Wireless Charging Of Mobile Using Microwaves

Abstract: In today’s modern era, mobile phones have become a basic need for people all over the world. The charging of mobile phone has become an arduous task. It is a hectic task to carry everywhere the charger of mobile phones or any electronic gadget while travelling or it is very cruel when your mobile phone getting off by the time you urgently need it. It is the major problem in today’s electronic gadgets. Though the world is leading with the developments in technology, but this technology is still incomplete because of certain limitations. Today’s world requires the complete technology and this purpose is solved using a technique called ‘Wireless Charging of Mobile Phones Using Microwaves’.INTRODUCTIONBASIC CONCEPTS:The technique mentioned has two basic concepts. They are:- Electromagnetic spectrum Microwave regionELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM:-When white light is shone through a prism it is separated out into all the colors of the rainbow this is c alled the visible spectrum. According to some physicians light consists of tiny particles called photons. Photons are bundle of energy. The speed of light is about 300,000,000 meters per second as light hit something that means it may be bounce off, go right through or get absorbed. If they bounce off something and then go into your eye you will see the thing they have bounced off. This is the cause of vision.MICROWAVE REGION:Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz (0.3 GHz) and 300 GHz. Microwave technology is extensively used for point-to-point telecommunications (i.e., non  broadcast uses).Microwaves are especially suitable for this use since they are more easily focused into narrower beams than radio waves, allowing frequency reuse; their comparatively higher frequencies allow broad bandwidth and high data transmission rates, and antenn a sizes are smaller than at lower frequencies because antenna size is inversely proportional to transmitted frequency. At high frequencies, atmosphere is less transparent to microwaves. Microwaves are used in applications where information has to travel long distances between ground stations and communications satellites. Microwaves are also employed in microwave ovens and radar technology.The frequency selection is another important aspect in GHz ISM band for the purpose of concern. As Indus-trial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) some bands are reserve for some specific purpose. So we can’t use it. Here S band 2.45 GHz is freely available band which can be used for experimentWIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSIONWireless power transmission works on the principle of Magnetic induction. As we put one coil carrying current through it, it creates a magnetic field near to it. And if we put other coil over there than it is induce by the first coil and it carry current from it. This is the princ iple of magnetic induction.WIRELESS POWER TRANSMITTING SYSTEM:This system gives the validity of principle of magnetic induction in wireless communication. The basic components of a wireless transmitting system are:- Transmitter: It consists of microwave generator and transmitting antenna(preferably, slotted waveguide antenna) ïÆ'ËœReceiver: It consists of a receiving antenna and a receiver. A receiver is major part in wireless mobile charging.SYSTEM DESIGNThe system designing of wireless charging of mobile phone using microwaves mainly consist of four parts asTransmitter design Receiver design The Process of Rectification Sensor CircuitryTRANSMITTER DESIGN:It mainly consists of a magnetron which is a diode vacuum tube with cathode filament. Magnetron is actually behaved as an oscillator to produce microwaves. It can be done by putting magnet between the resonating chambers which is the center of the oscillator. These resonating chambers are named as anode in the magnetron.When elec trons come out from the cathode and go direct towards the Anode, it passes through the magnetic field. It starts circulating in the resonating cavity and start producing waves according to its frequency. And the generated RF signal by this flow outside of the chamber.RECEIVER DESIGN:-The basic addition to the mobile phone is going to be type of antenna that is used to directly convert microwave energy into DC electricity. This is done by a component known as Rectenna. Actually the size of Rectenna can be reducing using the Nano technology.Rectenna system The elements of Rectenna are usually arranged in antennae. The current included by the microwaves in the antenna is rectified by the diode which powers a load connected across the diode. Scotty diodes are used because they have low voltage drop and high speed so that they have low power loss. Rectenna are highly efficient at converting microwave energy above 90% have been observed with regularity A sensor must be added at the receiv er side. Since the phone must be charged while a person is talking. So here sensor is used to detect wither the phone is using microwaves or not.PROCESS OF RECTIFICATION:-Microwave can easily travel through the media but it also loses some energy. So our key objective is to rectify the circuit and to rectify the waves at the low cost. And also we have to make the detection more sensitive. As we know that bridge rectification is more efficient than the single diode we use this for the better performance. We use the schottky diode to get the better impedance. The Schottky barrier diode is an ideal diode, such as for a 1 ampere limited current PN interface. Another advantage of the Schottky barrier diode is a very low noise index that is very important for a communication receiver; its working scope may reach20GHzSENSOR CIRCUITRY:-The sensor circuitry is a any message signal. This is very important as the phone has to be charged as long as the user is talking. . Thus a simple frequency to voltage converter would serve our purpose. And this converter would act as switches to trigger the rectenna circuit to on. So when our phone is receiving microwave signal it make the rectenna circuit on and charge the battery. Here in India the operating frequency of the GSM is 900 MHz to 1800 MHz. We can use LM2907 for F to V conversion.CONCLUSIONIt can be concluded from this technique, this usage of mobile phones is made simpler and leads to elimination of the need for separate chargers for mobile phones making charging universal. This improvisation in mobile phones allows the mobile phone users to carry their phones anywhere even if the place is devoid of facilities for charging. Thus the tagline the more you talk, the more your mobile phone is charged is perfectly implemented. With this proposal the manufacturers would be able to remove the talk time and battery standby from their phone specifications. A novel use of the rectenna and a sensor in a mobile phone could provide a new dimension in the revelation of mobile phone.

Joseph Schumpeter

Initiative An individual or group takes the initiative. 2. Organization Resources are brought together in organization to accomplish some objective (or the resources in existing organization are reorganized) 3.Administration Those who took the initiative to take over the management of the operation 4. Relative Autonomy The initiators assume relative freedom to dispose of and distribute resources. 5. Risk taking The organization’s success or failure is shared by the initiator’s superiors and subordinates. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. The Philippines is an entrepreneurial country.Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), including micro-enterprises, account for 99 ppercent of all business establishments and 60 ppercent of the exporting firms in the Philippines. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, SME's currently employ about 55 ppercent of the Philippine labor force and contribute 30 ppercent to total domestic sales volume. Current problem s that Filipino entrepreneurs encounter today in setting up and maintaining their competitiveness in their community are the * inadequate access to technology * financing capital * marketing advice * logistical problemsTo further emphasize the importance of developing entrepreneurship education, a recent study by the Center for Asia Pacific Studies reveals, â€Å"out of every 100 children enrolled every year, 66 will complete elementary education, 42 will finish high school and only 14 will earn a college degree. † A study by Smart Communications adds,† only 7. 7% of graduates get employed†. This mearns that out of 100 children that goes to school, only one will end up getting a job. The importance of developing an innovative and entrepreneurial culture is a crucial part of the Philippines developed state future.Entrepreneurship directly leads to more business, more job opportunities and better quality of life. Starting and running a business can be a real option for young people, offering an alternative mearns of achieving both financial and personal independence. Supporting youth entrepreneurship can benefit both the Filipino Youth and the economy. It can: 1. create employment opportunities, through self-employment and by providing additional employment opportunities; 2. give young people a sense of meaning and purpose; 3. premote innovation and resilience in young people; and 4. help young people develop life skills.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fortyseven

