasizes a lack of identity that is by no means manifest in Shelley’s characterization of the creature. The creature has a distinct personality and development arc throughout the novel, and yet is never referred to inhuman or personal terms. This informs much of the reader’s perspective of the creature, both inciting sympathy and becoming an obstacle to relation to it. Names such as these, especially those such as â€Å"devil,† also have broad moral connotations. While the creature may be truly â€Å"monstrous† in appearance, being comprised of so many and such various parts, large and apparently frightening, nothing of his character or morality can be derived before Frankenstein has already effectively dubbed him as evil. This heavy emphasis on appearances as contributory to perceived morality acts in stark contrast to the way in which Elizabeth’s character is first introduced. Victor’s parents adopt Elizabeth entirely because she is physically beautiful. Frankenstein narrates, â€Å"They consulted their village priest, and the result was that Elizabeth Lavenza became the inmate of my parents’ house—my more than sister—the beautiful and adored companion of all my occupations and my pleasures† (4). Frankenstein also comments that â€Å"Everyone loved Elizabeth† (5). In this way, appearance and perceived character are inextricably linked, and while this works in Elizabeth’s favor, in the case of Frankenstein’s creation it means that he is instantly perceived to be inherently evil because of his outward appearance. While horrific, this appearance is the fault of Frankenstein himself and reflects more on his own ideas of beauty and the necessi ty of scientific progress than it reflects on the genuine character of the creature himself. It is only through this presentation of his character that the creature is perceived to be, and eventually becomes a monster in the later sense of being â€Å"large, ugly, and terrifying† (OED), as he could otherwise have been simply defined in terms of size and the variety of his body parts. These, as well as other factors, ultimately contribute to the corruption of Frankenstein’s monster. While many critics suggest that his immorality may indeed have been somehow innate, it is far more convincing to study Shelley’s Frankenstein as a presentation of how nurture is more important to the development of character that nature. The creature is first abandoned at birth, then chased away by the only people he comes into any kind of contact with—people he comes to trust, and, in a way, love—and finally denied the chance at companionship. He is ultimately alone, the only creature of his kind in existence, and hated and feared by all humanity. While Frankenstein understandably did not have the power to alter the opinions and perceptions of others, he nonetheless had ample opportunity in which to take responsibility for his creation and to teach it morality and show it companionship and love. It is only when these opportunities are repeatedly forsaken th an the creature becomes, morally speaking, a monster. The creature himself argues this point, pointing out, â€Å"No mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses,† and saying to Victor, â€Å"I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam but I am rather the fallen angel†¦ I was benevolent and good, misery made me a friend†¦ what hope can I gather from your fellow creature†¦ they spurn and hate me† (78). Perhaps the most tragic aspect of the creature’s character that is being highlighted here is that he is so completely aware of what he lacks, and how he is different. He is aware that he lacked a mother, who may well have provided his education, unconditional love, and companionship. Similarly, he has read Paradise Lost, which provides a detailed analysis of what it means to be loved by one’s creator and be given a companion. God loves Adam despite his sin and provides him with Eve as a wife and partner, which are both denied him by his own cr eator, Frankenstein. The creature’s initial abandonment by Frankenstein is shortly afterward followed by his rejection from the family he learns to love. After the creature leaves Frankenstein’s apartments, he wanders in the woods until he eventually comes across a family upon whom he can spy and learn from. From these people, he learns not only how to communicate, but how to relate to other people. With them, he begins to form some semblance of a life of routine and safety: he is safely hidden and knows that he is in no danger and able to provide for himself, and works out a life for himself around the family’s routine. By watching them, the creature eventually begins to feel as though he is a part of this family. He also begins to feel this because he has been long providing for them, leaving them firewood that he collects in order to show his gratitude for being able to share in their life and home, even if they are not aware of his presence. It is precisely because of this connec tion that the monster feels so utterly betrayed by their rejection. His response to the rejection of this family is initially to rail at Frankenstein, saying, â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?† (176). This quotation shows that the creature has a conscience, and is able to regret his actions. He blames Frankenstein for creating him, as well as for abandoning him, and the fact that he describes the act of creation as â€Å"wanton† shows that he does not believe it was a just or wholesome use of science. Continuing to reflect on the rejection that he faced at the hands of this family, the monster then recalls, â€Å"I continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of utter and stupid despair. My protectors had departed and had broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time, the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom† (178). The creature’s utter despondency shows his deep emotional connection to the family. In a sense, because he was never raised by a parent or creator, the family had become like a parental, guiding figure to him, showing how to coexist with others and how to live in a way that Frankenstein had so completely neglected. This is highlighted by his calling them â€Å"protectors,† as this word implies an active role of protection. However, the family had not even been aware of the monster’s existence while acting as his protectors, and this shows both the extent of the creature’s desperation for companionship and the pain of rejection by those he hoped would continue to protect him. This is a milestone moment in the development of the monster as a truly monstrous character, as his appearance frightens the family and villagers to the extent that they chase him away. They believe him to be dangerous, and therefore morally corrupt, despite the fact that he is, in reality, extremely young and impressionable. Their fear of him inspires the creature to become something he can be sure of a monster. â€Å"This then was the reward of my benevolence! †¦The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind† (179). This passage shows the final transition of the creature from innocent, desperate new-born, to a dejected creature seeking to cause pain and enact revenge. However, this transition was not necessarily permanent, as the creature still asks for the chance to begin anew, and offers to show mercy and bec ome benevolent once more, should Frankenstein create for him a companion. The creature proposes that Frankenstein embark on this new project of creation, saying, â€Å"If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them a hundred-fold†¦ I would make peace with the whole kind† (119). This shows that just as the creature has been willing to punish all of humanity for the crimes of his creator, he would also be willing to forgive â€Å"the whole kind† if one human were to show him kindness—even if only under extreme duress. Despite the crimes and wrongdoings of Frankenstein’s monster, it is very problematic to characterize him simply as a monster in the moral sense. While his aspect is clearly repulsive, his physical manifestation is by no means reflective of personality, until he is treated as though it must be. Indeed, Lancaster observes that â€Å"Frankenstein’s Monster represents a less threatening version of the social outsider†¦ because the Monster’s identity disconnects him from humanity† (133-34). This suggests a total reversal of conventional depictions of monstrosity, as the creature is presented as a sympathetic character, rather than as inherently evil. Works Cited Baldick, Chris. In Frankenstein’s shadow: myth, monstrosity, and nineteenth-century writing. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987. Lancaster, Ashley. â€Å"From Frankenstein’s Monster to Lester Ballard: The Evolving Gothic Monster.† The Midwest Quarterly, vol. 49, no. 2, 2008, pp.132-148. â€Å"Monster.† Oxford English Dictionary. Accessed online at www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/121738.Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 2nd ed. New York: WW Norton Co, 2011.

