Appraise four pieces of evidence available for implementation in your Essay

Appraise four pieces of evidence available for implementation in your area of interest - Essay Example 1048). The most common (30%) nosocomial infection is catheter-associated UTI, or CAUTI. The strongest factor in determining whether or not CAUTI will occur is the actual duration of catheterization. Other factors that can contribute to the development of CAUTI include age, diabetes mellitus, female sex, and elevated serum creatinine levels. Most patients with CAUTI do not show any symptoms, so treatment typically does not occur while the catheter is in place (Wazait, et.al., 2004). The recent surge in resistant antimicrobials has complicated the use of systemic antibiotics. Typically, no rationale based on evidence is in existence to support the use of prophylactic antibiotics to reduce the occurrence of CAUTI after catheters have been removed. "A recent national multidisciplinary survey of healthcare professionals (by the present authors) showed a vast diversity in the practice (unpublished data). The aim of the present pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to assess if a short course of ciprofloxacin starting at the time of catheter removal reduced the UTI rate after removal (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1048). It took a total of four months to recruit enough patients to take part in the study. These patients were taken from both medical and surgical wards in the authors' hospital. In order to qualify for the study, patients had to have been catheterized for 2-7 days. There were a number of exclusion criteria including the following: recent genitourinary surgery, the receipt of antibiotics within the preceding 48 hours, the inability to consent to the study, impaired renal function, pregnancy or breastfeeding, epilepsy, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, a history showing disorders of quinolone-related tendon disorders, or quinolone allergies (Wazait, et.al., 2004). Age, sex, reason for catheterization, and comorbidity were among the background data collected from the patients participating in the study. Ethical committee approval on the local level was obtained for the study. Eligible patients provided written consent to take place in the study. "Patients were assigned randomly to receive a 48-h course of either ciprofloxacin (400 mg 12-hourly) or placebo tablets starting 2 h before catheter removal. Randomization was confirmed by a computer-generated list. The ciprofloxacin and placebo were packaged into identical containers by an independent pharmacy, and all staff involved at any stage of the double-blind trial were unaware of the medication given to the patients" (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1049). Just before the start of the medication, a catheter specimen of urine (CSU) was taken from each patient. "At the follow-up 7 and 14 days after catheter removal, patients completed a questionnaire for UTI symptoms, and mid-stream urine (MSU samples were collected. Patients who could not be seen in hospital were followed up by a home visit" (Wazait, et.al., 2004, pg. 1049). Standard collection and laboratory procedures to keep the samples pure and separate before, during, and after testing were followed in order to ensure accurate results (Wazait, et.al., 2004). Of the original 52 patients that were scheduled to take place in the trial, four had been excluded for one or more of the reasons listed above. 25 of the remaining 48 patients received ciprofloxacin, and 23 of them

Online Behaviors And Impression Management Essay Example for Free

Online Behaviors And Impression Management Essay Introduction With the rapid development of technology, the Internet has become an effective mechanism for social networking. People can not deny the fact that a successful social networking is more possible to lead a successful life. A personal impression serves as an important role in establishing new networks and managing old ones. It was proved that people have more opportunities presenting themselves in the computer-coordinated communication settings than face-to-face environments. Therefore, regardless of generations, the ways how people interact with one another have been greatly changed by online social sites. The purpose of this study is to understand how people utilize online social sites to manage their personal impression and how they behave on social media; also, people utilize social media in order to gratify their social needs such as their friendship maintenance. The thesis of this paper is that social media influences personal behaviors as well as their impression management and it also has positive impacts on people friendships performance. Personal Behavior on Social Media Individual behaviors may be restrained because of their awareness that their behaviors might possibly be seen by other people, and the fact that people tempt to look more appealing in any social occasions is obvious (Jeong, 2011). Since social media is served as a platform which is opened to public, people tend to pay more attention to how they appear and behave online. An experiment from Denton (2012) indicates that participants within heterogeneous networks such as Facebook have more desire to shift their impressions to others. A heterogeneous network is a network which is established for people without same interests, religions or common interests; in other words, people are able to speak or act freely on those websites. This experiment explains further that people manage or even shift their image based on others views and attitudes. According to Cummings (2012), the setting of profiles provides an opportunity for ones’ social life; people put effort into presenting a better image which aims at influencing others within the network. Jeong (2012) also declares that the process in which individuals attempt to control their impression with others is called â€Å"impression management†. Impression management can be used interchangeably with the term â€Å"self-presentation†, and its goal is to elevate people’s public image by performing behaviors based on how others evaluate them. Jeong also states that impression management usually occurs together with social desirability. Social desirability is defined as an individual’s tendency to describe themselves and behave in a manner in which they believe they will be viewed favorably in a situation. Moreover, Jeong also points out three main characteristics of self-presentation in online media platforms. They are asynchronous, malleable and selective. Asynchronous means that people can edit and update self-presentational cues deliberately over time. Malleable means people can simply manipulate those cues. Denton (2012) explains further by stating that people behave differently in different situations or interact with different people with whom they have specific relationships. For example, a lazy and incompetent employee may spend his evening as a passionate and assiduous worker volunteer or he behaves as a hard-working worker only under supervision; in this case, employers might misunderstand that he is truly a diligent worker. Thirdly, selective means people can improve their impression by choosing specific cues. Jeong explains this term by giving an example that individuals are more likely to donate or show their supports for charity campaigns as long as they realize that their participation would be noticeable to other people. Besides, there are some companies tend to elevate their images by sponsoring nonprofit organizations. To conclude, in general, people tend to behave favorably and try to create a positive impression to others on social media. Impression Management on Social Media Social media has been a new and easy platform for people managing their impression. Sameer (2007) states that document preparation programs make it relatively easy to manipulate the appearance of profiles; also, programmability helps people keep track of contents to the audience, and browser application provide an easy way to distribute the original or modified profiles. Therefore, Krisanic (2008) concludes from her research that impression management has been commonly carried out by those who involved in social networking activities. Jeong (2011) also states that online media platforms are expected to provide people with a greater opportunity for impression management, and because of its â€Å"public display† which enables participants to articulate and make their social networks more manifest; furthermore, Ellison (2008) declares that this kind of â€Å"public display of connection† serves as important signal that helps people navigate their networked social world. Cummings (2012) supports his idea. He points out that social network sites provide people a channel to present themselves digitally, and also gives them another way to provide details about themselves and establish or maintain their relationships in their own social network. Also, profile owners are not the only ones who are able to provide information on their own pages. Most sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn allow those who are involved in the connection to create additional information, and the use of wall posts and the recommendation are the examples (Cummings, 2012). All in all, the main characteristics of social network sites include the capability to make connection between people and share personal information; on top of that, it offers an easy way for people to manage their personal impressions. Friendships Performance on Social Media The articulation of friendship connections is another facet of impression management; it might possibly be viewed from others as an identity marker to profile owners (boyd Ellison, 2008). Although boyd and Ellison argue that online audiences’ comments may dominate user behaviors, Vallor (2012) thinks that those interactions are part of the reciprocity which serves a prime function maintaining friendships. Reciprocity is an original biological stimulus that operates as the core of human sociology and is the mutual characteristic of different types of friendships (Vallor, 2012). Take Facebook as an example, reciprocity emerge with diverse forms; it begins with the friend requests and accepting invitations correspondingly, responding to friends’ status by pressing â€Å"like† button, sharing photos and videos online, comments on friends’ status, and â€Å"tag† friends on pictures or posts. Therefore, a study from Vallor (2012) shows that instead of di minishing people’s interactions in their real lives, online social sites actually extend chances for such interaction. Vallor (2012) also declares that social media can support friendships. Many social network sites allow additional information, and which encourage people to list hobbies, post photos, and interact with other individuals within the network (Cummings, 2012). Furthermore, social network sites help individuals to manage contacts beyond traditional software like outlook, and they also help incorporate visual information such as pictures of contacts (Cummings, 2012); hence, the online social media offers a precious function of recombining efficiently with friends in the past (Vallor, 2012). To conclude, it is true that these sites help participants perceiving more sense of social value and connection; also, social network sites help reinforce participant’s desire to maintain their friendships (Vallor, 2012). Conclusion As online social networking sites as a new media technology comes out in our society, individuals have more opportunity than ever before to present themselves in public by using them. These sites allow users to make self-presentation by creating their own profile pictures, personal information, photos, videos, and their activities. Impression management is related to social networking sites use because individuals tend to develop different self-presentation depending on the audiences online. From those studies we were discussed, people tend to behave favorable to their audiences. However, the authenticity of profile information comes into concern since everything that shows on people’s profiles may dominate their images to others; whether this fact leads to negative problem of social networking sites may still need to be further investigated and researched. From another aspect, we can conclude that social networking sites have a positive impact on friendship performance. Although some studies argue that the online social networking sites may damage the traditional meaning of friendship, it serves as a valuable tool maintaining the friendship in people real lives. All in all, social network sites if manage properly; they can of course offer very concrete benefits to people social networking lives. References boyd, D. Ellison, N. (2008). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. (pp. 219-220). Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 13(2008) 210-230. Cummings, J. (2012). Virtual First Impression Matter: The effect of social networking sites on Impression formation in virtual teams. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 2012 pg. n/a Ellison, A. S. W. (2012). Impression Formation in a Social Network Context. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 2012 pg. n/a Jeong, H. J. (2011). The Effectiveness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Campaigns on Consumer Responses to Brand in Social Media: Impression Management Perspectives. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 2011 pg. n/a Krisanic, K. (2008). Motivation and Impression Management: Predictors of social networking site use and users behaviors. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 2008 pg. n/a Sameer, B. (2008). First Impression formation in electronic profiles. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 2008 pg. n/a Vallor, S. (2011). Flo urishing on Facebook: virtue friendship new social media. Springer Science and Business Media B.V. 2011

Literature Supports Children’s Personality Development Essay -- Psycho

Personality development is the development of the organized pattern of behaviors and attitudes that makes a person distinctive (Laberge, 2006). Adults, especially parents and teachers, are principal components of these environments and therefore play a powerful role in helping or hindering children in their personality and cognitive development (Morrison, 2007, p. 99). According to Erikson (2007), children’s personalities and social skills grow and develop within the context of society and in response to society’s demands, expectations, values, and social institutions, such as families, schools, and other child care programs (pp. 98-99). Children personality does not occur over night. They learn and experience new things in life and how they relate to these experiences affect their personality. Erik Erickson (1902-1994), is a well-known German psychoanalyst that based his theory of psychosocial development on the premise that cognitive and social development occur hand in hand and cannot be separated (Morrison, 2007, p. 125). Erickson also strived to explain personality growth by describing how human beings respond to potential conflicts at specific periods in their lives (Giorgis and Glazer, 2009, p. 171). He described and explained his eight stages of psychological development, in which the first four of the stages relates to early childhood children. 1. Infancy: Birth-18 months old Basic Trust vs. Mistrust- Hope During the first stage, the first or second year of life, the major emphasis is on the whether the child develops trust. Children learn to trust or mistrust their environment and their caregivers. Trust develops when children’s needs are met consistently, predictable, and lovingly (Morrison, 2007, p. 126); therefor... ... as they grow. The little snail in this book had to learn that being different is not always good. Both books are good for parents and children to share a new adventure in life changing experiences, whether the baby is not the baby anymore, but a big brother or sister or if the young child is not happy about who they are until they see that who they want to be is not what they expect. Literature can provide young children adventures they may never experience in their life time. For those young children, who do experience adventures in their life, they need good age appropriate literature in their lives to show them different ways on how to deal, cope, or function in their life. A child’s personality can be supported and nurtured if they are given opportunities to explore and learn from their environment, whether the learning is exploring or reading a good book.

