America s Establishment Of Democratization - 1498 Words

In the year 507B.C, Cleisthenes introduced a system that incorporated political reforms and named it demokratia. The new structure imposed a type of governance encompassing a rule by the people (Bury 101). In order to implement the mechanism of the governance, Cleisthenes derived three institutions which constituted the Ekklesia (the governing body), the boule (council of representatives) and the dikasteria (courts which citizens argued out cases). Romans on the other hand are considered imperialists and are not considered pioneers of democracy. However, they too qualified under democratic systemization considering that the Ancient Rome operated between the republican period; 300BC and 50BC (Bury 75). Therefore, despite the strong†¦show more content†¦Through the establishment of democracy in Athens, Cleisthenes was successful in abolishing the political aristocracy that had monopolized decision-making. However, the introduction of the democratic governance was marked by ref orms within a small portion of the Athenian population. During the founding of democracy, the Athenian population was limited to about 100,000; this constituted citizens whose parents were also born within the state. The rest of the population comprised of 10,000 resident foreigners (metoikoi) and 150,000 slaves (Dahl 66). Within the whole population, the state allowed only the males who were above 18years to participate in the democratic processes. Therefore, the beginning of the 4th century was marked by a developing democratic system that was limited relative to who could participate in the process. On the other hand, the traditions that founded Rome were instituted in 753 BC. The State was initially occupied by the Etruscans who settled in central Rome and ruled the Empire for over one century (Bury 75). The Roman kings were elected from each of the Roman tribes in turns. In military matters, the king’s authority was considered imperium and was also elected the head of the state religion (Dahl 65). Besides the king’s authority in resolving matters within the state, there were three other institutions that delegated powers in decision-making. The comitia curate had the powers to ratify the laws

The European Expansion Of Europe - 1286 Words

For many generations, it was taught that the expansion of Europe to the Americas, (also known as the European expansion), had a huge impact on all societies of the old world. The importance of this was taught to societies all across the world, and was indeed a necessary occurrence. Up until recently, the idea was never given any real thought for the majority of people as to how, over many generations in the family and throughout the passage of time, how they precisely got where they are currently today, as well as what kind of pain and suffering the continents known as North and South America was initially founded on. European expansion did have some positive effects for the Europeans, such as new lands and resources, however at the same time it had caused many more negative effects on both the Natives and Europeans. In the early period of the expansion, explorers from countries such as Britain, France, Dutch Republic, Spain, and Portugal, crossed immense oceans to even find a hint of other civilizations and new resources. With superior technological strength and materials, especially with firearms, Europeans were able to achieve both land and power. The motives for European expansion could be of any variation, from desiring glory from their lands, to obtaining gold for their future, to serve in the name of God, or even to meet the strategic needs that their country may require. Among the first well known European explorers, Christopher Columbus, an experienced voyager,Show MoreRelatedEcological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe Essay846 Words   |  4 PagesBiological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900, by ecological historian Alfred W. Crosby explores how â€Å"portmanteau biota†, helped Europeans to eradicate whole societies in the Neo-Europes (xv, 89). 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A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-three Free Essays