Spiritual Coping Strategies (SCS) Scale Research

Spiritual Coping Strategies (SCS) Scale Research Background of the Study The study of religion and spirituality has been gaining much attention to researchers nowadays. Research studies on these two areas and their relationship to health are expanding rapidly. (Koenig Bà ¼ssing, 2010) The relationship of religion and health has been existing in all groups of population even in the past. (Koenig, King, Carson, 2012 as cited by Koenig, 2012) Koenig (2012) comprehensive systematic review of existing research about the relationship of religion and spirituality to health revealed positive influence of religion and spirituality to patients health and longevity, specifically to psychological, social and health behavior. Religion offers resources for coping with stress and increases the positive emotions rather than the likelihood of the negative effects of stress. On the part of the healthcare providers, religious beliefs found to be influential in making medical decisions. Furthermore, it may generate beliefs that conflict with medical care, induce spiritual struggles that create stress and impair health outcomes and it may interfere with disease detection and treatment compliance (Koenig, 2004). While Christian dominated countries in the west have been serious in this area, there is a much lesser studies that has been done in the Muslim – dominated Middle East countries that examines the relationship of these variables to health. (Koenig Alshohaib, 2014) This holds true in Saudi Arabia where Islam was born and is considered as one of the most religious place in the world. Little is known about religiosity and spirituality and their relationship to health as perceived by Saudi Muslims. (Al Zaben, et al., 2014) For the last three decades, there has been a marked rise in the prevalence of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) in Saudi Arabia. (Al-Sayyari Shaheen, 2011) Alsuwaida et. al (2010) reported in their study that the prevalence of ESRD in the young Saudi population is around 5.7%. Furthermore, a systematic review conducted by Hassanien, et. al (2012) reported yearly mortality rate in three different regions in Saudi Arabia. The data showed that between 2001 and 2003, there were no significant changes in the mortality rates of these regions. However, at present, the annual cases of ESRD in the country continue to grow. It was anticipated that the Saudi population will rise up to 3.5 folds over the next 20 years. Probably this will also cause a rise in new cases. In 2008, 2976 new patients were added to the hemodialysis program pool. This represents 29.2 % of the total 10,203 patient. (Al-Sayyari Shaheen, 2011) Patients undergoing dialysis experience serious challenges to their physical and mental health. These challenges are brought by stresses, fears, family problems, and physical discomforts. (Al Zaben, et al., 2014) In addition, the complexity of their treatment regimen as well as the unknown complications which are associated with such disease contributes to the suffering of these patients. (Lingerfelt Thornton, 2011; Barnett, Yoong, Pinikahana, Si-Yen, 2007). These patients also perceive uncertainty of life on dialysis because of the struggles and hard times that they experience in life as related to their mode of treatment. (Polascheck, 2003) Likewise, psychiatric disorders such as major depression, dementia and delirium are relatively high in these patients. Furthermore, coping problems are very common to these patients which if not addressed can lead to more serious problems such as higher mortality. (Kimmel et al. 1998; Drayer et al. 2006; Chilcot et al. 2011; Mapes et al. 2003; Al Zaben, 2014) The involvement of religion and other spiritual activities are widely used by patients to cope with physical and mental challenges that they face throughout the course of their disease. (Saad de Medeiros, 2012; Wachholtz Sambamoorthi, 2011; Amjad Bokharey, 2014) Patients from Saudi Arabia have shown similar use of these variables as ways of coping. Interventions with religious background are widely used which indicates the strong influence of religion to their lives most especially when they are in life-threatening situations such as in chronic illnesses. (Jazieh et al. 2012) Religious and spiritual coping are widely studied in relation with hemodialysis patients both in Christian and non – Christian patients. (Valcanti, Chaves, Mesquita, Nogueira Carvalho, 2012; Saffari, Pakpour, Naderi, Koenig, Baldacchino Piper, 2013; Spinale et al. 2008; Asayesh, Zamanian, Mirgheisari, 2013; Patel, Shah, Peterson Kimmel, 2002; Berman et al. 2004) Studies have reported that spiritual coping affects the over-all health of patients with ESRD. It also assists in the patients’ adaptation as well as in their health – related quality of life. (Patel, Shah, Peterson Kimmel, 2002; Valcanti, Chaves, Mesquita, Nogueira Carvalho, 2012; Ramirez et al. 2012) Thus, religiosity is potentially influential to the overall health of dialysis patients, including their commitment and compliance to dialysis treatment. (Pruchno, Lemay, Field Levinsky, 2006) In Saudi Arabia, researchers are beginning to focus on this area in Hemodialysis patients. Al-Jahdali et al. (2009) surveyed 100 HD patients at King Fahd National Guard Hospital in Riyadh and King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah about predictors of advanced care planning preferences. They reported that majority (70%) of the patients scored high in a single question religiosity scale. However, they found out that religiosity is not identified as a predictor of advanced care planning preferences. A more recent study was conducted by Al Zaben et al. (2014) to examine the relationships between religious involvement and the mental and physical health of HD patients in Jeddah region. They have found out that involvement in religious activities is associated with better overall psychological functioning, better social support, improved physical and mental functioning, better health behavior and better commitment to dialysis treatment. Because of the increasing interest of researchers in Saudi Arabia in this area, it is essential to have an instrument that can accurately measure the spiritual coping of patients. Majority of the available instruments in this area were structured for Christian patients. (Baldacchino Buhagiar, 2003; Koenig Bà ¼ssing, 2010; Hawthorne, Youngblut Brooten, 2011; Charzynska, 2012) To my knowledge, there is no available valid instrument that measures the spiritual coping strategies of Saudi Muslim HD patients. It is for this reason that this study was conducted. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Arabic version of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale (SCS) among Saudi HD patients. Methodology Design This is a cross-sectional study that evaluated the validity and reliability of the Saudi Muslim version of the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale (SCS) among hemodialysis patients. Participants The participants of the study included _______ patients enrolled and undergoing hemodialysis in the HD unit of a general hospital located in Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. Convenience sampling technique was employed for sample identification. The study participants’ number was adequate for a factorial analysis. Inclusion criteria were: (1) being a Saudi, (2) self-identified Muslim, (3) being HD patient with CRF or ESRD, (4) enrolled in the HD unit of the general hospital, (5) 20 years old and above, (6) male and female, and (7) conscious, coherent and oriented. Measures Demographic Characteristics Patient’s information in the patient’s chart was examined to collect the data for their demographic characteristics. These included: (1) age, (2) gender, (3) religion, (4) civil status, (5) employment, and (6) duration of undergoing HD. Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale The Spiritual Coping Strategy Scale (SCS), developed by Baldacchino and Buhagiar (2003), is a self – administered questionnaire that determines the spiritual coping of the respondents. It has a Judeo-Christian orientation and was based on the nursing, psychological, sociological, philosophical and theological literature. The SCS scale was developed in English and then translated into the Maltese language. It is a scale that measures both religious and spiritual (nonreligious) coping strategy which constituted its two subscales. It measured the respondents’ attitude towards religion and belief in God. The SCS is a 20-item, 4 – point response scale from â€Å"never used† or 0 to â€Å"often used† or 3. The responses indicated how often they use the various coping strategies presented. The Religious Coping subscale was comprised of 9 items which were meant to assess the respondents’ attitude towards their religious practices and their relationsh ip to God. On the other hand, the Spiritual Coping subscale has 11 items which relates to coping strategies that involve relationship to self, others and nature. The scores of all items is ranging from 0 to 60. A higher subscale and total scale score indicated more frequent use of the religious or spiritual coping strategies. The internal consistency reliability of the religious and spiritual coping factors was 0.82 and 0.74, respectively. A test – retest reliability of r=0.47 and r=0.81 for the subscales and total scale, respectively, was also reported. (Baldacchino Buhagiar, 2003) The SCS was earlier translated to Italian (Burrai, Scalorbi, Sebastiani, Cenerelli Cocchi, 2009), Spanish (Hawthorne, Youngblut Brooten, 2011) and Farsi (Saffari, Koenig, Ghanizadeh, Pakpour Baldacchino, 2014) languages. Validity and reliability of these versions were established accordingly. Muslim Religiosity Scale This is a 13 – items scale that measures the religiosity of Muslim population. It has two subscales. The first subscale is a 10 – item religious practices scale while the second subscale is a 3 – items intrinsic religious beliefs scale. Validity and reliability of the scale was earlier established with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.68, 0.64 and 0.93 for the full scale, religious practices scale and intrinsic beliefs scale, respectively. (Koenig, Al Zaben, Khalifa Al Shohaib, 2014; Al Zaben et al. 2014) The Arabic version of the scale was utilized in this study. Quality of Life Index Dialysis Version III The Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index Dialysis (QLI) Version-III measures the HRQoL of the HD patients. This scale has four subscales which includes health and functioning subscale, social and economic subscale, psychological/spiritual subscale, and family subscale. The QLI has two parts. The first part measures the satisfaction of the respondents and the second part measures the importance of the various aspects of life. The ratings in the second part are used to weight the satisfaction responses. Items that are rated with higher importance have a greater effect on scores than those of lesser importance. Overall quality of life as well as scores in the four domains is calculated. A score of 19 and lower means poorer quality of life. Validity and reliability of the QLI Dialysis Version was reported somewhere else with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93. Likewise, the four subscales exhibited acceptable validity and reliability. Content validity was good as it was based from ext ensive literature reviews on HRQoL and with patients’ report. (Ferrans, 1996; Ferrans Powers, 1985; Ferrans Powers, 1992) The Arabic version of the Quality of Life Index Dialysis (QLI) Version-III was used in this study. Translation and Cross Cultural Adaptation of the SCS The translation and cross – cultural adaptation of the SCS followed the cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures guidelines for translation. (Beaton, Bombardier, Guillemin Ferraz, 2000) The guideline suggests five stages: (1) translation, (2) synthesis, (3) back translation, (4) expert committee review, and (5) pretesting. In this study, the cultural and religious context of Saudi Arabic language was considered in the translation process. The first step of the adaptation is the forward translation. Two independent forward translations were made from English to Arabic by two bilingual Saudi nationals. One of them is a nurse educator who specializes in mental health nursing. The other Saudi is a lecturer with specialization in English language. After the translations have been done, the two translators together with an observer met to synthesize the result of the translation. A consensus from the two translators signified the completion of the Saudi Arabic version of the SCS. The Arabic version was then presented to two non-medically inclined translators who translated it back to English. These two translators were unaware of the concept as well as the purpose of the scale. The Arabic version was then presented to a panel which comprised of a: (1) Muslim religious leader; (2) Islam scholar, (3) nurse clinician, (4) nurse researcher, and (5) translator. The committee decided for the cultural and religious equivalence of each items in the scale. After reaching a consensus, the pre-final Arabic version of the SCS was formed. The pre-final Arabic version was then subjected for pilot testing for validity and reliability. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Add modifications done here) Data Collection Data gathering was performed from May to June 2015. The SCS Arabic version, the Muslim Religiosity Scale Arabic version and the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index Dialysis (QLI) Version-III Arabic version was distributed to the respondents by the researchers with the assistance of the nurses on duty. The nurses where properly informed about the purpose and procedure of the study. The respondents were given 20 to 25 minutes to respond to the scales. Three weeks after the initial data collection, the same questionnaires were redistributed to a subsample of 25 respondents. (Hawthorne, Youngblut Brooten, 2011) Ethical Consideration Ethical approval was granted by the Ethical Review Board of Shaqra University. Permission to conduct the study was sought from the administration of the general hospital. Modification and translation of the original version of the SCS to Arabic language was permitted by the original authors. The respondents were asked prior to participation to sign the informed consent signifying their understanding of their voluntary participation to the study. No incentives were offered to the respondents for their participation. Statistical Analysis All statistical analyses were done using the SPSS version 21.0. Internal consistency reliability of the Arabic version was assessed with coefficient alpha and item–total correlation (ITC). An alpha higher than 0.70 was considered acceptable internal consistency reliability while an ITC between 0.30 and 0.50 is considered moderate and ITC higher than 0.50 means good. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to assess the factor structure of the SCS Arabic version. Kaiser – Meyer – Olkin (KMO) index was computed to check for sampling adequacy. KMO value equal to or higher than 0.6 indicate sampling adequacy. Further, to determine whether the correlations among variables were appropriate for the factor model, the Barlett’s test of sphericity was used. A Barlett’s test of sphericity with p The stability reliability for the test–retest subsample of the translated scale was assessed with Pearson product moment correlations. Convergent validity was established by examining the association between spiritual coping and religiosity. Divergent validity was established by the relationship between spiritual coping and health-related quality of life. Both were tested using Pearson product moment correlations. Differences between demographic profiles on the spiritual coping strategies using the SCS Arabic version were also examined using t-test and One-way ANOVA. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Mental Retardation in American Society Essay -- Mental Retardation Dis

Mental Retardation in American Society Mental retardation is a very serious illness, and most of the American population is ignorant regarding the subject. Approximately 3 percent of people in the U.S. are considered mentally retarded. With a percentage like this, the ignorance on the subject is bizarre. The nation has adopted slang terms such as â€Å"retard†, to insult others. Using this term is a way to call someone stupid. But there is a lot that people do not understand about mental disabilities. The study of the illness is actually a very complex topic. There are many parts that build up the subject. The definition of mental retardation is: significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Mental retardation is a term used when someone has limitations in their mental functioning. They also are limited in skills such as communicating, self-care, and social skills. These limitations cause a child to learn and develop slower than an ordinary individual. Children with mental retardation may take longer when learning to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn, but it will take them longer. There are usually things they cannot learn. There are many causes of mental retardation. They include; genetic conditions, pregnancy troubles, birth difficulties, and health problems. In some cases irregular genes inherited from the parents can cause mental retardation. Mental retardation can be the cause of baby not developing properly when in the womb. This could be the effect of the mother consuming alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. At birth, if a newborn does not receive enough oxygen, the result could be mental retardation. Many health problems are the basis for mental retardation. Numerous illnesses cause mental retardation. Also malnutrition and insufficient medical care are grounds for mental retardation. If a child is not receiving ample nutrition then negative effects will result. In addition, if an adolescent does not receive proper medicine, they could in result, develop a mental illness. Despite popular belief, mental retardation is not a disease. It is also not a men... ...s. People with mental retardation are highly misunderstood, but that is beginning to change more and more each year. People are starting to realize that people with mental disabilities aren’t stupid, and that they can learn and understand new concepts. People with mental retardation are fully capable of entering the work force and contribute to society. Individuals with mental retardation are still ostracized to some degree but it has become less and less over time. Soon people will become even more understanding of the mental disabilities that people contain, and hopefully most of the ignorance will vanish. Works Cited Brooks, Penelope H., Sperber, Richard, and McCauley, Charley. Learning and Cognition in the Mentally Retarded (1984): 56-230. Farber, Bernard. Mental Retardation: Its Social Context and Social Consequences (1968): 123-158 Zigler, Edward, and Balla, David. Mental Retardation, the Developmental-Difference Controversy (1982): 47-63. The Medem Network: Connecting Physicians and Patients Online. 3 Dec. 2004 Department of Mental Retardation. 3 Dec. 2004. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 3 Dec. 2004

Divine Comedy - Contrapasso of Dante’s Inferno Essay examples -- Divin

Inferno - Contrapasso In Dante’s Inferno, Dante takes a journey with Virgil through the many levels of Hell in order to experience and see the different punishments that sinners must endure for all eternity. As Dante and Virgil descend into the bowels of Hell, it becomes clear that the suffering increases as they continue to move lower into Hell, the conical recess in the earth created when Lucifer fell from Heaven. Dante values the health of society over self. This becomes evident as the sinners against society experience suffering greater than those suffer which were only responsible for sinning against themselves. Dante uses contrapasso, the Aristotelian theory that states a soul’s form of suffering in Hell contrasts or extends their sins in their life on earth, to ensure that the sinners never forget their crimes against God. Even though some of the punishments the sinners in Hell seem arbitrary, they are fitting because contrapasso forces each sinner to re-live the most horrible aspect of their sin to ensure they never forget their crimes against God. As Dante and Virgil, Dante’s guide through Hell, approach the Gate of Hell, Dante reads the inscription above the gates: â€Å"Through me the way to the suffering city, through me the way to the eternal pain, through me the way that runs among the lost. Justice urged on my high artificer; my maker was divine authority, the highest wisdom and the primal love. Before me nothing but eternal things were made, and I endure eternally. Abandon every hope, who enter here.†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (III, 48) This message accurately describes how those souls will experience contrapasso in Hell. They will never be released and will experience suffering for eternity. The first line speaks of a... ...ouls to exist. It is a fitting punishment because he wanted to rule like God. Now he does, but he rules over the souls who could not achieve the presence of God after death. Dante efficiently uses contrapasso to punish the souls that sinned in their lifetimes. All the sinners experience ultimate suffering as they act to extend or continue their sin for eternity. The suffering in Hell is ultimately unbearable, regardless of the nature of sin. The sinners have no hope of their condition becoming any better because the only change will be at the Final Judgment. Then their punishments will be perfected because they will then have bodies and a new way to experience suffering. Contrapasso ensures that these souls will exist in an eternity of complete despair.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited: Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Trans. Mark Musa. NY: Penguin Books, 1984.

