Thursday, December 26, 2019

Translating So to Spanish

So is one of those English words that has so many meanings that it can be translated to Spanish in dozens of ways. As such, it can be a confusing word for Spanish students — as a strategy when translating so, youre often better off thinking of a synonym for the way it is used and translating that instead. This lesson looks at a few of the ways so is used and suggests possible translations. In all cases, the translations used are not the only ones possible. Translating So as an Adverb Meaning Very Most of the time when so is used as an adverb meaning very it can be translated as tan. However, muy is sometimes acceptable as well. I was so happy that I jumped in the air. Yo era tan feliz que saltà © en aire.My love for you is so strong. Es tan fuerte mi amor por ti. (Alternative: Es muy fuerte my amor por ti.)He did it so poorly. Lo hizo tan mal. (Alternative: Lo hizo muy mal.)The city is so small that once you leave downtown theres nothing else. La ciudad es tan pequeà ±a que una vez que te sales del centro, ya no hay nada.Why is it so difficult for us to be happy?  ¿Por quà © es tan difà ­cil que seamos felices?The meat was so tasty that it needed only salt. La carne era tan rica que solo necesitaba sal.   Translating So in Approximations As the context requires, various ways of expressing approximations can be used when so is used for that purpose. I need to lose 20 pounds in two months or so. Necesito perder 20 libras en dos meses mà ¡s o menos.Im going to buy myself an aquarium holding 100 liters or so. Me voy a comprar un acuario de 100 litros aproximadamente.They stole about 20,000 pesos from her. Le robaron alrededor de 20 mil pesos. Translating So When It Indicates Causation A common use of so is to indicate why something is done. Various phrases of causation or purpose can be used. Often, such sentences cant be translated word for word — whats important is to get the proper connection between the different elements of the sentence. I will give you one so you dont forget me. Te darà © uno para que no me olvides.I was afraid, so I left. Me fui por miedo.I am innocent, so I am not going to go into hiding.  No me esconderà © porque soy inocente.Evil exists so we can appreciate what is good. El mal existe para que podamos apreciar lo que es bueno.There was violence, so many children were evacuated from the city. Muchos nià ±os fueron evacuados ciudad por causa de la violencia.  You can edit your digital photo so it seems like a painting. Podrà ¡s editar tu foto digital de modo que parezca una pintura. Translating So as a Transition or Filler Often, so can be left out of sentences without much of a change in meaning. In such cases, you can simply leave it out of the translation, or you can use a filler word such as pues or bueno if leaving out a word such as that would seem too abrupt. So, where are we going? Pues  ¿adà ³nde vamos?So now comes the best time of the year. Pues ahora llega la mejor à ©poca del aà ±o.So lets begin. Bueno, vamos a empezar.So what do you know?  ¿Quà © sabes? Translating So Meaning Also Usually, tambià ©n will work fine when translating so carrying meanings such as also or in addition: Youre from Texas? So am I!  ¿Eres de Tejas?  ¡Tambià ©n yo!I slept and so did they. Yo dormà ­ y tambià ©n ellos. Translating So in Set Phrases When so is used in various phrases or idioms, you can often translate the phrases as a whole for meaning, as in the following examples: The book has recipes for shakes of fruits such as apples, oranges, strawberries, kiwis and so on. El libro tiene recetas de batidos de frutas como las manzanas, naranjas, fresas, kiwis, etcà ©tera.Hes not a citizen. So what? No es ciudadano.  ¿Y quà ©?Every so often I imagine a good future. De cuando en cuando imagino un buen futuro.These are treated just so. Estos son tratados con sumo cuidado.I am going to buy raspberries, applies, blackberries, peras, strawberries, and so on. Voy a comprar frambuesas, manzanas, moras, peras, fresas, etcà ©tera.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Research Proposal - 1447 Words