Bran The Karstarks came in on a cold windy morning, bringing three hundred horsemen and near two thousand foot from their castle at Karhold. The steel points of their pikes winked in the pale sunlight as the column approached. A man went before them, pounding out a slow, deep-throated marching rhythm on a drum that was bigger than he was, boom, boom, boom. We will write a custom essay sample on A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-three or any similar topic only for you Order Now Bran watched them come from a guard turret atop the outer wall, peering through Maester Luwin’s bronze far-eye while perched on Hodor’s shoulders. Lord Rickard himself led them, his sons Harrion and Eddard and Torrhen riding beside him beneath night-black banners emblazoned with the white sunburst of their House. Old Nan said they had Stark blood in them, going back hundreds of years, but they did not look like Starks to Bran. They were big men, and fierce, faces covered with thick beards, hair worn loose past the shoulders. Their cloaks were made of skins, the pelts of bear and seal and wolf. They were the last, he knew. The other lords were already here, with their hosts. Bran yearned to ride out among them, to see the winter houses full to bursting, the jostling crowds in the market square every morning, the streets rutted and torn by wheel and hoof. But Robb had forbidden him to leave the castle. â€Å"We have no men to spare to guard you,† his brother had explained. â€Å"I’ll take Summer,† Bran argued. â€Å"Don’t act the boy with me, Bran,† Robb said. â€Å"You know better than that. Only two days ago one of Lord Bolton’s men knifed one of Lord Cerwyn’s at the Smoking Log. Our lady mother would skin me for a pelt if I let you put yourself at risk.† He was using the voice of Robb the Lord when he said it; Bran knew that meant there was no appeal. It was because of what had happened in the wolfswood, he knew. The memory still gave him bad dreams. He had been as helpless as a baby, no more able to defend himself than Rickon would have been. Less, even . . . Rickon would have kicked them, at the least. It shamed him. He was only a few years younger than Robb; if his brother was almost a man grown, so was he. He should have been able to protect himself. A year ago, before, he would have visited the town even if it meant climbing over the walls by himself. In those days he could run down stairs, get on and off his pony by himself, and wield a wooden sword good enough to knock Prince Tommen in the dirt. Now he could only watch, peering out through Maester Luwin’s lens tube. The maester had taught him all the banners: the mailed fist of the Glovers, silver on scarlet; Lady Mormont’s black bear; the hideous flayed man that went before Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort; a bull moose for the Hornwoods; a battle-axe for the Cerwyns; three sentinel trees for the Tallharts; and the fearsome sigil of House Umber, a roaring giant in shattered chains. And soon enough he learned the faces too, when the lords and their sons and knights retainer came to Winterfell to feast. Even the Great Hall was not large enough to seat all of them at once, so Robb hosted each of the principal bannermen in turn. Bran was always given the place of honor at his brother’s right hand. Some of the lords bannermen gave him queer hard stares as he sat there, as if they wondered by what right a green boy should be placed above them, and him a cripple too. â€Å"How many is it now?† Bran asked Maester Luwin as Lord Karstark and his sons rode through the gates in the outer wall. â€Å"Twelve thousand men, or near enough as makes no matter.† â€Å"How many knights?† â€Å"Few enough,† the maester said with a touch of impatience. â€Å"To be a knight, you must stand your vigil in a sept, and be anointed with the seven oils to consecrate your vows. In the north, only a few of the great houses worship the Seven. The rest honor the old gods, and name no knights . . . but those lords and their sons and sworn swords are no less fierce or loyal or honorable. A man’s worth is not marked by a ser before his name. As I have told you a hundred times before.† â€Å"Still,† said Bran, â€Å"how many knights?† Maester Luwin sighed. â€Å"Three hundred, perhaps four . . . among three thousand armored lances who are not knights.† â€Å"Lord Karstark is the last,† Bran said thoughtfully. â€Å"Robb will feast him tonight.† â€Å"No doubt he will.† â€Å"How long before . . . before they go?† â€Å"He must march soon, or not at all,† Maester Luwin said. â€Å"The winter town is full to bursting, and this army of his will eat the countryside clean if it camps here much longer. Others are waiting to join him all along the kingsroad, barrow knights and crannogmen and the Lords Manderly and Flint. The fighting has begun in the riverlands, and your brother has many leagues to go.† â€Å"I know.† Bran felt as miserable as he sounded. He handed the bronze tube back to the maester, and noticed how thin Luwin’s hair had grown on top. He could see the pink of scalp showing through. It felt queer to look down on him this way, when he’d spent his whole life looking up at him, but when you sat on Hodor’s back you looked down on everyone. â€Å"I don’t want to watch anymore. Hodor, take me back to the keep.† â€Å"Hodor,† said Hodor. Maester Luwin tucked the tube up his sleeve. â€Å"Bran, your lord brother will not have time to see you now. He must greet Lord Karstark and his sons and make them welcome.† â€Å"I won’t trouble Robb. I want to visit the godswood.† He put his hand on Hodor’s shoulder. â€Å"Hodor.† A series of chisel-cut handholds made a ladder in the granite of the tower’s inner wall. Hodor hummed tunelessly as he went down hand under hand, Bran bouncing against his back in the wicker seat that Maester Luwin had fashioned for him. Luwin had gotten the idea from the baskets the women used to carry firewood on their backs; after that it had been a simple matter of cutting legholes and attaching some new straps to spread Bran’s weight more evenly. It was not as good as riding Dancer, but there were places Dancer could not go, and this did not shame Bran the way it did when Hodor carried him in his arms like a baby. Hodor seemed to like it too, though with Hodor it was hard to tell. The only tricky part was doors. Sometimes Hodor forgot that he had Bran on his back, and that could be painful when he went through a door. For near a fortnight there had been so many comings and goings that Robb ordered both portcullises kept up and the drawbridge down between them, even in the dead of night. A long column of armored lancers was crossing the moat between the walls when Bran emerged from the tower; Karstark men, following their lords into the castle. They wore black iron halfhelms and black woolen cloaks patterned with the white sunburst. Hodor trotted along beside them, smiling to himself, his boots thudding against the wood of the drawbridge. The riders gave them queer looks as they went by, and once Bran heard someone guffaw. He refused to let it trouble him. â€Å"Men will look at you,† Maester Luwin had warned him the first time they had strapped the wicker basket around Hodor’s chest. â€Å"They will look, and they will talk, and some will mock you.† Let them mock, Bran thought. No one mocked him in his bedchamber, but he would not live his life in bed. As they passed beneath the gatehouse portcullis, Bran put two fingers into his mouth and whistled. Summer came loping across the yard. Suddenly the Karstark lancers were fighting for control, as their horses rolled their eyes and whickered in dismay. One stallion reared, screaming, his rider cursing and hanging on desperately. The scent of the direwolves sent horses into a frenzy of fear if they were not accustomed to it, but they’d quiet soon enough once Summer was gone. â€Å"The godswood,† Bran reminded Hodor. Even Winterfell itself was crowded. The yard rang to the sound of sword and axe, the rumble of wagons, and the barking of dogs. The armory doors were open, and Bran glimpsed Mikken at his forge, his hammer ringing as sweat dripped off his bare chest. Bran had never seen as many strangers in all his years, not even when King Robert had come to visit Father. He tried not to flinch as Hodor ducked through a low door. They walked down a long dim hallway, Summer padding easily beside them. The wolf glanced up from time to time, eyes smoldering like liquid gold. Bran would have liked to touch him, but he was riding too high for his hand to reach. The godswood was an island of peace in the sea of chaos that Winterfell had become. Hodor made his way through the dense stands of oak and ironwood and sentinels, to the still pool beside the heart tree. He stopped under the gnarled limbs of the weirwood, humming. Bran reached up over his head and pulled himself out of his seat, drawing the dead weight of his legs up through the holes in the wicker basket. He hung for a moment, dangling, the dark red leaves brushing against his face, until Hodor lifted him and lowered him to the smooth stone beside the water. â€Å"I want to be by myself for a while,† he said. â€Å"You go soak. Go to the pools.† â€Å"Hodor.† Hodor stomped through the trees and vanished. Across the godswood, beneath the windows of the Guest House, an underground hot spring fed three small ponds. Steam rose from the water day and night, and the wall that loomed above was thick with moss. Hodor hated cold water, and would fight like a treed wildcat when threatened with soap, but he would happily immerse himself in the hottest pool and sit for hours, giving a loud burp to echo the spring whenever a bubble rose from the murky green depths to break upon the surface. Summer lapped at the water and settled down at Bran’s side. He rubbed the wolf under the jaw, and for a moment boy and beast both felt at peace. Bran had always liked the godswood, even before, but of late he found himself drawn to it more and more. Even the heart tree no longer scared him the way it used to. The deep red eyes carved into the pale trunk still watched him, yet somehow he took comfort from that now. The gods were looking over him, he told himself; the old gods, gods of the Starks and the First Men and the children of the forest, his father’s gods. He felt safe in their sight, and the deep silence of the trees helped him think. Bran had been thinking a lot since his fall; thinking, and dreaming, and talking with the gods. â€Å"Please make it so Robb won’t go away,† he prayed softly. He moved his hand through the cold water, sending ripples across the pool. â€Å"Please make him stay. Or if he has to go, bring him home safe, with Mother and Father and the girls. And make it . . . make it so Rickon understands.† His baby brother had been wild as a winter storm since he learned Robb was riding off to war, weeping and angry by turns. He’d refused to eat, cried and screamed for most of a night, even punched Old Nan when she tried to sing him to sleep, and the next day he’d vanished. Robb had set half the castle searching for him, and when at last they’d found him down in the crypts, Rickon had slashed at them with a rusted iron sword he’d snatched from a dead king’s hand, and Shaggydog had come slavering out of the darkness like a green-eyed demon. The wolf was near as wild as Rickon; he’d bitten Gage on the arm and torn a chunk of flesh from Mikken’s thigh. It had taken Robb himself and Grey Wind to bring him to bay. Farlen had the black wolf chained up in the kennels now, and Rickon cried all the more for being without him. Maester Luwin counseled Robb to remain at Winterfell, and Bran pleaded with him too, for his own sake as much as Rickon’s, but his brother only shook his head stubbornly and said, â€Å"I don’t want to go. I have to.† It was only half a lie. Someone had to go, to hold the Neck and help the Tullys against the Lannisters, Bran could understand that, but it did not have to be Robb. His brother might have given the command to Hal Mollen or Theon Greyjoy, or to one of his lords bannermen. Maester Luwin urged him to do just that, but Robb would not hear of it. â€Å"My lord father would never have sent men off to die while he huddled like a craven behind the walls of Winterfell,† he said, all Robb the Lord. Robb seemed half a stranger to Bran now, transformed, a lord in truth, though he had not yet seen his sixteenth name day. Even their father’s bannermen seemed to sense it. Many tried to test him, each in his own way. Roose Bolton and Robett Glover both demanded the honor of battle command, the first brusquely, the second with a smile and a jest. Stout, grey-haired Maege Mormont, dressed in mail like a man, told Robb bluntly that he was young enough to be her grandson, and had no business giving her commands . . . but as it happened, she had a granddaughter she would be willing to have him marry. Soft-spoken Lord Cerwyn had actually brought his daughter with him, a plump, homely maid of thirty years who sat at her father’s left hand and never lifted her eyes from her plate. Jovial Lord Hornwood had no daughters, but he did bring gifts, a horse one day, a haunch of venison the next, a silver-chased hunting horn the day after, and he asked nothing in return . . . nothing b ut a certain holdfast taken from his grandfather, and hunting rights north of a certain ridge, and leave to dam the White Knife, if it please the lord. Robb answered each of them with cool courtesy, much as Father might have, and somehow he bent them to his will. And when Lord Umber, who was called the Greatjon by his men and stood as tall as Hodor and twice as wide, threatened to take his forces home if he was placed behind the Hornwoods or the Cerwyns in the order of march, Robb told him he was welcome to do so. â€Å"And when we are done with the Lannisters,† he promised, scratching Grey Wind behind the ear, â€Å"we will march back north, root you out of your keep, and hang you for an oathbreaker.† Cursing, the Greatjon flung a flagon of ale into the fire and bellowed that Robb was so green he must piss grass. When Hallis Mollen moved to restrain him, he knocked him to the floor, kicked over a table, and unsheathed the biggest, ugliest greatsword that Bran had ever seen. All along the benches, his sons and brothers and sworn swords leapt to their feet, grabbing for their steel. Yet Robb only said a quiet word, and in a snarl and the blink of an eye Lord Umber was on his back, his sword spinning on the floor three feet away and his hand dripping blood where Grey Wind had bitten off two fingers. â€Å"My lord father taught me that it was death to bare steel against your liege lord,† Robb said, â€Å"but doubtless you only meant to cut my meat.† Bran’s bowels went to water as the Greatjon struggled to rise, sucking at the red stumps of fingers . . . but then, astonishingly, the huge man laughed. â€Å"Your meat,† he roared, â€Å"is bloody tough.† And somehow after that the Greatjon became Robb’s right hand, his staunchest champion, loudly telling all and sundry that the boy lord was a Stark after all, and they’d damn well better bend their knees if they didn’t fancy having them chewed off. Yet that very night, his brother came to Bran’s bedchamber pale and shaken, after the fires had burned low in the Great Hall. â€Å"I thought he was going to kill me,† Robb confessed. â€Å"Did you see the way he threw down Hal, like he was no bigger than Rickon? Gods, I was so scared. And the Greatjon’s not the worst of them, only the loudest. Lord Roose never says a word, he only looks at me, and all I can think of is that room they have in the Dreadfort, where the Boltons hang the skins of their enemies.