Chemistry and the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chemistry and the Environment - Essay Example Nitrogen and oxygen predominantly comprise the Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 78.1% and 20.9% respectively while there exists trace amounts of certain elements as argon, water vapor, and carbon dioxide to account for the remaining 1%. Negligible quantities of dust, volcanic ash, and other particulates in solid form are also present in the atmosphere with the main gases to facilitate the formation of clouds. In general, Earth’s atmosphere assumes the role of shielding all living things against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. It keeps the temperature balanced within 24 hours as well. At different temperatures, the atmosphere is further subdivided into layers beginning from the Earth’s surface where troposphere lies between 7 to 14 kms followed by the stratosphere reaching the 50-km altitude. This layer is conducive for airplanes due to stability and with increasing temperature, only minimal amount of water vapor and other components may be detected whereas the troposphere consists of weather occurrences. The ionosphere, on the other hand, makes less than 0.1% of the total mass of the Earth’s atmosphere and the sun’s energy is radiates at its fullest on this layer so that ionization takes place and molecules split as they undergo the process of gaining or losing electrons. (2) Explain what constitutes a good fuel. Evaluate the social value of fossil and alternative fuels and the use of unleaded petrol. What are the sources of pollutants from fuel combustion and what impact do they (COx, SOx, NOx and O3) have on the environment?   Essentiall y, a good fuel must be one that releases heat energy in huge amount when burnt besides the attributes of being less hazardous when used and stored. If the fuel is good, it would be least likely to generate toxic substances or pollutants with unpleasant odor in the environment and between renewable and non-renewable energy resources, renewable energy resources prove to be the chief source of good fuel. Algae-based biofuels for instance may constitute a renewable alternative fuel used extensively in generating electricity. Aside from the renewably extracted geothermal energy, biomass, hydroelectric energy, solar, and wind powers, good fuel alternatives are also available as bioalcohols, ammonia, vegetable oil, hydrogen, non-fossil methane and natural gas. This approach with more secure options may be perceived to remedy issues with health and environmental impact depending upon the number of industries that prefer usage of energy from a renewable source. The fact that It normally take s nearly 700 million years to produce fossil fuels out of decaying plant and animal matters fossilized upon exposure to extreme levels of heat and pressure establishes the social value of fossil fuels which pertain to fuels formed out of the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals that undergo natural process of anaerobic decomposition and these fuels are chiefly comprised in coal, gas, and oil. Besides being a flexible non-renewable energy source, based on their structure, depositional environment, and thermal reactions, fossil fuels reflect the social relevance of drawing a potential attraction due to the fact that most of world’s reserves of oil and natural gas come from deformed rocks whereas a great quantity of coal may be derived from sedimentary rock layers that do not undergo deformation. By combustion or fuel evaporation, mobile sources that pollute the air are either on-road sources or non-road sources. â€Å"On-road† or highway sources pertain to v ehicles used on roads for transportation of passengers or freight such as light-duty vehicles (LDVs), heavy-duty

Meaning of Life and Success Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Life and Success Essay The most important thing in my life is thought to be happiness. In order to achieve success you must adjust to very situation with ease. Success is it the process of doing a task and receiving a positive result, or is it simply achieving one’s own personal goals. According to The American Heritage dictionary success is, â€Å"the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempt†. The word success itself means to achieve your goal or get the point that you looking for. Some people success meant to them to be rich or to finish school and work high pay jobs. But for me success means more than that. Success means to me have peace and love; also to get married and to enter heaven after this life is over. To be sure, everybody who has peace and love is a successful succeeding person. Without peace and love there is no success. You wake up in the morning and you don’t worry about anything that day; that is success for me, because the life is short, you don’t have to be concerned about anything. Also if you have a family that loves you and is always happy for what you are doing, that is success. In addition, if you take care of your old parents and they love you and they live a happy life, which is success for me. Additionally, success is also something that is viewed differently in the eyes of everyone. This is because success means doing what I have always wanted do being where I have always wanted to be. My goal in life is to eventually get married to a good wife and have many happy children and if I accomplished that, then I could view myself as having success. Lastly, meaning of success for me is to enter the heaven after this life is over. We know that life in this world is too short, and we don’t know when we are going to die and what we are going to get after this life. That is a simple answer; do good deeds in this world and you are going to be successful in the life hereafter. That means you enter the heaven for sure and that is big reward from God to his mankind. There is no dying after this life; that means if you don’t enter the heaven you will be the loser and who ever go in the heaven will be the winner. In conclusion, I still agree with the idea I presented: however according to the dictionary and many other resources, success means to them achievement. But according to my own opinion success means to believe the ones of God, and to have peace and love in your whole life, and to get in heaven the life hereafter.

