Colleges Should or Should Not Offer Online Classes

Nearly 12 million post-secondary students in the United States take some or all of their classes online right now. On the other hand, approximately 15 million students take all of their classes in a physical classroom. (Adkins) What do these number say about an online education? Well, they mean that there are both positive aspects and negative aspects to taking online courses. It turns out that there are many examples of both positive and negative reasons to enroll in or to not to enroll in an online class.Firstly, there are many advantages or reasons why someone would want to take an online course. One of the main reasons people take an online course is for flexibility of time. Flexibility of time corresponds to the online classes being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, usually. This allows for one to plan their classes around their schedule, rather than their schedule around their classes. For this reason, it is often popular for people who need to work but still want to get a college education. It is also popular for parents who are working or have small children they need to take care of.Another example would be someone who has difficulty waking up for morning classes. Online can be arranged so that you can work at your convenience of time. Another major contributing factor to a positive outlook on online classes is that there are virtually no geographical restrictions. As long as you can put yourself somewhere with Internet access, you can take the course. Along with the ability to be anywhere you want, you can also go nowhere and simply take the class from home. This means the student can save a multitude of time and gas money.A good example of someone who would utilize this would be someone who lives far away from a college, and still wanted to get a degree without having to commute back and forth many miles everyday. Online courses also give a student a larger variety of courses to choose from. If you attend a physical college, a course you might want to take may not be available. With online classes, all you have to do it some online research to find the course you are looking for. In addition to opportunity of a class being offered, there is also the opportunity of getting into a class.With online classes, the spaces offered may be greater because there are no physical limitations of space that may have limited the physical class. In addition to these obvious examples, there are a few subtle things that people may no realize at first about the advantages of online classes. One, for example, is participation. Some students may find it difficult to participate in class and therefore feel less intimidated in an online environment. Equally important for some, perhaps, is that there is no dress code. Unless there is a web cam involved, a student could be in their pajamas or even naked if they wanted to be.On the other hand, there are quite a few disadvantages to taking an online course. One of the main reasons that many people struggle with is the discipline and time management skills. There are usually a few deadlines, but besides that, the students are fully responsible for keeping up with their work and staying to a schedule. Procrastination can be a detrimental factor to failure for some. Self- motivation tends to be a key that some do not possess. Another main problem some students experience is a social problem. In this style of education there is no direct interaction with a professor in person.Some students may be okay with this but many progress and learn better from face-to-face interactions and attention from the teacher. Together with the professor are the fellow pupils that are in the class. Where as some students completely enjoy relaxing and taking a class alone, some find it very lonely and depressing. Classrooms are meant to have a welcoming environment. This environment can often be particularly difficult to replicate online. An important academic reason to perhaps not take an online cl ass is the issue of transferring credits. Some institutions will not take online credit hours.This could obviously make your time spent on taking these courses completely worthless. For this reason, many people do not risk online courses and stick to physical classrooms with a definite reliable credit transfer capability. Finally, along with all of these examples, comes perhaps the most obvious one of all. To take an online course you need to have a computer. This means that the student has to actually be capable of using that computer too. Online courses are designed for ones own pace usually, but the majority of time spent on the task should not be figuring out how to work the computer.A student does not need to be a computer expert, but needs to be computer literate and relatively comfortable with the technology they will be using. The functioning of the computer not only depends on the student’s knowledge and skill, but also depends on the reliability of the computer. The computer is going to need to have at least a decent setup and also probably have a high-speed connection. For most even considering an online education this is usually doable, but it is not always the case.To sum it all up, online courses are a preferential decision based on an individual students research and the college’s interest in such a technique of learning. There are many positive and negative factors a college should consider before deciding to offer or not to offer online classes. The same can said for students deciding whether or not to take online classes. Online classes are a slowly increasing popular way of learning and teaching. The only way that one can decide to provide or take these courses is by looking at the research done and the facts known.

Consumer marketing Essay

1: Marketing inputs means the activities of organizations that attempt to communicate the benefits of their product and services to potential consumers. Sociocultural inputs consist of a wide range of non-commercial influences. A TV with a built DVD and A concentrated liquid laundry detergent are influencing by marketing inputs more. Since marketers can influence the consumers perception through illustrated advantages of those product. Fat reduced ice cream and pay television are more influencing by social cultural. Since when consumers by those products, they would like to ask the opinion of their friends. 2: Camera, New mobile phone and Luxury handbag. Let`s consider several of the pre-purchase alternatives open to a digital camera buyer. It will relate to the product factors. Even many people have a camera. But it will frequent changes in product styling and frequent price changes. Some product`s price is high that make some people wants to have it but cannot afford. New mobile phone will relate to the situational factors. Since this mobile phone is new so that many people does not have past experience about them. It also can as a gift for friends and family. Luxury handbag will related to personal factors. Since its expensive, it need to people who have high income can afford it. But most white-collar occupation loves it. 3:Extensive problem solving- consumer has not established any criteria for purchase. They will need to obtain a great deal of information on the brands. Limited problem solving- consumer has already established the basic evaluation criteria. But they have not fully established preferences for a set of brands. Routinized response behavior- consumers experienced with the product category and have a well-established criterion for evaluating brands. But some purchases will be habit-based. Chewing gum, carpeting sugar and mobile phone, should be limited problem solving. Since consumers have already established the basic criteria for evaluating the product category and various brands in the category. Men`s aftershave lotion and New bank account should be routinized response behavior. Consumers must have some experience with those products category but not too much. Luxury car and Paper towels should be extensive problem solving. Because many people are  not familiar with those products, they have not established criteria for evaluating a product category.

Health and Social Care – Unit 32

Unit 32 Factors affecting growth and repair M1 In this assignment I am going to explain the factors that might affect the growth and repair of bones. There are many different factors that can affect the growth and repair of the bones I am going to explore 4 factors and these are; * Exercise: Doing regular exercise helps build the muscle’s in the body, but it also helps maintain the bones and increase the bones strength. Exercise causes the muscle to contract against the bone. This action then stresses or also stimulates the bone and the bone will start to become stronger and denser.When people think of exercise they think of continuously but even walking and movement around the day can help to strengthen the bones. Starting from a younger age with exercise will help the bones to get stronger as the person gets older and there bones will gain strength. The best exercise for the bones is the weight-bearing kind, which forces the bones to work against gravity. Certain cells calle d osteoblasts constantly bring calcium into bones to make them stronger and osteoclasts take calcium from bones. Exercise increases the rate that osteoblasts strengthen bones. Inactivity weakens the bones.So any exercise that places force on a bone will strengthen the bone. Most people achieve their peak bone mass in their 30s. After that, the strength and density of bones begins to decline. Exercising slows the process of decline and helps prevent fractures and osteoporosis. * Diet: One of the key nutrients that the body needs for bone growth and development is calcium, this is normally found in different foods and especially in milk. It is important that calcium is took in a diet because is not it can lead to the bones being weaker and can be prone to break more easily. many other important functions.Because calcium has so many important jobs, it’s important to get enough of it in your diet. The amount of calcium you need depends on a number of different factors, including your age. However, one thing’s true for everyone: you and your bones will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job. Refrences http://www. drmirkin. com/joints/bones_exercise. html http://www. google. co. uk/imgres? q=exercise+in+bones http://www. google. co. uk/imgres? q=calcium+bones

Essay 4 Water, Xeriscapes and Native Plants Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

4 Water, Xeriscapes and Native Plants - Essay Example Requirement of seasonal variations of irrigation and water distribution systems remains a major puzzle in the way of solving urban water usage issues (Dzieglielewski et al, 1990). Open-air conservation of water would call for an imperative policy focus throughout several divisions of the state. Such policy restructuring would delimit the enhancements in water demand and free up the existing water supplies that would accommodate new constructions and residents. One of the essentials of the policy framework would include water-efficient changes in landscaping practices. (Hanak and Davis, 2006) Now, in order to change the landscaping practices, individuals and agencies must concentrate on a major aspect of American manmade landscapes: The lawns. In USA, people are generally fond of lawns and they are preferred for both purposes (Government buildings, parks, military barracks, etc.) and domestic architecture (cottages, bungalows, community housing, etc.) (Ratliffe, 2002). However, lawns are not water-efficient, and they can be considered as water costly landscapes for a state like California. When people are advised to avoid creating lawns, some individuals think that the Government has no right to restrict the usage of water since they are paying for it. Therefore, they neglect the fact that the lawns are water costly and delimiting the extent of lawns can eventually help their own generations in the long run. Such behavior can thus be explained by the lack of education and training in water management. (California Urban Water Conservation Council, 2005) Next, people start arguing that they have the basic freedom and right to have single-family houses if they can afford it. Single-family homes may increase water consumption due to more distribution requirements and less organized community use of the water supplies. In the case of single-family homes, a considerable percentage of the households do not deploy irrigated landscaping in their gardens and adjacent plot s, which invariably consist of lawns (Water Resources Engineering, Inc, 2002). This is an unwise reasoning since personal will cannot be more important than community wellbeing. Another argument is that lawns have more greenery which is friendly towards the environment and its air quality. This is a sort of excessive simplification of the environmental issues. The fact is that we need considerable number of mowers to maintain the lawns. The mowers increase air pollution and consume lots of energy. Moreover, excess water is necessitated due to the trimming, sprinkling, and gardening requirements. (Department of Water Resources, 2004; Ratliffe, 2002) Part 2: Replacing Lawns with Xeriscaped Gardens In the context of water conservation, xeriscaped gardens can be a better alternative to lawns. Xeriscaping  is a method of landscaping, which minimizes requirement and use of water. Xeriscape actually deploys smarter ways for saving water and suite the climatic needs of the area it is depl oyed wherein. (Ellefson and Winger, 2004) In general gardening and decorative architectural designs, various decorative and even foreign plants are grown alongside the lawns. Plants, which have natural requirements appropriate with respect to the local vegetation and climate, are often neglected. In the case of arid and semi-arid parts of California, most of the decorative plants and expansive