† â€Å"That’s just one of Old Nan’s stories,† Bran said. A note of doubt crept into his voice. â€Å"Isn’t it?† â€Å"I don’t know.† He gave a weary shake of his head. â€Å"Lord Cerwyn means to take his daughter south with us. To cook for him, he says. Theon is certain I’ll find the girl in my bedroll one night. I wish . . . I wish Father was here . . . â€Å" That was the one thing they could agree on, Bran and Rickon and Robb the Lord; they all wished Father was here. But Lord Eddard was a thousand leagues away, a captive in some dungeon, a hunted fugitive running for his life, or even dead. No one seemed to know for certain; every traveler told a different tale, each more terrifying than the last. The heads of Father’s guardsmen were rotting on the walls of the Red Keep, impaled on spikes. King Robert was dead at Father’s hands. The Baratheons had laid siege to King’s Landing. Lord Eddard had fled south with the king’s wicked brother Renly. Arya and Sansa had been murdered by the Hound. Mother had killed Tyrion the Imp and hung his body from the walls of Riverrun. Lord Tywin Lannister was marching on the Eyrie, burning and slaughtering as he went. One wine-sodden taleteller even claimed that Rhaegar Targaryen had returned from the dead and was marshaling a vast host of ancient heroes on Dragonstone to reclaim his father’s throne. When the raven came, bearing a letter marked with Father’s own seal and written in Sansa’s hand, the cruel truth seemed no less incredible. Bran would never forget the look on Robb’s face as he stared at their sister’s words. â€Å"She says Father conspired at treason with the king’s brothers,† he read. â€Å"King Robert is dead, and Mother and I are summoned to the Red Keep to swear fealty to Joffrey. She says we must be loyal, and when she marries Joffrey she will plead with him to spare our lord father’s life.† His fingers closed into a fist, crushing Sansa’s letter between them. â€Å"And she says nothing of Arya, nothing, not so much as a word. Damn her! What’s wrong with the girl?† Bran felt all cold inside. â€Å"She lost her wolf,† he said, weakly, remembering the day when four of his father’s guardsmen had returned from the south with Lady’s bones. Summer and Grey Wind and Shaggydog had begun to howl before they crossed the drawbridge, in voices drawn and desolate. Beneath the shadow of the First Keep was an ancient lichyard, its headstones spotted with pale lichen, where the old Kings of Winter had laid their faithful servants. It was there they buried Lady, while her brothers stalked between the graves like restless shadows. She had gone south, and only her bones had returned. Their grandfather, old Lord Rickard, had gone as well, with his son Brandon who was Father’s brother, and two hundred of his best men. None had ever returned. And Father had gone south, with Arya and Sansa, and Jory and Hullen and Fat Tom and the rest, and later Mother and Ser Rodrik had gone, and they hadn’t come back either. And now Robb meant to go. Not to King’s Landing and not to swear fealty, but to Riverrun, with a sword in his hand. And if their lord father were truly a prisoner, that could mean his death for a certainty. It frightened Bran more than he could say. â€Å"If Robb has to go, watch over him,† Bran entreated the old gods, as they watched him with the heart tree’s red eyes, â€Å"and watch over his men, Hal and Quent and the rest, and Lord Umber and Lady Mormont and the other lords. And Theon too, I suppose. Watch them and keep them safe, if it please you, gods. Help them defeat the Lannisters and save Father and bring them home.† A faint wind sighed through the godswood and the red leaves stirred and whispered. Summer bared his teeth. â€Å"You hear them, boy?† a voice asked. Bran lifted his head. Osha stood across the pool, beneath an ancient oak, her face shadowed by leaves. Even in irons, the wildling moved quiet as a cat. Summer circled the pool, sniffed at her. The tall woman flinched. â€Å"Summer, to me,† Bran called. The direwolf took one final sniff, spun, and bounded back. Bran wrapped his arms around him. â€Å"What are you doing here?† He had not seen Osha since they’d taken her captive in the wolfswood, though he knew she’d been set to working in the kitchens. â€Å"They are my gods too,† Osha said. â€Å"Beyond the Wall, they are the only gods.† Her hair was growing out, brown and shaggy. It made her look more womanly, that and the simple dress of brown roughspun they’d given her when they took her mail and leather. â€Å"Gage lets me have my prayers from time to time, when I feel the need, and I let him do as he likes under my skirt, when he feels the need. It’s nothing to me. I like the smell of flour on his hands, and he’s gentler than Stiv.† She gave an awkward bow. â€Å"I’ll leave you. There’s pots that want scouring.† â€Å"No, stay,† Bran commanded her. â€Å"Tell me what you meant, about hearing the gods.† Osha studied him. â€Å"You asked them and they’re answering. Open your ears, listen, you’ll hear.† Bran listened. â€Å"It’s only the wind,† he said after a moment, uncertain. â€Å"The leaves are rustling.† â€Å"Who do you think sends the wind, if not the gods?† She seated herself across the pool from him, clinking faintly as she moved. Mikken had fixed iron manacles to her ankles, with a heavy chain between them; she could walk, so long as she kept her strides small, but there was no way for her to run, or climb, or mount a horse. â€Å"They see you, boy. They hear you talking. That rustling, that’s them talking back.† â€Å"What are they saying?† â€Å"They’re sad. Your lord brother will get no help from them, not where he’s going. The old gods have no power in the south. The weirwoods there were all cut down, thousands of years ago. How can they watch your brother when they have no eyes?† Bran had not thought of that. It frightened him. If even the gods could not help his brother, what hope was there? Maybe Osha wasn’t hearing them right. He cocked his head and tried to listen again. He thought he could hear the sadness now, but nothing more than that. The rustling grew louder. Bran heard muffled footfalls and a low humming, and Hodor came blundering out of the trees, naked and smiling. â€Å"Hodor!† â€Å"He must have heard our voices,† Bran said. â€Å"Hodor, you forgot your clothes.† â€Å"Hodor,† Hodor agreed. He was dripping wet from the neck down, steaming in the chill air. His body was covered with brown hair, thick as a pelt. Between his legs, his manhood swung long and heavy. Osha eyed him with a sour smile. â€Å"Now there’s a big man,† she said. â€Å"He has giant’s blood in him, or I’m the queen.† â€Å"Maester Luwin says there are no more giants. He says they’re all dead, like the children of the forest. All that’s left of them are old bones in the earth that men turn up with plows from time to time.† â€Å"Let Maester Luwin ride beyond the Wall,† Osha said. â€Å"He’ll find giants then, or they’ll find him. My brother killed one. Ten foot tall she was, and stunted at that. They’ve been known to grow big as twelve and thirteen feet. Fierce things they are too, all hair and teeth, and the wives have beards like their husbands, so there’s no telling them apart. The women take human men for lovers, and it’s from them the half bloods come. It goes harder on the women they catch. The men are so big they’ll rip a maid apart before they get her with child.† She grinned at him. â€Å"But you don’t know what I mean, do you, boy?† â€Å"Yes I do,† Bran insisted. He understood about mating; he had seen dogs in the yard, and watched a stallion mount a mare. But talking about it made him uncomfortable. He looked at Hodor. â€Å"Go back and bring your clothes, Hodor,† he said. â€Å"Go dress.† â€Å"Hodor.† He walked back the way he had come, ducking under a low-hanging tree limb. He was awfully big, Bran thought as he watched him go. â€Å"Are there truly giants beyond the Wall?† he asked Osha, uncertainly. â€Å"Giants and worse than giants, Lordling. I tried to tell your brother when he asked his questions, him and your maester and that smiley boy Greyjoy. The cold winds are rising, and men go out from their fires and never come back . . . or if they do, they’re not men no more, but only wights, with blue eyes and cold black hands. Why do you think I run south with Stiv and Hali and the rest of them fools? Mance thinks he’ll fight, the brave sweet stubborn man, like the white walkers were no more than rangers, but what does he know? He can call himself King-beyond-the-Wall all he likes, but he’s still just another old black crow who flew down from the Shadow Tower. He’s never tasted winter. I was born up there, child, like my mother and her mother before her and her mother before her, born of the Free Folk. We remember.† Osha stood, her chains rattling together. â€Å"I tried to tell your lordling brother. Only yesterday, when I saw him in the yard. ‘M’lord Stark,’ I called to him, respectful as you please, but he looked through me, and that sweaty oaf Greatjon Umber shoves me out of the path. So be it. I’ll wear my irons and hold my tongue. A man who won’t listen can’t hear.† â€Å"Tell me. Robb will listen to me, I know he will.† â€Å"Will he now? We’ll see. You tell him this, m’lord. You tell him he’s bound on marching the wrong way. It’s north he should be taking his swords. North, not south. You hear me?† Bran nodded. â€Å"I’ll tell him.† But that night, when they feasted in the Great Hall, Robb was not with them. He took his meal in the solar instead, with Lord Rickard and the Greatjon and the other lords bannermen, to make the final plans for the long march to come. It was left to Bran to fill his place at the head of the table, and act the host to Lord Karstark’s sons and honored friends. They were already at their places when Hodor carried Bran into the hall on his back, and knelt beside the high seat. Two of the serving men helped lift him from his basket. Bran could feel the eyes of every stranger in the hall. It had grown quiet. â€Å"My lords,† Hallis Mollen announced, â€Å"Brandon Stark, of Winterfell.† â€Å"I welcome you to our fires,† Bran said stiffly, â€Å"and offer you meat and mead in honor of our friendship.† Harrion Karstark, the oldest of Lord Rickard’s sons, bowed, and his brothers after him, yet as they settled back in their places he heard the younger two talking in low voices, over the clatter of wine cups. † . . . sooner die than live like that,† muttered one, his father’s namesake Eddard, and his brother Torrhen said likely the boy was broken inside as well as out, too craven to take his own life. Broken, Bran thought bitterly as he clutched his knife. Is that what he was now? Bran the Broken? â€Å"I don’t want to be broken,† he whispered fiercely to Maester Luwin, who’d been seated to his right. â€Å"I want to be a knight.† â€Å"There are some who call my order the knights of the mind,† Luwin replied. â€Å"You are a surpassing clever boy when you work at it, Bran. Have you ever thought that you might wear a maester’s chain? There is no limit to what you might learn.† â€Å"I want to learn magic,† Bran told him. â€Å"The crow promised that I would fly.† Maester Luwin sighed. â€Å"I can teach you history, healing, herblore. I can teach you the speech of ravens, and how to build a castle, and the way a sailor steers his ship by the stars. I can teach you to measure the days and mark the seasons, and at the Citadel in Oldtown they can teach you a thousand things more. But, Bran, no man can teach you magic.† â€Å"The children could,† Bran said. â€Å"The children of the forest.† That reminded him of the promise he had made to Osha in the godswood, so he told Luwin what she had said. The maester listened politely. â€Å"The wildling woman could give Old Nan lessons in telling tales, I think,† he said when Bran was done. â€Å"I will talk with her again if you like, but it would be best if you did not trouble your brother with this folly. He has more than enough to concern him without fretting over giants and dead men in the woods. It’s the Lannisters who hold your lord father, Bran, not the children of the forest.† He put a gentle hand on Bran’s arm. â€Å"Think on what I said, child.† And two days later, as a red dawn broke across a windswept sky, Bran found himself in the yard beneath the gatehouse, strapped atop Dancer as he said his farewells to his brother. â€Å"You are the lord in Winterfell now,† Robb told him. He was mounted on a shaggy grey stallion, his shield hung from the horse’s side; wood banded with iron, white and grey, and on it the snarling face of a direwolf. His brother wore grey chainmail over bleached leathers, sword and dagger at his waist, a fur-trimmed cloak across his shoulders. â€Å"You must take my place, as I took Father’s, until we come home.† â€Å"I know,† Bran replied miserably. He had never felt so little or alone or scared. He did not know how to be a lord. â€Å"Listen to Maester Luwin’s counsel, and take care of Rickon. Tell him that I’ll be back as soon as the fighting is done.† Rickon had refused to come down. He was up in his chamber, redeyed and defiant. â€Å"No!† he’d screamed when Bran had asked if he didn’t want to say farewell to Robb. â€Å"NO farewell!† â€Å"I told him,† Bran said. â€Å"He says no one ever comes back.† â€Å"He can’t be a baby forever. He’s a Stark, and near four.† Robb sighed. â€Å"Well, Mother will be home soon. And I’ll bring back Father, I promise.† He wheeled his courser around and trotted away. Grey Wind followed, loping beside the warhorse, lean and swift. Hallis Mollen went before them through the gate, carrying the rippling white banner of House Stark atop a high standard of grey ash. Theon Greyjoy and the Greatjon fell in on either side of Robb, and their knights formed up in a double column behind them, steel-tipped lances glinting in the sun. Uncomfortably, he remembered Osha’s words. He’s marching the wrong way, he thought. For an instant he wanted to gallop after him and shout a warning, but when Robb vanished beneath the portcullis, the moment was gone. Beyond the castle walls, a roar of sound went up. The foot soldiers and townsfolk were cheering Robb as he rode past, Bran knew; cheering for Lord Stark, for the Lord of Winterfell on his great stallion, with his cloak streaming and Grey Wind racing beside him. They would never cheer for him that way, he realized with a dull ache. He might be the lord in Winterfell while his brother and father were gone, but he was still Bran the Broken. He could not even get off his own horse, except to fall. When the distant cheers had faded to silence and the yard was empty at last, Winterfell seemed deserted and dead. Bran looked around at the faces of those who remained, women and children and old men . . . and Hodor. The huge stableboy had a lost and frightened look to his face. â€Å"Hodor?† he said sadly. â€Å"Hodor,† Bran agreed, wondering what it meant. How to cite A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-three, Essay examples