Film Review For Rushmore Film Studies Essay

Film Review For Rushmore Film Studies Essay Wes Andersons Rushmore is an appealing and skillful movie. It has that quality that tells you there is something very special about this film, rather than it being just another teen movie that we see every day. The genius of this film, and the true reason for Rushmores originality, is that it manages to entertain us even without us having to actually getting it completely. The film is about Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15 year-old student who attends Rushmore and has all the ambition in the world but no concentration. He is a member of every club in school but he is failing most of his classes apart from drama. He loves to put on elaborate productions of classic films. Max lies to everyone by telling them that his father (Seymour Cassel) is a brain surgeon but in reality, he is a barber. Max is simply blown away by Mr. Blumes (Bill Murray) speech at Rushmore and introduces himself. Mr. Blume decides to mentor Max out of pity and loneliness. Shortly after they become friends, they both fall in love for a beautiful new first-grade teacher at Rushmore named Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams). Their friendship quickly turns to a war as they try to win her over. Max refuses to believe that his age has anything to do with Miss Cross refusing to love him. This leads to immense consequences as Mr. Blumes family life disintegrates and Max loses his best fri end. There are many devices that Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson use in Rushmore to advance the understanding of the film. First, instances of literary devices used are characterization and plot. They do an amazing job in making sure that every single character in the film grows over the course of the film. Moreover, it is incredibly interesting to see that every character in the film has a Rushmore. thus, every character has something that they want in the film and ultimately wants and by the end, each one of them gets it. For example, Blumes Rushmore was Miss Cross. Max is embarrassment that he goes to Rushmore with a scholarship and that his father is a barber as covers it by telling everyone that his father is a neurosurgeon. These two characters are performed amazingly by both actors, which really make us comprehend them. The plot of the film was truly amazing and original. The heart of the movie, for me, was not only how charming or quirky Max is but also how Maxs fascinations are fuel ed just as much by sadness as by selfishness. When he tells Miss Cross that Harvard is his safety school if he does not get into Oxford, this is not only to impress her but this is really the high standard he holds himself to. This is due to his mother who died of cancer, because she was the one who encouraged him to write plays and helped him get into Rushmore,. We can appreciate this film from the beginning from Maxs planned battle of distraction from genuine pain. We follow along in the film as the colors are washed out as soon as Max is expelled from Rushmore, and we do not see them return until the end when Mr. Blume gets a haircut. Everything gets darker and duller in the film after Max is expelled from Rushmore. Wes Anderson has done an amazing job with the plot. It is like nothing we see in theatres today. It has something different and original about it that really makes the story interesting and funny. The setting is always very unique and intriguing. The main two places t hat the film takes place in is Rushmore and Grover Cleveland High School. There are big differences between these two schools and it is clearly shown during the film. At Grover Cleveland High School, we see the rusted sign that hangs on a chain-link fence, which shows the conditions inside where students are subjected to search for weapons and drugs. The school is practically a prison. Compared to at Rushmore, we can see the clear difference between the two schools. Rushmore has a perfect sign that is hung on an iron fence with an amazingly cared for landscape. The two contrasting settings clearly show what Max has lost when he was expelled from Rushmore. A problem that I noticed in the continuity of the film was at a certain moment, Max uses a ladder to enter Miss Cross house and he leaves without going down the stairs, by walking out of the front door. This to me was a very big mistake that should have been fixed. It didnt take anything from the film, but it was something that I noticed. In addition, I really liked how there was a timeline in the film, showing sequences and narrations. The progression by months and how it was introduced with movie curtains, related back to Max loving to direct plays and was a great addition to this terrific film. The film shows the audience the story not tell it to us. Rushmore is Maxs life; he simply cannot live without it. He has dedicated lots of time and energy in that school because he enjoys it. The audience gets to see and experience Maxs delusional view of the world from the beginning when we see him dream about completing a very difficult math problem in class. Anderson and Wilson decided to convey Maxs delusional view of the world visually. The viewer can immediately identify with Max to see where his character is coming from because he is actually shown by how Max perceives the world. Another instance is when Max is put on academic probation and needs to improve his marks or he will be expelled from Rushmore. The principal explains that Max has too many extracurricular activities and not enough studying. Anderson and Wilson brilliantly show the viewer all of Maxs extracurricular activities instead of just simply having the principal say them. If the principal would have just listed the activities, they wouldnt have truly grasps Maxs role and dedication to Rushmore but by showing the audience every activity, we can understand the amount of devotion he has for this school. Maxs really cares and loves Rushmore. This film has an amazing script. Anderson and Wilson took every opportunity to show us visually the story. As a result, every single line of dialogue in this film has a purpose, which makes the film crisp and never drag. In the end, the viewer is left with an amazing story that is wonderfully created through visuals and writing. The dialogue in the film is very monotone, except for at the dinner table. I found it quite natural and normal. It seems as when Max speaks to his peers, he speaks above his peers with a sense of superiority