A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-nine

Tyrion They have my son,† Tywin Lannister said. â€Å"They do, my lord.† The messenger's voice was dulled by exhaustion. On the breast of his torn surcoat, the brindled boar of Crakehall was half-obscured by dried blood. One of your sons, Tyrion thought. He took a sip of wine and said not a word, thinking of Jaime. When he lifted his arm, pain shot through his elbow, reminding him of his own brief taste of battle. He loved his brother, but he would not have wanted to be with him in the Whispering Wood for all the gold in Casterly Rock. His lord father's assembled captains and bannermen had fallen very quiet as the courier told his tale. The only sound was the crackle and hiss of the log burning in the hearth at the end of the long, drafty common room. After the hardships of the long relentless drive south, the prospect of even a single night in an inn had cheered Tyrion mightily . . . though he rather wished it had not been this inn again, with all its memories. His father had set a grueling pace, and it had taken its toll. Men wounded in the battle kept up as best they could or were abandoned to fend for themselves. Every morning they left a few more by the roadside, men who went to sleep never to wake. Every afternoon a few more collapsed along the way. And every evening a few more deserted, stealing off into the dusk. Tyrion had been half-tempted to go with them. He had been upstairs, enjoying the comfort of a featherbed and the warmth of Shae's body beside him, when his squire had woken him to say that a rider had arrived with dire news of Riverrun. So it had all been for nothing. The rush south, the endless forced marches, the bodies left beside the road . . . all for naught. Robb Stark had reached Riverrun days and days ago. â€Å"How could this happen?† Ser Harys Swyft moaned. â€Å"How? Even after the Whispering Wood, you had Riverrun ringed in iron, surrounded by a great host . . . what madness made Ser Jaime decide to split his men into three separate camps? Surely he knew how vulnerable that would leave them?† Better than you, you chinless craven, Tyrion thought. Jaime might have lost Riverrun, but it angered him to hear his brother slandered by the likes of Swyft, a shameless lickspittle whose greatest accomplishment was marrying his equally chinless daughter to Ser Kevan, and thereby attaching himself to the Lannisters. â€Å"I would have done the same,† his uncle responded, a good deal more calmly than Tyrion might have. â€Å"You have never seen Riverrun, Ser Harys, or you would know that Jaime had little choice in the matter. The castle is situated at the end of the point of land where the Tumblestone flows into the Red Fork of the Trident. The rivers form two sides of a triangle, and when danger threatens, the Tullys open their sluice gates upstream to create a wide moat on the third side, turning Riverrun into an island. The walls rise sheer from the water, and from their towers the defenders have a commanding view of the opposite shores for many leagues around. To cut off all the approaches, a besieger must needs place one camp north of the Tumblestone, one south of the Red Fork, and a third between the rivers, west of the moat. There is no other way, none.† â€Å"Ser Kevan speaks truly, my lords,† the courier said. â€Å"We'd built palisades of sharpened stakes around the camps, yet it was not enough, not with no warning and the rivers cutting us off from each other. They came down on the north camp first. No one was expecting an attack. Marq Piper had been raiding our supply trains, but he had no more than fifty men. Ser Jaime had gone out to deal with them the night before . . . well, with what we thought was them. We were told the Stark host was east of the Green Fork, marching south . . . â€Å" â€Å"And your outriders?† Ser Gregor Clegane's face might have been hewn from rock. The fire in the hearth gave a somber orange cast to his skin and put deep shadows in the hollows of his eyes. â€Å"They saw nothing? They gave you no warning?† The bloodstained messenger shook his head. â€Å"Our outriders had been vanishing. Marq Piper's work, we thought. The ones who did come back had seen nothing.† â€Å"A man who sees nothing has no use for his eyes,† the Mountain declared. â€Å"Cut them out and give them to your next outrider. Tell him you hope that four eyes might see better than two . . . and if not, the man after him will have six.† Lord Tywin Lannister turned his face to study Ser Gregor. Tyrion saw a glimmer of gold as the light shone off his father's pupils, but he could not have said whether the look was one of approval or disgust. Lord Tywin was oft quiet in council, preferring to listen before he spoke, a habit Tyrion himself tried to emulate. Yet this silence was uncharacteristic even for him, and his wine was untouched. â€Å"You said they came at night,† Ser Kevan prompted. The man gave a weary nod. â€Å"The Blackfish led the van, cutting down our sentries and clearing away the palisades for the main assault. By the time our men knew what was happening, riders were pouring over the ditch banks and galloping through the camp with swords and torches in hand. I was sleeping in the west camp, between the rivers. When we heard the fighting and saw the tents being fired, Lord Brax led us to the rafts and we tried to pole across, but the current pushed us downstream and the Tullys started flinging rocks at us with the catapults on their walls. I saw one raft smashed to kindling and three others overturned, men swept into the river and drowned . . . and those who did make it across found the Starks waiting for them on the riverbanks.† Ser Flement Brax wore a silver-and-purple tabard and the look of a man who cannot comprehend what he has just heard. â€Å"My lord father—† â€Å"Sorry, my lord,† the messenger said. â€Å"Lord Brax was clad in plate-and-mail when his raft overturned. He was very gallant.† He was a fool, Tyrion thought, swirling his cup and staring down into the winy depths. Crossing a river at night on a crude raft, wearing armor, with an enemy waiting on the other side—if that was gallantry, he would take cowardice every time. He wondered if Lord Brax had felt especially gallant as the weight of his steel pulled him under the black water. â€Å"The camp between the rivers was overrun as well,† the messenger was saying. â€Å"While we were trying to cross, more Starks swept in from the west, two columns of armored horse. I saw Lord Umber's giant-in-chains and the Mallister eagle, but it was the boy who led them, with a monstrous wolf running at his side. I wasn't there to see, but it's said the beast killed four men and ripped apart a dozen horses. Our spearmen formed up a shieldwall and held against their first charge, but when the Tullys saw them engaged, they opened the gates of Riverrun and Tytos Blackwood led a sortie across the drawbridge and took them in the rear.† â€Å"Gods save us,† Lord Lefford swore. â€Å"Greatjon Umber fired the siege towers we were building, and Lord Blackwood found Ser Edmure Tully in chains among the other captives, and made off with them all. Our south camp was under the command of Ser Forley Prester. He retreated in good order when he saw that the other camps were lost, with two thousand spears and as many bowmen, but the Tyroshi sellsword who led his freeriders struck his banners and went over to the foe.† â€Å"Curse the man.† His uncle Kevan sounded more angry than surprised. â€Å"I warned Jaime not to trust that one. A man who fights for coin is loyal only to his purse.† Lord Tywin wove his fingers together under his chin. Only his eyes moved as he listened. His bristling golden side-whiskers framed a face so still it might have been a mask, but Tyrion could see tiny beads of sweat dappling his father's shaven head. â€Å"How could it happen?† Ser Harys Swyft wailed again. â€Å"Ser Jaime taken, the siege broken . . . this is a catastrophe!† Ser Addam Marbrand said, â€Å"I am sure we are all grateful to you for pointing out the obvious, Ser Harys. The question is, what shall we do about it?† â€Å"What can we do? Jaime's host is all slaughtered or taken or put to flight, and the Starks and the Tullys sit squarely across our line of supply. We are cut off from the west! They can march on Casterly Rock if they so choose, and what's to stop them? My lords, we are beaten. We must sue for peace.† â€Å"Peace?† Tyrion swirled his wine thoughtfully, took a deep draft, and hurled his empty cup to the floor, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. â€Å"There's your peace, Ser Harys. My sweet nephew broke it for good and all when he decided to ornament the Red Keep with Lord Eddard's head. You'll have an easier time drinking wine from that cup than you will convincing Robb Stark to make peace now. He's winning . . . or hadn't you noticed?† â€Å"Two battles do not make a war,† Ser Addam insisted. â€Å"We are far from lost. I should welcome the chance to try my own steel against this Stark boy.† â€Å"Perhaps they would consent to a truce, and allow us to trade our prisoners for theirs,† offered Lord Lefford. â€Å"Unless they trade three-for-one, we still come out light on those scales,† Tyrion said acidly. â€Å"And what are we to offer for my brother? Lord Eddard's rotting head?† â€Å"I had heard that Queen Cersei has the Hand's daughters,† Lefford said hopefully. â€Å"If we give the lad his sisters back . . . â€Å" Ser Addam snorted disdainfully. â€Å"He would have to be an utter ass to trade Jaime Lannister's life for two girls.† â€Å"Then we must ransom Ser Jaime, whatever it costs,† Lord Lefford said. Tyrion rolled his eyes. â€Å"If the Starks feel the need for gold, they can melt down Jaime's armor.† â€Å"if we ask for a truce, they will think us weak,† Ser Addarn argued. â€Å"We should march on them at once.† â€Å"Surely our friends at court could be prevailed upon to join us with fresh troops,† said Ser Harys. â€Å"And someone might return to Casterly Rock to raise a new host.† Lord Tywin Lannister rose to his feet. â€Å"They have my son,† he said once more, in a voice that cut through the babble like a sword through suet. â€Å"Leave me. All of you.† Ever the soul of obedience, Tyrion rose to depart with the rest, but his father gave him a look. â€Å"Not you, Tyrion. Remain. And you as well, Kevan. The rest of you, out.† Tyrion eased himself back onto the bench, startled into speechlessness. Ser Kevan crossed the room to the wine casks. â€Å"Uncle,† Tyrion called, â€Å"if you would be so kind—† â€Å"Here.† His father offered him his cup, the wine untouched. Now Tyrion truly was nonplussed. He drank. Lord Tywin seated himself. â€Å"You have the right of it about Stark. Alive, we might have used Lord Eddard to forge a peace with Winterfell and Riverrun, a peace that would have given us the time we need to deal with Robert's brothers. Dead . . . † His hand curled into a fist. â€Å"Madness. Rank madness.† â€Å"Joff's only a boy,† Tyrion pointed out. â€Å"At his age, I committed a few follies of my own.† His father gave him a sharp look. â€Å"I suppose we ought to be grateful that he has not yet married a whore.† Tyrion sipped at his wine, wondering how Lord Tywin would look if he flung the cup in his face. â€Å"Our position is worse than you know,† his father went on. â€Å"It would seem we have a new king.† Ser Kevan looked poleaxed. â€Å"A new—who? What have they done to Joffrey?† The faintest flicker of distaste played across Lord Tywin's thin lips. â€Å"Nothing . . . yet. My grandson still sits the Iron Throne, but the eunuch has heard whispers from the south. Renly Baratheon wed Margaery Tyrell at Highgarden this fortnight past, and now he has claimed the crown. The bride's father and brothers have bent the knee and sworn him their swords.† â€Å"Those are grave tidings.† When Ser Kevan frowned, the furrows in his brow grew deep as canyons. â€Å"My daughter commands us to ride for King's Landing at once, to defend the Red Keep against King Renly and the Knight of Flowers.† His mouth tightened. â€Å"Commands us, mind you. In the name of the king and council.† â€Å"How is King Joffrey taking the news?† Tyrion asked with a certain black amusement. â€Å"Cersei has not seen fit to tell him yet,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"She fears he might insist on marching against Renly himself.† â€Å"With what army?† Tyrion asked. â€Å"You don't plan to give him this one, I hope?† â€Å"He talks of leading the City Watch,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"If he takes the Watch, he'll leave the city undefended,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"And with Lord Stannis on Dragonstone . . . â€Å" â€Å"Yes.† Lord Tywin looked down at his son. â€Å"I had thought you were the one made for motley, Tyrion, but it would appear that I was wrong.† â€Å"Why, Father,† said Tyrion, â€Å"that almost sounds like praise.† He leaned forward intently. â€Å"What of Stannis? He's the elder, not Renly. How does he feel about his brother's claim?† His father frowned. â€Å"I have felt from the beginning that Stannis was a greater danger than all the others combined. Yet he does nothing. Oh, Varys hears his whispers. Stannis is building ships, Stannis is hiring sellswords, Stannis is bringing a shadowbinder from Asshai. What does it mean? Is any of it true?† He gave an irritated shrug. â€Å"Kevan, bring us the map.† Ser Kevan did as he was bid. Lord Tywin unrolled the leather, smoothing it flat. â€Å"Jaime has left us in a bad way. Roose Bolton and the remnants of his host are north of us. Our enemies hold the Twins and Moat Cailin. Robb Stark sits to the west, so we cannot retreat to Lannisport and the Rock unless we choose to give battle. Jaime is taken, and his army for all purposes has ceased to exist. Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion continue to plague our foraging parties. To our east we have the Arryns, Stannis Baratheon sits on Dragonstone, and in the south Highgarden and Storm's End are calling their banners.† Tyrion smiled crookedly. â€Å"Take heart, Father. At least Rhaegar Targaryen is still dead.† â€Å"I had hoped you might have more to offer us than japes, Tyrion,† Lord Tywin Lannister said. Ser Kevan frowned over the map, forehead creasing. â€Å"Robb Stark will have Edmure Tully and the lords of the Trident with him now. Their combined power may exceed our own. And with Roose Bolton behind us . . . Tywin, if we remain here, I fear we might be caught between three armies.† â€Å"I have no intention of remaining here. We must finish our business with young Lord Stark before Renly Baratheon can march from Highgarden. Bolton does not concern me. He is a wary man, and we made him warier on the Green Fork. He will be slow to give pursuit. So . . . on the morrow, we make for Harrenhal. Kevan, I want Ser Addam's outriders to screen our movements. Give him as many men as he requires, and send them out in groups of four. I will have no vanishings.† â€Å"As you say, my lord, but . . . why Harrenhal? That is a grim, unlucky place. Some call it cursed.† â€Å"Let them,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"Unleash Ser Gregor and send him before us with his reavers. Send forth Vargo Hoat and his freeriders as well, and Ser Amory Lorch. Each is to have three hundred horse. Tell them I want to see the riverlands afire from the Gods Eye to the Red Fork.† â€Å"They will burn, my lord,† Ser Kevan said, rising. â€Å"I shall give the commands.† He bowed and made for the door. When they were alone, Lord Tywin glanced at Tyrion. â€Å"Your savages might relish a bit of rapine. Tell them they may ride with Vargo Hoat and plunder as they like—goods, stock, women, they may take what they want and burn the rest.† â€Å"Telling Shagga and Timett how to pillage is like telling a rooster how to crow,† Tyrion commented, â€Å"but I should prefer to keep them with me.† Uncouth and unruly they might be, yet the wildlings were his, and he trusted them more than any of his father's men. He was not about to hand them over. â€Å"Then you had best learn to control them. I will not have the city plundered.† â€Å"The city?† Tyrion was lost. â€Å"What city would that be?† â€Å"King's Landing. I am sending you to court.† It was the last thing Tyrion Lannister would ever have anticipated. He reached for his wine, and considered for a moment as he sipped. â€Å"And what am I to do there?† â€Å"Rule,† his father said curtly Tyrion hooted with laughter. â€Å"My sweet sister might have a word or two to say about that!† â€Å"Let her say what she likes. Her son needs to be taken in hand before he ruins us all. I blame those jackanapes on the council—our friend Petyr, the venerable Grand Maester, and that cockless wonder Lord Varys. What sort of counsel are they giving Joffrey when he lurches from one folly to the next? Whose notion was it to make this Janos Slynt a lord? The man's father was a butcher, and they grant him Harrenhal. Harrenhal, that was the seat of kings! Not that he will ever set foot inside it, if I have a say. I am told he took a bloody spear for his sigil. A bloody cleaver would have been my choice.† His father had not raised his voice, yet Tyrion could see the anger in the gold of his eyes. â€Å"And dismissing Selmy, where was the sense in that? Yes, the man was old, but the name of Barristan the Bold still has meaning in the realm. He lent honor to any man he served. Can anyone say the same of the Hound? You feed your dog bones under the table, you do not seat hi m beside you on the high bench.† He pointed a finger at Tyrion's face. â€Å"If Cersei cannot curb the boy, you must. And if these councillors are playing us false . . . â€Å" Tyrion knew. â€Å"Spikes,† he sighed. â€Å"Heads. Walls.† â€Å"I see you have taken a few lessons from me.† â€Å"More than you know, Father,† Tyrion answered quietly. He finished his wine and set the cup aside, thoughtful. A part of him was more pleased than he cared to admit. Another part was remembering the battle upriver, and wondering if he was being sent to hold the left again. â€Å"Why me?† he asked, cocking his head to one side. â€Å"Why not my uncle? Why not Ser Addam or Ser Flement or Lord Serrett? Why not a . . . bigger man?† Lord Tywin rose abruptly. â€Å"You are my son.† That was when he knew. You have given him up for lost, he thought. You bloody bastard, you think Jaime's good as dead, so I'm all you have left. Tyrion wanted to slap him, to spit in his face, to draw his dagger and cut the heart out of him and see if it was made of old hard gold, the way the smallfolks said. Yet he sat there, silent and still. The shards of the broken cup crunched beneath his father's heels as Lord Tywin crossed the room. â€Å"One last thing,† he said at the door. â€Å"You will not take the whore to court.† Tyrion sat alone in the common room for a long while after his father was gone. Finally he climbed the steps to his cozy garret beneath the bell tower. The ceiling was low, but that was scarcely a drawback for a dwarf. From the window, he could see the gibbet his father had erected in the yard. The innkeep's body turned slowly on its rope whenever the night wind gusted. Her flesh had grown as thin and ragged as Lannister hopes. Shae murmured sleepily and rolled toward him when he sat on the edge of the featherbed. He slid his hand under the blanket and cupped a soft breast, and her eyes opened. â€Å"M'lord,† she said with a drowsy smile. When he felt her nipple stiffen, Tyrion kissed her. â€Å"I have a mind to take you to King's Landing, sweetling,† he whispered.