Dualistic Species free essay sample

An discussion on how humans divide the world into opposing groups. This essay discusses how humans tend to divide the world into opposing groups in order to create a moral, philosophical and religious world. The writer gives an example of opposing groups such as good and evil, natural and technological. To support his conclusion the writer examines the books All Quiet on the Western Front, Dulce et decorum est and Consciousness as a Biological Problem. The writers in this selection of papers make one final major point, which is that we must reconsider the ways in which we consider the effect of technological changes on human life. Technology changes everything, as Samuel Lilley argues in Men, Machines and History. We tend to be able to see this more clearly in the major technological revolutions, such as the revolution that occurred when humans shifted from food collection and pastoralism to agriculture (a shift that brought about permanent settlements and so urbanization, specialization of labor, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Dualistic Species or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ) and the second major shift in human society when we underwent the Industrial Revolution (pp. 138-9). But we are affected in smaller but deeply important ways by shifts in technology all the time; simply because everyday technological changes are smaller does not mean that their cumulative effect is not great. Adams (p. 106) suggests some of the ways in which our general ignorance of the important agents of change throughout human history leads us to discount the importance of various forms of change in both the past and present.

The Change in Prosperos Character Essay Example For Students

The Change in Prosperos Character Essay Prospero is the principal character of Shakespeares The Tempest. Without question, he vaguely bestows a sense of a prevailing authoritarian, using his powers to control the capabilities of others, solely for the purposes of self indulgence and expediency. We see this domineering and overwhelming trait throughout the play. An instance of this can be perfectly supported by the dreaded incident of the king of Naples ship, as Prospero uses his powers to manipulate the winds, causing the ship to capsize. This is just one example of his officious personality. However, there is a staggering change in this behaviour toward the end of Shakespeares prodigious play. He suddenly transforms into a penitent and modest individual, willing to give up all magic and power to become a typical human being.. Prospero was once the Duke of Milan. Loved immensely by the people, his callous brother Antonio grew increasingly covetous of his eminence and supremacy. Despite Prosperos popularity amongst the people of Milan, he consumed most hours within the day to read and study the art of magic and philosophy. We will write a custom essay on The Change in Prosperos Character specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now It is this particular notion that diminished any prospect of Prospero being a threat to Antonio. Never the less, Antonio found that killing Prospero would prove almost impossible, due to his close relationship with the people. As a result, Antonio realises that the only method of disposing of Prospero is to misplace him. He charges a Neapolitan named Gonzalo, to cast Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, out to sea. As an alternative to sentencing them both to death as instructed (by making holes in their boat), Gonzalo provides them with food and warmth. Due to their dire circumstances at the start of the play, we should feel compassion for Prospero. Nonetheless, His possession and use of magical knowledge renders him extremely powerful and not entirely sympathetic. This is shown to a great extent in act 1 scene 2. Prior to this scene, Prospero and Miranda arrived at an island, safe and thankful of their lives. Prospero chances upon an entrapped spirit by the name of Ariel, and a shamefully contorted savage, named Caliban. He willingly frees Ariel, demonstrating his ability to be empathetic. He also shows a certain amount of selflessness regarding Caliban. He shows this by an endeavour to teach him things. However, this scheme becomes swiftly unproductive, followed by Calibans attempt to rape Miranda. It is Prosperos ensuing relationship with Caliban in Act 1 Scene 2, that outlines one of the more disagreeable characteristics. He uses a large amount of exclamation in his tone of voice, usually screaming at Caliban. I believe it is his absolute power over the other characters and his overwrought speeches make him difficult to like, for he appears self important and condescending.

Nuclear Energy And The Environment Essays - Energy Economics

Nuclear Energy And The Environment Essays - Energy Economics Nuclear Energy And The Environment Nuclear Energy and the Environment In our society, nuclear energy has become one of the most criticized forms of energy by the environmentalists. Thus, a look at nuclear energy and the environment and its impact on economic growth. Lewis Munford, an analyst, once wrote, Too much energy is as fatal as too little, hence the regulation of energy input and output not its unlimited expansion, is in fact one of the main laws of life. This is true when dealing with nuclear power. Because our societies structure and processes both depend upon energy, man is searching for the most efficient and cheapest form of energy that can be used on a long term basis. And because we equate power with growth, the more energy that a country uses, - the greater their expected economic growth. The problem is that energy is considered to have two facets or parts: it is a major source of man-made repercussions as well as being the basis of life support systems. Therefore, we are between two sections in which one is the section of resource availability and waste, and the other the continuity of life support systems pertinent to survival. Thus, the environmentalists believe that nuclear energy should not be used for various reasons. First of all, the waste product, i.e. plutonium, is extremely radioactive, which may cause the people who are working or living in or around the area of storage or use, to acquire leukemia and other cancers. They also show how billions of dollars are spent yearly on safety devices for a single reactor, and this still doesn't ensure the impossibility of a melt down. Two examples were then given of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, in 1979, when thousands of people were killed and incapacitated. Finally, the environmentalists claim that if society wastes less energy, and develops the means to use the energy more efficiency, then there would be a definite decrease in the requirement for more energy producing plants. On the other hand, some business men and economists say that the present conditions should be kept intact, as the other forms of energy, e.g. oil, natural gas and coal, are only temporary, in dealing with surplus, and give off more pollution with less economic growth. Concurrently, countries wanted a more reliable, smokeless form of energy not controlled by OPEC, and very little uranium was required to produce such a high amount of resultant energy. Lastly, they said that renewable energy is (a) unreliable in that the wind, for example, could not be depended upon to blow, nor the sun to shine, and (b) were intermittent in that a 1,000 mega-watt solar farm may occupy about 5,000 acres of land, compared with less than 150 acres of land for a similar capacity nuclear power generation station. Because the energy technology that society employs directly influences the quantity and quality of life, the energy option that is chosen should have the greatest cost- benefit effectiveness as well as maximizing flexibility and purchases. However, those who believe in continuous energy consumption growth, seem to forget that there is only a limited supply of energy in every energy system, and to overdo any resource may provide for an unacceptable impact upon global and regional ecology. Thus, if the business world pushes the environment as far as it can go, Ceribus Paribus, please refer to figure 1. Thus, to use petroleum as a substitute for uranium, which is needed to power the nuclear system, would not be economically or environmentally sensible. I say this because, first of all, there is a major supply of uranium considering it was one of the last energy sources to be found as well as only a small amount of it is required to produce a lot of energy. Secondly, petroleum gives off carbon monoxide which is one of the reasons for ozone depletion; whereas, the uranium does not give off pollution except that it produces plutonium which needs to be buried for more than fifty years to get rid of its radiation. Finally, because so much of the petroleum will be required to power the vast area that nuclear energy can cover, the cost to us as the consumer would be massive! This would mean slower economic growth and/or expansion, especially when compared to nuclear energy. Therefore: Ceribus Paribus - (a) if the cost decreases, the demand increases, and - (b) if the cost increases, the demand decreases. Please refer to figures #2 and #3 respectively. Nuclear plants are now replacing coal burning plants. It will cost

Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Review - Essay Example The present day NFL runs on the rule that any player suspected or diagnosed to have gone through a concussion needs to consult a medic with immediacy, and that the medic is supposed to remain with the player till they get better (Boriboon 25). Handling concussions, as can be borrowed from the article, is a collective responsibility from the therapists and the players if the players have to receive the best care and perform for their teams (Boriboon 25). The article by Johnson is a compilation of the concussions that young players face; in this case, focus has been shed on football players (180). The author clearly indicates that high school football players are greatly involved with tackle football which predisposes them to sport- related concussions (Johnson 181). Johnson then proposes the use of Return to play approaches (RTPs) to account for the concussions by the football players by giving an example of 23,000 damages that are football related, which occur annually (183). The author insists that these players are exposed to numerous health risks ranging from brain injuries to trauma amongst others (Johnson 183). Conclusively, it is arguable that RTPs do not provide a lasting solution to concussions by the football players. As Johnson indicates, football players especially the ones in high school can have negative implications on the players not only on their health, but also in terms of the academic and athletic performance (185). It is recommended that the players and their coaches devise a more reliable approach on dealing with concussions as opposed to solely relying on RTPs. Marchi, Nicola., Jeffrey Bazarian, Vikram Puvenna, Mattia Janigro, Chaitali Ghosh, Jianhui Zhong, Tong Zhu, Eric Blackman, Desiree Stewart, Jasmina Ellis, Damir Janigro, and Robert Butler. â€Å"Consequences of Repeated Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Football Players.† PLOS ONE 8.3 (2013): e56805. Web.