city univeRsity of hong kong Part-Time BA (Hons) Business Administration and Management Cohort January 2013 Module Title Business Research Issue and Anylysis (Module code BAMG 2104 ) Assignment Topic/ Title Research Proposal Name of Instructor Dr Michael Ng Name of Student 1) AU Kwan Tai, 2) Chan Yan Ki, 3) Choi Chak Pan, 4) Chong Ka Chun DMU Student No. 1) P13014477 , 2) P13014523 3) P13014614, 4) P13014628 Group No. Date of Submission 25 Feb, 2014 DMU Business Research Methods Research Proposal 1. Research Project Title The relationship between turnover rate and employee satisfaction in the public sector organization. 2. Project background (management dilemma present some facts to prove the†¦show more content†¦For data collection method, we will work with the communication study so that we can collect the personal data for our analysis. For the time dimension, this study will be a cross-sectional one so that it will only carr y out once to obtain the information at the present stage. Moreover, our research will be statistical. As the data collected will be mainly about personal feelings, the results of our study will be explanatory in order to find out the reasons of the situation. b. Target population (who is the most appropriate subject to provide you the primary data Why choose this subject as the target) Our target population will be the force members with less than 10 years of service and who are under the MPF contracts. This sample group may provide us the information about the turnover intention excluding the retirement factors. c. Sampling strategy (what sampling methods you are going to adopt Why How would you conduct the sampling What is the sample size) We will distribute a set of questionnaire to our targets to fill in. The questions will obtain some basic background information of the interviewees like years of service andShow MoreRelatedResearch Proposal661 Words   |  3 PagesTO: Professor Sara Cutting FROM: Kiersten McCaffrey DATE: February 18, 2014 SUBJECT: Begin Business Plan for Potential Future Investment Background In the beginning of the semester you requested that I research a topic related to a personal decision such as a future goal. I am currently employed at a yoga studio and have a general understanding of the hard work that goes into running a small business. At the same time, I also directly see the benefits of owning a successful business.Read MoreProposal For A Research Proposal814 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is it? A typical research proposal is used by scholars and students who have an interest in your field. This usually happens as part of a grant application, postgraduate application (PhD), or for a final year dissertation. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Supervised Learning Model and Algorithm-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Machine Learning. Answer: Introduction Machine Learning (ML) could be termed as a branch of Artificial Intelligence, as they contain the methods, which allows the computers and systems to act more smartly. The result is a unique way of cumulative working of various functions in an orderly manner, rather than simple data insertion and retrieval from applications like database and others, making the machines take better decision are different situations with minimal input from the user. Machine learning is a branch of study, grouped from various different fields, such as computer science, statistics, biology, and psychology. The base functionality of Machine Learning is to identify the best Predictor model for making decisions, by analyzing and learning from previous scenarios, which is the job of a Classifier. The job of Classification is the prediction of unknown scenarios (output) by analyzing known scenarios (input). The process of classification is performed over data set D comprising of the following objects: Let the set size be {X1, X2, |X|} where |X| signifies the attributes count of the set X Class label is Y then the target attribute; ?= y1, y2, |Y|} where Y is the number of classes and Y { 2. Then the basic goal of the machine learning is prediction or classification over the dataset D, such that it relates the attributes in X and classes in Y (Mohri et al, 2012). Classification of Machine Learning is on the basis of the type of input signal or feedback received by the learning system. These are as follows: Supervised learning: System is presented with a set of input condition and an instructor providing the desired output, thus making the system understand what to expect for an answer in a certain scenario, provides the desired outputs (Zhang et al, 2011). Unsupervised learning: There are no markers in the learning methodology, thus stranding the system to discover patterns in the inputs. This type of learning can become a target in itself (unraveling pattern in data) or the end game (feature learning). Reinforcement learning: System is challenged with an unprecedented environment to perform (for instance driving or playing against an opponent). The system is either rewarded or punished, based on the performance it displayed while navigating in the problem sphere. This paper deals with Supervised Learning, the various processes and all the functionalities. Supervised learning This type of learning is based on understanding the mapping of certain attributes and functions in a predefined scenario, then using the knowledge gathered in this process to make a decision based on the mapping learned, in unprecedented scenarios. This way of learning is very important and is a key functionality in multimedia processing (Mohri et al, 2012). In supervised learning a computer model represents a learner system which contains two set of data namely the training data set and the other set is the testing data set. For example consider a system for classification of a particular disease. In such scenario a system will use a data set which contains records of the patients with their diseases. This record is split into training data set and the testing data set. The idea behind this type of learning is to train the learner system with all possible outcomes in the training set, so it can perform with the highest percentage of accuracy in the test set. Which means, the target of a learner is to make out the pattern in the inputs provided in the test set and find a solution from what it has learned in the training set? The classification then can be the categories of diseases for the given example. Similarly the training set might include pictures of dogs like terrier and spaniel, along with the identification of each, now the test set would include another group of unidentified images but of the same set. The target for the learner is to design a rule to guide itself towards a solution in un-known scenarios (Mohri et al, 2012). In supervised learning the training set comprises of various ordered pairs like (a1, b1), (a2, b2), ...,(an, bn), where each ai is represents the set of measurements of a single example data point, and bi is the label for that data point. Consider an example where, a ai might be a group of five attributes for a cricket match, such as run-rate, wickets in hand, strike rate, fielding plan and individual performance. In such case the corresponding bi would be a classification of the game as a win or loose. Generally a testing data is comprises of data but without labels: (an+1, an+2... an+m). As discussed earlier, the target is to make an educated guess in the test set about win or loose by using the learning achieved in training set (Mohri et al, 2012). Supervised learning model and algorithm Following are the steps performed in order to solve a problem of Supervised Learning: Classifying the type of training set. Before proceeding further, an engineer must decide what type of training set he must use for his system. It could be a single unit, a group of it or a bunch of it (Rambhajani et al.,2015). Collect a set. The training set should model the real world entities, so a training set is gathered according. Along with this, possible outcomes are collected to form a set, either through experience or through some empirical measurements (Mohri et al, 2012). Ascertain the input predictive model of the educated function. Learned function's accuracy is directly dependent on the representation of the input. Basically, the input is converted to a feature vector, comprising of various features to model the object. The features should neither be too large in number to confuse the prediction nor should they be too small in number to strangle the decision-making capabilities (Mohri et al, 2012). Ascertain the model of the predictor function and the method employed. The choice may be any model of support vector machine, neural network, decision tree etc. Design finalization. Repetitive use of the carved out method to sharpen the accuracy. Some of the methods may require strengthening of a feature by practicing over a subset or through cross-referencing (Rambhajani et al.,2015). Calculate method's accuracy. Once the accuracy is achieved on the training set, the system must be presented with a test set to ascertain the final accuracy in real world scenario (Mohri et al, 2012). Figure 1: Supervised learning model The base step in supervised learning is handling the dataset. A subject matter expert could be employed to help with feature selection from a given data set. When a subject matter expert is not available then the second best method to ascertain the feature is "Brute Force" method, the use of empirical measurements, judging every possible scenario with all factors in mind and using statistical techniques for arriving at a conclusion, i.e. a feature. This method although is not applicable in all the cases like for a perfect induction, as in all of these cases this feature comprises of significant noise which is to be removed before final induction, thus creating a requirement of over-head pre-processing of the data set. The next step would deal with information preparation and pre-process to be used in Assisted Machine Learning (AML) (Rambhajani et al.,2015). There are various techniques available from several researchers to deal with missing data. Rambhajani et al.(2015), performed a survey and deducted a method to remove noise from the system. Zaremba et al (2016), have also deduced another method for noise removal and is used in several other systems. Konkol (2014), has made a comparative study on six different noise removal techniques by working over base data sets and using a hypothetical test data set (Rambhajani et al.,2015). Issues to be considered in supervised learning The main issues which are to be considered while designing the supervised learning method are as follows: Trade-off between the bias and the variance. Consider a scenario having different set of training data. In such scenario if the learning model tends to be biased to a particular variable y then while training on these data set the model gives incorrect prediction to the exact value for y. Similarly if the model has high variance for a input y then it predicts different output values for that variable for different training sets. Generally the prediction error of any learning model is sum of the bias and the variance of the model. Thus, there exists a tradeoff between the bias and the variance of the model. In case the learning model is too flexible in nature then it will make arrangements within the training data sets differently and thus shall exhibit high variance. The complexity of the function of the classifier and the relative quantity of the training data is the second issue. In case the function of the classifier is a simple function then it tends to be inflexible in nature and this result in the learning model having high bias and low variance values and thus shall be capable to learn from a very small quantity of the training data. On the other hand if the function is complex in nature than it requires high number of data set as the learning model shall be flexible with low bias and high variance making (Marsland, 2015). The dimensionality of the input space also poses challenges to the learning model. In case the input feature vectors comprise of high dimensions than it becomes difficult for the learning model to work upon as high dimensions causes the model to have high variances. Thus the input dimensions need to have low variances and high bias for correct learning model of the classifier (Marsland, 2015). Another issue which arises is the noise coming from the output values. In case the desired output values comprise of error due to human error or errors caused by sensors then the learning model should never try to compute a function that exactly matches the training examples. Doing such execution may lead to over fitting of the function (Marsland, 2015). Algorithm of supervised learning Supervised learning has attracted researchers and thus many types of efficient algorithms have been designed for supervised learning. Many of these algorithms have been used for wide range of applications like for classification of diseases and non-disease attributes, pattern recognition, speech recognition, etc (Ling et al, 2015; Nguyen et al ,2014; Marsland, 2015). Each algorithm of supervised learning has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Still, there exists no single algorithm that can be used on all supervised learning problem. Some of the popular supervised learning algorithms are as follows: Decision Trees: Decision trees classify the input instances by arranging the instances based on feature values and forms a tree like structure where the tree node represents the feature of the input instance which is to be classified and the branch of the tree signifies a value that can be assigned to the node vector. Classification of the input instances starts at the root node and these instances are arranged based on their assigned feature values (Karimi et al, 2011). Example: Figure 2: Decision tree and data In the figure above there is a decision tree for the data given in the table on the right side. In this example an input instance comprising of at1 with value a1 at2 with a2 etc. can be arranged and classified as a class of Yes or No (Kami?ski et al, 2017). Decision trees are widely used in the classification of input data as they are flexible to be used for wide range of classification problems. Generally, the tree path or the resulting set of the rules of the tree are mutually exclusive which makes each data of the input to be covered in a single rule. This enhances the accuracy of the predictive systems and makes them more scalable (Kami?ski et al, 2017). Nave Bayes Classifier: Nave Bayes classifier comes under the group of Bayesian network based classifier which is generally statistical learning algorithms (Huang et al, 2014). The Nave Bayes Classifier networks comprise of directed acyclic graphs where there is one parent which represents the un observed node and many children nodes representing the observed nodes. There is a sting assumption of independence among the children nodes (Archana et al, 2014). The Nave Bayes makes use of the Bayes theorem to calculate the probability by counting the value frequencies and the combination of values of the historical data (Cohen et al, 2014). The posterior probability is calculated using the Bayes formula as given below: Where, P (c|x) is the posterior probability of class (target) given predictor (attribute). P(c) is the prior probability of class. P (x|c) is the likelihood which is the probability of predictor given class. P(x) is the prior probability of predictor For example, the frequency table is given below with the likelihood table. Figure 