Undocumented Students

Undocumented immigrants are foreign nationals who enter the United States without authorization or enter legally but remain in the United States without authorization. Undocumented youth and students usually have no role in the decision to come to this country; they are usually brought to this country by their parents or relatives. Brought by their parents to the U. S. as minors, many before they had reached their teens, they account for about one sixth of the total undocumented population. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in the year 2000, approximately 2. million undocumented youth under the age of eighteen were living in the United States. Some 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U. S. high schools each year. Illegal through no fault of their own, many undocumented students are honor students, athletes, student leaders, and potential professionals. As a result of their immigration status, these young people face more struggles than documented students, when lo oking to continue their education after high school. Struggles include not being eligible for federal money and not being legally able to obtain employment upon graduation.There is a conflict between Federal and State law regarding the eligibility of undocumented students for in-state tuition rates. Section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 prohibits illegal aliens from receiving in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education. State and federal grants are awarded only to U. S. citizens or eligible non-citizens. To apply for a federal or state grant, one must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which requires the student’s social security number. Federal student loans are also not available to undocumented students.Most high school seniors rely on federal money as most of their financial aid for college. Students see their peers receiving federal financial aid and do not know how they ar e supposed to go about looking for money. Then is the struggle of finding private money because some scholarships require that students have a social security number. Ultimately, the search of every senior student for college money is even harder for undocumented students because they do not have a social security number. Of the few illegal immigrants who overcome financial hurdles and graduate from American colleges, few can obtain jobs, creating a mall pool of unemployed illegal immigrants with college degrees, a minority within a minority. Applying for a job without legal status requires asking potential employers to sponsor them in obtaining American citizenship, something most employers are unlikely to do for job candidates. Most undocumented college graduates are ineligible for many professional careers. Undocumented college graduates grow up in America, where they are taught to dream high and work hard to succeed in this nation but at the end of the day, those doors stop open ing.Opportunity for advancement ends on graduation day, as undocumented college graduates try to find their way into a job market from which they are legally excluded. â€Å"When you're in school you have a place in society, you're a university student,† Jorge Garcia, DREAM Act supporter, said during an interview. â€Å"When you graduate, you're just an immigrant again. † An immediate consequence, as a result of the extra work that undocumented students must put into their college application process, is that some students drop out of high school. These students find it easier to leave school and enter the working world.They are knowledgeable of the fact that, even with a college degree, they most likely will not find employment after graduation. Most undocumented students feel that beginning to work early in life is the only way they may become successful. It is estimated that only between 5 and 10 percent of undocumented high school graduates go to college. There is little incentive for them to finish high school, leading to high dropout rates. Thus, another consequence arises, the potential for them to become involved in gangs and illegal activities. Long term consequences include mental side effects.Cases of depression and suicide have resulted from a feeling of hopelessness for success. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year old Latinos, who make up the largest portion of undocumented students. A 2007 Center for Disease Control survey found that Latinos make up the largest portion of American high school students who tried to take their lives. It showed that 10. 2 percent of Latino high school student had tried to kill themselves, compared to 5. 6 percent of whites. Many undocumented immigrants are terrified of speaking to officials.There is a fear of deportation that makes many undocumented immigrant youth unwilling to seek depression treatment. Congress has not ignored undocumented students’ need for help in at tending college and succeeding after college graduation. In 2001, Senators Orrin Hatch and Richard Durbin in the Senate, and Representatives Howard Berman and Chris Cannon in the House introduced the DREAM Act. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) addresses youth who were illegally brought to the United States but who have since grown up here, stayed in school, and kept out of trouble.To qualify for immigration relief under the DREAM Act, a student must have been continuously present in the United States for at least five years prior to enactment of the legislation or under fifteen years of age at the time of entry into the United States, and demonstrate good moral character. Once a qualifying student graduates from a U. S. high school, he or she is allowed to apply for conditional status that would authorize up to six years of legal residence.During this period, the student is required to graduate from a two year college, complete at least two yea rs toward a four year degree, or serve in the United States military for at least two years. Permanent residence is granted at the end of the six year period if the student has met these requirements and has continued to maintain good moral character. Originally introduced in the Senate in 2001, the DREAM Act has fallen short of votes in Congress several times since. In its reintroduction, in 2007, it fell short by eight votes. More recently, the DREAM Act was reintroduced in the House and Senate in December 2010.With bipartisan support and President Barack Obama supporting the act, many undocumented students believe they are getting closer to their dreams of seeing the act pass. The number of undocumented students at the university level is low. Attending college, and even doing splendidly, does nothing to alter these students’ illegal status. The DREAM Act would offer a pathway to citizenship for many college students and members of the military. Supporters last year were u nable to secure enough votes to prevent a filibuster of the bill. Supporters say it is inhumane and counterproductive to shun students who have come so far with so little.DREAM Act opponents of both houses of Congress say that undocumented students are looting limited educational resources that should go to citizens and legal residents. Republican Dana Rohrabacher, representative of Huntington Beach said, â€Å"I hope you return to your home country right away, and I hope you repay what you have spent of other people’s money. It’s a horrible crime. † Most American high school graduates get the opportunity to test their dreams and live their American story. However, a group of approximately 65,000 youth do not get this opportunity.They are a group of young people stained with the inherited title â€Å"illegal immigrant. † These young people have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want nothing more than to be recognized for what they are , Americans. Illegal students are not eligible to receive any type of federal or state financial aid or grant money. They are unable to access higher education and even if they do, they are not legally able to obtain employment upon graduation. The United States is missing out on talented workers, and is losing vital tax revenues and other economic contributions.

Purpose Essay

Purpose Essay The purpose I feel passionate about is helping youth who struggle with mental illness. I've chosen this because I know how difficult life can be when one has to deal with these challenges on a daily basis; in my case that is Social Anxiety and COD. The way Social Anxiety has affected my life is that it has made it very difficult to have relationships with family and peers. I don't participate in activities that I would have otherwise been involved in and just overall it keeps me from wanting to be out in the world.COD has altered my life to the point where life is inflexible. By that I mean I feel compelled to follow certain routines every day and constantly worry about different things. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAME), â€Å"mental disorders in children and adolescents are real and can be effectively treated, especially when identified and treated early. â€Å"(l) â€Å"Nonetheless, the ventilating majority of children with mental disorde rs fail to be identified, lack access to treatment or supports and thus have a lower quality of life.Stigma persists and millions of young people in this country are left behind. â€Å"(2) Through my research I have learned how serious the consequences can be for young people who do not get treatment. The most serious outcomes can be â€Å"suicide, school failure and juvenile and criminal Because of my own suffering and that of other children and teens, would like to make a difference in the lives of those who have been impacted by mental illness by starting a blob, where they can share their feelings about their battles, so that hey won't feel so alone.Also, by writing about their lives and telling their stories, hopefully it will advise young people who don't have a mental illness about what those who do go through. My blob would feature adults who have dealt with mental health challenges when they were younger, and in their own words, how they overcame them. In addition, I woul d include suggestions for students on how they can support their friends who have a mental illness. Finally, would add resources like links to websites to go for ore information on mental health organizations, providers, peer groups, etc.

How to Concentrate in Class

How to Concentrate in Class A class can get boring and you can get distracted. Your professor is long-winded, your best friend is hilarious, or your cell phone keeps going off. But learning how to concentrate in class is imperative to getting a good grade and actually learning something. Here are some tips for how to concentrate in class when the distractions seem like too much to handle. How to Concentrate on Class 1. Sit Near the Front The front row isn’t just for the nerds. (Although being a nerd is really, really  cool because nerds tend to end up ruling the world).  Sitting in the front of the class will automatically help you concentrate because it takes away any distractions (whisperers, texters, coughers, etc.) in front of you. 2. Participate The people who have learned how to concentrate know that they need to participate actively in class. Engage the teacher in conversation. Raise your hand for every question. Start a discussion. The more engaged you are with the lecture, the more you will want to concentrate on it. So, it is a way of fooling yourself into concentrating. Trick yourself into getting interested even if you cant imagine that you could be. Youll surprise yourself by how interested you really are if you give it a shot. . 3. Take Good Notes Get your pen working to keep your mind focused. Many kinesthetic learners are jittery – their brain doesn’t connect that they are working when they’re just listening. If you’re one of those people, and you can find out here if you are, then move your pen and take good notes during the lecture to help you concentrate. 4. Turn Off Your Phone If you really need to concentrate, then turn off your phone completely. No cheating by setting it to vibrate! Nothing will jar your concentration more than getting a text from a friend or a notification from social media during a lecture. 5. Eat a Healthy Breakfast Hunger can be a big distraction. It is tough to concentrate when you would rather be raiding the buffet at the your local restaurant. Grab some brain food before you head to class in order to get rid of a very obvious distraction. 6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep For maximum concentration, make sure you have slept at least eight hours. I know it can be tough to do, especially in college, but your concentration will be almost gone if you are fighting fatigue. Get some shut-eye so you can pay attention to the things that matter most. 7. Reward Yourself If you really have trouble focusing in class, then reward yourself at the end of class for paying attention. Indulge in your favorite latte, add five bucks to your â€Å"saving for shoes† account, or even just give yourself mini rewards throughout the class period like a piece of candy or a brief phone check if youve concentrated for fifteen minutes. Give yourself something to work for besides your good grade if that hasn’t been enough of a motivator. 8. Get the Jitters Out If you are an antsy person – one of those kinesthetic learners – and your teacher is not able to allow you to move in the classroom, then make sure you have gotten your energy out before class. Run laps around the library. Take the stairs everywhere you go. Ride your bike to class. Use some of your energy beforehand, so you can concentrate during your class period. 9. Change It Up If you can feel your ability to concentrate starting to slip, then change something. Get a new pen from your bag. Cross your other leg. Stretch. Tense and flex your muscles. Take a moment to give yourself a brief break from the monotony. You’ll be surprised how well this works to get you back on track.

11 Veterans

Caregiver Program for Post-9/11 Veterans Caregiver Program for Post-9/11 Veterans The VA recognizes that family caregivers provide crucial support in caring for our veterans; they help by allowing the veteran to stay in the homes and communities they once fought for which has been shown to enhance their overall health and wellbeing. Under the â€Å"Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010,† seriously injured post-9/11 veterans and family caregivers may be eligible for additional VA services through ‘Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.  (1)Eligible veterans include those who sustained a serious injury (including traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma or other mental disorder) incurred or aggravated after 9/11 in the line of duty. Further, the veteran must be in need of personal care services for at least 6 months because of an inability to perform one or more of their activities of daily living and/or need supervision or protection based on symptoms or residuals of neurological impairment or injury.  (2)Eligible caregivers include the veteran’s spouse, child (at least 18 years of age), parent, step-family member, extended family member, and/or someone who lives with the veteran on full-time basis. Moreover, qualifying caregivers may be eligible to receive the following services under this program: monthly stipend; travel expenses (which includes lodging and per diem while accompanying veterans who are undergoing care); health insurance (if the caregiver is not already entitled to care or services under a health care plan); mental health services and counseling; comprehensive VA Caregiver training provided by Easter Seals; and respite care (if not less than 30 days per year).If you think you may be eligible under the VA family caregiver program and want to download an application, you may  click here. The application allows veterans to designate one primary family caregiver and up to two secondary family caregivers.  (3)In fact, many of our eligible veteran clients receive this b enefit and have told us how appreciative they are for the help and support. In one instance, a veteran client with a 10% service-connected disability rating for a traumatic brain injury qualified for services under this program. Approval for disability-related veteran’s benefits, including caregiver assistance, can provide further supportive evidence for a  Social Security Disability claim. Many veterans may qualify for disability benefits from both the VA and the Social Security Administration, depending on the case.Disability Attorneys of Michigan strictly specializes in disability benefits – both Social Security and  VA Disability claims.  Contact us  today for your free consultation or to see how we can help you win the benefits you deserve. 888-678-5839.PL 111-163. For more information, see  caregiver.va.gov/pdfs/CaregiverFactSheet_Apply.pdfand  caregiver.va.gov/support/support_benefits.asp.For consideration, veterans must be enrolled for VA health ser vices.Caregiver Support Coordinators are available at every VA Medical Center to help veterans and their caregivers with the application process. To find a Coordinator near you, you can visit  caregiver.va.gov/helpasp. Additional assistance with the process is available by calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387).Blog Post Provided By:Disability Attorneys of Michigan 30500 Van Dyke Ave, Ste. 400 Warren, Michigan 48093 Phone: (888) 678-5839