Healthy Ways of Keeping Fit

There are a lot of ways to keep fit. The important thing is that you find an activity that you enjoy doing and that you stick with it. There is a variety of things you can do. You can run, walk, swim, bike, go hiking, do yoga, lots of different methods for keeping fit. Another enjoyable way is to go dancing. Dancing is a very good aerobic activity, requires physical liveliness and burns a lot of calories. The other thing that is significant is making sure that you follow a healthy diet. You want to make sure that you have enough energy to do these activities that you actually enjoy doing to keep your body fit.Therefore, following a healthy diet means ensuring that you eat when you are hungry, you stop eating when you are full, you include plenty of different types of fruits and vegatables, whole grains, things like brown rice, oatmeal millet, all those types of things are considered whole grains. You also want to include some type of lean protein whether that’s from legumes, b eans such as pinto beans, garbanzos, or seafood or lean cuts of meat or poultry without the skin. Any of those are sources of lean proteins that are very beneficial for your body.And again, that particular method of eating will make sure that you have the energy that you need to actually perform these different types of activities you enjoy doing. So when you find the activity you like, try to do it several times a week at least 4 to 5 times a week will really help improve your level of fitness. More than that can actually cause you to lose weight if you are trying to actually lose weight. As you see there are several different ways of keeping feet. It can be any type of physical activity that you enjoy doing.