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Dietary analysis project - Assignment Example For example, an oz equivalent of Grains is a 1 slice of bread, or 1/2 cup of rice. An oz equivalent of Protein Foods 1 oz of meat, 1 egg, or 1/4 cup cooked beans. According to the BMI report as provided, I have a BMI of 19.1. This is an implication that my body weight is normal and hence I should strive to maintain the weight by eating a balanced diet and engaging in physical activities. According to the calorie assessment report, I need to intake 2031 calories in order to maintain my current weight. However, my current intake is below the goal. My current average calorie intake is 1065. This implies that I am bound to lose more weight if I maintain my current eating patterns (Veitch 87). There are nutrients that are still deficient and others in excess in the revised diet. The significant nutrients that are still deficient in the revised diet are Calories from saturated Fat and dietary fiber. Perhaps I was unable to get dietary fiber because I did not include foods rich in fiber. In addition, the foods that I included in the revised diet were not fatty and hence the deficiency of fat as noted in the revised diet. On the contrary, the revised diet also had some nutrients in excess. These included proteins, Vitamin B3 - Niacin (mg), Vitamin B12 (mcg), Phosphorus (mg), Vitamin C and Zinc. These statistics came about as a result of the meat, chicken and turkey sausages that I included in the revised diet as having been taking in only one day. Their quantities also contributed to the excess levels of proteins as noted in the bar graph report for the revised diet. As noted in the bar graph report for my diet on that day, I am a poor observant of a balanced diet and for this reason I need to implement corrective measures in order to improve my eating patterns and food types (Veitch 46). It is through this that I will be in a position to not only stay healthy but also maintain my body weight as recommended from the BMI report. As a result, I will take certain

Nursing administration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Nursing administration - Research Paper Example Several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of Magnet status. Buffington, et al (2012) studied factors in nurses retention and reported they left due to lack of support and recognition. Laschinger, Leitev, Day & Gilin (2009) reported that leaving of experienced nurses caused secondary turnouts due to workforce pressure, and caused lack of job satisfaction. Magnet status takes care of these problems by building an overall professionally sound organisation. The Magnet recognition is a time consuming detailed process involving organizational efforts to develop required systems, procedures and practices. It involves comprehensive development on the part of the organization as well as its units. After detailed appraisal if the organization meets the requirements, site visits are planned followed by public comment. The original Magnet ® research study conducted in 1983 found that those organizations that were successful in recruiting and retaining nurses during the shortages of nurses faced in the 1970s and 1980s had certain characteristics which differentiated them from other organizations. These fourteen characteristics remain known as the ANCC Forces of Magnetism which form the basis of the conceptual framework of ANCC recognition and maintenance of Magnet ® status. These forces of Magnetism available at the website (http://www.nursecredentialing.org/ForcesofMagnetism.aspx) are attributes or outcomes that exemplify or form the basis of nursing excellence. Expression of full forces of magnetism implies high quality professional environment in the organization at every level, where the nursing is guided by a strong and visionary nursing leader. This leader is a senior functionary who advocates and supports excellence in nursing practice, and in turn is also responsible for the continued m aintenance of the organizations Magnet ® status. The Magnet ® recognition program has three basic goals and