â€Å"Promise me, Ned,† Lyanna’s statue whispered. She wore a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood. Eddard Stark jerked upright, his heart racing, the blankets tangled around him. The room was black as pitch, and someone was hammering on the door. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† a voice called loudly. â€Å"A moment.† Groggy and naked, he stumbled his way across the darkened chamber. When he opened the door, he found Tomard with an upraised fist, and Cayn with a taper in hand. Between them stood the king’s own steward. The man’s face might have been carved of stone, so little did it show. â€Å"My lord Hand,† he intoned. â€Å"His Grace the King commands your presence. At once.† So Robert had returned from his hunt. It was long past time. â€Å"I shall need a few moments to dress.† Ned left the man waiting without. Cayn helped him with his clothes; white linen tunic and grey cloak, trousers cut open down his plaster-sheathed leg, his badge of office, and last of all a belt of heavy silver links. He sheathed the Valyrian dagger at his waist. The Red Keep was dark and still as Cayn and Tomard escorted him across the inner bailey. The moon hung low over the walls, ripening toward full. On the ramparts, a guardsman in a gold cloak walked his rounds. The royal apartments were in Maegor’s Holdfast, a massive square fortress that nestled in the heart of the Red Keep behind walls twelve feet thick and a dry moat lined with iron spikes, a castle-within-a-castle. Ser Boros Blount guarded the far end of the bridge, white steel armor ghostly in the moonlight. Within, Ned passed two other knights of the Kingsguard; Ser Preston Greenfield stood at the bottom of the steps, and Ser Barristan Selmy waited at the door of the king’s bedchamber. Three men in white cloaks, he thought, remembering, and a strange chill went through him. Ser Barristan’s face was as pale as his armor. Ned had only to look at him to know that something was dreadfully wrong. The royal steward opened the door. â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark, the Hand of the King,† he announced. â€Å"Bring him here,† Robert’s voice called, strangely thick. Fires blazed in the twin hearths at either end of the bedchamber, filling the room with a sullen red glare. The heat within was suffocating. Robert lay across the canopied bed. At the bedside hovered Grand Maester Pycelle, while Lord Renly paced restlessly before the shuttered windows. Servants moved back and forth, feeding logs to the fire and boiling wine. Cersei Lannister sat on the edge of the bed beside her husband. Her hair was tousled, as if from sleep, but there was nothing sleepy in her eyes. They followed Ned as Tomard and Cayn helped him cross the room. He seemed to move very slowly, as if he were still dreaming. The king still wore his boots. Ned could see dried mud and blades of grass clinging to the leather where Robert’s feet stuck out beneath the blanket that covered him, A green doublet lay on the floor, slashed open and discarded, the cloth crusted with red-brown stains. The room smelled of smoke and blood and death. â€Å"Ned,† the king whispered when he saw him. His face was pale as milk. â€Å"Come . . . closer.† His men brought him close. Ned steadied himself with a hand on the bedpost. He had only to look down at Robert to know how bad it was. â€Å"What . . . ?† he began, his throat clenched. â€Å"A boar.† Lord Renly was still in his hunting greens, his cloak spattered with blood. â€Å"A devil,† the king husked. â€Å"My own fault. Too much wine, damn me to hell. Missed my thrust.† â€Å"And where were the rest of you?† Ned demanded of Lord Renly. â€Å"Where was Ser Barristan and the Kingsguard?† Renly’s mouth twitched. â€Å"My brother commanded us to stand aside and let him take the boar alone.† Eddard Stark lifted the blanket. They had done what they could to close him up, but it was nowhere near enough. The boar must have been a fearsome thing. It had ripped the king from groin to nipple with its tusks. The wine-soaked bandages that Grand Maester Pycelle had applied were already black with blood, and the smell off the wound was hideous. Ned’s stomach turned. He let the blanket fall. â€Å"Stinks,† Robert said. â€Å"The stink of death, don’t think I can’t smell it. Bastard did me good, eh? But I . . . I paid him back in kind, Ned.† The king’s smile was as terrible as his wound, his teeth red. â€Å"Drove a knife right through his eye. Ask them if I didn’t. Ask them.† â€Å"Truly,† Lord Renly murmured. â€Å"We brought the carcass back with us, at my brother’s command.† â€Å"For the feast,† Robert whispered. â€Å"Now leave us. The lot of you. I need to speak with Ned.† â€Å"Robert, my sweet lord . . . † Cersei began. â€Å"I said leave,† Robert insisted with a hint of his old fierceness. â€Å"What part of that don’t you understand, woman?† Cersei gathered up her skirts and her dignity and led the way to the door. Lord Renly and the others followed. Grand Maester Pycelle lingered, his hands shaking as he offered the king a cup of thick white liquid. â€Å"The milk of the poppy, Your Grace,† he said. â€Å"Drink. For your pain.† Robert knocked the cup away with the back of his hand. â€Å"Away with you. I’ll sleep soon enough, old fool. Get out.† Grand Maester Pycelle gave Ned a stricken look as he shuffled from the room. â€Å"Damn you, Robert,† Ned said when they were alone. His leg was throbbing so badly he was almost blind with pain. Or perhaps it was grief that fogged his eyes. He lowered himself to the bed, beside his friend. â€Å"Why do you always have to be so headstrong?† â€Å"Ah, fuck you, Ned,† the king said hoarsely. â€Å"I killed the bastard, didn’t I?† A lock of matted black hair fell across his eyes as he glared up at Ned. â€Å"Ought to do the same for you. Can’t leave a man to hunt in peace. Ser Robar found me. Gregor’s head. Ugly thought. Never told the Hound. Let Cersei surprise him.† His laugh turned into a grunt as a spasm of pain hit him. â€Å"Gods have mercy,† he muttered, swallowing his agony. â€Å"The girl. Daenerys. Only a child, you were right . . . that’s why, the girl . . . the gods sent the boar . . . sent to punish me . . .† The king coughed, bringing up blood. â€Å"Wrong, it was wrong, I . . . only a girl . . . Varys, Littlefinger, even my brother . . . worthless . . . no one to tell me no but you, Ned . . . only you . . . † He lifted his hand, the gesture pained and feeble. â€Å"Paper and ink. There, on the table. Write what I tell you.† Ned smoothed the paper out across his knee and took up the quill. â€Å"At your command, Your Grace.† â€Å"This is the will and word of Robert of House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and all the rest—put in the damn titles, you know how it goes. I do hereby command Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King, to serve as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm upon my . . . upon my death . . . to rule in my . . . in my stead, until my son Joffrey does come of age . . . â€Å" â€Å"Robert . . . † Joffrey is not your son, he wanted to say, but the words would not come. The agony was written too plainly across Robert’s face; he could not hurt him more. So Ned bent his head and wrote, but where the king had said â€Å"my son Joffrey,† he scrawled â€Å"my heir† instead. The deceit made him feel soiled. The lies we tell for love, he thought. May the gods forgive me. â€Å"What else would you have me say?† â€Å"Say . . . whatever you need to. Protect and defend, gods old and new, you have the words. Write. I’ll sign it. You give it to the council when I’m dead.† â€Å"Robert,† Ned said in a voice thick with grief, â€Å"you must not do this. Don’t die on me. The realm needs you.† Robert took his hand, fingers squeezing hard. â€Å"You are . . . such a bad liar, Ned Stark,† he said through his pain. â€Å"The realm . . . the realm knows . . . what a wretched king I’ve been. Bad as Aerys, the gods spare me.† â€Å"No,† Ned told his dying friend, â€Å"not so bad as Aerys, Your Grace. Not near so bad as Aerys.† Robert managed a weak red smile. â€Å"At the least, they will say . . . this last thing . . . this I did right. You won’t fail me. You’ll rule now. You’ll hate it, worse than I did . . . but you’ll do well. Are you done with the scribbling?† â€Å"Yes, Your Grace.† Ned offered Robert the paper. The king scrawled his signature blindly, leaving a smear of blood across the letter. â€Å"The seal should be witnessed.† â€Å"Serve the boar at my funeral feast,† Robert rasped. â€Å"Apple in its mouth, skin seared crisp. Eat the bastard. Don’t care if you choke on him. Promise me, Ned.† â€Å"I promise.† Promise me, Ned, Lyanna’s voice echoed. â€Å"The girl,† the king said. â€Å"Daenerys. Let her live. If you can, if it . . . not too late . . . talk to them . . . Varys, Littlefinger . . . don’t let them kill her. And help my son, Ned. Make him be . . . better than me.† He winced. â€Å"Gods have mercy.† â€Å"They will, my friend,† Ned said. â€Å"They will.† The king closed his eyes and seemed to relax. â€Å"Killed by a pig,† he muttered. â€Å"Ought to laugh, but it hurts too much.† Ned was not laughing. â€Å"Shall I call them back?† Robert gave a weak nod. â€Å"As you will. Gods, why is it so cold in here?† The servants rushed back in and hurried to feed the fires. The queen had gone; that was some small relief, at least. If she had any sense, Cersei would take her children and fly before the break of day, Ned thought. She had lingered too long already. King Robert did not seem to miss her. He bid his brother Renly and Grand Maester Pycelle to stand in witness as he pressed his seal into the hot yellow wax that Ned had dripped upon his letter. â€Å"Now give me something for the pain and let me die.† Hurriedly Grand Maester Pycelle mixed him another draught of the milk of the poppy. This time the king drank deeply. His black beard was beaded with thick white droplets when he threw the empty cup aside. â€Å"Will I dream?† Ned gave him his answer. â€Å"You will, my lord.† â€Å"Good,† he said, smiling. â€Å"I will give Lyanna your love, Ned. Take care of my children for me.† The words twisted in Ned’s belly like a knife. For a moment he was at a loss. He could not bring himself to lie. Then he remembered the bastards: little Barra at her mother’s breast, Mya in the Vale, Gendry at his forge, and all the others. â€Å"I shall . . . guard your children as if they were my own,† he said slowly. Robert nodded and closed his eyes. Ned watched his old friend sag softly into the pillows as the milk of the poppy washed the pain from his face. Sleep took him. Heavy chains jangled softly as Grand Maester Pycelle came up to Ned. â€Å"I will do all in my power, my lord, but the wound has mortified. It took them two days to get him back. By the time I saw him, it was too late. I can lessen His Grace’s suffering, but only the gods can heal him now.† â€Å"How long?† Ned asked. â€Å"By rights, he should be dead already. I have never seen a man cling to life so fiercely.† â€Å"My brother was always strong,† Lord Renly said. â€Å"Not wise, perhaps, but strong.† In the sweltering heat of the bedchamber, his brow was slick with sweat. He might have been Robert’s ghost as he stood there, young and dark and handsome. â€Å"He slew the boar. His entrails were sliding from his belly, yet somehow he slew the boar.† His voice was full of wonder. â€Å"Robert was never a man to leave the battleground so long as a foe remained standing,† Ned told him. Outside the door, Ser Barristan Selmy still guarded the tower stairs. â€Å"Maester Pycelle has given Robert the milk of the poppy,† Ned told him. â€Å"See that no one disturbs his rest without leave from me.† â€Å"It shall be as you command, my lord.† Ser Barristan seemed old beyond his years. â€Å"I have failed my sacred trust.† â€Å"Even the truest knight cannot protect a king against himself,† Ned said. â€Å"Robert loved to hunt boar. I have seen him take a thousand of them.† He would stand his ground without flinching, his legs braced, the great spear in his hands, and as often as not he would curse the boar as it charged, and wait until the last possible second, until it was almost on him, before he killed it with a single sure and savage thrust. â€Å"No one could know this one would be his death.† â€Å"You are kind to say so, Lord Eddard.† â€Å"The king himself said as much. He blamed the wine.† The white-haired knight gave a weary nod. â€Å"His Grace was reeling in his saddle by the time we flushed the boar from his lair, yet he commanded us all to stand aside.† â€Å"I wonder, Ser Barristan,† asked Varys, so quietly, â€Å"who gave the king this wine?† Ned had not heard the eunuch approach, but when he looked around, there he stood. He wore a black velvet robe that brushed the floor, and his face was freshly powdered. â€Å"The wine was from the king’s own skin,† Ser Barristan said. â€Å"Only one skin? Hunting is such thirsty work.† â€Å"I did not keep count. More than one, for a certainty. His squire would fetch him a fresh skin whenever he required it.† â€Å"Such a dutiful boy,† said Varys, â€Å"to make certain His Grace did not lack for refreshment.† Ned had a bitter taste in his mouth. He recalled the two fair-haired boys Robert had sent chasing after a breastplate stretcher. The king had told everyone the tale that night at the feast, laughing until he shook. â€Å"Which squire?† â€Å"The elder,† said Ser Barristan. â€Å"Lancel.† â€Å"I know the lad well,† said Varys. â€Å"A stalwart boy, Ser Kevan Lannister’s son, nephew to Lord Tywin and cousin to the queen. I hope the dear sweet lad does not blame himself. Children are so vulnerable in the innocence of their youth, how well do I remember.† Certainly Varys had once been young. Ned doubted that he had ever been innocent. â€Å"You mention children. Robert had a change of heart concerning Daenerys Targaryen. Whatever arrangements you made, I want unmade. At once.† â€Å"Alas,† said Varys. â€Å"At once may be too late. I fear those birds have flown. But I shall do what I can, my lord. With your leave.† He bowed and vanished down the steps, his soft-soled slippers whispering against the stone as he made his descent. Cayn and Tomard were helping Ned across the bridge when Lord Renly emerged from Maegor’s Holdfast. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† he called after Ned, â€Å"a moment, if you would be so kind.† Ned stopped. â€Å"As you wish.† Renly walked to his side. â€Å"Send your men away.† They met in the center of the bridge, the dry moat beneath them. Moonlight silvered the cruel edges of the spikes that lined its bed. Ned gestured. Tomard and Cayn bowed their heads and backed away respectfully. Lord Renly glanced warily at Ser Boros on the far end of the span, at Ser Preston in the doorway behind them. â€Å"That letter.† He leaned close. â€Å"Was it the regency? Has my brother named you Protector?† He did not wait for a reply. â€Å"My lord, I have thirty men in my personal guard, and other friends beside, knights and lords. Give me an hour, and I can put a hundred swords in your hand.† â€Å"And what should I do with a hundred swords, my lord?† â€Å"Strike! Now, while the castle sleeps.† Renly looked back at Ser Boros again and dropped his voice to an urgent whisper. â€Å"We must get Joffrey away from his mother and take him in hand. Protector or no, the man who holds the king holds the kingdom. We should seize Myrcella and Tommen as well. Once we have her children, Cersei will not dare oppose us. The council will confirm you as Lord Protector and make Joffrey your ward.† Ned regarded him coldly. â€Å"Robert is not dead yet. The gods may spare him. If not, I shall convene the council to hear his final words and consider the matter of the succession, but I will not dishonor his last hours on earth by shedding blood in his halls and dragging frightened children from their beds.† Lord Renly took a step back, taut as a bowstring. â€Å"Every moment you delay gives Cersei another moment to prepare. By the time Robert dies, it may be too late . . . for both of us.† â€Å"Then we should pray that Robert does not die.† â€Å"Small chance of that,† said Renly. â€Å"Sometimes the gods are merciful.† â€Å"The Lannisters are not.† Lord Renly turned away and went back across the moat, to the tower where his brother lay dying. By the time Ned returned to his chambers, he felt weary and heartsick, yet there was no question of his going back to sleep, not now. When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die, Cersei Lannister had told him in the godswood. He found himself wondering if he had done the right thing by refusing Lord Renly’s offer. He had no taste for these intrigues, and there was no honor in threatening children, and yet . . . if Cersei elected to fight rather than flee, he might well have need of Renly’s hundred swords, and more besides. â€Å"I want Littlefinger,† he told Cayn. â€Å"If he’s not in his chambers, take as many men as you need and search every winesink and whorehouse in King’s Landing until you find him. Bring him to me before break of day.† Cayn bowed and took his leave, and Ned turned to Tomard. â€Å"The Wind Witch sails on the evening tide. Have you chosen the escort?† â€Å"Ten men, with Porther in command.† â€Å"Twenty, and you will command,† Ned said. Porther was a brave man, but headstrong. He wanted someone more solid and sensible to keep watch over his daughters. â€Å"As you wish, m’lord,† Tom said. â€Å"Can’t say I’ll be sad to see the back of this place. I miss the wife.† â€Å"You will pass near Dragonstone when you turn north. I need you to deliver a letter for me.† Tom looked apprehensive. â€Å"To Dragonstone, m’lord?† The island fortress of House Targaryen had a sinister repute. â€Å"Tell Captain Qos to hoist my banner as soon as he comes in sight of the island. They may be wary of unexpected visitors. If he is reluctant, offer him whatever it takes. I will give you a letter to place into the hand of Lord Stannis Baratheon. No one else. Not his steward, nor the captain of his guard, nor his lady wife, but only Lord Stannis himself.† â€Å"As you command, m’lord.† When Tomard had left him, Lord Eddard Stark sat staring at the flame of the candle that burned beside him on the table. For a moment his grief overwhelmed him. He wanted nothing so much as to seek out the godswood, to kneel before the heart tree and pray for the life of Robert Baratheon, who had been more than a brother to him. Men would whisper afterward that Eddard Stark had betrayed his king’s friendship and disinherited his sons; he could only hope that the gods would know better, and that Robert would learn the truth of it in the land beyond the grave. Ned took out the king’s last letter. A roll of crisp white parchment sealed with golden wax, a few short words and a smear of blood. How small the difference between victory and defeat, between life and death. He drew out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped his quill in the inkpot. To His Grace, Stannis of the House Baratheon, he wrote. By the time you receive this letter, your brother Robert, our King these past fifteen years, will be dead. He was savaged by a boar whilst hunting in the kingswood . . . The letters seemed to writhe and twist on the paper as his hand trailed to a stop. Lord Tywin and Ser Jaime were not men to suffer disgrace meekly; they would fight rather than flee. No doubt Lord Stannis was wary, after the murder of Jon Arryn, but it was imperative that he sail for King’s Landing at once with all his power, before the Lannisters could march. Ned chose each word with care. When he was done, he signed the letter Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King, and Protector of the Realm, blotted the paper, folded it twice, and melted the sealing wax over the candle flame. His regency would be a short one, he reflected as the wax softened. The new king would choose his own Hand. Ned would be free to go home. The thought of Winterfell brought a wan smile to his face. He wanted to hear Bran’s laughter once more, to go hawking with Robb, to watch Rickon at play. He wanted to drift off to a dreamless sleep in his own bed with his arms wrapped tight around his lady, Catelyn. Cayn returned as he was pressing the direwolf seal down into the soft white wax. Desmond was with him, and between them Littlefinger. Ned thanked his guards and sent them away. Lord Petyr was clad in a blue velvet tunic with puffed sleeves, his silvery cape patterned with mockingbirds. â€Å"I suppose congratulations are in order,† he said as he seated himself. Ned scowled. â€Å"The king lies wounded and near to death.† â€Å"I know,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"I also know that Robert has named you Protector of the Realm.† Ned’s eyes flicked to the king’s letter on the table beside him, its seal unbroken. â€Å"And how is it you know that, my lord?† â€Å"Varys hinted as much,† Littlefinger said, â€Å"and you have just confirmed it.† Ned’s mouth twisted in anger. â€Å"Damn Varys and his little birds. Catelyn spoke truly, the man has some black art. I do not trust him.† â€Å"Excellent. You’re learning.† Littlefinger leaned forward. â€Å"Yet I’ll wager you did not drag me here in the black of night to discuss the eunuch.† â€Å"No,† Ned admitted. â€Å"I know the secret Jon Arryn was murdered to protect. Robert will leave no trueborn son behind him. Joffrey and Tommen are Jaime Lannister’s bastards, born of his incestuous union with the queen.† Littlefinger lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"Shocking,† he said in a tone that suggested he was not shocked at all. â€Å"The girl as well? No doubt. So when the king dies . . . â€Å" â€Å"The throne by rights passes to Lord Stannis, the elder of Robert’s two brothers.† Lord Petyr stroked his pointed beard as he considered the matter. â€Å"So it would seem. Unless . . . â€Å" â€Å"Unless, my lord? There is no seeming to this. Stannis is the heir. Nothing can change that.† â€Å"Stannis cannot take the throne without your help. If you’re wise, you’ll make certain Joffrey succeeds.† Ned gave him a stony stare. â€Å"Have you no shred of honor?† â€Å"Oh, a shred, surely,† Littlefinger replied negligently. â€Å"Hear me out. Stannis is no friend of yours, nor of mine. Even his brothers can scarcely stomach him. The man is iron, hard and unyielding. He’ll give us a new Hand and a new council, for a certainty. No doubt he’ll thank you for handing him the crown, but he won’t love you for it. And his ascent will mean war. Stannis cannot rest easy on the throne until Cersei and her bastards are dead. Do you think Lord Tywin will sit idly while his daughter’s head is measured for a spike? Casterly Rock will rise, and not alone. Robert found it in him to pardon men who served King Aerys, so long as they did him fealty. Stannis is less forgiving. He will not have forgotten the siege of Storm’s End, and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dare not. Every man who fought beneath the dragon banner or rose with Balon Greyjoy will have good cause to fear. Seat Stannis on the Iron Throne and I promise yo u, the realm will bleed. â€Å"Now look at the other side of the coin. Joffrey is but twelve, and Robert gave you the regency, my lord. You are the Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm. The power is yours, Lord Stark. All you need do is reach out and take it. Make your peace with the Lannisters. Release the Imp. Wed Joffrey to your Sansa. Wed your younger girl to Prince Tommen, and your heir to Myrcella. It will be four years before Joffrey comes of age. By then he will look to you as a second father, and if not, well . . . four years is a good long while, my lord. Long enough to dispose of Lord Stannis. Then, should Joffrey prove troublesome, we can reveal his little secret and put Lord Renly on the throne.† â€Å"We?† Ned repeated. Littlefinger gave a shrug. â€Å"You’ll need someone to share your burdens. I assure you, my price would be modest.† â€Å"Your price.† Ned’s voice was ice. â€Å"Lord Baelish, what you suggest is treason.† â€Å"Only if we lose.† â€Å"You forget,† Ned told him. â€Å"You forget Jon Arryn. You forget Jory Cassel. And you forget this.† He drew the dagger and laid it on the table between them; a length of dragonbone and Valyrian steel, as sharp as the difference between right and wrong, between true and false, between life and death. â€Å"They sent a man to cut my son’s throat, Lord Baelish.† Littlefinger sighed. â€Å"I fear I did forget, my lord. Pray forgive me. For a moment I did not remember that I was talking to a Stark.† His mouth quirked. â€Å"So it will be Stannis, and war?† â€Å"It is not a choice. Stannis is the heir.† â€Å"Far be it from me to dispute the Lord Protector. What would you have of me, then? Not my wisdom, for a certainty.† â€Å"I shall do my best to forget your . . . wisdom,† Ned said with distaste. â€Å"I called you here to ask for the help you promised Catelyn. This is a perilous hour for all of us. Robert has named me Protector, true enough, but in the eyes of the world, Joffrey is still his son and heir. The queen has a dozen knights and a hundred men-at-arms who will do whatever she commands . . . enough to overwhelm what remains of my own household guard. And for all I know, her brother Jaime may be riding for King’s Landing even as we speak, with a Lannister host at his back.† â€Å"And you without an army.† Littlefinger toyed with the dagger on the table, turning it slowly with a finger. â€Å"There is small love lost between Lord Renly and the Lannisters. Bronze Yohn Royce, Ser Balon Swann, Ser Loras, Lady Tanda, the Redwyne twins . . . each of them has a retinue of knights and sworn swords here at court.† â€Å"Renly has thirty men in his personal guard, the rest even fewer. It is not enough, even if I could be certain that all of them will choose to give me their allegiance. I must have the gold cloaks. The City Watch is two thousand strong, sworn to defend the castle, the city, and the king’s peace.† â€Å"Ah, but when the queen proclaims one king and the Hand another, whose peace do they protect?† Lord Petyr flicked at the dagger with his finger, setting it spinning in place. Round and round it went, wobbling as it turned. When at last it slowed to a stop, the blade pointed at Littlefinger. â€Å"Why, there’s your answer,† he said, smiling. â€Å"They follow the man who pays them.† He leaned back and looked Ned full in the face, his grey-green eyes bright with mockery. â€Å"You wear your honor like a suit of armor, Stark. You think it keeps you safe, but all it does is weigh you down and make it hard for you to move. Look at you now. You know why you summoned me here. You know what you want to ask me to do. You know it has to be done . . . but it’s not honorable, so the words stick in your throat.† Ned’s neck was rigid with tension. For a moment he was so angry that he did not trust himself to speak. Littlefinger laughed. â€Å"I ought to make you say it, but that would be cruel . . . so have no fear, my good lord. For the sake of the love I bear for Catelyn, I will go to Janos Slynt this very hour and make certain that the City Watch is yours. Six thousand gold pieces should do it. A third for the Commander, a third for the officers, a third for the men. We might be able to buy them for half that much, but I prefer not to take chances.