‘On My First Sonne’ by Ben Johnson and ‘Mother Any Distance’ by Simon Armitage Essay

From reading ‘On My First Sonne’ by Ben Johnson and ‘Mother Any Distance’ by Simon Armitage I can see that both of these poems are based on a parent/ child relationship. There are two main types of relationships one is where two things interact an example of this could be a car on a road. This would show us how us how the two things would fit with each other. The other type of relationship which we could have would be things such as Marriage, by Blood etc. In the Poem Mother Any Distance the relationship in it is both of those two described above because there is a relationship between the two people which is very straight forward who could be measuring and there the close relationship between the mother and son by blood. In Mother Any Distance both of the parties are still alive therefore the relationship between the two parties is able to continue, therefore the relationship between the two is able to change through out their live. Where as in On My First Sonne one of the parties is dead this then leading into a fixed relationship between the two existing in the memory of one. By looking at both of these poems I can see that the structures of these two poems are completely different. When looking at it for the first time you can clearly see that Mother Any Distance has three stanzas where as On My First Sonne there is only one stanza. By reading the poem On My First Sonne the one stanza completely makes sense, but if you just read one stanza in isolation in Mother Any Distance you can get different views about the situation depending on which stanza you read. If you read all three stanzas (as the poet intended), it changes again showing that there is a relationship between the three stanzas. In On My First Sonne you can see that there are rhyming couplets throughout the poem. Whereas in Mother Any Distance there is only two sets of rhyming couplets this is at the end of the first stanza and at the end of the third stanza which seems to finish the poem with a flourish. In this poem I can see that there are internal rhymes some of the lines rhyme and some do not. Old things such as God and fate are used in the poem On My First Sonne. This shows us that this poem is older than Mother Any Distance. In Mother Any Distance things are slightly more modern such as ‘Space Walk’. On My First Sonne there is a lot of rhetorical questions such as ‘ O, could I loose all Father, now.’ There is a use of enjambment in the one poem Mother Any Distance ‘ up the stairs, the line still feeding out, unreeling years between us. Anchor. Kite.’ This is enjambment because you could jus read the line saying ‘ up the stairs, the line still feeding out, unreeling’ this would make perfect sense in which the context it is used in but, if continue to read onto the next line without stopping it still makes sense. Both poems are clearly a conversation between the writer and the subject of the poem. Because, Ben Johnson is talking to his dead son and Simon Armitage is talking to his mother. Mother Any Distance uses a extended metaphor which is the tape measure. The ways in which he is able to do this is by explaining the emotional distance between his mother and himself and by explaining how to measure a room, ‘unreeling years between us’. In My First Sonne there is also a extended metaphor which is the loan of his child from god ‘Seven yeeres tho’wert lent to me and I thee pay’. When reading Mother Any Distance I get a powerful image of the son space walking through the empty bedrooms. The language in both of these poems is completely different this could be to the fact that they were completely different people but the main reason is due to the fact that they both lived in completely different worlds. Sonne uses words like ‘yeeres’ and ‘miserie’ which are Middle English words whereas the words in Mother are Modern English words. In Mother Any Distance the words that stood out to me where ‘Anchor. Kite.’ This stood out to me due to the fact that these two items are completely different to each other and sum up the whole poem. The words that stood out the most to me in On My First Sonne were ‘and fleshes rage,’ this caught my eye because the expression ‘fleshes rage’ is more powerful than just using the words growing old. ‘To have so soone scap’d worlds’ quoted in line 7 in On My First Sonne is alliteration. The themes of the poems are the same because they are both writing about their feelings towards a blood relative. They both express their feelings of loss towards someone for whom they feel affection. However in some ways the poems are quiet different this being due to the fact that in ‘On My First Sonne’ Ben Johnson is the father who has lost a blood relative whereas in Mother Any Distance it is the child who is losing a blood relative. The difference being is that Ben Johnson blames himself for the tragic incident because that is generally what parents do, ‘My sinne was too much hope of thee’. Simon Armitage is the child and does not blame anyone for the what is happing he just believes that it is the way of life. On My First Sonne Ben Johnson has no doubt about how he feels about his son whereas in Mother Any Distance Simon Armitage is unsure about how he feels for his mother. Both of these poems don’t really make me feel anything in particular, but I did feel some sympathy for the mother in Mother any Distance. I did feel sympathy because I think that the mother probably didn’t understand how her son was feeling about her. On the other hand I do feel some empathy for Ben Johnson in On My First Sonne this was due to the fact that I have also lost a blood relative in my life. This means that I was able to connect to the poem easily because I was able to put myself in his situation. I hope that my relative has found ‘ Rest In Soft Peace’. I had a preference for Mother Any Distance due to the fact that the language was more modern and was easier for me to understand. This was probably because it was written by a younger person and it was also written a long time after the other poem.

R.C Air Plane

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF RADIO CONTROLLED AIRPLANE Group Members: ADEEL AHMAD(080304) BABUR MANSOOR(080316) BILAL IFTIKHAR(080319) HAFIZ FAIZAN SHABBIR USMANI(080332) BE MECHATRONICS (7-A) Project Supervisor Group Captain (R) Muzaffar Ali Assistant Professor DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AIR UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF RADIO CONTROLLED AIRPLANE Final Year Project Report (Fall) DEPARTMENT OF MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF RADIO CONTROLLED AIRPLANE Submitted By: ADEEL AHMAD(080304)BABUR MANSOOR(080316) BILAL IFTIKHAR(080319) HAFIZ FAIZAN SHABBIR USMANI(080332) Project Supervisor ____________________________ Assistant Professor, Group Captain (R) Muzaffar Ali Head of Department ____________________________ Professor/Dean/Chair Department, Engr. Dr. Zafar-ullah-Koreshi Page IAcknowledgement. Page IITable of Contents: Chapter 1: IntroductionPage No. 02 1. 1 Basic IntroductionPage No. 03 1. 2 Transmitter/ReceiverPage No. 04 1. 3 Microcontroller Page No. 05 1. 4 Digital GyroscopePage No. 05 Chapter 2: Literature Review Page No. 06 2. History Page No. 07 Chapter 3: Modeling & DesignPage No. 08 3. 1 Modeling of DC Servo Motors Page No. 09 3. 2 Design of RC PlanePage No. 11 3. 3 Major Parts of RC PlanePage No. 12 3. 4 Mechanical AnalysisPage No. Chapter 4: ReferencesPage No. 14 4. 1 BooksPage No. 15 4. 2 WebsitesPage No. 15 Acknowledgements Apart from the efforts from us, the success of this project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this project.We would like to show our greatest appreciation to our project Supervisor Assistant Professor, Engr. Muzaffar Ali. We can’t say thank you enough for his tremendous support and help. We feel motivated and encouraged every time we attend his meeting. Without his encouragement and guidance this proje ct would not have materialized. Needless to mention that Sir Raheel Afzal & Sir Moeen Maboob, Lab Engineers, who had been a source of inspiration and for their timely guidance in the conduct of our project work. We would also like to thank all the Faculty Members for all their valuable assistance in the project work.Finally, yet importantly, We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our beloved parents for their blessings, our friends/classmates for their help and wishes for the successful completion of this project. Chapter # 1 Introduction 1. 1: Basic Introduction Radio Controlled (RC) plane is basically a smaller prototype of an actual aircraft and its dynamics are relatively difficult to understand. For RC Plane there is 3-degree of freedom. Important parameters are: roll, pitch and yaw. To achieve control of these parameters, there are three control surfaces ailerons, elevators and rudder. 1. : Transmitter/Receiver †¢ A Transmitter is an electronic device that gener ates and amplifies a carrier wave, modulates it with a meaningful signal derived from speech or other sources, and radiates the resulting signal from an antenna. The transmitter used for project has 6 channels and is programmable for both airplanes and helicopters. It has a 3-way flap switch, aileron and elevator dual rate switches, rudder mix switch, gear and aux2 switch. A preset memory makes it possible to set up several different models on the same radio. †¢ A  Receiver  converts signals from a radio  antenna  to a usable form.It uses  electronic filters  to separate a wanted  radio frequency  signal from all other signals, the  electronic amplifier  increases the level suitable for further processing, and finally recovers the desired information through  demodulation  and  decoding. Information carried on a radio signal may represent sound, images or data. We are using a 6 channel tiny 4 grams receiver with signal path diversity. 1. 3: Microcontro ller We will be using Arduino AT-Mega 328 Microcontroller and it has a dedicated PWM pin. It has built in ADC therefore no external ADC is required and it is very much faster than Atmel Microcontrollers . 4: Digital Gyroscope How Gyroscopes Work: Gyroscope can balance on almost on any surface with single contact: It can be a finger or even a string. They can resist motion about the spin axis in very odd ways; but the most interesting effect is that gravity-defying part which is called  Precession. We will be using Eclectic Gyroscope in our RC Plane to provide it with stable Flight. We are using Gyro ITG 3200. Chapter # 2 Literature Review 2. 1: History The earliest examples of electronically guided model aircraft were hydrogen-filled model  airships  of the late 19th century.They were flown as a music hall act around theater auditoriums using a basic form of spark-emitted radio signal. In 1920s, the  Royal Aircraft Establishment  of Britain built and tested the Larynx, a  monoplane  with a 100-mile (160  km) range powered by a Lynx engine. It was not until the 1930s that the British came up with the Queen Bee, a modified  de Havilland Tiger Moth, and similar target aircraft. Radio control technology has been in use since 1893, when Nikola Tesla created a boat that was controlled by transmitted radio waves. In 1917, the first radio controlled airplane was successful.During World War II, Germany tried a variety of weapons that were operated by radio control. Radio controlled model airplanes have evolved over the years and seen improvements since that first flight in 1917. Chapter # 3 Modeling & Design 3. 1 Modeling of DC Servo Motrors 3. 2: Design of RC Plane 3. 3: Major Parts Of RC Plane Rudder Flex the rudder back and forth to loosen up the foam hinge. The less force needed to move the rudder the less stress is put on the servo during flight. Alternatively cut them off and use clear packing tape to re-attach them, one slice on each side. [pic ] ElevatorAdjust the travel adjust value to the maximum allowed before the servo begins to bind. [pic] Wings Helps the Plane in gliding and to increase the surface area of the plane. [pic] Aileron For maximum throw, the aileron wing servo has to be swapped around vertically. The servo head should be pointing toward the back instead of the leading wing edge 4. Mechanical Analysis All dimensions of the Plane are From National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics  (NACA) , we selected the NACA series of 0015 as it was cheaper to fabricate. The Analysis of the Aerofoil was performed on Gambit & Fluent as these software are used for fluid analysis.We calculated the Coefficient of Drag & Lift using these software to determine whether the plane will fly or not. The coordinates of the NACA series 0015 was taken from the NACA site. Theoretical Calculations †¢ Length of Aerofoil (chord)= 19 cm †¢ Max Thickness of Aerofoil=2. 85 cm (2. 85/19)*100= 15 We Know that our Aerofoil is Symm etrical, therefore the The NACA Series number of our Foil is 0015 †¢ The NACA 0015 airfoil is symmetrical, the 00 indicating that it has no camber. The 15 indicates that the airfoil has a 15% thickness to chord length ratio: it is 15% as thick as it is long.NACA 0015 1. 000000, 0. 001580 0. 950000, 0. 010080 0. 900000, 0. 018100 0. 800000, 0. 032790 0. 700000, 0. 045800 0. 600000, 0. 057040 0. 500000, 0. 066170 0. 400000, 0. 072540 0. 300000, 0. 075020 0. 250000, 0. 074270 0. 200000, 0. 071720 0. 150000, 0. 066820 0. 100000, 0. 058530 0. 075000, 0. 052500 0. 050000, 0. 044430 0. 025000, 0. 032680 0. 012500, 0. 023670 0. 000000, 0. 000000 0. 012500, -0. 023670 0. 025000, -0. 032680 0. 050000, -0. 044430 0. 075000, -0. 052500 0. 100000, -0. 058530 0. 150000, -0. 066820 0. 200000, -0. 071720 . 250000, -0. 074270 0. 300000, -0. 075020 0. 400000, -0. 072540 0. 500000, -0. 066170 0. 600000, -0. 057040 0. 700000, -0. 045800 0. 800000, -0. 032790 0. 900000, -0. 018100 0. 950000, -0. 01 0080 1. 000000, -0. 001580 Chapter # 4 References 6. 1: Reference Books 6. 2: References Web-Sites file:///G:/GBx%20Brushless%20Motor%20Calculator. htm http://www. futaba-rc. com/ http://www. mathworks. com/products/sl-design-optimization/demos. html? file=/products/demos/shipping/sldo/spe_servomotor. html http://www. futaba-rc. com/servos/brushless. html www. Wikipedia. com