The Dark Side of Application.ProcessMessages

The Dark Side of Application.ProcessMessages Article submitted by Marcus Junglas When programming an event handler in Delphi (like the OnClick event of a TButton), there comes the time when your application needs to be busy for a while, e.g. the code needs to write a big file or compress some data. If you do that youll notice that your application seems to be locked. Your form cannot be moved anymore and the buttons are showing no sign of life. It seems to be crashed. The reason is that a Delpi application is single threaded. The code you are writing represents just a bunch of procedures which are called by Delphis main thread whenever an event occured. The rest of the time the main thread is handling system messages and other things like form and component handling functions. So, if you dont finish your event handling by doing some lengthy work, you will prevent the application to handle those messages. A common solution for such type of problems is to call Application.ProcessMessages. Application is a global object of the TApplication class. The Application.Processmessages handles all waiting messages like window movements, button clicks and so on. It is commonly used as a simple solution to keep your application working. Unfortunately the mechanism behind ProcessMessages has its own characteristics, which might cause big confusion! What does ProcessMessages? PprocessMessages handles all waiting system messages in the applications message queue. Windows uses messages to talk to all running applications. User interaction is brought to the form via messages and ProcessMessages handles them. If the mouse is going down on a TButton, for example, ProgressMessages does all what should happen on this event like the repaint of the button to a pressed state and, of course, a call to the OnClick() handling procedure if you assigned one. Thats the problem: any call to ProcessMessages might contain a recursive call to any event handler again. Heres an example: Use the following code for a buttons OnClick even handler (work). The for-statement simulates a long processing job with some calls to ProcessMessages every now and then. This is simplified for better readability: {in MyForm:}   Ã‚  WorkLevel : integer; {OnCreate:}   Ã‚  WorkLevel : 0; procedure TForm1.WorkBtnClick(Sender: TObject) ; var   Ã‚  cycle : integer; begin   Ã‚  inc(WorkLevel) ;   Ã‚  for cycle : 1 to 5 do   Ã‚  begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Memo1.Lines.Add(- Work IntToStr(WorkLevel) , Cycle IntToStr(cycle) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Application.ProcessMessages;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sleep(1000) ; // or some other work   Ã‚  end;   Ã‚  Memo1.Lines.Add(Work IntToStr(WorkLevel) ended.) ;   Ã‚  dec(WorkLevel) ; end; WITHOUT ProcessMessages the following lines are written to the memo, if the Button was pressed TWICE in a short time: - Work 1, Cycle 1 - Work 1, Cycle 2 - Work 1, Cycle 3 - Work 1, Cycle 4 - Work 1, Cycle 5 Work 1 ended. - Work 1, Cycle 1 - Work 1, Cycle 2 - Work 1, Cycle 3 - Work 1, Cycle 4 - Work 1, Cycle 5 Work 1 ended. While the procedure is busy, the the form does not show any reaction, but the second click was put into the message queue by Windows. Right after the OnClick has finished it will be called again. INCLUDING ProcessMessages, the output might be very different: - Work 1, Cycle 1 - Work 1, Cycle 2 - Work 1, Cycle 3 - Work 2, Cycle 1 - Work 2, Cycle 2 - Work 2, Cycle 3 - Work 2, Cycle 4 - Work 2, Cycle 5 Work 2 ended. - Work 1, Cycle 4 - Work 1, Cycle 5 Work 1 ended. This time the form seems to be working again and accepts any user interaction. So the button is pressed half way during your first worker function AGAIN, which will be handled instantly. All incoming events are handled like any other function call. In theory, during every call to ProgressMessages ANY amount of clicks and user messages might happen in place. So be careful with your code! Different example (in simple pseudo-code!): procedure OnClickFileWrite() ; var myfile : TFileStream; begin   Ã‚  myfile : TFileStream.create(myOutput.txt) ;   Ã‚  try   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  while BytesReady 0 do   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  begin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  myfile.Write(DataBlock) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  dec(BytesReady,sizeof(DataBlock)) ;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DataBlock[2] : #13; {test line 1}   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Application.ProcessMessages;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DataBlock[2] : #13; {test line 2}   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  end;   Ã‚  finally   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  myfile.free;   Ã‚  end; end; This function writes a large amount of data and tries to unlock the application by using ProcessMessages each time a block of data is written. If the user clicks on the button again, the same code will be executed while the file is still being written to. So the file cannot be opened a 2nd time and the procedure fails. Maybe your application will do some error recovery like freeing the buffers. As a possible result Datablock will be freed and the first code will suddenly raise an Access Violation when it accesses it. In this case: test line 1 will work, test line 2 will crash. The better way: To make it easy you could set the whole Form enabled : false, which blocks all user input, but does NOT show this to the user (all Buttons are not grayed). A better way would be to set all buttons to disabled, but this might be complex if you want to keep one Cancel button for example. Also you need to go through all the components to disable them and when they are enabled again, you need to check if there should be some remaining in the disabled state. You could disable a container child controls when the Enabled property changes. As the class name TNotifyEvent suggests, it should only be used for short term reactions to the event. For time consuming code the best way is IMHO to put all the slow code into an own Thread. Regarding the problems with PrecessMessages and/or the enabling and disabling of components, the usage of a second thread seems to be not too complicated at all. Remember that even simple and fast lines of code might hang for seconds, e.g. opening a file on a disc drive might have to wait until the drive spin up has finished. It doesnt look very good if your application seem to crash because the drive is too slow. Thats it. The next time you add Application.ProcessMessages, think twice ;)

Analytical report on the mediation process Essay - 1

Analytical report on the mediation process - Essay Example Mediation is based on standards of problem-solving that highlights the requirements and interests of the contestants; equality; confidentiality; freedom and the best interest of all parties. These principles are planned to support and lead public, private, controlled, and obligatory mediation. The way of execution and mediator devotion to these principles may be subjective to local regulation or court law (Goldberg et al, p. 259). Mediation is practical support of an impartial third party. The responsibility of the mediator is specifically to facilitate the parties in finding their own acceptable, feasible solutions by being an efficient catalyst and providing organization, focus, and support with communication. The function of the mediator is to offer impartial, neutral help from the position of someone with no other attachment or investment in the result of the argument. Mediation has a high rate of fulfillment. Parties who have arrived at their own modified agreement are usually more expected to pursue through and stand for and adhere to its terms than those whose agreement has been forced by a third-party decision-maker. Parties that discuss their personal agreements have more power on the result of their argument and gains and losses are more knowable when they retain the decision-making authority than when results regarding the outcome of arguments are turned over to external third parties. Mediation involves reciprocally acceptable contracts in which all parties have at least a few of their interests met to the level that they are ready to support the general agreement. Mediation assists in maintaining continuing associations. Mediation agreements, which cause negotiated solutions that concentrate on all of the parties’ requirements (a win-win situation), are much better capable of preserving present and future working associations than win-lose procedures. If a future working association is essential, an agreed

Hearing, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students' Satisfaction with On-line Essay

Hearing, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students' Satisfaction with On-line Learning - Essay Example Not only can computer technology facilitate a broader range of educational activities to meet a variety of needs for students with mild learning disorders, but also adaptive technology now exists than can enable even those students with severe disabilities to become active learners in the classroom alongside their peers who do not have disabilities. (Hasselbring, 2000) Technological accommodations often involve the use of assistive devices to help a student to communicate or to produce work output e.g. modified keyboard, a computer with a visual display and touch screen or with voice synthesizer, braillers for blind students, greatly enlarged text on a computer screen for a student with partial sight, radio-frequency hearing aids for students with impaired hearing etc. Less sophisticated aids might include school-made communication boards for students without speech, or using symbol or picture card systems for communicating. Technology has also increased the mobility and independence of many students with severe physical disabilities. The specific needs of students with disabilities are usually identified in their individual education plans (IEPs). The IEP should be seen as the main source of advice of the types of differentiation needed by the students. (Westwood, 2003) Deaf and hard of hearing students have great difficulty with phonics as it is usually taught. However, when they learn lip reading, this has a phonic basis in the speaker. If regular students are initially taught to spell phonemically, and the deaf and hard of hearing lip reading students are taught to write what they see in the same phonemic spellings, the two groups of students can communicate in writing thereby making joint educational experiences possible to some extent. (Ives, 1997) American Sign Language (ASL), the language of the deaf is not simply a translation of American English into hand symbols. It is a totally different language, unique in the sense that enables

Why smoking should be banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why smoking should be banned - Essay Example According to the American Lung Association (2014), cigarette smoking in the U.S. causes 393,000 deaths annually; also the cost associated with cigarette smoking is high for the government. According to the study by American Lung Association (2014), in 2004, cigarettes smoking costs were $193 billion. The healthcare costs associated with the use of cigarettes in 2004 was $96 billion, while lose of productivity due to cigarette smoking was approximately $97 billion. Additionally, the study shows that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. Smoking of cigarettes emits 7000 chemicals, and research shows that 69 of the chemicals cause lung cancer, which is responsible for close to 90% deaths from lung cancer. In addition, cigarette smoking is responsible for 20% to 30% of low birth weights in the U.S and is the cause of 10% of infant deaths and 14% pregnancy complications such as premature deliveries. The research shows that neonatal healthcare costs associated with cigarette smoking in the U.S. is approximately $366 million annually. The statistics above are attributed to sales of cigarettes in U.S. markets. This means that ban of cigarettes sales would reduce healthcare costs and deaths caused by diseases such as lung cancer. However, those opposing the prohibition of cigarettes sales argue that government revenue would reduce if the ban is imposed. They explain that federal states in the U.S. are already imposing high taxes on cigarettes. The U.S. average tax per a pack of cigarettes is $1.01, which is higher than any other products’ tax. The taxes are high for government and banning of cigarettes sales will be a disadvantage for government because they will not be able to get revenue (Heartland Institute n.d.). According to Hu and Mao (2001), cigarette smoking in China is high and is considered a health problem. However, the study also shows that China benefits from taxes levied on cigarettes sales and importation. For

The Development of Barrier to Entry in B2B Markets. The Case of Dissertation

The Development of Barrier to Entry in B2B Markets. The Case of Russian Underground Construction Industry - Dissertation Example Concerning this, a qualitative research was initiated employing personal interviews among management executives from ten tunnelling / underground construction companies, both local and foreign, within Sochi, St Petersburg and Moscow cities. These cities have been chosen as they are the ones experiencing strong growth in underground construction within Russia at the moment and therefore tend to have considerable number of tunnelling businesses. The researcher generally generated participants on the basis of proximity, ease-of-access, and willingness to participate under the principle of non-probability sampling. Environmental sustainability is found to be the most prominent advantage of underground construction. ... ion, and difficulty in starting the mining process, but critical analysis and detailed planning are important to ward off the probable difficulties associated with underground construction. Production management and introduction of new technologies and investment in latest equipment and machines were found crucial on the part of construction companies to ensure competitive edge over their competitors. Barriers to underground construction industry include the need to outsource high capital, employ advanced technologies and secure government licences. These make it harder for new, particularly small entrants to penetrate into the industry knowing that the large companies have wider chance to explore advertising, and acquire equipment, wages, and research and development. Responding to the changes associated with the existence of these barriers was found as important move among companies in underground construction industry. These changes primarily include sophistication of construction techniques, appropriate use of planning, implementation, evaluation and control. Russian government was found not a remarkable barrier to potential entrants, but the set standards by the government authorities could front probable risk factors prior to successful entry. Due to shortage of skilled workers in the underground construction industry, there is a necessity to outsource human resource, and employ foreign partners, but one substantial move to ensure productivity and competitive edge is to allow manpower to undergo refresher courses and advanced trainings to keep them abreast of the new technologies and processes employed in the industry. Underground construction companies also found that innovation and invention are also important considerations to stay at the level of competitive

