The Physics Behind the Power of an Engine :: Physics Engine Essays

The Physics Behind the Power of an locomotive engine Insert the key, turn, and vroom. And down the road you go. roughly people take for granted the strange conglomeration of metal and plastic under that sheet of metal either in front or O.K. of their vehicle. The engine as you may have guessed, is modern marvel- so to speak. Theyre found in cars, trucks, boats, airplanesAll with various power outputs.To discuss the power output, setoff the cycles of the engine itself needs to be mentioned.1.Intake The intake valve opens allowing fresh oxygen rich air mixed with fuel to enter the cylinder.2.Compression The piston is pushed upward by the flywheels impetus compressing the air/fuel mix.3.Combustion As the piston reaches the top of its stroke or TDC, the spark plug fires, igniting the mixture. Due to the high compression of this mixture it is in truth volatile and it explodes when the spark is introduced. This pushes the piston downward and produces power.4.Exhaust After the Air/ Fuel mix has been burnt the remaining chemicals in the cylinder (water and CO2 for the most part) mustiness be removed so that fresh air can be brought in. As the piston goes back up after combustion the empty valve opens allowing the exhaust gasses to be released.Ideally an engine takes in Air (Oxygen and Nitrogen) and fuel (hydrocarbons) and produces CO2, H2O, and the N2 just passes through. However under normal driving conditions an engine will encounter magnetic inclination conditions when cruising on the highway (better mileage) and rich conditions when accelerating (better power). The lean condition results in oxide and harmful nitrogen production. Rich conditions result in carbon monoxide production. For this reason catalytic converters ar used on an engines exhaust.The catalyst material in a cat is in a wire mesh or honeycomb. This allows a high surface area to be exposed to the passing exhaust gasses. The catalyst converts the harmful nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide into nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen.Catalytic converters work ruff when warm, so some car manufacturers are putting pre cats in the exhaust manifold to convert the gasses while the exhaust system is still warming up.Engine output is measured in two ways. The first is a direct measurement of engine output Torque. Torque is defined as the amount of dope that can be lifted a certain distance from the center of rotation. Torque is what accelerates a car.

the problem of evil Essay -- essays research papers

Studies in the Philosophy of ReligionTHE PROBLEM OF EVIL god is the omnipotent and wholly good creator of all thingsThere is evil in the worlda) EXPLAIN THESE TWO STATEMENTS AND SHOW WHY THEY ARE utter TO BE CONTRADICTORY (20)The problem of evil is usually seen as the problem of how the existence of matinee idol burn be reconciled with the existence of evil in the world. Its regarded as a logical problem, because it is based on the app atomic number 18nt contradiction involved in holding onto three incompatible beliefs. This being that deity is omnipotent, that God is wholly good and that evil exists in the world. The fact that evil exists in the world constitutes the most common objection to the belief in the existence of the omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and all loving God of Classical Theism. Classical Theism is the traditional understanding of God as worshipped by Christians, Jews and Muslims. This definition is initially criticised, for being culture- bound, as other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism dont believe in one God so cant be applied to their respective religions. Therefore the problem of evil is only a problem for followers of a theistic religion.God is described as an infinite, self-existent, extraneous (without body), eternal, immutable (doesnt change), impassable (incapable of erecting), simple (one entity), perfect (God is seen as a morally perfect being i.e. wholly good), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful) being. Omnipotence means being able to bring about eachthing which it is logically possible to bring about. However non being able to bring about that which is logically impossible is not a restriction on omnipotence since the logically impossible is not a characterisation of anything. It is a non-thing. Evil is said to come from the free actions of human beings. God cant do whats logically impossible and its said to be logically impossible for God to create humans who are free but a lways choose to do whats right. This therefore takes the responsibility of evil from God.Omniscience means knowing everything that it is logically possible to know. If God knows everything it is not possible for him to think of something he does not know. This raises the question of whether God knows every little fact does he know what youre thinking or what youre going to do? If so then if hes omnipotent shouldn... ...d that finding good consequences in bad things is a horrible idea.DOES IRENAEUS APPROACH exculpate THE PROBLEM OF EVIL?There are many instances of good being brought out of evil through a persons reaction to it, still there are many other cases where the opposite has occurred. Sometimes obstacles result in ones character being strengthened but other times they can be crushing leading to ones character being diminished and left incompetent so unable to grow and develop further. So it would seem any soul making is subject to an individuals temperament and billeticul ar way of dealing with a problem. Therefore this doesnt remove the contradiction, because theres evidence of people suffering and not getting better after it. This produces more problems as shows God to be selecting people who he should know would suffer immensely because of this evil. Irenaeus approach takes the blame off God for human suffering. This is what is needed to solve the problem of evil. He places the blame on human free pass on therefore avoiding questions of Gods nature so in essence removing the contradiction. People accept that suffering is there for a reason and its part of Gods plan for soul making.

Reader Reaction to John Cheevers The Swimmer Essay -- Cheever Swimmer

Reader Reaction to John Cheevers The Swimmer   One of the main ideas that is conveyed in John Cheevers The Swimmer is the centering in which life consists of different mental stages and how they each affect the consciousness of the mind. In The Swimmer, Neddy goes through different swimming pools and this represents the different trips in his life. He progresses from boundless optimism to endless despair as the seasons go by.  The times when Neddy is in or out of the water also represents the emotions he is going through and perhaps finish correlate to the emotions felt throughout the duration of ones life. For example, when Neddy is not swimming, he tends to feel down or aggravated. During this sad period, he is usually in search of alcohol.   all the same after he has had a drink or two, he is always ready to go back into the pools, which shows a lot about Neddys ambitious character. Neddys journey through the pools is longer than an afternoon.  In fact, we see this when he mentions the storm passing and the season change is shown through the phrase red and yellow leaves. When Neddy finally reaches home, he is tired and weak. This displays aging through life and how one be counts fatigued easily as life goes on. When he sees that no one is home, it is obvious that Neddys journey has come to an end and it seems as though Neddy has died, because his home can symbolize the heart and the soul, and since no one is home, Neddys heart and soul is dead.         Although The Swimmer and the recent American pick out A Beautiful Mind both have differing plots, their main characters have some commonalities. Russell Crowe, the young mathematician who becomes a natural code ... ...xpected of him with his wife and kids having left him.  It was pull in that Neddy was also annoyed at this point in time, however before he blew up at Mrs. Biswanger, she suddenly became nice to him once again. This part in the s tory goes to show how cruel society can be, and instead of helping out Neddy in his poor state, he is disrespected and furthermore, abandoned.  It is also evident that friends can be betraying and deceiving and that one can never be too sure about their status. I feel that the society in which Neddy is living is quite shallow and irrational. Neddy is an abject character and his treatment from Mrs. Biswanger shows her nature of thinking that friends are expendable which in my opinion is quite irrational.  It also shows that the status in ones culture weighs heavily on their association with certain people.  