Alienation and Isolation in The Metamorphosis Essay

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is a reflection on how alienation and isolation begin and develop in a society by employing the characters in his novella as a representation of society as a whole. Using Gregor’s manager to demonstrate the initiation of isolation and alienation of a person, Gregor as the person being isolated and the inhabitants of the Samsa household as the other members of society, Kafka creates an effective model to represent the hierarchically structured effect of isolationism and alienation in society on a larger scale. Kafka uses the company Gregor is forced to work for to illustrate the hierarchical effect of isolation and alienation, where the initiation of isolationism begins at the top of the hierarchy and thus creates a ripple effect down through the rest of society. The manager of the company that Gregor must work for due to a family debt is the representative Kafka chooses to demonstrate the most important person in the hierarchy. By waking up as an insect and being late for work, Gregor has broken his conformity to the parameters of what is tolerated by the company, so the manager himself comes to deal with the issue since such circumstances can â€Å"only be entrusted to the intelligence of the manager† (Kafka, 13). This, as well as how the family treats the manager as nicely as possible when he arrives demonstrates the importance of the manager’s decisions and their respect for authority. Further demonstrating the importance of his decisions, the manager is the first to react to Gregor’s transformation by threatening, â€Å"your position is not at all the most secure† (17) when Gregor will not open his door. This shows that he has the ability to completely disrupt Gregor’s place in the hierarchy and in doing so, isolate and alienate him from the rest of society. The manager remarks, â€Å"that was an animal’s voice† (20) when Gregor speaks, which alienates Gregor from humanity and reacts strongly to the sight of Gregor by â€Å"pressing his hand against his open mouth and moving back slowly† (23). After firing Gregor, the manager flees the building which causes the initiation of Gregor’s isolation since work was the most important and most time consuming thing in his life. This shows that as with society in general, the person in charge holds tremendous influence over the rest of the population and is capable of initiat ing the idea that a person must be isolated. Just because the figure in power decrees that a person is not a good member of society and should be isolated, however, does not mean that all members of society react the same way. the spectrum of views that members of society take against those who have been isolated is shown through Kafka’s portrayal of the Samsa family’s reaction to his transformation. Gregor’s father represents those who respect authority and immediately agree with those higher in the hierarchy and unquestioningly aid in the isolation process. He wears a â€Å"blue uniform with gold buttons† (62) even when he is at home, asleep on a chair in the living room which demonstrates the value he places on the system. This is also illustrated as soon as the manager reacts to Gregor’s deviation from normal when Mr. Samsa begins to â€Å"drive Gregor back into his room by waving the cane and the newspaper† (29). Other members of the family, however, react differently to the situat ion. Grete is the closest to Gregor and is the most sympathetic to him immediately after his transformation by placing milk in his room, which â€Å"was his favourite drink and which his sister had currently placed there for that reason† (34). Her reaction to Gregor’s isolation demonstrates the opposite of Mr. Samsa’s by being as considerate as he is forceful in Gregor’s alienation. Her relationship with Gregor demonstrates how in society, those who know the person being isolated before its initiation are most likely to resist helping to enforce the isolation. However, Kafka understands that people are very dynamic and often change their opinions. Grete undergoes a change in perspective to such a degree that by the end of the novella it is she who declares, â€Å"we must get rid of it† (84). This change in perspective shows how Kafka believes that members of society often stop sympathizing with the isolated group when it becomes inconvenient for them to continue doing so. Gregor’s mother reacts in an initial manner somewhere between the father and sister since when first seeing him she â€Å"went two steps toward Gregor and collapsed right in the middle of her skirts† (23). These conflicting desires continue through the novella, such as when Mr. Samsa tries to kill Gregor, â€Å"she begged him to spare Gregor’s life† (65) but at the same time she is repulsed by him. This illustrates how she wants to help him and tries to think of him the same way she did before his transformation, yet is unable to. This resembles the idealists in society who theoretically support the alienated person but often succumb to social pressures when they are forced to face the problem. These three reactions to Gregor’s transformation as a result of the initiation of his isolation by the manager demonstrate the spectrum of reactions. From the immediate acceptance of the hierarchy represented by Mr. Samsa, to the true compassion of Grete and the idealism of Mrs. Samsa, Kafka shows how a wide variety of reactions is expected from society, and how people often change their opinions. Similarly to how social pressures affect his mother, Gregor is also convinced through his respect for authority that he deserves the isolation enforced on him by society. He believes those above him in the hierarchy to such an extent that he eventually reaches the conclusion that he would be better off dead that to have his family suffering because of his presence. Like his father, Gregor has a strong respect for authority and served in the military until his father, who is an authoritative figure in his life, needed financial help so he became â€Å"almost overnight, a traveling salesman, who naturally had entirely different possibilities for earning money (†¦) which could be set out on the table at home in front of his astonished and delighted family† (43). Gregor’s decision to help his family pay off their debt without thinking of the effect it would have on his own happiness or considering refusing shows how firmly he is entrenched in the hierarchical system. The belief that authoritative figures are always correct leads him to think that since society dictates that he is worthless and deserves isolation, he would be better off dead than a burden to society. This is shown after Grete and Mr. Samsa decide that they want him gone, but Gregor’s â€Å"own thought that he had to disappear was, if possible, even more decisive than his sisters† (89). He overhears his family bemoaning their misfortune and since they are above him on the hierarchical structure, Gregor believes that he has to die in order to spare them the trouble of having to deal with him. This illustrates how Kafka believes that society is so dependent on a hierarchical structure and the guidance from authoritative figures that they cannot think for themselves and even the person who is isolated may still respect and follow those higher in the hierarchy. This is the final step in the transmission of an idea through a social hierarchy whereby everyone believes that a person is lesser and should not exist, including the alienated person themselves. The Metamorphosis comes together to show the hierarchical pattern Kafka believes a society follows in regard to isolation and alienation. He uses the manager of the company Gregor works for to model the instigation of isolationism, which in society is determined by the most important person in the hierarchy. Gregor’s family represents society as a whole and is used to illustrate the variety of reactions the people in society after they are told who to alienate. These reactions range from immediate, unquestioning agreement with those higher in the hierarchy, to idealistically supporting the isolated person, to sympathizing with and trying to help the alienated person. He also uses Grete to demonstrate the dynamic state of human reactions, by changing from sympathetic and caring to vicious and unsupportive by the end of the novella. Kafka continues this shaping of society from the hierarchical structure by causing Gregor himself to agree with the authoritative figures in his life and conform to the idea that he is worthless, thus imposing self-isolation. the interactions between the characters in The Metamorphosis show how Kafka believes that the isolation and alienation of a person in society is initiated by those at the top of the social hierarchy and works its way down through the hierarchy until eventually everyone in society has been influenced to accept the initial decision of one person. Works Cited Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. Trans. Ian Johnstone. Nanaimo: Malaspina University-College, 1999.

Aspect of contarct Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Aspect of contarct - Assignment Example xlvii). Initially there had been no differentiation between these branches of the law. At present, crime and tortious liability are intimately connected. These branches of the law address the wrongs done to people and property. Proceeding in contract or tort could arise from the same incident (Hodgson & Lewthwaite, 2007, p. xlviii). The law of tort is inapplicable to a civil injury that is merely a breach of trust or other equitable obligation. Nevertheless, injunctions and other equitable remedies could be available in tort. With regard to tort, the remedial duty emerges from some form of a primary duty (Hodgson & Lewthwaite, 2007, p. xlviii). There is considerable controversy regarding a certain aspect of bailment. Specifically it is contended by some that bailment is a component of the law of personal property, while others argue that it belongs to the law of tort. It has been suggested by Winfield that an action in bailment is similar to an action in contract if it ensues from a contract, and that it pertains to an action in tort in all other cases (Hodgson & Lewthwaite, 2007, p. xlix). The association between damages in tort and compensation through other mechanisms is intricate. Some instances of these other systems are; Income Support, occupational sick pay and pensions, private insurance, and compensation related to criminal injuries (Hodgson & Lewthwaite, 2007, p. xlix). ... 339). Some of the differences between tort and contract are; first, tortious duties are imposed by the law, whereas contractual duties result from agreements between the parties. Second, contractual duties are owed solely to those who are a party to the contract; whilst tortious duties are owed to persons, in general (Halsbury's Laws of Australia, 2008). Third, usually the right to sue in tort cannot be assigned. However, a cause of action in contract can be assigned. Fifth, there is a marked difference between tort and contract with regard to calculation of damages, variety of damages available, purpose of the award of damages, test of remoteness, extent of foreseeability, liability with regard to minors and bankrupt entities, and the commencement of the limitation period (Halsbury's Laws of Australia, 2008). Question Two Tortious Negligence. Several civil wrongs are covered by the law of torts, wherein a remedy, could be awarded by a civil court to the injured person. In general, s uccess in tortious claims requires the claimant to establish that the damage was the result of the tortious omission or act. The law provides a number of defences to an action in tort. A few of these are classified as general defences, as they apply throughout the law of torts. The other defences have been termed as specific defences, due to the fact that they can be employed only with respect to a particular tort (Jones, 2011, p. 339). One of the major torts is that of negligence, on account of the fact that it encompasses a vast array of situations, wherein harm is caused to a person by another. An action for negligence requires the following elements to be established by the claimant, if it is to succeed. These are; first, the

European Convention on Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

European Convention on Human Rights - Essay Example In explaining the proceedings of Mike Russell against Wicket World in the High Court alleging that his right to privacy was infringed various provisions of the law in the Convention and Human Rights Act provide an important pieces of reference for consideration as a basis on which both parties would argue out their case. Basis on which Mike Russell would bring his claim according to the Convention on Human Rights and Human Rights 1998 is grounded on Article 8 on Right to Privacy. Basically, this Article stipulates the respect for private or family life. In this respect then, the privacy of Mike ought not to have been infringed especially when the confidential information about his health status was leaked to the Wicket World by the Cloisters private clinic. The prevention or disclosure of information received in private (Article 10) was overstepped and it justifies the claim. This is therefore outright that his privacy on health matter became public creating an argument that he and h is fellow team mates failed to show case a standard and successive competition in South Africa. Article 12 Protocol 1 stipulates about possessions enjoyment. This Article argues that every individual can peacefully enjoy his possessions and no party can curtail the enjoyment of the same. The Claimant took to account that it was his sole right to enjoy and make himself happy while engaging in cricket action while in South Africa as the law explains. Regardless in whichever way of enjoyment as far as it does not override any other law of the land had a right to enjoy in any way he wished and with any person. Mike Russell having partied with local prostitute during the night passion was just enjoying his right. This also infringed his right to privacy where it was revealed the caliber of the class type that he enjoyed with. The basis on which Wicket World would defend the claim would be founded on a number of provisions of the law as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act, 1998.1 The claim according to Article 8 on right to privacy is however limited by Article 18 that limits on use of restriction of rights. This therefore overrides the limits to the privacy of the individual (Mike Russell) where exercising his privacy in a manner that resulted to moral decadence while on a public activity .Wicket World was meant to cover and provide information on the activities engaged to the cricket team and its their role to report in the best interest of the public even where the participants actions are in question. According to section 6 of Human Rights Act 1998, it is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way which is incompatible with conventional rights but the Cloisters was a private clinic and it was not bound by this section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 hence it exercised discretion to release information on the health status of Mike Russell Article 12 provides that individuals enjoy rights to peaceful possessions enjoyment but this right is not absolute and hence qualified. It is imperative to establish that the ri ght to private life for enjoyment is qualified in the sense that infringement in this basic right may be justified necessary in order to protect some important general public interest. It therefore explains that it was in the interest of the citizens of England to be represented in the best way possible by the cricket team in the competitions rather than the poor performance that the team produced. 1European Commission on Human Rights and Human Rights Act, 1998 Playing without sober mind due to alcohol influence cannot be merely assumed that it was their absolute rights to enjoy in the expense of the country that needed them to

Innovation Portfolio Report(Part2) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Innovation Portfolio Report(Part2) - Coursework Example Now innovation is not only changing the appearance of things, its some thing deep inside the products, organizations and markets. This comparative study is aimed at reflecting innovation portfolio of modern business by discovering different facets of modern business including product management, implementing it as corporate philosophy and exercising the whole process in different geographical markets differently. Business world has evolved from the phase where breaking the mould philosophy was the extreme success of innovation. Innovativeness is boundary less and all business empires try to battle their product, marketing, and market place issues in their own way, i.e., their innovative ways. This report covers the whole discussion and research is in different parts of the text content. Step by step coverage goes in a logical manner i.e., innovation defined, modern philosophy of innovation, and different perspectives of innovation in business world with various variables. Next part of report is grouped in three portions; seemingly separate three parts but discussing the oneness of innovation in three ways for one Business Empire. These three steps are Product innovation, Organization innovation and Geographical or market place innovation. Product selected is Walkman, company is Sony and geographical place is USA. In short the report covers innovative spheres applied by one company in developing product, in organization and it marketing the same product in a different market place. Report, though reflects various innovative approaches, and reviews the whole process from 'Open Innovation' concept. "The creative act is not an act of creation in the sense of the Old Testament. It does not create something out of nothing; it uncovers, selects, re-shuffles, combines, synthesizes already existing facts, ideas, faculties, skills. The more familiar the parts, the more striking the new whole. Man's knowledge of the changes of the tides and the phases of the moon is as old as his observation that apples fall to earth in the ripeness of time. Yet the combination of these and other equally familiar data in Newton's theory of gravity changed mankind's outlook on the world". (Koestler - 1964): Task 1: Case Example: Product, Process or Strategic Innovation: Case Example: In March 2007, Sony extended the Video Walkman brand by launching its first digital, flash-based video Walkman, the NW-A800. Walkman is a very popular Sony brand used to market its portable audio players, and is synonymously used to refer to the original Walkman portable personal stereo player and as a generic term for similar devices from other manufacturers. The original Walkman introduced a change in music listening habits, allowing people to carry their own choice of music with them. The original Walkman was released in 1979 as the Walkman in Japan and Soundabout abroad. The device was created by audio division engineer Nobutoshi Kihara for Sony co-chairman Morita, who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent transpacific plane trips. (Hormby) Morita hated the Walkman name so much that he asked it to be changed. But he was told by junior executives that a promotion campaign had