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Margaret Thatcher and her political career Term Paper

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ENG Wa 9 - Essay Example The constitution was weak. At one period between 1919 and 1933, there were 28 different parties in government. There were only coalition governments. From 1918 to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the government did nothing to improve widespread poverty, massive inflation and unemployment. They remained basically ineffective for 13 years, a point in which Hitler used to gain popularity. Upon signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the social and economic situation of the country became drastically worse. The government lost all credibility setting the stage for the growth of nationalism, anti-Semitism and the rise of the 3rd Reich . The purpose of this paper is to show why the German people had no choice but to accept the 3rd Reich. When a country is in such economic and social turmoil, it sets the stage for a dictator and totalitarian regime. The paper will conclude by showing how a country changes from economic turmoil to WWII. The Treaty of Versailles set the stage and there w as no other choice. Towards the end of the war, in January of 1918, President Wilson proposed to the US Congress the "Fourteen Points" and "Four principles". He sent the proposal to the Germans on the 5th of November 1918. (http://www.germanculture.com.ua) The new Weimar Republic was created November 9th 1918 on the premise that the Wilson proposition would be ratified as part of the peace settlement. The armistice was asked for November 11, 1918. Cease fire began by a country who thought they were winning the war at home and had no idea of the losses on the front.().France and Britain wanted retribution. They wanted Germany to be reduced to a insignificant European country.(Duffy 2004 ) .Of Wilson's Fourteen Points, nothing was taken into account other than the creation of the League of Nations. (Fuller 2010) Germany was completely demoralized. Had the proposal been considered, the blame of World War I would have been shared, and reparations would not have fallen completely on one country. The German people had no faith in the new governing powers. The Weimar Republic stayed in power from 1918 to 1933.(Wadell) In 1919, a new constitution was drawn, but it was never ratified. The fallacies of the constitution were later used by Hitler to gain toletarian power when he became Chancellor in 1933. Though it was a democratic constitution, " the president had the right to dismiss the cabinet, dissolve the Reichstag, and veto legislation. The legislative powers of the Reichstag were further weakened by the provision for presidential recourse to popular plebiscite. Article 48, the so-called emergency clause, accorded the president the right to allow the cabinet to govern without the consent of parliament whenever it was deemed essential to maintaining public order". Defining public order was highly subjective. (http://www.germanculture.com.ua) Â   In 1918, the economic situation was catastrophic. The government had no power to improve the financial situation of its c itizens. One is four men lost his life in battle which was equivalent to one third of the civilian population. The advances of mass production of technology required human labor to operate the machines and financial stability to finance the investment in the machines. Had the 14 Points been signed, Germany would have had a chance to recover its losses. (Karpovsky) Germany was forced to sign a treaty. The Treaty of Versailles was compiled in

Independent Auditors Management Letter Essay Example for Free

Independent Auditors Management Letter Essay To the Honorable Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida: We have audited the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of Lee County, Florida (the County) as of and for the year ended September 30, 2011, and have issued our report thereon dated March 8, 2012. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America; the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; and OMB Circular A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and NonProfit Organizations. We have issued our Independent Auditors Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards, Independent Auditors’ Report on Compliance with Requirements that Could Have a Direct and Material Effect on Each Major Federal Awards Program and State Financial Assistance Project and on Internal Control Over Compliance, and Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Disclosures in those reports and schedule, which are dated March 8, 2012, should be considered in conjunction with this management letter. Additionally, our audit was conducted in accordance with Chapter 10.550, Rules of the Auditor General, which governs the conduct of local governmental entity audits performed in the State of Florida. This letter includes the following information, which is not included in the aforementioned auditors’ reports or schedule. Section 10.554(1)(i)1., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we determine whether or not corrective actions have been taken to address findings and recommendations made in the preceding annual financial audit report. There were no findings and recommendations made in the preceding annual financial audit report with respect to the Board of County Commissioners (the â€Å"Board†). With respect to the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Property Appraiser, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, and Tax Collector (collectively the â€Å"County agencies†), reference to whether corrective actions have been taken is provided in separate management letters for each County agency. Section 10.554(1)(i)2., Rules of the Auditor General, requires our audit to include a review of the provisions of Section 218.415, Florida Statutes, regarding the investment of public funds. In connection with our audit of the financial statements of the County, nothing came to our attention that would cause us to believe that the County was in noncompliance with Section 218.415 regarding the investment of public funds. Section 10.554(1)(i)3., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we address in the management letter any recommendations to improve financial management. In connection with our audit of the Board, we did not have any such findings. Reference to such matters is provided in separ ate letters for each County agency, where applicable. Section 10.554(1)(i)4., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we address violations of provisions of contracts or grant agreements, or abuse, that have occurred, or are likely to have occurred, that have an effect on the financial statements that is less than material but more than inconsequential. In connection with our audit, we did not have any findings other than those reported in the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs. Section 10.554(1)(i)5., Rules of the Auditor General, provides that the auditor may, based on professional judgment, report the following matters that have an inconsequential effect on financial statements, considering both quantitative and qualitative factors: (1) violations of provisions of contracts or grant agreements, fraud, illegal acts, or abuse, and (2) deficiencies in internal control that are not significant deficiencies. Reference to such matters is provided in Appendix A for the Board. We did not audit the responses to our recommendations, which are also provided in Appendix A, and, accordingly, we express no opinion on them. Reference to such matters is provided in separate management letters for each County agency, where applicable. Section 10.554(1)(i)6., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that the name or official title and legal authority for the primary government and each component unit of the reporting entity be disclosed in the management letter, unless disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. Such disclosure is included in the notes to the financial statements. Section 10.554(1)(i)7.a., Rules of the Auditor General, requires a statement be included as to whether or not the local governmental entity has met one or more of the conditions described in Section 218.503(1), Florida Statutes, and identification of the specific condition(s) met. In connection with our audit of the financial statements of the County, the results of our tests did not indicate the County met any of the specified conditions of a financial emergency contained in Section 218.503(1). However, our audit does not provide a legal determination on the County’s compliance with this requirement. Section 10.554(1)(i)7.b., Rules of the Auditor General, requires that we determine whether the annual financial report for the County for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services pursuant to Section 218.32(1)(a), Florida Statutes, is in agreement with the annual financial audit report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011. Our comparison of the financial report filed with the Florida Department of Financial Services to the County’s 2011 audited financial statements resulted in no material differences. Pursuant to Sections 10.554(1)(i)7.c. and 10.556(7), Rules of the Auditor General, we applied financial condition assessment procedures as of September 30, 2011. It is managements responsibility to monitor the Countys financial condition, and our financial condition assessment was based in part on representations made by management and the review of financial information provided by same. This letter is intended solely for the information and use of management, the Board of County Commissioners of Lee County, Florida, the Florida Auditor General and applicable federal and state agencies, and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. Orlando, Florida March 8, 2012 LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Appendix A – Management Letter Comments For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 Observation 2011-A Statement of Condition: The Clerk’s Finance and Records Department periodically reviews construction in progress with the County departments to determine which projects should be capitalized and depreciated. However, we noted during our audit that the governmental activities construction in progress balance at September 30, 2011 included certain projects that had been completed or abandoned before year-end. Criteria: Construction in progress projects should be reclassified to depreciable assets once substantially completed and available for service. If the County determines a project is no longer viable, the construction in progress should be expensed. Effect of condition: Construction in progress for governmental activities in the amount of $8,061,000 was not reclassified as depreciable assets at September 30, 2011, and related depreciation expen se and accumulated depreciation were not recorded. In addition, the County expensed $1,242,000 of construction in progress for a project that was abandoned. Cause of condition: The process in place for notification of when construction in progress is substantially complete and available for service or when projects are no longer viable, was not sufficient to identify such projects for proper recording. Recommendation: We recommend that County departments be more diligent in reviewing the status of construction in progress and notify the Clerk’s Finance and Records Department when projects are substantially complete and available for service or when they determine a project should be abandoned. Management’s response: We have asked our external auditors to provide instruction to the Board’s fiscal personnel on this matter, including the importance of capitalizing or writing off construction in progress in a timely manner. Observation 2011-B Statement of Condition: The cost of interest related to borrowings on construction in progress had not been sufficiently capitalized prior to audit review. Criteria: Accounting principles state that interest shall be capitalized for assets in enterprise funds that are constructed for the enterprises own use if the effect of expensing such interest is material. Effect of condition: Capitalized interest cost related to construction in progress was recalculated and recorded in the amount of approximately $1 million. Cause of condition: The calculation of capitalized interest had not included all construction in progress on which interest was to be capitalized. Recommendation: We recommend that the Clerk’s Finance and Records Department review construction in progress annually and determine the amount of interest that should be capitalized. Management’s response: The issue was related to accruing interest for construction in progress based on the total amount of construction in progress rather than the amount that was capitalized in the current year. This has been corrected. LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA Appendix A – Management Letter Comments For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 Observation 2011-C Statement of Condition: During our testing of cash management compliance for the Emergency Operations Center State grant, it was noted that $138,000 of expenditures, out of $849,000 in total, were not requested for reimbursement in the annual reimbursement request. Criteria: Reimbursements requests should include all expenditures for which the County has disbursed payment to vendors for the specific time period. Effect of Condition: Reimbursement for certain invoices was not requested and the County did not receive all of the monies to which it was entitled in a timely manner, which could result in cash flow issues for the program. Cause of Condition: The County did not reconcile the reimbursement request to the accounting records. Recommendation: We recommend that management establish a process to reconcile to the accounting records when preparing reimbursement requests. Management’s Response: Future requests for reimbursement will be made in the same year that they were expended. Observation 2011-D Statement of Condition: The County’s practice has been to write off uncollectable EMS receivables as bad debt expenditures. Criteria: Discounts and allowances in revenue-related governmental fund accounts should be recorded as revenue reductions, rather than as bad debt expenditures. Effect of Condition: EMS revenues and bad debt expenditures were overstated by $6,106,000. This also created a financial statement budget variance because bad debt expenditures have been recorded but not budgeted. Cause of Condition: The long-standing County practice has been to record all uncollectable receivables as bad debt expenditures. Recommendation: We recommend that management modify accounting practices to reduce revenue for uncollectable revenue-related governmental fund accounts receivable. Management’s Response: We will look at this issue in the upcoming fiscal year and handle it appropriately.