How comprehensive and effective is the legal regime for international Essay

How comprehensive and effective is the legal regime for international sales today Is there any further need for harmonisation in this area of law - Essay Example International conventions are not codes, hence they do not cover a complete area of law and any unification that takes place can best be done on the basis of harmonization. During the first half of the twentieth century, legal systems were nationalized and private international law mainly sought to achieve the localization of issues and disputes, while conflict of laws also served this purpose. But during the later half of the 20th century, more instruments have emerged that have harmonized commercial law systems, and it appears that a new conflict of laws system may be needed. Earlier legal systems focused upon maintaining national identity, but this is yielding to a tendency to adopt internationally recognized standards or harmonized law. International trade law became distinguished from domestic law in that it applied to international export transactions, whether of goods or services. While domestic transactions fall within the province of national law, international trade is instead focused upon moving away from the fetters of national law in order to develop a common, international consensus. The modern perception of the law of international trade has been defined by Schmitthoff, who stated: â€Å"It is a remarkable fact - as remarkable as the world-wide acceptance of the rule of law and the universal acceptance of corporateness - that the law of international trade shows a striking similarity in all national legal systems.†2 While similarity in legal systems may not necessarily equate to uniformity, the use of a functional comparative approach leads to convergence in legal systems which is akin to uniformity. On this basis, applying Schmutthioff’s views, that conflict of laws is the factor that leads to the applicability of international trade law rules3. The law of international trade includes a spectrum of business activity, primarily related to the export

The role of the CLI in modern computing operating systems Essay

The role of the CLI in modern computing operating systems - Essay Example A CLI comes with a command line interpreter that interprets the command and implements it. The command line interpreter might be running in a text terminal or in a terminal emulator windows as a remote shell. Once the command finishes execution, the output of that command might be in the form of a text displayed on the interface itself (MSCOM, 2007). The concept of CLI emerged when teletypewriter machines used to connected to computers in 1950s, and gave results on the demand as compared to other technologies such as batch based punched card inputs used during those times. After the success of the initial CLIs, next came the CRT based terminals that had the capability of interacting faster, they could display more information, and the development kept on going. Currently, the personal computers of today have all three forms of processing, i.e. batch processing, GUI and CLI. CLIs are complex, and most non-computer people prefer not to use it. This is why, it is often assumed that CLIs have become extinct and they are no longer used. However, it is not the case as CLIs continue to grow alongside the GUIs provided by Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc. Several application also utilize the CLI and mix it with GUI to achieve better results. An example of such application software is MATLAB, and AutoCAD. Besides being embedded with different applications, all the operating systems implemented on the routers, switches, etc. for networking have CLI based operating systems. The application of CLI is when we have a large number of commands or queries available along with different options and we can give those commands faster than we can using a GUI. The command shells of various operating systems that come with Windows, Linux, Mac Os, etc. work on similar base. Some programming languages such as BASIC, Python, Forth, LISP, etc all provide a modified interactive version of command line interface. Another major application of CLI is its use in engineering and

Marketing projectthe puzzle phone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing projectthe puzzle phone - Essay Example Although there are many other companies operating in the mobile phone industry but in terms of market share iPhone and Samsung are the leading brands. However for surviving in such a competitive market our company is offering some specific features that will help us create product differentiation. Puzz phone is a phone with distinctive, advanced and innovative features at affordable price. Our pricing strategies are very much different from our competitors as we are offering customized products at affordable price. Puzz is also trying to come up with new innovative technological features in order to compete with brands like Samsung. Puzz phone offers more variable features to its customers and that is what will help us to attract new customers. Our company also takes lesser time to assemble customers’ product. There are various factors that are considered to be the strength of Puzz Phone, however the important ones are its price and high customization. We offer variability in price so customers are allowed to choose according to their preferences. The price advantage provided by Rubik incorporation helps attracting a lot of customers. High customization helps customers selecting the features of their own choice. The demand of every customer is different from the other. Puzz phone helps people to express their own different character and personality through their phones. There are some features of the phone that do affect the brand image. These features are the low productivity and efficiency of the phone. The high customization being offered by the company does affect the productivity of the brand. The company however is trying to overcome the drawbacks in order to cater with the complaints of the customers and establish long term loyalty of the customer. Rubik incorporation is also trying to adopt useful marketing strategies for fulfill their mission and vision. The mobile phone industry is considered to be the

Kmarts Downfall Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kmarts Downfall - Essay Example The competition model established by Porter is an analytical tool for studying industry behavior and corporate strategies. It is derived from industrial organization economics and includes five forces. These forces, in turn, determine the level of competition, and thus that profitability of a market. These five forces comprise of substitutes, competitors, new entering firms, bargaining power of suppliers and customers. The facts of this case study reveal that Kmart was facing intense competition from Wal-mart and Target. Wal-Mart initiated the movement of every day low prices, which was a more worthy substitute for products in Kmart. In addition, Wal-Mart utilized information technology to keep a record of sales in all of their stores and for ordering stocks of fast moving items. Wal-mart heavily invested in information technology by installing new registers with barcode scanners in every store during the 1970s and early 1980s, which fed the sales data into the back-end computers. This information, in turn, assisted them in planning future strategies, deciding which products reap more profit. Thus, they gained a competitive advantage. By 1983, Wal-Mart was able to receive goods for only two cents whereas Kmart had to pay five cents per dollar for getting goods to stores. This meant that Wal-Mart was in a position to sell products at a price three percent lesser in contrast to Kmart. Then, another c ompetitor Target began a new campaign in which they depicted themselves as a low-cost source of quality and style mart. They focused on merchandising. These attractive schemes took away Kmart’s market share. This demonstrates that Kmart was under intense pressure of substitutes, competitors, and lost customers. In 1987, Kmart undertook investments worth 1 million to modernize their systems.  

MIS 2200 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

MIS 2200 - Essay Example It would help them to be equipped with advancing knowledge and skills so that they can better meet the organizational goals and objectives. Another very critical issue is that of our organizational culture which promotes cross cultural understanding and high ethical considerations within work environment. These are important factors for creating value based credibility amongst all our stakeholders. At the same time, it also helps to develop mutual respect and understanding and promotes effective communication to resolve workplace conflicts, if any. Shared goals and collective responsibility are important ingredients that significantly contribute to higher performance. The facilitating platform of continuous learning through system resources and external exigencies are major elements that help create benchmark for improved outcome. Indeed, we believe in empowering workers with knowledge and understanding so they can make decisions based on informed choices. Last but not the least important are the entrepreneurial initiatives of the workers which add value to the organizational visions and goals. The effort of the workers towards continuous improvement through constant learning and creative input is intrinsic to the organizational output and success. We hope that each of you will continue to contribute towards creating highly credible image of the organization amongst all our

Listening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Listening - Essay Example These definitions do not explain the concept of Jazz music clearly because most people do not understand it. This was one of the early types of music in the United States back in the 1800’s since it had a unique way of improvising everything in music. Some of the best Jazz musicians of all time are part of our modern class discussions, and one of the most famous in courses is Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart. His jazz music is among the best types of Jazz music in the modern world since it has all the elements of music that music students need to learn such as melody, tempo, rhythm, and sound among others. One of the songs that we heard in the class reading on Jazz music is by Mozart, and it is very interesting with all the necessary fundamentals of music. Allegro is one of the most famous songs done by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The lyrics, tempo, and instrumentation in this song pull the attention of the listener, and make them want to hear it over, and again. Mozart Amadeus is one of the best opera, and orchestra conductors in the world of music. There are many musicians whose musical work has been appreciated all over the world for a long time now, but there are also others who are not much recognized   Mozart yet their work s are extra ordinary. The song is very interesting because of the arrangement of its SHRMG, which are the sound, melody, harmony, rhythm, and growth. The introduction of the song is in the form of A-A2-A-A2-B-B-A3 while the instrumental part of the song is in the form of A3-B-B, and the Outro entails a descent string. When the song starts, one can hear the tinkling reverb piano sound, and as the song continues, the sound becomes lush pad synth pads. The harmony of the song has a progression that sounds like V6/VI-i-v-I and the harmony still has a constant piano line. The melody of the song is has a stepwise, modal that is simple. The rhythm of this song depicts the pace of its melody. The sound of the song is very soft and

The Continuing Evolution of Reconstruction History by Eric Foner Essay Example for Free