† Smiling, he plucked up the dagger and offered it to Ned, hilt first. A Game of Thrones Chapter Fortyseven â€Å"Promise me, Ned,† Lyanna’s statue whispered. She wore a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood. Eddard Stark jerked upright, his heart racing, the blankets tangled around him. The room was black as pitch, and someone was hammering on the door. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† a voice called loudly. â€Å"A moment.† Groggy and naked, he stumbled his way across the darkened chamber. When he opened the door, he found Tomard with an upraised fist, and Cayn with a taper in hand. Between them stood the king’s own steward. The man’s face might have been carved of stone, so little did it show. â€Å"My lord Hand,† he intoned. â€Å"His Grace the King commands your presence. At once.† So Robert had returned from his hunt. It was long past time. â€Å"I shall need a few moments to dress.† Ned left the man waiting without. Cayn helped him with his clothes; white linen tunic and grey cloak, trousers cut open down his plaster-sheathed leg, his badge of office, and last of all a belt of heavy silver links. He sheathed the Valyrian dagger at his waist. The Red Keep was dark and still as Cayn and Tomard escorted him across the inner bailey. The moon hung low over the walls, ripening toward full. On the ramparts, a guardsman in a gold cloak walked his rounds. The royal apartments were in Maegor’s Holdfast, a massive square fortress that nestled in the heart of the Red Keep behind walls twelve feet thick and a dry moat lined with iron spikes, a castle-within-a-castle. Ser Boros Blount guarded the far end of the bridge, white steel armor ghostly in the moonlight. Within, Ned passed two other knights of the Kingsguard; Ser Preston Greenfield stood at the bottom of the steps, and Ser Barristan Selmy waited at the door of the king’s bedchamber. Three men in white cloaks, he thought, remembering, and a strange chill went through him. Ser Barristan’s face was as pale as his armor. Ned had only to look at him to know that something was dreadfully wrong. The royal steward opened the door. â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark, the Hand of the King,† he announced. â€Å"Bring him here,† Robert’s voice called, strangely thick. Fires blazed in the twin hearths at either end of the bedchamber, filling the room with a sullen red glare. The heat within was suffocating. Robert lay across the canopied bed. At the bedside hovered Grand Maester Pycelle, while Lord Renly paced restlessly before the shuttered windows. Servants moved back and forth, feeding logs to the fire and boiling wine. Cersei Lannister sat on the edge of the bed beside her husband. Her hair was tousled, as if from sleep, but there was nothing sleepy in her eyes. They followed Ned as Tomard and Cayn helped him cross the room. He seemed to move very slowly, as if he were still dreaming. The king still wore his boots. Ned could see dried mud and blades of grass clinging to the leather where Robert’s feet stuck out beneath the blanket that covered him, A green doublet lay on the floor, slashed open and discarded, the cloth crusted with red-brown stains. The room smelled of smoke and blood and death. â€Å"Ned,† the king whispered when he saw him. His face was pale as milk. â€Å"Come . . . closer.† His men brought him close. Ned steadied himself with a hand on the bedpost. He had only to look down at Robert to know how bad it was. â€Å"What . . . ?† he began, his throat clenched. â€Å"A boar.† Lord Renly was still in his hunting greens, his cloak spattered with blood. â€Å"A devil,† the king husked. â€Å"My own fault. Too much wine, damn me to hell. Missed my thrust.† â€Å"And where were the rest of you?† Ned demanded of Lord Renly. â€Å"Where was Ser Barristan and the Kingsguard?† Renly’s mouth twitched. â€Å"My brother commanded us to stand aside and let him take the boar alone.† Eddard Stark lifted the blanket. They had done what they could to close him up, but it was nowhere near enough. The boar must have been a fearsome thing. It had ripped the king from groin to nipple with its tusks. The wine-soaked bandages that Grand Maester Pycelle had applied were already black with blood, and the smell off the wound was hideous. Ned’s stomach turned. He let the blanket fall. â€Å"Stinks,† Robert said. â€Å"The stink of death, don’t think I can’t smell it. Bastard did me good, eh? But I . . . I paid him back in kind, Ned.† The king’s smile was as terrible as his wound, his teeth red. â€Å"Drove a knife right through his eye. Ask them if I didn’t. Ask them.† â€Å"Truly,† Lord Renly murmured. â€Å"We brought the carcass back with us, at my brother’s command.† â€Å"For the feast,† Robert whispered. â€Å"Now leave us. The lot of you. I need to speak with Ned.† â€Å"Robert, my sweet lord . . . † Cersei began. â€Å"I said leave,† Robert insisted with a hint of his old fierceness. â€Å"What part of that don’t you understand, woman?† Cersei gathered up her skirts and her dignity and led the way to the door. Lord Renly and the others followed. Grand Maester Pycelle lingered, his hands shaking as he offered the king a cup of thick white liquid. â€Å"The milk of the poppy, Your Grace,† he said. â€Å"Drink. For your pain.† Robert knocked the cup away with the back of his hand. â€Å"Away with you. I’ll sleep soon enough, old fool. Get out.† Grand Maester Pycelle gave Ned a stricken look as he shuffled from the room. â€Å"Damn you, Robert,† Ned said when they were alone. His leg was throbbing so badly he was almost blind with pain. Or perhaps it was grief that fogged his eyes. He lowered himself to the bed, beside his friend. â€Å"Why do you always have to be so headstrong?† â€Å"Ah, fuck you, Ned,† the king said hoarsely. â€Å"I killed the bastard, didn’t I?† A lock of matted black hair fell across his eyes as he glared up at Ned. â€Å"Ought to do the same for you. Can’t leave a man to hunt in peace. Ser Robar found me. Gregor’s head. Ugly thought. Never told the Hound. Let Cersei surprise him.† His laugh turned into a grunt as a spasm of pain hit him. â€Å"Gods have mercy,† he muttered, swallowing his agony. â€Å"The girl. Daenerys. Only a child, you were right . . . that’s why, the girl . . . the gods sent the boar . . . sent to punish me . . .† The king coughed, bringing up blood. â€Å"Wrong, it was wrong, I . . . only a girl . . . Varys, Littlefinger, even my brother . . . worthless . . . no one to tell me no but you, Ned . . . only you . . . † He lifted his hand, the gesture pained and feeble. â€Å"Paper and ink. There, on the table. Write what I tell you.† Ned smoothed the paper out across his knee and took up the quill. â€Å"At your command, Your Grace.† â€Å"This is the will and word of Robert of House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and all the rest—put in the damn titles, you know how it goes. I do hereby command Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King, to serve as Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm upon my . . . upon my death . . . to rule in my . . . in my stead, until my son Joffrey does come of age . . . â€Å" â€Å"Robert . . . † Joffrey is not your son, he wanted to say, but the words would not come. The agony was written too plainly across Robert’s face; he could not hurt him more. So Ned bent his head and wrote, but where the king had said â€Å"my son Joffrey,† he scrawled â€Å"my heir† instead. The deceit made him feel soiled. The lies we tell for love, he thought. May the gods forgive me. â€Å"What else would you have me say?† â€Å"Say . . . whatever you need to. Protect and defend, gods old and new, you have the words. Write. I’ll sign it. You give it to the council when I’m dead.† â€Å"Robert,† Ned said in a voice thick with grief, â€Å"you must not do this. Don’t die on me. The realm needs you.† Robert took his hand, fingers squeezing hard. â€Å"You are . . . such a bad liar, Ned Stark,† he said through his pain. â€Å"The realm . . . the realm knows . . . what a wretched king I’ve been. Bad as Aerys, the gods spare me.† â€Å"No,† Ned told his dying friend, â€Å"not so bad as Aerys, Your Grace. Not near so bad as Aerys.† Robert managed a weak red smile. â€Å"At the least, they will say . . . this last thing . . . this I did right. You won’t fail me. You’ll rule now. You’ll hate it, worse than I did . . . but you’ll do well. Are you done with the scribbling?† â€Å"Yes, Your Grace.† Ned offered Robert the paper. The king scrawled his signature blindly, leaving a smear of blood across the letter. â€Å"The seal should be witnessed.† â€Å"Serve the boar at my funeral feast,† Robert rasped. â€Å"Apple in its mouth, skin seared crisp. Eat the bastard. Don’t care if you choke on him. Promise me, Ned.† â€Å"I promise.† Promise me, Ned, Lyanna’s voice echoed. â€Å"The girl,† the king said. â€Å"Daenerys. Let her live. If you can, if it . . . not too late . . . talk to them . . . Varys, Littlefinger . . . don’t let them kill her. And help my son, Ned. Make him be . . . better than me.† He winced. â€Å"Gods have mercy.† â€Å"They will, my friend,† Ned said. â€Å"They will.† The king closed his eyes and seemed to relax. â€Å"Killed by a pig,† he muttered. â€Å"Ought to laugh, but it hurts too much.† Ned was not laughing. â€Å"Shall I call them back?† Robert gave a weak nod. â€Å"As you will. Gods, why is it so cold in here?† The servants rushed back in and hurried to feed the fires. The queen had gone; that was some small relief, at least. If she had any sense, Cersei would take her children and fly before the break of day, Ned thought. She had lingered too long already. King Robert did not seem to miss her. He bid his brother Renly and Grand Maester Pycelle to stand in witness as he pressed his seal into the hot yellow wax that Ned had dripped upon his letter. â€Å"Now give me something for the pain and let me die.† Hurriedly Grand Maester Pycelle mixed him another draught of the milk of the poppy. This time the king drank deeply. His black beard was beaded with thick white droplets when he threw the empty cup aside. â€Å"Will I dream?† Ned gave him his answer. â€Å"You will, my lord.† â€Å"Good,† he said, smiling. â€Å"I will give Lyanna your love, Ned. Take care of my children for me.† The words twisted in Ned’s belly like a knife. For a moment he was at a loss. He could not bring himself to lie. Then he remembered the bastards: little Barra at her mother’s breast, Mya in the Vale, Gendry at his forge, and all the others. â€Å"I shall . . . guard your children as if they were my own,† he said slowly. Robert nodded and closed his eyes. Ned watched his old friend sag softly into the pillows as the milk of the poppy washed the pain from his face. Sleep took him. Heavy chains jangled softly as Grand Maester Pycelle came up to Ned. â€Å"I will do all in my power, my lord, but the wound has mortified. It took them two days to get him back. By the time I saw him, it was too late. I can lessen His Grace’s suffering, but only the gods can heal him now.† â€Å"How long?† Ned asked. â€Å"By rights, he should be dead already. I have never seen a man cling to life so fiercely.† â€Å"My brother was always strong,† Lord Renly said. â€Å"Not wise, perhaps, but strong.† In the sweltering heat of the bedchamber, his brow was slick with sweat. He might have been Robert’s ghost as he stood there, young and dark and handsome. â€Å"He slew the boar. His entrails were sliding from his belly, yet somehow he slew the boar.† His voice was full of wonder. â€Å"Robert was never a man to leave the battleground so long as a foe remained standing,† Ned told him. Outside the door, Ser Barristan Selmy still guarded the tower stairs. â€Å"Maester Pycelle has given Robert the milk of the poppy,† Ned told him. â€Å"See that no one disturbs his rest without leave from me.† â€Å"It shall be as you command, my lord.† Ser Barristan seemed old beyond his years. â€Å"I have failed my sacred trust.† â€Å"Even the truest knight cannot protect a king against himself,† Ned said. â€Å"Robert loved to hunt boar. I have seen him take a thousand of them.† He would stand his ground without flinching, his legs braced, the great spear in his hands, and as often as not he would curse the boar as it charged, and wait until the last possible second, until it was almost on him, before he killed it with a single sure and savage thrust. â€Å"No one could know this one would be his death.† â€Å"You are kind to say so, Lord Eddard.† â€Å"The king himself said as much. He blamed the wine.† The white-haired knight gave a weary nod. â€Å"His Grace was reeling in his saddle by the time we flushed the boar from his lair, yet he commanded us all to stand aside.† â€Å"I wonder, Ser Barristan,† asked Varys, so quietly, â€Å"who gave the king this wine?† Ned had not heard the eunuch approach, but when he looked around, there he stood. He wore a black velvet robe that brushed the floor, and his face was freshly powdered. â€Å"The wine was from the king’s own skin,† Ser Barristan said. â€Å"Only one skin? Hunting is such thirsty work.† â€Å"I did not keep count. More than one, for a certainty. His squire would fetch him a fresh skin whenever he required it.† â€Å"Such a dutiful boy,† said Varys, â€Å"to make certain His Grace did not lack for refreshment.† Ned had a bitter taste in his mouth. He recalled the two fair-haired boys Robert had sent chasing after a breastplate stretcher. The king had told everyone the tale that night at the feast, laughing until he shook. â€Å"Which squire?† â€Å"The elder,† said Ser Barristan. â€Å"Lancel.† â€Å"I know the lad well,† said Varys. â€Å"A stalwart boy, Ser Kevan Lannister’s son, nephew to Lord Tywin and cousin to the queen. I hope the dear sweet lad does not blame himself. Children are so vulnerable in the innocence of their youth, how well do I remember.† Certainly Varys had once been young. Ned doubted that he had ever been innocent. â€Å"You mention children. Robert had a change of heart concerning Daenerys Targaryen. Whatever arrangements you made, I want unmade. At once.† â€Å"Alas,† said Varys. â€Å"At once may be too late. I fear those birds have flown. But I shall do what I can, my lord. With your leave.† He bowed and vanished down the steps, his soft-soled slippers whispering against the stone as he made his descent. Cayn and Tomard were helping Ned across the bridge when Lord Renly emerged from Maegor’s Holdfast. â€Å"Lord Eddard,† he called after Ned, â€Å"a moment, if you would be so kind.† Ned stopped. â€Å"As you wish.† Renly walked to his side. â€Å"Send your men away.† They met in the center of the bridge, the dry moat beneath them. Moonlight silvered the cruel edges of the spikes that lined its bed. Ned gestured. Tomard and Cayn bowed their heads and backed away respectfully. Lord Renly glanced warily at Ser Boros on the far end of the span, at Ser Preston in the doorway behind them. â€Å"That letter.† He leaned close. â€Å"Was it the regency? Has my brother named you Protector?† He did not wait for a reply. â€Å"My lord, I have thirty men in my personal guard, and other friends beside, knights and lords. Give me an hour, and I can put a hundred swords in your hand.† â€Å"And what should I do with a hundred swords, my lord?† â€Å"Strike! Now, while the castle sleeps.† Renly looked back at Ser Boros again and dropped his voice to an urgent whisper. â€Å"We must get Joffrey away from his mother and take him in hand. Protector or no, the man who holds the king holds the kingdom. We should seize Myrcella and Tommen as well. Once we have her children, Cersei will not dare oppose us. The council will confirm you as Lord Protector and make Joffrey your ward.† Ned regarded him coldly. â€Å"Robert is not dead yet. The gods may spare him. If not, I shall convene the council to hear his final words and consider the matter of the succession, but I will not dishonor his last hours on earth by shedding blood in his halls and dragging frightened children from their beds.† Lord Renly took a step back, taut as a bowstring. â€Å"Every moment you delay gives Cersei another moment to prepare. By the time Robert dies, it may be too late . . . for both of us.† â€Å"Then we should pray that Robert does not die.† â€Å"Small chance of that,† said Renly. â€Å"Sometimes the gods are merciful.† â€Å"The Lannisters are not.† Lord Renly turned away and went back across the moat, to the tower where his brother lay dying. By the time Ned returned to his chambers, he felt weary and heartsick, yet there was no question of his going back to sleep, not now. When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die, Cersei Lannister had told him in the godswood. He found himself wondering if he had done the right thing by refusing Lord Renly’s offer. He had no taste for these intrigues, and there was no honor in threatening children, and yet . . . if Cersei elected to fight rather than flee, he might well have need of Renly’s hundred swords, and more besides. â€Å"I want Littlefinger,† he told Cayn. â€Å"If he’s not in his chambers, take as many men as you need and search every winesink and whorehouse in King’s Landing until you find him. Bring him to me before break of day.† Cayn bowed and took his leave, and Ned turned to Tomard. â€Å"The Wind Witch sails on the evening tide. Have you chosen the escort?† â€Å"Ten men, with Porther in command.† â€Å"Twenty, and you will command,† Ned said. Porther was a brave man, but headstrong. He wanted someone more solid and sensible to keep watch over his daughters. â€Å"As you wish, m’lord,† Tom said. â€Å"Can’t say I’ll be sad to see the back of this place. I miss the wife.† â€Å"You will pass near Dragonstone when you turn north. I need you to deliver a letter for me.† Tom looked apprehensive. â€Å"To Dragonstone, m’lord?† The island fortress of House Targaryen had a sinister repute. â€Å"Tell Captain Qos to hoist my banner as soon as he comes in sight of the island. They may be wary of unexpected visitors. If he is reluctant, offer him whatever it takes. I will give you a letter to place into the hand of Lord Stannis Baratheon. No one else. Not his steward, nor the captain of his guard, nor his lady wife, but only Lord Stannis himself.† â€Å"As you command, m’lord.† When Tomard had left him, Lord Eddard Stark sat staring at the flame of the candle that burned beside him on the table. For a moment his grief overwhelmed him. He wanted nothing so much as to seek out the godswood, to kneel before the heart tree and pray for the life of Robert Baratheon, who had been more than a brother to him. Men would whisper afterward that Eddard Stark had betrayed his king’s friendship and disinherited his sons; he could only hope that the gods would know better, and that Robert would learn the truth of it in the land beyond the grave. Ned took out the king’s last letter. A roll of crisp white parchment sealed with golden wax, a few short words and a smear of blood. How small the difference between victory and defeat, between life and death. He drew out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped his quill in the inkpot. To His Grace, Stannis of the House Baratheon, he wrote. By the time you receive this letter, your brother Robert, our King these past fifteen years, will be dead. He was savaged by a boar whilst hunting in the kingswood . . . The letters seemed to writhe and twist on the paper as his hand trailed to a stop. Lord Tywin and Ser Jaime were not men to suffer disgrace meekly; they would fight rather than flee. No doubt Lord Stannis was wary, after the murder of Jon Arryn, but it was imperative that he sail for King’s Landing at once with all his power, before the Lannisters could march. Ned chose each word with care. When he was done, he signed the letter Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King, and Protector of the Realm, blotted the paper, folded it twice, and melted the sealing wax over the candle flame. His regency would be a short one, he reflected as the wax softened. The new king would choose his own Hand. Ned would be free to go home. The thought of Winterfell brought a wan smile to his face. He wanted to hear Bran’s laughter once more, to go hawking with Robb, to watch Rickon at play. He wanted to drift off to a dreamless sleep in his own bed with his arms wrapped tight around his lady, Catelyn. Cayn returned as he was pressing the direwolf seal down into the soft white wax. Desmond was with him, and between them Littlefinger. Ned thanked his guards and sent them away. Lord Petyr was clad in a blue velvet tunic with puffed sleeves, his silvery cape patterned with mockingbirds. â€Å"I suppose congratulations are in order,† he said as he seated himself. Ned scowled. â€Å"The king lies wounded and near to death.† â€Å"I know,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"I also know that Robert has named you Protector of the Realm.† Ned’s eyes flicked to the king’s letter on the table beside him, its seal unbroken. â€Å"And how is it you know that, my lord?† â€Å"Varys hinted as much,† Littlefinger said, â€Å"and you have just confirmed it.† Ned’s mouth twisted in anger. â€Å"Damn Varys and his little birds. Catelyn spoke truly, the man has some black art. I do not trust him.† â€Å"Excellent. You’re learning.† Littlefinger leaned forward. â€Å"Yet I’ll wager you did not drag me here in the black of night to discuss the eunuch.† â€Å"No,† Ned admitted. â€Å"I know the secret Jon Arryn was murdered to protect. Robert will leave no trueborn son behind him. Joffrey and Tommen are Jaime Lannister’s bastards, born of his incestuous union with the queen.† Littlefinger lifted an eyebrow. â€Å"Shocking,† he said in a tone that suggested he was not shocked at all. â€Å"The girl as well? No doubt. So when the king dies . . . â€Å" â€Å"The throne by rights passes to Lord Stannis, the elder of Robert’s two brothers.† Lord Petyr stroked his pointed beard as he considered the matter. â€Å"So it would seem. Unless . . . â€Å" â€Å"Unless, my lord? There is no seeming to this. Stannis is the heir. Nothing can change that.† â€Å"Stannis cannot take the throne without your help. If you’re wise, you’ll make certain Joffrey succeeds.† Ned gave him a stony stare. â€Å"Have you no shred of honor?† â€Å"Oh, a shred, surely,† Littlefinger replied negligently. â€Å"Hear me out. Stannis is no friend of yours, nor of mine. Even his brothers can scarcely stomach him. The man is iron, hard and unyielding. He’ll give us a new Hand and a new council, for a certainty. No doubt he’ll thank you for handing him the crown, but he won’t love you for it. And his ascent will mean war. Stannis cannot rest easy on the throne until Cersei and her bastards are dead. Do you think Lord Tywin will sit idly while his daughter’s head is measured for a spike? Casterly Rock will rise, and not alone. Robert found it in him to pardon men who served King Aerys, so long as they did him fealty. Stannis is less forgiving. He will not have forgotten the siege of Storm’s End, and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dare not. Every man who fought beneath the dragon banner or rose with Balon Greyjoy will have good cause to fear. Seat Stannis on the Iron Throne and I promise yo u, the realm will bleed. â€Å"Now look at the other side of the coin. Joffrey is but twelve, and Robert gave you the regency, my lord. You are the Hand of the King and Protector of the Realm. The power is yours, Lord Stark. All you need do is reach out and take it. Make your peace with the Lannisters. Release the Imp. Wed Joffrey to your Sansa. Wed your younger girl to Prince Tommen, and your heir to Myrcella. It will be four years before Joffrey comes of age. By then he will look to you as a second father, and if not, well . . . four years is a good long while, my lord. Long enough to dispose of Lord Stannis. Then, should Joffrey prove troublesome, we can reveal his little secret and put Lord Renly on the throne.† â€Å"We?† Ned repeated. Littlefinger gave a shrug. â€Å"You’ll need someone to share your burdens. I assure you, my price would be modest.† â€Å"Your price.† Ned’s voice was ice. â€Å"Lord Baelish, what you suggest is treason.† â€Å"Only if we lose.† â€Å"You forget,† Ned told him. â€Å"You forget Jon Arryn. You forget Jory Cassel. And you forget this.† He drew the dagger and laid it on the table between them; a length of dragonbone and Valyrian steel, as sharp as the difference between right and wrong, between true and false, between life and death. â€Å"They sent a man to cut my son’s throat, Lord Baelish.† Littlefinger sighed. â€Å"I fear I did forget, my lord. Pray forgive me. For a moment I did not remember that I was talking to a Stark.† His mouth quirked. â€Å"So it will be Stannis, and war?† â€Å"It is not a choice. Stannis is the heir.† â€Å"Far be it from me to dispute the Lord Protector. What would you have of me, then? Not my wisdom, for a certainty.† â€Å"I shall do my best to forget your . . . wisdom,† Ned said with distaste. â€Å"I called you here to ask for the help you promised Catelyn. This is a perilous hour for all of us. Robert has named me Protector, true enough, but in the eyes of the world, Joffrey is still his son and heir. The queen has a dozen knights and a hundred men-at-arms who will do whatever she commands . . . enough to overwhelm what remains of my own household guard. And for all I know, her brother Jaime may be riding for King’s Landing even as we speak, with a Lannister host at his back.† â€Å"And you without an army.† Littlefinger toyed with the dagger on the table, turning it slowly with a finger. â€Å"There is small love lost between Lord Renly and the Lannisters. Bronze Yohn Royce, Ser Balon Swann, Ser Loras, Lady Tanda, the Redwyne twins . . . each of them has a retinue of knights and sworn swords here at court.† â€Å"Renly has thirty men in his personal guard, the rest even fewer. It is not enough, even if I could be certain that all of them will choose to give me their allegiance. I must have the gold cloaks. The City Watch is two thousand strong, sworn to defend the castle, the city, and the king’s peace.† â€Å"Ah, but when the queen proclaims one king and the Hand another, whose peace do they protect?† Lord Petyr flicked at the dagger with his finger, setting it spinning in place. Round and round it went, wobbling as it turned. When at last it slowed to a stop, the blade pointed at Littlefinger. â€Å"Why, there’s your answer,† he said, smiling. â€Å"They follow the man who pays them.† He leaned back and looked Ned full in the face, his grey-green eyes bright with mockery. â€Å"You wear your honor like a suit of armor, Stark. You think it keeps you safe, but all it does is weigh you down and make it hard for you to move. Look at you now. You know why you summoned me here. You know what you want to ask me to do. You know it has to be done . . . but it’s not honorable, so the words stick in your throat.† Ned’s neck was rigid with tension. For a moment he was so angry that he did not trust himself to speak. Littlefinger laughed. â€Å"I ought to make you say it, but that would be cruel . . . so have no fear, my good lord. For the sake of the love I bear for Catelyn, I will go to Janos Slynt this very hour and make certain that the City Watch is yours. Six thousand gold pieces should do it. A third for the Commander, a third for the officers, a third for the men. We might be able to buy them for half that much, but I prefer not to take chances.† Smiling, he plucked up the dagger and offered it to Ned, hilt first.