Description of the Hawthorne Studies and What Were the Results Research Paper

Description of the Hawthorne Studies and What Were the Results - Research Paper Example At the beginning of the 20th Century, large businesses in America began the adoption of scientific management, an idea initiated by Fredrick Taylor. His idea involved the division of tasks into small portions that would be done by the employees like automatons. These studies have varied to include the effects of the physical environment on the workforce in an effort to ensure maximum productivity. Western Electric Company conducted studies in their Hawthorne plant to establish the relationship between productivity and the influence of the physical conditions. The initial studies began around November 1924 where they evaluated the social effects as well as the experimenter effects. Elton Mayo, who became a professor of industrial research at Harvard later on, supervised the studies (Mayo 64). The initial studies focused on the influence of lighting on the productivity of the workers. Two groups of employees were involved in this study; one group’s lighting was varied while the control group’s lighting remained under the same conditions. When light remained constantly unchanged the two groups demonstrated the same level of productivity. Lighting in the test group was reduced, a situation that raised complains among the group members (Steven and John 5). To further demonstrate the effect, the researchers changed the bulbs daily in the presence of the workers. Despite the bulbs replaced being the same, some improvement in productivity was noticeable in the test group. The findings were that the group with improved lighting demonstrated an improved productivity compared to the control group. In explaining the findings, the researchers concluded that the workers felt motivated by the changes. To the workers, the change was a demonstration that the management was concerned about them. The mental stimulation that they were being treated in a special way encouraged them to be active in their work. Another study was conducted in the relay assembly Test Room using six workers who had worked for the company for some time. Five of them were set to work in the assembling area while the sixth was to supply them with the parts they would require. The study was to focus on the effects of changing the working arrangements on the employees’ productivity (Gale 439). The researchers introduced various variables such as breaks, reduced working hours, and provision of food during the breaks. The breaks were varied, initially they were introduced to two-five minutes break that was done according to their suggestion. This was later changed to two-ten minutes breaks, during this period productivity was seen to improve. Consequently, the researchers adjusted the breaks to six-five minute breaks, these did not go well with the employees, they complained and their total productivity that was measured by the total output reduced (Franke and Kaul 625). Reduction of the total working hours by thirty minutes depicted an increased level of productivit y, further reduction showed an increase in hourly output but the total output per day was drastically reduced. The researchers concluded that the feeling of the employees was that their work was being checked individually. Therefore, the workers were motivated by working as a group, having supervisors that were concerned about their welfare and having a special treatment in the workplace. Another aspect under observation was the social effect and its influence on productivity. This study was done in a bank wiring room where the workers were subjected to the assembling of telephone switching equipment, a task that involved the processes of wiring, soldering, and inspection. At the initial stages of the study, the workers were not open to the observer and had limited

How to Write the Outcomes Evaluation Section of a Grant Proposal Essay

How to Write the Outcomes Evaluation Section of a Grant Proposal - Essay Example The grantmaker gives your organization money based on how well your goals and objectives match their own goals and objectives. They are investing money in your organization and programs, much like you would do if you bought a stock or bond. The grantmaker wants to see a â€Å"return on investment† in the form of outcomes. Not just feel-good outcomes, but evidence that something has changed or improved because of their investment with you. By the time you get to write the Outcomes Evaluation section of the proposal, you should already have: Now you are ready to write the Outcomes Evaluation and Dissemination Plan. The outcomes evaluation section of a grant proposal is the most difficult to write and usually ends up being the shortest section. This is too bad, because here is where a non-profit can show itself to be organized and professional. Designing instruments, gathering data, and crunching numbers seems to be a frustrating waste of time for the people on the ground. You or your staff might think: There are so many constituents who could use our help; why do we waste our time proving we are helping? Just look around! It’s not quite that simple, however. Grantmakers are not punishing you by asking for outcomes evaluation. This data, properly gathered and evaluated, and properly applied, strengthens your organization (Foundation Center 2009). It is like a pat on the back you give yourselves, or constructive criticism you create from within your organization. It should go without saying, but a reminder is always nice: read the request for proposal carefully. Some grantmakers want to see actual prototypes of information-gathering instruments; others just want to know what you will develop and who will develop it. Data collection doesn’t happen in isolation; it is part of the process of delivering a service. If your staff is busy working with clients, they don’t have much time to gather 10,000 bits of data. However, data collection

Asthma. Pathologic basis of disease Research Paper

Asthma. Pathologic basis of disease - Research Paper Example Asthma can be divided into different groups on the basis of severity of attacks that are mild intermittent, mild, moderate and severe persistent asthma. But typically the asthma is classified into extrincsic asthma and intrinsic asthma. Extrinsic asthma is set off by type 1 hypersensitivity reaction caused by an extrinsic antigen. Intrinsic asthma is initiated by various mechanisms including pulmonary infections caused by viruses especially, cold, stress, exercise and inhaled irritants. Some categories classify asthma in accordance to the agent that causes the constriction of air passages for example seasonal asthma, exercise asthma, occupational asthma, drug induced asthma and asthmatus bronchitis. The genetic susceptibility to type 1 hypersensitivity, chronic inflammation and bronchial hypersensitivity are the major factors that cause asthma. Our immune system contains Type 2 helper T cells (Th2) which is type of CD4+ helper T cell secretes interleukins. The interleukins then promote allergic inflammations and stimulate B cells to produce IgE and different antibodies. Type 1 helper T cells (Th1) are also a type of CD4+ helper T cell which secretes interferon-ÃŽ ³ (gamma) and intereukin-2. The interferon-ÃŽ ³ (gamma) and interleukin-2 activates the macrophages and cytotoxic T cells which kills the viruses and other invading organisms. These two types of helper T cells form an immunoregulatory loop that is the cytokines from type 1 helper T cells inhibit type 2 helper T cells and cytokines from type 2 helper T cells inhibit type 1 helper T cells. These two types of helper T cells respond to different immunogenic stimuli and try to destroy them. Any imbalance in the regulatory loop of these two types of helper T cells makes it easier for the viruses and agents to attack the bronchopulmonary tree and cause inflammation which leads to asthma. In patient suffering from hypersensitivity as occur in asthma, when an antigen is presented to the skin, a wheal and flare reaction occurs. This wheal and flare reaction is clear example of hypersensitivity type 1. In air passages when the allergen reaches the epithelial lining it stimulates the induction of type 2 helper T cells (Th2). The type 2 helper T cells secrete various cytokines such as interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 5 (IL-5). The interleukin 4 (IL-4) then triggers the production of immunoglobulin IgE by the B cells and promotes the growth of mast cells. The interleukin 5 promotes the growth and activation of eosinophills. The reaction mediated by IgE to the allergens elicit an acute response and late phase reaction. The acute response to the allergens consist of bronchoconstriction, edema, mucous secret ion and in rare cases the decrease of blood pressure. The acute response occurs by this mechanism; the contact of antigens to the mast cells stimulates the secretion of mediators which mediate the reaction. In the case of air passage diseases when the allergens reach the mucosal surface, the reaction of allergens first occurs with the mucosal mast cells. In this reaction mediators are secreted which opens the tight junction in between the mucosal cells and improve the entrance of the antigens to the submucosal mast cells. This reaction causes the broncoconstriction, edema and mucous secretion which is acute response. Vagal stimulation in lungs also called bronchoconstrictio

The Joint Commission Study Essay Example for Free

The Joint Commission Study Essay Executive Summary The Joint Commission is scheduled to visit Nightingale Community Hospital for its triennial accreditation survey within the next 13 months. The purpose of this document is to provide senior leadership with an outline of the hospital’s current compliance status in the Priority Focus Area of Communication. Recommendations for corrective action are included in this document which are designed to bring the organization into full compliance in the areas where deficits have been identified. The Priority Focus Area of Communication includes 3 Joint Commission (JC) standards relative to Universal Protocol. These 3 standards, which are components of the National Patient Safety Goals, are aimed at ensuring the correct procedure is performed on the correct patient at the correct site. UP.01.01.01 requires the organization to conduct a pre-procedure verification process prior to the start of any procedure. The hospital meets this standard by following its policy titled â€Å"Site Identification and Verification (Universal Protocol)† which describes the process that is used prior to the start of any operative or invasive procedure. The hospital’s use of the â€Å"Pre-Procedure Hand-Off† checklist provides the documentation required to demonstrate compliance with the standard. Because of the criticality of this standard, I recommend a focused medical record review to measure compliance with the use of the pre-procedure checklist. If the audit reveals the checklist is completed consistently, full compliance with the standard will be verified and no further action will be required. UP.01.02.01 requires the organization to mark the procedure site before the procedure is performed. The Site Identification and Verification policy describes the process for marking the operative site however the policy as written does not meet the full intent of the standard. The policy states the patient will identify and mark the operative site. Element of Performance 3 of the standard requires the procedure site to be marked by the licensed independent practitioner who is accountable for the procedure and will be present during the procedure. EP 5 requires a written process for patients who refuse site marking or when it is impossible or impractical to mark the site. This written process is absent in the hospital’s policy. Nightingale’s policy and process must be revised immediately to reflect all the required eleme nts of the standard. Hospital physicians and staff must  be educated on the necessary changes and the revised process must be put into action. Once these changes have occurred, I recommend a focused audit to ensure full compliance with the revised policy/process. UP.01.03.01 requires a time-out before the start of the procedure. The Site Identification and Verification policy describes the time-out process however the policy falls short of fully meeting the intent of this standard. EP 2 describes which team members must participate in the timeout, EP 3 requires a time-out before each procedure when two or more procedures are being performed, and EP 5 requires documentation of the time-out. These 3 elements are missing from the hospital policy/process and therefore revisions to the process/policy are necessary to include these 3 elements. Nightingale’s Safety Report reveals increasing compliance (nearing 100%) with the time-out process, however as mentioned above, EP 5 requires documentation of the process. In addition to the policy revision, I recommend the development of a unique form which will be used to document completion of the time-out and the names of the participants in the time-out. Once these changes have been implemented, I recommend additional auditing to ensure full compliance with docum entation of the time-out process. The Joint Commission reports more than 900 Sentinel Events related to wrong site surgery occurred between 1995-2010 (The Joint Commission, 2010) Their research found that 70% of the time, the root cause of wrong site surgery was communication failure (Mulloy and Hughes 2008). When it occurs, wrong site surgery can be devastating for patients and it can leave a lasting, negative impact on the surgical team. Surgeons are at risk of losing their license and hospitals risk losing reimbursement. When these events occur the risk of litigation exists as well. Wrong-site, wrong-procedure and wrong-person surgery can be prevented! The Priority Focus Area of Communication as it relates to Universal Protocol is essential to Nightingale Community Hospital for preventing wrong site surgery and promoting a safe environment within our hospital. The hospital’s Site Identification and Verification policy was developed with good intentions to meet that goal. The 3 key elements to preventing wrong site surgery; 1) pre-op verification process; 2) marking the operative site; and 3) taking a time out, are all present in the policy however there are additional elements required by the Joint Commission that are missing from the policy  and leave the organization and pat ients at risk. In order to live up to our core value of safety and to ensure full accreditation with the Joint Commission, it is important for the organization to fully meet all the elements of performance. The changes outlined within this document will strengthen the policies and procedures that are intended to prevent harm to patients and will bring the organization into full compliance with the JC standards. These actions will ultimately ensure that a truly safe environment exists within the walls of Nightingale Community Hospital for the benefit of its patients, associates and the community. References The Joint Commission. (2010, 11 23). Sentinel event statistics as of September 30, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/Stats_with_all_fields_hidden30September2010_(2).pdf Mulloy, D. F., Hughes, R. G. (2008). Patient safety quality: an evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2678/