Decline of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW)

Decline of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) Introduction What does labor want? It wants the earth and the fullness thereof. There is nothing too beautiful, too lofty, and too ennobling unless it is within the scope and aspiration of labors aspirations and wants. We want more schoolhouses and less jails more books and less arsenals more learning and less vice more constant work and less crime more leisure and less greed more justice and less revenge in fact, more of the opportunities to make childhood more joyful womanhood more beautiful and manhood more noble. (Samuel Gompers, 1893) Organizations that deal with corporations, firms and other organization for the benefits of the workers on the behalf of members of union are generally termed as union. There are present different types of unions for example trade union, represent workers who do a specific type of job e.g. the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Then there is industrial union that indicates workers in a specific industry. United Auto Workers (UAW) is a good example of industrial union (Brent Radcliffe, 2011). A large number of economists consider union as monopolies in the labor market. They believe that the rise in the wages of members, at the expense of unorganized labor is the main impact of union. These researchers analyzed the negative impact of unions on the productivity, employment, and the subsequent crowding of the nonunion zone. In addition there are present another group of economist who believe that unions have positive affecting both politically and economically. These skilled analysts noted that unions could increase retention of skills and developments. When a market is national or international, with output produced in one plant competing with that produced in other plants, independent bargaining by individual locals would lose unions their monopoly power, as locals would compete for jobs through lower wages. . . . The result would be a reduction in wages to more or less competitive levels. Unions can help in the achieving higher productivity and better management by increasing morale of workers, reducing labor turnover, and cooperation. Unions also help in providing well-organized workplace for better results. This is very much true that unions reduce profit (Richard B. Freeman and James L. Medoff, 1984). In todays globalized world, there is great need of union for number of reasons e.g. there is great increase in compensation, workers are hired according to their ranks, the gap between labor and management decreases both in terms of wages and in representation. There are present different viewpoints on the necessity and efficiency of unions. The problems faced by UAW at General Motors had raised the issue on the importance of unions in the future and in the modern society. In 1998, a harsh fight raged between the company and union. To remain competitive in the market the companies needed to change their strategies and increase their competence. Lower-cost outsourcing is very usual in the companies. Outsourcing involves the selling off business divisions in order to have a more focused and profitable company. United Auto Workers struggled for the union jobs.UAW were against the outsourcing (Korey Harlyn Coon, 1999). In the United States, the workers who have a stab to make unions are usually fired. If the management saw workers engaged in any collective activities, they are consistently harassed and stressed. The workers are permanently replaced if found in such activities like struggling for their rights (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). Stipend earners or salary earners has started an organization for the protection of their combined interests while dealing with their company and this organization is known as labor union. Generally, in the industrialized countries the unions are widespread. In the last 30-40 years, in most countries, there is large decline in the unions (representing workers). In 1950s, the unions of the United States represented about one-third of all workers but today less than 15 percent of the workforce represents the unions. In the private zone the labor force is less than 10 percent (in the late 90s the unions represented 30-40 percent of public sector workers). In the past decade s the workers union was considered as very strong force in the United States but these days the situations are opposite (Comstock, 1994). The industrial unions of the United States have large number of unionized workers. The workers of the industrial unions have large variety of occupation (within one or more industries). United Automobile Workers (UAW) is an excellent example of industrial union. The most important American automobile companies have both skilled and unskilled workers and in these companies, UAW has separate contract for workers. However, the industrial unions started by arranging workers in the single industry or set of allied industries. In the tractor and earthmoving equipment industry (Caterpillar and John Deere), UAW also represents workers. At the end of 1990s UAW across the country added different groups such as Graphics Artists Guild (3,000 members), the National Writers Union (5,000 members), and various service, technical, and graduate student employees at more than 20 colleges and universities. Decline of Union The history of union membership in the United States has noticeably changed. In US for almost 200 years, the unions (in some forms) have been in existence. Until 1930s, the unions membership did not gained significant position. In 1953, the union membership rose from 3 percent to 26 percent of the labor force in United States and in 1962 declined to 21 percent. The most ingenious and flourishing auto industry, the United Auto Workers (UAW) had faced tremendous decline by losing thousands of members in the 70s and 80s. At that time there were hardly six percent union workers who were engaged in product manufacturing (subtracting non-manufactures like nurses, civil servants, police, teachers, etc) because without base membership is not retained (David Macaray, 2008). In United States (1953), the union membership increased from 3 percent to 26 percent and declined to 21 percent in 1962. The quick expansion in employment in the nonunion organizations (governmental, finance, trade etc) is one of the factors responsible for decline of union. During the great depression, 1929-1933, another half million union members were dropped. The new deal era (1933- 1939) brought new legislation which helped in increasing members. The Auto Workers and the Machinists unions were top ranked that showed largest increase in the members of union during wartime but after the war (Leo Troy, 1965). In shaping the union, the legislation plays a key role. The workers can perform their work without any fear of wages any other problem. UAW played a significant role after World War II, in increasing labor movement, job security, and health care. Many researchers think that cause of decline is both external and internal. In the American economy, there is elementary shift from industrialized to service-based jobs. Globalization has made capital more mobile. Through this, employees got the opportunity to shift from lower to higher wages job. In addition, the political environment favored the economy. Labor law premeditated to protect the rights of labors. Some workers have the thought that by negotiation with the employers they can get better chance of work place. The workers have the feeling that negotiation is better than bargaining. This is because the workers have lost confidence in the ability of unions (Yates, 1998). The internal causes of labors decline are believed to be the willingness of workers to enter into a cooperative relationship with capital in the years following World War II. During the war period, t he unions did their best to establish peace between labor and corporate leaders. The labor also agreed that they would not interfere in the decisions of management. UAW president Bob king said that The UAW was able to win tremendous contracts with employers in the auto, aerospace and agricultural and construction equipment sectors because all three sectors were almost completely unionized, The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) was established in 1935. At this time it had 600,000 members representing the three main auto industries (General motors, Ford and Chrysler). In 1970s, there was great decline in the membership of UAW for some time. The decline indicates that there is great downfall in employment in the automobile and related industries. The UAW was struggling for the jobs of the future generation and not for their own jobs. To achieve their goals they did many strikes. These strikes showed the great decline in the power of the union. UAW chart.png graph1: Decline in UAW membership (source Dale Buss, 2011) The above graph shows the decline in UAW membership from 1979 to 2009. It is very clear that in 1979, the membership was at its peak that is 1.5 million and in 2009; UAW membership fell by 18 percent. According to the annual report submitted by US department of labor the main cause of decline was cut down in jobs (Jerry White, 2010). Union Busting The worlds leading automakers, the General Motors and Delphi (biggest auto parts suppliers of the world) had started union busting attack against the United Auto Workers (UAW). In the past decades, the US workers saw the biggest decline in the actual wages. The Delphi, auto parts supplier to GM, went bankruptcy. The company decided to cut the pays of workers from $27.00 to $10.00 per hour. At the same time, the bosses of GM claimed huge givebacks from UAW. Globalization Globalization is very important in several aspects. Over the past few years, the international competition has been enormously increased due to globalization especially in the economy sector. The higher prices on the imports have been cut down. Also due to increased competition, the domestic competitors were forced to give great benefits to their unionized workers. In unionized sector, the employment declines while in nonunion industries employment expanded. Moreover, the companies shut down or seal their plant, if union attempts to raise the profit of the workers and start new production in other country where costs are less. Globally the auto industry had become very competitive. In the 1980s, UAW responded to Asian and European growing challenges by abandoning any assault on jobs and on the living standards. Job Banks UAW in 1984 started a program called Jobs Banks,. The autoworkers get $31 per hour. Each year $70,000 to $85,000 are paid (for not to work) to UAW members. These workers are getting their full pay and all the benefits without working. They do not care about the loss of the company. This practice of allotting funds to the workers cost billions of dollars (approximately $4.5 billion) to the companies. Health Insurance The Negotiation of the union with the companies for the health benefits of members of union resulted in the decline of UAW, the auto industry. According to the survey of 2002, UAW wasted money as the big three (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) spent nearly $10 billion on health insurance. Roughly, each car pays the cost of $1,500 for health insurance. In this way, the money spent on health insurance is greater than the money spent on the steel for the construction of the car. In contrast to UAW, Toyota has less health insurance. Assault of Fund To fill the incursion funds The United Auto Workers (UAW) used nearly $ 1 billion dues of its workers. No other union performs such a pact to fill the strike funds. It was estimated that 30 percent from the pay of UAW member was given to fulfill the assault of fund. Other unions by negotiation with its member full fill this gap (without using the workers dues). Luxurious Resort UAW constructed luxurious resort, The Black Lake Resort and Golf club. The finance for construction was drawn from union dues. The UAW union members are allowed to visit the resort. The labor agreement between UAW and three big automakers In 2007, a historic negotiation took place between the Big Three automakers (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) and the United Autoworkers (UAW). Both the parties were aware of the significant of the agreement. They knew that to survive in this technical era and to compete with of global economy this agreement help them a lot. After the decline in membership, the main aim of the agreement was to protect the jobs and healthcare for the members of union. In addition, the big Three automakers (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) committed to lower the wages for some workers. To achieve the dynamic auto sales and to boom their market shares the agreement plays an important role. (John J. Lucas, and Jonathan M. Furdek, 2009) The recent economic slump had left bad impact on the US auto industry. The majority of Detroit autoworkers are represented by, United Auto Workers (UAW) union. They give allowances on its pay and benefits package. The UAW negotiates with the company to protect this package (Tony Escobar). The growth of non-union workers in the plant is also a cause of decline in UAW membership. Moreover the cars made by foreign companies (whether in the US or elsewhere) are account for more than half the cars sold in this country. It was analyzed that if UAW and other large unions did not get financial and regulatory support from government they will soon be vanished (Gary Becker and Richard Posner, 2008). A survey showed that only one third of UAW members are autoworkers and large percentage of work force is employed by state (includes colleges, universities and health care organizations (Dale Buss, 2011) Conclusion Union plays a very vital role in both political and business environment. They exit in many forms in industries. Unions help workers in obtaining better wages and working conditions. There are present two types of unions, federal and industrial. A large number of economists consider union as monopolies in the labor market. Unions can help in the achieving higher productivity. In industrialized countries, the unions are widespread. In the last 30-40 years, in most countries, there is large decline in the unions. In the past there was tremendous growth in the union membership but today its growth is not to that extend. The United Auto Workers (UAW) had faced tremendous decline by losing thousands of members in the 70s and 80s. In the beginning, there were 1.5 million members of UAW, which declined to 600,000 in 2009. In the past decades, the US workers saw the biggest decline in the actual wages. In 2007, a historic negotiation took place between the Big Three automakers (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) and the United Autoworkers (UAW). The recent economic slump had left bad impact on the US auto industry through the collective bargaining process the unions have reinvented themselves.