in his voice. In addition, when Maxs speaks to his father, it is very quiet and ashamed. The dialogue changes when he talks to Ms. Cross and especially when it becomes super awkward which shows that he likes her. Just to brief ly mention lightning, it was much brighter at Rushmore and inside it. It was very colourful and happy inside the school because it represents that he really loves it at Rushmore. In comparison to outside where it is a bit darker showing how he is unhappy. Last, some cinematic devices used are music, sound and camera angle. The music in this film is very key. One of the best part of music in the film is the part when Maxs is feeling his first rejection from Miss Cross and the song I Am Waiting by the Rolling Stones plays. Max is experiencing his first pain and this song could be representing Max and how he is waiting to become the person he is supposed to be. There is also the part when Murrays face changes into one that shows his desire for true vengeance against Max. This is when the song A Quick One While Hes Away by The Who plays. This music goes perfectly with the scene and wanting revenge. There are many sounds that are put and used in the perfect times. When Max shows Ms. Cross the book, there is a dancing ballerina box sort of sound on. The sounds are often of bells and charms showing the innocent, young and juvenile of this film. Also, it seems to become quiet and quite silent during awkward moments in the film. For example, d uring many conversations with Ms. Cross, such as the one in the library or times in her classroom. The music and sound are very innocent, playful and somewhat cheesy and awkward to fit in with the story. It goes very well with this coming of age film. The camera angle does not seem to change that much in the film. Anderson uses anamorphic wide-angle lenses and there is hardly anything but wide-angle lenses in the film. Most of it is wide-angle lenses to be able to show his(Maxs) world/school and not have it be a straight horizontal line. I did find that it was a bit overboard and that it was at some points annoying because of the exaggerated wide-angle lenses. It felt like I was removed from the character at certain points. Wes Andersons story displays the importance of being able to do things yourself. With Maxs wild and bizarre imagination, we can see Max being an awful lot like Wes Anderson as a kid. This movie was clearly created based on personal experiences, which is shown throughout the film since he was inside the head of the character the entire film. There is no way for someone to be able to think of this without experiencing this first hand. This film truly tries to blurs the line between childhood and adulthood. In order for Max to grow up, he needs to first accept that his father is not a brain surgeon, he cannot have a romantic relationship with a woman far older than him and he will never be able to return to Rushmore. Maxs maturity throughout the film is shown in different ways. He begins by stopping the war between Mr. Blume and himself and actually starts to help him out rather than destroy him. He also starts to write stories of his own, instead of basing them from famous films. The f ilm shows that there might not be a line between kids and adults and that sometimes the kids are more mature than the adults are, as we say with the actions of Mr. Blume. Ultimately, Rushmore is an unusual and wacky movie but still an appealing and out of the ordinary film. It talks about many important themes and is acted by brilliantly talented actors. The three main characters together are amazing and their affection and frustration with each other is so intense throughout the film. This story is absolutely funny while still examining love, anger and imagination like we have never seen. Max is so geeky and weird that the audience cannot help but feel for him. Everything from the writing to the music in this film is done marvellously. You definitely should go and watch this film. You wont regret it.

Modernism And Cinderella :: essays research papers

Research Writing Though there are many fairy tales that have been created through the years, Cinderella is into our subconscious by stimulating the part of us that sympathizes with the mistreatment of Cinderella. Others say that the theme of a down-and-out poor girl rising up to become rich and happy appeals to any normal person. This theme is the common bond between all the stories. Recently, however, modern versions of the tale have surfaced in an attempt to relate to modern audiences. In the textbook Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum the editors decide to take out a chapter entitled Fairy Tales: A Closer Look at Cinderella. This chapter includes the stories, The politically Correct Cinderella, A feminist View, and America's Cinderella. The changes were made because the content was outdated and not "true" Cinderella stories. In the politically correct version, the author makes a mockery of today's obsession with correct terminology. Every detail is explained so that no one is offended and pretty much makes a mockery of the story. The Politically Correct Cinderella is merely a satire on the left leaning views that our nation has been taking over the past decade. Excluding this version from the main stories was a good move by the editors because the politically correct issues that were so important years ago are losing steam today. The editors of the textbook also ousted the feminist orientated version. This feminist criticism was totally unnecessary because there were two of them. Having Pretty Woman: A Modern Cinderella as well as a segment on the feminist voice is totally redundant and unnecessary. Both segments give the reader what they need to know about femininity and its impact on literature. Karol Kelly in her Pretty Woman piece compares the Perrault version with the Pretty Woman story. She explains the changes that have occurred because of the women's movement especially the impact on information. We now have a lot more information that has led to societal changes. The feminist criticism that was omitted hit on several feminine issues in the actual variations of the Cinderella story. "The slipper, the central icon in the story, is a symbol of sexual bondage and imprisonment in a stereotype." The author then explains how this small slipper idea originates from the ancient Chinese act of foot-binding eventually leading to the mutilation of their foot. She hits on many other feminine aspects in the Cinderella stories.