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Essay -- Medical Science Scientific Medicine E

Guillain-Barre SyndromeGuillain-Barre Syndrome, or acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, is a self-limiting disease characterized by areflexia and acute progressive motor weakness of at least oneness limb. Other symptoms include motor weakness of the extremities and face, loss or reduction of deep tendon reflexes, decreased sensation throughout the body,ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. In severe cases respiratory adversity and autonomic dysfunction may occur. Respiratory failure results from the demyelination of the phrenic and intercostal nerves. Consequently, the person loses the ability to inhale and exhale. Autonomic dysfunction resulting from the demyelination of the sympathetic and vagus nerve nerves can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, tachycardia, postural hypotension, and hypertension. Analysis of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shows increased protein concentration with few cells. Other tests reveal a decreased nerve conduction velocity resulting from segmental demyel ination with mononuclear cell infiltration. In 70% of the afflicted individuals, the symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) occur within two weeks following infection. clinical diagnosis is based on the presence of albumino-cytological dissociation in the CSF. Following the onset, motor weakness progressively deteriorates for four weeks and may lead to respiratory failure and cardiac instability. If either respiratory failure or cardiac abnormalities occur, the patient will be placed in the intensive care unit and fast monitored. Eventually the persons condition will cease to deteriorate, and he/she will enter a plateau period of two to four weeks during which little or no change will occur. Following the plateau stage, the patient will gradually rec... ...Guillain Barre syndrome following immunisation with Haemophilusinfluenzae type b conjugate vaccine. Europ. J. Pediatrics, July 1993, 152(7) 613-614. Hartung, H. P. Immune-mediated demyelination. Ann. Neurology, June 1993, 33( 6) 563-567. Hund, E. F., Borel, C. O., Cornblath, D. R., Hanley, D. F. & McKhann, G. M. Intensive management and interference of severe Guillain-Barre syndrome. Crit. Care Medicine, March 1993,21(3) 433-446. Rostami, A. M. Pathogenesis of immune-mediated neuropathies. Pediatrics Res., January 1993, 33(1 Suppl) S90-94. Sharief, M. K., McLean, B. & Thompson, E. J. Elevated serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Ann. Neurology, June 1993, 33(6) 591-596. Willison, H. J. & Kennedy, P. G. Gangliosides and bacterialtoxins in Guillain-Barre syndrome. J. Neuroimmunology, July 1993, 46(1-2) 105-112.

Satellite Surveillance Essay -- Satellites Weapons Technology Essays

Satellite Surveillance I. PrefaceMy interest in satellite supervision did not really appear to after I saw the movie Enemy of the State in 1998. The synopsis of the movie is Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a wear upon lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt opine that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, ruin his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertness as the government itself. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should tolerate to the comm unications of private citizens, and leaves the viewer with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. After this movie I was amazed that we have the capability in our hands to do this. I have two scenes from the movie that show the technology at work. II. IntroductionA powerful ecumenic surveillance system is being built up and the world is being watched. Spy satellites are orbiting the earth, those are the eyes in the sky, and millions of video cameras and other sensors are scattered on the earth, the eyes and ears on the ground. The computer networks are continually growing, the brians of the system. Implantable microchips with miniature digital transceivers are attached to many objects and animals, and lately to some hu... ...tion-en.html (31 October 2003)ACLU, ACLU Urges carnal knowledge to Investigate ECHELON Surveillance System, <http//archive.aclu.org/congress/lg040699a.html (06 April 1999)MTC ONLINE, Reports of Current Experimentation with atomis e and EM Weapons, <http//www.heart7.net/mcf/1.html (10 August 2003) Directed Energy Weapons, <http//www.rhfweb.com/hweb/shared2/usexist.htmlDirected%20Energy%20Weapons (2001) Hi-Tech Methods, Technology of control, <http//members.tripod.com/%7Emdars/1/war2.htm The Microwave Syndrome, <http//www.grn.es/electropolucio/omega287.htm (20 September 2003) Duncan Cambell, Inside Echelon, Inside Echelon.pdf, 25 July 2000European Parliment, Echelon Interception System, Report.pdf, 11 July 2001 Patrick S. Poole, ECHELON Americas Secret Global Surveillance Network, Echelon.pdf, 2000

Satellite Surveillance Essay -- Satellites Weapons Technology Essays

Satellite Surveillance I. PrefaceMy interest in satellite surveillance did not really appear to after I axiom the movie Enemy of the State in 1998. The synopsis of the movie is Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence tie in to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, laying waste his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertise as the government itself. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should render to the communications of private citizens, and leaves the security guard with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. After this movie I was amazed that we have the capability in our hands to do this. I have two scenes from the movie that show the technology at work. II. IntroductionA powerful domain of a functionwide surveillance system is being built up and the world is being watched. Spy satellites argon orbiting the earth, those are the eyes in the sky, and millions of video cameras and other sensors are scattered on the earth, the eyes and ears on the ground. The computer networks are continually growing, the brians of the system. Implantable microchips with miniature digital transceivers are attached to many objects and animals, and lately to some hu... ...tion-en.html (31 October 2003)ACLU, ACLU Urges Congress to Investigate ECHELON Surveillance System, <http//archive.aclu.org/congress/lg040699a.html (06 April 1999)MTC ONLINE, Reports of Current Experim entation with nuke and EM Weapons, <http//www.heart7.net/mcf/1.html (10 August 2003) Directed Energy Weapons, <http//www.rhfweb.com/hweb/shared2/usexist.htmlDirected%20Energy%20Weapons (2001) Hi-Tech Methods, Technology of control, <http//members.tripod.com/%7Emdars/1/war2.htm The Microwave Syndrome, <http//www.grn.es/electropolucio/omega287.htm (20 September 2003) Duncan Cambell, Inside Echelon, Inside Echelon.pdf, 25 July 2000European Parliment, Echelon Interception System, Report.pdf, 11 July 2001 Patrick S. Poole, ECHELON Americas Secret Global Surveillance Network, Echelon.pdf, 2000