3: Frequency table and likelihood table The posterior probability now can be calculated using the above equation and the class with the highest probability becomes the result of the prediction. The advantage of this method is that it requires a very small amount of input training data and is fast to predict the outcome. But the biggest challenge while using this method is that getting an independent set of predictors is not possible always in a real life situation (Ghahramani et al, 2015). K-Nearest Neighbor This method of the supervised learning algorithm is used for classification when there is no prior or very less information about the distribution of the input data. Thus, this method is a good choice where it is required to perform the discriminate analysis when the probability densities are unknown. The classification in this method is done on the majority of the k-nearest neighbor category (Hamid et al., 2010). The input is classified as a new object based on the training samples and the attributes. The classification uses majority vote for the classification of the k objects. For example, consider the given sample data: X1 X2 Result 7 7 NO 7 4 NO 3 4 Yes 1 4 Yes Table 1: sample table The values of the variables x1 and x2 drive the outcome for the data as Yes or No. Now suppose the input value of x1 and x2 are 4 and 7 respectively, then there is no need to perform a lengthy survey in such scenarios this method can be used and the nearest k value shall be the result of the given input and thus the outcome shall be yes (Michalski et al, 2013). Support Vector Machine Support Vector Machine model represents the examples as a point in a given space and these examples than are separated into classes by a clear gap or the hyper plane. The new instances of the examples are then mapped into the same input space and their classes are predicted such that they fall on the either side of the hyper plane (Karamizadeh et al, 2014). Thus, the hyper plane is used for classification and regression. Thus, Support Vector Machine is a linear binary classifier which first classifies the entire input into two categories divided by a wide gap of the hyper plane based on some function criteria. SVM has been widely used for classification as they are effective in high dimensional spaces, is memory efficient and versatile in nature for holding different kernel functions which can be used for decision making. The only challenge this method poses is the refinement to be done for multi variable classification which requires linear binary classifier to be executed recursive ly thereby consuming more time (Liu et al, 2012). Artificial neural network and Deep Learning: Supervised learning can be efficiently implemented using the artificial neural network algorithms like back propagation algorithm. Neural Networks are machine model of human neurons and have a set of weighted inputs. The neuron produces an output based on the threshold function. In the training phase, various combinations of input and weights are used to train the network to give an output. The error from the output obtained is used for learning via back propagation and thus the network gets trained from the error (LeCun et al, 2015).Deep artificial neural networks are a variant of neural networks which have become popular in pattern recognition and machine learning. In the deep Learning model, neural networks with many layers are trained in a layer wise manner. Each layer by learning enhances the quality of learning and the accuracy of the output and henceforth this is used in many applications like computer vision, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, natural language proce ssing etc (Ruslan et al. , 2012; Dalessandro, 2013). Today Deep learning has been implemented in various to products of the company like Microsoft, Google, and Apple for data analysis and natural language processing. Google Voice search and Apple Siri make use of Deep learning method for natural language processing and thus are able to recognize the spoken text (Vincent et al,2010). These applications learn from the user usage every time and thus enhance their quality over the time of their usage (Dahl et al. , 2012). Applications of supervised learning Supervised learning has been used for various applications. There are many algorithms for supervised learning and many of them have proven to be useful in various applications. Any researchers have successfully implemented applications which make use of supervised learning for prediction, for classification for recognition etc. The main popularity of the usage of the supervised learning algorithms is due to its simplicity and that it helps in the development of the application with the available input sets and expected output sets. This makes the automation process to be an easier one. Supervised learning has been used for pattern recognition, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, optical character recognition, image classification, data mining, knowledge mining, data and text classification, spam filtering, single filtering, intrusion detection system, automated systems for traffic lights, flight scheduling, congestion control systems, disease classification and prediction sy stems etc. Some of the notable works are given below Disease classification prediction Supervised learning can be used for diagnosis of any disease where the existing disease patterns and symptoms of the previously known patients are given as the training inputs. After the training is done the new set of inputs for prediction are supplied to the model and the model predicts the probability of the disease i.e. it is present or not (Jordan et al, 2015). It classifies the diseases in the given class of present or absent. Such work has been done for predicting diseases like Breast cancer, Diabetes, heart diseases etc (Yugowati et al ,2013). In a research by Vembandasamy et al. (2015), the authors used Nave Bayes supervised learning algorithm to predict the heart disease of the patients. The data set comprised of 500 patients and the classification of the data was done using 70 % rules. The system accuracy was 87%. Similarly, Iyer et al (2015), performed the prediction of diabetes diseases using decision tree and Nave Bayes classifier. Pattern Recognition Supervised learning algorithms can be used to classify different patterns of images, shapes, handwriting characters, etc. The model is trained with the existing set of input and output patterns after the training the model is used to classify the other trusted input pattern into the various classes identified in the training phase. Pattern recognition abilities have helped in the development of computer vision applications using supervised learning (Murty et al, 2011). Many applications have been devised and been successfully implemented which work on the supervised learning model for image processing and pattern recognition system. For example automated smartcard recharge system is able to recognize the dollars through pattern recognition of the dollars submitted to the machine. Many researchers have used algorithms like Neural networks, Nave Bayes, SVM, K-Means to classify and identify patterns of handwriting, speech images, shapes etc (Smith et al, 2011; Sharma et al, 2015). Intrusion detection: The signature of the intrusions and their consequences are given as the training input to a supervised model. Based on the learning the model then classifies the new set of inputs into intrusion category or safe category. In this way, the supervised learning helps in instruction detection applications. The supervised learning methods are also helping in detecting signatures of cyber-attacks and viruses for the networks. Many types of research have been carried out in this area using various algorithms like neural networks, SVM etc (Poojitha et al, 2010). Conclusion One of the main objectives of the machine learning process is to impart computer an ability to learn from the data or the past experiences and thereby help in solving problems of classification and prediction. Machine learning can be done in 3 different ways i.e. supervised learning, unsupervised learning and reinforcement learning. The main aim of the supervised learning method is to build a model based on the trained input classes and their predicted features. The result is a classifier which assigns a label to the tested class instances with eh class labels formed in the training phase. Supervised learning has proven to be one of the efficient and easier methods of machines learning and hence it is widely used in various applications like speech recognition, pattern recognition, computer vision, intrusion detection, medical diagnosis systems etc. Supervised learning algorithms are more powerful than the other machine learning model like the unsupervised method because in the super vised learning the training data availability provides clear criteria for the optimization of the model. References Alpaydin, E., (2014). Introduction to machine learning. MIT press. Alsheikh, M.A., Lin, S., Niyato, D. and Tan, H.P., (2014). Machine learning in wireless sensor networks: Algorithms, strategies, and applications. IEEE Communications Surveys Tutorials, 16(4), pp.1996-2018. Archana, S. and DR Elangovan, K. (2014) Survey of Classification Techniques in Data Mining. International Journal of Computer Science and Mobile Applications, 2, 65-71 Cohen, P.R., and Feigenbaum, E.A. eds., (2014). The handbook of artificial intelligence (Vol. 3). Butterworth-Heinemann. Dahl, G.; Yu, D.; Deng, L.; Acero, A. (2012). "Context-Dependent Pre-Trained Deep Neural Networks for Large-Vocabulary Speech Recognition". IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processing. 20 (1): 3042. Dalessandro, B., (2013). Bring the noise: Embracing randomness is the key to scaling up machine learning algorithms. Big Data, 1(2), pp.110-112. Deng, H.; Runger, G.; Tuv, E. (2011). The bias of important measures for multivalued attributes and solutions. Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN). Ghahramani, Z., (2015). Probabilistic machine learning and artificial intelligence. Nature, 521(7553), p.452. Hamid, P, Alizadeh, H., and Minati, B. (2010). A Modification on K-Nearest Neighbor Classifier, Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology, Vol. 10, No. 14 (Ver.1.0), pp. 37-41. Huang, G., Huang, G.B., Song, S. and You, K., (2015). Trends in extreme learning machines: A review. Neural Networks, 61, pp.32-48. Huang, G., Song, S., Gupta, J.N. and Wu, C., (2014). Semi-supervised and unsupervised extreme learning machines. IEEE transactions on cybernetics, 44(12), pp.2405-2417. Iyer, A., Jeyalatha, S. and Sumbaly, R. (2015) Diagnosis of Diabetes Using Classification Mining Techniques. International Journal of Data Mining Knowledge Management Process (IJDKP), 5, 1-14. Jordan, M.I., and Mitchell, T.M., (2015). Machine learning: Trends, perspectives, and prospects. Science, 349(6245), pp.255-260. Kami?ski, B.; Jakubczyk, M.; Szufel, P. (2017). "A framework for sensitivity analysis of decision trees". Central European Journal of Operations Research. doi:10.1007/s10100-017-0479-6 Karamizadeh, S., Abdullah, S.M., Halimi, M., Shayan, J. and Rajabi, M.J. (2014) Advantage and Drawback of Support Vector Machine Functionality. 2014 IEEE International Conference on Computer, Communication and Control Technology (I4CT), Langkawi, 2-4 September 2014, 64-65 Karimi, K. and Hamilton, H.J. (2011). "Generation and Interpretation of Temporal Decision Rules", International Journal of Computer Information Systems and Industrial Management Applications, Volume 3. Konkol, M., (2014),. Brainy: A machine learning library. In International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing (pp. 490-499). Springer, Cham. LeCun, Y., Bengio, Y. and Hinton, G., (2015). Deep learning. Nature, 521(7553), pp.436-444. Ling, J. and Templeton, J., (2015). Evaluation of machine learning algorithms for prediction of regions of high Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes uncertainty. Physics of Fluids, 27(8), p.085103. Liu, X. Y., Gao, C. H.and P. Li, (2012). A comparative analysis of support vector machines and extreme learning machines, Neural Network., vol. 33, pp. 5866. Marsland, S., (2015). Machine learning: an algorithmic perspective. CRC press. Michalski, R.S., Carbonell, J.G. and Mitchell, T.M. eds., (2013). Machine learning: An artificial intelligence approach. Springer Science Business Media. Mohri, M, Rostamizadeh, A., Talwalkar, A. (2012). Foundations of Machine Learning. USA, Massachusetts: MIT Press. ISBN 9780262018258. Murty, N.M.; Susheela Devi, V. (2011). Pattern Recognition: An Algorithmic Approach. ISBN 0857294946. Nguyen, D.H., and Patrick, J.D.,( 2014). Supervised machine learning and active learning in the classification of radiology reports. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 21(5), pp.893-901. Poojitha, G. Kumar, K. N., and Reddy, P.J. (2010). Intrusion Detection Using Artificial Neural Network, International Conference on Computing Communication and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT), pp. 1-7. Rambhajani, M., Deepanker, W. and Pathak, N. (2015). A Survey on Implementation of Machine Learning Techniques for Dermatology Diseases Classification. International Journal of Advances in Engineering Technology, 8, 194-195. Ruslan, S, Joshua, T., (2012). "Learning with Hierarchical-Deep Models". IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence. 35: 195871. doi:10.1109/TPAMI.2012.269 Sharma, P. and Kaur, M. (2013) Classification in Pattern Recognition: A Review. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, 3, 298. Singh, Y., Bhatia, P.K., and Sangwan, O. (2007). A Review of Studies on Machine Learning Techniques. International Journal of Computer Science and Security, 1, 70-84. Smith, M.R, and Martinez, T. (2011). "Improving Classification Accuracy by Identifying and Removing Instances that Should Be Misclassified". Proceedings of International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2011). pp. 26902697. Vembandasamy, K., Sasipriya, R. and Deepa, E. (2015). Heart Diseases Detection Using Naive Bayes Algorithm. IJISET-International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering Technology, 2, 441-444. Vincent, P, Larochelle, H, Lajoie, I, Bengio, Y, Manzagol, P.(2010). "Stacked Denoising Autoencoders: Learning Useful Representations in a Deep Network with a Local Denoising Criterion". The Journal of Machine Learning Research. 11: 33713408. Wenger, E., (2014). Artificial intelligence and tutoring systems: computational and cognitive approaches to the communication of knowledge. Morgan Kaufmann. Witten, I.H., Frank, E., Hall, M.A. and Pal, C.J., (2016). Data Mining: Practical machine learning tools and techniques. Morgan Kaufmann. Xia, R., Pan, Y., Lai, H., Liu, C. and Yan, S., (2014). Supervised Hashing for Image Retrieval via Image Representation Learning. In AAAI (Vol. 1, pp. 2156-2162). Yugowati P, Shaou-Gang, M. Wee,H. 92013). Supervised learning approaches and feature selection - a case study in diabetes, International Journal of Data Analysis Techniques and Strategies 2013 - Vol. 5, No.3 pp. 323 337 Zaremba, W., Mikolov, T., Joulin, A. and Fergus, R., (2016). Learning simple algorithms from examples. In International Conference on Machine Learning (pp. 421-429). Zhang, J, Zhan, Z., Lin, Y., Chen, N, Gong, Y; Jing-hui, Z. Chung, H, Li, Yun; Shi, Yu-hui (2011). "Evolutionary Computation Meets Machine Learning: A Survey" (PDF). Computational Intelligence Magazine. IEEE. 6 (4): 6875.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Technological Generations of Mobile Communications