The Continuing Evolution of Reconstruction History by Eric Foner Essay In this article, Foner states in his thesis that â€Å"since the early 1960s, a profound alteration of the place of blacks within American society, newly uncovered evidence, and changing definitions of history itself, have combined to transform our understanding of race relations, politics, and economic change during Reconstruction.† The article essentially encompasses the meaning of three different views of reconstruction: traditional, revisionist, and post-revisionist. After Foner defines these and explains his thesis, the article becomes somewhat of an advertisement for his own articles on the topic. Foner defines the traditionalist view as the interpretation that when then civil had finally come to an end, the white population of the south more or less accepted their military defeat and wanted to preserve their supremacy while simultaneously reuniting with the North. The first problem with this view is if the south were to continue on the path of white supremacy and never really grant African Americans any civil rights to enjoy the same freedoms as white people, then reuniting with the north would be pointless. The entire idea of the civil war and reconstruction was to abolish slavery and to also grant the freedmen some, if not most or all, of their civil rights. While discussing the traditional view, Foner also identifies two separate eras of reconstruction. The first of the two eras was Presidential Reconstruction, in which Johnson attempted to continue Lincoln’s policies. The second would be Congressional or Radical Reconstruction. In this era, the southern white community joined together in the fight against the efforts to overthrow the new governments that promoted reconstruction ideals and also to carry out Home Rule. This would essentially become the enforcement of the Black Codes, which restored the plantation lifestyle that had existed before the civil war and in turn kept the freedmen in the position of slavery. The description of the traditionalist viewpoint almost seems to be valiant in nature, almost holding the southerners to a sort of esteemed position in keeping with their traditional way of white supremacy. This raises the question, were the traditionalists either mainly southerners or racists who wanted to preserve the idea that the south was betrayed by the north and had the right to enforce the black codes? This question will go unanswered, for the article does not investigate each viewpoint to this  degree. The second viewpoint described by Foner is revisionism. Revisionists consisted of mainly African American and supporters of the freedmen who wanted to refute the ideas of the traditionalist group. This group also applies the idea of some sort of valiant effort being made, but this time by the African Americans of the era. This group defines reconstruction as â€Å"an idealistic effort to construct a democratic, interracial political order from the ashes of slavery, as well as a phase in prolonged struggle between capital and labor for control of the South’s economic resources.† In fact the entire explanation of the motives for the revisionist group makes them seem terribly offended. Revisionists believe that most traditionalists cannot view a black man as a man. Simply put, the freedman is still considered a slave. A statement like this leads to questioning of the relevance of the traditionalist viewpoint. If the south never stopped seeing the freedmen as slaves, and went out of their way to try and preserve the aspects of slavery, then how can traditionalists even support that they have a view on Reconstruction? What exactly was reconstructed? As time had progressed, the revisionist view eventually stamped out traditionalists, it was all inevitable once everyone caught on that African Americans were equal and started to look into the history of slavery and Reconstruction. The revisionists also portrayed Johnson as the racist that he really was and praised the Radicals for being so committed to the rights of the freedmen. In the most recent view of reconstruction known as post-revision, Reconstruction is seen as a time of radical change. They argued that â€Å"persistent racism had negated efforts to extend justice to blacks, and the failure to distribute land prevented the freedmen from achieving true autonomy and made their civil and political rights all but meaningless.† This raises the question of who can there be any radical change during reconstruction if the freedmen were prevented in achieving true autonomy? And if this wasn’t achieved, then what was achieved as a result of reconstruction? to answer this question, Foner explains that the post-revisionists see reconstruction as not merely a specific time period, but an extended historical process. America was readjusting after the war  and it was not a â€Å"tragic era†. Schools were established and there was social and political process for freedmen. Overall, this is by far the most optimistic viewpoint. Foner ends his explanation of post-revision rather abruptly in order to what comes off as marketing his books. He even appears to be a tad arrogant when he more or less describes his collection as the most definitive grouping of historical information and personal opinion of the entire topic. He never actually states which viewpoint he associates himself with, but it can be inferred that he is a combination of revisionist and post-revisionist. The reason for this is that holds that blacks were active agents in the making of reconstruction and reconstruction produced a variety of economic, political, and social change for the freedmen. Foner does an impeccable job at explaining each view of reconstruction as well as providing the evidence to support his reasoning. He ends on a collective note, pressing to the reader that when viewing Reconstruction, one should keep in mind different points of view and it is best to take and comparative approach to emancipation to broaden one’s perspective and to bring about questions and new conceptual ideas.

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Outline Introduction a. The genetically modified foods are a long issue which is widely debated. b. People feel confused about their safety. I. Views a. ) Magana-Gomez’s argument. b. ) He argues that negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. c. ) Curieux-Belfond CL contends that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. II. Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important?c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food† (182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. 5 billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of application of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. 1 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into the human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food. Therefore, the drawbacks of genetically modified food are not the technology itself, but rather due to humans themselves. Thus, personally, I fully sanction the development of GM foods while we should objectively analyze the potential risks. Reference Artemis D. 2009. â€Å"Health risks of genetically modified foods. † Food Science and Nutrition. 49. (2):164-175. Curieux B, Vandelac L, ect. 2009. â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon. † Evironmental Science Policy. 12. (2):170-189. Magana G, Javier A, Calderon de la Barca, Ana M. 2009. â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health. † Nutrition Reviews. 67 (1):1-16. Qaim M. 2009. â€Å"The economics of genetically modified crops. † Annual Review of Resource Economics. 1:665-693. Seralini GE, Mesnage R, ect. 2011. â€Å"Genetically modified crops safety assessments: present limits and possible improvements. † Environmental Sciences Europe. 23. (10): 1-10. Weasel LH. 2009. â€Å"Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food. † American Management Association. Amacom, 86-150. Print.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Advantages and Disadvantages

Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Advantages and Disadvantages Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act and describe how an IT department can meet the challenge of implementing SOX compliance Over the past ten years we have been exposed to a series of financial scandals. The effect has been catastrophic and society has required regulation to restrain corruption. In 2002, the USA senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Mike Oxley sponsored the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act. It is generally called the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act and was put in place in order to regulate the accountability of financial reports and prevent risks occurrence However, the deployment of SOX compliance costs a lot of money, resources and efforts. It not only affects the finance department, but also the information technology (IT) department. The risk prevention and cost concern of SOX Act will be described in the first paragraph; the pros and cons of process control, documentation and responsibility will be discussed in the next; the strengths and drawbacks of security control will be indicated after that; then the challenge of an IT department for SOX compliance will be examined. Finally, a case study on the Enron scandal will be introduced. This essay will help prove that the SOX system is worth the price despite certain drawbacks and discuss how an IT department meets the compliance. It is worth preventing potential risks by effectively performing the SOX regulation in spite of extra costs and workload. To begin with, SOX Act provides a guideline of internal control for financial statement to prevent any potential risk, all the financial events and accounting activities will be managing by this mechanism. Thus, the financial statements would be more accurate and reliable (Anand 2006: 2). In addition, through regular internal and external auditing to ensure there has no unscrupulous behaviors in the financial operations. Consequently, the potential risks can be minimized and unethical behaviors can be prevented and deterred. However, the finance and IT departments must budget the expenditure of SOX implementation at the beginning and also need to pay external accounting firms for regular examinations every year. The estimation of its cost was around USD 91,000 with an extra 383 man hours in 2003, and the cost is still increasing every year (Jahmani and Dowling 200 8: 59). Staffs have an increased workload by collaborate with consultants for the auditing. Those employees not only have to document routine activities, but also need to prepare a lot of evidences for auditors investigation. Although employees may suffer through these additional tasks, some unexpected benefits will be gained from them as well. The transparency of documentation gives a company more integrity even though some process changes are required. The standard operating procedure (SOP) of each department must be documented, especially for those operations involve to financial activities and SOX compliance. Namely, the internal or external auditors will investigate any potential risk of process control according to the documentation. It is thought that the establishment of SOP and documentation would be an advantage to companies, because it demonstrates the system of a company and employees are easy to follow, and it also improves the effectiveness and efficiency of business process. In addition, the segregation of duties is also a critical control point to the SOX compliance for the risk prevention (Anand 2006: 53). Employees are required to request accounts to the system administrator according to their responsibility, and other colleagues are disallowed to process information systems through other peoples system ac counts. Thus, every single detail is filed into the information system with regular backup solutions. It provides the traceability for auditors investigating any suspected issues. Conversely, companies may need to change business process flow and modify related system flow in order to align with SOX Act guideline. They must pay extra costs of business process re-engineering and IT staffs must enhance information system to meet those requirements as well. The regulation of security control will avoid inappropriate behaviors happening although employees may feel frustration. The IT department performs a very important role to assist and reduce the effort of manual jobs. However, they usually have more authorities in system to support user needs. For this reason, IT members are also divided into different roles, and those roles are usually separately assigned into server, database, security and application systems. Every change and modification must be approved and documented into the system. Moreover, those changes must be regularly reviewed by the management team in the change management meeting (Sentt and Gallegos 2009: 408). Thus, it will be more safety and the risk of system change can be diminished. In sum, employees have clear understanding of their roles and their performance can be easily traced from the information system. Potential risks can be also minimized by the restriction of system design and security control. Despite t his benefit, more staffs may need to be hired to prevent the conflicts of job duties, because employees cannot validate the rule of segregation of duties. Finally, owing to those complicated restrictions of SOX compliance regulation, employees may feel frustrate of against rules. They may prefer focusing on their routine tasks rather than extending their capability to involve another area because of risks taken. IT department often plays an important role of implementing SOX compliance for the information system perspective. There are some approaches suggested for an IT department to cope with the challenge of SOX compliance. To begin with, a sophisticated information system is fundamental in implementing SOX compliance. The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system automatically calculates financial reports and its operations usually can meet Sarbanes-Oxley Act requirements (Pathak 2005: 72). Next, the system change and program version control are also mandated. Therefore, the introduction of a change management system would be helpful for executing these changes. In addition, cross check of those changes would help companies prevent any unexpected disaster as well as some frauds in purpose. Furthermore, system logs, backup solutions and security controls are also critical for an IT department meeting the criteria of SOX implementation. Ultimately, documentation is a basic element for the s uccess of SOX compliance implementation. Therefore, system manuals, user manuals, transaction logs, security control sheets, schedule jobs and change request logs must be archived and categorized in the file system. In short, as long as IT department follows above guidelines, then it will not be difficult to meet the challenge of implementing the SOX compliance. Let us now look at the Enron scandal, a crucial example not least because of its impact on the USA government and society. The aftershocks were felt globally. Enron was an energy company which supplied electricity and gas in the USA. This company was also providing bandwidth service, paper and metal commodities. However, those investments seemed not successful and profitable. Enron therefore had created a lot of overseas special purpose entities for hiding Enrons losses on their financial reports, and it had also created the illusion of profitability which was actually losing money. Besides, Enrons audit firm Arthur Andersen had a long term relationship and it assisted Enron to hide losses by destroying related documents. Eventually, their conspiracy was exposed to society due to revelation of a huge amount of undisclosed losses USD 586 million. The stock price had a dramatic fall from approximately USD 90 dollars to 30 cents. Finally, Enron was filed bankruptcy in 2002 (Welytok 200 6: 26). People should learn the harmful from this incident, particularly the US government and the entire corporate must prevent such kind of scandal occurring again. Therefore, the implementation of SOX Act would be a good approach to curb corruption. The evidence shows that implementing and sustaining SOX compliance could minimize fraud or crime risk up to 95 per cent of a company, if that company performs it appropriately and effectively(Anand 2006: 196). It demonstrates the significance and effectiveness of SOX compliance. In conclusion, there are several advantages and disadvantages for implementing SOX compliance in companies. First, financial reports would be more transparent and reliable through auditing controls, and potential risks will be reduced. Next, both companies and employees will benefit from the creation of documentation. Because it meets SOX compliance and helps employees understand the business processes. After that, it is more safety for the restrictions of system account and authority, and those possible swindles would be minimized. Conversely, there are some disadvantages of SOX compliance to companies. First, SOX compliance implementation will cost a lot of expense, and companies have to budget for SOX auditing every year. In addition, the processes change of a company is inevitable to conform to the guideline. Furthermore, employees may lose their enthusiasm for job due to the limitations of SOX Act, employees would become frustrated of involving the other areas. Finally, some str ategies are advisable for IT department implementing the SOX compliance. For instance, a sophisticated ERP system can be easier to adapt the change of SOX compliance implementation; change management and version control must be under controlled; preparing all documentations as possible as you can. Above all are basic elements for the success of SOX compliance implementation. Reference list: Anand, S. (2006) Sarbanes-Oxley guide for finance and information technology professionals. New Jersey: John Wiley Jahmani, Y. and Dowling, W. (2008) The impact of Sarbanes-Oxley Act Cluteinstitute-Onlinejournal [online] 6(10), 57-66. Available from [26 August 2010] Pathak, J. (2005) Information Technology Auditing An Evolving Agenda. New York: Springer Sentt,S. and Gallegos, F. (2009) Information technology control and audit(3dn). Florida: Taylor Francis Welytok, G. (2006) Sarbanes-Oxley For Dummies. Indiana: Wiley

Greek Gods And Human Connections Essay -- essays research papers

The Greek gods and goddess carry many attributes, most human. They are very much like humans in the way that they have weaknesses and strengths. Even though the gods display their characteristics much more drastically than humans do, the similarities are obvious. In Rosenberg and Baker’s book, the Greek gods have many human characteristics such as vengeance, jealously, and love. An example of a human trait is that the Greek gods and goddess displayed excessive vengeance. Whenever anyone committed a crime against him or her, they always take revenge. Zeus is a good example because he often exercised his full authority as head of the Olympians. “When Zeus looked down from Mount Olympus and fire gleaming among Prometheus’ mortals, he controlled the fire in his heart. With cruel laughter he decided how he would punish the mankind'; (Rosenberg and Baker 106). Sometimes it is not a direct insult against the gods but an error in judgement. The gods were very unforgiving of human mistakes. “Apollo took revenge on Midas for his poor taste and even poorer judgement'; (Rosenberg and Baker 144). The gods usually carried the punishment out as soon as the crime was committed. They would not hesitate to use their powers to punish a mortal. It is the strong characteristic of vengeance that make the Greek gods strong and feared. Jealousy was a characteristic just as strong as vengeance. The Greek gods and goddess were jealous of mortals and each othe...

The Importance of the Role of the Teacher Essay -- Education Teaching

The Importance of the Role of the Teacher The future of the world is in the hands of the children. Whether the future be a positive or negative one depends on the children and the education they receive. The education of a child is so valuable that one needs to consider the importance of the child's education. Also, one needs to consider how to go about nurturing those bright minds so one day they can become independent individuals. As Educators, one needs to be aware of the short-term effects as well as the long-term effects in which education may play on the child's views of the world. In order to be able to provide a good education to a child, it is necessary for there to be a place in which both the educator and student can meet in equal terms. In order for this to occur there has to be a bond between the teacher and student. Without this bond it is impossible for both parties to set goals, work out those goals together and finally accomplish them. A sense of understanding between both the teacher and student is imperative. A point where both parties meet and are aware of the responsibilities each one has to each other. Both the teacher and student need to be aware of each other's roles and how important those roles play in the achievement of the educator and student. For example, the teacher serves as the provider of information, as well as the one that holds the power in a class. "They hold the grades, and usually students perceive them as holding the knowledge, too" (Zawodniak 124). The way teachers use this power defines the perspective of their pedagogy, the teacher's perspective of the art of teaching. The approach the teacher takes and how much knowledge she would like to deliver to the class depends on th... ... free to speak their mind without being intimidated of the teacher. Once students feel free to speak their mind, they will grow mentally, physically and emotionally, eventually becoming an individual who has learned from the teacher to respect and value knowledge. By working together teachers and students will "achieve a pedagogy that is truly student-centered" (Zawodniak 131), a relationship that is open, honest, and has one goal in mind: that education is the future, and our students hold that future. The power of the future is knowledge, respect it and value it. Works Cited: Cheney,Lynne V. "PC: Alive and Entrenched." The Presence of Others. T Second ed. New York: St. Martin,1997. Zawodniak, christian. "I'll Have to Help Some of You More Than I Wan t>To":Teacher Power, student Pedagogy." The presence of Others. Second ded. New York: St. Martin, 1997.

The Works of T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy :: T.S. Eliot Essays

Love of Life and Fear of Death in the Works of T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy Both T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy have experienced difficulty and hardship in life. Eliot lived through two world wars and Maddy struggled with oppression and poverty growing up in his homeland of Sierra Leone. These life experiences are reflected in their writing. Both of these writers present the reader with the concept of human mortality in such a way that not only is the fear of death prevalent in their work, but also the love of life. Mortal loss was more than just a threat at the time T.S. Eliot wrote The Waste Land. Written in the years following the "Great War", today known as World War I, the destruction and the loss of human life was a very real concept for T.S. Eliot and the rest of the world. When people were shown just how impermanent human life was, they placed a higher value on living. As transient examples, Eliot cites great and powerful cities of the past such as Jerusalem, Athens, and Alexandria to exemplify the impermanent nature of life. In the same way that a person will eventually die, Eliot says that all great cities will crumble. This mentality suggests that death is an all-powerful force that cannot be escaped by anyone or anything. When this life lesson is accepted, the readers are left feeling helpless to control their own paths of life. The fragmented style in which the poem is written leaves the reader feeling lost and vulnerable. The poem leaps from scene to scene and even from language to language. Although the actual subject matter of the scenes is unrelated, the same themes appear throughout the poem. Depressing themes such as life without love, instability in life, and the premature end of life are presented to the reader in a way showing how each of the aspects of life, though difficult to accept, are necessary for life to exist. The main theme presented in Eliot’s poem shows that death is a part of life. Eliot points out that until death occurs, rebirth and transformation cannot take place. The concept that death is a necessity is a very difficult concept to accept, leaving the reader disillusioned. The fragmented and disillusioned feelings the reader receives from reading The Waste Land mimics the emotions felt by the world after the war. The recurring sensory images that Eliot uses appeal to the reader’s fear of the loss The Works of T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy :: T.S. Eliot Essays Love of Life and Fear of Death in the Works of T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy Both T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy have experienced difficulty and hardship in life. Eliot lived through two world wars and Maddy struggled with oppression and poverty growing up in his homeland of Sierra Leone. These life experiences are reflected in their writing. Both of these writers present the reader with the concept of human mortality in such a way that not only is the fear of death prevalent in their work, but also the love of life. Mortal loss was more than just a threat at the time T.S. Eliot wrote The Waste Land. Written in the years following the "Great War", today known as World War I, the destruction and the loss of human life was a very real concept for T.S. Eliot and the rest of the world. When people were shown just how impermanent human life was, they placed a higher value on living. As transient examples, Eliot cites great and powerful cities of the past such as Jerusalem, Athens, and Alexandria to exemplify the impermanent nature of life. In the same way that a person will eventually die, Eliot says that all great cities will crumble. This mentality suggests that death is an all-powerful force that cannot be escaped by anyone or anything. When this life lesson is accepted, the readers are left feeling helpless to control their own paths of life. The fragmented style in which the poem is written leaves the reader feeling lost and vulnerable. The poem leaps from scene to scene and even from language to language. Although the actual subject matter of the scenes is unrelated, the same themes appear throughout the poem. Depressing themes such as life without love, instability in life, and the premature end of life are presented to the reader in a way showing how each of the aspects of life, though difficult to accept, are necessary for life to exist. The main theme presented in Eliot’s poem shows that death is a part of life. Eliot points out that until death occurs, rebirth and transformation cannot take place. The concept that death is a necessity is a very difficult concept to accept, leaving the reader disillusioned. The fragmented and disillusioned feelings the reader receives from reading The Waste Land mimics the emotions felt by the world after the war. The recurring sensory images that Eliot uses appeal to the reader’s fear of the loss