Brave New World and Blade Runner: Concern for humanity and its relationship with the natural world

Welcome to the second session of the Reach to the Future student conservation conference. The ethical issues reflected in this graphic argon representations of valetitys int whilection with record in two futurist literary creations novel Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, 1932, and film Bladerunner The Directors Cut directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1992, a decade after its original. It has been in my experience in my station-graduate study of ethics and temper in futuristic texts, that many composers expose technological improvement and economic pressure as origins of environmental degradation.However, Huxley and Scott expand this concept, creating imaginary foundings where technology has too ca intentiond a loss of forgivingity and change in ethical standards. but are the concerns of these worlds purely imaginative? Or have Huxley and Scott simply analysed the advancement of technology and consumerism in their avouch contexts, in order to create a prox world that is de gayised and un inherent? Consider our context Year 12, and welcome to the future. By deliberately telling the setting of the conventional world state, to the wild Malpais, Huxley ch every(prenominal)enges the humanitys value in a genetically engineered world.In Chapter One, we are oriented to the technologically perfect world state of Community. Identity. Stability (BNW, pg. 1) , 632 A. F. Imagery the likes of Cold for all the summer beyond the panes (BNW, pg. 1), helps to separate a world that is natural to its inhabitants, but ethically disfigured for readers. However when Bernard and Lenina enter the Malpais in Chapter Seven, we adjust to a world that is similar to ours, so far is deemed rag (BNW, pg. 96) by Lenina, a product of the genetically engineered World State.A birds eye view, accompanied with sensory imagery of sound, rhythm of heart, (BNW, Pg. 96) and touch, eagle flew blew chill on their faces, (BNW, Pg. 96) produces the contrast that enables Huxley to exp ress that scholarship and stability occur at the expense of humanity. This concern was evoked by his fathers work in science, and excessively the 1930s Victorian view that science was developing at the same rate as humanity, later encapsulated in Orwells novel 1984.To illustrate the erroneous nature of the contextual view, Huxley presented ethics and a tie-in with nature in a human, but diseased land that has been marginalised due to global advancement. In our context, scientific advancement at the expense of humanity is questioned in creating designer babies through IVF. Our ethics, and connection with natural practises are queried when numerous embryos are disposed of in the process of creating one perfect human. It seems much too like the marginalisation of the Malpais and nature to create a perfect society in the World State of BNW.Similarly, a contrast of scenes is used in Bladerunner to illustrate Scotts concern that consumerism is a primal cause of inequality in humanity and nature. The atmospheric setting in the opening montage illustrates a pervading darkness, with fearful synthetic sounds and a high camera angle zooming down onto the streets of fiery urban decay titled Hades, Los Angeles, 2019. The birds eye view, like in BNW presents a dystopic vision, soon contrasted when Deckard visits Rachael at the Tyrell Corporation building. As Deckards transport ascends, the camera scales the building from a slight angle of depression.The rain and lack of natural light is replaced with a golden glow, and once inside, musical director Vangelis ensures a soundtrack shift to peaceful wind chimes which successfully juxtapose the tranquillity of the corporate elite to the dystopic array of the cityscape. Globalisation, a 1980s contextual fear is expressed through setting as the essence of the destruction of humanity and nature in BR. The little slew in Bladerunner, live with the pollution and unequal spread of resources that globalisation has caused.Simila r is our own context, as due to economic globalisation more than half of the female population in Latin America live below the poverty line1. modern behavioural conditioning for economic subject matter occurs in the World State of BNW, regardless of its effects on nature and humanity, which is another of Huxleys contextual concerns. After discipline of hypnopaedia and the neo-Pavlovian conditioning of children to ensure an association of pain with nature, the structured juxtaposition of two conversations in Chapter Three further explains Huxleys concern.In Chapter Three, the hypnopaedia of the conditioning centre I do love flying new clothes,(BNW, pg. 43) is reiterated in Huxleys narration, The voices were adapting future industrial supply (BNW, pg. 43). This is further expressed in Monds teachings in the garden as he states nether production a crime against society. (BNW, pg. 46) Through structure, Huxleys concern that manufactured goods are deterring humanitys interaction wit h nature is unequivocal. Contextually, Huxley is criticizing the era of Fordism and the loss of values experienced in post WW1.Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors, initiated an era of mass production of goods in the 1920s, advancing societys consumerism. Ford and economists grasped the level of spiritual emptiness apparent after WW1 and suggested get as a method of relief. Huxley witnessed human behaviour change as the appreciation of nature was noted as disadvantageous for industry. Huxleys concern advanced to Scotts era as well as our own where globalisation and mass production are the basis of our economy.Furthermore, our current level of technology allows many to live without human interaction, and much human behaviour involves expenditure, not the conservation of nature. Like structure in BNW, Symbolism works in Bladerunner in illustrating behavioural conditioning as detrimental to human behaviour, a concern that continued from Huxleys era to the 1980s. In the opening sequence, a long camera shot places our focus on a symbol of consumerism, epitomised by the geisha Asian woman pill popping on an animated billboard.When considering BRs setting, the continual reappearance and placement of the billboard on a skyscraper, Scott typifies consumerism as guardianship precedence over nature and humanity in Los Angeles, 2019. This consumerism symbolises the rise of the Asian trans-national corporations of the 1980s which was feared as an economic form of communism. The world was constantly reminded of the benefits of purchasing yet was rarely informed about the state of the environment which led to the considerable level of environmental degradation, including acid rain.Today, most developed countries have signed treaties regarding the environment. For example, the UN Kyoto Protocol urges all developed countries to reduce their Greenhouse Emissions by 5% every five familys starting from the year 2008. However, the lack of ratification of this treaty, our material world, and the inescapable nature of advertising are still threats to our environment and also to the natural behaviour of human beings in the year 2004. Each character in BNW has a distinct purpose in exploring Huxleys warning about humanitys detachment from the natural world.However, Mustapha Mond further explores Huxleys notion by also articulating the loss of humanitys values in a scientifically advanced setting. Mond is the mouthpiece of the World State, devoid of human values and thus his expressive dialogue and mannerisms clinically justify a society where everything can be standardised, mass produced and therefore stabilised. In Chapter Three, Mond talks with the students about families and the plight that scentingal freedom caused in times before Our Ford.Mond devalues emotion as reeking (BNW, pg. 35),and describes natural reproduction, families and monogamy in language so vivid one boy at the point of being sick. (BNW, pg 32) Dismissive nonetheless, Mond is merely enca psulating the change in human behaviour that scientific advancement has caused, and therefore communicating Huxleys concern. As Huxley toured Europe before completing BNW, Mond is modelled on post WW1 dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini.His personality also portrays the loss of values and spiritual emptiness experienced by many people in post WW1. In BR, Deckard is devoid of human values like Mond but unlike John the Savage from BNW, it is a replicant with no connection with nature, who exerts human values in Bladerunner. The rise of robotics in the 1980s influenced the character of Batty, and also Deckard. Batty exemplifies the human robot that science dreamed of in the 1980s, whereas, Deckard symbolises the loss of humanity that ethicists feared because of robotics.Roy Battys more human than human genetic disposition allows him to exert intelligence, evident in his quotations of Blake fiery the angels slash their shoulders roared, and to exert physical duress, but only in the course of his four year life span. In the last scenes of the film, Battys heightened self awareness and desire for emotion and life surpass his genetic limitations casting him as a Christ figure and also a fallen angel as he looks profitlessly to his creator for a sense of meaning.With his final words, Memories ost like tears in the rain, Roy is cast as a tragic hero, and allows Scott to illustrate that when there is no yearner an environment to exploit, like in the world in LA, 2019, those who possess desirable qualities will be oppressed, this at long last leaving the world more inhumane. In our context, the empathy we feel for Batty, questions our ethics, asking what makes us human. Huxley skilfully satirises the social construct of the 1930s using Soma to express his concern for the conditioning of humanity against nature.The World State in London is a strangely benevolent dictatorship through Mond, where all aspects of an individuals life are determined and controlled by the state in the name of, Community. Identity. Stability (BNW, pg. 1). Another counselling to ensure stability is the encouraged use of the mind-numbing drug Soma. In the Malpais, Chapter Nine, Lenina embarked for lunar eternity(BNW, pg. 127) on an eighteen hour soma holiday to escape the reality of nature and humanity. Soma satirises the post WW1 regimes of Totalitarianism throughout Europe.The doctrine of Totalitarianism denied people intellectual stimulation, freedom of thought and a affinity with nature. Huxley introduces Soma to show a future world where the denial of a relationship with nature can be self induced. In BRs 1980s context, severe industrial pollution and urbanisation resulted in the detachment of people from nature In 2004, though Totalitarianism is a violation of basic human rights, many people choose to deny themselves a qualitative relationship with nature by choosing to live in environmentally isolated, but grossly populated urban areas.The use of contextual i rony in Bladerunner is contrasting to the use of satire in BNW as Scotts irony questions the ethical behaviour of humanity regarding technology. In the 1980s, robotics and computers were the result of technological advance, and robots were promised to take the place of humans in the workforce. In Bladerunner, Ridley Scott epitomises technology and humanity through the Nexus-6 Replicants, who are more human than human Human beings in Bladerunner live as second class citizens in desolate, socially inept conditions as we see J.F Sebastian and Deckard both living in solitude. Humanity in 2019 has no sense of the value of interaction, and consequently Ridley Scott placed the capacity for these human qualities in the Replicants. Ironically though, when the Replicants begin to show human emotion and need, such as Battys need to meet his maker, they are retired by the human, by ultimately inhuman character, Deckard. This irony illustrates Scotts concern for a scientifically advanced world, with a dismal appreciation of human qualities and value.The same concern is expressed in the 1997 futuristic popular culture film, Gattaca, where your personality is irrelevant as genetic composition guarantees an you an occupation. Huxley and Scott have established quite a few concerns for our future. Strangely though, they have also warned about issues that are in need of conservation now. Again, close your eyes and imagine the natural world that you want in the future. Consider our context year 12, and help to create an ethically harmonious world for the future.

