Shutter Island

The movie I chose to watch is called â€Å"Shutter Island†. Shutter Island, released in February 2010, is a psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese. The story is set in Boston in 1954. The main character is a U. S Marshal, named Teddy Daniels, played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Teddy plays the role of a U. S Marshal. He is assigned to investigate a missing patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital along with this partner Chuck. The patient they are trying to find is named Rachel Solando.She had been admitted to this hospital because she had drowned her 3 kids. As he began his investigation he soon begins to realise that this place isn’t what it seems to be. As the movie begins, Daniels and his partner are shown traveling to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a mental hospital. However, as the plot unravels we see that Daniels has a mental disorder of his own. Teddy seems to have more than one disorder or mental i llness due to all the things he’s been through.One of the illness’s he has is Dissociative Identity Disorder. He shows two very distinct identities. He switches from being a mental patient who murdered his wife, to being a U. S Marshal investigating a mental institution. When he is in one identity he forgets about his other one. He also experiences many hallucinations, where he thinks he’s seeing a certain object but it really isn’t there and that is a symptom of the identity disorder.An identity that is not in control may nonetheless gain access to a consciousness by producing visual hallucinations. In this movie Teddy has a lot of sudden migraines, It is said that an individual who has an identity disorder will experience migraines, asthma attacks and bowel syndrome. He also has Schizophrenia. He constantly experiences hallucinations and is occupied with one or more at a time. Another disorder that is presented is Delusional Disorder.

Nicholson and Riley “Indiana writers in history”

Nicholson and Riley are two of the most celebrated Indiana writers in history. Their portrayal of the culture is outstanding considering they each didn†t completed high school. Their writings came from the heart of Indiana. They are both considered true sons of Central Indiana. In the essays they both had different views of Indiana, but both were leaning on the same premise of homey, beautiful and comfortable. Riley and Nicholson brought a real feel to the images they wrote about.. The two writers created an â€Å"atmosphere† about Indiana that everyone would enjoy. Riley and Nicholson saw different things in Indiana and they both loved the state and all aspects of it. The traditions the authors created were some of pride and glory of the difference they had between other states. Hoosiers were rather bias when it came to there own state. They thought of it as state in which someone really didn†t wanted to leave and if they did they were always happy to come back. In Nicholson†s essay on Indianapolis he states that Indiana people think the more they travel to other states the more they like their own city or state. Hoosiers were proud to be from this state. They felt that other states only dreamt of possessing this same pride and glory. Maybe a false tradition Riley created could have been that a reader from another state reads this and has never been to Indiana, will think that everyone in Indiana is a low-educated, hillbilly, a hick from the back woods. The fact is, education wasn†t highly needed on the farm. But a farming education is still and education. They skills they learned on the farm where just as valuable as the skills you learn in the classroom. Each writer did speak of the neighborliness of the people in the state and how they would give someone anything they had to offer. This lifestyle is s imilar to the current Morman way of life. They each mention how earthly Hoosiers were by putting trees on the sidewalks in the city and the swimmin†-hole they loved as children. Nicholson talked about the city of Indianapolis and how it had a natural feeling. However this feeling can also be translated to the entire state. This was because of Indiana†s low urbanization and education. The people didn†t need all the high tech trains and whistles in their state they liked. That is just the way it was. The authors† spoke of the kindness the people in the state, even for strangers. Indiana was safe and women could go to the market without having to worry about being attacked or robbed. Riley made points about the everyday life of the normal Hoosier and the things they went though. Riley talked about punkins† and how the people didn†t come up with many ideas of their own but when they did, they stood by them. The writers celebrated many traditions of Indiana in their own special way. Riley and Nicholson brought different experiences to the readings. Riley gave the real dialect of the people of Indiana and how they spent their days on the farms, while Nicholson talked about the kindheartedness of the people of Indiana. In all my trips to Indiana and while living here, I have found that Nicholson†s writings of the people back then hasn†t really changed that much. One of the factors while choosing Butler as my University, was the Gentleness of the Indiana culture. The two writers, in their writings made a pretty complete picture of Indiana. But it appears they both left out the northerner Indiana people.. They concentrated on the central and border southerner, but rarely mentioned the north. While the role of the Northerners culture was minor, their Indiana†s traditions and values were substantial. The Northerners played a function in the diversity of the state and the cultural cradle Indiana formed in the Midwest. While I have resided in Illinois my entire life, and now reside in Indiana, I see the differences in the people of Indiana and the pride they feel for their state. Illinois may not feel such a pride since their culture around the Chicago area is so diverse. There are many residents that come from all over the world. In Indiana, their roots are from the farm communities where their forefathers sweated blood and tears to farm their land, feed and educate their children, and die trying. Riley and Nicholson just put into words all the feelings the people of Indiana feel. After reading these excerpts, you realize, the Indiana people know all this but it was nice to read about why they feel so strongly about their state. Now Bobby Knight might be a different story!