Information Security Using Cryptography Information Technology Essay

Information Security Using Cryptography Information Technology Essay This paper aims to provide a total review of Information security and cryptography, Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access (PROXY SERVERS), use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. Governments, military, financial institutions, hospitals, and private businesses amass a great deal of confidential information about their employees, customers, products, research, and financial status. Protecting confidential information is a business requirement, and in many cases also an ethical and legal requirement. SECURITY in this contemporary scenarios has become a more sensible issue either it may be in the REAL WORLD or in the CYBER WORLD. In the real world as opposed to the cyber world an attack is often preceded by information gathering. This is also true in the cyber world. Here the bad guys are referred to as intruders, hackers, hijackers, etc. The intruders would first have a panoramic view of the victims network and then start digging the holes. One of the method for protecting information from hackers is Cryptography Cryptography defined as the science and study of secret writing, concerns the ways in which communications and data can be encoded to prevent disclosure of their contents through message interception, using codes ciphers and other methods, so that only certain people can see the real message. Encryption transforms original information, called plaintext, into transformed information, called cipher text, code text or simply cipher, which usually has the appearance of random, unintelligible data. Encryption provides confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of the information transferred from A to B. INTRODUCTION: The objective of this paper is to provide the reader with an insight into recent developments in the field of cryptography. Cryptography was used as a tool to protect national secrets and strategies. The proliferation of computers and communications systems in the 1960s brought with it a demand from the private sector for means to protect information in digital form and to provide security services. DES, the Data Encryption Standard, is the most well-known cryptographic mechanism. It remains the standard means for securing electronic commerce for many financial institutions around the world. The most striking development in the history of cryptography came in 1976 when Diffie and Hellmann published New Directions in Cryptography. The word cryptography comes from a Greek word which means hidden or secret. It is considered as a miraculous boon that will solve all the computer security problems. It is also referred to as science of secret writing. The objective is to provide security to the appropriate layer among the seven layers of networking infrastructure. This topic can be dealt mathematically also. But our focus is on cyber applications and its vitality. While cryptographers work on inventing clever secret codes, cryptanalysts attempt to break these codes. Cryptology encompasses both the subjects. Symantec is launching Norton 360 in India, an online digital security solutions service that could be paid for on basis of actual usage. The company which has various products to provide information security and retrieval of secured information, is also now into providing a regulatory compliances services. This is a sentence published in the famous newspaper The HINDU .This is an excellent evidence to support the sentence Network security is extremely essential. Two entities A and B wish to work over a secure network .but an intruder interrupts and shares their secrets without their knowledge. Now cryptography has the ability to send information between entities in a way that prevents others from reading it. For instance: If the original message was GIVE TWO MILLION he would have encoded the message with SHIFT BY 3 and so the message would now be JLYHWZRPLOORQ which is obviously in an unreadable format unless you know the method of deciphering. BASIC PRINCIPLES: Key concepts For over twenty years information security has held that confidentiality, integrity and availability (known as the CIA Triad) are the core principles of information security. CIA TRAID Confidentiality Confidentiality is a requisite for maintaining the privacy of the people whose personal information the organization holds. Information that is considered to be confidential in nature must only be accessed, used, copied, or disclosed by persons who have been authorized to access, use, copy, or disclose the information, and then only when there is a genuine need to access, use, copy or disclose the information. A breach of confidentiality occurs when information that is considered to be confidential in nature has been, or may have been, accessed, used, copied, or disclosed to, or by, someone who was not authorized to have access to the information. Integrity In information security, integrity means that data can not be created, changed, or deleted without authorization. A loss of integrity occurs when an employee accidentally, or with malicious intent, deletes important data files. A loss of integrity can occur if a computer virus is released onto the computer. A loss of integrity can occur when an on-line shopper is able to change the price of the product they are purchasing. Availability The concept of availability means that the information, the computing systems used to process the information, and the security controls used to protect the information are all available and functioning correctly when the information is needed. Defense in depth During its life time, information may pass through many different parts of information processing systems. There are many different ways the information and information systems can be threatened. To fully protect the information during its lifetime, each component of the information processing system must have its own protection mechanisms. The building up, layering on and overlapping of security measures is called defense in depth. Additional insight into defense in depth can be gained by thinking of it as forming the layers of an onion, with data at the core of the onion, people as the outer layer of the onion, and network security, host-based security and applications security forming the inner layers of the onion CRYPTOGRAPHY: OVERVIEW: Security Concerns Security Attacks: Interruption Interception Modification Fabrication Methods of defense: Encryption Software Controls Hardware Controls Physical Controls Encryption Cryptography Cryptanalysis Encryption algorithm types: Asymmetric Symmetric Cryptographic Algorithms: Secret key Public key Hash functions History-Caesar cipher A simple substitution cipher Polyalphabetic substitution example Uses of encryption Applications of cryptography Security Concerns: Unauthorized access to resources. Masquerade as authorized user or end system. E-mail forgery. Malicious attacks. Monitoring and capture of network traffic. Exploitation of software bugs Contributing Factors: Increased Internet use: Home broadband, Greater coverage (wired and wireless): More ubiquitous on-line use: Education, Business, Games, Shoppingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Lack of awareness of threats and risks. Wide-open network policies. Unencrypted network traffic. Complexity of security measurements and administration. Software bugs. Availability of cracking tools. Security Attacks: Interruption: This is an attack on Availability. Interception: This is an attack on confidentiality. Modification: This is an attack on integrity. Fabrication: This is an attack on authenticity. Methods of defense: Encryption: Encryption is key enabling technology to implement computer security. Information security uses cryptography to transform usable information into a form that renders it unusable by anyone other than an authorized user; this process is called encryption. Information that has been encrypted (rendered unusable) can be transformed back into its original usable form by an authorized user, who possesses the cryptographic key, through the process of decryption. Cryptography is used in information security to protect information from unauthorized or accidental discloser while the information is in transit (either electronically or physically) and while information is in storage Cryptography can introduce security problems when it is not implemented correctly. The length and strength of the encryption key is also an important consideration. A key that is weak or too short will produce weak encryption. The keys used for encryption and decryption must be protected with the same degree of rigor as any other confidential information. What is cryptography? Cryptography is the science of using mathematics to encrypt and decrypt data. Cryptography enables you to store sensitive information or transmit it across insecure networks (like the Internet) so that it cannot be read by anyone except the intended recipient. While cryptography is the science of securing data, cryptanalysis is the science of analyzing and breaking secure communication. Cryptology embraces both cryptography and cryptanalysis. Strong cryptography: There are two kinds of cryptography in this world: cryptography that will stop your kid sister from reading your files, and cryptography that will stop major governments from reading your files. Cryptographic strength is measured in the time and resources it would require to recover the plaintext. The result of strong cryptography is cipher text that is very difficult to decipher without possession of the appropriate decoding tool. How does cryptography work? A cryptographic algorithm, or cipher, is a mathematical function used in the encryption and decryption process. A cryptographic algorithm works in combination with a key-a word, number, or phrase-to encrypt the plaintext. The same plaintext encrypts to different cipher text with different keys. The security of encrypted data is entirely dependent on two things: the strength of the cryptographic algorithm and the secrecy of the key. A cryptographic algorithm, plus all possible keys and all the protocols that make it work comprise a cryptosystem. Conventional cryptography: In conventional cryptography, also called secret-key or symmetric-key encryption, one key is used both for encryption and decryption. Encryption and decryption: Data that can be read and understood without any special measures is called plaintext or clear text. The method of disguising plaintext in such a way as to hide its substance is called encryption. Encrypting plaintext results in unreadable gibberish called cipher text. You use encryption to ensure that information is hidden from anyone for whom it is not intended, even those who can see the encrypted data. The process of reverting cipher text to its original plaintext is called decryption. This could be illustrated using the following diagram: 001010010111001 100101001011001 001011100100101 Encryption and decryption Why Cryptography? Concerned with developing algorithms which may be used to: Conceal the context of some message from all except the sender and recipient (privacy or secrecy), and/or Verify the correctness of a message to the recipient (authentication) Forms the basis of many technological solutions to computer and communications security problems Elements of cryptography: In cryptographic terminology, the message is called plaintext or clear text. Encoding the contents of the message in such a way that hides its contents from outsiders is called encryption. A method of encryption and decryption is called a cipher The name cipher originates from the Hebrew word Saphar, meaning to number. The encrypted message is called the cipher text. The process of retrieving the plaintext from the cipher text is called decryption. Encryption and decryption usually make use of a key, and the coding method is such that decryption can be performed only by knowing the proper key. Cryptanalysis: The study of principles and methods of transforming an unintelligible message back into an intelligible message without knowledge of the key is called Cryptanalysis. Also called code breaking sometimes. Whereas people who do cryptography are cryptographers and practitioners of cryptanalysis are cryptanalysts. Cryptology Cryptology is the branch of mathematics that studies the mathematical foundations of cryptographic methods. Cryptology comes from the Greek words Krypton, meaning hidden, and Graphen, meaning to write. Cryptology is actually the study of codes and ciphers. Cryptology = both cryptography and cryptanalysis. The Key: All modern algorithms use a key to control encryption and decryption; a message can be decrypted only if the key matches the encryption key. The key used for decryption can be different from the encryption key, but for most algorithms they are the same. Encryption Algorithm Types: There are two classes of key-based algorithms: Symmetric (or secret-key) Asymmetric (or public-key) algorithms The difference is that symmetric algorithms use the same key for encryption and decryption (or the decryption key is easily derived from the encryption key), whereas asymmetric algorithms use a different key for encryption and decryption, and the decryption key cannot be derived from the encryption key. Asymmetric Algorithms: public key Public key cryptography is an asymmetric scheme that uses a pair of keys for encryption: a public key, which encrypts data, and a corresponding private, or secret key for decryption. You publish your public key to the world while keeping your private key secret. Anyone with a copy of your public key can then encrypt information that only you can read. Even people you have never met. It is computationally infeasible to deduce the private key from the public key. Any one who has a public key can encrypt the information but cannot decrypt it. Only the person who has the corresponding private key can decrypt the information. The primary benefit of public key cryptography is that it allows people who have no preexisting security arrangement to exchange messages securely. The need for sender and receiver to share secret keys via some secure channel is eliminated; all communications involve only public keys, and no private key is ever transmitted or shared. Public key algorithm: Symmetric Algorithms Symmetric algorithms can be divided into two categories: (1) stream ciphers and (2) block ciphers. Stream ciphers can encrypt a single bit/byte of plaintext at a time, whereas à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Block ciphers take a number of bits (typically 64 bits in modern ciphers), and encrypt them as a single unit. Secret key and Public key: Hash functions: An improvement on the above scheme is the addition of a one-way hash function in the process. A one-way hash function takes variable-length input-in this case, a message of any length, even thousands or millions of bits-and produces a fixed-length output; say, 160-bits. The hash function ensures that, if the information is changed in any way-even by just one bit-an entirely different output value is produced. As long as a secure hash function is used, there is no way to take someones signature from one document and attach it to another, or to alter a signed message in any way. The slightest change in a signed document will cause the digital signature verification process to fail. Hash Functions History Caesar Cipher: Julius Caesar used a simple alphabet (letter) substitution, offset by 3 letters. Taking the word cipher you would move ahead in the alphabet 3 letters to get FLSKHU. c =3  ® 3+3 = 6  ® F i =9  ® 9+3 = 12  ® L p =16  ® 16+3 = 19  ® S h =8  ® 8+3 = 11  ® K e =5  ® 5+3 = 8  ® H r =18  ® 18+3 = 21  ® U This worked for a while, until more people learned to read and studied his secret cipher. A Simple Substitution Cipher Plaintext: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz QIAYMWFUBKPDGJZSOCVLXNETRH Cipher text: Polyalphabetic Substitution Example: Suppose that a polyalphabetic cipher of period 3 is being used, with the three monoalphabetic ciphers M1, M2, M3 as defined below. To encrypt a message, the first 3 letters of the plaintext are enciphered according to ciphers M1, M2, M3 respectively, with the process being repeated for each subsequent block of 3 plaintext letters. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z M1: K D N H P A W X C Z I M Q J B Y E T U G V R F O S L M2: P A G U K H J B Y D S O E M Q N W F Z I T C V L X R M3: J M F Z R N L D O W G I A K E S U C Q V H Y X T P B Plaintext Now is the time for every good man Ciphertext JCQ CZ VXK VCER AQC PCRTX LBQZ QPK Note: The two os in good have been enciphered as different letters. Also the three letters X in the cipher text represent different letters in the plaintext Uses of Encryption: Protecting data from prying eyes is not the only security issue in networking. One can imagine at least four security services: Protecting data from being read by unauthorized persons Verifying the sender of each message (authentication) Preventing unauthorized persons from inserting or deleting messages Making it possible for users to send signed documents electronically Applications of cryptography: Digital signatures have many applications in information security, including authentication, data integrity, and non-repudiation. One of the most significant applications of digital signatures is the certification of public keys in large networks. Certification is a means for a trusted third party (TTP) to bind the identity of a user to a public key, so that at some later time, other entities can authenticate a public key without assistance from a trusted third party There is a lot of information that we dont want other people to see. This can be achieved by cryptography such as Credit card information Private correspondence Social security numbers Personal details Sensitive company information CONCLUSION: Thus Information security measures are needed to protect data from hackers, when it is transmitted between terminal user and computer and between computer and computer and it is also necessary to protect the computer system when there is an attack of virus. The capability of security enabled components still lags behind the claims. Everyone has a different idea of what security is, and what levels of risk are acceptable. Its important to build systems and networks in such a way that the user is not constantly reminded of the security system around him. As and when new security methods are developed, breaking of these methods has increased. So measures have to be taken to fill the loopholes, of which cryptography has and is playing a major role. Cryptography is evergreen and developments in this area are a better option. Basic security challenges in the corporate realm are not yet completely addressed. Nevertheless the cumbersome combats devised against each of the security fissures, yet the cyber MAVERICKS all around the world are succeeding in their ways of perdition. This was quite evident from the E-attacks on BARC server post-September11th cyber attacks on FBI sites where even sophisticated surveillance systems couldnt come to their rescue. A case in point is that, E-ATTACKS are becoming notoriously peerless as compared with the traditional nuke-wars. Consequently, in the quench of thirst for more and more secured systems BIOMETRICS SYSTEM, QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY and many more are innovatively being implemented at a cumulative pace.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County :: Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is a delightfully entertaining piece of work. The characters are developed beautifully through fantastic descriptions, amusing actions, and mostly through smooth, flowing, and terrific dialogue. The dialogue is, indeed, the main attraction of this event. Simon Wheeler's speech is optimistic, and above all, very friendly. Wheeler tells of Smiley's antics as any great story teller would. Wheeler offers his own observations generously. They are casual and hospitable. Wheeler, speaking of Smiley's betting habit, interjects that, "Why, it never made no difference to him- he'd bet on anything- the dangdest feller" (113). This observation is helpful and funny. Wheeler also offers a fabulous story to illustrate his point. He tells of Smiley making a bet that a man's wife will not improve in health contradictory to what the doctors say. The absurdity of such a bet leaves the reader laughing out loud, in spite of such a morbid joke. Even the frog is personified and molded carefully into the most individual and unique frog ever to hop along. The frog is described by Wheeler as modest, straightforward, and gifted. "Dan'l Webster was the name of the frog..." (114). Daniel's aptitude for intelligent thought is evidenced by his ability to catch flies on command. Again, a most absurd assertion but, nonetheless, very comedic. Oddly, Daniel is compared to a cat. Wheeler observes that, "He'd [Smiley] give him a little pinch behind, and the next minute you'd see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut- see him turn one summerset, or maybe a couple, if he got a good start, and come down flat- footed and all right, like a cat" (114). One could argue that Daniel is the main character of the story. The actual narrator of the story is an old friend of Smiley. The friend's brief relationship with Wheeler is also rather interesting. Twain does not say directly that the man is not particularly fond of Wheeler, but alludes to that throu gh the narrator's dialogue. Smiley's old friend sits down with Wheeler and describes the act as such: "Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the monotonous narrative which follows this paragraph" (113). Through the man's choice of words the reader quickly realizes that this is not a pleasurable experience to him.