Neil Postman: Amusing Ourselves to Death

Neil Postman was a special type of a man and considered that he was not an expert on anything, and yet he was ready to express his opinion on every subject under the sun. The person's mind was continuously working at jokes, headlines and different ideas. This infected an individual when he met Mr. Postman and that could be responded to only with humor, and even that was likely to bring out more ideas. There were a lot of people who knew him – in excess of a hundred thousand or so – had first met his humor. This was also reflected in the books that he wrote. Each of these is also a source of propaganda for his views and written like an essay. The first was â€Å"The Disappearance of Childhood† in 1982, and this was on the infantile nature of American culture. The next book was in 1985 and a satire on entertainment and was named â€Å"Amusing Ourselves to Death†. The last was in 1993 called â€Å"technopoly† and this criticized the fall of culture to technology. He had an excellent intellectual pose along with poise in public meetings and all this rode on the back of his capacity for humor. He always felt that he was the civilized man in a barbaric setting. This setting gradually changed into television and was concerned with the dots, and pursued him all his life. Now let us look at what is this television and how it connects with people. In the United States it first started transmission in New York and the British play, â€Å"The Man with the Flower in His Mouth† was broadcast there in July 1930. Thus one can say that television started off in the heart of United States and the television station was located in South Eastern New York at the mouth of the Hudson River. The station began broadcasting seven days a week on July 21, 1931. This was a television channel or station that broadcast on the terrestrial mode as that was the only mode available then. The bandwidth was then highly confined and this led to a high control by the government. Yet, from the beginning television has been highly used for advertising. Organizing the TV programs that are to be broadcast can be worked out either as a direct production by the manufacturers and then selling to the station that intends to buy it. Sometimes the production itself is paid for by the TV station that will show it. (Television) In other cases the station issues a license to the producers to produce the show for the channel. The show is sometimes carried on in other centers after the show is over on the main channel. In TV terminology this is called secondary programming usage. The secondary shows may be in the original country where the show was produced or in other countries from where the channels are interested in the show. The shows may be controlled by the original producer or not depending on the agreement. Sometimes a group of TV stations run some common programs in their own interest, or through an individual. This is called syndication and the show may be sold by the producers themselves or their agents. Yet with all this it has been seen that doctors recommend that children should only see TV for an hour or two at the maximum in the day. Excess of TV viewing is known to cause various diseases like ADD, excessive weight and heart problems. These may lead to diabetes or excess aggression. Thus it is clear that viewing of Television is not recommended in a high dosage for anybody, and the problem in our country is made worse by the situation of having a number of stations at every town or city due to the possibility of multiple channels being available now. These channels can also be seen on the set through a cable and the customer only has to pay a monthly fee. This is the problem that was envisaged by Postman quite a few years ago, and possibly he foresaw the worsening of the situation due to the advent of cable TV. The problem was also made clear by the decline of the family in the country and as a result the children are being left with only one parent. Most of the time, the single parent is working and is not able to attend to the child when the child comes back from school. These let the child free with the television and see any program of their choice. (Television) Neil Postman is an authority on children and has written many books about different subjects. These are mostly concentrated on education, as he was a teacher himself. He has written on the crisis in the schools, the effect of Television on our public and political life and the nature of modern childhood and education. He has taken the position of conscientiously objecting to whatever he saw being harmful to the society. In certain cases he has pointed out institutionalized mistakes or organizational stupidity and asked for their solution. Throughout the West, there has been the concept of three stages in life – infancy, childhood and adulthood. This had gone undisturbed for 350 years, but is now being questioned by a new element in the communicational facilities – television. This is seriously disturbing as the contents of life that would be normally faced by adults are now being made open to the children through this new medium. The children do not have to go through the portals of adulthood for reaching this information. Earlier this was being protected by the adults through certain secrets that are known to adults, but not revealed to children till they reached the appropriate age. These secrets are the social, political and sexual secrets that an adult must know. At the same time Television reveals all these secrets at once, and this makes it difficult to control the socialization of the young among themselves. This is making the young less discernible from adults. Stirring Up Trouble about Technology, Language, and Education) In the past there was a time when alcoholism was seen only among adults, and not at all among children. Today it is common to see child alcoholics. The same situation exists among children for drugs and it is quite common among children. The same situation exists for sex and sexual disease and this is seen from the total crime statistics. There are a number of figures that show the young being involved in crime today while this was not the situation even in 1959 as the figures for crime by people under the age of 18 shows. Thus it is clear that television is making the concept of childhood as being different from adulthood being different extremely difficult