Celebrities That Are Good Role Models

The world through the eyes of some can be looked at as a mirror. From birth we are beings that are constantly watching. Babies and kids watch everything that is put in front of them; parents, siblings, television, and other kids that are around. This is especially true when it comes to celebrities. Every day in the modern world we as a society are exposed to the media, which tells us that celebrities can be viewed as good or bad role models. There are many celebrities that can do good things for the world and model behavior that is honorable; through this we as a society can mirror that behavior in our everyday lives. One celebrity who is an extremely talented model and talk show host, Tyra Banks, can be a model for women and minorities alike. She is host of the UPN/The CW reality television show and America's Next Top Model, as well as the co-creator of True Beauty. She also hosts her own talk show, The Tyra Banks Show. A few good things that Tyra has done for society to model includes forming the Tyra Banks Scholarship in 1994, which promotes greeting cards under Children + Families Organization to help abused and neglected children. Tyra took a journey to Costa Rica rainforest to arise the world's attention about endangered ecosystem. As a model, Tyra challenged weight discrimination by advertising her curves instead of hiding them. One is able to view examples of this in her book titled Tyra’s Beauty Inside and Out. This book does however share beauty secrets that she has learned from experts, she gives practical advice on skin care, cosmetics, hair, exercise, and fashion. What she also addresses in this book are serious subjects such as substance abuse, romantic relationships, sexual concerns, and being a complete person. She works hard to promote positive self-images for young women of all races and body types on her shows as well; â€Å"Why are we so obsessed with weight? † she said. When Tyra Banks went on her show in her bathing suit and said, â€Å"’Kiss my fat ass†¦ ‘ That's what I feel right now. I'm like, ‘Kiss my fat ass! ‘† she puts her middle finger to those who have to say anything bad about people who are bigger than a size 2. Another example from one of Tyras’ shows which exhibits women having a healthy body image, in episode Better Body Image, Tyra tries to help change three young women’s distorted perceptions of their bodies. Through this we as women and anybody who feels that they are different are able to look at Tyra and some of the same steps that she has in promoting acceptance throughout the world and we are able to apply this in our everyday lives. There are also many other celebrities that can help the public mirror good behavior. One major who is highly active in doing charitable things is the lead singer from U2, Bono. Bono writes most lyrics which uses political, social, and religious topics. In the song, â€Å"Sunday Bloody Sunday† ‘I can't believe the news today I can't close my eyes and make it go away How long, how long must we sing this song How long, how long Tonight we can be as one, tonight Broken bottles under children's feet Bodies strewn across a dead end street†¦.. ’ Bono addresses the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, in which 26 civil rights protesters were shot. In these lyrics we are able to visualize and feel what Bono is communicating, the sadness in the beginning, and the description of the massacre towards the end. One is able to have more awareness of the world by listening to lyrics as well as having an outlet in times of tragedy. There are hundreds of song lyrics by the Band U2 that highlight issues of the world today that is just one. He has become one of our best known philanthropic performers who has powerful diverse allies which vary from government leaders, religious leaders, popular media, and even global organizations. In examples through the organization DATA, aimed to eliminate poverty and AIDS/HIV in Africa, also aimed at American citizens to become proactive and voice their opinions regarding political and social issues by contacting senators and legislatures. Product Red is also something promoted by Bono which raises money for the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Product Red is partnered with major companies and when the companies sell things with Product Red logo on it, the funds go to the Global Fund. We as a society are able to look at Bono, and what he promotes to open our eyes to the current situation of the world and just be more aware. We as a society are also able to look at Bono in general and model/listen to his causes, support his causes by buying Product Red, and even become activists ourselves. With celebrities having the high salaries that they do, they are able to do a bit more with their money than the average person. A charity, being a vivid example in celebrities using money to help the world, is another way we can look up to celebrities and model their good efforts. One celeb importantly, includes the singer Pink. Pink is involved with many charities including Phoenix vert, Human Rights Campaign, ONE Campaign, Prince's Trust, New York Restoration Project, Run For The Cure Foundation, Save the Children, Take Back the Night, UNICEF and World Society for the Protection of Animals. Pink was recognized as an advocate for the RSPCA in Australia. Pink also announced she was donating $250,000 to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal to aid the victims of the bushfires that swept through the Australian state of Victoria. A total of 173 people were confirmed to have died in the fires with around 500 injured, the death toll was estimated to be 210. Charities are not something that everyone in the world is able to contribute to however, rich or poor we as a society can volunteer at local charities in our neighborhoods and if we have the means we can even contribute to them. Thus proving that we are all able to look throughout the media and at celebrities and model their good doings. The world can be viewed as a harsh place; there is death, disease, famine, killers, and more. The most anybody can do is stay positive and appreciate the good things that occur. In almost every story there are good guys and bad guys, some very impressionable can follow the wrong path, they can also model the good guys. The good guys in our modern era, being celebrities that do a lot of good and we as a society, can follow their good actions and do good our selves. Some say it is inevitable, we are just constantly in a world of mirrors, just mimicking everything we see, hear, and read. As long as it always doesn't benefit ‘number one' then I think it's a good thing that we see great things being accomplished that way we can strive to do great ourselves.

Nursing Students at any College

Considering a nursing career can be both challenging and at the same time rewarding.   It is a commitment that needs time and effort in order to help others while constantly studying to update their knowledge.   Nursing is not for everyone, it is for the elite.   Even though it is a trend it does not mean everyone can pursue the career.   For students who are in this field it has never occurred that someone took it so lightly.   The pressure is always there yet they need to put a smile on their faces in front of their patients no matter how hard it is to work and study at the same time. One student in a prestigious school is at his third year.   He knew it along that he was going to pursue a nursing career.   He has his mind-set since he was a kid and now only a year to go before he graduates.   Although he wanted to be a nurse, he could not deny the fact that stress is the main hindrance to his goal. On the other hand another student from a different school is at his fourth and final year in nursing.   At first he never wanted to be a nurse, thinking that it would be hard to care for someone he barely knows.   After the span of four years he realized that everything was a misconception.   It is not just the hard work.   It is the feeling of fulfillment when he sees his patient go out of the hospital thanking him for the care that he has given. After interacting with some students, I realized that nursing is not a walk in the park career.   Nursing is not as simple as caring it requires knowledge and grace while performing a task. Stress is always present in any job.   Nursing is a good example of a very stressful career.  Ã‚   It is never a sedentary job that requires time and energy while performing your job.   Even as student, they are trained under pressure.   Every nursing student cares for their patients while thinking about their report which is one of the scenarios of stress in any student taking up this course. It is admirable to see students managing their time.   They tend to think about their priorities than having fun with their peers.   During weekends, there are times that they don’t even have a break.   Somehow they have to go to the hospital during weekends to get their patient’s data before their exposure in the hospital the following day. The profession is based on taking care of other people but it is very important to take care of your own well-being.   One awry of students is that they think more about their patients and they forget about themselves.   It is essential to be vigilant on personal health.   You need to take good care of yourself before you can take care of others. Learning is constant in this career.   There are always new updates of the old concepts that every student should be aware of.   Books are not just the source of information these days.   With the theoretical knowledge a student is equipped with the know how in applying it in the field. One of the most important aspects of nursing is teamwork.   Collaborating with the co-nurses is a must in maximizing the treatment for each patient.   Planning with the team can result to lesser effort and more effective intervention. Even as student nurses, they are considered as modern day heroes.   But as humans there are also limits.   It is very important to know your limitations, students should never intervene with the duties that only a registered nurse can do.   Instead of helping they might end up making the situation worse. References Antai-Otong, Deborah (2003). Psychiatric Nursing, Biological and Behavioral Concepts . Singapore: Thomson Asian Edition C. Dailing, Personal Communication, July 28, 2007 M. Sharks, Personal Communication, July 29, 2007            