Medical Marijuana: A Safe and Effective Alternative Medication Essay

In today’s society, there are certain diseases that are debilitating and causing painful reactions to Americans throughout the United States. The patient with MS who cannot control the spasms created by their disease, the rheumatoid arthritis patient with pain so severe they cannot rest and nothing seems to be easing the pain. Then there is the AIDS patient who cannot eat, as they are so nauseated from the HIV medications that they are taking; these patients have just some of the disease scenarios that medicinal marijuana can help. Many people have long used marijuana for both medicinal and other purposes for many years. However, its modern use is a very controversial issue having both strong supporters as well as firm opponents. With all the clinical studies that have been done on marijuana it has been proven effective enough when compared to conventional treatments to overcome the fact that it is an illegal substance therefore, it should be legalized for medical purpose s. Marijuana has been found, through clinical trials, when used by MS patients or patients with spinal cord injuries that it can relieve spasticity, pain, and tremors. In the AIDS patient, marijuana has been found to quickly relieve nausea and vomiting at the same time increasing the appetite of the patient. This has helped significantly in those patients with AIDS –wasting syndrome. When this happens, the patient who has a lowered or nonexistent immune system becomes susceptible to increased risk of infection and muscle wasting, as they are unable to eat the needed proteins and carbohydrates to support recovery. As of today, 15 states have passed propositions that allow patients the use of medical marijuana. California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington... ...al Medical Marijuana Therapeutics and Research. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. Cohen, Peter J. "Medical Marijuana 2010: It's Time to Fix the Regulatory Vacuum." Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 38.3 (2010): 654+. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Marijuana Facts & Figures." Michigan Health Go Local. MedlinePlus. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. "Study finds no link between marijuana use and death." Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly 26 May 1997: 3+. Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. Ware, Mark A., Tongtong Wang, Stan Shapiro, Ann Robinson, Thierry Ducruet, Thao Huynh, Ann Gamsa, Gary J. Bennett, and Jean-Paul Collet. "Smoked cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain: a randomized controlled trial." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 182.14 (2010): E694+. Nursing and Allied Health Collection. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.

Reduction of Natural Resources Essay -- Environment Developing Essays

Reduction of Natural Resources Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to make known the negative social implications of the â€Å"catching-up development myth† through globalization and to break down specific concepts of vertical and lateral oppression from the top natural resources consumers of oil in the world. This paper also demonstrates my interest in creating biological and economic equity in the world through breaking down these oppressive frameworks and hence, my interest in obtaining knowledge about alternative energy uses to be used as a tool to help liberate others in places of need. The â€Å"catching up development myth† as explained by Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva in Ecofeminism, is the idea that underdeveloped countries (meaning, countries that do not equal or exceed the industrial capabilities of modernized counties like the U.S.), through modern technology, are given equal opportunity to become as economically progressive as other countries like the U.S. It is a false precept in many ways. The U.S. has become a model for industrial countries because it has exploited other underdeveloped countries in order to gain its economic power. If underdeveloped countries were to â€Å"catch-up† to where the U.S. is today, they would also need to find another country that they could exploit as much as the U.S. exploits them. When economic reasons are discussed as to the possibilities of unlimited growth in underdeveloped countries the externalization of cost is almost never factored in. The economic, social, and most importantly ecological costs of constant growth in industrialized countries have been and are shifted to the people of underdeveloped countries. Both economic and social costs can be seen in the Maquiladoras on the b... ... natural resources like oil. Understanding ones role in this conceptual framework is also essential in creating a paradigm shift toward ones own awareness and participation in consuming the world’s natural resources such as oil. Building solar houses, using alternative energy sources for transportation, self-sustainability through growing ones own food can all contribute to creating a paradigm shift towards a more Earth sustaining living environments. These are just a few of the things that both affluent and poor countries can do to help deconstruct the negative codependent relationships that currently exist between each other. Works Cited: Mies, Maria, Shiva Vandana. Ecofeminism, Fernwood Publishing Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1993, pp 60 and 302. Weisman, Alan. Gaviotas, A Village to Reinvent the World, Chelsea Green Publishing Co., Vermont, 1998, pp126-127.

Corporate Governance and its Impact on Firm Risk

This time period was selected based on the ease of availability of data for the variables. BRIEF SUMMARY: Corporate governance measures like board structure, compensation structure and ownership structure are determined by one another, and by variables such as risk, cash flows, firms' size and regulations etc. Firm risk has a role to play in firm performance, because firms that take more risk generally have higher returns. Firms that engage in risky projects are expected to yield better returns that those which lack the appetite to take asks.However, excessive risk taking may prove to be fatal for a firm Family Ownership and Firm Risk – studies the impact of corporate governance (through family control, bank control and ownership concentration) on risk taking of Japanese firms. Bank Ownership and Firm Risk – Banks are expected to have low risk-taking preferences and are most likely to avoid risky ventures. Ownership Structure and Firm Risk – Managerial ownership plays a significant role in firm's risk-taking.Lesser ownership in this regard may hold back the managers to indulge in risky projects. Board Independence and Firm Risk – Structuring of a firm's board of directors also plays a crucial role in reducing the agency costs. Therefore, the role Of the executive board's structure is also crucial for the firm's value. Non-executive directors on the board of directors, acting on the part of external shareholders, are generally expected to monitor firm' s strategy and decision-making in this regard.CRITIQUE: The study on corporate governance has received considerable attention in the past decade or so due to the significant role of corporate governance in enhancing the firms' performance. This research has investigated the impact f various corporate governance measures have been on firm performance and firm value. This study can also contribute to the corporate world by incorporate a vast range of corporate governance variables in the analysis, including bank ownership, family ownership, managerial ownership and board independence.