Liberalisation of Financial Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Liberalisation of Financial Markets - Essay Example during the 1970s and 1980s and was characterised by the abolition of credit and interest rate ceilings, the abolition of controls on international movements of capital, as well as the abolition of regulations affecting a wide range of financial activities in a significant number of OECD countries. (Blundell-Wignall and Browne, 1991). One can observe from table 1 that most of the reforms took between the 1970s and 1990s and mainly involved the elimination of interest rate ceilings and credit limits. Banks were also given more freedom to engage in mortgages. Financial liberalisation has also been characterised by securitisation1. Financial liberalisation has been successful in that it has encouraged the formation of stock markets where they did not exist and has encouraged their deepening where they predated the reforms. (Grabel, 1995). For example, there has been an impressive expansion of stock markets in less developed countries (LDCs) following the adoption of financial liberalisation in these countries. ... -Implementation of the Second Banking Directive (89/646/EEC) into national law in 1993; -Separation of long-term and short-term credit institutions abolished in 1994. United Kingdom -Credit controls "the corset", eliminated in 1980; -Bank of England's minimum lending rate abolished in 1981; -Banks allowed to compete with building societies for having finance after 1981; -Building societies allowed to expand their lending business after 1986; -Withdrawal of guidelines on mortgage lending in 1986; -Securitisation introduced in 1987; -Implementation of the Second Banking Directive (89/646/EEC) into national law in 1993; Canada -Elimination of ceilings on interest rates on bank loans in 1967; -Restrictions on banks' involvement in mortgage financing abolished in 1967; -Banks allowed to have mortgage loan subsidiaries in 1980; -Securitisation in 1987. Source: Boone et al. (2001). One can observe from table 1 that most of the reforms took between the 1970s and 1990s and mainly involved the elimination of interest rate ceilings and credit limits. Banks were also given more freedom to engage in mortgages. Financial liberalisation has also been characterised by securitisation1. Financial liberalisation has been successful in that it has encouraged the formation of stock markets where they did not exist and has encouraged their deepening where they predated the reforms. (Grabel, 1995). For example, there has been an impressive expansion of stock markets in less developed countries (LDCs) following the adoption of financial liberalisation in these countries. For example, Grabel (1995) notes that LDC stock markets listed some 5,531 domestic companies and had a market capitalisation of US$86,125million and an annual trading volume of US$23,672million in 1980. By 1992, 36

The Development of Barrier to Entry in B2B Markets. The Case of Dissertation

The Development of Barrier to Entry in B2B Markets. The Case of Russian Underground Construction Industry - Dissertation Example Concerning this, a qualitative research was initiated employing personal interviews among management executives from ten tunnelling / underground construction companies, both local and foreign, within Sochi, St Petersburg and Moscow cities. These cities have been chosen as they are the ones experiencing strong growth in underground construction within Russia at the moment and therefore tend to have considerable number of tunnelling businesses. The researcher generally generated participants on the basis of proximity, ease-of-access, and willingness to participate under the principle of non-probability sampling. Environmental sustainability is found to be the most prominent advantage of underground construction. ... ion, and difficulty in starting the mining process, but critical analysis and detailed planning are important to ward off the probable difficulties associated with underground construction. Production management and introduction of new technologies and investment in latest equipment and machines were found crucial on the part of construction companies to ensure competitive edge over their competitors. Barriers to underground construction industry include the need to outsource high capital, employ advanced technologies and secure government licences. These make it harder for new, particularly small entrants to penetrate into the industry knowing that the large companies have wider chance to explore advertising, and acquire equipment, wages, and research and development. Responding to the changes associated with the existence of these barriers was found as important move among companies in underground construction industry. These changes primarily include sophistication of construction techniques, appropriate use of planning, implementation, evaluation and control. Russian government was found not a remarkable barrier to potential entrants, but the set standards by the government authorities could front probable risk factors prior to successful entry. Due to shortage of skilled workers in the underground construction industry, there is a necessity to outsource human resource, and employ foreign partners, but one substantial move to ensure productivity and competitive edge is to allow manpower to undergo refresher courses and advanced trainings to keep them abreast of the new technologies and processes employed in the industry. Underground construction companies also found that innovation and invention are also important considerations to stay at the level of competitive

Business Law and ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law and ethics - Assignment Example Carbon emissions are dangerous and therefore undesirable in the country. Companies that put this factor into consideration set de facto standards and, therefore, have a competitive advantage. The paper will examine how the effects of climate change on automobile  will affect their overall performance in the  industry. This may call for adoption of new technology that is both low cost and will ensure high quality of products. Carbon constraints determine the convectional value drivers within the industry that will significantly create challenges for senior managers. Carbon constraints interact well with established efforts to improve fuel economy that will eventually drive prices up. This implies that climate change will have differential impacts on company’s financial performance by creating a distinction between those companies that will ultimately be exposed to these risks. The traditional business model, which is based on tradition measures of demand and supply that affect tangible measures like sales volume, pricing, margins and profitability, and intangible measures like brand recognition, innovation and quality, will be affected. Management’s concern will be  to conduct business operations with  alignment of strategic missions in a world faced with declining profits, tighter policies and shorter product life spans. Companies will be forced to adopt a carbon-friendly technology to reduce carbon emissions as this will  have the potential to alter long-term competitive balance within the industry. However, the biggest challenge is to determine which technologies will be accepted by the markets standards. An example of technology utilized in the automotive industry is the incremental technology which will offer opportunities for the fuel economy. Companies will also be forced to adopt a merger strategy of partnering will others which an ai m of reducing costs. New entrants into the market will face high overhead costs compared to those already in

Learning New Research Concepts or Techniques by Writing and Other Research Activities Essay Example for Free

Learning New Research Concepts or Techniques by Writing and Other Research Activities Essay The way to go about determining if certain resources are adequate for college assignments would be through an evaluation process. In chapter five of the course material, it provides the six tests of evidence that helps to conclude if discovered information can be utilized for a paper. The first test is regarding credibility. If a source is credible it should be information based on fact rather than opinion. The next test to examine is if the material is unbiased. Be sure founded information has room for other points of view about the issue so that the presentation of material in your paper is fair and balanced† (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. Another test to examine would be to verify if the information is relevant and relates to your topic. Next, is the source complete? â€Å"Do not take information out of context and mislead the reader by using only the portion of the information that supports your opinion about a topic† (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. The logical test is to make sure the information makes sense and is consistent with other known evidence. The final test would be to determine how current the resource is. Confirm the sources you use are as current as possible and have not been replaced by more recent research findings. Check to find the date an article was written or, if it has no date, check the copyright or revision date on the Web page to determine how recently the information was updated (Sole, K. (2010). Writing College research papers. An example of a suitable source would be an article from the Ashford Library, because Ashford Online Library have been archived by professional information management specialists, and Ashford University professional staff have selected specific databases for the library that are the most appropriate for your college courses. In other words, they are university and faculty approved. Sole, K. (2010) Writing College research papers. An unsuitable source would be Wikipedia, but can often be used to lead to other sources of information for an assignment.

Societal And Cultural Norms Of Sexualities Sociology Essay

Societal And Cultural Norms Of Sexualities Sociology Essay Sexuality is believed to be shaped by social and cultural norms; however, it is also recognized that sexuality is shaped by other social differences such as gender, race/ethnicity and class. In general, norms are identified as social rules and expectations which guide individual or group behavior. Many cultures reflect their social norms on sexuality by identifying what is considered as normal and acceptable sexual behavior within society. According to Costa and Wood (2005, p9) sexuality is an integral part of the human experience with physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions. While deeply personal, sexuality occurs within specific social, economic, cultural, political and religious contexts. These contexts, in turn, strongly shape an individuals sexual experience through possibilities and limitations, as well as structuring their social outcome. In order to understand sexuality and how it is shaped, we must identify other forms of social and cultural contex ts in which it is constituted. This essay will illustrate sexuality through social and cultural norms. I will discuss the impact of socially constructed sexuality, which is ultimately shaped by certain forms of social differences. In saying so, the endeavour over sexuality is deeply significant, as it not only demonstrates how societies behave towards one another, but how societies are able to maintain acceptance to coexist. The function of norms is to coordinate the expectations in individual interactions; as norms impose consistency of behavior within a given social group, but often vary substantially among groups (Durlauf Bloom 2008). In saying so, all human sexuality is socially constructed though a wider spectrum; shaped by social differences in gender, class structure and specific historical stipulations. Most cultures contain social norms with regard to sexuality. Particular guidelines are put forward to be followed and obeyed in order to be socially accepted. Abiding by social norms, maintains an individuals acceptance within a group; alternatively, ignoring the social norm puts an individual at risk by becoming unaccepted or in extreme situations even becoming a social outcast. For instance, it is suggested that sexual acts are ranked hierarchically. The positive social norm is identified as a heterosexual marriage, which ultimately ranks at number one on the top of the hierarchy. Consequently, masturbation, homosexuality, adultery and other sexualities that deviate from societal norms are ranked closer to the bottom, with very little or no tolerance at all. One approach that focuses primarily on the sociology of sexuality is sexual scripts. Flood (2010) states that sexual scripts are guidelines that help define who, where, when and why individuals have sex. They are social rules, regulations and roles which guide appropriate and acceptable sexual behaviour. Sexual scripts come from various sources such as; family, peers, media and institutions. Kornblum (2008, p203) suggests that the concept of sexual script is a metaphor that helps explain differences between sexual expectations and actual sexual conduct. Research has indicated that most people have not memorized actual scripts to guide their sexual activity, but they do have definite ideas about sexual conduct that influence the way they sexually behave. The concept of sexual scripts emphasizes the social and cultural influences on sexual behaviour and this is seen more influential as opposed to the biological and natural framework of sexuality. Another form of representation shaped by society is gendered constructions of sexuality. The development of sexuality is reflected by gender. Gender differences in sexual behaviour are often included in gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure and intimacy. Sexuality is generally constructed through, fantasies, and desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. The modern ideology of sexuality is that lust is the province of men and purity that of a woman. Flood (2010) illustrates several examples regarding gendered scripts for sexual relations as; male sexuality is seen as uncontrollable, sex is organized around mens pleasure, women are objects rather than subjects of sexuality, women as the gatekeepers and the guardians of sexual safety and health, and sexual double standard and the policing of female sexual reputation. Parker and Aggleton (p,170) express the socially constructed assumption that even pornography and pervasions have been considered part of a male domain. It is apparent that gender differences and inequalities exist; ideologies have claimed that women as opposed to men should be pure prior to marriage. Ilkkaracan and Jolly (2007) argue the norms around sexuality and what is considered acceptable according to context. They suggest that in many cultures there is a huge pressure to be married and sometimes forced to an early marriage. Other kinds of sexual behavior such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender are discouraged by social stigma with legal penalties made apparent. A commonly shared ideology is to be a proper man or proper woman and to conform to gender stereotypes and express desires for or have relations only with people of the opposite sex. In the early eighteenth century distinctive minorities emerged and were labeled as homosexuals. However, society emerged and opposed their sexuality, and drew the line with social norms. This was perceived as a taboo to traditional masculine behaviour. Men are generally assumed to have greater access than women to the pleasures of sexuality. This is socially constructed though ideological perspectives that men; are risk takers, insensitive, sexually sinful, have a high sex drive and sexually experienced. On the other hand, the gendered constructions of womens sexuality represent them as innocent, sensitive, slut or frigid, responsible with regard to pregnancy and STIs, passive in sex, seduced and ignorant (Flood 2010). Although apparent social and cultural norms create gender differences in sexual behavior, it is believed that womens sexual experience is coming closer to mens. This is due to the sexual revolution and womens movements (Flood 2010). However the gender inequalities continue to be present, with men in contrast to women having more pleasurable sex. Further closely related to this concept is the theory of the sexual double standard. Although it is recognized that the primary principle is that all people, regardless of th eir gender, class, age, religion, marital status and race/ethnicity have the right to decide on their sexuality. The term double standard is a set of principles or provisions, generally situated to social norms and is perceived as either acceptable or unacceptable. Kornblum (p,406) describes sexual double standard as the belief that women must adhere to a different more restrictive social or moral code than that applied to men. The sociological view on double standards is shown to suggest that sexuality is divides women in to good if they are wives and virgins, and bad if they are sexually active and prostitutes (Randall Waylen p,86).However mens sexual behavior is free of social constraint. Flood (2010) describes two standards of sexual behaviour, one for men and one for women, associated with having sex and various sexual partners. Additionally, womens sexual behavior is socially policed and highly controlled in comparison to mens. Further, women who are sexually active are believed to be sluts as opposed to men who are known as studs. Consequently, sexual reputations are socially controlled ; this can be to an individuals advantage or disadvantage, depending on the gratification of the social norms.