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fiftyone

Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father. â€Å"I’m certain your father is well,† Sansa told her when she had finally gotten the dress buttoned right. â€Å"I’ll ask the queen to let you see him.† She thought that kindness might lift Jeyne’s spirits, but the other girl just looked at her with red, swollen eyes and began to cry all the harder. She was such a child. Sansa had wept too, the first day. Even within the stout walls of Maegor’s Holdfast, with her door closed and barred, it was hard not to be terrified when the killing began. She had grown up to the sound of steel in the yard, and scarcely a day of her life had passed without hearing the clash of sword on sword, yet somehow knowing that the fighting was real made all the difference in the world. She heard it as she had never heard it before, and there were other sounds as well, grunts of pain, angry curses, shouts for help, and the moans of wounded and dying men. In the songs, the knights never screamed nor begged for mercy. So she wept, pleading through her door for them to tell her what was happening, calling for her father, for Septa Mordane, for the king, for her gallant prince. If the men guarding her heard her pleas, they gave no answer. The only time the door opened was late that night, when they thrust Jeyne Poole inside, bruised and shaking. â€Å"They’re killing everyone,† the steward’s daughter had shrieked at her. She went on and on. The Hound had broken down her door with a warhammer, she said. There were bodies on the stair of the Tower of the Hand, and the steps were slick with blood. Sansa dried her own tears as she struggled to comfort her friend. They went to sleep in the same bed, cradled in each other’s arms like sisters. The second day was even worse. The room where Sansa had been confined was at the top of the highest tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. From its window, she could see that the heavy iron portcullis in the gatehouse was down, and the drawbridge drawn up over the deep dry moat that separated the keep-within-a-keep from the larger castle that surrounded it. Lannister guardsmen prowled the walls with spears and crossbows to hand. The fighting was over, and the silence of the grave had settled over the Red Keep. The only sounds were Jeyne Poole’s endless whimpers and sobs. They were fed—hard cheese and fresh-baked bread and milk to break their fast, roast chicken and greens at midday, and a late supper of beef and barley stew—but the servants who brought the meals would not answer Sansa’s questions. That evening, some women brought her clothes from the Tower of the Hand, and some of Jeyne’s things as well, but they seemed nearly as frightened as Jeyne, and when she tried to talk to them, they fled from her as if she had the grey plague. The guards outside the door still refused to let them leave the room. â€Å"Please, I need to speak to the queen again,† Sansa told them, as she told everyone she saw that day. â€Å"She’ll want to talk to me, I know she will. Tell her I want to see her, please. If not the queen, then Prince Joffrey, if you’d be so kind. We’re to marry when we’re older.† At sunset on the second day, a great bell began to ring. Its voice was deep and sonorous, and the long slow clanging filled Sansa with a sense of dread. The ringing went on and on, and after a while they heard other bells answering from the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya’s Hill. The sound rumbled across the city like thunder, warning of the storm to come. â€Å"What is it?† Jeyne asked, covering her ears. â€Å"Why are they ringing the bells?† â€Å"The king is dead.† Sansa could not say how she knew it, yet she did. The slow, endless clanging filled their room, as mournful as a dirge. Had some enemy stormed the castle and murdered King Robert? Was that the meaning of the fighting they had heard? She went to sleep wondering, restless, and fearful. Was her beautiful Joffrey the king now? Or had they killed him too? She was afraid for him, and for her father. If only they would tell her what was happening . . . That night Sansa dreamt of Joffrey on the throne, with herself seated beside him in a gown of woven gold. She had a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known came before her, to bend the knee and say their courtesies. The next morning, the morning of the third day, Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard came to escort her to the queen. Ser Boros was an ugly man with a broad chest and short, bandy legs. His nose was flat, his cheeks baggy with jowls, his hair grey and brittle. Today he wore white velvet, and his snowy cloak was fastened with a lion brooch. The beast had the soft sheen of gold, and his eyes were tiny rubies. â€Å"You look very handsome and splendid this morning, Ser Boros,† Sansa told him. A lady remembered her courtesies, and she was resolved to be a lady no matter what. â€Å"And you, my lady,† Ser Boros said in a flat voice. â€Å"Her Grace awaits. Come with me.† There were guards outside her door, Lannister men-at-arms in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms. Sansa made herself smile at them pleasantly and bid them a good morning as she passed. It was the first time she had been allowed outside the chamber since Ser Arys Oakheart had led her there two mornings past. â€Å"To keep you safe, my sweet one,† Queen Cersei had told her. â€Å"Joffrey would never forgive me if anything happened to his precious.† Sansa had expected that Ser Boros would escort her to the royal apartments, but instead he led her out of Maegor’s Holdfast. The bridge was down again. Some workmen were lowering a man on ropes into the depths of the dry moat. When Sansa peered down, she saw a body impaled on the huge iron spikes below. She averted her eyes quickly, afraid to ask, afraid to look too long, afraid he might be someone she knew. They found Queen Cersei in the council chambers, seated at the head of a long table littered with papers, candles, and blocks of sealing wax. The room was as splendid as any that Sansa had ever seen. She stared in awe at the carved wooden screen and the twin sphinxes that sat beside the door. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ser Boros said when they were ushered inside by another of the Kingsguard, Ser Mandon of the curiously dead face, â€Å"I’ve brought the girl.† Sansa had hoped Joffrey might be with her. Her prince was not there, but three of the king’s councillors were. Lord Petyr Baelish sat on the queen’s left hand, Grand Maester Pycelle at the end of the table, while Lord Varys hovered over them, smelling flowery. All of them were clad in black, she realized with a feeling of dread. Mourning clothes . . . The queen wore a high-collared black silk gown, with a hundred dark red rubies sewn into her bodice, covering her from neck to bosom. They were cut in the shape of teardrops, as if the queen were weeping blood. Cersei smiled to see her, and Sansa thought it was the sweetest and saddest smile she had ever seen. â€Å"Sansa, my sweet child,† she said, â€Å"I know you’ve been asking for me. I’m sorry that I could not send for you sooner. Matters have been very unsettled, and I have not had a moment. I trust my people have been taking good care of you?† â€Å"Everyone has been very sweet and pleasant, Your Grace, thank you ever so much for asking,† Sansa said politely. â€Å"Only, well, no one will talk to us or tell us what’s happened . . . â€Å" â€Å"Us?† Cersei seemed puzzled. â€Å"We put the steward’s girl in with her,† Ser Boros said. â€Å"We did not know what else to do with her.† The queen frowned. â€Å"Next time, you will ask,† she said, her voice sharp. â€Å"The gods only know what sort of tales she’s been filling Sansa’s head with.† â€Å"Jeyne’s scared,† Sansa said. â€Å"She won’t stop crying. I promised her I’d ask if she could see her father.† Old Grand Maester Pycelle lowered his eyes. â€Å"Her father is well, isn’t he?† Sansa said anxiously. She knew there had been fighting, but surely no one would harm a steward. Vayon Poole did not even wear a sword. Queen Cersei looked at each of the councillors in turn. â€Å"I won’t have Sansa fretting needlessly. What shall we do with this little friend of hers, my lords?† Lord Petyr leaned forward. â€Å"I’ll find a place for her.† â€Å"Not in the city,† said the queen. â€Å"Do you take me for a fool?† The queen ignored that. â€Å"Ser Boros, escort this girl to Lord Petyr’s apartments and instruct his people to keep her there until he comes for her. Tell her that Littlefinger will be taking her to see her father, that ought to calm her down. I want her gone before Sansa returns to her chamber.† â€Å"As you command, Your Grace,† Ser Boros said. He bowed deeply, spun on his heel, and took his leave, his long white cloak stirring the air behind him. Sansa was confused. â€Å"I don’t understand,† she said. â€Å"Where is Jeyne’s father? Why can’t Ser Boros take her to him instead of Lord Petyr having to do it?† She had promised herself she would be a lady, gentle as the queen and as strong as her mother, the Lady Catelyn, but all of a sudden she was scared again. For a second she thought she might cry. â€Å"Where are you sending her? She hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s a good girl.† â€Å"She’s upset you,† the queen said gently. â€Å"We can’t be having that. Not another word, now. Lord Baelish will see that Jeyne’s well taken care of, I promise you.† She patted the chair beside her. â€Å"Sit down, Sansa. I want to talk to you.† Sansa seated herself beside the queen. Cersei smiled again, but that did not make her feel any less anxious. Varys was wringing his soft hands together, Grand Maester Pycelle kept his sleepy eyes on the papers in front of him, but she could feel Littlefinger staring. Something about the way the small man looked at her made Sansa feel as though she had no clothes on. Goose bumps pimpled her skin. â€Å"Sweet Sansa,† Queen Cersei said, laying a soft hand on her wrist. â€Å"Such a beautiful child. I do hope you know how much Joffrey and I love you.† â€Å"You do?† Sansa said, breathless. Littlefinger was forgotten. Her prince loved her. Nothing else mattered. The queen smiled. â€Å"I think of you almost as my own daughter. And I know the love you bear for Joffrey.† She gave a weary shake of her head. â€Å"I am afraid we have some grave news about your lord father. You must be brave, child.† Her quiet words gave Sansa a chill. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Your father is a traitor, dear,† Lord Varys said. Grand Maester Pycelle lifted his ancient head. â€Å"With my own ears, I heard Lord Eddard swear to our beloved King Robert that he would protect the young princes as if they were his own sons. And yet the moment the king was dead, he called the small council together to steal Prince Joffrey’s rightful throne.† â€Å"No,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t!† The queen picked up a letter. The paper was torn and stiff with dried blood, but the broken seal was her father’s, the direwolf stamped in pale wax. â€Å"We found this on the captain of your household guard, Sansa. It is a letter to my late husband’s brother Stannis, inviting him to take the crown.† â€Å"Please, Your Grace, there’s been a mistake.† Sudden panic made her dizzy and faint. â€Å"Please, send for my father, he’ll tell you, he would never write such a letter, the king was his friend.† â€Å"Robert thought so,† said the queen. â€Å"This betrayal would have broken his heart. The gods are kind, that he did not live to see it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sansa, sweetling, you must see what a dreadful position this has left us in. You are innocent of any wrong, we all know that, and yet you are the daughter of a traitor. How can I allow you to marry my son?† â€Å"But I love him,† Sansa wailed, confused and frightened. What did they mean to do to her? What had they done to her father? It was not supposed to happen this way. She had to wed Joffrey, they were betrothed, he was promised to her, she had even dreamed about it. It wasn’t fair to take him away from her on account of whatever her father might have done. â€Å"How well I know that, child,† Cersei said, her voice so kind and sweet. â€Å"Why else should you have come to me and told me of your father’s plan to send you away from us, if not for love?† â€Å"It was for love,† Sansa said in a rush. â€Å"Father wouldn’t even give me leave to say farewell.† She was the good girl, the obedient girl, but she had felt as wicked as Arya that morning, sneaking away from Septa Mordane, defying her lord father. She had never done anything so willful before, and she would never have done it then if she hadn’t loved Joffrey as much as she did. â€Å"He was going to take me back to Winterfell and marry me to some hedge knight, even though it was Joff I wanted. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.† The king had been her last hope. The king could command Father to let her stay in King’s Landing and marry Prince Joffrey, Sansa knew he could, but the king had always frightened her. He was loud and rough-voiced and drunk as often as not, and he would probably have just sent her back to Lord Eddard, if they even let her see him. So she went to the queen instead, and poured out her heart, and Cersei had listened and thanked her sweetly . . . only then Ser Arys had escorted her to the high room in Maegor’s Holdfast and posted guards, and a few hours later, the fighting had begun outside. â€Å"Please,† she finished, â€Å"you have to let me marry Joffrey, I’ll be ever so good a wife to him, you’ll see. I’ll be a queen just like you, I promise.