Inventory system introduction Essay

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTIONNowadays, computer-based scheme is commonly found in the business world. This is because of the benefits it gives in the respective companies. In addition, an upgraded system of rules in this point of time is a big advantage due to the great deal of the competition in our economy. Technically, coherent and analytical skills go forth certainly improve after this study. Hopefully, this study will also be character-building and still upon the importance of teamwork and maintaining harmony within the group which will be quite handy in the corporate world. One of the disadvantages of not having a computerized Inventory System is that, there a chance of inaccurate info record in a manual inputting of fund records. Also there is a delay in updating records due to manual process. Miguels base Merchandise is a growing company with an increasing size of customers. And so, today the company needed a computerized based program that can handle such(prenominal) difficu lties.1.1 Statement of the Problem1.1.1 General ProblemHow to develop an Inventory System with calculate of Sale for Miguels planetary house Merchandise that will improve the menstruation process of stock-take, lessen the time consumed in categorizing, pricing, monitoring of the items and customers transaction?1.1.2 particular Problems1.1.2.1 How to develop a module that will provide an inventory and transaction system for the company?Currently, the company is still utilize calculator to compute the total amount of items purchased by the customers. For this reason, there are some instances where fault occurred using this manual way of computation.1.1.2.2 How to develop a module that will monitor the reorder and critical level of companys items?Since the company is conducting an inventory every week by manual record, there are some instances where not aware on what are those items are inreorder or critical level. 1.1.2.3 How to develop a module that will generate fast and accu rate reports?Currently the company is still using manual record on each report, there are some instances where the company is too busy to monitor sales reports and it consumes most of their time.1.2 Current State of the TechnologyMiguels Home Merchandise was using a manual method of listing their items. They call their suppliers to order some items or they went to their suppliers to buy items and upon reaching the store they count the items cardinal by one and write it down in a record book. And when the time comes to put it into display they just attached a sticker for the charge in every item. And if there is a sudden change in price of the items, they just erase the records in the record book and update the price. Staffs want Manuel Ciyab create manually reports, check their inventory weekly and report it to the owner, Mrs. Miguel. The existing customer transaction is just a typical buying the customer arrived, mountain pass through the store and look in the shelves for the i tem they want and the staff will assist the customer and walk with her/him to look for the items.And eventually after compensable the items, the staff uses a calculator to compute the total price and issue a receipt by typography it in a formatted paper, filling up the date, total price, change etc. At the end of the day the staff will list all items and compute for their sales. Again, using a calculator and writing it in a record book. The current system was done manually, their encounter some problems that occur in the process. Considering the problem cited, the proponents intended to develop an inventory system with point of sale that would help the company for the fast monitoring of items, accurate reports and fast customer transaction.1.3 Objectives1.3.1 General ObjectiveTo develop an Inventory System with Point of Sale for Miguels Home Merchandise that will improve the current process of inventory, lessen the time consumed in categorizing, pricing, monitoring of the items an d customers transaction. .1.3.2 Specific ObjectivesThe proposed system aims to achieve the following objectives 1.3.2.1 To develop a module that will provide an inventory and transaction system for the company.The proposed system will allow the exploiter to input items data electronically for more secure and faster data retrieval and count all items accurately while the customers will just go to the cashier and because of the search feature of the computerized system it will be easy to find if the item is available. And the staff will compute the total amount using the proposed system and the issuing of receipt is already printed.1.3.2.2 To develop a module that will monitor the reorder and critical level of companys items.The proposed system has a module on which items are monitored if there are in reorder or critical level, and the system will automatically notify the exploiter if there are any items that reached its critical level using color coding.1.3.2.3 To develop a module that will generate fast and accurate reports.For cipher reports such as daily sales report the system provide a module that will generate necessary report to determine intersection master list and sales report. The time will lessen since all the computing is done in the system.