Intercultural marriage Essay

Intercultural marriages increases the effort needed to be able to maintain a lasting relationship due to factors such as differences in traditions, norms and even language. This can be viewed on the basis of the elements affecting the success and failures of marriages. It is a known fact that committing to a relationship and marrying entails adjustments in every of the individual, physically, socially and emotionally. This is due to the reality that two people that have different personalities and outlooks are bound to make unified decisions. Comparatively, being born from different culture and traditions increases the effort that is needed to be exerted to be able to establish a stable relationship and attain a successful married life. The dedication that is required from the individuals is higher because of the accepted facts that there are added factors that are in need of consideration (Romano, 1997). Scenario of an Intercultural Marriage In the determination of the factors that can affect the process referred to as intercultural marriage, there are two contributing element that are considered. First consideration is the issues that are related to the differences in the traditions and norms of the two individual and second is the factors that lead to and affect marriage. In this view the first area that is needed to be studied are the factors that affect the relationship of two individuals. Primarily, the factors that can affect are the means of communicating. In viewing the onset of intercultural marriages, the couple can meet and communicate through chance whose probability is heightened mainly from intercultural phenomenon such as immigration and relocation that serves as the primary causes of interaction. This can be attributed to the development that is presently occurring in the society. The advancement of the communication technology is also another contributing factor (Bacas, 2003; Constable, 2003). The second important consideration in this type of marriage is the factors that can affect the relationship established between the two individuals of the same culture. The issues that can be considered that has the most influential effects on the union of two persons from different backgrounds are the norms, tradition and the language that is mainly used for communication. It is an accepted notion that people from different culture, may it be geographically-related such of different nation, related to religion and spiritual belief and ethnic backgrounds, has different visions in life (Romano, 1997). The outlook and points of view of every person work on the basis of their background. Thus, every aspect of one’s personality is deeply rooted on their origins which can affect the decisions that will be made in the bounds of the married life.