† Queen Cersei looked to the others. â€Å"My lords of the council, what do you say to her plea?† â€Å"The poor child,† murmured Varys. â€Å"A love so true and innocent, Your Grace, it would be cruel to deny it . . . and yet, what can we do? Her father stands condemned.† His soft hands washed each other in a gesture of helpless distress. â€Å"A child born of traitor’s seed will find that betrayal comes naturally to her,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"She is a sweet thing now, but in ten years, who can say what treasons she may hatch?† â€Å"No,† Sansa said, horrified. â€Å"I’m not, I’d never . . . I wouldn’t betray Joffrey, I love him, I swear it, I do.† â€Å"Oh, so poignant,† said Varys. â€Å"And yet, it is truly said that blood runs truer than oaths.† â€Å"She reminds me of the mother, not the father,† Lord Petyr Baelish said quietly. â€Å"Look at her. The hair, the eyes. She is the very image of Cat at the same age.† The queen looked at her, troubled, and yet Sansa could see kindness in her clear green eyes. â€Å"Child,† she said, â€Å"if I could truly believe that you were not like your father, why nothing should please me more than to see you wed to my Joffrey. I know he loves you with all his heart.† She sighed. â€Å"And yet, I fear that Lord Varys and the Grand Maester have the right of it. The blood will tell. I have only to remember how your sister set her wolf on my son.† â€Å"I’m not like Arya,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"She has the traitor’s blood, not me. I’m good, ask Septa Mordane, she’ll tell you, I only want to be Joffrey’s loyal and loving wife.† She felt the weight of Cersei’s eyes as the queen studied her face. â€Å"I believe you mean it, child.† She turned to face the others. â€Å"My lords, it seems to me that if the rest of her kin were to remain loyal in this terrible time, that would go a long way toward laying our fears to rest.† Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his huge soft beard, his wide brow furrowed in thought. â€Å"Lord Eddard has three sons.† â€Å"Mere boys,† Lord Petyr said with a shrug. â€Å"I should be more concerned with Lady Catelyn and the Tullys.† The queen took Sansa’s hand in both of hers. â€Å"Child, do you know your letters?† Sansa nodded nervously. She could read and write better than any of her brothers, although she was hopeless at sums. â€Å"I am pleased to hear that. Perhaps there is hope for you and Joffrey still . . . â€Å" â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"You must write your lady mother, and your brother, the eldest . . . what is his name?† â€Å"Robb,† Sansa said. â€Å"The word of your lord father’s treason will no doubt reach them soon. Better that it should come from you. You must tell them how Lord Eddard betrayed his king.† Sansa wanted Joffrey desperately, but she did not think she had the courage to do as the queen was asking. â€Å"But he never . . . I don’t . . . Your Grace, I wouldn’t know what to say . . . â€Å" The queen patted her hand. â€Å"We will tell you what to write, child. The important thing is that you urge Lady Catelyn and your brother to keep the king’s peace.† â€Å"It will go hard for them if they don’t,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"By the love you bear them, you must urge them to walk the path of wisdom.† â€Å"Your lady mother will no doubt fear for you dreadfully,† the queen said. â€Å"You must tell her that you are well and in our care, that we are treating you gently and seeing to your every want. Bid them to come to King’s Landing and pledge their fealty to Joffrey when he takes his throne. If they do that . . . why, then we shall know that there is no taint in your blood, and when you come into the flower of your womanhood, you shall wed the king in the Great Sept of Baelor, before the eyes of gods and men.† . . . wed the king . . . The words made her breath come faster, yet still Sansa hesitated. â€Å"Perhaps . . . if I might see my father, talk to him about . . . â€Å" â€Å"Treason?† Lord Varys hinted. â€Å"You disappoint me, Sansa,† the queen said, with eyes gone hard as stones. â€Å"We’ve told you of your father’s crimes. If you are truly as loyal as you say, why should you want to see him?† â€Å"I . . . I only meant . . . † Sansa felt her eyes grow wet. â€Å"He’s not . . . please, he hasn’t been . . . hurt, or . . . or . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard has not been harmed,† the queen said. â€Å"But . . . what’s to become of him?† â€Å"That is a matter for the king to decide,† Grand Maester Pycelle announced ponderously. The king! Sansa blinked back her tears. Joffrey was the king now, she thought. Her gallant prince would never hurt her father, no matter what he might have done. If she went to him and pleaded for mercy, she was certain he’d listen. He had to listen, he loved her, even the queen said so. Joff would need to punish Father, the lords would expect it, but perhaps he could send him back to Winterfell, or exile him to one of the Free Cities across the narrow sea. It would only have to be for a few years. By then she and Joffrey would be married. Once she was queen, she could persuade Joff to bring Father back and grant him a pardon. Only . . . if Mother or Robb did anything treasonous, called the banners or refused to swear fealty or anything, it would all go wrong. Her Joffrey was good and kind, she knew it in her heart, but a king had to be stern with rebels. She had to make them understand, she had to! â€Å"I’ll . . . I’ll write the letters,† Sansa told them. With a smile as warm as the sunrise, Cersei Lannister leaned close and kissed her gently on the cheek. â€Å"I knew you would. Joffrey will be so proud when I tell him what courage and good sense you’ve shown here today.† In the end, she wrote four letters. To her mother, the Lady Catelyn Stark, and to her brothers at Winterfell, and to her aunt and her grandfather as well, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie, and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. By the time she had done, her fingers were cramped and stiff and stained with ink. Varys had her father’s seal. She warmed the pale white beeswax over a candle, poured it carefully, and watched as the eunuch stamped each letter with the direwolf of House Stark. Jeyne Poole and all her things were gone when Ser Mandon Moore returned Sansa to the high tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. No more weeping, she thought gratefully. Yet somehow it seemed colder with Jeyne gone, even after she’d built a fire. She pulled a chair close to the hearth, took down one of her favorite books, and lost herself in the stories of Florian and Jonquil, of Lady Shella and the Rainbow Knight, of valiant Prince Aemon and his doomed love for his brother’s queen. It was not until later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, that Sansa realized she had forgotten to ask about her sister. A Game of Thrones Chapter Fiftyone Jeyne Poole had been confined with her, but Jeyne was useless. Her face was puffy from all her crying, and she could not seem to stop sobbing about her father. â€Å"I’m certain your father is well,† Sansa told her when she had finally gotten the dress buttoned right. â€Å"I’ll ask the queen to let you see him.† She thought that kindness might lift Jeyne’s spirits, but the other girl just looked at her with red, swollen eyes and began to cry all the harder. She was such a child. Sansa had wept too, the first day. Even within the stout walls of Maegor’s Holdfast, with her door closed and barred, it was hard not to be terrified when the killing began. She had grown up to the sound of steel in the yard, and scarcely a day of her life had passed without hearing the clash of sword on sword, yet somehow knowing that the fighting was real made all the difference in the world. She heard it as she had never heard it before, and there were other sounds as well, grunts of pain, angry curses, shouts for help, and the moans of wounded and dying men. In the songs, the knights never screamed nor begged for mercy. So she wept, pleading through her door for them to tell her what was happening, calling for her father, for Septa Mordane, for the king, for her gallant prince. If the men guarding her heard her pleas, they gave no answer. The only time the door opened was late that night, when they thrust Jeyne Poole inside, bruised and shaking. â€Å"They’re killing everyone,† the steward’s daughter had shrieked at her. She went on and on. The Hound had broken down her door with a warhammer, she said. There were bodies on the stair of the Tower of the Hand, and the steps were slick with blood. Sansa dried her own tears as she struggled to comfort her friend. They went to sleep in the same bed, cradled in each other’s arms like sisters. The second day was even worse. The room where Sansa had been confined was at the top of the highest tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. From its window, she could see that the heavy iron portcullis in the gatehouse was down, and the drawbridge drawn up over the deep dry moat that separated the keep-within-a-keep from the larger castle that surrounded it. Lannister guardsmen prowled the walls with spears and crossbows to hand. The fighting was over, and the silence of the grave had settled over the Red Keep. The only sounds were Jeyne Poole’s endless whimpers and sobs. They were fed—hard cheese and fresh-baked bread and milk to break their fast, roast chicken and greens at midday, and a late supper of beef and barley stew—but the servants who brought the meals would not answer Sansa’s questions. That evening, some women brought her clothes from the Tower of the Hand, and some of Jeyne’s things as well, but they seemed nearly as frightened as Jeyne, and when she tried to talk to them, they fled from her as if she had the grey plague. The guards outside the door still refused to let them leave the room. â€Å"Please, I need to speak to the queen again,† Sansa told them, as she told everyone she saw that day. â€Å"She’ll want to talk to me, I know she will. Tell her I want to see her, please. If not the queen, then Prince Joffrey, if you’d be so kind. We’re to marry when we’re older.† At sunset on the second day, a great bell began to ring. Its voice was deep and sonorous, and the long slow clanging filled Sansa with a sense of dread. The ringing went on and on, and after a while they heard other bells answering from the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya’s Hill. The sound rumbled across the city like thunder, warning of the storm to come. â€Å"What is it?† Jeyne asked, covering her ears. â€Å"Why are they ringing the bells?† â€Å"The king is dead.† Sansa could not say how she knew it, yet she did. The slow, endless clanging filled their room, as mournful as a dirge. Had some enemy stormed the castle and murdered King Robert? Was that the meaning of the fighting they had heard? She went to sleep wondering, restless, and fearful. Was her beautiful Joffrey the king now? Or had they killed him too? She was afraid for him, and for her father. If only they would tell her what was happening . . . That night Sansa dreamt of Joffrey on the throne, with herself seated beside him in a gown of woven gold. She had a crown on her head, and everyone she had ever known came before her, to bend the knee and say their courtesies. The next morning, the morning of the third day, Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard came to escort her to the queen. Ser Boros was an ugly man with a broad chest and short, bandy legs. His nose was flat, his cheeks baggy with jowls, his hair grey and brittle. Today he wore white velvet, and his snowy cloak was fastened with a lion brooch. The beast had the soft sheen of gold, and his eyes were tiny rubies. â€Å"You look very handsome and splendid this morning, Ser Boros,† Sansa told him. A lady remembered her courtesies, and she was resolved to be a lady no matter what. â€Å"And you, my lady,† Ser Boros said in a flat voice. â€Å"Her Grace awaits. Come with me.† There were guards outside her door, Lannister men-at-arms in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms. Sansa made herself smile at them pleasantly and bid them a good morning as she passed. It was the first time she had been allowed outside the chamber since Ser Arys Oakheart had led her there two mornings past. â€Å"To keep you safe, my sweet one,† Queen Cersei had told her. â€Å"Joffrey would never forgive me if anything happened to his precious.† Sansa had expected that Ser Boros would escort her to the royal apartments, but instead he led her out of Maegor’s Holdfast. The bridge was down again. Some workmen were lowering a man on ropes into the depths of the dry moat. When Sansa peered down, she saw a body impaled on the huge iron spikes below. She averted her eyes quickly, afraid to ask, afraid to look too long, afraid he might be someone she knew. They found Queen Cersei in the council chambers, seated at the head of a long table littered with papers, candles, and blocks of sealing wax. The room was as splendid as any that Sansa had ever seen. She stared in awe at the carved wooden screen and the twin sphinxes that sat beside the door. â€Å"Your Grace,† Ser Boros said when they were ushered inside by another of the Kingsguard, Ser Mandon of the curiously dead face, â€Å"I’ve brought the girl.