A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-four

Daenerys The flies circled Khal Drogo slowly, their wings buzzing, a low thrum at the edge of hearing that filled Dany with dread. The sun was high and pitiless. Heat shimmered in waves off the stony outcrops of low hills. A thin finger of sweat trickled slowly between Dany's swollen breasts. The only sounds were the steady clop of their horses' hooves, the rhythmic tingle of the bells in Drogo's hair, and the distant voices behind them. Dany watched the flies. They were as large as bees, gross, purplish, glistening. The Dothraki called them bloodflies. They lived in marshes and stagnant pools, sucked blood from man and horse alike, and laid their eggs in the dead and dying. Drogo hated them. Whenever one came near him, his hand would shoot out quick as a striking snake to close around it. She had never seen him miss. He would hold the fly inside his huge fist long enough to hear its frantic buzzing. Then his fingers would tighten, and when he opened his hand again, the fly would be only a red smear on his palm. Now one crept across the rump of his stallion, and the horse gave an angry flick of its tail to brush it away. The others flitted about Drogo, closer and closer. The khal did not react. His eyes were fixed on distant brown hills, the reins loose in his hands. Beneath his painted vest, a plaster of fig leaves and caked blue mud covered the wound on his breast. The herbwomen had made it for him. Mirri Maz Duur's poultice had itched and burned, and he had torn it off six days ago, cursing her for a maegi. The mud plaster was more soothing, and the herbwomen made him poppy wine as well. He'd been drinking it heavily these past three days; when it was not poppy wine, it was fermented mare's milk or pepper beer. Yet he scarcely touched his food, and he thrashed and groaned in the night. Dany could see how drawn his face had become. Rhaego was restless in her belly, kicking like a stallion, yet even that did not stir Drogo's interest as it had. Every morning her eyes found fresh lines of pain on his face when he woke from his troubled sleep. And now this silence. It was making her afraid. Since they had mounted up at dawn, he had said not a word. When she spoke, she got no answer but a grunt, and not even that much since midday. One of the bloodflies landed on the bare skin of the khal's shoulder. Another, circling, touched down on his neck and crept up toward his mouth. Khal Drogo swayed in the saddle, bells ringing, as his stallion kept onward at a steady walking pace. Dany pressed her heels into her silver and rode closer. â€Å"My lord,† she said softly. â€Å"Drogo. My sun-and-stars.† He did not seem to hear. The bloodfly crawled up under his drooping mustache and settled on his cheek, in the crease beside his nose. Dany gasped, â€Å"Drogo.† Clumsily she reached over and touched his arm. Khal Drogo reeled in the saddle, tilted slowly, and fell heavily from his horse. The flies scattered for a heartbeat, and then circled back to settle on him where he lay. â€Å"No,† Dany said, reining up. Heedless of her belly for once, she scrambled off her silver and ran to him. The grass beneath him was brown and dry. Drogo cried out in pain as Dany knelt beside him. His breath rattled harshly in his throat, and he looked at her without recognition. â€Å"My horse,† he gasped. Dany brushed the flies off his chest, smashing one as he would have. His skin burned beneath her fingers. The khal's bloodriders had been following just behind them. She heard Haggo shout as they galloped up. Cohollo vaulted from his horse. â€Å"Blood of my blood,† he said as he dropped to his knees. The other two kept to their mounts. â€Å"No,† Khal Drogo groaned, struggling in Dany's arms. â€Å"Must ride. Ride. No.† â€Å"He fell from his horse,† Haggo said, staring down. His broad face was impassive, but his voice was leaden. â€Å"You must not say that,† Dany told him. â€Å"We have ridden far enough today. We will camp here.† â€Å"Here?† Haggo looked around them. The land was brown and sere, inhospitable. â€Å"This is no camping ground.† â€Å"It is not for a woman to bid us halt,† said Qotho, â€Å"not even a khaleesi.† â€Å"We camp here,† Dany repeated. â€Å"Haggo, tell them Khal Drogo commanded the halt. If any ask why, say to them that my time is near and I could not continue. Cohollo, bring up the slaves, they must put up the khal's tent at once. Qotho—† â€Å"You do not command me, Khaleesi,† Qotho said. â€Å"Find Mirri Maz Duur,† she told him. The godswife would be walking among the other Lamb Men, in the long column of slaves. â€Å"Bring her to me, with her chest.† Qotho glared down at her, his eyes hard as flint. â€Å"The maegi.† He spat. â€Å"This I will not do.† â€Å"You will,† Dany said, â€Å"or when Drogo wakes, he will hear why you defied me.† Furious, Qotho wheeled his stallion around and galloped off in anger . . . but Dany knew he would return with Mirri Maz Duur, however little he might like it. The slaves erected Khal Drogo's tent beneath a jagged outcrop of black rock whose shadow gave some relief from the heat of the afternoon sun. Even so, it was stifling under the sandsilk as Irri and Doreah helped Dany walk Drogo inside. Thick patterned carpets had been laid down over the ground, and pillows scattered in the corners. Eroeh, the timid girl Dany had rescued outside the mud walls of the Lamb Men, set up a brazier. They stretched Drogo out on a woven mat. â€Å"No,† he muttered in the Common Tongue. â€Å"No, no.† It was all he said, all he seemed capable of saying. Doreah unhooked his medallion belt and stripped off his vest and leggings, while Jhiqui knelt by his feet to undo the laces of his riding sandals. Irri wanted to leave the tent flaps open to let in the breeze, but Dany forbade it. She would not have any see Drogo this way, in delirium and weakness. When her khas came up, she posted them outside at guard. â€Å"Admit no one without my leave,† she told Jhogo. â€Å"No one.† Eroeh stared fearfully at Drogo where he lay. â€Å"He dies,† she whispered. Dany slapped her. â€Å"The khal cannot die. He is the father of the stallion who mounts the world. His hair has never been cut. He still wears the bells his father gave him.† â€Å"Khaleesi, † Jhiqui said, â€Å"he fell from his horse.† Trembling, her eyes full of sudden tears, Dany turned away from them. He fell from his horse! It was so, she had seen it, and the bloodriders, and no doubt her handmaids and the men of her khas as well. And how many more? They could not keep it secret, and Dany knew what that meant. A khal who could not ride could not rule, and Drogo had fallen from his horse. â€Å"We must bathe him,† she said stubbornly. She must not allow herself to despair. â€Å"Irri, have the tub brought at once. Doreah, Eroeh, find water, cool water, he's so hot.† He was a fire in human skin. The slaves set up the heavy copper tub in the corner of the tent. When Doreah brought the first jar of water, Dany wet a length of silk to lay across Drogo's brow, over the burning skin. His eyes looked at her, but he did not see. When his lips opened, no words escaped them, only a moan. â€Å"Where is Mirri Maz Duur?† she demanded, her patience rubbed raw with fear. â€Å"Qotho will find her,† Irri said. Her handmaids filled the tub with tepid water that stank of sulfur, sweetening it with jars of bitter oil and handfuls of crushed mint leaves. While the bath was being prepared, Dany knelt awkwardly beside her lord husband, her belly great with their child within. She undid his braid with anxious fingers, as she had on the night he'd taken her for the first time, beneath the stars. His bells she laid aside carefully, one by one. He would want them again when he was well, she told herself. A breath of air entered the tent as Aggo poked his head through the silk. â€Å"Khaleesi, † he said, â€Å"the Andal is come, and begs leave to enter.† â€Å"The Andal† was what the Dothraki called Ser Jorah. â€Å"Yes,† she said, rising clumsily, â€Å"send him in.† She trusted the knight. He would know what to do if anyone did. Ser Jorah Mormont ducked through the door flap and waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness. In the fierce heat of the south, he wore loose trousers of mottled sandsilk and open-toed riding sandals that laced up to his knee. His scabbard hung from a twisted horsehair belt. Under a bleached white vest, he was bare-chested, skin reddened by the sun. â€Å"Talk goes from mouth to ear, all over the khalasar,† he said. â€Å"It is said Khal Drogo fell from his horse.† â€Å"Help him,† Dany pleaded. â€Å"For the love you say you bear me, help him now.† The knight knelt beside her. He looked at Drogo long and hard, and then at Dany. â€Å"Send your maids away.† Wordlessly, her throat tight with fear, Dany made a gesture. Irri herded the other girls from the tent. When they were alone, Ser Jorah drew his dagger. Deftly, with a delicacy surprising in such a big man, he began to scrape away the black leaves and dried blue mud from Drogo's chest. The plaster had caked hard as the mud walls of the Lamb Men, and like those walls it cracked easily. Ser Jorah broke the dry mud with his knife, pried the chunks from the flesh, peeled off the leaves one by one. A foul, sweet smell rose from the wound, so thick it almost choked her. The leaves were crusted with blood and pus, Drogo's breast black and glistening with corruption. â€Å"No,† Dany whispered as tears ran down her cheeks. â€Å"No, please, gods hear me, no.