Camus: The Stranger And Existentialism

Camus: The Stranger And Existentialism Existentialism is freedom and choice. It is impossible to define existentialism. We can witness some aspects of existentialism in The Stranger. Existentialists want to direct our attention to our individuality. They force us to think about the existence and nature of God, being a Christian, our values, and our death. Only mankind defines itself through the act of living. First you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Existentialists also believe the greatest achievement of an individual is to realize the absurdity of life and to accept it. The concepts of existentialism are simple, mankind has free will, and life is a series of choices, which rarely without any consequences. Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation. If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. The decisions you make are whom you are, so choose wisely. There are several existential themes displayed in The Stranger. One of the themes is freedom. It means that wh atever happened prior to now do not influence what your next choice in life will be, we are free to make any choice we want. He displays freedom by treating his Mamans death nothing out of the ordinary, also by not showing any emotion. He shows us free will; by not being influenced of his mother dying effect on what he wants to do. The other themes are existence, the awareness of our choices, and passion, our feelings that we understand before we think. Meursault wants to live his life to in the moment; he is not concerned with the future. Meursault wants the remembrance of his life. Through this thinking Meursault displays Existence and Passion. The following theme is uncertainty. It basically says that life is unpredictable, and unexpected. He shows us exactly how unpredictable life can be. One minute Meursault is just so happy and content with the sun shining on him, when suddenly something unexpected happens and his happiness is gone. I knew that I had shattered the harmony of t he day, the exceptional silence of a beach where Id been happy. There is also a theme of individuality. All individuals are a unique member of a society. Meursault lives out his individuality when he wants a crowd of people to witness his death, and greet him with cries of hatred. This way he retains his individuality. Begging for forgiveness would just make him a member of society. He also displays reflection, by turning our unawareness into awareness. Meursault leads a pre-reflective life. His daily events are so absorbed in each moment, which he never reflects on. While in prison he sees a reflection of himself, this is when he becomes aware of what he was unaware of. The overall theme though is absurd. The absurd beliefs are that life is meaningless and without purpose. This meaninglessness implies absence of any obvious meaning to our life. Can this be explained? No, no one can explain someone elses sense of meaning or meaninglessness towards life. Meursault who is sentenced to death after killing an Arab emphasizes the difference between the morals of society and his lack of them, refusing to conform to societys standards earns him the death sentence. In the end he faintly displays responsibility. Nearing his execution he symbolically shows emotion, as he comes face to face with nothingness and the impossibility of defending his immoral choices. Meursault is an outcast in society; therefore he cannot relate to others because he does not live as they do. He cannot abide by the same morals because he does not grasp them; he is apathetic to events occurring around him. His entire being is unemotional. This distinguishes him from society, whose strict guidelines focus on right and wrong. Meursault has the capability to break down the situation, but not conforming to it as society expects him to. Life, death, the in between, is irrelevant. Meursault sees the outcome as inevitable. He cannot perceive any right or wrong in killing the Arab. The killing itself w as not out of hatred for the man, he reveals at the trial, because of the sun. The sun at the beach, similar to the sun at his mothers funeral, was beating down on him. The sun represents Meursault emotions. The intense heat and the sun are overwhelming his senses, which he cannot deal with so ends the situation. The death of the Arab in itself doesnt seal his fate. His destruction comes from his lack of emotion. Meursault has come to conclusion he must create his own meaning in life. That there is no basic meaning in life its entirely based on living itself. Until this conclusion, hes a stranger to himself as well as to others. Society believes this is unacceptable, and by refusing to conform he must pay the price. Conforming to society norms doesnt allow the individual to reach his own decisions; however, it was impossible to restrict oneself from all. The character expresses no feeling about anything. Once in a while he shows a bit of heart, but for the most part, he gives a robotic appearance. Camus conveys his existentialistic philosophy with the death of Mersaults mother. He is more concerned about the time of death, and not the fact that he just lost a loved one. The lack of compassion at his mothers funeral is not what society expects of him. This labels him as insensitive, or that he did not love his mother. As an existentialist, he accepts life as it is. An example of existentialism is the murder of the Arab. The absurdity of the murder is what makes it a good portrayal of the concept of existentialism. This shows how Mersault is not only a stranger to his experiences in life, but also to nature. The sun and his sensual pleasures act against him, which cause him to lose control. Mersau lts actions lack true conscious motives. He consciously makes the decision to take a life due to the physical discomfort of his surroundings. To him, its simple: he committed murder, time to face the consequences. There are numerous meanings to the title, The Stranger, one is that if you live a life different than what society accepts, then you are a stranger; an outcast, and will be punished by the rest of society. His trial proved this to be true. It was all about the way he acted and how different he was. This was used to prove that people who are different are judged by their character over their actions. Society refuses to understand him and to know him, therefore he is a stranger. Being a stranger to himself makes him a stranger to life. In the end he gets the meaning of life. He was able to do so because he was approaching death, death is the only certainty of life. We are responsible for the choices we make; there is no predetermination or higher power which decides morality. After reading The Stranger made me look at my life. Some of Meursaults behavior I didnt agree with, but the further I read I understand the reasons for his actions. When I started reading the book for the first ti me I was quite confused and bored, I had to re-read it to understand it better which gave me a different message each time. Meursault was an interesting character to read about. His ideas and beliefs seem wrong but also right. I was able to understand what Camus conveyed with his philosophy. In fact, I have never heard of existentialism until I read this book. Meursault is able to accept the fact that everyone dies and realizing this allows you to live a better life. He controls his own life and actions. I cant say that I understand everything about him. Nonetheless, this character had the most interesting conflicts that kept me reading. The first half of the book was filled with action and there were no direct reasons given for certain actions. In the second half, it is mainly of his self-realization about society and life. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking after reading a book. Work Cited Andrew Irvine, Basic Themes of existentialism, http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme20.htm Crowell, Steven, Existentialism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/existentialism/ Existentialism Philosophy: Discussion of Existentialist Quotes, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Existentialism.htm/ New World Encyclopedia, Existentialism http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/ Solomon, Robert C. Wyatt, C. S. (1999). Existentialists: a primer to existentialism http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/exist.html