Mystery, Irony, and Imagery in The Cask of Amontillado Essay -- Edgar

Missing items from Works Cited Mystery, Irony, and Imagery in The Cask of Amontillado "The Cask of Amontillado" is one of Edgar Allan Poe's greatest stories. In this story Poe introduces two central characters and unfolds a tale of horror and perversion. Montresor, the narrator, and Fortunato, one of Montresor's friends, are doomed to the fate of their actions and will pay the price for their pride and jealousy. One pays the price with his life and the other pays the price with living with regret for the rest of his life. Poe uses mystery, irony, and imagery to create a horrifying, deceptive, and perverse story. Hoping to obtain revenge, Montresor, the narrator, lures Fortunato, one of his friends, into the depths of his catacombs to be murdered. Montresor says, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge"(149). This is the first line in the story, and this is why Montresor seeks revenge. There is no explanation of the insults that Montresor received, so the reader may infer that Montresor is just lying. The insults that were received could possibly be just outdoing in the business arena. Montresor might be using that excuse for his desire to kill Fortunato, because he may be killing Fortunato out of jealousy. Montresor is likely telling this story to a family member, friend, or his doctor while lying on his deathbed. Montresor says, "†¦your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed. For me it is no matter."(150). Montresor just admitted tha t he knows Fortunato is better than he. Montresor may have been under the influence of jealousy. Redd 4 There are different theories to ... ...ows the reader to interpret the end of the story by himself, which brings imagination into the picture. Why does Montresor hesitate in putting up the last stone? This makes the reader wonder if Montresor was beginning to feel guilty. At the end of the story Montresor and Fortunato talk a little. Montresor called aloud, "Fortunato!" No answer came so Montresor states, "I thrust a torch through the remaining aperture and let it fall within. There came forth only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick; it was the dampness of the catacombs that made it so"(153). This statement leads the reader to believe that Montresor may have had a moment when his conscience begins to creep up on him. He quickly states that it is the dampness of the catacombs that makes his heart sick. Work Cited Poe, Allan, Edgar. The Cask of Amontillado (Mass Market Paperbacks, 1990)

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-two

Arya The one-eared black tom arched his back and hissed at her. Arya padded down the alley, balanced lightly on the balls of her bare feet, listening to the flutter of her heart, breathing slow deep breaths. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself, light as a feather. The tomcat watched her come, his eyes wary. Catching cats was hard. Her hands were covered with half-healed scratches, and both knees were scabbed over where she had scraped them raw in tumbles. At first even the cook's huge fat kitchen cat had been able to elude her, but Syrio had kept her at it day and night. When she'd run to him with her hands bleeding, he had said, â€Å"So slow? Be quicker, girl. Your enemies will give you more than scratches.† He had dabbed her wounds with Myrish fire, which burned so bad she had had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Then he sent her out after more cats. The Red Keep was full of cats: lazy old cats dozing in the sun, cold-eyed mousers twitching their tails, quick little kittens with claws like needles, ladies' cats all combed and trusting, ragged shadows prowling the midden heaps. One by one Arya had chased them down and snatched them up and brought them proudly to Syrio Forel . . . all but this one, this one-eared black devil of a tomcat. â€Å"That's the real king of this castle right there,† one of the gold cloaks had told her. â€Å"Older than sin and twice as mean. One time, the king was feasting the queen's father, and that black bastard hopped up on the table and snatched a roast quail right out of Lord Tywin's fingers. Robert laughed so hard he like to burst. You stay away from that one, child.† He had run her halfway across the castle; twice around the Tower of the Hand, across the inner bailey, through the stables, down the serpentine steps, past the small kitchen and the pig yard and the barracks of the gold cloaks, along the base of the river wall and up more steps and back and forth over Traitor's Walk, and then down again and through a gate and around a well and in and out of strange buildings until Arya didn't know where she was. Now at last she had him. High walls pressed close on either side, and ahead was a blank windowless mass of stone. Quiet as a shadow, she repeated, sliding forward, light as a feather. When she was three steps away from him, the tomcat bolted. Left, then right, he went; and right, then left, went Arya, cutting off his escape. He hissed again and tried to dart between her legs. Quick as a snake, she thought. Her hands closed around him. She hugged him to her chest, whirling and laughing aloud as his claws raked at the front of her leather jerkin. Ever so fast, she kissed him right between the eyes, and jerked her head back an instant before his claws would have found her face. The tomcat yowled and spit. â€Å"What's he doing to that cat?† Startled, Arya dropped the cat and whirled toward the voice. The tom bounded off in the blink of an eye. At the end of the alley stood a girl with a mass of golden curls, dressed as pretty as a doll in blue satin. Beside her was a plump little blond boy with a prancing stag sewn in pearls across the front of his doublet and a miniature sword at his belt. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen, Arya thought. A septa as large as a draft horse hovered over them, and behind her two big men in crimson cloaks, Lannister house guards. â€Å"What were you doing to that cat, boy?† Myrcella asked again, sternly. To her brother she said, â€Å"He's a ragged boy, isn't he? Look at him.† She giggled. â€Å"A ragged dirty smelly boy,† Tommen agreed. They don't know me, Arya realized. They don't even know I'm a girl. Small wonder; she was barefoot and dirty, her hair tangled from the long run through the castle, clad in a jerkin ripped by cat claws and brown roughspun pants hacked off above her scabby knees. You don't wear skirts and silks when you're catching cats. Quickly she lowered her head and dropped to one knee. Maybe they wouldn't recognize her. If they did, she would never hear the end of it. Septa Mordane would be mortified, and Sansa would never speak to her again from the shame. The old fat septa moved forward. â€Å"Boy, how did you come here? You have no business in this part of the castle.† â€Å"You can't keep this sort out,† one of the red cloaks said. â€Å"Like trying to keep out rats.† â€Å"Who do you belong to, boy?† the septa demanded. â€Å"Answer me. What's wrong with you, are you mute?