† Khal Drogo thrashed, fighting some unseen enemy. Black blood ran slow and thick from his open wound. â€Å"Your khal is good as dead, Princess.† â€Å"No, he can't die, he mustn't, it was only a cut.† Dany took his large callused hand in her own small ones, and held it tight between them. â€Å"I will not let him die . . . â€Å" Ser Jorah gave a bitter laugh. â€Å"Khaleesi or queen, that command is beyond your power. Save your tears, child. Weep for him tomorrow, or a year from now. We do not have time for grief. We must go, and quickly, before he dies.† Dany was lost. â€Å"Go? Where should we go?† â€Å"Asshai, I would say. It lies far to the south, at the end of the known world, yet men say it is a great port. We will find a ship to take us back to Pentos. It will be a hard journey, make no mistake. Do you trust your khas? Will they come with us?† â€Å"Khal Drogo commanded them to keep me safe,† Dany replied uncertainly, â€Å"but if he dies . . . † She touched the swell of her belly. â€Å"I don't understand. Why should we flee? I am khaleesi. I carry Drogo's heir. He will be khal after Drogo . . . â€Å" Ser Jorah frowned. â€Å"Princess, hear me. The Dothraki will not follow a suckling babe. Drogo's strength was what they bowed to, and only that. When he is gone, Jhaqo and Pono and the other kos will fight for his place, and this khalasar will devour itself. The winner will want no more rivals. The boy will be taken from your breast the moment he is born. They will give him to the dogs . . . â€Å" Dany hugged herself. â€Å"But why?† she cried plaintively. â€Å"Why should they kill a little baby?† â€Å"He is Drogo's son, and the crones say he will be the stallion who mounts the world. It was prophesied. Better to kill the child than to risk his fury when he grows to manhood.† The child kicked inside her, as if he had heard. Dany remembered the story Viserys had told her, of what the Usurper's dogs had done to Rhaegar's children. His son had been a babe as well, yet they had ripped him from his mother's breast and dashed his head against a wall. That was the way of men. â€Å"They must not hurt my son!† she cried. â€Å"I will order my khas to keep him safe, and Drogo's bloodriders will—† Ser Jorah held her by the shoulders. â€Å"A bloodrider dies with his khal. You know that, child. They will take you to Vaes Dothrak, to the crones, that is the last duty they owe him in life . . . when it is done, they will join Drogo in the night lands.† Dany did not want to go back to Vaes Dothrak and live the rest of her life among those terrible old women, yet she knew that the knight spoke the truth. Drogo had been more than her sun-and-stars; he had been the shield that kept her safe. â€Å"I will not leave him,† she said stubbornly, miserably. She took his hand again. â€Å"I will not.† A stirring at the tent flap made Dany turn her head. Mirri Maz Duur entered, bowing low. Days on the march, trailing behind the khalasar, had left her limping and haggard, with blistered and bleeding feet and hollows under her eyes. Behind her came Qotho and Haggo, carrying the godswife's chest between them. When the bloodriders caught sight of Drogo's wound, the chest slipped from Haggo's fingers and crashed to the floor of the tent, and Qotho swore an oath so foul it seared the air. Mirri Maz Duur studied Drogo, her face still and dead. â€Å"The wound has festered.† â€Å"This is your work, maegi,† Qotho said. Haggo laid his fist across Mirri's cheek with a meaty smack that drove her to the ground. Then he kicked her where she lay. â€Å"Stop it!† Dany screamed. Qotho pulled Haggo away, saying, â€Å"Kicks are too merciful for a maegi. Take her outside. We will stake her to the earth, to be the mount of every passing man. And when they are done with her, the dogs will use her as well. Weasels will tear out her entrails and carrion crows feast upon her eyes. The flies off the river shall lay their eggs in her womb and drink pus from the ruins of her breasts . . . † He dug iron-hard fingers into the soft, wobbly flesh under the godswife's arm and hauled her to her feet. â€Å"No,† Dany said. â€Å"I will not have her harmed.† Qotho's lips skinned back from his crooked brown teeth in a terrible mockery of a smile. â€Å"No? You say me no? Better you should pray that we do not stake you out beside your maegi. You did this, as much as the other.† Ser Jorah stepped between them, loosening his longsword in its scabbard. â€Å"Rein in your tongue, bloodrider. The princess is still your khaleesi. â€Å" â€Å"Only while the blood-of-my-blood still lives,† Qotho told the knight. â€Å"When he dies, she is nothing.† Dany felt a tightness inside her. â€Å"Before I was khaleesi, I was the blood of the dragon. Ser Jorah, summon my khas.† â€Å"No,† said Qotho. â€Å"We will go. For now . . . Khaleesi. † Haggo followed him from the tent, scowling. â€Å"That one means you no good, Princess,† Mormont said. â€Å"The Dothraki say a man and his bloodriders share one life, and Qotho sees it ending. A dead man is beyond fear.† â€Å"No one has died,† Dany said. â€Å"Ser Jorah, I may have need of your blade. Best go don your armor.† She was more frightened than she dared admit, even to herself. The knight bowed. â€Å"As you say.† He strode from the tent. Dany turned back to Mirri Maz Duur. The woman's eyes were wary. â€Å"So you have saved me once more.† â€Å"And now you must save him,† Dany said. â€Å"Please . . . â€Å" â€Å"You do not ask a slave,† Mirri replied sharply, â€Å"you tell her.† She went to Drogo burning on his mat, and gazed long at his wound. â€Å"Ask or tell, it makes no matter. He is beyond a healer's skills.† The khal's eyes were closed. She opened one with her fingers. â€Å"He has been dulling the hurt with milk of the poppy.† â€Å"Yes,† Dany admitted. â€Å"I made him a poultice of firepod and sting-me-not and bound it in a lambskin.† â€Å"It burned, he said. He tore it off. The herbwomen made him a new one, wet and soothing.† â€Å"It burned, yes. There is great healing magic in fire, even your hairless men know that.† â€Å"Make him another poultice,† Dany begged. â€Å"This time I will make certain he wears it.† â€Å"The time for that is past, my lady,† Mirri said. â€Å"All I can do now is ease the dark road before him, so he might ride painless to the night lands. He will be gone by morning.† Her words were a knife through Dany's breast. What had she ever done to make the gods so cruel? She had finally found a safe place, had finally tasted love and hope. She was finally going home. And now to lose it all . . . â€Å"No,† she pleaded. â€Å"Save him, and I will free you, I swear it. You must know a way . . . some magic, some . . . â€Å" Mirri Maz Duur sat back on her heels and studied Daenerys through eyes as black as night. â€Å"There is a spell.† Her voice was quiet, scarcely more than a whisper. â€Å"But it is hard, lady, and dark. Some would say that death is cleaner. I learned the way in Asshai, and paid dear for the lesson. My teacher was a bloodmage from the Shadow Lands.† Dany went cold all over. â€Å"Then you truly are a maegi . . . â€Å" â€Å"Am I?† Mirri Maz Duur smiled. â€Å"Only a maegi can save your rider now, Silver Lady.† â€Å"Is there no other way?† â€Å"No other.† Khal Drogo gave a shuddering gasp. â€Å"Do it,† Dany blurted. She must not be afraid; she was the blood of the dragon. â€Å"Save him.† â€Å"There is a price,† the godswife warned her. â€Å"You'll have gold, horses, whatever you like.† â€Å"It is not a matter of gold or horses. This is bloodmagic, lady. Only death may pay for life.† â€Å"Death?† Dany wrapped her arms around herself protectively, rocked back and forth on her heels. â€Å"My death?† She told herself she would die for him, if she must. She was the blood of the dragon, she would not be afraid. Her brother Rhaegar had died for the woman he loved. â€Å"No,† Mirri Maz Duur promised. â€Å"Not your death, Khaleesi.† Dany trembled with relief. â€Å"Do it.† The maegi nodded solemnly. â€Å"As you speak, so it shall be done. Call your servants.† Khal Drogo writhed feebly as Rakharo and Quaro lowered him into the bath. â€Å"No,† he muttered, â€Å"no. Must ride.† Once in the water, all the strength seemed to leak out of him. â€Å"Bring his horse,† Mirri Maz Duur commanded, and so it was done. Jhogo led the great red stallion into the tent. When the animal caught the scent of death, he screamed and reared, rolling his eyes. It took three men to subdue him. â€Å"What do you mean to do?† Dany asked her. â€Å"We need the blood,† Mirri answered. â€Å"That is the way.† Jhogo edged back, his hand on his arakh. He was a youth of sixteen years, whip-thin, fearless, quick to laugh, with the faint shadow of his first mustachio on his upper lip. He fell to his knees before her. â€Å"Khaleesi, † he pleaded, â€Å"you must not do this thing. Let me kill this maegi.† â€Å"Kill her and you kill your khal,† Dany said. â€Å"This is bloodmagic,† he said. â€Å"It is forbidden.† â€Å"I am khaleesi, and I say it is not forbidden. In Vaes Dothrak, Khal Drogo slew a stallion and I ate his heart, to give our son strength and courage. This is the same. The same.† The stallion kicked and reared as Rakharo, Quaro, and Aggo pulled him close to the tub where the khal floated like one already dead, pus and blood seeping from his wound to stain the bathwaters. Mirri Maz Duur chanted words in a tongue that Dany did not know, and a knife appeared in her hand. Dany never saw where it came from. It looked old; hammered red bronze, leaf-shaped, its blade covered with ancient glyphs. The maegi drew it across the stallion's throat, under the noble head, and the horse screamed and shuddered as the blood poured out of him in a red rush. He would have collapsed, but the men of her khas held him up. â€Å"Strength of the mount, go into the rider,† Mirri sang as horse blood swirled into the waters of Drogo's bath. â€Å"Strength of the beast, go into the man.