† Sansa had hoped Joffrey might be with her. Her prince was not there, but three of the king’s councillors were. Lord Petyr Baelish sat on the queen’s left hand, Grand Maester Pycelle at the end of the table, while Lord Varys hovered over them, smelling flowery. All of them were clad in black, she realized with a feeling of dread. Mourning clothes . . . The queen wore a high-collared black silk gown, with a hundred dark red rubies sewn into her bodice, covering her from neck to bosom. They were cut in the shape of teardrops, as if the queen were weeping blood. Cersei smiled to see her, and Sansa thought it was the sweetest and saddest smile she had ever seen. â€Å"Sansa, my sweet child,† she said, â€Å"I know you’ve been asking for me. I’m sorry that I could not send for you sooner. Matters have been very unsettled, and I have not had a moment. I trust my people have been taking good care of you?† â€Å"Everyone has been very sweet and pleasant, Your Grace, thank you ever so much for asking,† Sansa said politely. â€Å"Only, well, no one will talk to us or tell us what’s happened . . . â€Å" â€Å"Us?† Cersei seemed puzzled. â€Å"We put the steward’s girl in with her,† Ser Boros said. â€Å"We did not know what else to do with her.† The queen frowned. â€Å"Next time, you will ask,† she said, her voice sharp. â€Å"The gods only know what sort of tales she’s been filling Sansa’s head with.† â€Å"Jeyne’s scared,† Sansa said. â€Å"She won’t stop crying. I promised her I’d ask if she could see her father.† Old Grand Maester Pycelle lowered his eyes. â€Å"Her father is well, isn’t he?† Sansa said anxiously. She knew there had been fighting, but surely no one would harm a steward. Vayon Poole did not even wear a sword. Queen Cersei looked at each of the councillors in turn. â€Å"I won’t have Sansa fretting needlessly. What shall we do with this little friend of hers, my lords?† Lord Petyr leaned forward. â€Å"I’ll find a place for her.† â€Å"Not in the city,† said the queen. â€Å"Do you take me for a fool?† The queen ignored that. â€Å"Ser Boros, escort this girl to Lord Petyr’s apartments and instruct his people to keep her there until he comes for her. Tell her that Littlefinger will be taking her to see her father, that ought to calm her down. I want her gone before Sansa returns to her chamber.† â€Å"As you command, Your Grace,† Ser Boros said. He bowed deeply, spun on his heel, and took his leave, his long white cloak stirring the air behind him. Sansa was confused. â€Å"I don’t understand,† she said. â€Å"Where is Jeyne’s father? Why can’t Ser Boros take her to him instead of Lord Petyr having to do it?† She had promised herself she would be a lady, gentle as the queen and as strong as her mother, the Lady Catelyn, but all of a sudden she was scared again. For a second she thought she might cry. â€Å"Where are you sending her? She hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s a good girl.† â€Å"She’s upset you,† the queen said gently. â€Å"We can’t be having that. Not another word, now. Lord Baelish will see that Jeyne’s well taken care of, I promise you.† She patted the chair beside her. â€Å"Sit down, Sansa. I want to talk to you.† Sansa seated herself beside the queen. Cersei smiled again, but that did not make her feel any less anxious. Varys was wringing his soft hands together, Grand Maester Pycelle kept his sleepy eyes on the papers in front of him, but she could feel Littlefinger staring. Something about the way the small man looked at her made Sansa feel as though she had no clothes on. Goose bumps pimpled her skin. â€Å"Sweet Sansa,† Queen Cersei said, laying a soft hand on her wrist. â€Å"Such a beautiful child. I do hope you know how much Joffrey and I love you.† â€Å"You do?† Sansa said, breathless. Littlefinger was forgotten. Her prince loved her. Nothing else mattered. The queen smiled. â€Å"I think of you almost as my own daughter. And I know the love you bear for Joffrey.† She gave a weary shake of her head. â€Å"I am afraid we have some grave news about your lord father. You must be brave, child.† Her quiet words gave Sansa a chill. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Your father is a traitor, dear,† Lord Varys said. Grand Maester Pycelle lifted his ancient head. â€Å"With my own ears, I heard Lord Eddard swear to our beloved King Robert that he would protect the young princes as if they were his own sons. And yet the moment the king was dead, he called the small council together to steal Prince Joffrey’s rightful throne.† â€Å"No,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t!† The queen picked up a letter. The paper was torn and stiff with dried blood, but the broken seal was her father’s, the direwolf stamped in pale wax. â€Å"We found this on the captain of your household guard, Sansa. It is a letter to my late husband’s brother Stannis, inviting him to take the crown.† â€Å"Please, Your Grace, there’s been a mistake.† Sudden panic made her dizzy and faint. â€Å"Please, send for my father, he’ll tell you, he would never write such a letter, the king was his friend.† â€Å"Robert thought so,† said the queen. â€Å"This betrayal would have broken his heart. The gods are kind, that he did not live to see it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sansa, sweetling, you must see what a dreadful position this has left us in. You are innocent of any wrong, we all know that, and yet you are the daughter of a traitor. How can I allow you to marry my son?† â€Å"But I love him,† Sansa wailed, confused and frightened. What did they mean to do to her? What had they done to her father? It was not supposed to happen this way. She had to wed Joffrey, they were betrothed, he was promised to her, she had even dreamed about it. It wasn’t fair to take him away from her on account of whatever her father might have done. â€Å"How well I know that, child,† Cersei said, her voice so kind and sweet. â€Å"Why else should you have come to me and told me of your father’s plan to send you away from us, if not for love?† â€Å"It was for love,† Sansa said in a rush. â€Å"Father wouldn’t even give me leave to say farewell.† She was the good girl, the obedient girl, but she had felt as wicked as Arya that morning, sneaking away from Septa Mordane, defying her lord father. She had never done anything so willful before, and she would never have done it then if she hadn’t loved Joffrey as much as she did. â€Å"He was going to take me back to Winterfell and marry me to some hedge knight, even though it was Joff I wanted. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.† The king had been her last hope. The king could command Father to let her stay in King’s Landing and marry Prince Joffrey, Sansa knew he could, but the king had always frightened her. He was loud and rough-voiced and drunk as often as not, and he would probably have just sent her back to Lord Eddard, if they even let her see him. So she went to the queen instead, and poured out her heart, and Cersei had listened and thanked her sweetly . . . only then Ser Arys had escorted her to the high room in Maegor’s Holdfast and posted guards, and a few hours later, the fighting had begun outside. â€Å"Please,† she finished, â€Å"you have to let me marry Joffrey, I’ll be ever so good a wife to him, you’ll see. I’ll be a queen just like you, I promise.† Queen Cersei looked to the others. â€Å"My lords of the council, what do you say to her plea?† â€Å"The poor child,† murmured Varys. â€Å"A love so true and innocent, Your Grace, it would be cruel to deny it . . . and yet, what can we do? Her father stands condemned.† His soft hands washed each other in a gesture of helpless distress. â€Å"A child born of traitor’s seed will find that betrayal comes naturally to her,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"She is a sweet thing now, but in ten years, who can say what treasons she may hatch?† â€Å"No,† Sansa said, horrified. â€Å"I’m not, I’d never . . . I wouldn’t betray Joffrey, I love him, I swear it, I do.† â€Å"Oh, so poignant,† said Varys. â€Å"And yet, it is truly said that blood runs truer than oaths.† â€Å"She reminds me of the mother, not the father,† Lord Petyr Baelish said quietly. â€Å"Look at her. The hair, the eyes. She is the very image of Cat at the same age.† The queen looked at her, troubled, and yet Sansa could see kindness in her clear green eyes. â€Å"Child,† she said, â€Å"if I could truly believe that you were not like your father, why nothing should please me more than to see you wed to my Joffrey. I know he loves you with all his heart.† She sighed. â€Å"And yet, I fear that Lord Varys and the Grand Maester have the right of it. The blood will tell. I have only to remember how your sister set her wolf on my son.† â€Å"I’m not like Arya,† Sansa blurted. â€Å"She has the traitor’s blood, not me. I’m good, ask Septa Mordane, she’ll tell you, I only want to be Joffrey’s loyal and loving wife.† She felt the weight of Cersei’s eyes as the queen studied her face. â€Å"I believe you mean it, child.† She turned to face the others. â€Å"My lords, it seems to me that if the rest of her kin were to remain loyal in this terrible time, that would go a long way toward laying our fears to rest.† Grand Maester Pycelle stroked his huge soft beard, his wide brow furrowed in thought. â€Å"Lord Eddard has three sons.† â€Å"Mere boys,† Lord Petyr said with a shrug. â€Å"I should be more concerned with Lady Catelyn and the Tullys.† The queen took Sansa’s hand in both of hers. â€Å"Child, do you know your letters?† Sansa nodded nervously. She could read and write better than any of her brothers, although she was hopeless at sums. â€Å"I am pleased to hear that. Perhaps there is hope for you and Joffrey still . . . â€Å" â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"You must write your lady mother, and your brother, the eldest . . . what is his name?† â€Å"Robb,† Sansa said. â€Å"The word of your lord father’s treason will no doubt reach them soon. Better that it should come from you. You must tell them how Lord Eddard betrayed his king.† Sansa wanted Joffrey desperately, but she did not think she had the courage to do as the queen was asking. â€Å"But he never . . . I don’t . . . Your Grace, I wouldn’t know what to say . . . â€Å" The queen patted her hand. â€Å"We will tell you what to write, child. The important thing is that you urge Lady Catelyn and your brother to keep the king’s peace.† â€Å"It will go hard for them if they don’t,† said Grand Maester Pycelle. â€Å"By the love you bear them, you must urge them to walk the path of wisdom.† â€Å"Your lady mother will no doubt fear for you dreadfully,† the queen said. â€Å"You must tell her that you are well and in our care, that we are treating you gently and seeing to your every want. Bid them to come to King’s Landing and pledge their fealty to Joffrey when he takes his throne. If they do that . . . why, then we shall know that there is no taint in your blood, and when you come into the flower of your womanhood, you shall wed the king in the Great Sept of Baelor, before the eyes of gods and men.† . . . wed the king . . . The words made her breath come faster, yet still Sansa hesitated. â€Å"Perhaps . . . if I might see my father, talk to him about . . . â€Å" â€Å"Treason?† Lord Varys hinted. â€Å"You disappoint me, Sansa,† the queen said, with eyes gone hard as stones. â€Å"We’ve told you of your father’s crimes. If you are truly as loyal as you say, why should you want to see him?† â€Å"I . . . I only meant . . . † Sansa felt her eyes grow wet. â€Å"He’s not . . . please, he hasn’t been . . . hurt, or . . . or . . . â€Å" â€Å"Lord Eddard has not been harmed,† the queen said. â€Å"But . . . what’s to become of him?† â€Å"That is a matter for the king to decide,† Grand Maester Pycelle announced ponderously. The king! Sansa blinked back her tears. Joffrey was the king now, she thought. Her gallant prince would never hurt her father, no matter what he might have done. If she went to him and pleaded for mercy, she was certain he’d listen. He had to listen, he loved her, even the queen said so. Joff would need to punish Father, the lords would expect it, but perhaps he could send him back to Winterfell, or exile him to one of the Free Cities across the narrow sea. It would only have to be for a few years. By then she and Joffrey would be married. Once she was queen, she could persuade Joff to bring Father back and grant him a pardon. Only . . . if Mother or Robb did anything treasonous, called the banners or refused to swear fealty or anything, it would all go wrong. Her Joffrey was good and kind, she knew it in her heart, but a king had to be stern with rebels. She had to make them understand, she had to! â€Å"I’ll . . . I’ll write the letters,† Sansa told them. With a smile as warm as the sunrise, Cersei Lannister leaned close and kissed her gently on the cheek. â€Å"I knew you would. Joffrey will be so proud when I tell him what courage and good sense you’ve shown here today.† In the end, she wrote four letters. To her mother, the Lady Catelyn Stark, and to her brothers at Winterfell, and to her aunt and her grandfather as well, Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie, and Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun. By the time she had done, her fingers were cramped and stiff and stained with ink. Varys had her father’s seal. She warmed the pale white beeswax over a candle, poured it carefully, and watched as the eunuch stamped each letter with the direwolf of House Stark. Jeyne Poole and all her things were gone when Ser Mandon Moore returned Sansa to the high tower of Maegor’s Holdfast. No more weeping, she thought gratefully. Yet somehow it seemed colder with Jeyne gone, even after she’d built a fire. She pulled a chair close to the hearth, took down one of her favorite books, and lost herself in the stories of Florian and Jonquil, of Lady Shella and the Rainbow Knight, of valiant Prince Aemon and his doomed love for his brother’s queen. It was not until later that night, as she was drifting off to sleep, that Sansa realized she had forgotten to ask about her sister.