SEE and Create Topics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SEE and Create Topics - Coursework Example When I think of electricity, high voltages, and lightning, I would automatically associate them with immense forms of power and I can only wonder how it can be controlled in such a way that it would create a musical piece. I have seen other musical displays before such as those accompanied by fireworks, lights, or water. However, the use electricity, channeling like lightning and even creating distinct and controlled sounds offers a more exciting and engaging show. b. The subject of the art is a woman. Colors involved in the art can be divided into two parts: a warm and natural palette on the upper portion and vivid and flashy colors on the bottom. The elements of design and composition are timing, motion arcs, and overlapping actions. a. Understanding the story or plot in the animation is somehow challenging, wherein a woman is confronted with some obstacles in her way. However, I think that the main feature of this art form is to showcase the fascinating concepts of timing and multi-dimensional motion. In Diane Meyer’s Italy VI: 2009, 2011, hand-sewn archival ink-jet print embroidered photo of a scenic image of a land form, the easily distinguishable crisscross pattern of the embroidery adds depth to an already pronounced art of photography. The sewn tiles in the photograph are intricately designed to attain unity and balance with the original photo. It is evident that Chinese tea cups are among the world’s most beautifully created ceramic art. The significance of tea cups in Chinese culture and tradition can be traced to several centuries ago. This segment hosted by Stephen Fry gives a hilarious side of the history of Chinese tea cups, together with his guests; they brought me to a big laugh and at the same time gave me a brief but informative knowledge on the magnificent tea cups of early