Stereotype Threat Is A Phenomenon Psychology Essay

Stereotype Threat Is A Phenomenon Psychology Essay Membership in a stereotyped group is the one condition that must always be present in order for stereotype threat to occur. Everyone is a member of at least one stereotyped group, and is vulnerable to being affected by stereotype threat in different situations. Although greatly contested, women and members of ethnic minorities are not the only groups affected by stereotype threat. Research on stereotype threat has shown that a diverse set of groups can be affected by stereotype threat. Aronson, Lustina, Good, Keough, Steele, and Brown (1999) showed that White males performed worse on a math test when the performance of Asians in mathematics was made salient. In this context, White males are part of the stereotyped group because of the stereotype that White males are worse at math than Asian males. Individuals Who Identify Strongly With Groups Certain individuals are more vulnerable to stereotype threat than others because their memberships are salient to them in many situations. These individuals strongly identify with groups which use gender or ethnicity as inclusive criteria. This strong identification with groups can make stereotypes chronically accessible (what does this mean?). In turn, they will increase stereotype threat more often and in varying situations. Whereas certain individuals need to have their stereotyped group membership made salient, these individuals are always aware of their stereotypes. Marx, Stapel and Muller (2005) found that the performance of women on a math test was inversely proportionate to the degree to which their gender was emphasized. Cole, Matheson and Anisman (2007) found similar results. Higher ethnic identification predicted greater psychological distress and poorer performance for minority students in their first year of college. Stereotype Belief and Knowledge Though stereotype threat can arise in situations where the person is unconsciously aware of the stereotype, it is more easily processed when the person is aware or knowledgeable of the stereotype. Since adults are usually aware of many stereotypes, McKown and Weinstein (2003) conducted a study that examined the knowledge of stereotypes by children and its effects on their performance in domains that produce stereotype threat in adults. The researchers found that children who were aware of stereotypes were more likely to show effects of stereotype threat. Belief of stereotypes is another factor that affects the degree to which a stereotype threat is experienced. In a study by Schmader, Johns, and Barquissau (2004), women who endorsed gender stereotypes about womens math ability did worse on a task in the stereotyped domain when under stereotype threat more so than their counterparts who did not endorse a gender stereotype. Consequences of Stereotype Threat Decreased Performance on Tasks Test performance in academic settings is the context in which most stereotype threat research is conducted. Cole, Matheson and Anisman (2007) found that ethnic minority students at a predominantly White Canadian institution showed increased levels of anxiety and depression compared to the White students, and had lower grades at the end of the school year. Scores on Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) task, a task that has been described as being a pure measure of cognitive ability and culture-free, have been shown to be affected by stereotype threat (Brown Day, 2006). Performance on tasks in other domains has also been affected by stereotype threat. Undergraduate female golfers performed more poorly when the stereotype of females being poor golfers was purported either subtly or blatantly (Stone McWhinnie, 2008). The reason for reduced performance when under stereotype threat has been attributed to factors such as anxiety (Max Stropel, 2006), physiological arousal (Blascovic h et al., 2001) and reduced working memory capacity (Schmader and Johns, 2003). Changes in Appraisal of Situations When faced with stereotype threat, individuals use different strategies to account for lapses in their performance. Some individuals attribute internal reasons/causes as to why they failed the task. In a study by Koch, MÃ ¼ller, and Sieverding (2008), participants were asked to find a document on a computer and save it to an external storage device. Participants were told that women perform worse on the task than men (stereotype threat condition for women) or that women perform better on the task than men (stereotype threat condition for men). Women in the stereotype threat condition were more likely to make internal attributions for their failures than men in the same experiment. Self-handicapping is another strategy used by individuals affected by stereotype threat. These individuals erect barriers to performance in order to provide attributions for their failure (Stone, 2002). A specific type of self handicapping is task discounting. Tasks are critiqued in some way in order to ex plain poor performance. A study by Lesko and Corpus (2006) found that women who were taking part in a math task and under stereotype threat were more likely to agree with statements such as this test is not an accurate measurement of my math ability. Reducing Stereotype Threat Reframing the Task Stereotype threat can arise when task descriptions or test instructions make threatened identities and negative stereotypes more accessible. Ergo, stereotype threat can be reduced by reframing a task in such a way that stereotypes are not invoked or made salient. Steele and Aronson (1995) were able to reduce stereotype threat by explicitly stating that a test was not diagnostic in nature. Though this strategy is unrealistic in regular testing situations, other task reframing methods have been shown to be equally effective. Gender stereotypes are common, and affect the performance of women in stereotyped domains (Spencer, Steele Quinn, 1999). However, gender stereotypes and their subsequent effect on test performance can be reduced by reframing the task. For example, Spencer, Steele and Quinn (1999) showed that when both male and female participants completed a mathematics test and were told that there would be gender differences, the males outperformed the females. Contrarily, when the task was reframed and the participants were told that there would be no gender differences, the scores of the male and female participants were equivalent. Another task reframing strategy is addressing the fairness of the task. Good, Aronson and Harder (2008) were able to reduce stereotype threat present on a mathematical ability test by assuring the test takers that this mathematics test has not shown any gender differences in performance or mathematics ability. Even the though the tests outlined in the above studies were diagnostic in nature, reframing the tasks was able to negate potential stereotype threat effects. Task reframing strategies can be employed by testing agencies in order to reduce the potential effects of stereotype threat, which can affect the scores of test takers belonging to certain demographics on standardized tests. De-emphasizing Threatened Identities Stereotype threat can be reduced in situations where the threatened social identities are made less salient. Threatened social identities can consist of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other domains that are often stereotyped. Stricker and Ward (2004) conducted field studies that examined the effects of asking about ethnicity prior to Advanced Placement (AP) calculus exams. A re-analysis of their data by Danaher and Crandall (2008) found that soliciting identity information at the end of the exam decreased sex differences in test scores by 33% compared to when identity questions were asked at the beginning of the exam. Danaher and Crandall concluded that if the demographic questions were asked at the end of AP calculus exams, 4700 additional female students would receive a credit annually. Stereotype threat can also be reduced if individuals are encouraged to think in ways that reduce the significance of the threatened identity. Ambady, Paik, Steele, Owen-Smith and Mitchell (2004) found that when women were individuated by having aspects of the self made more salient, they performed better on a difficult math test than women who were not individuated. The researchers concluded that individuation allows individuals to distance themselves from the threatened social identity. Emphasizing the similarities between groups has also been shown to reduce stereotype threat. Rosenthal, Crisp and Sue (2007) found that generating similarities between men and women in academic settings led to higher performance expectations and improved performance by women in a stereotyped domain. Rosenthal, Crisp and Sue (2007) selected mathematical ability as the stereotyped domain in which similarities between ingroup and outgroup employment strategies would be tested. Individuals with multiple social identities have a low risk of being affected by stereotype threat. Gresky, Ten Eyck, Lord and McIntyre (2005) examined the role of multiple social identities in undergraduate university students. The participants were instructed to answer questions from what was supposedly a new version of the GRE math exam. Stereotype treat was induced by informing the participants that men usually outperform women on math tests. The participants were then split into three conditions. Before the math test, some subjects were instructed to create a simple self-concept map whereas others were instructed to create a complex self-concept map. Subjects in the control condition did not create a self-concept map. The female participants who did not create a self-concept map or created a simple self-concept map performed poorly on the math test whereas the female participants who were instructed to create a complex self-concept map were unaffected by the stereotype threat ma nipulation. Creating self-concept maps did not have an effect on the scores of the male participants, presumably because they were not affected by the stereotype threat manipulation. Consequently, encouraging stereotype threatened individuals to think of themselves as multifaceted individuals reduces vulnerability to stereotype threat effects. Though all people have multiple identities, some are more vulnerable to stereotype threat than others. This can be explained by the fact that different social identities are highlighted to different degrees in individuals. Having stereotyped social identities that are easily highlighted (not the right word) increases the vulnerability of an individual to stereotype threat. Mcglone and Aronson (2006) demonstrated this effect by instructing participants to complete the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test (VMRT) in varying conditions of identity salience. This salience was achieved by having participants complete questionnaires that highlighted different social identities. For the male participants, performance on the VMRT was best when gender was made salient and worst when their status as citizens of the Northeast was made salient. The female participants performed the best when their college identity was made salient and performed the worst when their gender was emphasized. Affirming Self-Worth Stereotype threat acts on an individuals fear of confirming negative stereotypes (Steele Aronson, 1995). Self-affirmation can be used as a strategy to protect the self from perceived threats. Self-worth can be increased by encouraging people to think about characteristics, roles and skills that they are proud of or view as important. Schimel, Arndt, Banko and Cook (2004) examined whether self-affirmation and affirming self-worth can protect individuals from stereotype threat. Before completing a math test, female participants were randomly assigned sentence fragments to complete that provided either intrinsic affirmation, extrinsic affirmation or no affirmation. The participants were also placed in either a stereotype threat or control condition. The researchers found that women in the stereotype threat condition who reaffirmed their self worth by completing the sentence fragments that provided intrinsic motivation performed better on the exam in the stereotype threat condition than in the control condition. Conversely, women in the stereotype threat condition who extrinsically self-affirmed performed worse in the stereotype threat condition compared to the control condition. Cohen, Garcia, Apfel and Master (2006) came to similar conclusions when studying seventh grade students in racially diverse middle schools. Students were assigned to self-affirmation conditions and no self-affirmation conditions. The students in the self-affirmation condition were instructed to write an essay that indicated values that were important to them and why they were important to them. Students who did not self-affirm were instructed to write an essay about their least important values and why they were not important. The researchers found that African-American students in the self-affirmation condition performed 0.3 grade points better over the semester compared to African-American students who did not self-affirm. These results are notable because African-American students are the demographic that is usually most affected by stereotype threat in academic settings. As a result, enhancing the individuals internal coping capacity through providing affirmation has shown to improve the performance of individuals that are most susceptible to stereotype threat. Providing Role Models Individuals who focus on outgroup members who perform well on a specific domain have a negative effect on their performance on tasks from that domain. Huguet and RÃ ©gner (2007) showed that the performance of female participants on a math test in a mixed environment was negatively affected by their thoughts about males who performed well in mathematics. This type of stereotype threat effect can be reduced by providing ingroup role models that are proficient in a specific domain. Marx and Roman (2002) examined this effect by providing females with role models who were competent in math. Male and female participants were given a difficult math test to complete. When the experimenter was a male, the female participants performed poorer on the exam than the male participants. However, when the test was administered by a female who embodied subject confidence, the female participants performed equally as well as the male participants. The role models provided do not need to be present in order to reduce stereotype threat. Various studies have shown that stereotype threat can be reduced by providing role models through priming. McIntyre et al. (2005) examined the relation between exposure to positive role models through priming and reduction of stereotype threat effects. Undergraduate students were asked to participate in two studies, and were told that women perform worse than men on math tests. The researchers also manipulated the tasks by having the participants read anywhere from 0-4 essays describing successful women. The researchers found that the performance of the female participants increased as the number of essay read increased, supporting the finding that providing role models decreases stereotype threat effect. Attributing Difficulties to External Factors The effects of stereotype threat can be reduced if difficulties on tasks are attributed to external factors rather than the self. Ben-Zeev, Fein, and Inzlicht (2005) illustrated the effect of attributing difficulties to external factors on stereotype threat. Women who identified highly with mathematics completed a math test in the presence of either 2 males (stereotype threat condition) or 2 females (control condition). Participants were also shown a subliminal noise generator before the test. They were told that the machine would either increase arousal and heart rate or that it would not produce any adverse effects. The female participants in the stereotype threat condition performed worse on the math test only when they were told that the subliminal noise generator would not produce any adverse effects. The participants who were told that the machine would increase arousal attributed their difficulties to the noise generator, and did not experience stereotype threat effects. Provi ding subliminal noise generators are not practical in normal testing situations. However, recent studies have used different techniques to produce the same effect. Johns, Inzlict and Schmader (2008) eliminated stereotype threat effect by telling individuals under stereotype threat conditions that the anxious feelings they were experiencing would not hinder their performance, and might even improve their performance. Attributing difficulties to external factors is a strategy that can be utilized effectively in order to reduce stereotype threat. Conclusion Stereotype threat is highly pervasive and is not restricted to people with certain characteristics or backgrounds. Although it can affect anyone, certain individuals are more susceptible to the effects of stereotype threat than others. The effects of stereotype threat make it a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The literature has revealed that although stereotype threat cannot be completely eliminated, certain cognitive reappraisal strategies can help reduce or attenuate its effects. These strategies include reframing tasks, providing role models, providing external attributions for difficulties and deemphasizing threatened social identities. These strategies have been shown to be effective, and should be considered in situations where stereotype threat is known to be present.

Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun :: essays research papers

One of the first ideas mentioned in this play, A Raisin In the Sun, is about money. The Younger's end up with no money because of Walter's obsession with it. When Walter decides not to take the extra money he is offered it helps prove Hansberry's theme. Her theme is that money can't buy happiness. This can be seen in Walter's actions throughout the play. While Mama is talking to Walter, she asks him why he always talks about money. "Mama: Oh--So now it's life. Money is life. Once upon a time freedom used to be life--now it's money. I guess the world really do change . . . Walter: No--it was always money, Mama. We just didn't know about it." Walter thinks that the world revolves around money. He wants to believe that if his family were rich they would have perfect lives. This isn't true though, and Mama knows it. She knows that no matter how much money Walter has, he will never be happy unless he has a family that loves him. Before Walter goes out to invest in the liquor store he has a talk with his son. "Walter: You wouldn't understand yet, son, but your daddy's gonna make a transaction . . . a business transaction that's going to change our lives. . . ." Walter thinks that this transaction will make their lives better. What he doesn't realize is that he already has a good life and he doesn't need more money to ma ke him happy. He should be grateful for what he has instead of worrying about money. Mama talks to Walter about her fears of the family falling apart. This is the reason she bought the house and she wants him to understand. Walter doesn't understand and gets angry. "What you need me to say you done right for? You the head of this family. You run our lives like you want to. It was your money and you did what you wanted with it. So what you need for me to say it was all right for? So you butchered up a dream of mine - you - who always talking 'bout your children's dreams..." Walter is so obsessive over money that he yells at his mom for not giving him all of it. He doesn't know that what his mom is doing is for the family. He thinks that having money will make the family happy, when in reality the family doesn't need anymore than what they have to be happy.