Shaping Ethical Contexts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shaping Ethical Contexts - Assignment Example For the clinical psychologists, there is a need to maintain loyalty to the patient for them to open up in therapy, despite the nature of information revealed (Steere 42). The moral foundation of fairness/cheating explains the ethical conflict surrounding payments for services. Although payment is generally expected for services rendered, insurance companies rarely pay for the entire therapy, leading clinical psychologist to contemplate stopping therapy or to falsify information so as not to cause harm to the patient by stopping therapy (Beinart et al 33). Sanctity/degradation can explain the ethical conflict that occurs in doctor-patient relationships, especially due to complications caused by outside interests. This moral foundation emphasizes the abhorrence of improper actions, such as personal or business relationships interfering with the ability to treat patients. Finally, the moral foundation of care/harm can explain the ethical conflict that arises with regards to competence in applying appropriate therapeutic practices. While the patient may require specific treatment, the clinical psychologist may not have the proper training to provide it a nd may have to accept personal limitation to avoid harming the patient (Jensen 46). Survival of the fittest is a phrase originating from the theory of evolution. Posited by Herbert Spencer as an alternative to the description of natural selection mechanisms, it is more commonly utilized to refer to the increased probability of fit organisms/persons to survive a specific test compared to unfit ones (Bradie 51). This phrase is also expressible as a hypothesis or theory, contending that fit individuals are, compared to unfit individuals, in a sense more suited to surviving a specific situation or condition. In this case, the individuals of a species who are best suited to their