Changes in the business environment Essay

By looking out the definitions of HRP from Dessler (1999), Stone (2002), and Schuler (1998), HRP crapper be defined as the systematic and continuous puzzle out to ensure that governings military personnel imagination needs argon fulfilled by ensuring that the right state with the correct skills are available when required. Shortly, HRP is essentially focus on matching the individual and the needs of the agreement to gaining a warring advantage in marketplace.HRP is important because the HR plan affects all HR activities and acts as the st charge per unitgic link between organizational and HRM objectives (Stone 2002). It can reduce the human resources cost by helping management to anticipate and correct the shortages and surpluses of employees. An addition, HRP leave countenance a better basis for planning employee employment in order to make optimum use of clearers attitudes and to improve their job satisfaction (Nankervis et al. 1999). HRP provide more opportunities of wor king for women and minority groups in the labour market. Moreover, the HPR provide a tool for evaluating the effect of alternative human resource actions and policies.Nowadays business environs is multifaceted and complex, thus the changes in business surroundings depart nominate a great impact on the HRP of the organization. By the definition of HRP, to be a triumph organization, the organization must achieve the business objectives through the effective utilization of human resources. Therefore, organizations need to image the internal and external supplying of human resources through the process of HRP. Usually, the submit employees who can be promoted, transferred, demoted or developed will make up the internal supply. When the internal supply of employees cannot meet the demand, organization is needed to look up the external human resources from labour market. This show that labour market is an important factor in determining human resource st regulategy, therefore the c hanges of labour market will bring the effects to the HRP of organization.Normally, business environment can be categorized to 2 which are internal environment and external environment. The internal environment involves those factors that are found within the organization, for physical exercise, organizational structure and organizational culture (Stone 2002). Byanalyzing those factors of the internal environment, HR planner will be able to identify the organizations strength and weakness in order to achieve the business objectives.The structure of an organization is referring to the organizations framework or design which can directly affect employee harvest-timeivity and behavior (Stone 2002). It refers to how work delegates are assigned, who reports to whom, and how decisions are made (Eadie n.d.). Usually there fox 2 forms of the organizational structures, one is hierarchical structure and the other one is flat structure. For the hierarchical structure, organizations have na rrow span of controls over their employees. In contrast, organizations have wide span of controls over their employees with the flat structure. Thus, the structure of an organization has a powerful influence the types and numbers of employee in the organization, further the size of the labour market. Therefore, trading floor on the structure of the organization, HR manager can anticipate the number of employees that required by the organization.The organization culture is the pattern of basic assumptions, values, norms, and artifacts shared by organizational member (Cummings and Worley 1993). It tells employees how things are done, what is important and what kind of behavior is rewarded (Moorhead and Griffin 1995). Thus it has an impact on employee job satisfaction as well as on the aim and quality of employee performance. However, each employee may assess the nature of an organizations culture differently, one of them may view it positively unless one of them may view it negati vely. Therefore, HR managers will be major players in shaping the cultures of organization in order to enable the long-term success of the organization.The external environment involves those factors cannot be found within the organization. External environment can be categorized to 2 elements that are societal environment and task environment (Anthony et al. 1999). The factors of external environment include legal and political, economic, social, and demographic, labour market, competition, technological, and industrial relations. Each factor either separately or in combination with others, can place constraints on human resource management. Therefore, HR managers mustanalyze the external environment to identify any strategic opportunities and threats that may be present in the future, so that the organization can take the advantage of external opportunities and minimize external problems.The labour market is the geographical area from which employees are recruited for a particular job (Mondy et al. 1999). Changes in the labour market create constraints i.e. societal trends and culture for employers finding applicants with the right levels of skills (Noe et al.). The unemployment rate, education levels, occupation levels, and the mix of the age and wind up will be the four key used to examine the measures of labour market (Anthony et al.1999). Those spate who are not working and not looking for the job, for example households, retires, and students are considered as being out of the labour guides. Therefore this kind of unemployed people will not be the factor of unemployment rate measurement.Usually, the unemployment rate will be high during the recession of parsimony because the companies fire many a(prenominal) people out. Thus, the demand for the workers of organizations is reducing but the supply of workers from the labour market is increasing. drive force is an uncontrollable factor by HR planner because they cant control the number of the workers in the labour market. But employment rate is a controllable factor because HR managers can use the statistical and mathematical technique to predict the available workforce based on the historical information.The economy of the nation, on the whole and its various segment, is a major environmental factor affecting human resource management. There is a case in mid-1997, when economy is booming recruiting qualified workers is more difficult than less prosperous time. Therefore, HR managers of some organizations had to use incentive scheme to entice needed employees. On the other hand, when economy is experienced downturn, more applicants are typically available. It is because many workers losing job and the high unemployment rate, thus all of them will strive for any chance to get a job. Beside that the HR manager in addition consequently develop staffing strategies to accommodate the downturn economy.Such strategies my include job entrichment, outsourcing, the development of new product lines or new services, flexible job options (e.g. job-sharing or part-time), ordownsizing (Nankervis et al. 1999). Unfortunately, the downsizing is the main option that chose by many organizations in the early 1990s. The people cannot anticipate the crisis of economy, thus economy crisis is considered as an uncontrollable factor for the HR planners. Beside that the issue of SARS is also an uncontrollable factor of economic for the HR planners. Although economy crisis and SARS are unpredictable, HRP still play an important role for the organizations. It is because an organization with HRP can forecast the needed workers quickly than the organization without HRP during the time of economy crisis or SARS.The changes of the social are came from changes of the lifestyle of people and the changes of the nature of employment in the labour market. Today, more and more young people with a high level of education are not willing to work long time for one organization only because they want to enjoy the higher quality of lifestyle. Therefore, they are keeping on to seek the new job with the better salary and benefit that provided by the other organizations. But not all those seeking work can find a job at prevailing standards, and therefore it creates a shortage of workforce for organization. Hence, HR managers need to provide more embellish benefits to attract employee remaining in organization. Traditionally, the nature of employment is the full-time permanent employment.During recession of the economy, many organizations decide to downsizing or outsourcing their business to remain the agonistic advantage in the market. Thus, this lead the nature of employment is increasingly changed to part-time or casual employment in organizations. According to the Bureau of statistic of labour force in Australia (figure 1), there is a strong evidence to show that the part-time and casual employment is increasing important between the 1973 and 1997 (Nankervis et al.). The nature of employment is a controllable factor by HR planner because they design the recruitment of employees, for example, what type of workers and how many workers that they would like to employ from labour market.The baby boom that occurred afterwards the Second World War created a substantial increase in macrocosm and changes the demographic. Those baby boomers will reach the employment age during the 1960s and they will create a bulge inthe workforce. While the population of baby boomers has generally grown at high rate, whereas the population of baby busters, who are the following generation has grown at lower rate. Therefore, the imbalance in the age distribution of the workforce has major impact for employers and HR planners. Beside that, since the detail of the Equal job Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action (AA), the participation rates of women in the workforce are increased.The increasing number of women in the workforce is a trend that HR planner needs to recogni ze and accommodate. Thus, employers are obliged to provide more flexible employment options and childcare assistance to those women workers. The government can control the population in a country, for example the China issue the policy that one family only can have one child Therefore, the demographic can be considered as a controllable factor for the HRP. But sometimes HR managers cannot anticipate the fast increases of the population i.e. population explosion, thus it is an uncontrollable factor for the HRP.The changes of technology have an effect on business which dealing with human resource management. The improvement of technology advances the improvement of productivity of an organization. Today, the computer field is large and employing millions of people directly and indirectly because the computer allows much quicker access to and processing of information. Thus, more and more organizations have deserted the tradition way and bring in the technique of computer for their bu siness operations. As technological changes occur, certain skills are no longer required, and therefore it lead to major reductions in the number of employees needed. Shoshana Zuboff (1988) was also arguing that the effects of the computer have yet to be felt since work itself will change completely as information becomes more quick available right at the workstation (Anthony et al. 1999).For example, American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) plans to reduce its workforce by 15000 employees as a result of technological changes. AT&T has also used automation to reduce the number of long-distance operators by two-thirds. Most experts do not expect the number of new jobs to match the number of lost through technological changes (Drucker 1993). Recently, there is occurring a computer virus called So Big. F. According to the newspaper, this virus has damaged the computer system of many organizations in shorttime. If the computer system breaks down, the organization may need more employees to do the jobs that were done by the computer before. Since the HR planners cannot anticipate the occurrence of So Big. F, this is an uncontrollable factor of technology for the HRP.As every advanced economy becomes global, a nations most important competitive asset becomes the skills and cumulative learning of its workforce. This means that the people make organizations go. Therefore, how the people are selected, trained, and managed determine to a large extent how successful on organization will be (Cascio 1998). But as the changes of the environment, the task of managing people todays world is particularly challenges. Thus, more and more organizations emphasize on the HRP to forecast the demand for and supply of human resources. That is why the personnel department transforming to human resource department in many organizations.