† Arya's voice caught in her throat. If she answered, Tommen and Myrcella would know her for certain. â€Å"Godwyn, bring him here,† the septa said. The taller of the guardsmen started down the alley. Panic gripped her throat like a giant's hand. Arya could not have spoken if her life had hung on it. Calm as still water, she mouthed silently. As Godwyn reached for her, Arya moved. Quick as a snake. She leaned to her left, letting his fingers brush her arm, spinning around him. Smooth as summer silk. By the time he got himself turned, she was sprinting down the alley. Swift as a deer. The septa was screeching at her. Arya slid between legs as thick and white as marble columns, bounded to her feet, bowled into Prince Tommen and hopped over him when he sat down hard and said â€Å"Oof,† spun away from the second guard, and then she was past them all, running full out. She heard shouts, then pounding footsteps, closing behind her. She dropped and rolled. The red cloak went careening past her, stumbling. Arya sprang back to her feet. She saw a window above her, high and narrow, scarcely more than an arrow slit. Arya leapt, caught the sill, pulled herself up. She held her breath as she wriggled through. Slippery as an eel. Dropping to the floor in front of a startled scrubwoman, she hopped up, brushed the rushes off her clothes, and was off again, out the door and along a long hall, down a stair, across a hidden courtyard, around a corner and over a wall and through a low narrow window into a pitch-dark cellar. The sounds grew more and more distant behind her. Arya was out of breath and quite thoroughly lost. She was in for it now if they had recognized her, but she didn't think they had. She'd moved too fast. Swift as a deer. She hunkered down in the dark against a damp stone wall and listened for the pursuit, but the only sound was the beating of her own heart and a distant drip of water. Quiet as a shadow, she told herself. She wondered where she was. When they had first come to King's Landing, she used to have bad dreams about getting lost in the castle. Father said the Red Keep was smaller than Winterfell, but in her dreams it had been immense, an endless stone maze with walls that seemed to shift and change behind her. She would find herself wandering down gloomy halls past faded tapestries, descending endless circular stairs, darting through courtyards or over bridges, her shouts echoing unanswered. In some of the rooms the red stone walls would seem to drip blood, and nowhere could she find a window. Sometimes she would hear her father's voice, but always from a long way off, and no matter how hard she ran after it, it would grow fainter and fainter, until it faded to nothing and Arya was alone in the dark. It was very dark right now, she realized. She hugged her bare knees tight against her chest and shivered. She would wait quietly and count to ten thousand. By then it would be safe for her to come creeping back out and find her way home. By the time she had reached eighty-seven, the room had begun to lighten as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. Slowly the shapes around her took on form. Huge empty eyes stared at her hungrily through the gloom, and dimly she saw the jagged shadows of long teeth. She had lost the count. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and sent the fear away. When she looked again, the monsters would be gone. Would never have been. She pretended that Syrio was beside her in the dark, whispering in her ear. Calm as still water, she told herself. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. She opened her eyes again. The monsters were still there, but the fear was gone. Arya got to her feet, moving warily. The heads were all around her. She touched one, curious, wondering if it was real. Her fingertips brushed a massive jaw. It felt real enough. The bone was smooth beneath her hand, cold and hard to the touch. She ran her fingers down a tooth, black and sharp, a dagger made of darkness. It made her shiver. â€Å"It's dead,† she said aloud. â€Å"It's just a skull, it can't hurt me.† Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her. She edged away from the skull and backed into a second, larger than the first. For an instant she could feel its teeth digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh. Arya whirled, felt leather catch and tear as a huge fang nipped at her jerkin, and then she was running. Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya did not even slow. She leapt over a ridge of black teeth as tall as swords, dashed through hungry jaws, and threw herself against the door. Her hands found a heavy iron ring set in the wood, and she yanked at it. The door resisted a moment, before it slowly began to swing inward, with a creak so loud Arya was certain it could be heard all through the city. She opened the door just far enough to slip through, into the hallway beyond. If the room with the monsters had been dark, the hall was the blackest pit in the seven hells. Calm as still water, Arya told herself, but even when she gave her eyes a moment to adjust, there was nothing to see but the vague grey outline of the door she had come through. She wiggled her fingers in front of her face, felt the air move, saw nothing. She was blind. A water dancer sees with all her senses, she reminded herself. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing one two three, drank in the quiet, reached out with her hands. Her fingers brushed against rough unfinished stone to her left. She followed the wall, her hand skimming along the surface, taking small gliding steps through the darkness. All halls lead somewhere. Where there is a way in, there is a way out. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Arya would not be afraid. It seemed as if she had been walking a long ways when the wall ended abruptly and a draft of cold air blew past her cheek. Loose hairs stirred faintly against her skin. From somewhere far below her, she heard noises. The scrape of boots, the distant sound of voices. A flickering light brushed the wall ever so faintly, and she saw that she stood at the top of a great black well, a shaft twenty feet across plunging deep into the earth. Huge stones had been set into the curving walls as steps, circling down and down, dark as the steps to hell that Old Nan used to tell them of. And something was coming up out of the darkness, out of the bowels of the earth . . . Arya peered over the edge and felt the cold black breath on her face. Far below, she saw the light of a single torch, small as the flame of a candle. Two men, she made out. Their shadows writhed against the sides of the well, tall as giants. She could hear their voices, echoing up the shaft. † . . . found one bastard,† one said. â€Å"The rest will come soon. A day, two days, a fortnight . . . â€Å" â€Å"And when he learns the truth, what will he do?