Easy Jet Airlines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Easy Jet Airlines - Essay Example The CEO - Stelios is known for exceptional decision-making and problem-solving skills (including correct analysis, comparison of alternatives, and selecting best alternative), Value driven; possesses qualities of honesty and integrity, Takes initiative and plans accordingly (includes planning, organizational, and time and conflict management skills), Holds accountability for actions, Knowledge in given field, Observant and reacts to employee/customer needs, Effectively assumes responsibility and rewards/punishes accordingly, Promotes team-building and relationship building. Stelios, founder and CEO of easyJet Airlines, want to offer low cost airlines to its customer & to become leader in airline industries. He believed that in order to be successful, it was important to be first to market and to saturate the geographic market. The main issue with the easyJet is that due to monopoly of European Airline Industry, it is very difficult to become the global leader in Airline Industry. Due to monopoly of European airlines, easyJet airlines are not able to enter in to the European countries. For that Stelios had done a lot of efforts to attract passengers towards easyJet. He offered low cost tickets, easy ticketing procedure through internet or phone call, and also he purchase some front seat tickets of an European airlines and send his employee in a uniform that is advertising for Easy Jet. It means some passengers traveling in an European airlines are advertising for Easyjet Airlines. To succeed successfully in the airline industry, a company must be led by a visionary leader with good decision making skills. The leader must be in-line with the organizational culture, promoting a favorable internal environment. In order to become the global leader, Stelios, founder & CEO of jet Airlines tries his hand in other business in 1999. Among his pet projects was the creation of a cyber cafà © business called easyEverything cafà ©. easyEverything will provide internet at lower cost (Less than a phone