Time Management: History and Concepts

Time Management: History and Concepts WARMING UP TO THE CONCEPT OF TIME Now go on and enjoy yourself, dance to your hearts content and win the Princes heart. But remember, you have to be back before the clock strikes twelve at midnight. We all are familiar with the words of the Fairy God Mother in the evergreen fairy tale Cinderella. Its these words that probably made us aware-for the first time in our lives-of the value of time. We all sympathized with Cinderella when all her splendid gown and other finery turned to rags at the stroke of midnight. Our first acquaintance with the villainous Time! But then, is time such a villain, who should always be painted in black? We have heard the proverb that says there are no wounds that time cannot heal. Here of course we get the image of a wizened old woman who comes hobbling up to us with a pitcher full of balm and gentle fingers that soothe away all our pains and sorrows. But thats enough! This project was not made to sing the praises of time. There is no need of the romance of Cinderella or the soothing finger of an old lady when we are talking about time. And do you know why? Its because we do not have the time for it. We are going to try and understand time in its many faces. No, I was not referring to the faces of watches or clocks. I was referring to the many meanings that time has. Oh yes it does! You thought that time meant the same to everyone. Well think again; or maybe you could try to explain the logic behind the following cases. Picture a farmer who plants a sapling of a tree that would probably take ten to twelve years to reach the stage when it would start to bear fruit, by then the farmer would in likelihood be under the soil himself. Picture a jailbird in bird counting on the bars of his cell waiting for the seconds, minutes, and hours, days, weeks, months and years to go by before he can be free again. Now picture a young couple madly in love with each other cherishing the few minutes they get to spend with each other every day, cursing time because it flies so fast when they are together and never the other way round. So what does time mean to you? When was the last time that you realized the value of time? The answer is probably the last time you watched one of those Bollywood thrillers in which the hero is driving a car in which a time-bomb has been planted and the hero is unaware of this. But we being the getting-to-see-it-all audience watch with bated breath as the tiny needle of the timer ticks towards the point at which the explosion is sure to occur. But just before that, the hero hits the brakes screeches to a halt to avoid hitting that old lady crossing the road. And when he jumps out to help her cross the road the needle reaches the point and the bomb is exploded. And our hero is safe. Its funny how the hero always escapes without a scratch in these movies. But I expect thats why they call them heroes. Now we are really transgressing arent we? So back to our subject that is Time Management. Do you know what is interesting about the concept of Time? It is absolutely uncontrollable. Personally I believe that there is something very humbling about this concept. Just imagine a man with all his power is just like a helpless babe before time. There it is Time stands tall and strong before man and man remains vulnerable and weak before it. Man, the big strong man who tamed rivers and seas, who reached out to the skies and beyond, who harnessed wind and water and dug up the bowels of the earth is but a worm before Time. The best he can do to win the battle against time is die is hair and use some anti-wrinkle cream on his face. In fact, the closest that man has got towards conquering time is those many history books that have been penned; they are of course chronicles of events that happened long ago and that is certainly not much to boast about. And so now we come to our subject that is time management because after all the illustrations given above, I hope that I have made one point clear, that is that Time cannot be controlled, it can only be managed. And that is what we are going to do. We are going to learn the art of time management. I dont want you to have an air of helplessness. You might begin to feel that if the battle cannot be won, then what is point in putting up a struggle? Ah, but there you are missing out on a very important point. In all the illustrations that I used above, I was referring to man in general and not to one particular Tom, Dick or Harry. So you can see that this aspect of time is applicable to every human being and there is no running away from it. Every person has only twenty four hours in a day and no force on earth can alter that. So in order to get the cutting edge what you have to do is to be able to manage your time in the most effective way possible. And that is what Time management is all about. Its about managing your time effectively and if I may I would like to add the word efficiently too. Now, when we talk about our resources, everyone knows that we are referring to the resources like fossil fuels, forests, mineral wealth, and water bodies and so on. But surprisingly time is never included in this list. When we talk about non-renewable resources, fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and natural gas top the list. But what about time? A point that most people tend to forget is that time is the most valuable resource that we have, and time once lost, is lost forever. We can think about alternate sources of energy for fossil fuels like electricity, fuel cells, solar energy and the research goes on. But is there any alternative for time that is lost. Again I stress on the point that time once lost, is lost forever. And hence we have the proverb, time and tide waits for no man. HISTORY OF TIME MANAGEMENT The idea of time management has been in existence for more than 100 years. Unfortunately, the term time management creates a false impression of what a person is able to do. Time can neither be managed, nor controlled. We can only manage ourselves and our use of time. History of time management dates back to the 6th century AD with the St. Benedictine Monks who emphasized and encouraged scheduled activities at all times. The concept of time efficiency was introduced by Scottish Economist Adam Smith who developed an assembly line system for factory workers. Benjamin Franklin is considered by many to be the father of modern time management. He mostly emphasized on the effective use of time. Franklin carried around a little black book wherever he went, and within it, he wrote about his thirteen virtues. Each night he would reflect upon the days activities to judge whether he had lived up to these core values. These values were as follows: Temperance Silence Order Resolution Frugality Industry Sincerity Justice Moderation Cleanliness Tranquility Chastity Humility UNDERSTANDING TIME MANAGEMENT We all have time to either spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever. Bruce Lee (Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams) Every individual on earth has the same amount of time 60 seconds in a minute; 60 minutes in an hour; 1,440 minutes in a day; and 525,600 minutes in a year. While a vast majority of people confesses faltering to come to grips with it, extremely few can claim to have made the most of it. How is it that they have got it all done? Its because they have managed a way to figure out how to manage their time effectively. Time Management is more than just managing time. It is about controlling the use of the most valuable and undervalued resource. It is managing oneself in relation to time. It is setting priorities and taking charge of the situation and time utilization. It means changing those habits or activities that cause waste of time. It is being willing to adopt habits and methods to make maximum use of time. With good time management skills one is in control of ones time, stress and energy levels. One can maintain balance between ones work and personal life. One finds enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities. It is not how much time one has, but rather the way one uses it. The bottom line is how well one manages time. Internationally known authority on time management Dr. Alec Mackenzie in his book The Time Trap argues that the very idea of time management is a misnomer because one really cannot manage time in the way other resources can be managed: financial capital, physical capital, human capital, information and time. While each of the first four can be augmented, reduced, transferred or otherwise controlled, Time cannot be manipulated. Dr. Mackenzie contends that when it comes to time, one can only manage oneself in relation to it. One cannot control time as one can control other resources one can only control how one uses it. In the world in which we live, time cannot be replaced or re-created. It is therefore not for us to choose whether we spend or save time but to choose only how we spend it. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TIME There are several misconceptions which we all have about time. They affect everyone including those persons who may be considered quite successful and effective. Here are some of the misconceptions identified by Dr. Mackenzie:  · Time management is simple all it requires is common sense. While it is true that the concept is simple, the self-discipline required to practice effective time management is not easy.  · Work is best performed under pressure. Psychological studies show this to be no more than an excuse for procrastination. One does not work well under pressure only does the best one can under the circumstances. Pressure and challenge must not be confused. Laras performance when the West Indies Team is in trouble has more to do with application and determination rather than pressure.  · I use a diary, a to-do list and have a secretary to keep me organized. One has to keep oneself organized no one can do it for others. The trouble with the disorganized person is that he hardly has time to listen to his secretary or look at his diary.  · I do not have the time. The effective worker or manager often gets more work done in the earlier hours of the morning than most laggards get done in the whole day. He then no longer has to work against tight deadlines and under stress which contributes to heart problems and not unusually the ultimate reduction of time on this earth.  · Time management might be good for some kinds of work but my job is creative. Time management is not about routine: it is about self-discipline. Lack of discipline prevents one from being great instead of simply good. Time management takes away the fun and freedom of spontaneity. Is working under stress, forgetting appointments, making constant excuses and apologies to be fun? Would it not be much more fun if by better organization one had one or two more hours every day to spend with the family, to play games, read a good book, plan for tomorrow and the day and week after or just relax? WHY IS TIME MANAGEMENT SO IMPORTANT? Time management is a common problem faced by most of us. Oftentimes, when you are swarmed with multiple tasks at once, it becomes extremely difficult to identify which ones you must complete first. Too often, people eat up what is supposed to be their free time to be able to accomplish all pending tasks in time. It takes a considerate amount of skill in order to manage your time properly. If you are one of these people, you are usually able to control your time efficiently that you can even finish tasks ahead of time. Lets try to analyze the importance of Time Management in different fields. Time Management in School/College: Due to more freedom merited to college students, it can become quite challenging for new (freshman) students to cope with time management. The liberty to choose your own schedule readily creates a false notion that they can do whatever they want. On the other hand, it reflects ones priorities and how you are able to properly appropriate them into your schedule. With lack of proper time management, a student will have trouble coping up with deadlines set by professors. Most students would tend to slack off during vacant hours that they end up accomplishing nothing. If a student has prepared his or her own list of work for the day, he or she will be able to properly allocate the time spent for extracurricular activities and assignments. Time Management at Work: When it comes to your job, proper usage of your time is more particular. This is because you are paid for the hours of service you render to the firm. Hence, companies will try to ensure that each hour you spend at the office is utilized effectively for work. Despite of this, employees still seek out ways to have a break. If time is not properly managed, employees could easily eat up more time for their breaks than what is actually spent on actual work. Hence, the company ends up requiring the employee to do overtime work just to finish a project. If the overtime rendered is reflected on your paycheck, then good for you. But if not, then you reap the unpleasant effects of poor time management. SYMPTOMS OF POOR TIME MANAGEMENT Poor time management shows up by way of one or a combination of typical perceptible symptoms. Managers would do well to look for and reflect on whether they are subject to any of those symptoms with a view to take necessary corrective actions. The following are some of the indicators of poor time management: Constant rushing (e.g. between meetings or tasks) Frequent delays (e.g. in attending meetings, meeting deadlines) Low productivity, energy and motivation (e.g. I cant seem to get worked up about anything) Frustration (e.g. Oh, things just dont move ahead) Impatience (e.g. where the hell is that information Ive asked him for?) Chronic vacillation between alternatives (e.g. whichever option I choose it is going to put me at a big disadvantage. I dont know which way to jump) Difficulty setting and achieving goals (e.g. Im not sure what is expected of me) WHERE DOES ALL THE TIME GO? It is quite surprising when you sit and think about where all the time in one day goes. Twenty four hours is really a lot of time. But on most days it scarcely seems enough. But this is because of certain misconceptions about time. Let us proceed to carefully examine where all that time goes and find out if twenty four hours really is. For that I have listed out certain points which will help you to get a realistic view about how much time you really have in a day. Point 1 We do not really get twenty four hours in a day. Maybe its because we always talk about the twenty four hours in a day, we get the feeling that we really do have twenty four hours to finish our daily business and the fact is that we do not. Assuming that you hit the sack at least by twelve in the night and taking for granted the fact that you need at least seven hours of sleep; let me fix your waking time at seven in the morning. That means that you have already lost seven hours, which we can deduct from twenty four, giving us only seventeen waking hours. Waking hours does not mean the