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Governance and International Relations Lifeboat Ethics - Essay Example This divide is the basis of much talk within the ranks of the economists and gurus who understand ethics and how it should be implemented across the board . What is even more interesting is the fact that surrounds the determination of resources for the developing nations as they seem to go beyond a certain level of growth within their respective regimes. It is a fact that the world is not that rosy for the underdeveloped countries which essentially have to make both ends meet to ensure that they are on the right path – geared to achieve results which are attainable and positive along the way . On the same token, this paper gives a good look at the lifeboat ethics which indeed is a way to find out where the resource distribution should be acknowledged and how this would mean sheer value for all the nations in the world. Philosophically, it is quintessential to understand the phenomenon behind the lifeboat ethics. This is a term that was proposed by Garrett Hardin, who was an ecologist in the year 1974. Hardin used this metaphor to describe a situation where a lifeboat consisted of 50 people which had room for another 10 individuals to get on board. Since this lifeboat is on the move as it is in the ocean where hundreds of swimmers surround it, the ‘ethics’ element comes in when the dilemma arises with regards to the swimmers . This dilemma discusses whether these swimmers should be taken on board the lifeboat or left as they are at the moment. Hardin believed that the lifeboat metaphor could easily be compared alongside the Spaceship Earth model which consisted of resource distribution where he asserted that a spaceship would be led by a single leader who is essentially the captain of the spaceship. However, the earth lacks a captain4. He also opined that the tragedy of the commons came about from the spaceship model which was completely different from the lifeboat premise where rich nations were seen as the lifeboats while poor countries were termed as the swimmers5. In the same setting, Hardin’s lifeboat ethics resembles closely with the environmental ethics, utilitarianism, resource depletion talks and so on. He uses lifeboat ethics to find out the queries regarding policies such as immigration, foods banks and foreign assistance in the form of aid. Purely from a philosophical perspective, the aspect of lifeboat ethics should be understood with regards to how the policies are drafted for the rich and the poor nations at the same time. This means that their domains are drawn up in such a way that there are successful touch points for the rich countries while extreme losses for the poor ones. This divide is something that has a huge say in deciding who is going wrong and which country needs to pull up its socks to bring harmony within this world in terms o f resource allocation6. Hence lifeboat ethics is a good enough measure of finding out how ethical domains should be understood within the basis of bringing about equality so that no one misses out on the resources which are available throughout the world. In terms of the philosophical undertakings, it is only with the presence of adequate policies that things will get resolved and that too in an amicable fashion for all the nations in the world – without any discrimination whatsoever. Hence attention should be paid towards the philosophical side as well because these remain significant to comprehend within the relevant thick of things. When one discusses the tangent of lifeboat ethics, it is also of paramount essence to gain an insight into what the fallacies are. The future is never known with a particular degree of certainty which is indeed required for the problem at hand. Also there is the basis of no one being likely to be in the situation which has been

Baker v. Carr (1962). The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Essay

Baker v. Carr (1962). The Voting Rights Act of 1965 - Essay Example xamines the underlying causes that preceded this historically important case that sought to ‘even the playing field’ for all citizens and review the immediate and enduring effects of the decision. Charles Baker, a Republican County Judge from Tennessee who resided in that state’s largest city, Memphis, along with a long list of plaintiffs, mostly from urban areas, including the mayor of Nashville, brought a complaint to the U.S. Federal Court in Tennessee in 1959 that would forever alter the way all states apportion their voting districts. Though Baker was not the lone complainant, his name appears on the case because it was, by virtue of the alphabet, at the top of the list. Baker, et al. sued the Secretary of State of Tennessee Joe C. Carr, whose responsibilities included supervising the election process and enforcing the redistricting regulations in that state (Baker v. Carr, 1962). The issue and resolution went far beyond these two individuals for whom the case is known. Baker accurately alleged that the State of Tennessee had not drawn new redistricting borders in 60 years (since 1900) which was in violation of the Tennessee Constitution which mandated that new voting districts be drawn every 10 years. Redistricting following each ten-year census results, as the Founders intended, is done so as to better reflect population growth and decline in different areas of the state and assures fair and more equal government representation. The concern of the plaintiffs was that although more people now lived in cities rather than rural areas as was the case in 1900, the Tennessee legislature was still dominated by the rural population. â€Å"Baker lived in a district whose population had grown larger than some neighboring districts and by the time of the lawsuit, Shelby County, where Memphis is located, had 10 times the population as some of the rural districts of Tennessee. Thus he claimed that Memphis was underrepresented† (Krakow, 2006). Baker, et al.

Analysis of Mill's Idea To Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Mill's Idea To Women - Essay Example They showed superior strength and abilities than that of women due to their physical advantages. Because of the great difference in terms of physiology, women were expected to display an acquiescent nature in society. Later on, when men had stepped in to nearly all major professions, John Stuart Mill, a nineteenth-century philosopher, endeavored to persuade others that women should be given equal rights as men. According to his article entitled Subjection of Women, Mill declares that women are willing to give of themselves in order to make an impact in the development of the society. However, in some ways, they have been dispossessed of their human rights and in other ways have been taught to be reliant on others. At present, through enduring struggle and effort for their rights, women have finally succeeded but a number of obstructions hinder them from freely practicing their rights. Although men, throughout time, subjugated women, the vision of pursuing independence has never cease d. Mill states, â€Å"a considerable number of [women] have occupied themselves practically in [†¦] their own family and household.† (827) During earlier times, women’s rights were not given great significance and it was regarded that their only duties was to take care of family or give birth. Women were limited from making decisions for their lives. Nonetheless, they continued to fight for freedom and equality, and influenced European history with two noteworthy attributes: a bete-noir to warfare and a compulsion to philanthropy (827). Even though women seemed to continually struggle being in a man’s world, their eagerness and assurance to attain inalienable rights has never been lost. In addition, Chinese women also strove for their freedom and became successful when they confronted the unjust sexism in their community. As a depiction and representation of this, Empress Wu, who was a well-known governor in history and who governed during the Tang dynasty, was able to make it into an affluent age in Chinese history. Notwithstanding the disparagement of the people who believed that ruling a country is men’s work, she did not relinquish and eventually made her reign successful. A good number of negative cases about women have presently disappeared, and many cases have provided evidence and proof that women are competent and are able to lead the world to move forward. Illustrious women such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Mother Theresa, Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart, Margaret Thatcher and Oprah Winfrey have contributed, inspired and have influenced the world, to a great extent, by their own efforts. Women’s rights were eventually secured but new encumbrances occurred and prevented females from gaining independence once more. To acquire pleasures and distractions in this materialistic world, some women, particularly the ones who are attractive and beautiful, preferred to live depending on men for support and provision. Fo r the reason that some women fixed their eyes on money and social standing, a number of of them anticipated to marry rich or high-status men in order to be taken care of, to be supported with less problems in careers, to achieve higher education, or to be secured with high-salary jobs. Greed caused them to lose direction and control of their independence. At this point, the problem is no longer about the independence of women, but it is the fact that women did not make full use of their talents and abilities. People must deal with this substantial predicament and re-evaluate what abilities girls should present both in family and in social activities. Poor conduct is intolerable and it causes divergence between principles and morals of the day. Being well

Debating the Atomic Bomb in the New York Times Article

Debating the Atomic Bomb in the New York Times - Article Example This editorial makes it a point to mention that, if a third world war is to be avoided, then the public must become even more involved. The author of this editorial, who is not named, makes the point that scientists are creating weapons that can alter the course of history. As such, they must have a responsibility to ensure these weapons are used as a deterrent, rather than for purposes of evil. The author contends that never before in history have scientists held so much power and, as such, a debate must take place to determine how, if ever, such bombs will be used again. This keeps in line with the political leaning of the New York Times during this time period. The paper, while not necessarily being outspoken critics of war efforts undertaken by the United States, certainly advocated a stance more towards the concept of neutrality. The Atomic Bomb was a big step in the advancement of war technology and editorials in the New York Times during 1945 took a hesitant stance towards its further development. If you will, it would appear that the editorial board of the paper certainly did not want to appear proud of the fact that we had dropped two such massive bombs on Japan. Finally, this editorial piece focused its attention on the beginning to educate the public more about the advances of science. To this point, the author contends that scientific advancement went largely unnoticed. Now that weapons, such as the atomic bomb, are being created, the public must have more of a voice. The obvious point here is made that the decision to use such weapons eventually impacts every citizen in the country, so they need to make their voices heard. This position of getting the public more involved in the affairs of science is the overarching theme of this particular editorial. Analysis The author of this editorial has two main points. The major idea centers on the responsibility that scientists who are in charge of creating such weapons as the atomic bomb have. This respons ibility entails them understanding the power of destruction they hold over the world as these bombs are created. Furthermore, a second underlying theme of the editorial the contention that scientists need to bring the atomic bomb debate to the American people. Since citizens are directly impacted by these weapons use, all of society has the responsibility to let the government know whether or not they approve of its eventual deployment in times of war. The atomic bomb was designed to bring a quick end to any conflict. Scientists developed it with this end result in mind.

Services and Social Marketing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Services and Social Marketing assignment - Essay Example elies on voluntary compliance rather than legal, economic, or coercive forms of influence†, and hence â€Å"in many cases, social marketers cannot promise a direct benefit or immediate payback in return for a proposed behaviour change† (Kotler, Roberto & Lee, 2002, pp.5), thereby making the domain highly challenging. In the light of the intrinsic facets of social marketing, as mentioned above and as has been observed in the case of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), the current report will aim at elaborating the key elements of a successful marketing campaign and while doing so, it will take into account the target markets, the required promotional activities, and the incorporation of a marketing plan. While it is a known fact that â€Å"diarrhoea is the third-highest cause of death in the world in the category of infectious diseases, behind only acute respiratory infections and AIDS† and is responsible for an annual toll that surpasses 2 million, â€Å"the paradox of diarrhoeal disease†, according to Prahalad (2006) â€Å"is that the solution is known and inexpensive, but it is difficult to reach and educate the poor about the need to wash their hands with soap† (Prahalad, 2006, pp.235). Quite obviously, HLL has a huge target market because â€Å"India alone accounts for 30 percent of diarrhoeal deaths in the world† and it is a noteworthy fact that â€Å"in India, 19.2 percent of all children suffer from diarrhoea† (Prahalad, 2006, pp.235). India, being a developing country, is paralysed by certain societal factors such as poverty, illiteracy, and above all, â€Å"lack of sanitation facilities† (Prahalad, 2006, pp.236). It has been report ed that â€Å"up-to-date technology, bright packaging, and savvy marketing of tiny sachets of soap that sold for as little as 2 cents allowed Lever to dominate the market† and as a result, â€Å"investors, sensing the companys deep understanding of the Indian consumer psyche, saw its shares as a proxy for India† (Bloomberg, 2004). As the

MILITARY DISCRIMINIATION ON BLACKS DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD Thesis Proposal

MILITARY DISCRIMINIATION ON BLACKS DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD - Thesis Proposal Example t the outset for their right to bear arms; however the discrimination against them continued even into the war and into measures that were instituted later to put into practices the objective of the Civil War and integrate them into the mainstream. As Frederick Douglass stated: "Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship." (www.archives.gov). The fact that these blacks had fought in the military and supported the noble cause of their nation by bearing arms should have itself counted a great deal towards ensuring that they were treated as equal citizens in American society. However, as the detailed account below shows, America during and after the Civil War was a racially segregated society, in which blacks had been demeaned for generations. The measures instituted to achieve equality were therefore not always successful, rather the discrimination and segregation which had already existed in society continued on even during the reconstruction period. While the objective of federal legislation and constitutional amendments were the achievement of equality, the actual practice lay in the hands of the local and state Governments, which perhaps serves to explain why the discrimination in the military and towards black soldiers continued on in the reconstruction period. A notable example of military discrimination may be noted in the GI bill, which purportedly provided educational opportunities for black soldiers to advance themselves and improve their prospects. Humes (2006) gives the example of a young black American named Monte Posey, who had suffered a disappointment in his military career when his elite training as a fighter pilot came abruptly to an end after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, because military aviators had become superfluous. Posey had been offered two