† a second voice asked in the liquid accents of the Free Cities. â€Å"The gods alone know,† the first voice said. Arya could see a wisp of grey smoke drifting up off the torch, writhing like a snake as it rose. â€Å"The fools tried to kill his son, and what's worse, they made a mummer's farce of it. He's not a man to put that aside. I warn you, the wolf and lion will soon be at each other's throats, whether we will it or no.† â€Å"Too soon, too soon,† the voice with the accent complained. â€Å"What good is war now? We are not ready. Delay.† â€Å"As well bid me stop time. Do you take me for a wizard?† The other chuckled. â€Å"No less.† Flames licked at the cold air. The tall shadows were almost on top of her. An instant later the man holding the torch climbed into her sight, his companion beside him. Arya crept back away from the well, dropped to her stomach, and flattened herself against the wall. She held her breath as the men reached the top of the steps. â€Å"What would you have me do?† asked the torchbearer, a stout man in a leather half cape. Even in heavy boots, his feet seemed to glide soundlessly over the ground. A round scarred face and a stubble of dark beard showed under his steel cap, and he wore mail over boiled leather, and a dirk and shortsword at his belt. It seemed to Arya there was something oddly familiar about him. â€Å"If one Hand can die, why not a second?† replied the man with the accent and the forked yellow beard. â€Å"You have danced the dance before, my friend.† He was no one Arya had ever seen before, she was certain of it. Grossly fat, yet he seemed to walk lightly, carrying his weight on the balls of his feet as a water dancer might. His rings glimmered in the torchlight, red-gold and pale silver, crusted with rubies, sapphires, slitted yellow tiger eyes. Every finger wore a ring; some had two. â€Å"Before is not now, and this Hand is not the other,† the scarred man said as they stepped out into the hall. Still as stone, Arya told herself, quiet as a shadow. Blinded by the blaze of their own torch, they did not see her pressed flat against the stone, only a few feet away. â€Å"Perhaps so,† the forked beard replied, pausing to catch his breath after the long climb. â€Å"Nonetheless, we must have time. The princess is with child. The khal will not bestir himself until his son is born. You know how they are, these savages.† The man with the torch pushed at something. Arya heard a deep rumbling. A huge slab of rock, red in the torchlight, slid down out of the ceiling with a resounding crash that almost made her cry out. Where the entry to the well had been was nothing but stone, solid and unbroken. â€Å"If he does not bestir himself soon, it may be too late,† the stout man in the steel cap said. â€Å"This is no longer a game for two players, if ever it was. Stannis Baratheon and Lysa Arryn have fled beyond my reach, and the whispers say they are gathering swords around them. The Knight of Flowers writes Highgarden, urging his lord father to send his sister to court. The girl is a maid of fourteen, sweet and beautiful and tractable, and Lord Renly and Ser Loras intend that Robert should bed her, wed her, and make a new queen. Littlefinger . . . the gods only know what game Littlefinger is playing. Yet Lord Stark's the one who troubles my sleep. He has the bastard, he has the book, and soon enough he'll have the truth. And now his wife has abducted Tyrion Lannister, thanks to Littlefinger's meddling. Lord Tywin will take that for an outrage, and Jaime has a queer affection for the Imp. If the Lannisters move north, that will bring the Tullys in as well. Delay, you say. Make haste, I reply. Even the finest of jugglers cannot keep a hundred balls in the air forever.† â€Å"You are more than a juggler, old friend. You are a true sorcerer. All I ask is that you work your magic awhile longer.† They started down the hall in the direction Arya had come, past the room with the monsters. â€Å"What I can do, I will,† the one with the torch said softly. â€Å"I must have gold, and another fifty birds.† She let them get a long way ahead, then went creeping after them. Quiet as a shadow. â€Å"So many?† The voices were fainter as the light dwindled ahead of her. â€Å"The ones you need are hard to find . . . so young, to know their letters . . . perhaps older . . . not die so easy . . . † â€Å"No. The younger are safer . . . treat them gently . . . â€Å" † . . . .if they kept their tongues . . . â€Å" † . . . the risk . . . â€Å" Long after their voices had faded away, Arya could still see the light of the torch, a smoking star that bid her follow. Twice it seemed to disappear, but she kept on straight, and both times she found herself at the top of steep, narrow stairs, the torch glimmering far below her. She hurried after it, down and down. Once she stumbled over a rock and fell against the wall, and her hand found raw earth supported by timbers, whereas before the tunnel had been dressed stone. She must have crept after them for miles. Finally they were gone, but there was no place to go but forward. She found the wall again and followed, blind and lost, pretending that Nymeria was padding along beside her in the darkness. At the end she was knee-deep in foul-smelling water, wishing she could dance upon it as Syrio might have, and wondering if she'd ever see light again. It was full dark when finally Arya emerged into the night air. She found herself standing at the mouth of a sewer where it emptied into the river. She stank so badly that she stripped right there, dropping her soiled clothing on the riverbank as she dove into the deep black waters. She swam until she felt clean, and crawled out shivering. Some riders went past along the river road as Arya was washing her clothes, but if they saw the scrawny naked girl scrubbing her rags in the moonlight, they took no notice. She was miles from the castle, but from anywhere in King's Landing you needed only to look up to see the Red Keep high on Aegon's Hill, so there was no danger of losing her way. Her clothes were almost dry by the time she reached the gatehouse. The portcullis was down and the gates barred, so she turned aside to a postern door. The gold cloaks who had the watch sneered when she told them to let her in. â€Å"Off with you,† one said. â€Å"The kitchen scraps are gone, and we'll have no begging after dark.† â€Å"I'm not a beggar,† she said. â€Å"I live here.† â€Å"I said, off with you. Do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† â€Å"I want to see my father.† The guards exchanged a glance. â€Å"I want to fuck the queen myself, for all the good it does me,† the younger one said. The older scowled. â€Å"Who's this father of yours, boy, the city ratcatcher?† â€Å"The Hand of the King,† Arya told him. Both men laughed, but then the older one swung his fist at her, casually, as a man would swat a dog. Arya saw the blow coming even before it began. She danced back out of the way, untouched. â€Å"I'm not a boy,† she spat at them. â€Å"I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell, and if you lay a hand on me my lord father will have both your heads on spikes. If you don't believe me, fetch Jory Cassel or Vayon Poole from the Tower of the Hand.