The Blue Sword CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It was two days later when, as the morning sun shone down on them, Harry first saw Istan again; and she altered their course a little to the north, for it was not the town she was aiming for, but Jack Dedham's garrison. She prayed to anything that might be listening that he would be there, not off on some diplomatic sortie or border-beating. She could not imagine trying to explain her errand to anyone else; she did not think Jack would conclude that she was mad. She did think that anyone else – even Dickie; especially Dickie – would. But even if Jack were at the fort, and believed her story, would he help her? She didn't know, and didn't dare make guesses. But she and Terim and Senay, even with Senay's father's reinforcements, would not be very effective by themselves. Rather more effective than I would have been by myself, though, she thought. The first evening, after Senay and Terim had joined her, and after the animals were settled and the other two human beings were asleep, Harry had cut herself a long straight slender branch from a tree, and stripped it with the short knife she kept in one boot. When they set out that evening she tied it lengthwise to Sungold's saddle, so it rubbed against her right leg as she rode, but at least it did not threaten either of her companions, who rode close at her sides. They eyed it, but said nothing. When she first recognized Istan looming out of the dawn light at them, she paused, took out her knife again, and deliberately ripped several inches of hem from her white tunic, unlashed her branch, and tied the raveling bit of cloth to one end of it. She tucked the other end just under one leg, and held it upright with one hand. â€Å"It is a sign that we come in peace,† she explained, a little sheepishly, to her friends; their faces cleared, and they nodded. It was still very early. The town was silent as they skirted it; nothing, not even a dog, challenged them as they rode toward the fort. Harry found herself watching out of the corners of her eyes, looking for any odd little wisps of fog that might be following them. The dogs ought to bark. She didn't see any fog. She didn't know if either of her companions was a fog-rouser; and she knew only too well that she did not know what she herself was capable of. They rode up to the closed gate of the fort, the horses' hooves making small thunks in the sandy ground, kicking up small puffs of grit; she thought of the fourposter pony, who was no doubt drowsing in his stall now, dreaming of hay. Harry looked at the fort gate in surprise; as she remembered, and she was reasonably sure that she remembered correctly, the gate was opened at dawn, with reveille, and stayed open till taps at sunset. The gate, wooden and iron-barred, in a wall of dull yellow brick, was higher than her head as she sat on Sungold, looking up; and its frame was higher yet. They rode right up to it, and no one hailed them; and they stood in front of it, at a loss, their shadows nodding bemusedly at them from the grey wood before them and Harry's little flag limp at the end of its pole. Narknon went up to the gate and sniffed it. Harry had never thought of the possibility of not being able to get inside the fort in the first place. She rode up next to the gate and hammered on it with her fist. As her flesh struck the solid barrier it sent a tingle up her arm, and a murmur of kelar at the base of her skull told her that she could walk through this wall if she had to, to pursue her purpose. In that instant she realized exactly how Corlath had stolen her from the bedroom that at present was not so far from where Sungold stood; and she understood as well that the kelar must see some use in her errand at the Outlander fort to back her so strongly; and for that she did not know whether to be glad or sorry or fearful. And if fearful, for the sake of whom? Her new people – or her old friends? And she had a quiver of wry sympathy for how the Hill-king must have felt, walking up the Residency stairs in the middle of the night; and then she tipped her head back to stare at the Outlander wall, and touched her calf to her Hill horse's side, to move him away from that wall. â€Å"Since when is this gate closed during daylight?† she shouted; and Homelander speech tasted strange in her mouth, and she wondered if she spoke the words as a Hillwoman might. With her words, the spell, whatever spell it might be, was broken; and the three Hill riders suddenly blinked, as if the sun had grown brighter; and a small panel shot back, beside the gate and above their heads; and a man's face glared down. â€Å"Where did you come from, Hillman, and what do you want of us?† He looked without pleasure at the white rag. â€Å"We came from the Hills,† Harry said, grinning, â€Å"but I am no Hillman; and we would like speech with Colonel Dedham.† The man scowled at her. She suspected that he did not like her knowing Jack's name. â€Å"He does not speak to Hillfolk – or those who ride like Hillfolk,† he added disagreeably. By now there were several faces peering over the wall at them; Harry did not recognize any of them, and found this strange, for she had known at least by sight nearly all of Dedham's men. She had not been gone for so many months that it seemed likely the entire complement of the fort could have changed. She squinted up at them, wondering if her eyes or her memory was playing her tricks. She frowned at her interlocutor's tone. â€Å"You could bear a message to him, then,† she said, trying to decide if it was worth the possibility of some kind of uproar if she said her name. â€Å"Hillfolk – † began the man at the window, and his tone was not encouraging. â€Å"Oh, Bill, for the love of God, the new orders say nothing about rudeness,† said one of the faces at the fence. â€Å"If you won't carry a message as requested, I will – and I'll be sure to mention why an off-duty man had to do it.† â€Å"Tom?† said Harry hesitantly. â€Å"Is that Tom Lloyd?† There was a tense and breathless silence, and the man at the open panel hissed something that sounded like â€Å"witchcraft.† The voice from the fence came again, slowly but clearly: â€Å"This is Tom Lloyd, but you have the advantage of me.† â€Å"True enough,† said Harry dryly, and shook back her hood and looked up at him. â€Å"We danced together, some months ago: my brother, Di – Richard, collected favors from all his tall friends to dance with his large sister.† â€Å"Harry – † said Tom, and leaned over the fence, his shoulders outlined against the light, his face and hands as pale as the desert sand. â€Å"Harry?† â€Å"Yes,† said Harry, shaken at how strange he looked to her, that she had not recognized him before he spoke. â€Å"I need to talk to Colonel Dedham. Is he here?† Harry's heart was in her mouth. â€Å"Yes, he is: reading a six-months-old newspaper from Home over a cup of coffee right now, I'd say.† Tom sounded dazed. â€Å"Bill, you wretch, open the gate. It's Harry Crewe.† Harry's legs were tight on Sungold's sides, and the big horse threw his head up and shivered. â€Å"He don't look like Harry Crewe,† Bill said suddenly. â€Å"And what about the two with him – her? And that funny-colored leopard?† â€Å"They're my friends,† said Harry angrily. â€Å"Either open the gate or at least take my message.† â€Å"I can't leave my post – another man'll have to take the word. I won't open the gate to Hillfolk. It's Hillfolk it's closed for. Tom's too easy. How do I know you're Harry Crewe? You look like a bloody Darian, and you ride like one, and you can't even talk right.† Harry's pulse began to bang in her ears. â€Å"For pity's sake – â€Å" â€Å"Not you, Tom,† said Bill; â€Å"we already know as how you're off duty. Get another man what's on.† â€Å"Don't bother,† said Harry, between her teeth; â€Å"I'll take the message myself. I know where Jack's quarters are.† She dropped her pole in the dust, and, conscious she was doing a supremely stupid thing, she brought Sungold a few more dancing steps away from the gate, turned him, and set him at it. He went up and over with a terrific heave of his hindquarters, and Harry had reason to be grateful for the perfect fit of her saddle; but once in the air he seemed to float, and look around, and he came down as lightly as a blown leaf. He trotted two steps and halted, while Harry tried to look calm and lofty and as though she had known what she was doing all the time. The leap was over in a few seconds, and no one had expected anything so incredible, even from a Hillman; now men were shouting, and there was a crowd all around her. She thought no one would shoot her out of hand, but she wasn't quite sure, so she waited, instead of going in search of Jack Dedham as she had threatened. Sungold stretched his neck out and shook himself. Narknon flowed over the gate behind them – there was a howl of fear and wrath from Bill – and the cat trotted to Sungold and crouched under his belly. But she did not have to look for Jack after all, because the row at the gate brought him at a run scant seconds after Sungold's leap. He rounded the narrow corner of some dark building opposite the place where Sungold stood. The horse lifted first one foot and then another, unaccustomed to such noisy reckless human beings, but still obedient to his rider's wishes. He replaced each foot in just the print it had left. Jack came to a halt, barely avoiding running into them. Sungold pitched his ears toward the balding grey-haired Outlander who stood now, stock still, staring: his eyes traveled from the big chestnut horse down to the laconic cat, up to the horse's rider, and his jaw visibly dropped. Harry's hood was still back on her shoulders, and her bright hair flamed in the young sunlight; he recognized her immediately, although he had never seen such an expression on her face before. A moment passed while he could think of nothing; then he strode forward with a cry of â€Å"Harry!† and raised his arms, and she, a young girl again with a young girl's face, ungracefully tumbled off her horse and into them. He thumped her on the back, as he might have one of his own men back from an impossible mission and long since given up for lost; and then he kissed her heartily on the mouth, which he would not have done to any of his own men; and Harry hugged him around the neck, and then, embarrassed, tried to back away. He held her shoulders a minute longer and stared at her; they were much of a height, and Tom Lloyd, looking wistfully on, found himself thinking that they looked very much alike, for all of the girl's yellow hair and Hill clothing; and he realized, without putting any of it into words, that the girl he had danced with months ago, and thought about as he blacked his boots, and lost sleep over when she disappeared, was gone forever. Harry drew a hasty sleeve across her eyes; and then Tom, emboldened by his commander's behavior, hugged her too, but backed away without meeting her eyes; and Harry, even preoccupied as she was, was briefly puzzled by Tom's air of farewell, and she guessed something of what her brother had never told her. The whole fort was aroused; there were dozens of men standing around staring, and asking questions of one another; some were in uniform, and some looked like they had fallen out of bed a minute before; a few carried rifles and were looking around wildly. A few of those rifles were pointed at Narknon, but the cat had sense enough not to move, or even yawn and display her dangerous-looking fangs. The Outlanders asked each other questions, and there was a lot of shrugging; but while their colonel's evident delight in their sudden Hill visitor allayed any immediate fears they might have, Harry thought they looked tense and wary, as men may who live long under some strain. â€Å"What should I ask first?† said Jack. â€Å"Why are you here? Your horse tells me where you've been these months past – God, what an animal – but I am totally awestruck by the intelligence †¦ although, come to think of it, I don't seem to be surprised. Do you know that the entire station turned out to look for you when you vanished? Although I doubt in fact that you know anything of the sort; I flatter myself I searched as painstakingly as anyone, but what the Hills take, if they mean to keep it, they keep it, and I rather thought they meant to keep you. Everyone was sure the Hillfolk did have something to do with your evaporating like that – although it was more a superstition than a rational conclusion, as nary a trace of anything did we find; no rumors in the marketplace either. Amelia, poor lady, had well-bred hysterics, and Charles chewed his mustaches ragged, and Mrs. Peterson took her girls south to Ootang. And your brother stopped talkin g to everybody, and rode three horses to death – and he takes good care of his horses, usually, or I wouldn't have him here. I don't think he even noticed when Cassie Peterson left.† Harry blushed, and looked at her feet. â€Å"So you see, he does care – you've wondered, haven't you? He wasn't too fond of his commanding officer there for the weeks that it lasted, for I couldn't somehow work up the proper horror – oh, I was worried about you, but I was also †¦ envious.† He looked at her, smiling, wondering what her reaction would be to his words, wondering if he had said the right thing, knowing that the truth was not always its own excuse; knowing that his relief at seeing her made him talk too much and too freely – a reaction that had, often enough in the past, gotten him into trouble with his superior officers. And Harry looked back at him, and she smiled too, but she remembered the vertigo of the Outlander girl alone in a camp of the Hillfolk, surrounded by a people speaking a language she could not speak, whose hopes she did not understand, whose dreams she could not share. The people of the Hills had been her own people's foes for eighty years and more, for she was born and bred a Homelander; how could Jack – even Jack – speak of envy? Her smile froze, and her tunic napped against her back and hips, for she had, somehow, lost her sash, and she had hung Gonturan from Sungold's saddle, so as to look, she hoped, a little less like immediate war. Lost her sash. A Hillman would never lose his sash. What was she? Damalur-sol. Ha. She laid a hand on Sun-gold's shoulder, but when he turned his head to touch her with his nose she was not comforted, for he had lived all his life in the Hills. She wished bitterly that her brother had told her of Tom Lloyd, months ago. That was something she might have understood, and Tom was kind and honest. She swallowed and looked at Jack again, and he saw memory shining in her eyes, and he smiled sadly at her, and was sorry for any further pain his thoughtless words had given her. â€Å"Child,† he said quietly, â€Å"choices are always hard. But do you not think yours is already made?† Harry's fingers combed through her Hill horse's mane, and she said, â€Å"There never was a choice. I ride the only way open to me, and yet often and again it seems to me I am dangerously unfit for it.† She laughed a little and shakily. â€Å"It seems to me further that it is very odd that fate should lay so careful a trail and spend so little time preparing the one that must follow it.† Jack nodded. â€Å"It is not the sort of thing that is recorded in official histories, but I believe that such thoughts have come not infrequently to others – † he smiled faintly – â€Å"ensnared as you are.† Harry's hand dropped back to her side and she smiled again. â€Å"Colonel, I shall try not to take myself too seriously.† â€Å"And I shall try not to talk too much.† They grinned at each other, and knew that they were friends, and the knowledge was a relief and a pleasure and a hope to each of them, but for different reasons. Then Jack looked her over again, as if noticing the travel stains for the first time and said in a deliberately bright tone: â€Å"You look like you could use a bath †¦ My God, that sword: you're carrying a king's ransom casually across your pommel.† â€Å"Not casually,† said Harry somberly. â€Å"Questions later,† Jack said, â€Å"but I will hope that you will answer them. First food and rest, and then you will tell me a very long story, and it has to be the true one, although I don't promise to believe it.† â€Å"I am not quite alone, † said Harry, smiling again. â€Å"Will you let two friends of mine past your formidable gate as well?† â€Å"Not so formidable,† said Colonel Dedham. â€Å"I wish I'd arrived a minute earlier and seen that jump. I don't believe it.† â€Å"It's true, sir,† said Tom. â€Å"I believe it's true, I just don't believe it,† said Jack. â€Å"No doubt all of your story will be just as impossible. And just to start with, what is that?† he said, pointing at Narknon, who still had not moved. â€Å"She's a hunting-cat, a folstza. She adopted me soon after †¦ I left here.† Narknon, deeming the moment right, stood up slowly, and opened her big green eyes to their fullest extent, batted the long golden lashes once or twice at Jack, and began to pace toward him, while he gamely held his ground. Narknon paused a step away and started to purr, and Jack laughed uncertainly; whereupon the cat took the last step and rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand. Jack, with the look of a man who throws dice with the devil, petted her and Narknon redoubled the purr. â€Å"I think I'm being courted,† said Jack. â€Å"Narknon has an excellent sense of whose side it is most expedient to be on,† said Harry. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, we will let your companions come in in the traditional fashion. Unbar the gate, there, Shipson, and be quick about it, before anything else comes over it. I don't like the new standing orders, and they obviously aren't much good besides.† Jack looked up from Narknon, who was now leaning her full weight against his legs and tapping her tail against the backs of his thighs, to gaze again at Sungold. â€Å"A real Hill horse. Can they all leap over Outlander forts before breakfast?† â€Å"No. Or they may, but most of their riders have more sense than to try it. Particularly after a journey such as we've had.† The excitement of seeing Jack again, and the reassurance of the warmth of his welcome, drained away from her, and she remembered that she was exhausted, and the sense of coming home to a place that was no longer home oppressed her further. â€Å"I'd like the bath and the food, and we all have to have sleep. But most of the story will have to wait; I'll tell you what I must, but †¦ we don't have much time.† â€Å"You are here for a purpose, and I can guess some of it. I'll try not to be stupid.† The gate opened, and Terim and Senay rode quietly through and stopped by Sungold's flank and dismounted. Harry introduced them, and they bowed, touching their fingers respectfully to their foreheads, but without the last flick outward of the fingers that indicates that the one addressed is of superior rank. When she said in Hill-speech, â€Å"And this is Colonel Dedham, whose aid we are here to seek,† she was pleased with the way her Outlander friend in his turn bowed and touched his fingers to his forehead, only glancing at her with mild inquiry. â€Å"I am sorry,† said Jack as he led the way to his quarters, â€Å"but I speak only a little of your Hill tongue. I must ask you to tell me what I need to hear in my own language, and apologize to your friends for the necessary rudeness of excluding them.