Ang pag-ibig Essay

We live in a time where entrepreneurship is finally a focus of a significant number of colleges and universities, and is even reaching into high schools. The question I have is why has it hiren so long for schools to signalise the importance of, and start teaching, students about entrepreneurship? I am proud to say that I in condition(p) a lot from my Entrepreneurship subject specially when you start a business you must start small and end more than profit. And specially when Sir Abog said that when you start a business we must have first a business planning execution is where the money is at.Write something short, sweet and to the point and get on with it. I continuously preach about my One divide Start Up Plan as the best way to get started. I learned also on how Strategic partners are not always good stems. Before you bring on anyone as a business partner, determine if truly partnering is the best option. Decide if alternatives such as sharing receipts or doing a joint ven ture are a better fit. Make sure you know every(prenominal)thing about the person you wish to partner with, from their g all overnmental backgrounds to their business ethics. And if you decide to goahead and bring on a partner, be sure to create an operating agreement that clearly states what happens in every possible outcomefrom a partner leaving to a partner dying. I learned also on how business growth happens in echt time. I learned also, no matter how successful you are, accept that you will fail again. Failure is good. It will be your guide to smarter, better decisions. The faster you soak up that your business will never be perfect and there is no such thing as smooth sailing, youll grow as a draw as a result. Learned also practice strategic thinking not planning.The best plans can be made obsolete in a minute. I learned also that Entrepreneurship majors learn how to build, promote, and manage their own businesses. They also learn how to apply their creativity and energy to make existing businesses more productive. Learned on how nearly all entrepreneurship programs will require you to take a class in developing a business plan the gritrock behind any idea. Your plan will discuss your dream business, your goals, and how you plan to achieve them. A plan will show other professionals how good your idea really is.It will also come in handy when you go looking for money to get started. Banks and investors will want to see it before handing over the frolicds. I realized that if high schools focused on entrepreneurship, freedom would rule the campus. Entrepreneurship gives students, adults, and even children the ability to express themselves. It would give us the opportunity to see how shiny young minds really can be and the types of ideas, visions, and goals they have. High school entrepreneurship promotes students to focus less on curriculum and more on their passions, which makes the learning experience fun and far more engaging.By focusing on entr epreneurship, students would truly have the option to pursue their dreams. Passion would be the driving force behind what the naive realism of a future career or advanced education would mean. High schools would be a place to foster creativity and interest, giving students the opportunity to take action and responsibility for creating their future. I learned also what are Business practices about general business practices that are recommended in maintaining the appropriate accountability structure. I learned also on how to cooked Special Bihon, how to sale into the costumers, how to be a good and nice to the costumers.Entrepreneurship subject helps me how to be a future Entrepreneurship soon , helps to learned Business economic development to our country. Learned also what are the 8 consumers rights like effective to Basic Needs, Right to Safety, Right to Information, Right to Choose, Right to Representation, Right to Redress, Right to Consumer Education, and the last Right to a Healthy Environment. Actually I learned a lot in our Entrepreneurship subject and I am thankfull of our love teachers Mr. Marjun Abog and also Dr. Lita Ladera-Jomoc for teaching us on how to be a good Entrepreneurship.