Greenland Glaciers and Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Greenland Glaciers and Global Warming Essay Global warming, which is the increasing of the average temperature within the air near the Earths surface and the oceans, has caused the glaciers in Greenland to melt, causing the water levels to rise and the climate to change. Global warming is an unfortunate event that is taking place in numerous parts of the world, enabling bizarre and, in some instances, unnatural changes in the weather. Global warming has become most noticeable in the polar regions, amongst the polar icecaps, or in the more iced-over regions of the world, such as in Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, Greenland has become the most common area for quickly-dissolving glaciers, making it the most notorious for climate and weather changes throughout the world. It is difficult to connect weather changes to global warming, though it has been proven that some more pronounced changes are likely to come about, and in fact, already are. One of the most obvious changes involves an increase in precipitation, as well as changes in the average patterns of precipitation, which can lead to flooding and, in turn, drought. The sea levels worldwide will rise, and are rising, as the glaciers melt, which will cause Arctic shrinkage the shrinking of the Arctic region due to climate change. In time, this shrinkage could possibly be seen in other areas, including the Atlantic Ocean. Some other irreversible affects include the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. With the continuously melting Greenland glaciers, these risks are more likely to happen and these changes will only become more obvious and the melting becomes more rapid. Jason Box, a professor at Ohio State and a global warming researcher, has noticed a rapid and unsettling change in the amount of glaciers in Greenland. In an interview in regards to the melting glaciers and global warming, Box stated that we fly over the worlds fastest-deteriorating glacier; and in 2003, we didnt even recognize the place. It had doubled its speed (of shearing off ice) and lost about 6 miles of width (Feran). Box goes on to state the worries that he feels about global warming, as well as pointing out a slight change to weather happenings around the world for instance, a snowstorm in an area that, despite being cold, has never seen such harsh weather. Box feels that this weather event can be linked simultaneously with global warming from the Greenland region. In further studies done by scientists and other global warming researchers, it has been discovered that a huge portion of the Atlantic region is warming just as much and just as fast as the rest of the world (Wilkinson). The scientists have researched and discovered that the temperature has risen 2. 5 degrees in the past half century and that there has been a 140 percent ice loss within a decade. This has caused ice shelves to break up or disappear, exposing the glaciers behind them and speeding up the discharge of ice and fresh water into the ocean (Wilkinson). In the article, Dr. Ian Allison of the Australian Antarctic Division says that the activities taking place in the Atlantic are related to the rising of the air and water temperatures. Allison also stated that the melting of the Greenland glaciers are of the biggest concern, saying that its changes are even more noticeable than those of other regions. In Greenland, the rate of ice loss is getting greater over the last 10 years and the surface ice melt is definitely related to the warming. Allison, whos main focus is that of the Arctic and Atlantic regions, has been keeping close note on the melting glaciers, as well as trying to compare them to changes that have been taking place with weather. The more ice that the Atlantic loses, as well as the rest of the regions under the pressure of global warming, the more heat that comes back to it. When there is no ice to reflect the heat of the sun, the heat permeates through the water, causing the water to warm up even more. The heat is then spread to the remaining glaciers, which causes an almost domino effect, repeating itself until all that can happen is for the sea levels to rise. According to Alan Boyle, a science editor, Greenlands glaciers have been dumping ice into the Atlantic Ocean at a rate thats doubled over the past five years, as researchers have reported. Yet there are many scientists and researchers that are not as worried about the melting of the glaciers as others are; they claim that Greenland has gone through warming before, but the heat had been followed by cooling temperatures. Many of the researchers feel that the same thing is happening again. These scientists are not disregarding the possibility of global warming, but are wary to rule in Greenland as a current problem. Other scientists are against this, saying that Greenland has been warming up 2. 2 times faster than it has in previous years. Greenland is home to one of the worlds largest, and one of the most quickly dissolving, glacier, the Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. The aforementioned glacier has gone from being completely stationary as of 1996 to flowing at a rate of fourteen kilometers a year by 2005; it is because of this that it is considered one of the fastest moving glaciers on the planet. It is also because of this, as well as Greenlands other quickly-melting glaciers, that will play a huge, unwanted role in the rising of the worlds sea levels (Biello). Greenland has become one of the biggest concerns of scientists, due to the alarming rate that its glaciers are melting, as well as to the obvious increase in the temperature. Since Greenland is home to some of the most quickly melting glaciers, as well as to the worlds largest, it will be one of the main purveyors of climate and weather changes throughout the world. Bizarre changes in weather have already been noticed, with many scientists blaming global warming on these changes. Regardless of the fact that Greenland is in a region of its own, what is taking place with its glaciers can affect the entire world; the weather will be the most pronouncedly changed. Horrific weather events will last longer than what is considered average, and they can take place in areas that would not normally see such conditions. Works Cited Biello, David. (17 Feb 2006. ) Greenlands glaciers: Melting and on the move. Scientific American. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? id=greenlands-glaciers-melti. Boyle, Alan. (16 Feb 2006. ) Greenlands glaciers losing ice at faster rate. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/11385475/. Feran, Tim. (24 March 2009. ) Glacier warning us, OSU researcher says. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. columbusdispatch. com/live/content/life/stories/2009/03/24/2_NOVA_ICE. ART_ART_03-24-09_D5_9ADB1F1. html? sid=101. Wilkinson, Marian. (23 March 2009. ) The ice caps are in trouble. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. smh. com. au/environment/earth-hour/theice-caps-areintrouble-200

The Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

The Death Penalty Essay The death penalty is an interwoven controversy. The law is supposed to bring together the basic principles and purposes of society, including the recognition and protection of individual rights to life, liberty, and the security of people and property. The two separate groups of norms that are woven into the death penalty are desirable social principles and respectable moral principles. The death penalty has shown itself to be an ineffective punishment, due to the fact that, it is an immoral and anti-social practice in today’s society. It does not and will not uphold any of the basic principles that are the basis of the law in this country. This country desires revenge, and that is why we have the death penalty. Do not let people fool you with words such as justice and deterrence, because the death penalty serves neither of these purposes. The fact is, the death penalty is not a deterrent of crime, as the death penalty has been proven not to deter crime. The death penalty cannot be called moral, because taking another human life in such a fashion is not moral. Also, there is always the risk that an innocent man’s life may be taken. Now I ask you, is taking an innocent mans life moral. The discriminate way the death penalty is given to minorities is not a socially acceptable occurrence, especially in today’ s society. Last of all, the death penalty is an uneconomical practice, and wastes valuable social resources in a steady stream of court costs that seem never-ending. When you look at all these circumstances combined, it is futile to argue for the death penalty. The facts shown stand against it. In the end, the death penalty looks to be nothing but legalized murder, and there is no other solution but to execute the death penalty once and for all. Any punishment should contribute to the reduction of crime; accordingly, the punishment for a crime should not be so idle a threat or so slight a deprivation that it has no deterrent or incapacitative effects. Most of all, it certainly should not contribute to an increase in crime.(Bedau 259) Does the death penalty really deter crime. The death penalty lobby wants you to believe the answer to that question is yes. But, in fact, it is a resounding no. there is a wide consensus among Americans top criminologists that the death penalty does, or can do, little to reduce rates of criminal violence. The United States is the only Western nation that still allows the death penalty, and we also have one of the highest crime rates. During the 1980s, the death penalty states averaged an annual rate of 7.5 criminal homicides per 100,000, while abolition states averaged a rate of 7.4 per 100,000. That means that murders were actually more common in states with the death penalty. Also, in a nationwide survey of police chiefs and sheriffs, capital punishment was ranked last as a way of reducing violent crime. Only twenty-six percent thought that the death penalty significantly reduces the number of homicides. There is no hard evidence that proves the death penalty has a deterrent effect on criminal violence. Governor William Weld of Massachusetts bolsters his belief of the deterrent effect of the death penalty with data from his gut. Also, Ken Nunneley, an Alabama assistant attorney general in charge of the states capital litigation division, obtains his data from the same source. My gut tells me it has a deterrent, let me put it that way. Whether or not the or use of the death penalty is, has been, or could be a deterrent to homicide is a huge question that can not be on the basis of gut feelings. In the following research project, Michael L. Radelet and Ronald L. Akers sent out questionnaires to seventy former presidents from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, and the Law and Society Association. The presidents were asked to answer some general questions on the basis of your knowledge of the literature and research in criminology.The questions asked were relating to deterrence issues. When asked if they believe or feel that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder or that it lowers the murder rate. Among the sixty-four that responded to the questions, fifty-six or 87.5 percent believe the death penalty does not have a deterrent effect on possible murderers or murder rates. These results chip away at the most important justification for the death penalty.(RadeletAkers 2-3) I believe the reason the death penalty is not a deterrent, is because murderers do not examine risk/reward charts before they kill someone. If a criminal was in a rational state of mind, life imprisonment should be enough to deter them. The fact is, most criminals are not in a rational state of mind. Besides, no criminal commits a crime if he believes he will be caught. There are many moral arguments against the death penalty, that should make us think twice about our reasons for supporting it. The first is the execution of innocent people. As former Supreme Court justice Harry Blackmun said,the execution of an innocent person comes perilously close to simple murder. In fact, it is simple, and one of the most awful aspects of capital punishment. It is impossible to calculate the risk that an innocent person will be executed, but the risk is not zero, as the record of convicted, sentenced, and executed innocents shows. Since 1900, twenty-three people who we now know to be innocent have been murdered by the state. Three hundred and fifty people have been found not guilty while in death row awaiting execution. Yet, the death penalty lobby continues to support this slaughter of innocent people. The second argument is, does the government have the right to kill? Of course we all know the government has the right to self defense, such as, a policeman firing on an armed and dangerous criminal feeling on an armed and dangerous criminal. If we apply the same standards to civilians that we have for the government. A civilian has the right to shoot an intruder as he is entering his home. What if the civilian catches the intruder, incapacitates him, and has him under his control, then shooting the intruder would be considered murder. That is what capital punishment is simple murder. The next argument that I would like to address is, is there a difference between state killing and murder? The end result is the same; one more dead body, one more set of grieving parents, and one more cemetery plot. Every time we execute someone, we send a very confusing message to the American people about the value of human life. Every time we allow an execution, we as a society sink to the same level as the common killer. the people of the United states have blood on their hands, and it will stay there until we end this horrid practice. The final moral argument is that the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment. It is torture to keep someone locked up when they know they are waiting to be killed. To paraphrase Camus, there is no equal retribution unless the convicted felon imprisoned his victim for years, and everyday informed him the date of his death. Also, the methods of executing people have all been found to be excessively cruel. It often takes ten minutes or more for a felon to die in the electric chair. The only methods that is known not to be painful is lethal injection, about which we know very little. The death penalty is full of many abuses, but the most obvious is racial abuse. A 1990 report released by the federal governments General Accounting Office found a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the charging, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty. Professor David Baldus examined sentencing patterns in Georgia in the 1970s. After reviewing over 2,500 homicide cases in that state, controlling for nonracial factors, he concluded that a person acaccused of killing a white was 4.3 times more likely to be sentenced to death than a person accused of killing a black. Also, Stanford Law Review published a study that found similar patterns of racial disparity, based on the race of the victim, in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Virginia. For example, in Arkansas, findings showed that defendants is a case involving a white victim were three and a half times more likely to be sentenced to death; in Illinois, four times; in North Carolina, 4.4 times; and in Mississippi, five times more likely to be sentenced to death than defendants convicted of killing blacks. The death penalty is not now, nor ever has been, a more economical alternative to life imprisonment, said Spangenberg and Walsh in an article in the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. A study by the NY State Defenders Association showed that the cost of capital trial alone is more than double the cost of life imprisonment. In Maryland, a comparison of capital trial costs with and without the death penalty for the years 1979-1984 concluded that a death penalty case costs approximately forty-two percent more than a case resulting in a non-death sentence, according to the federal governments Accounting Office. In 1988 and 1989 the Kansas legislature voted Against reinstating the death penalty after it was informed that reintroduction would involve a first year cost of more than eleven million dollars. All these facts summed up show that the death penalty is not for America. All it does is bring down our morale and our dignity. It shows that we have no respect for human life, just like murderers. I hope that someone will read my essay and put the death penalty to sleep for good.