Academic electronic medical record system usability testing Coursework

Academic electronic medical record system usability testing - Coursework Example Some researchers suggest that the main reasons for the backlog in new technology applications are the following: a large number of end-users (e.g. physicians, nurses, and other medical technical personnel) are still strong followers of traditional pen-and-paper methods of information retrieval and storage; high costs of implementation and maintenance of the systems; the usability of the programs are highly variable amongst the software developers and the end-users, with those not having enough computer technical know-hows end up not using the system to their advantage; the use of computer-based records interfere with the time allotted to interact with the patient; and because future nurses are not taught how to use electronic health records (EHR) as early as possible during their studying years (McBride, 2011; Master of Technical and Scientific Communication Program Students, 2004; Moody, et al., 2004; Natarajan, et al., 2010). ... Common EHR Usage in Hospitals Using HER’s in hospitals provide improvements in health care delivery mainly due to the reduction of inaccuracies in patient health and medicine records. There is considerably less misinterpretation of information handled from the reduced use of handwriting which often leads to inaccuracies in patient records or from missing information due to illegibility (Garrido, et al., 2005; Simon, et al., 2007). But EHR is not limited to the storage and retrieval of patient health information, as it also functions as a database for other kinds of data such as drug dosage and actions, disease symptoms, and physician information which many identified users can access in order to synchronise patient medical information and history from (Wang, et al., 2008). At the same time, EHR can also function as an alarm or reminder notification system for regular users in their work duties, such as patient check-up times or administration of drugs, creation of electronic m emos such as patient health progress, among others (Bonnel & Smith, 2010; Moody, et al., 2004; Simon, et al., 2007). This makes for the EHR's contribution in enhancing care delivery for end-users and other stakeholders, and it is expected that the number of agencies putting EHR in effect will also increase in proportion to the improvements made in the program user interfaces. Impact of Teaching EHR in Schools Due to the costs of EHR instalment and maintenance, it can be expected that the bulk of end-users of such programs would be large health facilities such as hospitals or other medical institutions, or individual practitioners tied to these facilities. This is mainly from the high volume of patients or clients that enter regularly or intermittently and have their health records

Arguement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Arguement - Essay Example Still, how can it be used to ensure that its use reap the full benefits in the future undertakings and bring about a great promotion (Marc 1). That the use of digital platform in the field of humanity has brought about change in the sector is a point that no one can deny. If one chooses to deny it, then she/he is doing so out of reasons rather the facts that are evident for everyone to see. Take for example the platform such as content-management systems or GIS mapping. These have made all the difference on the web management tick (Marc 2). Another example of just how the digital scholarship has brought a difference in the education sphere is in the research sector in the humanities studies. Subjects that were characterized with low-tech seminars such as undergraduate philosophy or English for that matter has embraced technology to the point that research methods that were once esteemed as the preserve of the elite scholars can be taught and passed on to undergraduate students in a short period unlike before. This shows how the digital scholarship has just made an enormous contribution as far as the computational approach is employed in humanities (Marc 3). Another proof that digital platform is an important aspect in humanities is the kind of focus colleges has given to this field. Also, the perspective that has been taken by student that digital humanity is strengthening their prospects in the job market (Marc 4). It therefore goes without saying that digital platform as an area requires critical engagement because it touches on every aspect of our life. This sort of demand has left the humanities at the university with no choice but to invent ways that will not only increase the value of their undertaking but also ensure that there is wide embrace of the programs. Additionally, they are ever working on ways to get the resources to implement this. Even though there has been a challenge of quantifying the achievement made in this aspect because of the

The Dialogues of Plato Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Dialogues of Plato - Essay Example Plato has made immense contributions in the field of philosophy where he wrote about the ideas regarding knowledge, metaphysics, forms and other similar ideas. More importantly, Plato wrote about the state where he gave ideal forms of governance. Though a few of his ideas were derived from Socrates, yet he was often found being deviated from that of Socrates. Out of all the works, the most intriguing one is in the state, where he identified three classes or castes in society (Plato & Benjamin 88-89); Furthermore, he gives the idea of the philosopher king who should be the central figure governing the state, and proper training of those eligible for this office must go through a rigorous education system. Thus, his work on the state and republic is one of the most applauded efforts and is appreciated till time. The positive side of the idea is the classification which clearly identifies and divides individuals based on their inherent capabilities. This ideal is pragmatic to date since it is now an accepted notion that individuals must be assigned careers according to their capabilities. This concept is clear and distinct and is thus one of the most celebrated works associated to Plato. On the negative side, his inclination towards an aristocratic state is deemed to be the most negative side to this theory. According to Plato, aristocracy is the kind of governance where a philosopher king is the central figure of the state, and thus, he is the one who must rule the republic based on reason and wisdom. Also, he further stated that the aristocracy would decline to a timocracy over time, which would further deteriorate first into an oligarchy and then to a democracy and finally to tyranny (Plato & Benjamin 66-68).  

Neo-Localism in Texas Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Neo-Localism in Texas - Article Example In these micro-breweries, the style of making beer is similar to that used in the United States up until the mid-1800s, whereby top-fermenting yeast was used to produce ales, stouts, and porters (Flack 199). Â  According to Flack, one such microbrewery is the Spoetzl Brewery in Texas, which survived the effects brought about by the globalization of beer, and until today continues to produce local ales for the Texas community (201). The character of the town of Texas, the people, and the Spoetzl Brewery are inextricably linked, a link that has been there for over 75 years. This link is exemplified by the fact that most employees have worked in the brewery for over 20 years, and the Shiner High School anthem is about the brewery (Flack 204). Â  Apart from the brewing industry in Texas, there are other industries that have also demonstrated a sense of neo-localism. The food festivals in Texas symbolize a historic connection between the food item and the cultural identity and geography of the town of Texas. For example, in April, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) celebrates a food festival in form of a three-day long street party in which indigenous food, music, drinks, art, and many more are on offer for free. This food festival is an effort to shift Away from global practices and focus on the uniqueness of Texas, particularly the culture of DFW. Â  

History of Tests & Measurements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Tests & Measurements - Essay Example This essay will highlight five themes in the work of Kubiszyn and Borich (2010). Highlight on implications on the educational sector as well as teacher ability in relation to these tests will be focused on. It is evident that controversies have been witnessed in this filed. According to Kubiszyn and Borich (2010), educators need comprehensive and practical approaches for conducting assessments on their learners’ achievements and progress in the classroom setting. Their work is, therefore, one of the most comprehensive one, that teachers can incorporate in their classrooms to focus on the changes required in the classrooms. 2.0. Effects of tests on the Classroom Teacher Tests play a crucial role in the teaching and learning of concepts in the classroom setting. It is through tests that Shepard (2000) argues that teachers are able to keep track of the progress of his or her learners. Through tests, teachers are able to identify the weak points of their learners as well as their strengths. For instance, standardized tests are well known for the identification of learners’ strengths’ and weaknesses. ... Tests, according to McMillan (2000) are useful for determination of the best content to be covered by the learners. 3.0. Tests as Tools Analysts give varying views on the utility of tests, as a contributor of positive impacts in learning. Kubiszyn and Borich’s (2010), work indicates that tests are mere tools that are simply set to as a formality and no evidence can proof their validity. Not all students are in a position to understand the mechanics of all tests that are provided in the classroom. For instance, a well informed student may miss out a few particulars, in a particular test, and fail the entire exam. Does this mean that the student is a failure in that particular test or not? In this context, therefore, tests may not be regarded as useful means of assessments in the society. Tests, according to Burger & Krueger (2003) have an off-putting effect on the teaching and learning process. Tests administered during the learning process consume a lot of time that would have been used in covering the contents of the syllabus. Learners have acquired the skills of cramming certain tests used in learning process especially if they are aware that there is likelihood that those tests may be repeated at the end of the course. In short, tests overemphasize on the ability to learn fundamental skills by the learners instead of inculcating skills that will enable learners think critically and analyze situations in the society. In fact, statistics indicate that once tutors emphasize on teaching with the use of tests, there is likelihood, that learning records no change, though the scores of learning may escalate as a result of rote learning. In light to this argument, therefore, it is evident that tests cannot be indicated to be the best ways of

Humanities Today Essay Example for Free

Humanities Today Essay For as long as humankind has existed so have art, music, architecture, literature, and philosophy. The University of Phoenix (2009) defines humanities as â€Å"an approach to study that emphasizes ideas and values through analysis of modes of cultural expression, philosophical and religious thought, and modes of human communication† (University of Phoenix, Week One Supplement). Gloria K. Fiero (2006) further defines humanities as literature, philosophy, history, architecture, visual arts, music, and dance (p. 4). Humanities impact daily life without many people being aware of their presence. What distinguishes humanities from other modes of human inquiry and expression is that they focus on ideas and values, not simply the production or result of an action. This paper will provide current examples of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature and analyze how they reflect current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology. Visual art can be, but is not limited to, painting, sculpture, and photography. Classic paintings by renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso are still considered masterpieces in today’s society but are not enjoyed by the common population the way that graphic and digital art have in the past century. Graphic and digital technology have become the means by which visual art is to be viewed and cherished among the mass population in a way that has never been available in history. Today’s society has become focused on instant gratification. Changes are expected to be made in politics overnight, struggles in socioeconomics demand rectification within weeks (even though they took years to create), and advancements in technology feeds society’s dependence on better, faster, and stronger tools. Unfortunately, visual art has become victim to this need for instant gratification. No longer are single masterpieces created by the flow of an artist’s hands, shaping and molding art into a creation of his or her soul. Instead, art is generated digitally by the click of a mouse and a selection of color and size from a predefined chart. The art can then be mass-distributed and mass-produced around the world in the matter of minutes. The creativity is still there, but the love generated through the time and patience required to construct that art by hand is no longer there. With the flood of self-help books saturating the market, literature also reflects society’s need for instant gratification. Self-help books are a reflection of the current socioeconomic state in which everyone is looking for a way to better his or her life instantly. Politicians have indirectly supported this literary genre by focusing and promoting what is wrong in the country and in each other. For example, if a politician has shortcomings in his or her public speaking abilities, the opposing political party will ridicule that person publicly. Citizens who feel they also do not have strong speaking skills and fear being mocked may then be compelled to purchase a self-help book on public speaking. As technology has advanced, self-help books have become a wonderful tool for individuals struggling to learn how to use the newest electronic devices. One popular technology self-help series is the For Dummies books. The books began in 1991 with â€Å"DOS for Dummies† (Johnson, 2006, para. 3), but they have now sold over 150 million Dummies books in 39 languages. Many people have benefited from the simple, helpful language used in these books, but not all self-help books are created equal. Some self-help books offer a quick solution that often leaves individuals feeling worse than when they began. Striving for self-improvement is excellent; however, self-help books can sometimes do more harm than good. Music in today’s society can also do more harm than good when presented to an impressionable mind. Music has always been used as a means of creatively reflecting political and socioeconomic issues, but since the inception of the Rap and Heavy Metal music genres, discontent, anger, and frustration have become common and wide-spread in music over the past 50 years. Songs about drug use, suicide, murder, and rape and those that use explicit language are common in these two genres of music and have begun to permeate other forms of music. This reflects not only society’s discontent with the current political and socioeconomic state, but it also reflects society’s tolerance and acceptance of freedom of speech. The sound of music, the production of music, and the enjoyment of music have evolved as technology evolves. New sounds that have never been possible before are now available through technology. Music is now available anywhere through the use of an MP3 player or cell phone. No longer does a person have to stop and listen to a musician; music can be played at any time. This fills society’s need for instant gratification. Today’s architecture also caters to the on-the-go lifestyles of society. Bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster are all ideas and values visibly manifested in current architecture. The aesthetic appeal of a building has given way to designs which exploit opportunities to get the most for the money. A recent trend which reflects a change of political and socioeconomic initiatives is building environmentally-friendly structures. That means creating a building that produces little waste, uses alternative power solutions, and emits minimum greenhouse toxins. Advances in technology have made these structures possible; however, they cost additional money to construct, and businesses and individuals are charged more money to use them than a traditionally built structure. Instant gratification, the struggle for self-improvement, tolerance and acceptance, and the idea of making as much money as possible are all philosophies in today’s society. Each is reflected in art, literature, music, and architecture, but as a whole, they make up the philosophy of society through their ideas and values. Developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology have all played a part in creating these philosophies, but they are visibly manifested in the humanities. One can only wonder how the current humanities will be viewed and analyzed 50 or 100 years from now. The examples this paper has provided of visual art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature demonstrate how current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and technology are reflected. As politics, socioeconomics, and technology change so too will art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. They are a reflection of one another and intertwined in their evolution. References Fiero, Gloria K. (2007). The humanistic tradition (5th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Johnson, Doug (2006, October). For dummies books are popular learning aids. Retrieved from http://www. voanews. com/specialenglish/archive/2006-10/2006-10-12-voa1. cfm University of Phoenix (2009). Week One supplement: Humanities Terminology. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Week One, HUM102 – Introduction to the Humanities website.