† She put her hands on her hips. â€Å"Now are you going to open the gate, or do you need a clout on the ear to help your hearing?† Her father was alone in the solar when Harwin and Fat Tom marched her in, an oil lamp glowing softly at his elbow. He was bent over the biggest book Arya had ever seen, a great thick tome with cracked yellow pages of crabbed script, bound between faded leather covers, but he closed it to listen to Harwin's report. His face was stern as he sent the men away with thanks. â€Å"You realize I had half my guard out searching for you?† Eddard Stark said when they were alone. â€Å"Septa Mordane is beside herself with fear. She's in the sept praying for your safe return. Arya, you know you are never to go beyond the castle gates without my leave.† â€Å"I didn't go out the gates,† she blurted. â€Å"Well, I didn't mean to. I was down in the dungeons, only they turned into this tunnel. It was all dark, and I didn't have a torch or a candle to see by, so I had to follow. I couldn't go back the way I came on account of the monsters. Father, they were talking about killing you! Not the monsters, the two men. They didn't see me, I was being still as stone and quiet as a shadow, but I heard them. They said you had a book and a bastard and if one Hand could die, why not a second? Is that the book? Jon's the bastard, I bet.† â€Å"Jon? Arya, what are you talking about? Who said this?† â€Å"They did,† she told him. â€Å"There was a fat one with rings and a forked yellow beard, and another in mail and a steel cap, and the fat one said they had to delay but the other one told him he couldn't keep juggling and the wolf and the lion were going to eat each other and it was a mummer's farce.† She tried to remember the rest. She hadn't quite understood everything she'd heard, and now it was all mixed up in her head. â€Å"The fat one said the princess was with child. The one in the steel cap, he had the torch, he said that they had to hurry. I think he was a wizard.† â€Å"A wizard,† said Ned, unsmiling. â€Å"Did he have a long white beard and tall pointed hat speckled with stars?† â€Å"No! It wasn't like Old Nan's stories. He didn't look like a wizard, but the fat one said he was.† â€Å"I warn you, Arya, if you're spinning this thread of air—† â€Å"No, I told you, it was in the dungeons, by the place with the secret wall. I was chasing cats, and well . . . † She screwed up her face. If she admitted knocking over Prince Tommen, he would be really angry with her. † . . . well, I went in this window. That's where I found the monsters.† â€Å"Monsters and wizards,† her father said. â€Å"It would seem you've had quite an adventure. These men you heard, you say they spoke of juggling and mummery?† â€Å"Yes,† Arya admitted, â€Å"only—† â€Å"Arya, they were mummers,† her father told her. â€Å"There must be a dozen troupes in King's Landing right now, come to make some coin off the tourney crowds. I'm not certain what these two were doing in the castle, but perhaps the king has asked for a show.† â€Å"No.† She shook her head stubbornly. â€Å"They weren't—† â€Å"You shouldn't be following people about and spying on them in any case. Nor do I cherish the notion of my daughter climbing in strange windows after stray cats. Look at you, sweetling. Your arms are covered with scratches. This has gone on long enough. Tell Syrio Forel that I want a word with hirn—† He was interrupted by a short, sudden knock. â€Å"Lord Eddard, pardons,† Desmond called out, opening the door a crack, â€Å"but there's a black brother here begging audience. He says the matter is urgent. I thought you would want to know.† â€Å"My door is always open to the Night's Watch,† Father said. Desmond ushered the man inside. He was stooped and ugly, with an unkempt beard and unwashed clothes, yet Father greeted him pleasantly and asked his name. â€Å"Yoren, as it please m'lord. My pardons for the hour.† He bowed to Arya. â€Å"And this must be your son. He has your look.† â€Å"I'm a girl,† Arya said, exasperated. If the old man was down from the Wall, he must have come by way of Winterfell. â€Å"Do you know my brothers?† she asked excitedly. â€Å"Robb and Bran are at Winterfell, and Jon's on the Wall. Jon Snow, he's in the Night's Watch too, you must know him, he has a direwolf, a white one with red eyes. Is Jon a ranger yet? I'm Arya Stark.† The old man in his smelly black clothes was looking at her oddly, but Arya could not seem to stop talking. â€Å"When you ride back to the Wall, would you bring Jon a letter if I wrote one?† She wished Jon were here right now. He'd believe her about the dungeons and the fat man with the forked beard and the wizard in the steel cap. â€Å"My daughter often forgets her courtesies,† Eddard Stark said with a faint smile that softened his words. â€Å"I beg your forgiveness, Yoren. Did my brother Benjen send you?† â€Å"No one sent me, m'lord, saving old Mormont. I'm here to find men for the Wall, and when Robert next holds court, I'll bend the knee and cry our need, see if the king and his Hand have some scum in the dungeons they'd be well rid of. You might say as Benjen Stark is why we're talking, though. His blood ran black. Made him my brother as much as yours. It's for his sake I'm come. Rode hard, I did, near killed my horse the way I drove her, but I left the others well behind.† â€Å"The others?† Yoren spat. â€Å"Sellswords and freeriders and like trash. That inn was full o' them, and I saw them take the scent. The scent of blood or the scent of gold, they smell the same in the end. Not all o' them made for King's Landing, either. Some went galloping for Casterly Rock, and the Rock lies closer. Lord Tywin will have gotten the word by now, you can count on it.† Father frowned. â€Å"What word is this?† Yoren eyed Arya. â€Å"One best spoken in private, m'lord, begging your pardons.† â€Å"As you say. Desmond, see my daughter to her chambers.† He kissed her on the brow. â€Å"We'll finish our talk on the morrow.† Arya stood rooted to the spot. â€Å"Nothing bad's happened to Jon, has it?† she asked Yoren. â€Å"Or Uncle Benjen?† â€Å"Well, as to Stark, I can't say. The Snow boy was well enough when I left the Wall. It's not them as concerns me.† Desmond took her hand. â€Å"Come along, milady. You heard your lord father.† Arya had no choice but to go with him, wishing it had been Fat Tom. With Tom, she might have been able to linger at the door on some excuse and hear what Yoren was saying, but Desmond was too single-minded to trick. â€Å"How many guards does my father have?† she asked him as they descended to her bedchamber. â€Å"Here at King's Landing? Fifty.† â€Å"You wouldn't let anyone kill him, would you?† she asked. Desmond laughed. â€Å"No fear on that count, little lady. Lord Eddard's guarded night and day. He'll come to no harm.† â€Å"The Lannisters have more than fifty men,† Arya pointed out. â€Å"So they do, but every northerner is worth ten of these southron swords, so you can sleep easy.† â€Å"What if a wizard was sent to kill him?† â€Å"Well, as to that,† Desmond replied, drawing his longsword, â€Å"wizards die the same as other men, once you cut their heads off.†