hours you take to wakeup but the hours that you are awake. So let us get that straight, we have only 17 hours in a day. Now if you think that all those seventeen hours can be used for productive work, you are wrong again. For this come to the next point. Point 2 The seventeen waking hours cannot be used completely for productive work. There are many things that a human being should do in order to continue to live like a human being and some of these things do take up a lot of time. Now the following list that I have drawn up is sure to vary from person to person. But I have taken the times for each action on what I felt to e reasonable times as far as any normal human being is concerned. Taking a shower. Most of us take a shower at least once in a day and the time I think we can put down for that is ten minutes. For those of you cleaner ones who shower twice a day put that as twenty minutes. Answering the call of nature Oh yes, we are all very cultured people who have the best of manners and upbringing. We dress ourselves properly and conduct ourselves with the utmost poise. But there are several times in a day when we have to go back to nature and summing up all those things we do in the bath room I think a good half hour should be enough. Getting ready and tidying ourselves When we move about in society definitely we have to look our best and adding up all the minutes that we spend in front of that mirror, we get another ten minutes. For some people of course, this figure comes up to half an hour. But I think ten minutes is good enough. Eating We need to eat to live and though I accept the fact that people have different eating habits and times, I think that and Im sure doctors will agree with me that a person needs three meals a day and should take at least ten minutes to ingest a meal and not just gobble it down. So that makes it 30 minutes for food. Time to relax Please do not raise an argument now. I promise to deal with this bit later on. But right now I would like to put down one hour as the time to relax, and this includes the time that you get to yourself for prayer or meditation or just to stare out of your window or perhaps the few extra minutes that you spend in your bed after waking up, waiting for the last traces of sleep to go away. Time with family and friends Please we are human beings, arent we? And we certainly cannot get along with our business of life without chatting a few minutes every now and then with our friends and the family too. So with your permission, I would like to deduct another hour from your waking time. So now what do we have left? We started off with 17 hours of waking time. And we proceed to add up all the time that we accounted for in the above mentioned points; let us see how much time we have left for productive work provided we still want to exist as human beings. The activities mentioned above would take when put together a good three hours and twenty minutes. That is 3 hours and 20 minutes. I put it down in both numerals and words so that you can get a real taste of the figure. Now if we proceed to subtract this figure from our 17 hours of waking time, what do we get? We are left with just thirteen hours forty minutes. In figures that is 13 hours 40 minutes. And that is a fact. That is all that we get. So from now on dont you think that it would be more realistic to say that we have just thirteen hours and forty minutes to accomplish a days work and not twenty-four hours. For if we continue to believe that we have twenty four hours, and then we are in effect deceiving ourselves. But wait there is more to this story than meets the eye. These crucial hours that we have painstakingly added up are not really put to constructive use. There are certain things called time waster which you have to look out for and that is what we are going to deal w ithin our next chapter. Time Killers Till now, we have been harping about how valuable time is and how time lost is time lost forever and so on. But now we come to a strange concept and that is Time Killers. The very word sound like sacrilege doesnt it? How can one talk about killing such a valuable resource. But thats the way the story goes. Thee are a lot of time killers in this world and what you have to do is that you have to identify these time killers, look out for them and stay wary of tem. Only then can you put your available time to the maximum possible use. The time killers that I have listed below are more or less general. They are things that most of us encounter. But apart from these, each one of us may have unique time killers that are particular to our style of living and way of work. Be smart and identify these killers. When I talk about killers, do not get the impression of masked men lurking in shadows brandishing guns and knives. The killers that I am referring to are quite ordinary every day things that we see and use in our lives but often do not realize how much of our time they take away. Seven terrible Time Killers Telephone calls Chatter boxes Traffic jams Finding parking spaces Meetings Bad machinery Long queues The list could of course go on. But before we keep adding to the list, I would like to elaborate on certain of the items listed above. How to handle Time Killers †¢ The funny thing about telephone calls is that these instruments are indeed great time savers. In fact the amount of time that people get to save thanks to telephones is stupendous. The problem arises when telephones are not used properly. Most people do not understand and even if they do they forget that telephones are not to be used for lengthy conversations. For one thing, another person may be trying to reach you and there is nothing as exasperating as trying to reach a person over the telephone and being confronted with a busy tone. So the first thing about a telephone conversation is that it should be brief. Another thing about telephones is that most people do not know how to use a telephone properly. In stead of immediately identifying themselves and asking directly for the person they want, some people go on playing a lot of who is speaking games once they make a call or answer the telephone. Now coming to mobile phones there is a lot to be said and done. What should be done is turn off your cell phone when you are having a conversation or a discussion with more than one person. As soon as you get a call, you may ask the people you were talking to excuse yourself but you leave them waiting while you chuckle and giggle over your phone. Often we tend to give ore importance to the caller than to the person we were having the discussion with. Again the same rule applies here. Be brief. A mobile phone is to be used to get an important message across to a person who you were not able to reach on the land line. * The next point is about those chatter boxes. Havent we all met them? They simply love the sound of their own voices and once they open their mouths, there is no stopping them. They waste not only your time but their time as well. Steer clear of such people. Believe me, it is much easier to avoid such people than to tell them to shut up and if you get a telephone call from such a person, use a caller ID facility or ask your secretary to divert the call.  · Traffic jams and finding parking spaces. Any one who has lived in the city for at least a day will know what I am talking about. There is no getting past a traffic jam at the rush hour. And will someone tell me whit is called the rush hour when that is the time when the traffic is the slowest. The only thing you can do is anticipate the traffic jam and leave your home a half hour or one hour early. But that does not really keep the time killer at bay. It just helps you to avoid being late. In this respect you have two options. Either you could find something constructive to do while you wait for the traffic to move along or the traffic light to change or a better option would be to take subway and walk the rest of the way. You can get a long a lot faster on your feet and it is a lot better for your health as well. By doing so, you can also get rid of the headache of finding a parking space.  · Not surprisingly lengthy meetings and discussions can prove to be awful time killers particularly if the meeting does not have a clear agenda and if there are people who love top talk among the group. It has been found that most middle and senior level mangers spend nearly 70% of their work time talking. And in most organizations, parleying has been made into a fine art. * Bad machinery is a time waster. How many of us have wanted to sit and scream and bang the daylights out of a pc that does not give us the required data or information. A computer that takes a long time to start up, a photocopier that gives shamefully faint photocopies, even a leaky faucet or a stubborn drawer or door knob can waste a lot of time and send us up the wall. If you have such equipment or machinery, get it changed at the earliest possible date. It is worth the amount of time and energy that you waste on it every day. * Long queues certainly waste a lot of time. That does not mean that you have to jump the queue. If you can get the job done over the telephone or can reserve your ticket in advance, do it, even if it means a few extra dollars, it is worth the time you may have to spend waiting. Apart from these each person may have particular time wasters, like for instance, a car that refuses to start in the morning, difficult hair that insists on looking like Medusas head on a bad snake day, an elevator that takes forever to reach your floor. Use your common sense and try to find alternate methods or even better, if you cannot find an alternate method, you could put the time to some use like read your morning paper in the elevator. You will get a better idea of how to get over time killers once we handle the section called the time savers. Lining Up Your Ducks: Prioritize! Lining up your ducks is a familiar and charming phrase. It derives from the tendency of baby ducklings to swim in a perfectly straight line behind their mother. If the ducklings begin to stray too far, the mother duck will invariably shepherd them back into line—thus, getting her ducks in a row. The application of this phrase to time management is clear. If you deal with things in a logical, orderly sequence, youre sure to bring efficiency and results to your efforts. When your ducks begin to stray too far afield, danger is lurking—for them and for you. Lets face it. 24 hours in a day is not enough time for many people to do everything in their schedule. It is therefore imperative that people perform their activities in the order of priority. Time management experts like Stephen Covey S R (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; Simon Schuster) have developed a model called a time management matrix. This model enables managers to prioritize their activities and use their time more effectively. With the help of the model, they can evaluate their activities in terms of importance and urgency. The art of prioritizing covers 4 major task groups: Important and Urgent Not Important but Urgent Not Urgent but Important Not Important and Not Urgent TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX Important and Urgent Quadrant 1 represents things which are both urgent and important labeled firefighting. The activities need to be dealt with immediately, and they are important. These tasks are the ones that must be done right away, or consequences may result. An example would be bills that are due today. If you dont pay your bills on time, you would incur additional charges or they might cut off their services to you. Activities belonging to this category need to be acted upon without delay. You should give them the highest priority. Important but Not Urgent Quadrant 2 represents things which are important, but not urgent labelled Quality Time. Although the activities here are important, and contribute to achieving the goals and priorities they do not have to be done right now. As a result, they can be scheduled when they can be given quality thought to them. A good example would be the preparation of an important talk, or mentoring a key individual. Prayer time, family time and personal relaxation/recreation are also part of Quadrant 2. Urgent but Not Important Quadrant 3 represents distractions. They must be dealt with right now, but frankly, are not important. For example, when a person answers an unwanted phone call, he/she has had to interrupt whatever he/she is doing to answer it. Not Important and Not Urgent Quadrant 4 represents Time Wasting. You might think activities in this section are not worth peoples time, so they wont engage in these activities much. You would be surprised to know that people spend most of their time doing things that are both unimportant and non-urgent, such as watching TV and movies, playing video games, senseless chatting for hours on the phone, shopping for new clothes, etc. Of course, it is essential for people to relax and unwind once in a while. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as they say. But you should be strict in limiting your time for these activities; that is, if you really want to accomplish a lot in your life. Treat activities belonging to this section with the lowest priority. If you really want to succeed, strictly limit your time in doing these activities or dont do them at all. Focus on those that will bring you fruitful results. Numbered Priority Tactic Heres one of the most powerful techniques that you can use to manage your time efficiently the Numbered Priority Tactic. Buy a very small notebook that you can put in your pocket. You should be able to bring it anywhere you go. At the front page of the notebook, put the title: Important and Urgent. At the back page, put the title: Important but Not Urgent. If an idea or event you encounter is Urgent but Not Important, then forget it. You want to utilize your time well, wont you? If you think its significant in some way, then you may put it under Important and Urgent. Ignore Not Important and Not Urgent tasks. Every time something comes up during your daily work or on your mind, put it in the appropriate page of your little notebook. So lets say your boss told you to submit a report due tomorrow. Write it down on your notebook under Important and Urgent. Then your friend told you that theres a big 2-day sale at the downtown furniture store. You may put it under Important and Urgent if you simply must have that furniture youre drooling for months. But if you think your house would do fine without it, then dont write it anymore. As youre walking down the street you suddenly thought of a great new idea for your part-time business. You may put it under Important but Not Urgent. As the day goes on, write down each and every idea, thought, or event that comes to your mind. As the list increases in each category, examine each of them carefully and start numbering each item in the order of priority with 1 being the highest priority. Start working on Number 1, and never go to Number 2 until youre done with Number 1 for each category. If distractions come about, you may take care of them first but always come back to your numbered list when youre done. Because priorities may change, you may switch or change the numbers of the items in the list. You may also transfer one item from Important and Urgent to Important but Not Urgent, and vice-versa. When you do any changes, make sure your notebook stays clean. Transfer your writings to a new page when you see that its getting untidy. Start off with a new page every day. This method can enable you to achieve more in one week than what most people can accomplish in a month. The important thing you must do is to buy that little notebook and to start doing this super tactic right now! Time is running fast. < Development of Rat Cranial Blood Vessels: Ethanol Development of Rat Cranial Blood Vessels: Ethanol Gadgieva Aminat Usmanovna Morphological changes of cranial venae cavae of rats in the early postnatal ontogenesis under the influence of ethanol Abstract Background: Morphology of major arterial and venous lines at different ages, and especially their changes under the experimental exposure gives a deeper understanding of problems in the structure of blood vessels in normal and pathological conditions. Aim: To study the changes of intrapericardial cranial venae cavae of rats in postnatal development under the influence of ethanol. Methods and materials: Investigated intrapericardial part of the right (RCVC) and left (LCVC) cranial venae cavae in 120 rats 6, 11, 16, and 22 to 30 days of ages. 60 of them received ethanol with mothers milk. For this females were daily intragastrically administered 40  ° ethanol in a dose of 8 ml / kg during the lactation period (22 days). The control group consisted of 60 rats of the same age, females mothers who daily intragastrically received distilled water in the same dose. Results: It is established that under the influence of ethanol decreases the thickness of the wall of the cranial vena cava. Thickening of the collagen and elastic fibers, reticular fibers and destruction of myocytes observed. Conclusion: To study the changes of intrapericardial cranial venae cavae of rats in postnatal development under the influence of ethanol. Keywords: postnatal ontogenesis; cranial venae cavae, ethanol. Introduction Morphology of major arterial and venous lines at different ages, and especially their changes under the experimental exposure gives a deeper understanding of problems in the structure of blood vessels in normal and pathological conditions. Distortion of the structure of veins often leads to chronic venous insufficiency, varicose disease and thrombosis [1]. Effect of ethanol is primarily manifested in violation structures of the blood vessels and the heart [2, 3]. Ethanol has the ability to penetrate into the mammary gland and flow in milk [4]. In the available literature, we found no data on the effect of alcohol on the state and development of the vena cava in postnatal ontogenesis. The purpose of the study. To study the changes of intrapericardial cranial venae cavae of rats in postnatal development under the influence of ethanol. Materials and methods. Investigated intrapericardial part of the right (RCVC) and left (LCVC) cranial venae cavae in 120 rats 6, 11, 16, and 22 to 30 days of ages. 60 of them received ethanol with mothers milk. For this females were daily intragastrically administered 40  ° ethanol in a dose of 8 ml / kg during the lactation period (22 days). The control group consisted of 60 rats of the same age, females mothers who daily intragastrically received distilled water in the same dose. The animals were kept under standard vivarium conditions at t 21-22  ° C and a natural photoperiod, on a normal diet. Slaughtering rats was conducted in accordance with the Rules of work with experimental animals, adopted by the Committee on Bioethics of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Slaughtering rats was performed under ether anesthesia. After opening the thoracic and abdominal cavities material was fixed in 12% neutral formalin. Then vena cava was isolated and carried on the battery alcohols increasing concentrations, embedded in paraffin. Prepared histological specimens longitudinal and transverse sections of intrapericardial (orifice and non-orifice part the area between the mouth and the attachment of the pericardium to the wall of the vein) part of the RCVC and LCVC. Applied paint sections with hematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson, Weigert methods, and impregnation method Foote under the modification N.A. Yurin. Using ocular line with magnification ob.90, ok.7.measured the thickness of the wall of the cranial venae cavae in the orifice and out parts. Mathematical processing of data was performed using the application Microsoft Excel 2010 in the section descriptive statistics. The data obtained were processed statistically by standard methods for sampling with the definition of the mean (M), error of the arithmetic mean (m), quadratic deviation (ÏÆ'), Students t test (t). Differences were considered significant at p≠¤ 0.05. Results In 6-day-old rats treated with ethanol through mothers milk from the first day of birth, in the wall of the orifice of RCVC and LCVC subendothelial layer contains dense bundles of elastic fibers compared with the control. In the outer layer, elastic fibers in experimental rats are presented in separate fragments, or missing. In control rats the elastic fibers in the outer layer of the same area are absent. In non-orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC elastic fibers, located in the subendothelial layer, also have a greater density than the control. Reticular fibers form large incomplete loops. At 11 days of age are most exposed to the effects of ethanol endothelial layer of the orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC. Endothelial cells contain pyknotic nuclei, which are located far from each other. At this age, the collagen and elastic fibers have a higher density than the control. Reticular fibers in experimental animals are placed chaotically in some places where they are totally absent. At 11 days of age, the walls of RCVC and LCVC non-orifice area in rats, received ethanol with milk, elastic fibers also thicker than in the controls. Given area in experimental rats in the wall of both cranial veins found zones devoid of reticular fibers. On day 16 of the experiment in comparison with the control, in the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC elastic and reticular fibers have different thickness and density of the location. In some places, elastic and reticular fibers are thick, in others not. Collagen fibers are notably thickened and form dense tufts. In the mid layer non orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC, nuclei in myocytesare less than in controls. Collagen fibers of the RCVC under the influence of ethanol become much thicker than in controls. There is no significant change in the collagen fibers of LCVC at given age. Reticular fibers of the middle layer in many places are absent, and in those places where they are, have the form of non-closed loop. In 22-day-old rats exposed to ethanol, in the middle layer orifice part of the vein increase the area of non-nuclear sites in comparison with the 16-day-animals of given group. Elastic fibers become loose in some parts of the veins, in the other, on the contrary form dense tufts. In experimental rats, endothelial cells nuclei of the non-orifice part of the cranial venae cavae have elongated shapes, in some places desquamation of cells is observed. In th e middle layer, the area of non-nuclear sites increases. Elastic fibers in the subendothelial layer are thinner than in the control group. In the middle and outer layers, the elastic fibers are arranged as separate fragments. Reticular fibers of the RCVC and LCVC do not form loops and are scattered. By 30-th day of the experiment the orifice part of the RCVC and LCVC is mainly covered by connective tissue. The outer layer is thicker than in the controls. Collagen fibers are densely forming the thick bundles, they occupy a large area of wall thickness. Elastic fibers between the subendothelial layer, and muscular tunic and at the boundary of the outer and middle layers loosened. On the 30th day in the non-orifice part, collagen fibers are thicker than in the orifice part, especially in RCVC. In carrying out morphometric studies revealed that the wall thickness of both paired cranial venae cavae in the orifice part is smaller than in controls. Differences were significant in RCVC and LCVC 11, 16, 22 and 30 days after birth (Table 1). Increase in wall thickness of the orifice part RCVC and LCVC in 11-day-old rats compared with 6-day amounted to 10% and 8.3%. By 16 days of age, the thickness of the orifice RCVC and LCVC compared with the previous period increased by 24.9% and 16.1%. Increase in wall thickness of the RCVC and LCVC in the orifice part in 22 days rats decreased to 11.3% and 10% by day 30 it occurs differently in RCVC (17.8%) and LCVC (3.2%). Table 1 Wall thickness of the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC in experiment and control (micron), n = 50 * à Ã‚   In non-orifice area of 11-day-old rats in the experimental group, increase wall thickness of RCVC and LCVC as compared with 6 -day-old rats is slight 7.2% and 5.1%. Wall thickness of 16-day-old experimental rats increased as compared with 11-day in RCVC to 21.6%, in LCVC to 17.1%.In 22-day-old rats increase of the wall thickness of RCVC is above and is 31.1%, whereas LCVC is 2.1%.The most substantial growth in thickness of the RCVC observed on day 30 of the experiment (56,3%), while of the LCVC, it was 19.3%. Consequently, the greatest increase in the thickness of the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC in experimental rats observed at 16 days of age. In non-orifice area under the influence of ethanol, a strong increase in wall thickness of the RCVC begins 16 days after birth, but it becomes a maximum on day 30, after the cessation of ethanol poisoning females. In LCVC growth occurs in waves, minimum on 11-and 22-days and increased on 16 and 30-days. The wall thickness of both pair cranial venae cavae in non-orifice part in experimental rats on 6, 11, 16 and 22 days is less, and on day 30, it becomes larger than in control. Certain differences in RCVC and LCVC on 11, 16, 22 and day 30(Table 2). Table 2 Wall thickness of the RCVC and LCVC in non-orifice area in experiment and control (micron), n = 50 * à Ã‚   The study showed that in the context of alcohol intoxication, observed a breach of postnatal histogenesis of the intrapericardiac part of cranial venae cavae. Entering of ethanol for 6 days causes thickening of elastic fibers and decreasing reticular fibers in the non-orifice area. Prolonged alcohol intoxication leads to further destruction of reticular fibers and myocytes, degenerative changes of endothelial cells are occurred. Deformation of the vascular wall integrity, including tunica adventitia, found in alcoholic human disease in brain vessels. In the intima, also observed endothelial desquamation, loosening of muscular layer and adventitia [5]. 22 days after birth in experimental rats to marked changes in the wall of the cranial venae cavae joins thickening of collagen fibers. After the cessation of receipt of ethanol through mothers milk (from 22 to 30 days) elastic and reticular fibers do not restore their structures, their loosening or formation of thick beams happens. There is a substantial thickening of the collagen fibers, which is a manifestation of multiple sclerosis of the vein wall. Destruction of elastic and reticular fibers of the vessels and the soft core of the spleen, the reduction of cell elements (smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts and fibrocytes) and connective tissue stromacollagenization reflect the aging process [6]. Wall thickness of the RCVC and LCVC in intrapericardial part throughout the experiment was significantly less, except RCVC on the 30th day in non-orifice area. In rats with alcohol intoxication disturbed growth rate of RCVC and LCVC. Previously we have determined that the wall thickness of RCVC a day after birth is 16,3  ± 0,44 micrometers and LCVC is 17,8  ± 0,42 micrometers. Substantial growth of wall thickness in the orifice part of RCVC occurs on 16-30 days, and LCVC already on 6 and 11 days after birth, in non-orifice area of RCVC from 16 to 30 days, LCVC from 11 to 30 days. In the first 6 days under the influence of ethanol there is no increase in the thickness of the orifice part of RCVC and LCVC in 6-day-old rats in the experimental group compared with 1-day-old control group [7]. At a later date , increase the thickness of the orifice part of RCVC observed only on day 16,then the growth rate goes down, and in LCVC it occurs later than in the control, and also on 16th day. Increase in thickness of the non-orifice area of RCVC under the influence of ethanol does not significantly differ from control, while LCVC significantly less in all periods of the study. Morphometric parameters of vessels reflect their functional features. Pronounced morphometric changes indicative of impaired hemodynamic, had a vein of the liver lobules in 3 days after shin injury [8]. Thus, the effect of ethanol at the early stages of postnatal ontogenesis leads to pathological changes, which are expressed in endothelial desquamation, destruction of reticular, elastic fibers, myocytes and collagenization of connective tissue stroma. These changes occur with violation of histogenesis of the cranial vena cava wall that appears in the orifice and non-orifice areas of the intrapericardiac part. From both cranial venae cavae, the largest histogenesisviolation occurs in the LCVC. References Shvalb P.G. , Ukhov Y.I., Tsaregorodcev A.A. Nature of the changes of the venous wall, depending on the cause of recurrent varicose veins. // Flebologiya. 2009. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾-4. p. 26-31. Porsukov E.A. On the morphological diagnosis of alcoholic heart lesion // Forensic Medicine. 2009. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾-6. P.21-24. Steinweg D.L., Worth H. Alcoholism: the keys to the CAGE // Medicine.-1993.-Vol.94.-No.5.-P.520-523. Berejnoy R.V.,Smusin Y.S.,Tomilin V.V., ShirinskyP.P. Guidelines for forensic medicine poisoning. Moscow, M.1980, p.227. Krachun G.P., Pishenko E.E., Razygraeva N.L., Petrovina I.A., Kushnir P.X.Functional Histomorphology of intertissue changes in the wall of brain vessels, with alcoholism. // Xist, Chernov, issue 15. 2013, p.270. Alphonsova E.B., Functional morphology of connective tissue stroma of the spleen in the age aspect. // Achievements in Gerontology. Ed. Aesculapius (St. Petersburg). 2012-T 25, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾-3.- S. 415-421. Hadjiyeva A.U., Blinova S.A., Development of intrapericardial part of the cranial vena cava of rats in postnatal ontogenesis //Morphology.-2014, V.8, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾-1. P.26-29. Ocheretina R.Y., Mkrtchan O.Z., Strogov M.B., Morphometric parameters of vessels of the liver lobules in mice during the recovery period after shin injury.