Green Power

Cleaner electricity generation is on its way for full implementation as many of power consumers are now aware how could avail of it. In the official blog site of the US Environmental Protection Agency, many of its visitors had said in their comments that they had already installed or purchased from a private electric company a way how could they use green power.Some had also leaved a link to the sites of their energy provider that gives them an option for cleaner energy generation. But others still had said that they could not choose to opt to green power because of area and cost constraints.People who had said that they had installed solar panels and/or avail power generated through wind or geothermal admits that they pay more for their electricity consumption as compared when they were not using it. Since conversion into cleaner energy consumption would cost more to the people, they might rather ignore their wish to take part with a cleaner environment. Some even says that going in to cleaner energy generation is just propaganda of electric companies that would mean more profit on their part.Some still had said that they had no choice whether to use green power or not because it’s their individual power provider could only decide. As I had completed browsing all of the comments, I suggest that yes there is a need for a greener electricity generation but the problem is that people where afraid of their initial additional cost. Yes, it cost more than the regular energy we consume from burnt coal but like what one comment had said, people are not aware of the hidden cost the people might suffer if we continue using it because experts says that burning coal adds up to the air pollution.As we enter into the era of information age, ideas are now easy to disseminate through all of the high tech devices and technology the modern day gives such as the computers and the internet. But we should be careful of what would we should acquire of these ideas since some o f them cannot be fully relied on. Support of experts in such field such as EPA could give as a somewhat assurance that what we learn is what we should. References Greenversation, Question of the Week: Why are you or aren’t you buying green power? Retrieved May31, 2008 from http://blog. epa. gov/blog/2008/05/27/qotwgreenpower/

Reading Response to Introduction in Handbook of Race and Ethnic Studies Essay

Upon reading the Collins and Solomos introduction to their Handbook of Race and Ethnic Studies, I soon realized that the field of race and ethnicity is a diverse, living thing that is constantly evolving. The authors make reference to the fact that the civil rights movement has been working for decades and it appears at times that no progress has been made. They make this point by mentioning the nightly newscasts on television that show global atrocities brought on by policies of ethnic cleansing or other forms of hate. This is proof that more work has to be done and we must continue to seek and promote understanding and equality. Collins and Solomos also mention the rise of more right-wing political groups that they refer to as the new right. These groups use the media to promote their ideas of an ideal state. They state that `for the new right` the appeal is by and large no longer to racial supremacy cultural uniformity` and they get around this by  ¨parading under the politics of nationalism and patriotism ¨. This reminded me of my history classes in school where I first learned of Hitler and how he used extreme nationalism as one of his tools to gain influence and power over a economically struggling Germany. There seems to be a great many voices and perspectives out there that may contradict one another at times, but I feel that the study or race and ethnicity must continue to be pursued.

Cosmos Episode 11 Viewing Worksheet

Cosmos Episode 11 Viewing Worksheet   Its movie day! Those are words almost all students like to hear when they enter their classrooms. Many times, these  movie or video days  are used as a reward for students. However, they can also be used to supplement a lesson or topic they are learning about in class.   There are many great science-related movies and videos available for teachers, but one that is entertaining and has great and accessible explanations of science is the Fox series   ​Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Below is a set of questions that can be copy and pasted into a worksheet for students to fill out as they view Cosmos episode 11. It can also be used as a quiz after the video is shown. Feel free to copy and it and tweak it as necessary.    Cosmos Episode 11 Worksheet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Name:______________    Directions: Answer the questions as you watch episode 11 of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey entitled, â€Å"The Immortals†.    1.   How does Neil deGrasse Tyson say our ancestors marked the passage of time?    2.   Where was civilization, including written language, born?    3.   Enheduanna is considered to be the first person to do what?    4.   What is the name of Enheduanna’s poem that an excerpt is read from?    5.   What is the name of the hero in the story of the great flood?    6.   How many years before the Bible was written was this account of the great flood?    7.   In what form does everyone carry the message of life in their bodies?    8.   What kind of molecules may have gotten together in the sunlit pools of water to form the first life?    9.   Where, underwater, could the first life have formed?    10.   How could the first life have â€Å"hitchhiked† to Earth?    11.   What was the name of the village near Alexandria, Egypt where the meteor hit in 1911?    12.   Where was the meteorite that hit Egypt originally from?    13.   How can meteorites be â€Å"interplanetary arks†?    14.   How could life on Earth have survived the large number of asteroid and meteor strikes early in its life history?    15.   How does Neil deGrasse Tyson say a dandelion is like an ark?    16.   How could life travel to very distant planets in outer space?    17.   What year did we first announce our presence to the galaxy?    18.   What was the name of the project that had radio waves bouncing off the Moon?    19.   How long does it take a radio wave sent from Earth to make it to the Moon’s surface?    20.   How many miles do Earth’s radio waves travel in one year?    21.   What year did we begin listening with radio telescopes for messages from life on other planets?    22.   Give one possible thing we could be doing wrong when listening for messages from life on other planets.    23.   What are two reasons Mesopotamia is now a wasteland instead of a thriving civilization?    24.   What did the people of Mesopotamia think caused the great drought in 2200 BC?    25.   What great civilization would be wiped out in Central America 3000 years later when another abrupt climate change happened?    26.   Where was the last supervolcano eruption and how long ago did it happen?    27.   What was the secret weapon the Europeans brought with them that helped defeat the American Natives?    28.   What is the main problem with our current economic systems from when they were made?    29.   What does Neil deGrasse Tyson say is a good measure of intelligence?    30.   What is the greatest hallmark of the human species?    31.   What state does Neil deGrasse Tyson compare giant elliptical galaxies to?    32.   When, on the new year of the Cosmic Calendar, does Neil deGrasse Tyson predict humans will learn to share our tiny planet?

How the western was lost- and why it matters Essay

How the western was lost- and why it matters - Essay Example looking at the West which has been lost in the process of evolution has become felt more and more today – the relatively old Western audience considers Westerns to be the only source of recalling the past. The proof of the mentioned reasons is found in the realities of the present day. Westerns address history, and the history which is written today may be approached from the perspective of the Western genre movies – bad guys destabilize the world, whereas good guys try to make it safer and protect the suffering from global threats. The XXI century becomes more and more dangerous day after day, and there is a growing need of a hero who would save everyone in his courageous effort, just like a cowboy. The relevance of this addressing to the history is that, as any time, the XXI century brings not only success, but also some unpleasant and disturbing situations which cannot be hidden whether we like it or not. From this point of view, Western movies provide a different view on the things that happen in the world and help everyone to define form him or herself who are good and bad in modern

Unit V AAssessment#3 Oxidative Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit V AAssessment#3 Oxidative Stress - Essay Example In order to eavaluate thr ability of particulate air pollution to promote oxidative stress, six adult pathogen free Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained from Taconic Farms in New York,USA, and fed with conventional laboratory diet and water ad libium.Three of the rats were exposed to filtered air (control group) and the other three were exposed to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs). Throughout the study, all rats were awake and unrestricted. At 1, 3 and 5 hours, two rats: 1 from filtered air and 1 from CAPs , were removed and analysed. The rats that were exposed to CAPs aerosols for 5 hours showed significant oxidative stress. The rats showed significant increase in lung and heart water content (about 5% , p According to Gurgueira, et al., (2002 p.260), the generation of ROS can induce cellular oxidative stress and biological effects,including DNA damage.In most aerobic cells, electron –transport chains are located in mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum . The electron –transport chains are the major source of ROS produced in vivo (Gurjar, et al., 2010: p.190). Gurgueira, S. A., Lawrence, J., Coull, B., Murthy, K. G. G., & Gonzà ¡lez-Flecha, B. ( 2002). Rapid increases in the steady-state concentration of reactive oxygen species in the lungs and heart after particulate air pollution inhalation. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(8),

Ireland is ready to import automobiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ireland is ready to import automobiles - Essay Example Conclusions can be drawn from this: Fiscal policy was tight and yet the crisis happened, and ironically, entry into the eurozone can be harmful. â€Å"Again, the debt overhang would be huge, under any plausible assumptions. Ireland is doomed to fiscal stringency for decades, given its poor growth prospects, at least in comparison with its Tiger years† (Wolf, 2011). But, despite the dire straits, Ireland is exiting the recession (Fottrell, 2010). And, since Ireland is unlikely to keep up with the need to produce automobiles, it will need to import them. Ireland is ready to import automobiles, or at least as ready as it ever will be. 2.1. Dire financial straits Ireland's crisis is of an immense magnitude. 50,000 people could leave the country in 2011, yet another wave in a series of exoduses stretching from early Irish settlers in North America to the Irish potato famine to the 1980s (McDonald, 2011). And unlike other generations of exodus, it is professionals and graduates leav ing the country. Jobs for graduates and professionals are scarce. The economy has shrunk by a tenth and unemployment is in the double digits (MacDonald, 2011). Yet the economy was host to, and still does have, Microsoft, Apple, Intel and Pfizer. The middle-class was expanded and grew upwards, almost all Irish sharing in the growth. Aside from the slowly turning upswing out of the recession, there are many other macro-economic indicators that point to the need to import cars. In 2010, the Irish auto market grew (Leggett, 2010). People who need to physically get places, industrial and service sector workers, are not the ones leaving the country. Industrial production is likely to slow, and Ireland's native car market will not be able to keep up with demand, even with the declining Irish population from the eventual exodus. It is clear, then, that Ireland is going to need to import cars. 2.2. Car finance options Despite the bad economy, British firms like Close Motor Finance are seeing a gap in the Irish market. â€Å"A UK-BASED MOTOR finance company, Close Motor Finance, is entering the Irish car finance market this week in an attempt to fill the gap it perceives to have been left after the withdrawal by some lenders and the tighter restrictions imposed by the remaining Irish finance houses† (Comyn, 2011). This is vital for the growth of the Irish car market because it allows consumers access to credit even when the native banks are facing serious risk. It also shows that external observers view the growth potential in the car market as palpable. This announcement is much-needed news for the Irish car market. â€Å"66 per cent of all sales in 2007 were financed by loans organised through the dealership with its favoured lending institution. By last year that had fallen to 44 per cent and from January to October of this year that had fallen to just 26 per cent of all its car sales† (Comyn, 2011). The vast majority of Irish consumers are being forced to seek out their own finance options. 2.3. Growing market for imports in Ireland The imported car market in Ireland is generally growing, albeit with mixed signals. Hispano Cars, â€Å"[t]he Irish firm that imported and distributed Seat vehicles†, lost the lucrative Seat contract, but this is because Volkswagen itself is deciding to push into the Irish market (Daly, 2011). Hispano Cars