to sustain in North America, and childhood is disappearing from that region of the world. At the same time, there some parents who are well off and if they know what is happening to the child may still provide him or her with a childhood. This requires the parents to be very careful on the influences of the media on the child, among other factors. The problem is that not many parents can meet those conditions, and the influence of television among media is still rising. As mentioned earlier, there are many single parent houses in America and their difficulties have already been discussed. Even when there are two parents, both of them are working at the same time and that stops them from being able to give enough time to the children for socializing. This transfers the socializing exercise to the television set, and many of them are unable to control the channels that the children see or what films they see, or even know what records they have. These activities require the parents to have a lot of time for the child, and advise the child. Yet not many parents find the time for that. Thus for the children to have a childhood, the parents must spend a lot of time with the child. On the other hand many parents are too busy and there children get the required education from the advertising of NBC, CBS, Steven Spielberg, Coca-Cola and Proctor and Gamble. In certain countries television is being controlled – Denmark. They have now limited the extent of commercials that an advertiser supported station can have. These stations are not permitted to have advertisements on cigarettes, liquor, beer, banks, medicine, religious organizations, political organizations, or even advertisements aimed at children. Also, in Denmark, the television operates for the full 24 hours in a day. But, it is not possible for this to happen in the United States as the Americans would feel it is very restrictive, apart from the ideology of the present day administration. The present day administration may even be called the extreme type of free market supporters. This has not started today and even Ronald Reagan was not conservative, and he was probably as oriented to the free market as is the present President Bush. They are all willing to get as much out of technology as possible in terms of gains of dollars. Thus there is no chance of any restriction being put on the hours of operation of the Television through any social policy. This attitude goes on in Americans well beyond the limits of television and is being applied by them even in the case of computer technology. The issue is not of one particular technology, but the general question of using technology for financial gain to extreme limits, or no limits. (Stirring Up Trouble about Technology, Language, and Education) It can be said that in the exploitation of technology, there are no limits in America and they generally do not have any concerns about the psychological and social effects. They are just interested in knowing what the new technology can do. They are not concerned about the effects of the new technology in changing the social or cultural behaviors of the citizens. This is reflected in Sesame Street which makes the children get more attached to television than school. The concerned program is well prepared and makes the maximum possible use of a visual image based medium. When the makers of the program say that the program will make the children like school it is only right in the sense that the children will like school if it is a show like Sesame Street. The show is probably helping the children learn the elements that are taught in school like the letters and the numbers, yet at the same time, it is also giving the children some built in impressions about school. This is teaching the children that school must be entertaining, and that images have to form the basic of learning. It also gives the children that feeling that learning is immediately rewarded by getting of rewards in some form or the other. The impressions which are built into the children turn out to be more important than the learning that they get, and that is the problem. The children learn the numbers and letters in other forms also, and that also happens within the expected time, but the normal learning process does not build in these difficulties. It is often said that these methods of education make the children more intelligent, but that is a moot question to answer as the differences in intelligence are hard to define and their benefits are also hard to judge. The question of intelligence is easy to be used, as nobody probably understands what we are trying to say, but it is much easier to understand when we say that a person is stupid. It is possible that the technology available in the computer will help the technology of printing to a large extent, and that would be a service. It also increases the thinking by the children as to program a computer the child has to think quite a lot. Yet the total effect that this would cause is rather difficult to guess. (Stirring Up Trouble about Technology, Language, and Education) Technological development has had a very big impact and much more so when the development has been on the matters of information and communication. They have great impacts in terms of socialization, ways of thinking and methods of learning. A lot of these changes have taken place in the latter part of the 20th century and this brings up the question of defining the new Child of the Information Age. Some people may be defining all the children of today as Children of the Information Generation with television, computer games and video games. This had also been the thinking of Neil Postman, and he believed that this made the child cross puberty physically but never reach maturity. Thus they loose their childhood but are then are lost to mankind. The phrase â€Å"technology development† normally refers to the development of tools and these are being developed from the time that men have started on the path to development. (Children of the Information Age: A Reversal of Roles) Until the seventeenth century, tools of a more primitive kind were being used by all civilizations. Not that all countries were using the same tools and some had only spears and cooking utensils available to them. On the other side, others had water mills, coal and horse power. At the same time, these tools were not intended to change the