Customer Relationship Management Essay -- Business CRM

As a Business Administration major I have learned there are several different components that make up a successful business, and it is important that everyone work together to achieve a common goal. The ultimate goal of most companies is to create a product or service that will gain a place in the market and stay there. Customer relationships are the most important factor for companies to consider when aiming toward success. What can companies do to improve customer relationships? Improving customer loyalty means the customer keeps coming back even if they are not always completely satisfied with the product. When I think about what brings customers back, and the most important part of a company’s success, it is undeniably customer relationship management. With it being easier for customers to shop from their home or office, and the growing competition making it easier to switch, the relationships become increasingly more important every day. Focusing more effort on cus tomer retention and loyalty in customer relationships would improve their chances of surviving in the market. Companies are now turning to this business strategy supported by information technology. These customer service programs are designed to assist in a company’s business operations. Companies like Siebel, E.piphany, Oracle, Broadvision, Net Perceptions, Kana and others have designed products that do everything from track customer behavior on the Web to predicting their future moves to sending direct e-mail communications. Customer Relationship Management can improve: Contact and account management, sales, marketing and fulfillment, customer service and support, and retention and loyalty. The part that deals specifically with the needs of the cust... ...to, what promotions to send to certain customers, and can inevitably save marketing dollars in the process. The management part of the programs is equally important. Once companies see progress or no progress with a customer they have to decide on an appropriate action. Companies do not want to sit back and watch customers disappear. Measuring the benefits will help companies identify their best customers and eliminate negative information flow between customers and the company. Customer Relationship Management has impacted the business world and changed the way customers are handled and the way customer satisfaction is valued. Murphy, John A. (2001). The Lifebelt: The Definitive Guide to Managing Customer Retention. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (2001). Harvard Business Review on Customer Relationship Management. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Japanese Occupation Affect Nationalism in Indonesia

Assess the impact of the Japanese Occupation on nationalism in Indonesia â€Å"Nationalism† is generally defined as the increasing desire in people to determine their identity, existence and destiny for themselves. For the Netherland Indies, nationalism movement can be traced back to around 1900, which finally led and gave rise to a new nation, Indonesia. Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that nationalism movement existed prior to the Japanese occupation and therefore should not be consider a turning point that altered the entire landscape of nationalist movement in Indonesia.In addition, the Japanese’s brutality and cruelty could have potentially hindered the progress of nationalism, as they were primary driven by their self-interest in war efforts. This paper will attempt to argue how the Japanese Occupation acts as a catalyst that sped up nationalist movement led by pre-war nationalist leaders in Indonesia, eventually paving the way for its independence. In the initial stage of the occupation, the Japanese was determined to exploit the resources and not make any political concessions to Indonesian nationalism.The first attempt at such mass propaganda without major Indonesian nationalist leaders turned out to be a comprehensive failure. From its launch in March 1942, the Triple A movement that consist of the slogan that Japan as the leader of Asia, the protector of Asia, and the light of Asia, did not gather much support from the local. In general, the Triple A movement did not achieve its objective as few Indonesian Nationalist leaders were involved and the propaganda was too heavy-handed even in those days of early occupation for the locals to take it seriously.Therefore, it was only because the Japanese needed the help of the locals to aid war efforts that led them to give political concessions to nationalist leaders. Having failed to get anywhere by making no concession to nationalism and with increasing new doubts among the Japane se about the outcome of the war, the Putera — Centre of People’s Power (Pusat Tenaga Rakjat) was formed in March 1943. The Japanese selected nationalist leaders who had been imprisoned or ignored by the Dutch.They were resigned to the fact if they were to rally the masses of Java, the Japanese would have to use the leading figures of pre-war nationalist movement such as Sukarno and Hatta. The Japanese implementation of a simplified Malay language, Bahasa Indonesia, to replace the 250 languages and dialects used in the Netherland Indies it became the main lingua franca which significant in fostering a common national identityWhen they first took control of Indonesia, the Japanese decided to ban the use of Dutch language with immediate effect.Throughout the country, the locals started to see themselves as true modern nations rather than a mixture of rival religions, languages, cultures and races. This greatly galvanise nationalist effort, as it was easier to reach out to masses comparer to before under the Dutch rule. Under the Japanese Occupation, political boards were formed and nationalism was encouraged by the new regime as the Japanese mobilized the whole population for the war effort. The Japanese utilized Sukarno, along with the other nationalists, in order to unite the Japanese and Indonesian causes.While the Japanese military authorities were wary of giving Indonesians too much license, they recognize that they could not maintain their position by force alone. Hence, The Japanese give positions of responsibility to nationalist leaders like Sukarno and Hatta who had previously been imprisoned by the Dutch, and afforded the nationalist movement new scope for development (Vickers, 2005). Even though the original intention behind this move was to achieve Japanese war aims, such opportunity was never allowed under the Dutch Colonial rule.Therefore, Sukarno who was enlisted by the Japanese to help them govern the country seized every opportunity to educate the masses and indoctrinate nationalist consciousness into the masses. Sukarno was a crucial figure that contributed to the rise of nationalism in Indonesia. His eloquence at political rallies was instrumental in spreading the message of freedom across a diverse Indonesia, galvanizing them to set aside their differences to united and oppose against their colonial masters.This can be reinforced by the account of Hideo Fujiyama, who decided to desert the Japanese Army and remain in Indonesia to fight along side the nationalist army. He was primary motivated by Sukarno as he recalled the reason that inspired him to make the decision was listening to Sukarno’s speech at a mass rally on September 19th, 1945 in Jakarta. He described Sukarno’s speech to be â€Å"so energetic and impressive† which resulted to him â€Å"being moved† and led him to join Indonesia nationalist movement military.Therefore, the Japanese Occupation gave Sukarno the platform to reach out to the masses as his eloquence and inflammatory speeches managed to convince them to participate in his nationalist movements. The Japanese administration gave nationalist’s opportunities to become involved in government in ways that they had never known before under the Dutch rule. These opportunities include the access to experience and connections, which were later proved to be highly effective.In particular, nationalist usually came to control many propaganda activities mounted by Japan, including publication and circulation of newspapers such as Sumatra Sinbu (Sumatra News), radio broadcasts, mass instructions, films and meetings. Under the networking and communication capacities offered by such propaganda bodies as BOMPA (Bodan Oentoek Membantu Pertahanan Asia- Bureau to Assist in the Defence of Asia) in East Sumatra, nationalists were able to develop and spread popular understanding of the idea of Indonesia through the layers of indigenous society.For the first time in decades, the masses, and not just alienated urban activists and intellectuals became continually engaged in political activity and thus, accelerated the fervor of nationalism throughout the country. The Japanese Military also help set up the formation of volunteer army, PETA (Pembela Tanah Air- Defenders of the Homeland) and provided the large number of officers and soldiers with military trainings and weapons. Few Indonesians had been given officer training by the Dutch, and they were always under the Dutch commanders.This military training was instrumental to nationalist movement as it allowed them to be better equipped in the battle with the colonial masters between 1946-1949 when the latter tried to return and reassert their authority. It was not only the military training in PETA, but also the specific ideological training in the institute which emphasis on discipline and loyalty to country that awakened the national consciousness of the young men who enlisted int o the volunteer army.Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that the Japanese who set up PETA had their own interest in mind as they were planning to use PETA for costal defence against allied troops. They knew the limitations of PETA, and understood that they were not able to withstand a full-scale allied onslaught. Therefore, PETA was used to delay the enemy’s advance by deploying along the coastline and obstructing an allied landing or harassing the rear wherever the allied troops might come, thus allowing time for the Japanese army to retreat.For that reason, PETA soldiers were distributed throughout the island and were requested to remain in respective region, where they had intimate knowledge of the terrain. At the end of the war in 1959, the Indonesian government had as many as 500,000-armed fighters at its disposal. Therefore, PETA greatly strengthened nationalism efforts and represented potentially the most effective legacy of the Japanese period in both ideolog ical and structural terms. This paved the way for the formation of the nationalist army after the Japanese Occupation to fight against the returning Dutch colonial master.However it is also important to acknowledge that the Japanese Occupation had detrimental effect on nationalism in Indonesia even though they allow political concession for nationalist leaders to reach out to the masses. As the Japanese were primary driven by self-interest, they were not willing to compromise war efforts in order to accommodate nationalist movements. This can be seen in their brutality towards locals, the deliberate fragmentation of Indonesia into three divisions and the Romushua program of forced labour.By splitting Indonesia into three jurisdictions to be controlled by different divisions of Japanese military forces, nationalism in Indonesia was greatly disjointed. The three divisions consist of Java who was controlled by the 16th Army, Sumatra under the 25th Army and the rest under the 2nd Southe rn fleet. These became various political units with tight Japanese control together with separate administration. The notion was to ensure that any nationalist aspiration from Java to the outer islands was strongly discouraged.As a result, political activities tumbled to an all time low as from March 1942, all political activities were disallowed and all existing associations were thus dissolved. This resulted to breaking the unifying development of Batavia as Indonesia’s centre, which the Netherlands had emplaced over the years and thus compromising the idea of Indonesia as a single nation. The Romusha program was a mandatory forced labour implemented by the Japanese to aid them in their war efforts. This initiative destroyed stability and order within Indonesia and greatly hampered nationalist movements.The Romusha normally consists of peasants from the poorer region of Central Java. They were forced by various means to contract themselves to work on military construction p rojects. Many of them were sent away from their homes such as Sumatra, and even away from their countries to Brunei, Siam and eastern islands. The Japanese often treated them with extreme brutality and cruelty. Even after the war, only a small handful out of the estimated 500,000 who were mobilized to work outside their hometown managed to return back home.Amongst these people were ordinary Javanese like Sarmann Praptowidjojo, who were forced to slave on the Burma railway. Originally from Surakarta, he had been a railway worker in Surabaya before being sent to Singapore and then on to Thailand to work on the railway, where he witnessed the destruction of the bridge on River Kwai. He and his fellow Javanese worker saw those around them dying initially at the rate of three a day, den five, then ten. Even though Savramn survived, he joining the thousands who did not return to Java after the war, preferring to marry and live in Bangkok.The Romusha program hinder the progress of national ism movement as almost every echelon of the Indonesia social class was forced to comply by the Japanese to assume responsibility for the program such as organizing recruitment at village level, by propagandizing at higher levels, or simply by doing nothing to obstruct the program. Village chef and district officers in charge of running the program compounded its effect by designating the Romusha service in rural society they dislike or fear. Despite the political concessions given to nationalist leaders, the Japanese treated the locals with great brutality.Apart from the Romusha program, there was a botched biological warfare experiment in 1944 carried out by the Japanese. Between 5000 to 10,000 men from a group of Romushua forced labourers held on the outskirts of Jakarta, awaiting shipment outside Java, died writhing in agony from injection of tetanus. Japanese scientist had prepared the lethal vaccines to see what their effects would be. This further reinforces the idea of Japane se brutality and cruelty towards the local. Therefore, we see how Romusha’s domino effect on the masses greatly hampered nationalist movement in Indonesia.Even though the Japanese provided military training and platforms for nationalist leaders to reach out to the masses, it is too sweeping to label the occupation ‘a turning point’ in the history of nationalism in Indonesia. This is the fact that nationalism movement such as the Indonesian Nation Party (PNI) existed way before World War II, and Japanese occupation merely provided nationalist leader a platform to reach out to the masses and this in turn strengthened the nationalist movements. Nationalist sentiments were already common in the 1930s despite the Dutch colonial master clamping down hard on nationalist leaders.A key moment which highlights the growth of nationalist consciousness came in 1928, when the the All Indonesian Youth Congress proclaimed its pledge, establishing goals of one national identity ( Indoneisan), one country (Indonesia) and one language (Bahasa Indonesia). The emergence of Indonesian Nation Party (PNI), led by the young and rising Sukarno was rapidly becoming one of the most powerful nationalist organization (Vaisutis, 2007). PNI brought all non-communist nationalist groups under its umbrella to unify them as one.Nonetheless, there were limitations on nationalist movement prior to the Japanese Occupation. First, the emphasis on unity for the sake of the struggle meant that almost no attention was devoted to discipline, creative and accommodative thinking about the form and content of the free Indonesian state which nationalist leaders wished to create. Second, the over-emphasis on unity, together with the fiercely competitive and highly personalized world of elite Indonesian politics, effectively meant that no serious efforts were made to build bridges and create political compromises.Thirdly, political leaders of the 1930s used strikes and revolutionary languag e to challenge Dutch rule but they did not have strong enough organizational vehicle to spread their actions. Once there was a problem in their individual nationalist group, there was no longer a sense that one was able to move in and out of various groups and body. People had to give their exclusive loyalties as members of parties. The consequence of this was a splintering of the nationalist effort.Nonetheless, the Dutch recognizes the potential influence and threat to their authority and subsequently jailed Sukarno in 1930. Therefore, we see how nationalism existed way before Japanese occupation, and nationalist leaders eventually seized the opportunity under the Japanese Occupation to spread nationalism throughout the country. In conclusion, this paper argues that Japanese Occupation acts as a catalyst that sped up nationalist movement led by pre-war nationalist leaders such as Sukarno that eventually paving the way for its independence.Prior to the Japanese Occupation, there was subsequent number of problems that hindered nationalist efforts as political parties were full of conflicts and disunited. In addition, the Dutch clamped down hard on radical leaders and would imprisoned or exile them from Indonesia. Therefore, it was due to the Japanese occupation that provided a platform for nationalist leaders to reach out to the masses. In addition, the Japanese provided political concessions and military training which were instrumental in later years with the Dutch.However, it is too myopic to label the Japanese Occupation as a turning point in the history of Indonesia’s nationalism. This is due to the fact that nationalism was already active with the formation of the PNI and other nationalist groups. Also, the Japanese Occupation had the potential to greatly hamper nationalist efforts with own self-interest if not for Sukarno skilful manipulation and eloquence that steer the masses towards his nationalist cause. Thus, this paper will reinforce the sta nd that Japanese Occupation act as a catalyst toward nationalism in Indonesia.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Sixty-two