† This was spoken in heavily accented but perfectly adequate Hill-speech, and Terim and Senay both smiled. â€Å"We understand the need for speed and clarity, and it would not have occurred to us to take offense,† said Terim, who had a king's son's swiftness for turning a diplomatic phrase; and Senay simply nodded. So Jack Dedham cleared off the table in the second of the two small rooms that were his, the table in question accustomed to duty as a dining-table and writing-desk, as well as a convenient surface to set any indeterminate object down on; and his batman brought breakfast for three. The three ate their way through it with enthusiasm, and the man, grinning, brought second breakfasts for three. â€Å"Make it four, Ted,† said Dedham. â€Å"I'm getting hungry again.† When they were finished, and Harry was staring into her teacup and realizing with uneasy chagrin that she'd rather be drinking malak, Jack filled his pipe and began to produce thick heavy clouds of smoke that crawled around the room and nosed into the corners. â€Å"Well?† he said. â€Å"Tell me in what fashion you have come to seek my aid.† Harry said, staring at the worn tips of her Hill boots, â€Å"The Northern army will be coming through the mountains †¦ soon. Very soon. Corlath's army is camped on the plain before the wide gap – the Bledfi Gap, we call it – the Gate of the North, you know, in the Horfel Mountains – â€Å" Jack said from a cloud of smoke: â€Å"The Gambor Pass, in the Ossander range. Yes.† â€Å"We want to plug the northwest leak, the little way through the mountains above Ihistan – where an undesirable trickle of Northern soldiers could come through and – â€Å" â€Å"And raze Istan, and go on to harass Corlath.† Harry nodded. â€Å"Not just harass; there are not many Hillfolk to fight.† â€Å"That explains, no doubt,† said Jack, â€Å"why there are only three of you – and a cat with long teeth – for the northwest leak, as you call it.† Harry smiled faintly. â€Å"It was almost one of me, alone.† â€Å"I would hazard, then, that you are not precisely here under Corlath's orders.† â€Å"Not exactly.† â€Å"Does he know where you are?† Harry thought about it, and said carefully, â€Å"I did not tell him where I was going before I left.† Her ribs missed the pressure of a sash. Dedham blinked a few times, slowly, and said, â€Å"I assume I am to conclude that he will be able to guess where you've gone. And these two poor fools decided to throw their lots in with an outlaw? I am impressed.† Harry was silent for a minute. For all her brave words to Jack at the fort gate, she felt that the path she had thought she was following had blurred and then lurched underfoot as soon as Sungold had jumped the wall. It was difficult for her now to remember who she was – damalur-sol and sashless – and why she was here, and where she was going; her thoughts ambled around in her head, tired and patternless. She remembered Luthe saying to her: â€Å"It is not an enviable position, being a bridge, especially a bridge with visions†; and she thought that in fact a nice clear vivid vision would be a great boon. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. â€Å"Corlath did not take at all kindly to Sir Charles that day, did he?† Jack smiled without humor. â€Å"Not at all kindly, no.† Harry scowled. â€Å"He's still cutting off his nose to spite his face, ignoring the northwest pass.† â€Å"Ritger's Gap,† said Jack. â€Å"He probably doesn't look at it that way, though. He came to us offering an alliance of mutual support, true, but he was doing us a favor by giving us the benefit of his spies' work in the north – which Sir Charles, in his less than infinite wisdom, chose to disbelieve. I would assume that your Corlath will now simply wipe out as many Northerners as he can, and what's left of his Hillfolk in the end will retreat to those eastern mountains of his. Whether or not the western plains are overrun with unchecked Northerners is not, finally, of great interest to him one way or another. Our decision not to help only means a few more divisions of the Northern army to harry them in their Hills: unfortunate but not of the first importance.† â€Å"If the Homeland got behind the attempt to throw back the Northerners – â€Å" â€Å"There was never any chance of that, my dear, believe me,† replied Jack. â€Å"You are attempting to be logical, I suspect, and logic has little to do with government, and nothing at all to do with military administration. â€Å"You are also still thinking like a Homelander – an Outlander, if you wish – for all you've learned to ride like a Hillman,† and his eyes settled on Gonturan, hanging by her belt over the back of Harry's chair. â€Å"You know Istan is here, and it seems like a waste to you that we should be obliterated without a chance; and you were also fortunately absent that day, and did not hear Sir Charles being insufferable. Sir Charles is a good man in many ways, but new things disconcert him. The idea of an alliance between Hill and Outlander is blasphemously new.† You are also still thinking like a Homelander – an Outlander, if you wish – for all you've learned to ride like a Hillman. The words hung before Harry's eyes as if sewn on a banner and then thrust into the ground at her feet as her standard. She looked at nothing as she said, â€Å"You are working up to telling me that there is nothing that can be done.† â€Å"No; but I am working up to telling you that there is no possibility of there being done what ought to be done – I agree with you, our, or at any rate my, country should get serious about the threat from the North. It is a real threat.† He rubbed his face with his hand, and looked momentarily weary. â€Å"I am glad you have put this chance, little as it is, in my hand. My orders, of course, forbid me to go skylarking off to engage the Northerners at Ritger's Gap or anywhere else – the official, illogical attitude is that this is a tribal matter, and if we stay quietly at home with our gates closed the wave will break and flow around us. I know this is nonsense, and so do a few of the men who've been here more than a few years. I've been brooding for months – off and on since Corlath's unexpected visit; I believed what he told us that his spies had brought back from the North – whether or not it's worth my pension to go try and do anything abou t it. I rather think it is, as we're sure to be killed if we stay at home and I'd rather be killed out doing something than have my throat slit in bed. You're just the excuse I've been looking for; it's been a bit hard to determine which dragon a solitary St. George should take on, when there seem to be dragons everywhere.† Harry looked at Jack, conscious of Terim and Senay at her elbow, and a furry shoulder pressed against her feet under the table. The sense of dislocation was almost a physical thing, like a stomachache or a sore throat; but Jack's words now eased the sore place a little. The bridge could stretch to cross this chasm, perhaps, after all. She was still alone and still scared, but for the first time since she had ridden away from Corlath's camp she felt that her errand was not necessarily a mad one; and so her conviction that she was doomed to it was therefore a little less terrifying. And perhaps it did not matter in what world she belonged if both worlds were marching in step. And now that Jack believed her, she could depend on him; for Harimad-sol was still laprun, and while she was glad of Terim and Senay, they looked up to her, and she didn't entirely like the sensation. The old friendship with Jack had taught her what kind of man he was, and he would not be embarrassingly awed by Harimad-sol and her legendary sword. The literal-minded pragmatism of the Outlander psyche had its uses. But as the weight of solitude eased, his words laid a new weight on her: Were her perceptions so wrong then? Was she in fact thinking like a Homelander – and had she, then, betrayed her new allegiance? She opened the palm of her right hand, and looked at the small white scar that lay across it. What did Corlath think of her desertion? Had Luthe's fears for her been correct, and had she not been able to see the right way when the ways divided before her? â€Å"Harry.† Jack reached across the table and pulled her right hand toward him. â€Å"What is that?† She closed her fingers till what she suddenly felt was her brand of Cain disappeared. â€Å"It's a †¦ ritual I went through. I'm a king's Rider.† â€Å"Good Lord. How the – excuse me – how did you manage that? Not that I ever doubted your sterling qualities, but I know something of that tradition – king's Riders are the, um, the elite †¦ â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. Jack only looked at her, but her mouth went dry. She swallowed and said, â€Å"They thought it would be †¦ useful †¦ to have a damalur-sol again.† â€Å"Lady Hero,† said Jack. â€Å"Yes.† She swallowed again. â€Å"Cor – Corlath said that this war had no hope, and something like – something like a damalur-sol was a little like hope. I – I have seen Lady Aerin – do you know about the Water of Sight? – and so they think I must be someone important too.† Jack studied her as a botanist might study a new plant. â€Å"Blood calls to blood, evidently. Although Richard is the straightest arrow I've ever seen: maybe it only runs from mother to daughter.† Harry brought her head up sharply and stared at her old friend. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Surely you know,† Jack said, frowning. â€Å"Your great-grandmother – mother's mother's mother – was a Hillwoman; one of rank, I believe. That was before we'd gained a proper foothold here, or we were at least still struggling to keep what we'd got. It was a terrible scandal. I don't know much about it; it makes Richard quite green even to think about it. Young Dick turns green rather easily about some things: but some curious sense of honor compelled him to tell me, as his commanding officer, so that I could make allowances if he went off screaming into the Hills of his ancestors, I suppose. The blood taint that Fate has seen fit to hand him seems to prey on his mind.† Jack had been watching her closely as he rattled on, and broke off abruptly. â€Å"My dear, you must have known of this?† Harry sat still in her chair, where she was sure she would sit forever, gazing in amazement at the story Jack had just told her. She must have looked very queer, for Terim said to her anxiously, â€Å"Harimad-sol, what is wrong? You look as if you have seen your father's ghost. Has this man said aught of ill to you?† Harry roused and shook her head, which felt thick and heavy. â€Å"No; he has just told me something that bewilders me even as it makes all plain.† Senay said softly: â€Å"Sol, might we know what it is?† Harry tried to smile. â€Å"He has said that my mother's grandmother was a Hillwoman, and thus the blood of your Hills runs in my veins.† The two looked back at her with the sort of surprise and consternation she was sure was still plain on her own face. Terim said: â€Å"But we know you must be one of us, or the king's madness would not come to you, and everyone knows that it does: already there are tales told of Harimad-sol at the laprun trials. The Water of Sight shows you things, and Lady Aerin speaks to you, and your eyes turn yellow when you are held by some strong emotion. In fact, they are yellow now.† Harry laughed: a little laugh and a weak one, but still a laugh, and she said to Jack, â€Å"My friends are not the least surprised by this intelligence, for all that it shakes me to my soul and makes my heart beat too fast – with fear or joy I am not quite sure. They say they have known me for a Hillwoman all along.† â€Å"I've no doubt that's true,† Jack said dryly. â€Å"You may be sure Corlath would have made no Outlander his Rider, even if the Lady Aerin ordered him to.† â€Å"But why was I never told?† Harry mused, still trying to collect her thoughts together in one place so that she could look at them. Perhaps she was a better-constructed bridge than she had realized; and she thought of beams and girders, and almost laughed; how Outlanderish an image that was, to be sure. And as she labeled that bit of herself Outlander she then was free to label some other bit Damarian; and she felt a little more like herself all over, as though she were fitting into her skin a little more securely. She still was not sure what she was, but at least she need not be unhappy for not knowing: and now, perhaps, she had the missing pieces she needed to begin to learn. â€Å"I think,† Jack said slowly, â€Å"that I have an idea about that. I had assumed that you did know, but I remember now how Richard and I talked about you when you were to come out here – he seemed to think it would be bad for you in a particular way – † He frowned, trying to remember clearly. â€Å"You were evidently a little too, um, bohemian for him, and he obviously thought living in the land of your grandmother's mother was going to aggravate the tendency. But I never thought he would, er †¦ â€Å" â€Å"Protect me from myself by keeping me in ignorance?† Harry smiled ruefully. â€Å"Well, I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. Angry maybe – how dare he? – but not surprised. He takes the man's responsibility toward his frail female relations very seriously, does Dickie. Drat him. Where is my inestimable brother? Here?† Jack was smiling at her, as she sat with her sword hilt touching her shoulder when she gestured. â€Å"No,† he said, â€Å"he's off being diplomatic, which is something he shows some brilliance at, for me and Sir Charles. We'd like some extra men here, just in case this silly tribal matter gets out of hand, and I would only get red and froth at the mouth, while Richard can look earnest and beseeching, and may even have some effect.† He looked gloomily at the table. â€Å"I torment myself, now and again, wondering whether, if Corlath had given us a bit more warning about what he had in mind, if Peterson and I could have brought Charles around – even a little – this mess we're in might have been, even a little, less of a mess. But it is not, as we say when we are being diplomatic, a fruitful source of inquiry.† Harry was thinking, For that matter, why didn't Mummy or Father tell me about my mysterious inheritance? They must have known, to tell my wretched brother – indeed, it must have been generally known to some extent; that explains why we were never quite the thing – I always thought it was just because we didn't give the right sort of dinner parties and spent too much time in the saddle. She went hot and cold, and her last shred of doubt about whether she had chosen wisely when she chose the Hills over the country that had raised her dissolved; but she had loved her family and her home, and she was without bitterness. She yanked her attention back as Jack began to speak again: â€Å"It's been a little anxious here lately. There is something, or there are somethings, hanging around the town and the fort; and twice my men have gone out scouting and found signs of battle; and once there was a corpse.† His face was drawn and old. â€Å"It wasn't quite human; although from a distance it would probably look human enough.† Harry said softly: â€Å"I have been told that much of the Northern army is not quite human.† Jack was silent for a little, then said: â€Å"In simple numbers I can't promise much. I don't want to risk forcibly anyone's neck but my own, as we will be going against orders, but there are a few men here I know who have the same attitude toward the Northerners that I do. I will put it to them.† Harry said, â€Å"So, how many and how quickly?† â€Å"Not very and very. Those of us who will go have been quivering like so many arrows on so many bowstrings for weeks; we'll be grateful for the chance to snap forward. Look: you and your friends can have a bath and a nap; and we should be able to march at sunset.† There had been something obscurely troubling Harry since she entered the fort so precipitously; and at first she had put it down to the confusion, to her first sight of Outlanders since she had ceased to be one herself; and the troubled reflections that this recognition had brought her. But the sense of not-quite-right, of a whiff of something unpleasant, or a vibration in the air, increased as the rest of her relaxed. She looked around her now, able to think about this specific disturbance, to focus on its cause if her kelar would point the way. She turned her head one way and another; it was much worse in the small closed space that was Jack's rooms. It was as she put her hand over the blue stone on Gonturan's hilt that she finally understood what it was. â€Å"One last thing,† she said. â€Å"Yes?† said Jack, but it took Harry a little time to put it in words. â€Å"No †¦ guns. Rifles or revolvers, or whatever it is you use. They'll only, um, go wrong.† And she shivered in the proximity of Jack's hunting-rifles hung on the wall, and two revolvers on belts hooked over the back of an unoccupied chair. Jack tapped his fingers on the table. â€Å"Not just rumors, then?† he said. Harry shook her head. â€Å"Not just rumors. It's not something I've seen, about guns – but I know. I know something of what the Hillfolk do, or are – and even if we could stop whatever it is we do, and I can't, because I usually don't know what I'm doing in the first place – I know too that, whatever it is, it will ride with those that we will be facing. And – and the presence of yours in this room,† and she waved her hand, while the other one still rested on the blue gem, â€Å"is making me feel †¦ edgy. It's the sort of thing I'm learning to pay attention to.† The room was suddenly smaller and darker than it had been before Harry spoke; Jack stared at her, seeing his young friend and seeing almost clearly the outline of the thing she had taken on in the Hills; and then an unexpected ray of sunlight fell through the window and the blue gem of her sword hilt blazed up as her hand slipped away from it, and her cheek and hair were lit blue. But the outline of her burden was gone. Jack thought, I am going to follow this child, to my death perhaps, but I am going to follow her, and be proud of the opportunity. â€Å"Very well. I believe you. It's rather pleasant to have one's favorite old-wives'-tales borne out as truth. You'll not want infantry anyway; and our cavalry is accustomed to its sabers.† â€Å"Now, about that bath?† Harry said. Ted was told to provide the baths and beds required; she and Senay were led to Jack's bathroom first, and Harry sank gratefully into the water in the tall tin tub, sliding down till the water closed over her face and she looked up at a wavering circular world. She had to come up at last to breathe, and the world opened out again. Senay unbraided and combed her long dark hair, which fell past her knees in well-ordered waves; Harry watched with envy. Her own hair was nearly so long, but it liked escaping whatever it was put into, and bits were always getting caught in things and snapped off; so while Senay's hair smoothly framed her face and smoothly twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck, Harry always had unrepentant tendrils launching themselves in all directions. Senay bound her sleek mane up again as Harry climbed, dripping, out of the tub. Senay slipped into the water with her own grateful sigh, and Harry put on the oversized ni ghtshirt Ted had laid out for her and stumbled into Jack's bedroom, where two cots had been set up by the bed. Narknon finished investigating all the corners of Jack's rooms, while Jack and Ted eyed her warily, soon after Harry finished her bath; but when the cat tried to squeeze herself next to her sol on the bed, Harry was so deeply asleep already that she refused to make room and Narknon, with a discontented yowl, had to sleep humped over her feet.