civilization which had brought them into existence, and they were not intended to attack. Thus the tools did not stop people from believing in their versions of god, politics, and methods of education or their methods of social organization. (Kaplan, 34) Some cultures and religions believe that television is intruding into their religion and the use of television is banned by some sections of believers in Islam in some parts of the world. In the world of today, children and adults see the same movies thanks to television and highlighted by Postman. They all get into telephone romances; get informed about the same pop music and the same computer games. These come through both the television and the computer. This results in the adults never growing up and becoming more childish as time goes on. The children become more mature as they are exposed to all matters of adulthood, or at least seem so. This adulthood is only superficial and not emotional, as the amount of information to be passed on to the child should be passed on in a controlled manner by the concerned adult, as otherwise, the concept of being a child will end. This gradually stops the clear line of demarcation between adults and children, and the sense of independence and responsibility also becomes unclear. This is highlighted by Postman who describes the present day children as living between illusion and realty. This has also made the adults loose most of their authority, and it is a world without borders. (Children of the Information Age: A Reversal of Roles) In truth these makes them totally dependent for all the time, and never grow up into adults. Yet the children of the present day differ a lot from the children of earlier years and they consist of a larger section of the people who come to the net regularly. This is quite understandable as the net is a part of their life which has never been the case with their parents. In studies it has been seen that as much as 73% of the American population between the ages of 12-17 use the Internet regularly and the study was in June 2001. These children also certainly have a care in the world for the world that they live in. One of their main contributions is through the creation of web sites for helping others. Jason Fernandez from Mumbai had built a site which supported children with learning disabilities along with their parents and teachers. This is a site for common good. The new facility of Internet has made it possible for everybody to publish his or her work. This is irrespective of age, gender, or education. The control is not with groups of people that existed in earlier generations where the work could only go out in the printed format. This change will also bring in other changes in the methods of learning, working and social structure. (Children of the Information Age: A Reversal of Roles) Postman had been concerned that the importance of all items was being reduced by television – be it politics, religion, news, athletic education or commerce. This was how we were amusing ourselves to death. It also showed that image was viewed as more important than content, and television was the master of images. (Neil Postman's amusing ourselves to Death) If Postman were to now concentrate on the newer developments he would write on the Internet. To be negative, the Internet contains a lot of false information, and this would hurt the beliefs of a normal human being. But this is also something that we learn while growing up into adults from childhood, and is not necessarily negative. (Final Project Paper: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman) To conclude, one can thus say that while television makes the audience less responsible and childish, the Internet makes the audience more apparently mature. It is up to the audience to carry the work further, and not live for their own life, abandoning the responsibility of the children that they created.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-nine

Eddard The grey light of dawn was streaming through his window when the thunder of hoofbeats awoke Eddard Stark from his brief, exhausted sleep. He lifted his head from the table to look down into the yard. Below, men in mail and leather and crimson cloaks were making the morning ring to the sound of swords, and riding down mock warriors stuffed with straw. Ned watched Sandor Clegane gallop across the hard-packed ground to drive an iron-tipped lance through a dummy's head. Canvas ripped and straw exploded as Lannister guardsmen joked and cursed. Is this brave show for my benefit? he wondered. If so, Cersei was a greater fool than he'd imagined. Damn her, he thought, why is the woman not fled? I have given her chance after chance . . . The morning was overcast and grim. Ned broke his fast with his daughters and Septa Mordane. Sansa, still disconsolate, stared sullenly at her food and refused to eat, but Arya wolfed down everything that was set in front of her. â€Å"Syrio says we have time for one last lesson before we take ship this evening,† she said. â€Å"Can I, Father? All my things are packed.† â€Å"A short lesson, and make certain you leave yourself time to bathe and change. I want you ready to leave by midday, is that understood?† â€Å"By midday,† Arya said. Sansa looked up from her food. â€Å"If she can have a dancing lesson, why won't you let me say farewell to Prince Joffrey?† â€Å"I would gladly go with her, Lord Eddard,† Septa Mordane offered. â€Å"There would be no question of her missing the ship.† â€Å"It would not be wise for you to go to Joffrey right now, Sansa. I'm sorry.† Sansa's eyes filled with tears. â€Å"But why?† â€Å"Sansa, your lord father knows best,† Septa Mordane said. â€Å"You are not to question his decisions.† â€Å"It's not fair!† Sansa pushed back from her table, knocked over her chair, and ran weeping from the solar. Septa Mordane rose, but Ned gestured her back to her seat. â€Å"Let her go, Septa. I will try to make her understand when we are all safely back in Winterfell.† The septa bowed her head and sat down to finish her breakfast. It was an hour later when Grand Maester Pycelle came to Eddard Stark in his solar. His shoulders slumped, as if the weight of the great maester's chain around his neck had become too great to bear. â€Å"My lord,† he said, â€Å"King Robert is gone. The gods give him rest.† â€Å"No,† Ned answered. â€Å"He hated rest. The gods give him love and laughter, and the joy of righteous battle.