Introduction The distinct life of the mobile communications has taken different phases. This can be traced from the 1G to the most rest 4G. G, 2G, 3G and 4G are a wireless phone or a cellular phone standard way of classification based on generations/ cellular phone evolution. This paper is a critical comparison of all these technological generations with an aim of tracking the trend that is followed in the developments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technological Generations of Mobile Communications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Grandpa and Grandma 1G Grandpa and Grandma 1G was the very first generation of wireless technology that originated around 1980’s. The cellular phones of this time were big in size (handbag phones) and used a high power voltage. Communication in the first generation cellular phones was enhanced by use of analog radio waves/ signals; use of radio antennas (a radio transmitter on one end and receiver on the other end. Analogue technology could only accommodate voice communication the passing of analogue signals. While this was the best technological developments at the time, it had a couple of limitations. The first generation wireless technology covered a relatively small area. Communication was only possible between parties of the same nation/within a nation’s boundary’s/ within the grounds of a particular nation (Fendelman). This first generation wireless technology supports only one way communication at a time. For instance the intended recipient has to be calm till the sender finishes talking then he/she can begin answering incase he/she speaks before then, his/her message won’t be delivered. All the above services are possible through a technology that interprets voice calls called circuit switching -Circuit switching is easily distorted by a simple physical noise thus destroying the quality of a conversation. All these limitation s lead the players in the industry to look for more advanced technology which could fill the loopholes in communication (News from Rohde and Schwarz, 2002). 2G – The second generation of the wireless digital technology 1G was later thrown out/replaced by 2G that came with greater and better technological benefits like the additional data services. At this level people could send text messages on top of the voice communication they initially had. The radio signals were digital and the conversations digitally encrypted unlike the initial analog. This therefore allowed the mobile phone services to be passed over a wider area (great service penetration levels).The wireless digital network use brings more voice clarity to the conversation being carried out.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This enhanced intercontinental communications, more privacy in communication as wel l as storage of communication. The messages sent through this technology could easily be referred to later. The second generation phones are however, costly compared to the first generation wireless cellular phones. Unlike the first wireless technology where communications were only possible within a nation, 2G ventures into a wide area in terms of service coverage area due to the additional roaming facility. 3G – The third wireless telephone / cellular phone generation The second generation is however overthrown by this third cellular phone evolution which uses a wide band width. This big band width in turn came with a more clear voice communication that is almost perfect (very minimal distractions and cases of eavesdropping- a situation where the signals sent are lost to the surrounding environment). Communication in this case is possible through a technology packet switching; a situation where data is addressed like the IP addressing then sent over and on reaching its dest ination, its again recollects in the order sent then decoded/ interconnected to have the conversation (News from Rohde and Schwarz, 2002).. 3G wireless services are widely spread and now almost in all parts of the world. 3G has an added advantage of the global roaming facility which allows communication across the world. One can send text messages, video conference, and chat, download 3dimentional games, and talk to any one and anywhere in this world without distractions like they are having real conversation (News from Rohde and Schwarz , 2002). 3G uses a higher band width also a wide band voice channel compared to the 1G and 2G generations which greatly attributes to high voice clarity and people can talk without any disturbance or with very minimal distractions. There is an additional multimedia facility brought about by this third generation cellular phones like very fast communication (conversations and text messaging), video conferencing (hold video meetings with people in dif ferent locations), internet (surfing/browsing/online chatting), mobile television (watch television’s favorite programs on phone), video calls (like Skye), multi media messaging service (MMS) (sharing of photos and music), etc are now available on 3G phones (Arshad, Farooq, Shah, 2010)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Technological Generations of Mobile Communications specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The 3G phones are costly compared to the first and second wireless cellular phone generation. Currently 3G is widely in use. Almost everyone is moving or has moved to 3G technology for its interesting features and high speed wireless service. Despite the numerous advantages to using this kind of phone and very interesting features, 3G wireless telephones however have short battery life compared to the second and first generation phones. Thus the use of this technology is dependent on the proximity to power sup ply. In remote areas thus, persons are forced to use less advanced technologies to avoid frustrations. However, some wireless technology users use both technologies concurrently (Arshad, Farooq, Shah, 2010). 3G technology is usually common for users who depend on the wireless communication in internetworking. Most of the service providers carry out promotional advertisements encouraging users to use the technology based on its speed and coverage. 4G – The fourth generation wireless telephones / cellular phone service also known as a complete 3G replacement. 4G operates more like 3G much as it is a step up from 3G. It appears to operate in a hopeful state, like providing its clients with very speedy wireless services. Being the new born baby this fourth generation wireless technology is availed in limited places/areas. It’s not widely spread and only in use in very few regions like Japan. 4G is anticipated and designed to deliver very high speed internet and generally h igh wireless services. Also a high network capacity-allowing more people to operate/ access its resources simultaneously (Fendelman,). They too have the multimedia added feature but with very clear voice and video output compared to the initial generations just like the normal television. The fourth generation cellular phones are damn expensive (high cost) compared to the previous generations. The costs mentioned here are the installation costs. However, the technological requires less maintenance costs. Similarities All the above mentioned technologies are wireless technologies. They all are able to pass/enhance analog communication. They all can pass voice communications. The first and Second generation covers a relatively small area in terms of geographical boundaries. Each of the technological development has come with increased area coverage than the preceding development.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Both the first and Second generation use a narrow band width, while the third and fourth generation uses wide band width. Both 1G and 2G deal/ are good in voice calls and in the process need to utilize the maximum bandwidth provided (Ashiho, 2003) Conclusion The technological development in the wireless communication has grown from one phase to another. As each phase is introduced, it leads to changes in other industries that depend on this technology for communication and other purposes. It is paramount to note that each of the above technologies has its own specifications. Thus, there is always a need for any firm to have a technician who shall introduce the members of the institutions on how to operate the different technological developments. The ability of a firm to use the most modern technology is for its advantage as this leads to less maintenance costs. The only additional costs in the generational growth are the initial installation costs (Ashiho, 2003). The developments t hat have been discussed in this paper have been enhanced by various firms and individuals. The need for the improvements has always rendered the players in the wireless communication busy with efforts of improving each of the development. While the current technology is viewed by many as perfect, it is expected that a need will arise for the provision of services that it does not offer. Thus, it is arguable to conclude that the development in the wireless communication cannot be optimum. References Arshad, j., Farooq, A., Shah, A., (2010) Evolution and Development Towards 4th Generation (4G) Mobile Communication Systems. Web. Ashiho, L. S. (2003). Mobile Technology: Evolution from 1G to 4G. Web. Fendelman, A. (n.d). Cell Phone Glossary: What is 1G vs. 2G vs. 2.5G vs. 3G vs. 4G? Web. News from Rohde and Schwarz (2002). Measuring the Acoustic Characteristics of 3G Mobile Phones. Web. Peter, K. (n.d). Analysis and Comparison of 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G Telecom Services. Web. This essay on Technological Generations of Mobile Communications was written and submitted by user Warbound to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