Tyrion On a hill overlooking the kingsroad, a long trestle table of rough-hewn pine had been erected beneath an elm tree and covered with a golden cloth. There, beside his pavilion, Lord Tywin took his evening meal with his chief knights and lords bannermen, his great crimson-and-gold standard waving overhead from a lofty pike. Tyrion arrived late, saddlesore, and sour, all too vividly aware of how amusing he must look as he waddled up the slope to his father. The day's march had been long and tiring. He thought he might get quite drunk tonight. It was twilight, and the air was alive with drifting fireflies. The cooks were serving the meat course: five suckling pigs, skin seared and crackling, a different fruit in every mouth. The smell made his mouth water. â€Å"My pardons,† he began, taking his place on the bench beside his uncle. â€Å"Perhaps I'd best charge you with burying our dead, Tyrion,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"If you are as late to battle as you are to table, the fighting will all be done by the time you arrive.† â€Å"Oh, surely you can save me a peasant or two, Father,† Tyrion replied. â€Å"Not too many, I wouldn't want to be greedy.† He filled his wine cup and watched a serving man carve into the pig. The crisp skin crackled under his knife, and hot juice ran from the meat. It was the loveliest sight Tyrion had seen in ages. â€Å"Ser Addam's outriders say the Stark host has moved south from the Twins,† his father reported as his trencher was filled with slices of pork. â€Å"Lord Frey's levies have joined them. They are likely no more than a day's march north of us.† â€Å"Please, Father,† Tyrion said. â€Å"I'm about to eat.† â€Å"Does the thought of facing the Stark boy unman you, Tyrion? Your brother Jaime would be eager to come to grips with him.† â€Å"I'd sooner come to grips with that pig. Robb Stark is not half so tender, and he never smelled as good.† Lord Lefford, the sour bird who had charge of their stores and supplies, leaned forward. â€Å"I hope your savages do not share your reluctance, else we've wasted our good steel on them.† â€Å"My savages will put your steel to excellent use, my lord,† Tyrion replied. When he had told Lefford he needed arms and armor to equip the three hundred men Ulf had fetched down out of the foothills, you would have thought he'd asked the man to turn his virgin daughters over to their pleasure. Lord Lefford frowned. â€Å"I saw that great hairy one today, the one who insisted that he must have two battle-axes, the heavy black steel ones with twin crescent blades.† â€Å"Shagga likes to kill with either hand,† Tyrion said as a trencher of steaming pork was laid in front of him. â€Å"He still had that wood-axe of his strapped to his back.† â€Å"Shagga is of the opinion that three axes are even better than two.† Tyrion reached a thumb and forefinger into the salt dish, and sprinkled a healthy pinch over his meat. Ser Kevan leaned forward. â€Å"We had a thought to put you and your wildlings in the vanguard when we come to battle.† Ser Kevan seldom â€Å"had a thought† that Lord Tywin had not had first. Tyrion had skewered a chunk of meat on the point of his dagger and brought it to his mouth. Now he lowered it. â€Å"The vanguard?† he repeated dubiously. Either his lord father had a new respect for Tyrion's abilities, or he'd decided to rid himself of his embarrassing get for good. Tyrion had the gloomy feeling he knew which. â€Å"They seem ferocious enough,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"Ferocious?† Tyrion realized he was echoing his uncle like a trained bird. His father watched, judging him, weighing every word. â€Å"Let me tell you how ferocious they are. Last night, a Moon Brother stabbed a Stone Crow over a sausage. So today as we made camp three Stone Crows seized the man and opened his throat for him. Perhaps they were hoping to get the sausage back, I couldn't say. Bronn managed to keep Shagga from chopping off the dead man's cock, which was fortunate, but even so Ulf is demanding blood money, which Conn and Shagga refuse to pay.† â€Å"When soldiers lack discipline, the fault lies with their lord commander,† his father said. His brother Jaime had always been able to make men follow him eagerly, and die for him if need be. Tyrion lacked that gift. He bought loyalty with gold, and compelled obedience with his name. â€Å"A bigger man would be able to put the fear in them, is that what you're saying, my lord?† Lord Tywin Lannister turned to his brother. â€Å"If my son's men will not obey his commands, perhaps the vanguard is not the place for him. No doubt he would be more comfortable in the rear, guarding our baggage train.† â€Å"Do me no kindnesses, Father,† he said angrily. â€Å"If you have no other command to offer me, I'll lead your van.† Lord Tywin studied his dwarf son. â€Å"I said nothing about command. You will serve under Ser Gregor.† Tyrion took one bite of pork, chewed a moment, and spit it out angrily. â€Å"I find I am not hungry after all,† he said, climbing awkwardly off the bench. â€Å"Pray excuse me, my lords.† Lord Tywin inclined his head, dismissing him. Tyrion turned and walked away. He was conscious of their eyes on his back as he waddled down the hill. A great gust of laughter went up from behind him, but he did not look back. He hoped they all choked on their suckling pigs. Dusk had settled, turning all the banners black. The Lannister camp sprawled for miles between the river and the kingsroad. In amongst the men and the horses and the trees, it was easy to get lost, and Tyrion did. He passed a dozen great pavilions and a hundred cookfires. Fireflies drifted amongst the tents like wandering stars. He caught the scent of garlic sausage, spiced and savory, so tempting it made his empty stomach growl. Away in the distance, he heard voices raised in some bawdy song. A giggling woman raced past him, naked beneath a dark cloak, her drunken pursuer stumbling over tree roots. Farther on, two spearmen faced each other across a little trickle of a stream, practicing their thrust-and-parry in the fading light, their chests bare and slick with sweat. No one looked at him. No one spoke to him. No one paid him any mind. He was surrounded by men sworn to House Lannister, a vast host twenty thousand strong, and yet he was alone. When he heard the deep rumble of Shagga's laughter booming through the dark, he followed it to the Stone Crows in their small corner of the night. Conn son of Coratt waved a tankard of ale. â€Å"Tyrion Halfman! Come, sit by our fire, share meat with the Stone Crows. We have an ox.† â€Å"I can see that, Conn son of Coratt.† The huge red carcass was suspended over a roaring fire, skewered on a spit the size of a small tree. No doubt it was a small tree. Blood and grease dripped down into the flames as two Stone Crows turned the meat. â€Å"I thank you. Send for me when the ox is cooked.† From the look of it, that might even be before the battle. He walked on. Each clan had its own cookfire; Black Ears did not eat with Stone Crows, Stone Crows did not eat with Moon Brothers, and no one ate with Burned Men. The modest tent he had coaxed out of Lord Lefford's stores had been erected in the center of the four fires. Tyrion found Bronn sharing a skin of wine with the new servants. Lord Tywin had sent him a groom and a body servant to see to his needs, and even insisted he take a squire. They were seated around the embers of a small cookfire. A girl was with them; slim, dark-haired, no more than eighteen by the look of her. Tyrion studied her face for a moment, before he spied fishbones in the ashes. â€Å"What did you eat?† â€Å"Trout, m'lord,† said his groom. â€Å"Bronn caught them.† Trout, he thought. Suckling pig. Damn my father. He stared mournfully at the bones, his belly rumbling. His squire, a boy with the unfortunate name of Podrick Payne, swallowed whatever he had been about to say. The lad was a distant cousin to Ser Ilyn Payne, the king's headsman . . . and almost as quiet, although not for want of a tongue. Tyrion had made him stick it out once, just to be certain. â€Å"Definitely a tongue,† he had said. â€Å"Someday you must learn to use it.† At the moment, he did not have the patience to try and coax a thought out of the lad, whom he suspected had been inflicted on him as a cruel jape. Tyrion turned his attention back to the girl. â€Å"Is this her?† he asked Bronn. She rose gracefully and looked down at him from the lofty height of five feet or more. â€Å"It is, m'lord, and she can speak for herself, if it please you.† He cocked his head to one side. â€Å"I am Tyrion, of House Lannister. Men call me the Imp.† â€Å"My mother named me Shae. Men call me . . . often.† Bronn laughed, and Tyrion had to smile. â€Å"Into the tent, Shae, if you would be so kind.† He lifted the flap and held it for her. Inside, he knelt to light a candle. The life of a soldier was not without certain compensations. Wherever you have a camp, you are certain to have camp followers. At the end of the day's march, Tyrion had sent Bronn back to find him a likely whore. â€Å"I would prefer one who is reasonably young, with as pretty a face as you can find,† he had said. â€Å"If she has washed sometime this year, I shall be glad. If she hasn't, wash her. Be certain that you tell her who I am, and warn her of what I am.† Jyck had not always troubled to do that. There was a look the girls got in their eyes sometimes when they first beheld the lordling they'd been hired to pleasure . . . a took that Tyrion Lannister did not ever care to see again. He lifted the candle and looked her over. Bronn had done well enough; she was doe-eyed and slim, with small firm breasts and a smile that was by turns shy, insolent, and wicked. He liked that. â€Å"Shall I take my gown off, m'lord?† she asked. â€Å"In good time. Are you a maiden, Shae?† â€Å"If it please you, m'lord,† she said demurely. â€Å"What would please me would be the truth of you, girl.† â€Å"Aye, but that will cost you double.† Tyrion decided they would get along splendidly. â€Å"I am a Lannister. Gold I have in plenty, and you'll find me generous . . . but I'll want more from you than what you've got between your legs, though I'll want that too. You'll share my tent, pour my wine, laugh at my jests, rub the ache from my legs after each day's ride . . . and whether I keep you a day or a year, for so long as we are together you will take no other men into your bed.† â€Å"Fair enough.† She reached down to the hem of her thin roughspun gown and pulled it up over her head in one smooth motion, tossing it aside. There was nothing underneath but Shae. â€Å"If he don't put down that candle, m'lord will burn his fingers.† Tyrion put down the candle, took her hand in his, and pulled her gently to him. She bent to kiss him. Her mouth tasted of honey and cloves, and her fingers were deft and practiced as they found the fastenings of his clothes. When he entered her, she welcomed him with whispered endearments and small, shuddering gasps of pleasure. Tyrion suspected her delight was feigned, but she did it so well that it did not matter. That much truth he did not crave. He had needed her, Tyrion realized afterward, as she lay quietly in his arms. Her or someone like her. It had been nigh on a year since he'd lain with a woman, since before he had set out for Winterfell in company with his brother and King Robert. He could well die on the morrow or the day after, and if he did, he would sooner go to his grave thinking of Shae than of his lord father, Lysa Arryn, or the Lady Catelyn Stark. He could feel the softness of her breasts pressed against his arm as she lay beside him. That was a good feeling. A song filled his head. Softly, quietly, he began to whistle. â€Å"What's that, m'lord?† Shae murmured against him. â€Å"Nothing,† he told her. â€Å"A song I learned as a boy, that's all. Go to sleep, sweetling.† When her eyes were closed and her breathing deep and steady, Tyrion slid out from beneath her, gently, so as not to disturb her sleep. Naked, he crawled outside, stepped over his squire, and walked around behind his tent to make water. Bronn was seated cross-legged under a chestnut tree, near where they'd tied the horses. He was honing the edge of his sword, wide awake; the sellsword did not seem to sleep like other men. â€Å"Where did you find her?† Tyrion asked him as he pissed. â€Å"I took her from a knight. The man was loath to give her up, but your name changed his thinking somewhat . . . that, and my dirk at his throat.† â€Å"Splendid,† Tyrion said dryly, shaking off the last drops. â€Å"I seem to recall saying find me a whore, not make me an enemy.† â€Å"The pretty ones were all claimed,† Bronn said. â€Å"I'll be pleased to take her back if you'd prefer a toothless drab.† Tyrion limped closer to where he sat. â€Å"My lord father would call that insolence, and send you to the mines for impertinence.† â€Å"Good for me you're not your father,† Bronn replied. â€Å"I saw one with boils all over her nose. Would you like her?† â€Å"What, and break your heart?† Tyrion shot back. â€Å"I shall keep Shae. Did you perchance note the name of this knight you took her from? I'd rather not have him beside me in the battle.