Case Study Finance Investment Marketing Essay

Case Study Finance Investment Marketing Essay The company we chose for this assignment is Toys R Us. The purposes of doing this assignment are fulfilled the requirement of the subject ABDT3273 Marketing and more understandings in Marketing. Our assignment included the Toys R Us background, segmentation, targeting and positioning, marketing mix strategy, recommendations. Our group members included five members which are Teoh Wen Dee, Tan Si Min, Lim Yong Rou, Michelle Lim Mei Chern and Lim Yee Theng. Toys R Us is the biggest range of hot toys and holiday gifts retailer in Malaysia. The products sold in Toys R Us included education toys, dolls, model cars and so on. In other words, Toys R Us is a comfortable place for children and it is also childrens paradise. In this shop, children can enjoy and gain their knowledge while playing with the toys. R in the Toys R Us represent four different words which are rapid, real, reliable and responsible. In other words, they will best serve their customers, employees, shareholders, communities and kids with the meaning of the R. During the completion of this assignment, we managed to build up strong relationship between our group members and we had learnt how to prepare a proper report of a company. Due to the cooperation carried out by each member in our group, we able to finish this assignment on time. Company Profile Background of Toys R Us Toys R Us is a toy store chain headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, United States. The chain also has locations in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and Canada. The company currently operates 840 stores in the United States and 716 stores in 34 other countries, with some of them under franchises or licenses. The flagship store in New York Citys Times Square is the largest toy store in the world, featuring a colorful Ferris wheel. It is the largest toy-centered retailer and the second largest overall toy retailer in the United States. History of the company Founder Charles Lazarus realized in the companys early days that success in the toy business meant focusing on the everyday shopper, such as a parent searching for the perfect birthday gift or a child is hoping to spend their weekly allowance on a much coveted toy. Today, Toys R Us embodies those same ideals by focusing on a memorable shopping experience for customers through classic, in-demand and exclusive merchandise, unique feature shops, a knowledgeable and toy-trained sales staff and by providing great values every day. Charles initially started Childrens Supermart, which would later evolve into the modern day Toys R Us in Washington, DC during the post-war baby boom era in 1948 as a baby furniture retailer. Its first location was at 2461 18th St, NW, where the nightclub, Madams Organ Blues Bar is currently located. Lazarus began receiving requests from customers for baby toys. After adding baby toys, he got requests for more mature toys. Eventually, the focus of the store changed in 1957 and Toys R Us as it is known today was born in Rockville, Maryland. Toys R Us was acquired in 1966 by Interstate Stores, owner of the White Front and Topps Department Stores as well as Childrens Bargain Town USA, a sister toy store chain to Toys R Us in the American Midwest which would later be rebranded as part of the Toys R Us chain. Li Fung Retailing became a licensee of Toys R Us and acquired 100% ownership of Toys Li Fung (Asia) Ltd in 2002, for the business in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines and Macau with provisions for entry into new geographic markets including other South East Asian countries. Until today, there are 131 stores in 8 Asian markets, 22 stores in Malaysia. Nature of Business Toys R Us is provide a place for children and adults to buy their favorite toys. Their products is not only for play or fun, they are also selling some toys can be educated. In addition, they are selling some outdoor Toys which is camp tent, it provide a family go to outdoor for natural experience. Besides, baby also can found their related product such as diapers, milk bottle. Vision To be the dominant toy and educational toy retailer for children in Asia offering the right products, at the right price, at the right place, at the right time in a pleasurable and convenient shopping environment. Mission To nurture and develop the core competence of the Toys R Us retailing chain for the benefit of our stakeholders (customers, shareholders, and employees). Operations As of mid-Feb, 2011, Toys Li Fung (Asia) Ltd operates 131 stores in 8 Asian markets. In Malaysia, there are 7 main stores, 11 Toys R Us Express stores and 4 Toy Box. Toys R Us stores are located in 6 states in Malaysia where each state have at least one store operated which is Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Pahang and Terengganu and Sarawak, State Shopping Mall Penang Gurney Plaza, Queensbay Mall, Sunway Carnival Kuala Lumpur Ikano Power Centre, One Utama Shopping Centre, Tropicana Mall, Mid Valley Meagamall, Pavillion, Bangsar Village, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Alamanda, Suria KLCC, Great Eastern Mall, IOI Mall, Empire Shopping Gallery Johor Tebrau City Pahang East Coast Mall Terengganu Mesra Mall Sarawak 1 Borneo HyperMall, Miri, Hills Shopping Mall, Kuching Toys R Us. Inc Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gerald L. Storch Executive Vice President, Human Resources Dan Caspersen Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary David J. Schwartz Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer Deborah Derby Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Clay Creasey Oceania Asia (Li Fung Group) North America Europe Trinity Limited Toys (Labuan) Holding Limited CEO: Peter Schats Convenience Retail Asia Limited Li Fung Limited Malaysia Singapore Hong Kong Others Toys Li Fung (M) Sdn. Bhd. Country Manager: Carol Chua The Organizational Chart of Toys R Us in Malaysia Country Manager Account Manager Logistic Manager Sales and Merchandising Manager Other Department Manager Branch Manager (3 in Penang, 12 in Kuala Lumpur, 1in Johor, 1 in Pahang, 1 in Terengganu, and 4 in Sarawak) Supervisors Retail/ Promoter and Royalty Card Recruiters and Others Management Structure of Toys R Us in Malaysia Corporate Social Responsibilities Hot Wheels Celebrity Drive for Charity Challenge event in 2010. Malaysias first F1 driver Alex Yoong put his considerable skills to the test as he took to the Hot Wheels track racing against the clock and three other young drivers from the Lighthouse Children Welfare Home Association. Alex Yoong clocked in a time of 2.5 seconds with his silver Hot Wheels no.11 Mustang, but was beat by a young Hot Wheels driver, Micheal, from the Lighthouse Welfare Home Association who led the pack with a remarkable time of 2.3 seconds. From the 19th to the 28th March, any Hot Wheels enthusiast that partakes in the Hot Wheels Race World Challenge and manages to beat Alex Yoongs time of 2.5 seconds, a toy will be donated towards the Childrens Home of Hope (under the National Cancer Society of Malaysia) and the Lighthouse Children Welfare Home Association. Buy a Toys R Us shopping bag and help a charity. RM1 from each purchase will be donated to charity. Toys R Us gives RM10, 000 to Trinity Childrens Home Toys R Us (Malaysia) donated RM10, 000 to Trinity Childrens Home, Petaling Jaya, at the opening of a new store at Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya in June 2010. Event Description Hot Wheels Celebrity Drive for Charity Challenge event in 2010 A toy will be donated towards the Childrens Home of Hope (under the National Cancer Society of Malaysia) and the Lighthouse Children Welfare Home Association once any Hot Wheels enthusiast that manages to beat Alex Yoong. Buy a Toys R Us shopping bag and help a charity. RM1 from each purchase will be donated to charity Toys R Us gives RM10, 000 to Trinity Childrens Home RM10,000 donated to Trinity Childrens Home, Petaling Jaya. Future Plan Toys R Us retailing is given to Li Fung (Asia) Ltd who have a series of plan in Asia to develop a core competence of the Toys R Us retailing. Consumer market: They have planned to open more and more Toys R Us branches in Malaysia. This will benefit the stakeholders. For consumer, they will be more convenient to buy toys for their children. Toys R Us also provides some educational toys. So that children are not only playing toys for fun but at the same time they are gaining extra knowledge. Besides, company will produce more safety toys to children and parents which fulfill the rules and regulations. Consequently, parents wont worry about the toys are dangerous or harming their children while the children feel happy playing with their toys. Furthermore, company will lead employees to another level which is in line with the 2010 Incentive Plan of Toys R Us Ltd. They will arrange some courses or trainings to employee. Through the courses and trainings, employees can improve their knowledge and skills. This would be benefited to the employees and company. Company will be operated effectively and efficiently as the employees are capable and trained. On the other hand, employees will get higher salary and their ability is improved. In addition, company possesses employees of great ability to produce fun and better toys to children. Consumer will not be worry about the safety issues and enjoy consuming our products. They are intended to make Toys R Us as the retailer of dominant toys and educational toys in Malaysia as well. The company wants to offer a right product and right price to consumers. Moreover, they also want to maximizing wealth of shareholders to satisfy them. It will be benefited both sides which are consumers can get right product and right price and shareholders can maximize their wealth. The company will achieve a good reputation in toy industry. These are the future plans in Toys R Us in Malaysia. Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Segmentation is dividing a market into smaller segments with distinct needs, characteristics, or behaviors that might require separate marketing strategies or mixes. The segmentation made by Toys R Us is according to the demographic segmentation, which consists of dividing the market into groups based on variables such as age, gender, family size, income, occupation, education, religion, race, and nationality. Toys R Us is differentiated by the ages and gender of customers. Based on Population of Malaysia is 28.25 million which is including 27.2% is less than 15 years old, 68.1% is 15 to 64 years old and the rest of 4.7% is more than 65 years old. Their product is selling to customers who are 15 to 64 years old. This is because the customers are more purchasing power to buy toys. They already have source of income to satisfy their wants. For example, teenagers have received their pocket money from their parents; they are saving to buy their toys for collection. Adults have salary from their works; they will spend partly of salary to fulfill their wants. Besides that, young parents also is including in 15 to 64 years old. They are young and modern, so that they will be buy more toys for their children, the education toys also is popular for them, they hope their children can get knowledge through playing toys. Targeting is the second stage of the segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) process. After the market has been separated into its segments, the marketer will select a segment or series of segments and target it. Resources and effort will be targeted at the segment. Their targeting strategies is using differentiated (segmented) marketing which is targets several segments and designs separate offers for each. For example, Toys R Us is segmenting to a small group which is based on income, age and gender. Their products target in toys collector who are more purchasing power to buy their toys. Besides that, toys collector is not miss out any opportunity to buy their favourite toys or limited edition. Compare to children, children is not enough power to influence their parents buy toys for them every moments. Parents only buy toys for them in special events such as birthday, Christmas. They are just a partly customers in Toys R Us. Positioning has come to mean the process by which the marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand or organization. Toys R Us is positioned as the worldwide authority on kids, families and fun. At Toys R Us, they believe that by being rapid, real, reliable and responsible, we will best serve our customers, employees, shareholders, communities and kids. Rapid, we believe that speed is a reflection of our culture. Our team is focused and clear with common, user-friendly processes and solutions; fast and urgent in decision-making an speed-to-market; and quick in adapting to change. Real, our team is urgent, sincere, authentic, helpful to work with and confident. Reliable, being reliable means working as a team so everything can move faster. We are a company that is dependable and we produce what we promise. Responsible, we believe that honesty, integrity and compassion are the foundation upon which we work together and conduct our business. Keeping kids safe is a cornerstone of the brand. Marketing Mix Four Ps of Toys R Us Marketing mix is a composite of product, place, price, and promotion, also referred to as the 4Ps. Each of these elements is an important factor in a companys marketing strategy. These four Ps are the parameters that the marketing manager can control, subject to the internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. The goal is to make decisions that centre the four Ps on the customers in the target market in order to create perceived value and generate a positive response. The Toys R Us marketing mix is always being fine-tuned and thus is never static. Toys R Us is a for-profit organization that has implemented a winning marketing mix within its marketing strategy. Products Firstly, the companys products, products is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption and that might satisfy a want or need of consumer. Types of consumer goods in Toys R Us is a shopping products, thats, it is bought less frequently and there is brand comparison on basis of price, quality and style. The distribution channel which they are using is selective distribution, the outlets can easily found in the area. Besides that, the advertising and personal selling of their product is undertaken by both producer and reseller. Toys R Us is famous for their products quality, their product is in the performance product quality dimensions. For their product feature, the cost of the company is usually lower than others and creates a value to their customer and therefore, they always is the first choice of consumer. The branding and packaging are also the attracted part of their product. Toys R Us have a high recognition within consumer, consumer usually will choose the brand which is well-known that can help them to identifies the product quality and consistency. Besides that, a giraffe cartoon was introduced as Toys R Us mascot with the name of Geoffrey the Giraffe. In the packaging part, the product of Toys R Us is ensure the consumers safety. They will ensure that the products do not bring any harm for childrens health and safety and the instructions of using is provide for every single toys. Toys R Us was also introduced its own private brands such as Babies R Us. They introduced the exclusive line of baby essential-diapers, wipes, baby foods and toys. The product in the store is separated to six different zones. In Family and Fun zones, they provide the games which help parents to take interest in children, communicate, and spend time enjoying entertaining activities with them. For Educational zones, the children can learn the natural skill while having fun. In the Tween zones and Outdoor and Sports zones, the toy is usually for the children above two years old and can let the children sharing the fun with their friends or with parents. Besides that, the item in Toys R Us is also designed to meet the specific needs of boys and girls such as Barbie Shop, The Auto World and etc. The consumer can easily found and spot the toys they need due to the cleverly designed of the store. For example, one entire section of shelves is fully devoted to dolls. The shelves in this section are painted pink with tiny flowers decorating them, and it can easily being seen and recognise by children. Doll clothes and doll accessories are also provided in the same section. Price Price is the amount of the money charged for a product or service. It is the only element that produces the revenue while all other element is representing the cost. Toys R Us is using competition-based pricing which means that they are setting prices based on the competitors strategies, costs, prices and market offerings such as Parkson, Jusco and Tesco. When consumer compare based on their own judgement of a similar products value, Toys R Us always be consumer first choice. The cost of the company of Toys R Us is definitely lower due to their low cost of supply as they owning largest manufacturer, Hasbro and Martell, and hence they could able to satisfying the customer by the low price and create high customer value. For example, as a competitor for Toys R Us, Jusco also provide a high quality toys but the toys is limited and not as many choice as Toys R Us. As for pricing, Toys R Us is much more lower than Jusco. For example, the price of the Battery Operated Rabbit at Toys R Us is only RM39.95 while for Jusco is RM49.90. The pricing adjustment strategy of Toys R Us is seasonal pricing. They will have a promotional during special event such as school holiday or festive season Christmas. And sometimes, they will temporary reduce the price to increase the short run sales by using promotional price adjustment strategies. With member card or the star card of Toys R Us, the member can purchase the item with low price while enjoying the rewards and benefits. Besides that, they are using market penetration pricing as their new product pricing strategies. They setting low initial price for their new product to stimulate their sales quickly and increase their market share. For example, Toys R Us comes with the low price guarantee and they are request that if you find the same toys being sold elsewhere at a lower price, customer can just bring original receipt within 7 days and will gladly refund the difference. Promotion Promotion is referring to the short term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. The promotion can be towards final buyers, retailers, customers or the member of the sales force. Promotion of Toys R Us normally is during school holidays. This is because Christmas and New Year is in school holidays. Toys R Us will inform members through send email, post notice in their website or social network (Facebook) and banner in front of their outlets for promotion. During the school holiday, children usually will spent their time by playing games and thus it is the right timing to had a promotion. And for the festive season such as Christmas, parents can buy their children a toys as a presents at a lower price. They also offer coupons and the gift certificates to those member and non-member which help them to attract new customer and keep the current customer. Toys R Us having a personal selling towards their customer and allow them to interact with the consumer through face to face and enable them to access to customer needs and wants efficiently. For example, they provide more sales assistance to helps the customer to access the details of the item they needed. One of the strategy of Toys R Us to build the long term customer relationship is provide the membership to increase the customer value and satisfaction where members can purchase the item with member price which are more cheaper than the original price and now they are also offering Star Card which customer can enjoy a lots of rewards and benefits. Besides that, Toy R Us is offered a lots of services, such as, delivery service, free wrapping service and also exchange and refund service in which the item purchased can be exchanged or refunded within 14 days from date of purchase. Place Place or a distribution is where the product can be found, such as in physical stores and online purchase, it includes everything connected with getting the product from the place to the customer. A distribution channel is the route a product takes from the place it is made to the customer who is the end users. Toys R Us is consider as consider as selective distribution, that is, their outlets can being found by customer in a area. The type of distributing channel they are using is multichannel distributing whereby they set up two or more marketing channel to reach more customer segments. Besides that, Toys R Us which located in a shopping mall can let the customer found it easily and brought more convenience for customer which they do not need drive to a place only for seeking for toys. For example, in Penang, there are Toys R Us store in Queensbay Mall, Gurney Plaza and Sunway Carnival. There are 20 stores of Toys R Us in Malaysia: 6 Main stores, 7 Toys R Us Express stores and 5 Toy Box. In addition, they are using the selling direct strategies where the product is selling direct to customer in their outlets without go through intermediaries. For example, Toys R Us are act as the franchise for Li Fung where the product are taking directly from them and selling to the customer. Customers Toys R Us (Producer) Agent (Li Fung Group) Toys R Us also has an online store, which provides customers the convenience of allowing them to make Internet purchase and purchase returns. Customer can also search the actual location of stores of Toys R Us through internet. Recommendations Our group had investigated on marketing department of Toys R Us in Malaysia such as their company background, segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) and also marketing mix strategy (4Ps product, price, promotion and placement). So, we give some recommendations to Toys R Us company in Malaysia. Based on our research, the segmentation of the company is using demographic characteristic such as gender and age. We recommend it should add in local culture which is region of country. Since the company have franchises in difference countries, so they can sell some toys related to the cultures of the country. Toys R Us can produce some traditional toys such as congkak represent the culture of Malaysia. When foreigners come to toys R Us Malaysia, they can buy toys as souvenirs for their friends or relatives. Furthermore, most of the toys sold in Toys R Us are based on Disney movies or cartoons such as Spiderman, Transformer, Toy Story and etc. They need to pay copyright fees or other administration fees to relevant departments before produce the toys. So the price of toys is relatively higher, so we recommend that the company can produce and design their own toys; it will lead their cost to be lower and develop their own products. For example, they can produce more series of toys or relevant products such as Geoffrey and friends. Moreover, promotion of the Toys R Us is mostly during school holidays. It is because usually Christmas and New Year are in school holidays. They will send an email to each member; place notice in social network (facebook) and banner in front of their outlets inform the public about their latest promotions. However, their promotion is not publicly known by everyone. This resulted losing potential customers. A smart consumer will only buy things during promotions, so to get more customers in Toys R Us, we have put more effort in some special event. In line to that, we suggest promotions held by Toys R Us should be more actively run some event related with their products such as Logo competition, fashion show of Barbie doll. In conclusion, we recommend Toys R Us add in local culture for produce some toys represent Malaysia, produce more own toys and also conduct some special event for their company. Dont forget that your explanation or examples MUST BE in MALAYSIA context, as I saw some of it using US context. Format of the assignment, fonts size, tab..please double check Conclusion Toys R Us is a company which sells toys to children all around the world. It provides many types of toys to parents to choose for their children. There are 22 stores in Malaysia which is in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Terengganu, Pahang and Sarawak. Besides, Toys R Us is doing Corporate Social Responsibilities, for example, Buy a Toys R Us shopping bag and help a charity. In their future plan, they planned to open more branches in Malaysia. Toys R Us is using demographic segmentation for their business such as age. Toys R Us are focusing on the age of the children so that they can produce more toys according to the ages. Toys R Us is targeting parents who have purchasing power to buy toys for their children and those toys collectors. Toys R Us positioned as the Worldwide authority on kids, families and fun and there are many meaning about the letter R which is real, rapid, reliable and responsible. The marketing mix of Toys R Us is products, price, promotion and placement. Their product is a shopping product, their category different kind of toys. For example, Boys zone, Girls zone, family fun games, educational toys, tween zone, sport outdoor and Baby R Us. Price is based on competition-based pricing because customers more sensitive in price, they will compare price of product with different company. Most of their promotion is banner in front of outlets, send email to member, notice in website and social network. Place is Toys R us produce toys to agent, then agent is selling to final customer. Recommendation by us is produce some toys to add in local culture, produce more own toys represent Toys R Us and also conduct some special event for their company. Department of Statistic Malaysia , http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=54%3Apopulation-updated-31072009catid=35%3Akey-statisticsItemid=53lang=en,2010, Population,2 July, view 2 March 2011. Toys R Us, http://www.toysrusinc.com/about-us/, 1999, company info, view 25 February 2011. Marketing Teacher, http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-segmentation.html, 2010, segmentation, 28 February 2011. Toys R Us Malaysia, http://www.toysrus.com.my/inside/about.htm, company info, view 18 February 2011.