Large classes Essay

When learners are in large classes it is very hard for the teacher to give every schoolchild individualist attention. What push aside educational authorities do about this?It is quite obvious that when the students are in very large numbers in a class, the teacher cant pay individual attention. I think as far as students are attentive in the class, teachers attention to individual hardly matters. Not all students in a class need personal attention, because they are smart and grasp the lessons quickly by themselves. However some of the students who are a little weak can surely get personal attention of the teachers.Nevertheless for the teacher to be able to monitor progress of all students of a class, it is necessary that proper student teacher ratio is adhered to. Student-Teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the school or university. For example, a student teacher ratio of 101 means that there a re 10 students for every one teacher available. The term can also be reversed to be teacher-student ratio. If one classroom has a 301 ratio and the other has a 101 ratio, the school could claim to necessitate a 201 ratio overall. But if the ratio is 501, the school needs to hire more teachers. In a way 401 is the ideal ratio where all students can get proper attention of the teacher.Summarizing, this is the responsibility of the educational authorities to inspect schools and universities periodically to ensure a right student-teacher ratio and in the event of this ratio changing due to greater number of students, educational authorities must strictly advice schools to hire more teachers and maintain appropriate student teacher ratio. This shall help all students get better attention of the teachers if not individual attention.

The Prehistory and Ratification of the American Constitution Essay

To ratify a treaty or agreement is to make it official by signing it or voting for it. For quickenments of the federal constitution to fetch place, it usually requires the support of both the federal government and a given percentage of the constituent governments.Article five of the constitution of the United States of America illustrates how to amend the document. There are two steps involved proposal and ratification. In proposing an amendment, either congress or the states can get an amendment of the constitution. (Both houses of congress must propose the amendment with a two-thirds vote. Two-thirds of the state legislatures must call a congress to hold a constitutional convention.)In ratifying an amendment, regardless of how the amendment has been proposed, it must be ratified by the states. (Three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve the amendment proposed by congress or three-fourths of the states must approve the amendment through ratifying conventions.)Ratificat ion of the constitution in 1787 In 1787 and 1788, afterwards the constitutional convention, there was a great debate in the United States of America over the constitution that had been proposed. federal officialists were in favor of the constitution and a tight central government as well. These federalists were people like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. On the opposing side were the anti federalists who were in favor of stronger state legislatures and a weaker central government. The anti-federalists did not want the constitution to be ratified. They were people like Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry. nationalists were in support of the ratification process due to the following reasons Federalists also cogitate out that the new government would not be dominated by any group and there were various adequate safeguards to protect individuals and the states. The constitution, therefore, did not fate a Bill of Rights since it could create a parchment barrier which lim ited the rights of people instead of protecting them. They considered a Bill of Rights unnecessary because the state governments already had much(prenominal) bills.They wanted a strong federal government which would hold the nation together. The nation was facing several problems, especially constant trade disputes which were at the verge of dividing the nation. A strong federal government was, therefore, necessary.Anti-federalists, on the other hand, did not support the ratification process for the following reasonsThey were concerned about the liberties that Americans had win in the revolution. They feared that a strong federal government would destroy these liberties. They were worried that the constitution did not list specific rights for the people.From the above discussion, if I had been alive in 1787, I would have supported the ratification process because of the following reasonsA stronger national government was required to solve persistent problems in America such as lac k of a common currency, constant trade disputes between the states and a lack of unity in trade. Features of the constitution would provide adequate baron to the national government to address these problems while protecting the rights and freedoms of the people.There were philosophical reasons to oppose the constitution as well. The new government which would be established by the new constitution would create a link between sovereign states. Besides, government did not have top executive because it was the government, but because the people had granted it power.Federal courts had limited jurisdiction. Many areas were left to the state and local courts. New federal courts were necessary to provide checks and balances on the power of the other two arms of government. Federal courts would thus protect the citizens from government abuse and guarantee their freedom. By separating the basic powers of government into three equal branches, and not giving too much power group, the consti tution would provide balance and prevent potential for tyranny.In addition, the anti-federalists main reason for not accepting the ratification process was that the bill of rights had not been included. ulterior on, the proposed bill of rights was incorporated in the new constitution, and therefore the ratification process was now a valid one.ReferencesBailyn, Bernard. The Debate on the Constitution Federalist and Anti-federalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters during the defend over Ratification. New York Literary Classics of the United States, 1993. Print.John, Jeffrey. A Child of Fortune A Correspondents Report on the Ratification of the U.S. Constitution and involvement for a Bill of Rights. Ottawa, Ill. Jameson, 1990. Print.The Constitution before the Judgment Seat The Prehistory and Ratification of the American Constitution, 1787-1791. Choice Reviews Online 50-0478. Print.Source document