† Bronn rose, cat-quick and cat-graceful, turning his sword in his hand. â€Å"You'll have me beside you in the battle, dwarf.† Tyrion nodded. The night air was warm on his bare skin. â€Å"See that I survive this battle, and you can name your reward.† Bronn tossed the longsword from his right hand to his left, and tried a cut. â€Å"Who'd want to kill the likes of you?† â€Å"My lord father, for one. He's put me in the van.† â€Å"I'd do the same. A small man with a big shield. You'll give the archers fits.† â€Å"I find you oddly cheering,† Tyrion said. â€Å"I must be mad.† Bronn sheathed his sword. â€Å"Beyond a doubt.† When Tyrion returned to his tent, Shae rolled onto her elbow and murmured sleepily, â€Å"I woke and m'lord was gone.† â€Å"M'lord is back now.† He slid in beside her. Her hand went between his stunted legs, and found him hard. â€Å"Yes he is,† she whispered, stroking him. He asked her about the man Bronn had taken her from, and she named the minor retainer of an insignificant lordling. â€Å"You need not fear his like, m'lord,† the girl said, her fingers busy at his cock. â€Å"He is a small man.† â€Å"And what am I, pray?† Tyrion asked her. â€Å"A giant?† â€Å"Oh, yes,† she purred, â€Å"my giant of Lannister.† She mounted him then, and for a time, she almost made him believe it. Tyrion went to sleep smiling . . . . . . and woke in darkness to the blare of trumpets. Shae was shaking him by the shoulder. â€Å"M'lord,† she whispered. â€Å"Wake up, m'lord. I'm frightened.† Groggy, he sat up and threw back the blanket. The horns called through the night, wild and urgent, a cry that said hurry hurry hurry. He heard shouts, the clatter of spears, the whicker of horses, though nothing yet that spoke to him of fighting. â€Å"My lord father's trumpets,† he said. â€Å"Battle assembly. I thought Stark was yet a day's march away.† Shae shook her head, lost. Her eyes were wide and white. Groaning, Tyrion lurched to his feet and pushed his way outside, shouting for his squire. Wisps of pale fog drifted through the night, long white fingers off the river. Men and horses blundered through the predawn chill; saddles were being cinched, wagons loaded, fires extinguished. The trumpets blew again: hurry hurry hurry. Knights vaulted onto snorting coursers while men-at-arms buckled their sword belts as they ran. When he found Pod, the boy was snoring softly. Tyrion gave him a sharp poke in the ribs with his toe. â€Å"My armor,† he said, â€Å"and be quick about it.† Bronn came trotting out of the mists, already armored and ahorse, wearing his battered halfhelm. â€Å"Do you know what's happened?† Tyrion asked him. â€Å"The Stark boy stole a march on us,† Bronn said. â€Å"He crept down the kingsroad in the night, and now his host is less than a mile north of here, forming up in battle array.† Hurry, the trumpets called, hurry hurry hurry. â€Å"See that the clansmen are ready to ride.† Tyrion ducked back inside his tent. â€Å"Where are my clothes?† he barked at Shae. â€Å"There. No, the leather, damn it. Yes. Bring me my boots.† By the time he was dressed, his squire had laid out his armor, such that it was. Tyrion owned a fine suit of heavy plate, expertly crafted to fit his misshapen body. Alas, it was safe at Casterly Rock, and he was not. He had to make do with oddments assembled from Lord Lefford's wagons: mail hauberk and coif, a dead knight's gorget, lobstered greaves and gauntlets and pointed steel boots. Some of it was ornate, some plain; not a bit of it matched, or fit as it should. His breastplate was meant for a bigger man; for his oversize head, they found a huge bucket-shaped greathelm topped with a foot-long triangular spike. Shae helped Pod with the buckles and clasps. â€Å"If I die, weep for me,† Tyrion told the whore. â€Å"How will you know? You'll be dead.† â€Å"I'll know.† â€Å"I believe you would.† Shae lowered the greathelm down over his head, and Pod fastened it to his gorget. Tyrion buckled on his belt, heavy with the weight of shortsword and dirk. By then his groom had brought up his mount, a formidable brown courser armored as heavily as he was. He needed help to mount; he felt as though he weighed a thousand stone. Pod handed him up his shield, a massive slab of heavy ironwood banded with steel. Lastly they gave him his battle-axe. Shae stepped back and looked him over. â€Å"M'lord looks fearsome.† â€Å"M'lord looks a dwarf in mismatched armor,† Tyrion answered sourly, â€Å"but I thank you for the kindness. Podrick, should the battle go against us, see the lady safely home.† He saluted her with his axe, wheeled his horse about, and trotted off. His stomach was a hard knot, so tight it pained him. Behind, his servants hurriedly began to strike his tent. Pale crimson fingers fanned out to the east as the first rays of the sun broke over the horizon. The western sky was a deep purple, speckled with stars. Tyrion wondered whether this was the last sunrise he would ever see . . . and whether wondering was a mark of cowardice. Did his brother Jaime ever contemplate death before a battle? A warhorn sounded in the far distance, a deep mournful note that chilled the soul. The clansmen climbed onto their scrawny mountain horses, shouting curses and rude jokes. Several appeared to be drunk. The rising sun was burning off the drifting tendrils of fog as Tyrion led them off. What grass the horses had left was heavy with dew, as if some passing god had scattered a bag of diamonds over the earth. The mountain men fell in behind him, each clan arrayed behind its own leaders. In the dawn light, the army of Lord Tywin Lannister unfolded like an iron rose, thorns gleaming. His uncle would lead the center. Ser Kevan had raised his standards above the kingsroad. Quivers hanging from their belts, the foot archers arrayed themselves into three long lines, to east and west of the road, and stood calmly stringing their bows. Between them, pikemen formed squares; behind were rank on rank of men-at-arms with spear and sword and axe. Three hundred heavy horse surrounded Ser Kevan and the lords bannermen Lefford, Lydden, and Serrett with all their sworn retainers. The right wing was all cavalry, some four thousand men, heavy with the weight of their armor. More than three quarters of the knights were there, massed together like a great steel fist. Ser Addam Marbrand had the command. Tyrion saw his banner unfurl as his standardbearer shook it out; a burning tree, orange and smoke. Behind him flew Ser Flement's purple unicorn, the brindled boar of Crakehall, the bantam rooster of Swyft, and more. His lord father took his place on the hill where he had slept. Around him, the reserve assembled; a huge force, half mounted and half foot, five thousand strong. Lord Tywin almost always chose to command the reserve; he would take the high ground and watch the battle unfold below him, committing his forces when and where they were needed most. Even from afar, his lord father was resplendent. Tywin Lannister's battle armor put his son Jaime's gilded suit to shame. His greatcloak was sewn from countless layers of cloth-of-gold, so heavy that it barely stirred even when he charged, so large that its drape covered most of his stallion's hindquarters when he took the saddle. No ordinary clasp would suffice for such a weight, so the greatcloak was held in place by a matched pair of miniature lionesses crouching on his shoulders, as if poised to spring. Their mate, a male with a magnificent mane, reclined atop Lord Tywin's greathelm, one paw raking the air as he roared. All three lions were wrought in gold, with ruby eyes. His armor was heavy steel plate, enameled in a dark crimson, greaves and gauntlets inlaid with ornate gold scrollwork. His rondels were golden sunbursts, all his fastenings were gilded, and the red steel was burnished to such a high sheen that it shone like fire in the light of the rising sun. Tyrion could hear the rumble of the foemen's drums now. He remembered Robb Stark as he had last seen him, in his father's high seat in the Great Hall of Winterfell, a sword naked and shining in his hands. He remembered how the direwolves had come at him out of the shadows, and suddenly he could see them again, snarling and snapping, teeth bared in his face. Would the boy bring his wolves to war with him? The thought made him uneasy. The northerners would be exhausted after their long sleepless march. Tyrion wondered what the boy had been thinking. Did he think to take them unawares while they slept? Small chance of that; whatever else might be said of him, Tywin Lannister was no man's fool. The van was massing on the left. He saw the standard first, three black dogs on a yellow field. Ser Gregor sat beneath it, mounted on the biggest horse Tyrion had ever seen. Bronn took one look at him and grinned. â€Å"Always follow a big man into battle.† Tyrion threw him a hard look. â€Å"And why is that?† â€Å"They make such splendid targets. That one, he'll draw the eyes of every bowman on the field.† Laughing, Tyrion regarded the Mountain with fresh eyes. â€Å"I confess, I had not considered it in that light.† Clegane had no splendor about him; his armor was steel plate, dull grey, scarred by hard use and showing neither sigil nor ornament. He was pointing men into position with his blade, a two-handed greatsword that Ser Gregor waved about with one hand as a lesser man might wave a dagger. â€Å"Any man runs, I'll cut him down myself,† he was roaring when he caught sight of Tyrion. â€Å"Imp! Take the left. Hold the river. If you can.† The left of the left. To turn their flank, the Starks would need horses that could run on water. Tyrion led his men toward the riverbank. â€Å"Look,† he shouted, pointing with his axe. â€Å"The river.† A blanket of pale mist still clung to the surface of the water, the murky green current swirling past underneath. The shallows were muddy and choked with reeds. â€Å"That river is ours. Whatever happens, keep close to the water. Never lose sight of it. Let no enemy come between us and our river. If they dirty our waters, hack off their cocks and feed them to the fishes.† Shagga had an axe in either hand. He smashed them together and made them ring. â€Å"Halfman!† he shouted. Other Stone Crows picked up the cry, and the Black Ears and Moon Brothers as well. The Burned Men did not shout, but they rattled their swords and spears. â€Å"Halfman! Halfman! Halfman!† Tyrion turned his courser in a circle to look over the field. The ground was rolling and uneven here; soft and muddy near the river, rising in a gentle slope toward the kingsroad, stony and broken beyond it, to the cast. A few trees spotted the hillsides, but most of the land had been cleared and planted. His heart pounded in his chest in time to the drums, and under his layers of leather and steel his brow was cold with sweat. He watched Ser Gregor as the Mountain rode up and down the line, shouting and gesticulating. This wing too was all cavalry, but where the right was a mailed fist of knights and heavy lancers, the vanguard was made up of the sweepings of the west: mounted archers in leather jerkins, a swarming mass of undisciplined freeriders and sellswords, fieldhands on plow horses armed with scythes and their fathers' rusted swords, half-trained boys from the stews of Lannisport . . . and Tyrion and his mountain clansmen. â€Å"Crow food,† Bronn muttered beside him, giving voice to what Tyrion had left unsaid. He could only nod. Had his lord father taken leave of his senses? No pikes, too few bowmen, a bare handful of knights, the ill-armed and unarmored, commanded by an unthinking brute who led with his rage . . . how could his father expect this travesty of a battle to hold his left? He had no time to think about it. The drums were so near that the beat crept under his skin and set his hands to twitching. Bronn drew his longsword, and suddenly the enemy was there before them, boiling over the tops of the hills, advancing with measured tread behind a wall of shields and pikes. Gods be damned, look at them all, Tyrion thought, though he knew his father had more men on the field. Their captains led them on armored warhorses, standard-bearers riding alongside with their banners. He glimpsed the bull moose of the Hornwoods, the Karstark sunburst, Lord Cerwyn's battle-axe, and the mailed fist of the Glovers . . . and the twin towers of Frey, blue on grey. So much for his father's certainty that Lord Walder would not bestir himself. The white of House Stark was seen everywhere, the grey direwolves seeming to run and leap as the banners swirled and streamed from the high staffs. Where is the boy? Tyrion wondered. A warhorn blew. Haroooooooooooooooooooooooo, it cried, its voice as long and low and chilling as a cold wind from the north. The Lannister trumpets answered, da-DA da-DA da-DAAAAAAAAA, brazen and defiant, yet it seemed to Tyrion that they sounded somehow smaller, more anxious. He could feel a fluttering in his bowels, a queasy liquid feeling; he hoped he was not going to die sick. As the horns died away, a hissing filled the air; a vast flight of arrows arched up from his right, where the archers stood flanking the road. The northerners broke into a run, shouting as they came, but the Lannister arrows fell on them like hail, hundreds of arrows, thousands, and shouts turned to screams as men stumbled and went down. By then a second flight was in the air, and the archers were fitting a third arrow to their bowstrings. The trumpets blared again, da-DAAA da-DAAA da-DA da-DA da-DAAAAAAA. Ser Gregor waved his huge sword and bellowed a command, and a thousand other voices screamed back at him. Tyrion put his spurs to his horse and added one more voice to the cacophony, and the van surged forward. â€Å"The river!