† It was strange how empty he felt. He had been expecting the visit, and yet with those words, something died within him. He would have given all his titles for the freedom to weep . . . but he was Robert's Hand, and the hour he dreaded had come. â€Å"Be so good as to summon the members of the council here to my solar,† he told Pycelle. The Tower of the Hand was as secure as he and Tomard could make it; he could not say the same for the council chambers. â€Å"My lord?† Pycelle blinked. â€Å"Surely the affairs of the kingdom will keep till the morrow, when our grief is not so fresh.† Ned was quiet but firm. â€Å"I fear we must convene at once.† Pycelle bowed. â€Å"As the Hand commands.† He called his servants and sent them running, then gratefully accepted Ned's offer of a chair and a cup of sweet beer. Ser Barristan Selmy was the first to answer the summons, immaculate in white cloak and enameled scales. â€Å"My lords,† he said, â€Å"my place is beside the young king now. Pray give me leave to attend him.† â€Å"Your place is here, Ser Barristan,† Ned told him. Littlefinger came next, still garbed in the blue velvets and silver mockingbird cape he had worn the night previous, his boots dusty from riding. â€Å"My lords,† he said, smiling at nothing in particular before he turned to Ned. â€Å"That little task you set me is accomplished, Lord Eddard.† Varys entered in a wash of lavender, pink from his bath, his plump face scrubbed and freshly powdered, his soft slippers all but soundless. â€Å"The little birds sing a grievous song today,† he said as he seated himself. â€Å"The realm weeps. Shall we begin?† â€Å"When Lord Renly arrives,† Ned said. Varys gave him a sorrowful look. â€Å"I fear Lord Renly has left the city.† â€Å"Left the city?† Ned had counted on Renly's support. â€Å"He took his leave through a postern gate an hour before dawn, accompanied by Ser Loras Tyrell and some fifty retainers,† Varys told them. â€Å"When last seen, they were galloping south in some haste, no doubt bound for Storm's End or Highgarden.† So much for Renly and his hundred swords. Ned did not like the smell of that, but there was nothing to be done for it. He drew out Robert's last letter. â€Å"The king called me to his side last night and commanded me to record his final words. Lord Renly and Grand Maester Pycelle stood witness as Robert sealed the letter, to be opened by the council after his death. Ser Barristan, if you would be so kind?† The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard examined the paper. â€Å"King Robert's seal, and unbroken.† He opened the letter and read. â€Å"Lord Eddard Stark is herein named Protector of the Realm, to rule as regent until the heir comes of age.† And as it happens, he is of age, Ned reflected, but he did not give voice to the thought. He trusted neither Pycelle nor Varys, and Ser Barristan was honor-bound to protect and defend the boy he thought his new king. The old knight would not abandon Joffrey easily. The need for deceit was a bitter taste in his mouth, but Ned knew he must tread softly here, must keep his counsel and play the game until he was firmly established as regent. There would be time enough to deal with the succession when Arya and Sansa were safely back in Winterfell, and Lord Stannis had returned to King's Landing with all his power. â€Å"I would ask this council to confirm me as Lord Protector, as Robert wished,† Ned said, watching their faces, wondering what thoughts hid behind Pycelle's half-closed eyes, Littlefinger's lazy half-smile, and the nervous flutter of Varys's fingers. The door opened. Fat Tom stepped into the solar. â€Å"Pardon, my lords, the king's steward insists . . . â€Å" The royal steward entered and bowed. â€Å"Esteemed lords, the king demands the immediate presence of his small council in the throne room.† Ned had expected Cersei to strike quickly; the summons came as no surprise. â€Å"The king is dead,† he said, â€Å"but we shall go with you nonetheless. Tom, assemble an escort, if you would.† Littlefinger gave Ned his arm to help him down the steps. Varys, Pycelle, and Ser Barristan followed close behind. A double column of men-at-arms in chainmail and steel helms was waiting outside the tower, eight strong. Grey cloaks snapped in the wind as the guardsmen marched them across the yard. There was no Lannister crimson to be seen, but Ned was reassured by the number of gold cloaks visible on the ramparts and at the gates. Janos Slynt met them at the door to the throne room, armored in ornate black-and-gold plate, with a high-crested helm under one arm. The Commander bowed stiffly. His men pushed open the great oaken doors, twenty feet tall and banded with bronze. The royal steward led them in. â€Å"All hail His Grace, Joffrey of the Houses Baratheon and Lannister, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm,† he sang out. It was a long walk to the far end of the hall, where Joffrey waited atop the Iron Throne. Supported by Littlefinger, Ned Stark slowly limped and hopped toward the boy who called himself king. The others followed. The first time he had come this way, he had been on horseback, sword in hand, and the Targaryen dragons had watched from the walls as he forced Jaime Lannister down from the throne. He wondered if Joffrey would step down quite so easily. Five knights of the Kingsguard—all but Ser Jaime and Ser Barristan—were arrayed in a crescent around the base of the throne. They were in full armor, enameled steel from helm to heel, long pale cloaks over their shoulders, shining white shields strapped to their left arms. Cersei Lannister and her two younger children stood behind Ser Boros and Ser Meryn. The queen wore a gown of sea-green silk, trimmed with Myrish lace as pale as foam. On her finger was a golden ring with an emerald the size of a pigeon's egg, on her head a matching tiara. Above them, Prince Joffrey sat amidst the barbs and spikes in a cloth-of-gold doublet and a red satin cape. Sandor Clegane was stationed at the foot of the throne's steep narrow stair. He wore mail and soot-grey plate and his snarling dog's-head helm. Behind the throne, twenty Lannister guardsmen waited with longswords hanging from their belts. Crimson cloaks draped their shoulders and steel lions crested their helms. But Littlefinger had kept his promise; all along the walls, in front of Robert's tapestries with their scenes of hunt and battle, the gold-cloaked ranks of the City Watch stood stiffly to attention, each man's hand clasped around the haft of an eight-foot-long spear tipped in black iron. They outnumbered the Lannisters five to one. Ned's leg was a blaze of pain by the time he stopped. He kept a hand on Littlefinger's shoulder to help support his weight. Joffrey stood. His red satin cape was patterned in gold thread; fifty roaring lions to one side, fifty prancing stags to the other. â€Å"I command the council to make all the necessary arrangements for my coronation,† the boy proclaimed. â€Å"I wish to be crowned within the fortnight. Today I shall accept oaths of fealty from my loyal councillors.