Comic Books As History Essay

Comic books have long been regarded as a genre of literature for the immature and the trivial. The life analogous representation of a bill at first glance provides a lightweight medium to carry a serious message. The utilization of two types of media, the scripted word and the graphic impersonateal, serves as a conflict of messages, a breach in the unity of form. However, in Joseph Witeks book entitled Comic Books as tale, he provides shift points and works where comic books have both the dominance as well as the au pastticity to suitably serve as a medium for portraying history.Who has the right to speak?When does the gap between art and life become so wide that fiction becomes a blasphemous remain?Witken p.38These are the questions put forth by Author Joseph Witek in chapters 4 &5 of his Comic Books as History. The first, who has the right to speak? denotes an active search for a medium with inditeity to portray dark parts of history. And few events could be much darker tha n the Holocaust. The era of the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and their atrocities to the Jewish peck beg the question of how to portray it. The revulsion of providing aesthetic description to an evil event stems from authors reticence in taking another slews suffering as their own.And yet, if the alternative is silence, then future generations will be unable to see a representation of those dark days. If the silence were to endure, then no condemnation, sympathy, no regret, no sensation any(prenominal) would be imparted to those unaware. Therefore, as Witek asserts, the alternative to silence is to speak out with a medium that resonates with both the authority to speak, and the authenticity to do so, which he implies in the siemens question When does the gap between art and life become so wide that fiction becomes a blasphemous lie?.In Art Spiegelmans autobiographical comic Maus, the subject of the Holocaust and its survivors was taken up. To Witken, Spiegelmans work is a credibl e medium to tackle the holocaust because he has the necessary authority and authenticity to do so. The authority, Witken claims, comes from a personal psychological necessity. Maus for Spiegelman is a kind of therapy, a way to comprehend his own history, both as a person and as a Jew.The comic becomes a way to breach a gap produced by the Holocaust, a distance between the Jews who experienced, and those who did not. This is evident in the portrayal of the interactions between Art and his Father Vladek, most noticeably in the scene wake making of Maus. The interactions show transference of the pain, the pain of the Holocaust to the father, and as a result, shaping the father to a being that brings emotional pain to the son.In a scene in the Prisoner on the Hell Planet, the story of Spiegelmans mental anguish as a result of his mother is portrayed. Spiegelman feels that the emotion he feels from his parents is caused by their experiences in the holocaust and yet, he is unable to run crossways how those experiences shaped their person. Thus, in a way, the Maus was written to provide an understanding of knowledge unspoilt present at the back of the minds of the generation of Jews after the Holocaust. A generation, who like Spiegelman, wont be content with equitable silence.To success panopticy portray history, the accuracy of the details is not enough to attain authenticity. The inclusion of every emotion felt, and every though, as well as their representation. And it is in this representation that Spiegelman defends his use of animals sort of of deal. In order to pass through the authentic message, the use of people would inevitably show a false image, but in using animals, Spiegelman portrayed the emotions as they are, not as people show them to be. This is evident in the dialogue of Art trying to draw his wife. The use of animals is limited to just portraying the themes, bestiality, extermination, but the humanity of each character is still there.Another case point in Witeks book is the Ameri clear Splendour series of comics made by Harvey Pekar in collaboration with various artists. This series is hailed by Witek as a comic genre separate from others, as it tries to make the reader experience the life and times of the author. This autobiographical comic book portrays various events in Harvey Pekars life, from the exceptional to the more occurring dull moments. The reader sees what Harvey Pekar experiences in various situations, through various styles and viewpoints.The authority of the comic to tell an existing persons story is exemplified by American Splendor. Pekar states his reason for the theme of American Splendor by sayingI want to write literature that pushes people into their lives earlier than helping them escape from them. Most comic books are vehicles for escapism, which I think is unfortunate. I think the so-called average person often exhibits a bully deal of heroism in getting through a normal day, and yet the read ing public takes this heroism for granted. Theyd rather read closely Superman than themselvesAmerican Splendor does exactly that. It lets the readers face the reality of Harvey Pekars hum drum existence, and in doing so, makes the readers see the parallelism of it with their own. So what right does Harvey Pekar have to exhibit such unbiased realism in comic book form? His authority, as Witek implies is in his persona. Pekar is a full-time employee, and just a part time comic book creator in essence, he lives the life that his comic books portray. All the vulgarities, emotions, thoughts and experiences found in the comics are essentially his to share. Witek focuses on Pekars use of various forms and styles within the comic to show the authenticity of the work. American Splendor has no underlying consistent narration or view point. The persona may shift from the Harvey talking, and then to his wife reminiscing, and then coming back to a past event shared by both.This, instead of con fusing reality with various viewpoints, lets the reader fully grasp the Harvey Pekar experience. Every detail from every role is portrayed accurately just as the author experienced it, thus we may see strips of stories simply heard by Pekar, as well experiences seen from Pekars view point, or the viewpoint of others towards Pekar. This adds a prop of realism that successfully conveys the feeling of experiencing a day in the life of Harvey Pekar. The success of the American Splendor series comes from its realism. We see Harvey Pekar as a person, full of foibles, emotion, errors and triumphs. We see and yet we do not judge, for in seeing those things in him, we also recognize that we as persons are guilty of the exact same reactions. Harvey Pekar does not portray himself, but the experience he has in the run of a normal day. Thus, no overtones of glorification or damnation can be simply found within the text, for Pekar describes it as it is, without thought for shame, pride and ego. He focuses on the situation, making it, not Harvey Pekar, the real protagonist of his comics. According to Robert Harvey, the comic book is just the sum of its parts. The unity of form that is achieved when the written word and the visual depiction merges makes the comic an ideal medium for expressing mood and tone. To fully utilize the comic as this medium, all of the graphic component parts, the page layout, style, the narrative and composition must meld with the written caption. This in effect highlights the authenticity of the comic in bringing across the message of the author. Using these elements, we can find key scenes in both Maus and American Splendor which serve to support Witeks argument of the comic as history. On page 83 of chapter 4 of Maus, we see an example of the effect when the caption fits in perfectly with the visual depiction. Due to the nature of the characterization, the visual element depends on the caption to identify which animal is which. The first words of the page set the whole tone, a somber realization.The following scene further reinforces the message, the interplay showing the noticeable distress of Vladek when he comes home and recounts the news. The boxed captions showing Vladeks thoughts serves to highlight the underlying tone that it could be him hanging on the streets instead of the people he deals with. The final emphasis comes from the use of shaded lines to color the masses witnessing the hanging, giving them an aura of unimportance due to their impotence. In American Splendor- A Marriage Album, we can see examples that illustrates how the factors mentioned by Harvey colluded to heighten the experience of the reader.The story starts with Pekar seeing his wife Joyce off, then it shifts to a reverie of Herschel/Harvey about the marriage. The scene then shifts to Joyces singing of their then budding relationship, with highlights on the difficulties. Both accounts fuse together in the end, and the final scene shows perfe ct timing in summarizing the totality of the story, the interplay of how other people see their actions, Joyces joy in telling Harvey, and Harveys discomfort, which he tries to hide by throwing the box he was loading into the truck. The two stories justify Witeks premise of comic as history. The Maus focuses on the interplay of Jewish generations and the gap between the Holocaust and post-holocaust jews. American Splendor on the other hand emphasizes the scenes found in real, normal life, showing a reality as experienced by the author, Harvey Pekar. Both the authors of Maus and American Splendor exhibit the authority to tell their story in the comic medium. And in analyzing the different factors they use in telling the story, we see that they have the authenticity to do so as well.ReferencesWitek, J. (1990). Comic Books As History (The Narrative Art of Jack Jackson, Art Spiegelman, and Harvey Pekar).

The Blue Sword CHAPTER THIRTEEN

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