† he shouted at his clansmen as they rode. â€Å"Remember, hew to the river.† He was still leading when they broke a canter, until Chella gave a bloodcurdling shriek and galloped past him, and Shagga howled and followed. The clansmen charged after them, leaving Tyrion in their dust. A crescent of enemy spearmen had formed ahead, a double hedgehog bristling with steel, waiting behind tall oaken shields marked with the sunburst of Karstark. Gregor Clegane was the first to reach them, leading a wedge of armored veterans. Half the horses shied at the last second, breaking their charge before the row of spears. The others died, sharp steel points ripping through their chests. Tyrion saw a dozen men go down. The Mountain's stallion reared, lashing out with iron-shod hooves as a barbed spearhead raked across his neck. Maddened, the beast lunged into the ranks. Spears thrust at him from every side, but the shield wall broke beneath his weight. The northerners stumbled away from the animal's death throes. As his horse fell, snorting blood and biting with his last red breath, the Mountain rose untouched, laying about him with his two-handed greatsword. Shagga went bursting through the gap before the shields could close, other Stone Crows hard behind him. Tyrion shouted, â€Å"Burned Men! Moon Brothers! After me!† but most of them were ahead of him. He glimpsed Timett son of Timett vault free as his mount died under him in full stride, saw a Moon Brother impaled on a Karstark spear, watched Conn's horse shatter a man's ribs with a kick. A flight of arrows descended on them; where they came from he could not say, but they fell on Stark and Lannister alike, rattling off armor or finding flesh. Tyrion lifted his shield and hid beneath it. The hedgehog was crumbling, the northerners reeling back under the impact of the mounted assault. Tyrion saw Shagga catch a spearman full in the chest as the fool came on at a run, saw his axe shear through mail and leather and muscle and lungs. The man was dead on his feet, the axehead lodged in his breast, yet Shagga rode on, cleaving a shield in two with his left-hand battle-axe while the corpse was bouncing and stumbling bonelessly along on his right. Finally the dead man slid off. Shagga smashed the two axes together and roared. By then the enemy was on him, and Tyrion's battle shrunk to the few feet of ground around his horse. A man-at-arms thrust at his chest and his axe lashed out, knocking the spear aside. The man danced back for another try, but Tyrion spurred his horse and rode right over him. Bronn was surrounded by three foes, but he lopped the head off the first spear that came at him, and raked his blade across a second man's face on his backslash. A thrown spear came hurtling at Tyrion from the left and lodged in his shield with a woody chunk. He wheeled and raced after the thrower, but the man raised his own shield over his head. Tyrion circled around him, raining axe blows down on the wood. Chips of oak went flying, until the northerner lost his feet and slipped, failing flat on his back with his shield on top of him. He was below the reach of Tyrion's axe and it was too much bother to dismount, so he left him there and rode after another man, taking him from behind with a sweeping downcut that sent a jolt of impact up his arm. That won him a moment's respite. Reining up, he looked for the river. There it was, off to the right. Somehow he had gotten turned around. A Burned Man rode past, slumped against his horse. A spear had entered his belly and come out through his back. He was past any help, but when Tyrion saw one of the northerners run up and make a grab for his reins, he charged. His quarry met him sword in hand. He was tall and spare, wearing a long chainmail hauberk and gauntlets of lobstered steel, but he'd lost his helm and blood ran down into his eyes from a gash across his forehead. Tyrion aimed a swipe at his face, but the tall man slammed it aside. â€Å"Dwarf,† he screamed. â€Å"Die.† He turned in a circle as Tyrion rode around him, hacking at his head and shoulders. Steel rang on steel, and Tyrion soon realized that the tall man was quicker and stronger than he was. Where in the seven hells was Bronn? â€Å"Die,† the man grunted, chopping at him savagely. Tyrion barely got his shield up in time, and the wood seemed to explode inward under the force of the blow. The shattered pieces fell away from his arm. â€Å"Die!† the swordsman bellowed, shoving in close and whanging Tyrion across the temple so hard his head rang. The blade made a hideous scraping sound as he drew it back over the steel. The tall man grinned . . . unt il Tyrion's destrier bit, quick as a snake, laying his cheek bare to the bone. Then he screamed. Tyrion buried his axe in his head. â€Å"You die,† he told him, and he did. As he wrenched the blade free, he heard a shout. ‘Eddard!† a voice rang out. â€Å"For Eddard and Winterfell!† The knight came thundering down on him, swinging the spiked ball of a morningstar around his head. Their warhorses slammed together before Tyrion could so much as open his mouth to shout for Bronn. His right elbow exploded with pain as the spikes punched through the thin metal around the joint. His axe was gone, as fast as that. He clawed for his sword, but the morningstar was circling again, coming at his face. A sickening crunch, and he was falling. He did not recall hitting the ground, but when he looked up there was only sky above him. He rolled onto his side and tried to find his feet, but pain shuddered through him and the world throbbed. The knight who had felled him drew up above him. â€Å"Tyrion the Imp,† he boomed down. â€Å"You are mine. Do you yield, Lannister?† Yes, Tyrion thought, but the word caught in his throat. He made a croaking sound and fought his way to his knees, fumbling for a weapon. His sword, his dirk, anything . . . â€Å"Do you yield?† The knight loomed overhead on his armored warhorse. Man and horse both seemed immense. The spiked ball swung in a lazy circle. Tyrion's hands were numb, his vision blurred, his scabbard empty. â€Å"Yield or die,† the knight declared, his flail whirling faster and faster. Tyrion lurched to his feet, driving his head into the horse's belly. The animal gave a hideous scream and reared. It tried to twist away from the agony, a shower of blood and viscera poured down over Tyrion's face, and the horse fell like an avalanche. The next he knew, his visor was packed with mud and something was crushing his foot. He wriggled free, his throat so tight he could scarce talk. † . . . yield . . . † he managed to croak faintly. â€Å"Yes,† a voice moaned, thick with pain. Tyrion scraped the mud off his helm so he could see again. The horse had fallen away from him, onto its rider. The knight's leg was trapped, the arm he'd used to break his fall twisted at a grotesque angle. â€Å"Yield,† he repeated. Fumbling at his belt with his good hand, he drew a sword and flung it at Tyrion's feet. â€Å"I yield, my lord.† Dazed, the dwarf knelt and lifted the blade. Pain hammered through his elbow when he moved his arm. The battle seemed to have moved beyond him. No one remained on his part of the field save a large number of corpses. Ravens were already circling and landing to feed. He saw that Ser Kevan had brought up his center in support of the van; his huge mass of pikemen had pushed the northerners back against the hills. They were struggling on the slopes, pikes thrusting against another wall of shields, these oval and reinforced with iron studs. As he watched, the air filled with arrows again, and the men behind the oak wall crumbled beneath the murderous fire. â€Å"I believe you are losing, ser,† he told the knight under the horse. The man made no reply. The sound of hooves coming up behind him made him whirl, though he could scarcely lift the sword he held for the agony in his elbow. Brorm reined up and looked down on him. â€Å"Small use you turned out to be,† Tyrion told him. â€Å"It would seem you did well enough on your own,† Bronn answered. â€Å"You've lost the spike off your helm, though.† Tyrion groped at the top of the greathelm. The spike had snapped off clean. â€Å"I haven't lost it. I know just where it is. Do you see my horse?† By the time they found it, the trumpets had sounded again and Lord Tywin's reserve came sweeping up along the river. Tyrion watched his father fly past, the crimson-and-gold banner of Lannister rippling over his head as he thundered across the field. Five hundred knights surrounded him, sunlight flashing off the points of their lances. The remnants of the Stark lines shattered like glass beneath the hammer of their charge. With his elbow swollen and throbbing inside his armor, Tyrion made no attempt to join the slaughter. He and Bronn went looking for his men. Many he found among the dead. Ulf son of Umar lay in a pool of congealing blood, his arm gone at the elbow, a dozen of his Moon Brothers sprawled around him. Shagga was slumped beneath a tree, riddled with arrows, Conn's head in his lap. Tyrion thought they were both dead, but as he dismounted, Shagga opened his eyes and said, â€Å"They have killed Conn son of Coratt.† Handsome Conn had no mark but for the red stain over his breast, where the spear thrust had killed him. When Bronn pulled Shagga to his feet, the big man seemed to notice the arrows for the first time. He plucked them out one by one, cursing the holes they had made in his layers of mail and leather, and yowling like a babe at the few that had buried themselves in his flesh. Chella daughter of Cheyk rode up as they were yanking arrows out of Shagga, and showed them four ears she had taken. Timett they discovered looting the bodies of the slain with his Burned Men. Of the three hundred clansmen who had ridden to battle behind Tyrion Lannister, perhaps half had survived. He left the living to look after the dead, sent Bronn to take charge of his captive knight, and went alone in search of his father. Lord Tywin was seated by the river, sipping wine from a jeweled cup as his squire undid the fastenings on his breastplate. â€Å"A fine victory,† Ser Kevan said when he saw Tyrion. â€Å"Your wild men fought well.† His father's eyes were on him, pale green flecked with gold, so cool they gave Tyrion a chill. â€Å"Did that surprise you, Father?† he asked. â€Å"Did it upset your plans? We were supposed to be butchered, were we not?† Lord Tywin drained his cup, his face expressionless. â€Å"I put the least disciplined men on the left, yes. I anticipated that they would break. Robb Stark is a green boy, more like to be brave than wise. I'd hoped that if he saw our left collapse, he might plunge into the gap, eager for a rout. Once he was fully committed, Ser Kevan's pikes would wheel and take him in the flank, driving him into the river while I brought up the reserve.† â€Å"And you thought it best to place me in the midst of this carnage, yet keep me ignorant of your plans.† â€Å"A feigned rout is less convincing,† his father said, â€Å"and I am not inclined to trust my plans to a man who consorts with sellswords and savages.† â€Å"A pity my savages ruined your dance.† Tyrion pulled off his steel gauntlet and let it fall to the ground, wincing at the pain that stabbed up his arm. â€Å"The Stark boy proved more cautious than I expected for one of his years,† Lord Tywin admitted, â€Å"but a victory is a victory. You appear to be wounded.† Tyrion's right arm was soaked with blood. â€Å"Good of you to notice, Father,† he said through clenched teeth. â€Å"Might I trouble you to send for your maesters? Unless you relish the notion of having a one-armed dwarf for a son . . . â€Å" An urgent shout of â€Å"Lord Tywin!† turned his father's head before he could reply. Tywin Lannister rose to his feet as Ser Addam Marbrand leapt down off his courser. The horse was lathered and bleeding from the mouth. Ser Addam dropped to one knee, a rangy man with dark copper hair that fell to his shoulders, armored in burnished bronzed steel with the fiery tree of his House etched black on his breastplate. â€Å"My liege, we have taken some of their commanders. Lord Cerwyn, Ser Wylis Manderly, Harrion Karstark, four Freys. Lord Hornwood is dead, and I fear Roose Bolton has escaped us.† â€Å"And the boy?† Lord Tywin asked. Ser Addam hesitated. â€Å"The Stark boy was not with them, my lord. They say he crossed at the Twins with the great part of his horse, riding hard for Riverrun.† A green boy, Tyrion remembered, more like to be brave than wise. He would have laughed, if he hadn't hurt so much.