Polks Declaration of War with Mexico Essay Example for Free

Polks Declaration of War with Mexico Essay Many believe that James K. Polk’s declaration of War with Mexico was a justifiable action. On the contrary, a more sound argument can be made using Lincoln’s â€Å"Spot Resolutions† and Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience†; stating that Polk deliberately proclaimed war in order to expand United States’ territory and slavery. Abraham Lincoln used his â€Å"Spot Resolutions† to persuade the House of Representatives to present Polk with queries about the veracity of his statements, particularly in regard to the actual â€Å"spot† where blood was initially shed. Lincoln’s questions were never answered but his resolutions convinced much of the public that Polk was not being straightforward about his motives for war. In fact, Polk had a draft written to Congress asking to declare war on Mexico prior to having gained knowledge of U.S. casualties. Polk’s original justifications for war include Mexicos failure to pay U.S. damage claims and their refusal to meet with Slidell, yet later he stated that the war was a â€Å"defensive measure.† Other oppositions to the war came from those who defended civil liberties, most prominently from Henry David Thoreau. Through Thoreau’s eyes, the government was engaged in an unjust war with the sole objective to promote the westward expansion of slavery. As a protest, Thoreau refused to pay his poll tax to support an imperialistic war, resulting in a night in jail. Thoreau condoned breaking the law if the law was perceived unethical. Thoreau believed that people have the duty to answer to a higher law than of our government, their own set of morals. Polk seemed to change his reasons for war depending on what the public hoped to hear, but he never wavered in his decision for the declaration of War on Mexico. This suggests that he was determined to reap the rewards from a war that he declared over the opposition from both the public and the legislature. The analysis of Lincoln’s â€Å"Spot Resolutions† infer that James K. Polk declared war to gain western lands, especially California, despite the repercussions of warfare. Thoreau’s â€Å"Civil Disobedience† also gives evidence that Polk orchestrated the War with Mexico to reach slavery out west.

Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Is Information Technology Essay

Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Is Information Technology Essay What are the identified problems, issues and short comings in addition to above two areas of studies how can Srilankan Airlines achieve competitive advantage by changing the effectiveness in their management system using IS/IT? 5.0 Background Information System and Information Technology (IS/IT) has become the core feature for many business successes in the globe. IT applications are mostly used to help organizations to do its day to day work and to gain competitive advantage while reducing competitive disadvantage and to meet other business objectives which organizations need. According to Ross and Fenny (1999), in the mid of 1980s, they have identified the IS/IT as a key weapon which helps to achieve the competitive advantage for any organization. Also Ward and Daniel (2006) has stated in their book of Benefits Management that in the last four decades there was a huge IS/IT requirement for organizations to meet its requirement to achieve the competitive advantage. Furthermore Ward and Daniel (2006), mentioned that with the early stage of IS/IT adoption helps to automate some routine activities to reduce the efficiency and reduce the cost while delivering a good operational process with a good product. According to Croteau and Bergeron (2001); Kearns and Lederer (2000); Zhang and Lado (2001) cited in Garg, Joubert and Pellissier (2005) p.33, mentioned that applications which are support to achieve the competitive advantage referred to as the strategic management information technology and it helps to achieve the best business performance for the organizations. According to Burn and Martinsons (1997); Ho (1992); Wiseman (cited in Henry and Pun (2000), stated that it is possible to accomplish the competitiveness of companies by using new opportunities which offered to the firm by strategic information systems. Buhalis (2004), has mentioned in his research paper about e-airlines, that airlines have been investing heavily for Information Communication Technology since the 1950s and they have used the IS/IT as a competitive tool to achieve their business targets. Also he has mentioned some examples that, in 1962, the American Airlines introduced its SABER computer reservation systems as an alternative solution for their previous manual data entering system expanding its Boeing fleet by 50%. According to the 12.manage.com website, with the huge business growth the IS/IT has given more impact to those businesses and mean while there is a huge development in IS/IT systems. Strategic planning helps the organizations to identify their IS application and its Information Technology which support to gain the competitive advantage over other competitors. Strategic planning is a tool which support for the organizing part for the present on the basis of the projections of the desired future. Information technologies are increasingly regarded as strategic resources of an organization. Indeed it is a potential use of IS/IT as a competitive weapon has become a popular clichà ©. Also the Management play an important part of an organization. Its main role is to unite people together in order to accomplish achievable goals. Management mobilize or allocate resources to different department like Human resource, Finance, IT department, etc. and organize these resources in such a way that organizational strategic goals are accomplished easily in the long run. Management also takes vital part in planning, organizing, leading and controlling. It gives direction, aligns and achieves organization goals with available resources. As shown in the allbusiness.com website, there are three different types of levels available in management hierarchy. Those are categorized as strategic, tactical and operational. To get the maximum benefit out of the company business intelligence, the organization needs to have all three levels strategic, tactical and operational working in conjunction with one another. According to Steiner (1979), in the role of management scenario, mainly the strategic level is more important and it is the highest level and usually done by senior management level. Basically the decisions on the objectives, committing money, employee and time are done within this strategic level. Tactical planning level it does the implementation of the strategic plan stages such as combine the available resources and review alternatives. Within the operational level, it is much more detailed of strategic and tactical levels. In this level the managers chosen to work the plan develop a specific plan to execute the strategic plan. Therefore the management role and the IS/IT strategies are playing a huge role to gain the competitive advantage. As stated in Srilankan Airlines annual report (2009), their IT division involving and giving huge support role to all departments in the Srilankan Airline during a year of multiple changes. Srilanka Airlines IT department is an independent department within the organization. Therefore it is an entity as a part of the process to align all divisions with the corporate strategy in an IT perspective and it is helping the entire organization to benefit from modern technology and improve their processes and productivity while gaining competitive advantage. However according to Porter (Cited in Clarke 2001) p.114, mentioned that, he has proposed to gain the competitive advantage; the firm must be based on one of three generic strategies. Those are categorized as differentiation, cost leadership and the focus. Considering the Porters differentiation strategy, the Srilankan Airlines has provided greater customer convenience through check-in facilities on mobiles was completed. This mobile fac ility is mainly focuses on the Srilankan Airlines customers. Comparing with other airlines, the Srilankan Airline has been using the differentiation strategy in their organization. Therefore further investigation is required to identify whether the role of management involvement is really beneficial to achieve the competitive advantage using IS/IT or not. Considering all these general factors which mentioned in the above paragraphs, it is clear that role of management involvement and IS/IT involvement are the main key factors of gaining competitive advantage for any organization. Therefore this research is carried out to find whether the same concepts which have been described in above paragraphs can apply to the Srilankan Airlines to achieve competitive advantage while comparing with the general findings. 6.0 Literature Review 6.1 Introduction IS/IT have revolutionized the entire business world. So far the organizations derive the competitive advantage applying technology to their industry. Mostly the competency will be changeable among the competitors base on their IT usage and the involvement of role of management. The airline industry in particular has fostered a dependency on IS/IT for their operational and strategic management. Airlines were early adopters of Information Systems Information Technology and have a long history of technological innovation, in comparison to many other business industries. (Buhalis 2004). IT applications are mostly used to help organizations to its day to day work and to gain competitive advantage while reducing competitive disadvantage and to meet other business objectives which organizations need. Following sections describe about what is competitive advantage and how the organizations achieve competitive advantage using IS/IT with involvement of management roles. 6.2 Competitive Advantage As stated in 12manage.com web site, if a company probably able to make a profit in excess of its cost of capital, because it has achieved a competitive position which offers some of and edge over its potential rivals. To achieve such a competitive edge, it typically takes the formulation and execution of business strategy. To develop a competitive advantage, the company must possess value creating activities which cannot be duplicated by any other organization. According to Day and Wensley (cited in 12manage.com website 2010), mentioned that two sets of sources are there which involved in creating competitive advantage. Those two are categorized as superior skills and superior resources. As proposed by Porter (1985), that to gain the competitive advantage, the firm must be based on one of three generic strategies. Those are categorized as differentiation, cost leadership and the focus. The differentiation means that whatever the product should be different from other vendors and the cost leadership makes firm to produce the products in lower cost. This will help to increase the profit margins to the firm. Focus means that the firms must concentrate about the present market and need to identify where are they comparing to other vendors and finally based on the calculation they must perform better than other competitors using their skills and knowledge. In some other way Treacy and Wiersema (1995), proposed another popular generic framework for gaining competitive advantage. Within this framework, a firm typically will choose to emphasize one of three value disciplines: product leadership, operational excellence, and customer intimacy. Operational Excellence As suggested by Ward and Peppard (2002, p.112), Operational Excellence means enabling products and services to be obtained reliably, easily and cost-effective by customers. With this competency-based strategy it implies a business strategy which can do better improvement to the organization than other competitors and be able to deliver both cost-effective and reliable quality of customer contentment. Product Leadership Further to Ward and Peppard (2002, p.114), product leadership means continuing product innovation meeting customers needs. This strategy implies not only creativity in developing new products and enhancing existing ones, but also astute market knowledge to ensure that they sell. Customer Intimacy It has been argued (Ward and Peppard 2002, p.113), that the Customer Intimacy indicates targeting markets very precisely and tailoring products and services to the needs of particular customer groups. The purpose of here is not just to satisfy but to please customers by understanding their needs and meeting them on every occasion. This can be obviously being expensive but it can build long-term customer loyalty. However further to Porter (1985), he has define a frame work model call Five Forces diagram which capture the main idea of porters theory of competitive advantage. The five forces model defines the rules of any kind of competition in any industry. Further to Porter, these five forces determine industry profitability. Also the five forces frame work point out that what is most important and it helps organization to capture their targets for long-term advantage. The five competitive forces are typically shown in the following diagram 1.0; Diagram 1.0: Porters Five Forces Elements of Industry Structure Source: Porter, (1985), p.6 The collection of strength of the five forces can be varies from industry to industry. In the meantime the strength each of the five forces also can change. Further to Porter and Miller (1985), stated that information technology can alter the five forces to the industry attractiveness. The Five Forces framework highlights what is important and directs managers towards those aspects most important to long-term advantage of the organization. According to Porter (1985), has explained the Five Forces elements as follows; Bargaining Power of Suppliers The term suppliers comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services. There are several elements for Supplier bargaining power is likely to be high. The market is dominated by a few large suppliers rather than a fragmented source of supply, There are no substitutes for the particular input, The suppliers customers are fragmented, so their bargaining power is low, The switching costs from one supplier to another are high, There is the possibility of the supplier integrating forwards in order to obtain higher prices and margins. This threat is especially high when The buying industry has a higher profitability than the supplying industry, Forward integration provides economies of scale for the supplier, The product is undifferentiated and can be replaces by substitutes, Switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and is not related to high costs, Customers have low margins and are price sensitive, Customers could produce the product themselves, The product is not of strategically importance for the customer, Threat of New Entrants The competition in an industry will be the higher, the easier it is for other companies to enter this industry. In such a situation, new entrants could change major determinants of the market environment (e.g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. There is always a latent pressure for reaction and adjustment for existing players in this industry. The threat of new entries will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. These are typically Economies of scale (minimum size requirements for profitable operations), High initial investments and fixed costs, Cost advantages of existing players due to experience curve effects of operation with fully depreciated assets, Brand loyalty of customers Protected intellectual property like patents, licenses etc, Scarcity of important resources, e.g. qualified expert staff Access to raw materials is controlled by existing players, Distribution channels are controlled by existing players, Existing players have close customer relations, e.g. from long-term service contracts, The buying industry hinders the supplying industry in their development (e.g. reluctance to accept new releases of products), The buying industry has low barriers to entry. Bargaining Power of Customers Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when They buy large volumes, there is a concentration of buyers, The supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators The supplying industry operates with high fixed costs, High switching costs for customers Legislation and government action Threat of Substitutes A threat from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices of better performance parameters for the same purpose. They could potentially attract a significant proportion of market volume and hence reduce the potential sales volume for existing players. This category also relates to complementary products. Similarly to the threat of new entrants, the treat of substitutes is determined by factors like Brand loyalty of customers, Close customer relationships, Switching costs for customers, The relative price for performance of substitutes, Current trends. Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players (companies) in an industry. High competitive pressure results in pressure on prices, margins, and hence, on profitability for every single company in the industry. Competition between existing players is likely to be high when There are many players of about the same size, Players have similar strategies There is not much differentiation between players and their products, hence, there is much price competition Low market growth rates (growth of a particular company is possible only at the expense of a competitor), Barriers for exit are high (e.g. expensive and highly specialized equipment). Above mentioned forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. At the primary level, firms create competitive advantage by perceiving or discovering new and better ways to compete in an industry and bringing them to market, which is ultimately an act of innovation. Innovations shift competitive advantage when rivals either fail to perceive the new way of competing to respond. There can be significant advantages to early movers responding to innovations, particularly in industries with significant economies of scale or when customers are more concerned about switching suppliers. Some of the typical causes of innovations which shift competitive advantage are categorised as follows: new technologies new or shifting buyer needs the emergence of a new industry segment shifting input costs or availability changes in government regulations Over the past two decades, researches have proposed several strategic frameworks to identify the IT applications that are likely to provide competitive advantage. It is important to identify the difference between IS, IT and information and the generic benefits of IS/IT as well. Therefor the following will discuss about the IS/IT strategies and how it beneficial for the business sector. 6.3 IS/IT Strategies It has been argued by Clarke (2001), p.115, that informations passes in-between individuals and groups with a given social environment. Information systems may identify as a system which supports and enable to pass within the specific environment. Distinguish between IS, IT and informations and the way its link with each other is showing in the following figure 1.1. Information Support Information Systems Enables Information Technology Figure: 1.1 The Nature of Information Technology, Information Systems and Information Source: Clarke (2001), p.116 There are several benefits which can be gained from IS/IT. According to Farbey et.al (cited in Ward and Danniel, 2006), stated that there are five elements included in the organizational structure. Following table 1.2 shows the five elements of and organization and its description. Organizational Structure Elements Description Strategic Includes people charged with overall responsibility for the organizations direction Management Includes middle managers who operate in order to transform the strategic vision into operational reality Operational Refers to people who perform work related directly to the production of products and services Functional Includes people who serve the organization by affecting others work Support Includes people who provide support for the organization outside the basic production of goods or services. These are often specialist in certain disciplines. Table: 1.2 The five elements of an organization Source: Ward and Daniel (2006), p. 7 However table 1.2 shows that there is significant numbers of benefits can apply to the management and to the organization which helps to gain the significant development. As argued by Ward and Daniel (2006), the strategic benefits are more involved in business organizations development and to develop a new business models where IS/IT play a main role. As stated by Ferbey et al. (cited in Ward and Daniel 2006), the term of management describe about the activities of middle management in an organization. These manager levels operate business unit levels and take decision making and also responsible for the development of their staff members. Further to Farbey et al. (cited in Ward and Daniel 2006), the operation benefits are classifieds in to goods and services which any firm provides. The main target is to get a worthy output which is differentiating from other vendors. While having a good operational benefits and giving it to the customers, the company can gain more benefits while ga ining competitive advantage. Also in functional and support benefits, it identifies certain activities which are support for the core activities which relate to company production of the goods and services. At the level of strategy implementation, the firms perform discrete activities conceiving new ways to conduct activities, employing new procedures, new technologies, or different inputs. As suggested by Porter (1980), the value chain is a systematic way of examining all the activities a firm performs and how they interact. It scrutinizes each of the activities of the firm (e.g. development, marketing, sales, operations, etc.) as a potential source of advantage. The value chain maps a firm into its strategically relevant activities in order to understand the behaviour of costs and the existing and potential sources of differentiation. All the activities in the value chain contribute to buyer value, and the cumulative costs in the chain will determine the difference between the buyer value and producer cost. A firm gains competitive advantage by performing these strategically important activities more cheaply or better than its competitors. One of the reasons the value chain framework is helpful is because it emphasizes that competitive advantage can come from anywhere along the value chain. It is important to understand that how a firm fits into the overall value system and it should include the value chains of its suppliers, channels, and buyers. Porter (1996) builds on his ideas of generic strategy and the value chain to describe about the strategy implementation in more detail. Competitive advantage requires that the firms value chain be managed as a system. Positioning choices determine not only which activities a company will perform and how it will configure individual activities, but also how they relate to one another. This is crucial, since the essence of implementing strategy is in the activities choosing to perform different activities than rivals. A firm is more than the sum of its activities. Further to Porter (1996), a firms value chain is an interdependent system or network of activities which has connected by linkages. Linkages create trade-offs requiring optimization and coordination. Porter (1986), has describes three choices of strategic position that influence the configuration of a firms activities: Variety-based positioning based on producing a subset of an industrys products or services; involves choice of product or service varieties rather than customer segments. Makes economic sense when a company can produce particular products or services using distinctive sets of activities. (i.e. Jiffy Lube for auto lubricants only) Needs-based positioning similar to traditional targeting of customer segments. Arises when there are groups of customers with differing needs, and when a tailored set of activities can serve those needs best. (i.e. Ikea to meet all the home furnishing needs of a certain segment of customers) Access-based positioning segmenting by customers who have the same needs, but the best configuration of activities to reach them is different. (i.e. Carmike Cinemas for theatres in small towns) Porters major contribution with activity mapping is to help explain how different strategies, or positions, can be implemented in practice. The key to successful implementation of strategy, he says, is in combining activities into a consistent fit with each other. A companys strategic position, then, is contained within a set of tailored activities designed to deliver it. The activities are tightly linked to each other, as shown by a 1.3 diagram of sorts. Fit locks out competitors by creating a chain that is as strong as its strongest link. If competitive advantage grows out of the entire system of activities, then competitors must match each activity to get the benefit of the whole system. Figure 1.3 Activity Map Source: Porter, Harvard Business Review (1996) Porter defines three types of fit: simple consistency first order fit between each activity and the overall strategy reinforcing second order fit in which distinct activities reinforce each other Optimization of effort coordination and information exchange across activities to eliminate redundancy and wasted effort. To manage all these IS/IT strategies within the organizations and to achieve the competitive advantage, the management roles are also playing a huge role within the organization. The following section will talk about the levels of Management roles and how it supports to gain the competitive advantage for the organization. 6.4 The Role of Management To achieve the competitive advantage, the Management levels also contribute hugely. Efficient IS/IT systems enables management to co-ordinate, organise and to control with a good plan. It gives information needed for strategic planning and for day to day operations. Therefore senior executives, strategic planners and information system managers are increasingly looking forward to get the use of IS/IT to achieve the competitive advantage. To prove this, there are several explanations in recent trends. Bakok and Treacy (1986), has identified that the underutilization of IS/IT as a serious problem for both IS/IT and for organization business managers. The main reason to narrow down to the IS/IT base competitive advantage are senior managements ignorance of IS/IT and its potential use and the poor communications among the groups who deals with IS/IT and the rest of the business teams. Also the resistance to change among both IS/IT and business personal and a lack of focus about the oppor tunities are some serious reasons which organizations are facing. According to White (2009), there are three different of management levels are included within the management hierarchy. These different levels are categorized as strategic, tactical and operational. According to scitation.aip.org web site, when in a strategic level, organisations must manage total demand whilst they acquire new infrastructure, technology or skills. At the tactical level the aim is align resources to enhance customer value in the most profitable way. Operational level, the management aims to provide reliable delivery performance within supply constraints. Getting the balance right between strategic, tactical and operational decisions will have any business powering ahead. According to Gerber (1995), strategic decisions play a biggest role in the business. Its decisions focus typically external to the business oriented and its decision making create forward thrust in the business. This strategic business will include the following points. What business are you in? What is your vision for the business? Whats your business identity? What do you stand for? Which direction is the business headed? How will the business compete? Also Gluck, Kaufman and Walleck (1982), have suggested that strategic management in most companies evolves along similar lines, by varying rates of progress from the basic financial up to overall strategic management framework. Also the strategic decisions force management to access the consequences of present decisions and do the changes as needed and to lead company to achieve it targets. The second major role is the tactical decisions. This involves the establishment of key initiatives of the overall strategy. Further to Gerber some examples we can take as, if organization decided to be the number one provider among the business competitors, then the organization must develop tactics such as implement a marketing system to achieve that outcome. This tactical decision is the domain of any business mission. Further to Gerber (1995), the next level is the operational decisions which determine how activities actually get done. This decision is mainly about who is going to do what and when. This will include the following terms: How will Organization spend their money this month? How will the company service that client? What is companies procedure for delivering an order? Who will be doing quality control? If an organization is making decisions involving process and procedures, then these can identified as an operational decisions. Specially operational decisions are made in real time and make quick adjustment to achieve the desired outcome. Also according to Abdi and Sharma (2007), stated that strategic and tactical management roles are playing huge role within the flight operation handling while using information systems. When we consider such an operation, there cant be any small mistake. Even a one wrong decision will lead to a huge problem in airline industry. Therefore it is very clear that the management decisions are very important when organization deals with IS/IT. As stated by Boseman, Phatak and Schellenberger (cited in Vardrajan Clark 2002), management roles are process with concerned with determining the future direction of an organization and implementing decisions based on the aim to achieve organization long and short term objectives. Within every firm the nature of control changes with the level of management. Top level management is mainly concerned about the issues which relate to strategic control. The lower level management is look after the operational issues. 7.0 Methodology The following sections present research methods that are using for this research project. 7.1 Selection of an appropriate research method(s) Following sections present a brief description of few research methods. Also this section explains the reasons to select those methods for this research project. 7.1.1 Description of Research Methods Case Study Research: According to researcher Yin (1984, p. 23), the Case study research method is defined as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used. Also the case study includes observations, questionnaires. Also each organization has unique feature and mainly the Case studies are used to identify such features and to show how they affect the implementation of systems and how it influences the organizations. Action research: According Emroy (1980), mentioned that, like Action research methodology is mainly need to be flexible and adaptable due to disruption in the plan and may not meet the needs of everyone involved. Also it is not well known or accepted in computing and information systems. Survey Research: This method is used by the researchers when they want to gather data from some occurrence which is not possible to perform a direct observation. Experimental Research: When we consider the Experimental Method, it is mostly depend on the experiments on a new technique or approach and have to compare the results against those obtained using the generally accepted technique or approach. Therefor it seems this research method takes more time and the results will vary with each organization (Emroy 1980). 7.1.2 Proposed Research Method(s) for this study Matching the above mentioned attributes of the research methods with this research project, case study is the best research method that can be used. Primary and secondary data has to be used for this research project. Secondary data will be used get the theoretical aspects of role of management and