A Glimpse Into the Mind of a Madman essays

A Glimpse Into the Mind of a Madman essays A Glympse Into the World of a Mad Man On the first page of his book about the Manson Family murders Vincent Bugliosi warns, "the story in which you are about to read will scare the Hell out of you" (Bugliosi 1). This statement could not be more true. There have been many mass murders and serial killers throughout history, none however, have been as sick and twisted as Charles Manson. From 1969 until 1971 his was the story that captivated the nation. Manson and his followers committed a spree of murders which shocked the world and left everyone Charles Manson was born November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Manson never knew his father and never had a real father figure; he was the illegitimate child of a promiscuous sixteen year-old, Kathleen Maddox. Maddox would leave for days and weeks at a time, leaving young Charlie with his grandparents and aunt. Once she even sold him for a pitcher of beer. Charlie and his mother were eating at a cafe one afternoon when their waitress jokingly offered to buy Charlie. His mother replied, "a pitcher of beer and he's yours." The waitress brought the beer and Manson was left behind in the cafe. Charlie's uncle found him several days later and brought him home (Bardsley). After growing up in an environment like this, it is not hard to see why Manson may have turned out the way he did. At age nine, Charlie was caught stealing and sent to reform school. From then until present Manson has spent the vast majority of his sixty-seven years on Earth in some sort of reformatory, for crimes ranging from stealing and robbing to pimping and killing (Bardsley). For the next several years Charlie was in and out of prison, mostly for petty crimes. When he was released from prison in 1967 he went to San Francisco and fell in with the hippie scene. There, Manson began to attract an almost cult following. He used LSD and marijuana to brainwash these fol...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How does Shakespeare present Iago as a tragic villain in Act 1 Essay Example