Natural Gas Markets in Three Distinct Regions Essay Example for Free

Natural Gas Markets in Three Distinct Regions Essay Introduction As with many other products and commodities participating in a globalized supply chain, the three dominant market places are located in North America, Europe and Asia. This is no different for natural gas. While each region shares similarly a reliance on energy to support the tenets of the modern high-standard of living, all three are highly divergent in terms of demographic, culture, and history; and differ widely in policies concerning finance, monetary regulation, and of course, energy. These qualities and more have shaped generations of market development in terms of policy and practice, and in examining the results of those developments, or today’s key differences between the natural gas markets in Asia, Europe, and North America, differentiations will be made based on the following three criteria: market maturity, the sources of supply, and the dependence on imports. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Asia – Market Maturity Asia is the least developed natural gas market but shows the greatest growth potential. China in particular is rapidly modernizing; what was once a largely agrarian country is becoming a collection of burgeoning city-centers with growing energy needsproof can be found in any of over 100 cities with a population over one million (Perkowski, 2012). In addition, Chinese government has recently unveiled a policy whereby natural gas is prioritized for the transportation sector in an effort to displace diesel and reign in emissions. (Aishu and Hua, 2012) This suggests China, currently the eighth largest consumer of natural gas, may ascend that list to the top three—situating itself among Russia and the US. Despite China’s position to increase gas consumption, significant barriers exist to natural gas market maturity. Structural and regulatory issues concerning natural gas—including pricingare addressed ad hoc. (Huang, 2012 p.3058) Although industrialized Asia largely sets worldwide LNG prices (which are tied to oil-indexed long term contracts), the prices are not binding. China has pursued non-market concessions with India through bilateral agreements (McRae and Ruppel, 2011), and bypassed bidding processes with countries like Angola and Nigeria, who sign agreements without human rights or financial transparency requirements normally required by Western investors. (Mitchell, 2012) Absent any semblance of sound legal framework (let alone continuity of pricing practice), such actions show great unpredictability in China’s trading habits which reduce confidence of potential investors aspiring to enter China’s natural gas industry. These add up to significant barriers to natural gas market maturity. Asia – Sources of Supply Asian geography promotes trade by sea and larger economies have logically invested heavily in LNG—more than two-thirds of global LNG is traded in the Asia Pacific region (Mitchell, 2012) where flexibility exists to receive gas shipments from a variety sources. Australia (LNG) and Central Asia (pipeline) have traditionally supplied gas to China, but should global market conditions shift, China is easily able to accept shipments from Canada and the United States, and high-CAPEX projects like the Kitimat LNG terminal in British Colombia are indications that North America may grow in relevance to China’s gas supply chain. Asia – Dependence on Imports With limited local conventional gas, industrialized Asia is highly dependent on imported LNG from South East Asia, Australia and the Middle East. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) However, recent assessments peg China’s recoverable tight-gas reserves at over 1,200TCF. Due to uniquely challenging reservoir lithology, (Faulkner, 2012) China will require assistance from Independent producers as their EP technology lags by world standard. (Faulkner, 2012) Even with Shell allocating USD1B per year to Chinese shale gas exploration (Hamilton, 2012), it may take a decade until Chinese shale gas flows to market. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect Asia will continue importing roughly 40% of its gas (roughly half is from in-region) and may become increasingly dependent on supplies from Central Asia (Kazakhstan), the Middle East and Western Africa. (Mitchell, 2012) Europe – Market Maturity Europe contains a well-developed natural gas market which is considered open, although the lack of a uniform natural gas financial and legal framework for European Union (EU) nations is an encumbrance to efficient market operation. The complicated patchwork of cross-border pipelines must also comply with multiple and dissimilar legal and regulatory regimes which add complication to construction and operations. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) The European market relies heavily on long term contracts with price terms based on a mix of competing fuels, and pipeline access is restricted. This policy was crafted by way of reaction to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo; it’s inherently inapplicable to today’s market and serves as a hindrance to full development of the European spot market. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Europe – Sources of Supply Europe is at considerable disadvantage in terms of security of natural gas supply—there is access to Russian and Central Asian natural gas, but only through Russian pipeline systems monopolized by Gazprom and Transneft, meaning shipments are highly subject to disruption resulting from infighting between Russia and transit-nation Ukraine. (Mitchell, 2012) While France has been determined to contain a remarkable 180TCF of shale gas, Europe may never see the benefit as France has invested in nuclear to eliminate the need for hydrocarbon exploration, and holds a moratorium on same. Poland is the other European country with significant shale gas; they intend to monetize their resources expeditiously. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) Europe – Dependence on Imports While dependency rates between EU nations varies, the EU imported 54.1% of its gross energy consumption in 2010 (European Commission, 2012), indicating great dependence on seller nations (primarily Russia, Nigeria, Algeria, Qatar and Norway). The EU receives almost 50% of its gas by pipeline, and LNG continues to support the Iberian Peninsula. Diversification of supply is a high priority. (McRae and Ruppel, 2011) One major step to liberalizing markets would be to establish pricing mechanisms not tied to oil. While potential exists for shale gas development to reduce European imports, stringent EU environmental regulations ensure Europe’s dependence on imports for years ahead. Lengthy disruptions are unlikely as Russia and Algeria have failed to reinvest hydrocarbon revenues for economic growth; they remain highly dependent on steady cash inflows to remain solvent. If a lengthy disruption did happen, Europe generally has powerful North American allies who may use diplomacy, sanctions or hostility to mitigate damage. In the event of conflict, North American surplus LNG export capacity may bolster gas shortfalls in Europe. North America – Market Maturity The United States and Canada enjoy the most developed and un-restricted natural gas market in the world. Natural gas infrastructure is highly developed and is the mechanism by which the US was able to consume 22% of the world’s natural gas in 2009. (Mitchell, 2012) Natural gas is produced by private companies with open access to the pipeline network and sold at prices set by the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) based on principles of supply and demand. Gas in North America trades at the greatest degree of independence to oil compared to other regions, indicating an exceptionally mature natural gas market. North America Sources of Supply By way of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the US receives natural gas supply by pipeline from Canada and Mexico, and LNG shipments from Trinidad. Canada receives shipments of American gas to eastern markets via pipeline. Importation of Canadian hydrocarbons may increase if authorization is granted to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast. North America – Dependence on Imports North America possesses the reserves and technology to theoretically discontinue natural gas imports. Whether this makes political sense is debatable—doing so would financially impair many supply nations with whom North American countries participate in a variety of global affairs. Canada and the US are particularly well situated to conduct natural gas arbitrage. Environmental concerns have slowed the development of the Keystone XL pipeline. Left unresolved, natural gas may be reallocated for export to Asia. Conclusions In the West (US and EU), increased market share for NG will be an adjustment to an already well-functioning energy supply chain. In China, development of a natural gas market will be part of a paradigm shiftacknowledgement that Chinese people are earning and spending more, and expect higher standards of living. While the West currently enjoys relatively convenient pricing on natural gas, China will boost Asia’s competitiveness with Europe for supplies from Russia, West Africa, Iraq and Central Asia. This will cause an eastward shift of the global gas supply chain, (Mitchell, 2012) and may shine a brighter light of scrutiny on Asia’s standards of conduct that might not be in line with a Western sense of decency. The results of such confrontation on natural gas markets are impossible to predict. One thing we can be sure of is that natural gas as a commodity is more than just a tool by which we power our machines or heat our homes. Natural gas is a gift to the world that if used correctly, can drastically improve the human experience for a great many people. Whether buyer and seller nations can be pragmatic about international trade agreements, use the proceeds to grow internal economies, and establish transparency in the marketplace are the metrics by which we will know if this resource is being put to good use or merely squandered. REFERENCES 1) Mitchell, J. (Nov 2010) â€Å"More for Asia: Rebalancing World Oil and Gas† Chatham House 2) McRae, G. and Ruppel, C. (Jun 2011) â€Å"The Future of Natural Gas, An Interdisciplinary MIT Study† Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Available at: http://mitei.mit.edu/publications/reports-studies/future-natural-gas 3) Perkowski, J. (May 2012) â€Å"China’sBest kept Secrets: Mianyang and Other Tier 3 Cities† Forbes Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/05/11/chinas-best-kept-secrets-mianyang-and-other-tier-3-cities/ 4) Huang, L. (May 2012) â€Å"Development in China’s Natural Gas Industry Regulation† Advanced Materials Research. [Online] Volume 527-527 pp 3058-3061. Available at: http://www.scientific.net/AMR.524-527.3058 5) Faulkner, C. (Sep 2012) â€Å"China’s Natural Gas Potential† Business Excellence [Online] 26 September. Available from: http://www.bus-ex.com/article/china%E2%80%99 s-natural-gas-potential 6) Aishu, C. and Hua, J. [Ed. Fernandez, C.] (Oct 2012) â€Å"China Prioritizes Use of Natural Gas By Vehicles, Ships† Reuters [Online] 31 October. Available from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/31/china-gas-policy-idUSL3E8LV5DN20121031 7) Hamilton, G. (Aug 2012) â€Å"Shell Canada to go ahead with Kitimat LNG projects despite billion-dollar Chinese gas investment† [Online] 21 August. Available from: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/resources/Shell+Canada+ahead+with+Kitimat+projects+despite/7124608/story.html 8) Main Origin of Primary Energy Imports, EU-27, 2002-2010.[Online] European Commission Eurostat. Available from: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Energy_production_and_imports