† Ned produced Robert's letter. â€Å"Lord Varys, be so kind as to show this to my lady of Lannister.† The eunuch carried the letter to Cersei. The queen glanced at the words. â€Å"Protector of the Realm,† she read. â€Å"Is this meant to be your shield, my lord? A piece of paper?† She ripped the letter in half, ripped the halves in quarters, and let the pieces flutter to the floor. â€Å"Those were the king's words,† Ser Barristan said, shocked. â€Å"We have a new king now,† Cersei Lannister replied. â€Å"Lord Eddard, when last we spoke, you gave me some counsel. Allow me to return the courtesy. Bend the knee, my lord. Bend the knee and swear fealty to my son, and we shall allow you to step down as Hand and live out your days in the grey waste you call home.† â€Å"Would that I could,† Ned said grimly. If she was so determined to force the issue here and now, she left him no choice. â€Å"Your son has no claim to the throne he sits. Lord Stannis is Robert's true heir.† â€Å"Liar!† Joffrey screamed, his face reddening. â€Å"Mother, what does he mean?† Princess Myrcella asked the queen plaintively. â€Å"Isn't Joff the king now?† â€Å"You condemn yourself with your own mouth, Lord Stark,† said Cersei Lannister. â€Å"Ser Barristan, seize this traitor.† The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard hesitated. In the blink of an eye he was surrounded by Stark guardsmen, bare steel in their mailed fists. â€Å"And now the treason moves from words to deeds,† Cersei said. â€Å"Do you think Ser Barristan stands alone, my lord?† With an ominous rasp of metal on metal, the Hound drew his longsword. The knights of the Kingsguard and twenty Lannister guardsmen in crimson cloaks moved to support him. â€Å"Kill him!† the boy king screamed down from the Iron Throne. â€Å"Kill all of them, I command it!† â€Å"You leave me no choice,† Ned told Cersei Lannister. He called out to Janos Slynt. â€Å"Commander, take the queen and her children into custody. Do them no harm, but escort them back to the royal apartments and keep them there, under guard.† â€Å"Men of the Watch!† Janos Slynt shouted, donning his helm. A hundred gold cloaks leveled their spears and closed. â€Å"I want no bloodshed,† Ned told the queen. â€Å"Tell your men to lay down their swords, and no one need—† With a single sharp thrust, the nearest gold cloak drove his spear into Tomard's back. Fat Tom's blade dropped from nerveless fingers as the wet red point burst out through his ribs, piercing leather and mail. He was dead before his sword hit the floor. Ned's shout came far too late. Janos Slynt himself slashed open Varly's throat. Cayn whirled, steel flashing, drove back the nearest spearman with a flurry of blows; for an instant it looked as though he might cut his way free. Then the Hound was on him. Sandor Clegane's first cut took off Cayn's sword hand at the wrist; his second drove him to his knees and opened him from shoulder to breastbone. As his men died around him, Littlefinger slid Ned's dagger from its sheath and shoved it up under his chin. His smile was apologetic. â€Å"I did warn you not to trust me, you know.†

How to Get Rid of a Musty Smell in Books

How to Get Rid of a Musty Smell in Books Have your beloved old books developed a musty smell? Prevention is key to making sure that books dont develop a bad odor. If you store your books in a cool, dry location, theres a much better chance that youll avoid much of the bad odor that old books can develop. Despite your best efforts, though, you may find mold or mildew on your books. Unfortunately, this may make them smell musty. Below, youll find some tips on how to get rid of the bad odor from your books. Consider Where You Are Storing Your Books If you are storing books in a  basement, garage, attic  or storage unit, youll want to address the storage issue before trying to remove the odor, mildew, and mold from your books. If you get rid of the bad smell and then put them right back in a damp storage location, youll see the problem come right back. Too much moisture causes mildew and mold and too much heat can cause the pages to dry out and crumble move your books to a cool, dry location. Protect Them with Dust Jackets Dust jackets protect the book covers, helping to keep the moisture away from the book. But a dust jacket is not a miracle cure. Even if you use dust jackets, be aware of where you are storing your books,  and avoid moist, hot areas, which can increase the likelihood that theyll develop bad-smelling mold or mildew. Avoid Prolonged Direct Contact with Newspaper Some experts used to recommend that you wrap your books with newspapers, or even place sheets of newspaper between the pages of your book. However, prolonged contact with newspapers can cause damage to your books because of acidity in the newspapers. If you do use a newspaper to get rid of the bad odor, be sure that the newspaper does not come into direct contact with your books. Avoid Bleach or Cleansers Bleach (or cleansers) can be destructive to the pages of your books. If the mildew and/or mold is such that you must remove it, use a dry, soft cloth to remove the worst of it. De-Stinkify Your Book In some cases, despite your best efforts, your book will still smell musty, mildewed or just old. Thankfully, theres an easy solution.  You will need two plastic containersone that will fit inside the other one. Pour some kitty litter in the bottom of the larger container. Place your book into the smaller container (without the lid), then put the small plastic container into the larger container with the kitty litter. Place the lid on the larger plastic container. You can leave the book in this book de-stinkifier for a month, which will remove the odor (and any moisture) from the book.  You can also use baking soda or charcoal in your book de-stinkifier.