How does Shakespeare present Iago as a tragic villain in Act 1 Essay Example How does Shakespeare present Iago as a tragic villain in Act 1 Paper How does Shakespeare present Iago as a tragic villain in Act 1 Paper Essay Topic: Literature Shakespeares Iago is the antagonist of Othello but what makes him tragic is an enigma as he is reticent and seems motiveless. However, Shakespeare prints three possible motives into the play that present him as tragic. Iago is a Machiavellian villain as was Macbeth in Macbeth, written two years after Othello, and A.C. Bradley notes how Italian villainy was prevalent in Shakespeares time1. Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher and political adviser. One of his most famous works is The Prince that outlines how a monarch should gain control by deceiving his opponent as an ally. Iago says he will follow Othello only to serve my turn upon him2 in that he may achieve his revenge. He is also a character built on amorality. A.C. Bradley says that he is a psychological impossibility and a product of imperfect observation3 but if he were to be perceived as amoral then his behaviour and scheming may be explained due to him being psychotic there was little knowledge of psychotic behaviour in the 16th century and insanity was diagnosed by religious leaders as being influenced by the devil which Iago is realized to be in Act five, scene two by the other characters: I look down towards his feet; but thats a fable. If that you best a devil, I cannot kill thee. I bleed, sir; but not killed. The feet signify the devils hooves and the mere wound Othello deals Iago acts as evidence that Iago is the devil. The word fable also recognises the story that Iago has conjured up that has hid his true identity. The first motive is that he wants revenge on Othello and Cassio for preventing his promotion as he is worth no worse a place the first indication that he sees himself as above others. He is snide about how Cassio is an arithmetician that never set a squadron in the field, which illustrates how better equipped he is for the position and how Cassio is: A fellow almost damned in a fair wife. The word damned indicates how malevolent an act he sees making a man into a cuckold which may insinuate a tragic past. Secondly, Iagos villainy may sprout from racial prejudice, as it was unusual to have a black hero in Shakespeares time. When shouting at Brabantios window he distinguishes between Desdemona and Othellos colour and denotes how primitive he finds their sexual relationship using animal imagery: an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. In his soliloquy at the end of act one, scene three, he accuses Desdemona of only being interested with Othellos body: when she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice. The rationale behind Iagos disdain for Othello is that he sees him as an animal. Iagos egoistic personality insists his dislike towards animals, as they are seen as inferior in intelligence and will as they rely on primitive, innate drives: Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies. This line is spoken in reference to when Roderigo expresses how he wishes to drown himself and Iago can only insist that an inferior being is more worth death. The word blind also suggests the idea that they are useless, thus pointless, which makes them eligible for death in preservation of his self. He also, already, has a preconceived view of Othello as he claims that These Moors are changeable in their will implying that all Moors are the same just as animals are and so the comparison to animals is the source of Iagos racism. What is also notable about Iago is that he speaks to Othello in verse but prose to Roderigo, which shows how he is a sycophant but also as his rhetoric usage is superseded by Othellos he feels he is forever in Othellos shadow. Another source for his hate. Lastly, and most importantly, Iagos third possible motive for delivering vengeance upon Othello is that Othello made a cuckold of him by sleeping with Emilia. Iago proclaims this in Act one, scene three: I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets Hes done my office. He is even unsure of whether it is true but the thought infuriates him so much that he decides that the idea is as worthy of being revenged as if it were true: I know not ift be true But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety. The idea of Emila having an affair with Othello may be what prompted him to assume that Desdemonas interest in him was purely sexual and so we begin to see how Shakespeare has created a tragic villain as he is drawing from his own misfortune and jealousy to fulfil his prophesy of revenge. It may even be a misconception that Emilia and Othello have had an affair as there is no further evidence that this is true and we, the audience, do not know what has stirred this possibility in Iagos mind another aspect of him that creates the villainous image as we do not know what he is thinking: It is absolutely certain that Othello appointed Cassio his Lieutenant, and nothing else is absolutely certain. If what he says is true, however, and if the audience could understand the possibility of this truth, then this would evoke a strong sense of pity as we could then see that he is almost the victim of the play and a victim from his own thoughts our raging motions, our carnal strings, raging and carnal suggest how angry and disturbed he is. Through the possibility of this motive we can understand the volume of his jealousy that makes him tragic: It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. In Act three, scene three, Iago speaks this line as advice to Othello but it is possible that Shakespeare uses this technique to express Iagos pain in a safe way without damaging his ego by disguising it as advising anothers pain; guidance as opposed to confession. The meat it feeds on could quite literally be his meat and sense of self, which has now reduced him to insecurity. More likely than him feeling hurt by the betrayal of his wife is his sense of self through ownership and possession of Emilia that has been stolen from him. On the other hand, when he stabs Emilia he exclaims Villainous whore! This display of passion shows how it has tormented him. In Act five, scene two, Iagos insecurities remain sheathed by his reticent nature as he says: What you know, you Know. From this time forth I never will speak word. He chooses these words because he is unsure to what extent he has been right about Emilia and Othello. In the first act Iago places a large emphasis on being a cuckold so for him to become one is the greatest insult of all. He kills Emilia without hesitation but the possibility that she had not made a cuckold of him would of truly damaged his great pride, his self assurance; it would challenge many of his amoral beliefs. To express his claims and be wrong would completely destroy his mind so he remains silent which suggests his insecurity and inner turmoil. Iagos phrase defeat thy favour with a usurped beard means to reinstall manly hood, which may be another means of defining him as tragic as his fragile mind in a patriarchal world leads him to the assumption that maybe this is how he should react, to be a man by domineering the situation: a possible way of Shakespeare illustrating mens true powerlessness from a demanding patriarchy in terms of what makes manly behaviour. From this, we can see that Iago wanted to make Othello suffer the same strength of jealousy as he has done to him. This may not fit Hegels idea of tragic collision but each character certainly has been negating and damaging [the] power of the other5. They may not be suffering each others guilt but they do cause one another to suffer jealousy. Othellos (possible) misdeed negates the power Iago has over his mind and Iago avenges this by reciprocating. Iago is a tragic villain in that he has had to suffer and through his amoral conscience and egoistic nature he has become consumed by the loss of trust in his love. The line tis in ourselves suggests that he accepts who he has become and the line permission of the will validates that he is amoral and that he recognises he is significantly different from others in the way that he thinks: I never found a man who knew how to love himself This implies that he is this man and Aristotle would agree that he is true to life and yet more beautiful.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Write a letter of complain to a local newspaper Essay

Write a letter of complain to a local newspaper - Essay Example It is not even clear whether he had made indecent images of children out of the material already available in the Internet, or whether he has taken indecent photos/videos of children and used it as pornography. If this was the case, it remains to be seen whether he could be charged of pedophilia as well, after analyzing the extent to which the images reflect his psychological disposition. After the first two sentences which refer vaguely to the incidents which could have led to the Fire Chief’s resignation, the article sticks to the official version of the event. It is obvious that the persons who are in charge of the investigation are trying to save the convict’s face. The stress on the phrase â€Å"personal reasons† when explaining his resignation shows the ambiguity that runs through the report. It is evident that there is a lot of pressure from high offices to suppress the matter as much as possible, though it has become inevitable to report the untimely resignation of some at a very reputable position. Quite paradoxically, the news that is supposed to deface the Fire Chief has ended up being a paean to his glorious years of service and the accolades and praise he has received. Genuine readers could wonder whether this is a newspaper report about the Fire Chief who had to quit his job after serious charges of pornography, or a transcript of s ome speech given during his retirement. It seems highly probable that the newspaper has just made use of the material that they had already prepared as a note on his retirement, or, forgive my saying this, as an obituary. Such is the carelessness with which the whole affair has been treated that there is no relation between the headline and the article, except for the first two sentences and the wild guesses that the readers are prompted to make. I am in fact disturbed by the double standards newspapers in general show towards issues

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Family Interview project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Interview project - Essay Example The eldest son is going to a preparatory school, the youngest is just a year and a half old. They are living in a middle-class subdivision. The relationship of the father between the two children is not any different with each other. He treats the eldest the same way he treats the youngest though he and the eldest son know that he is a stepdad. It has not been very difficult for them to establish a relationship since the eldest son was just young and there is no other prominent father figure present in his life. Their family is a picture of a happy one. Though there are the normal arguments and discussions between the couple and the between parent and child, there isn’t any inkling, if you’re a stranger looking at them, that they are a remarried family. The mother transitioned from being a single parent to a remarried parent. She has been a single parent for two years before she remarried and introduced her new husband to their family. Being a single parent, I was able to identify with her since I am mothering two children alone. This became the focus of our conversation, wherein she told me stories of the difficulties and perks of being a single parent and a remarried parent. It wasn’t that hard to introduce the new father since there was no prominent father figure prior him. The hard part was her adjustment to a new life with a man leading the house since she was used to being the head of the family. The once â€Å"her rules† became â€Å"his rules† or â€Å"his and her rules.† Eventually though, since her firstborn, being very young, easily adapted to situation, she was able to adapt to fairly quick. She is glad, she says, that she has found a partner that can help her raise her children and help them development mentally and socially since being alone sometimes gets too stressful because she has no one to share the tasks and responsibilities with. From a single parent family,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Development of Civilization Essay Example for Free

The Development of Civilization Essay The focal point of this paper is to provide an introduction to The Great Gatsby by the noted American author of the post first world war era F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby can be enumerated as a novel that is a landmark of American literature. This 240 page novel published in April 10, 1925 by the noted publisher of the time Charles Scribners Sons is an epic story set in the background of Long Island and New York City depicts the incidents of 1922 summer. According to Francis Scott Fitzgerald this novel is basically a chronicle of an era that could be enumerated as Jazz Age. (Lamb, 385, 3) The major concern of this paper would be directed towards itemizing the backdrop of the era that the novel is set in. Alongside it would be analyzed how the background and bringing up of the author Francis Scott Fitzgerald influenced the setting and texture of the novel The Great Gatsby. It would also place a well documented approach towards the application of philosophy of the era and the insights of the characters pursuing the ‘American Dream’ with their social and emotional perspectives. The paper would also may attention towards the economic boom of the 1920’s and possible outcome of this fiscal development of the entire nation on the psyche of the novel. Additional attention would also be placed on the Eighteenth Amendment that enforced the provision of alcohol consumption thereby enhancing black market trade and organized crime. It can be enumerated that this paper would result in a comprehensive analysis of the novel The Great Gatsby by the author Francis Scott Fitzgerald and it would yield results of measures taken in a different shades of colors. Reference: Lamb, Davis. Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata. National Book Trust. 2004.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Gender Roles and Marriage in The Proposal by Chekhov and Country Lovers