† Jhogo looked terrified as he struggled with the stallion's weight, afraid to touch the dead flesh, yet afraid to let go as well. Only a horse, Dany thought. If she could buy Drogo's life with the death of a horse, she would pay a thousand times over. When they let the stallion fall, the bath was a dark red, and nothing showed of Drogo but his face. Mirri Maz Duur had no use for the carcass. â€Å"Burn it,† Dany told them. It was what they did, she knew. When a man died, his mount was killed and placed beneath him on the funeral pyre, to carry him to the night lands. The men of her khas dragged the carcass from the tent. The blood had gone everywhere. Even the sandsilk walls were spotted with red, and the rugs underfoot were black and wet. Braziers were lit. Mirri Maz Duur tossed a red powder onto the coals. It gave the smoke a spicy scent, a pleasant enough smell, yet Eroeh fled sobbing, and Dany was filled with fear. But she had gone too far to turn back now. She sent her handmaids away. â€Å"Go with them, Silver Lady,† Mirri Maz Duur told her. â€Å"I will stay,† Dany said. â€Å"The man took me under the stars and gave life to the child inside me. I will not leave him.† â€Å"You must. Once I begin to sing, no one must enter this tent. My song will wake powers old and dark. The dead will dance here this night. No living man must look on them.† Dany bowed her head, helpless. â€Å"No one will enter.† She bent over the tub, over Drogo in his bath of blood, and kissed him lightly on the brow. â€Å"Bring him back to me,† she whispered to Mirri Maz Duur before she fled. Outside, the sun was low on the horizon, the sky a bruised red. The khalasar had made camp. Tents and sleeping mats were scattered as far as the eye could see. A hot wind blew. Jhogo and Aggo were digging a firepit to burn the dead stallion. A crowd had gathered to stare at Dany with hard black eyes, their faces like masks of beaten copper. She saw Ser Jorah Mormont, wearing mail and leather now, sweat beading on his broad, balding forehead. He pushed his way through the Dothraki to Dany's side. When he saw the scarlet footprints her boots had left on the ground, the color seemed to drain from his face. â€Å"What have you done, you little fool?† he asked hoarsely. â€Å"I had to save him.† â€Å"We could have fled,† he said. â€Å"I would have seen you safe to Asshai, Princess. There was no need . . . â€Å" â€Å"Am I truly your princess?† she asked him. â€Å"You know you are, gods save us both.† â€Å"Then help me now.† Ser Jorah grimaced. â€Å"Would that I knew how.† Mirri Maz Duur's voice rose to a high, ululating wail that sent a shiver down Dany's back. Some of the Dothraki began to mutter and back away. The tent was aglow with the light of braziers within. Through the blood-spattered sandsilk, she glimpsed shadows moving. Mirri Maz Duur was dancing, and not alone. Dany saw naked fear on the faces of the Dothraki. â€Å"This must not be,† Qotho thundered. She had not seen the bloodrider return. Haggo and Cohollo were with him. They had brought the hairless men, the eunuchs who healed with knife and needle and fire. â€Å"This will be,† Dany replied. â€Å"Maegi, † Haggo growled. And old Cohollo—Cohollo who had bound his life to Drogo's on the day of his birth, Cohollo who had always been kind to her—Cohollo spat full in her face. â€Å"You will die, maegi,† Qotho promised, â€Å"but the other must die first.† He drew his arakh and made for the tent. â€Å"No,† she shouted, â€Å"you mustn't.† She caught him by the shoulder, but Qotho shoved her aside. Dany fell to her knees, crossing her arms over her belly to protect the child within. â€Å"Stop him,† she commanded her khas, â€Å"kill him.† Rakharo and Quaro stood beside the tent flap. Quaro took a step forward, reaching for the handle of his whip, but Qotho spun graceful as a dancer, the curved arakh rising. It caught Quaro low under the arm, the bright sharp steel biting up through leather and skin, through muscle and rib bone. Blood fountained as the young rider reeled backward, gasping. Qotho wrenched the blade free. â€Å"Horselord,† Ser Jorah Mormont called. â€Å"Try me.† His longsword slid from its scabbard. Qotho whirled, cursing. The arakh moved so fast that Quaro's blood flew from it in a fine spray, like rain in a hot wind. The longsword caught it a foot from Ser Jorah's face, and held it quivering for an instant as Qotho howled in fury. The knight was clad in chainmail, with gauntlets and greaves of lobstered steel and a heavy gorget around his throat, but he had not thought to don his helm. Qotho danced backward, arakh whirling around his head in a shining blur, flickering out like lightning as the knight came on in a rush. Ser Jorah parried as best he could, but the slashes came so fast that it seemed to Dany that Qotho had four arakhs and as many arms. She heard the crunch of sword on mail, saw sparks fly as the long curved blade glanced off a gauntlet. Suddenly it was Mormont stumbling backward, and Qotho leaping to the attack. The left side of the knight's face ran red with blood, and a cut to the hip opened a gash in his mail and left him limping. Qotho screamed taunts at him, calling him a craven, a milk man, a eunuch in an iron suit. â€Å"You die now!† he promised, arakh shivering through the red twilight. Inside Dany's womb, her son kicked wildly. The curved blade slipped past the straight one and bit deep into the knight's hip where the mail gaped open. Mormont grunted, stumbled. Dany felt a sharp pain in her belly, a wetness on her thighs. Qotho shrieked triumph, but his arakh had found bone, and for half a heartbeat it caught. It was enough. Ser Jorah brought his longsword down with all the strength left him, through flesh and muscle and bone, and Qotho's forearm dangled loose, flopping on a thin cord of skin and sinew. The knight's next cut was at the Dothraki's ear, so savage that Qotho's face seemed almost to explode. The Dothraki were shouting, Mirri Maz Duur wailing inside the tent like nothing human, Quaro pleading for water as he died. Dany cried out for help, but no one heard. Rakharo was fighting Haggo, arakh dancing with arakh until Jhogo's whip cracked, loud as thunder, the lash coiling around Haggo's throat. A yank, and the bloodrider stumbled backward, losing his feet and his sword. Rakharo sprang forward, howling, swinging his arakh down with both hands through the top of Haggo's head. The point caught between his eyes, red and quivering. Someone threw a stone, and when Dany looked, her shoulder was torn and bloody. â€Å"No,† she wept, â€Å"no, please, stop it, it's too high, the price is too high.† More stones came flying. She tried to crawl toward the tent, but Cohollo caught her. Fingers in her hair, he pulled her head back and she felt the cold touch of his knife at her throat. â€Å"My baby,† she screamed, and perhaps the gods heard, for as quick as that, Coh ollo was dead. Aggo's arrow took him under the arm, to pierce his lungs and heart. When at last Daenerys found the strength to raise her head, she saw the crowd dispersing, the Dothraki stealing silently back to their tents and sleeping mats. Some were saddling horses and riding off. The sun had set. Fires burned throughout the khalasar, great orange blazes that crackled with fury and spit embers at the sky. She tried to rise, and agony seized her and squeezed her like a giant's fist. The breath went out of her; it was all she could do to gasp. The sound of Mirri Maz Duur's voice was like a funeral dirge. Inside the tent, the shadows whirled. An arm went under her waist, and then Ser Jorah was lifting her off her feet. His face was sticky with blood, and Dany saw that half his ear was gone. She convulsed in his arms as the pain took her again, and heard the knight shouting for her handmaids to help him. Are they all so afraid? She knew the answer. Another pain grasped her, and Dany bit back a scream. It felt as if her son had a knife in each hand, as if he were hacking at her to cut his way out. â€Å"Doreah, curse you,† Ser Jorah roared. â€Å"Come here. Fetch the birthing women.† â€Å"They will not come. They say she is accursed.† â€Å"They'll come or I'll have their heads.† Doreah wept. â€Å"They are gone, my lord.† â€Å"The maegi,† someone else said. Was that Aggo? â€Å"Take her to the maegi.† No, Dany wanted to say, no, not that, you mustn't, but when she opened her mouth, a long wail of pain escaped, and the sweat broke over her skin. What was wrong with them, couldn't they see? Inside the tent the shapes were dancing, circling the brazier and the bloody bath, dark against the sandsilk, and some did not look human. She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames. â€Å"The Lamb Woman knows the secrets of the birthing bed,† Irri said. â€Å"She said so, I heard her.† â€Å"Yes,† Doreah agreed, â€Å"I heard her too.† No, she shouted, or perhaps she only thought it, for no whisper of sound escaped her lips. She was being carried. Her eyes opened to gaze up at a flat dead sky, black and bleak and starless. Please, no. The sound of Mirri Maz Duur's voice grew louder, until it filled the world. The shapes! she screamed. The dancers! Ser Jorah carried her inside the tent.