In the following essay I will compare and contrast gender roles and marriage between â€Å"The Proposal† by Anton Chekhov and â€Å"Country Lovers† by Nadine Gordimer to showing how women tried to survive in controlling their identity. This essay will compare and contrast each of the characters used by two very different writers. The early 1900’s era was not kind to people in their struggle for what they tried to accomplish with their lives. Nadine Gordimer was born 1923 in Africa. She was against the opposition that the black people of Africa had to face and stressed this issue in her writings. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1991. Anton Chekhov was also famous for Russia’s Pushkin Prize in 1888 and like Gordimer, he also wrote many short stories but sometimes ventured out into theater with several plays. Both writers lived abroad sharing the use of conflict in their writings such as unrealistic expectations, endowment and social status. They used symbolism more as a contrast instead of a comparison, but compared lower class to higher class status for each of their characters in the two short stories that will be featured in this paper. In the article written by Gordimer that is titled â€Å"Twenty-one Years Later she states that â€Å"since 1980 other media have taken over from the printed word as the most powerful means of free expression. I remain as totally opposed to censorship as ever, but I am in a quandary when I touch the wrong button on television set and find I’m confronted with a couple making Shakespeare’s ‘beast with two backs’ in a truly beastly and violent sexual display that certainly could frighten any of the many children left to amuse themselves playing the channel keyboard of television. I’m more co... ...p107, 2 p. Contemporary Review Company, Ltd. Gordimer, N., 2001 Twenty-One Years Later, Biography, spring, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p. 277, 2 p. Kenyon, O., 1989 Women Writers Talk, Carroll & Graf Publishers, ISBN-10: 0881847054. Miller, R., 2008 Sweat. February 8, Collins Harper, Retrieved Website:http://www.zoranealehurston.com. Ritchi, D., 2003 Doing Oral History, New York: O U P. Seyhan, A., 2001 Writing Outside the Nation, U K: Princeton University Press. Singh, G., & Kumari, D., 2011 History Revisited in Oral History by Nadine Gordimer, Language in India, February, Vol. 11 Issue 2, p 296-303, 8 p. Trump, M., 1986 The Short Fiction of Nadine Gordimer, Research in African Literatures, Fall, Vol. 17, Issue 3, p 341-369, 2 p. Winkelmann, J., 2002 â€Å"Restless Legs† in â€Å"The Wedding Proposal†, Acta Neurologica Scandinavia, April, Vol. 105 (4), p. 349-350.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Unity in diversity Essay

Unity in diversity is easy to talk but impossible to achieve in a country like India. India is secular country meaning in India every single religion has equal rights. With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976,[3] the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. However, neither India’s constitution nor its laws define the relationship between religion and state. In spite of secularism India is lacking in â€Å"Unity†. Unity means the state of being united or joined as a whole. Unity in diversity is a concept of â€Å"Unity without uniformity and diversity without fragmentation†. In India there are a vast no. of diversities i.e. Physical Diversities, Racial Diversities, Linguistic Diversities and the main Religious Diversities. In India, there are people of different physique like some are small whereas some are tall, some are black and some are white, etc. India is a subcontinent where in early times a lot of different races came and get settled like Aryans and Persians. decrease In India, people spoke 780 different types of languages making it one of the most linguistic country. India is a land of multiple religions. We find here followers of various faiths, particularly of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. But, the thing because of which it is merely impossible for India to Unite is the thinking of the people of different religions. In Hinduism, the cow is regarded as a sacred animal and killing of cow is treated as anti-Hindu. On the other hand, in Islam there is no such thing as cow being sacred and therefore becoming anti-Hindu. This thing in turn makes both Hindus and Muslims enemy. And where there is enmity, there is no unity. On the other hand, there are many fights over the topic â€Å"Sacred Religion†. Hindu thinks their religion is more sacred than Islam whereas Muslims thinks their religion is more sacred than Hinduism. This thinking starts the conflict between Hindu and Muslims. Not only this when there were some chances of people of the same religion coming in Unity. People started caste system. According to caste system, Indian society is divided into three castes: General, OBC (other backward castes), SC (scheduled caste). This also helps diversity to spread in India, by dividing The people of the same religion. For India to become united, I think first of all caste system should be abolished. Indians should take lessons from Indian past where a Catholic lady steps aside from becoming a Prime Minister for a Sikh †¦ and where a Sikh is sworn in as a Prime  Minister by a Muslim President †¦ to govern a nation of over 80% Hindus. In the end I would say that we must think ourselves as human and respect each other. Only then we will be able to achieve Unity.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Do You Agree That Progress Is Always Positive? Essay

â€Å"Progress† is usually thought of as a positive thing. When people say, â€Å"He has made some progress,† others perceive it as a positive concept. Most of the [1] times, progress is positive, and positive progress can benefit one in many different ways. [2] But there are times when progress can also be harmful and [3] give negative effects. Thus, it will be [4] safest to say that [5] progress is [6] a â€Å"challenge.† One’s progress can promote numerous [7] salutations. It could provide guiding principles by letting one acknowledge new ideas [8], thus making him/her more informed and intelligent, and progress can also provide more opportunities [9]. [10] This opportunity is noticed usually when someone [11] achieve some progress [12] and his intending to stretch out more. Thus stepping forward and making progress might [13] sound always promotive and safe. [14] But let’s examine the situations when progress can [15] work counterly and become negative. â€Å"Making progress† can be [16] reiterated as stepping forward. [17] But who said that one will always profit out of stepping forward? Sometime [18] taking progress can [19] be miserable. [20] Think of case when people in stock markets take a challenge and make a progress. [21] Nobody knows what the outcome will [22] look like and many times [23] they lose most of their money. [24] So progress [25] can be positive, but [26] also [27] negative [28] ; just like flipping a coin. The main theme of the novel, â€Å"Father of the Fathers† by Bernard Weber gives a perfect example of misguided progress. Although the main character [29] search for the â€Å"missing link† of human evolution, every time he [30] progressed to grasp something new, he [31] continued to fall deeply into â€Å"missing link: and [32] become more and more confused. Finally he [33] finds out that [34] present human is the missing link and [35] it [36] is never understandable, he gives up. Therefore, [37] groping progress can sometimes [38] informative and positive, [39] it could also be disastrous and misguiding. [40] Conclusively, progress is not always [41] a positive action. It could certainly be informative, salubrious, and [42] providing opportunities, but it could also be miserable, misguiding, and even harmful. Therefore, [43] taking a progress is a challenge. [44] If progress is always positive, whey doesn’t everyone progress at any time?

Friday, November 8, 2019

The eNotes Blog Why Children Make the BestScientists

Why Children Make the BestScientists The intersection of science and play. We are taught from a young age that authority in any academic realm must be allocated to adults onlyor more specifically grey haired men in tweed jackets staring down their noses at us from in front of a chalkboard or behind a cluttered desk. But when we think about the fundamentals of Science, a field that in its research requires constant questioning and experimentation, who better to contribute to its innovation than the naturally curious? In his TED talk above, neuroscientist Beau Lotto tells why children make the best scientists. Evolutions solution to uncertainty is play Play is the only human endeavor where uncertainty is celebrated. When you add rules to play, you have a game. And thats what an experiment isa game Armed with these two ideas that science is a way of being and experiments are play, we asked, Can anyone become a scientist? And who better to ask than twenty-five 8-10 year old children? Because theyre experts in play. With this idea in mind, Lotto turned to a primary school in Devon, England, to create a program in which children would be given the opportunity to act as scientists. He was granted no funding for this idea, as scientists said children couldnt make a strong contribution to science, and teachers said kids couldnt do it. Teachers, if you can believe it, had no faith in the capabilities of young people. Lotto went through with it anyway. His first step in the program was to have the students ask questions. The results? Five of the questions the students came up with were questions that were the basis of science publication in the last 5-15 years. They were asking questions that were significant to expert scientists. This gave Lotto and his colleagues the impetus to turn the group of children into full-fledged scientists, an idea that amazingly resulted in the peer-reviewed publication of 10-year old Amy OTooles science paper. She joins Lotto onstage to describe the inspiring journey from early hypothesis to academic acceptance. I strongly suggest you watch this video, if not to be inspired by the true capabilities of children (despite the misgivings of teachers, scientists, and most adults), then to rethink how good scientific thought requires our embrace of uncertainty.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

What Is CBNA on My Credit Report CBNA Definition Explained

What Is CBNA on My Credit Report CBNA Definition Explained SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you recently had the name "CBNA" appear on your credit report and are unsure what it means? If so, you’re not alone. Many consumers have had hard pulls on their credit report from CBNA, which most commonly refers to Citibank North America, but can also refer to the Credit Bureau of North America, Community Bank, N.A., or Comenity Bank. In this article, I’ll talk about what seeing CBNA on your credit card means, what each of the companies associated with the acronym CBNA are, and what you should do if you find something unexpected on your credit card. What Is CBNA On My Credit Report? An unexpected inquiry on your credit card can be stressful and lead to many questions. Where did the inquiry come from? Does an unexplained inquiry mean my identity has been stolen? Will this inquiry hurt my credit score? One of the most confusing inquiries on credit reports is for CBNA. CBNA mainly refers to Citibank North America, which is a major consumer and business banking institution in the United States. If you see the letters CBNA on your credit report, that means that Citibank has pulled a credit inquiry on you. When a bank or credit card company pulls a hard credit inquiry on you, that means the potential lender is reviewing your credit because you’ve applied for credit with them. Hard credit inquiries happen when you’re applying for things like a credit card, mortgage, or car loan. Hard credit inquiries do adversely affect your credit report. For most consumers, a hard credit inquiry will take less than five points off their reports. If you only have a few credit accounts or a short credit history, however, a credit inquiry may hurt your credit score more. Having many hard credit inquiries in a short space of time will also hurt your credit score. If you’ve got an inquiry from CBNA on your credit report and you’ve applied for a CBNA credit card or loan, you shouldn’t worry. Hard credit inquiries are a part of the process that comes with applying for a new credit account. You can write to the institution to ask them to remove the credit inquiry from your report, but they won't always do so, especially if the inquiry isn't fraudulent. If you see the letters CBNA on your credit card and you haven’t applied for an account with a CBNA institution, you should take steps to protect your identity. I’ll explain the other institutions associated with CBNA in the next section, as well as what to do when you’ve got an unexplained inquiry on your account. What Else Does CBNA Stand For? While Citibank North America is the most common institution that uses the CBNA acronym on credit reports, there are several others. #1: Credit Bureau of North America: CBNA may stand for Credit Bureau of North America, which is a debt collection agency. If you’ve got an open account with the Credit Bureau of North America, that means that you have an unpaid debt that they’re attempting to collect. You should attempt to settle your debt by paying it off. The best way to do this is to negotiate a pay for delete agreement with CBNA that says that CBNA will remove their information from your credit report once you’ve paid the debt. #2: Community Bank, N.A.: CBNA may also stand for Community Bank, N.A., which is a small local bank that offers personal and business banking in New York and Pennsylvania. If you’ve got a credit inquiry from Community Bank, N.A., you may have applied for a credit line or loan there. #3: Comenity Bank: Comenity Bank is a bank that manages credit cards mainly associated with stores and brands such as Victoria’s Secret or Gamestop. If you’ve applied for a credit card recently at a store, you may see an inquiry from CBNA on your credit report. What To Do If You’ve Got Something Unexpected on Your Credit Report If you’ve got an unexpected inquiry on your credit report that doesn’t match any of your recent credit activity, you should take steps to protect your identity. Start with these five steps to make sure your identity is secure. #1: Contact the Company That Made the Inquiry The first thing to do is to contact the company that made the inquiry. Call the company associated with the inquiry and ask them to prove that it was you that triggered the inquiry. If they can’t, then you can ask the company to notify the three major credit bureaus to remove the inquiry from your account. #2: Document the Fraudulent Inquiry If you’ve determined the inquiry is indeed fraudulent, you should download and complete an identity theft complaint and affidavit form from the Federal Trade Commission’s website. These can be sent to banks, creditors, and credit bureaus in order to explain the inquiry and any other fraudulent credit activity. Depending on the situation, you may also want to fill out a police report. #3: Notify the Three Credit Bureaus After documenting the inquiry with the Federal Trade Commission, you should place a credit freeze on your credit report, which restricts access to your accounts and limits the new inquiries that can be made. You need to contact all three credit companies individually. #4: Place a Fraud Alert at the Three Credit Bureaus You can also place a free, 90 day fraud alert with each of the three credit bureaus. This alert tells creditors to verify your identity through extra steps before extending credit in your name. #5: Dispute the Inquiry at the Three Credit Bureaus The best way to dispute an unexplained inquiry is to call the credit bureau or mail a formal notification of your dispute, proving that the inquiry was fraudulent and unauthorized. Unauthorized inquiries are relatively easy to remove, but may require a number of different conversations to remove. In Summary Many consumers have asked themselves the question: â€Å"What is CBNA on my credit report?† or wonder if they've applied for a CBNA credit card when they see those letters on their credit report. An inquiry from CBNA on your credit report means that you’ve applied for a credit account with an institution associated with those letters, or that you’ve got an open debt in collection with the Credit Bureau of North America. If you haven’t applied for a CBNA credit card, you should take steps to protect your identity from fraud. What's Next? How can you find the best credit card for your needs? Narrow down what the best credit card for you is with this guide. Thinking about getting a Banana Republic store card? We cover the pros and cons of the Banana Republic credit card here. Looking to learn more about other financial acronyms and terms? Find out what return on assets (ROA) is and how to use that information here.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Comp Set Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comp Set Analysis - Research Paper Example Rodeway Inn SF Civic Center enjoys a strategic location within the city. Furthermore, it offers a number of services that may enhance its competitiveness. However, the other five are equally competitive and may, therefore, threaten the hotels profitability and longevity. Crowne Plaza, for example, is a luxury hotel strategically located in the airport; the hotel poses a significant threat to Rodeway Inn SF Civic since it offers immense convenience to visitors. Additionally, Rodeway Inn SF Civic does not have conference facilities. The industry has shifted with most modern day hotels striving to attract visitors who come to the city for seminars and conferences. The lack of ballrooms and workshop facilities denies the hotel a major competitive advantage thereby making it vulnerable to the numerous competitors who are setting up shop in strategic locations within the city and continues to target the same target

Friday, November 1, 2019

Public Sector Pay Cuts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Sector Pay Cuts - Essay Example The implications of this proposal will include lack of job creation in some parts of the UK due to the lower civil servant wages relative to wages of the private sector. Currently, the UK is working under an important deficiency of collective demand with the rate of unemployment. Therefore the government suggestion is that due to rate of growth of private sector wages is low relative public sector wages according to Ashcroft (2012). Hence this will lead to high levels of unemployment as well as deficiency of demand. The government has also suggested that this will lead to a situation where the public will crowd over the private sector. Indeed the government has acknowledged that scraping public sector wages or limiting their growth comparative to the private sector will restrict the development of further demands. As a result this is likely to contribute to the crisis of relative demand deficiency in such regions. However there is a view by the government that under scraping public sector pay comparative to the private sector could assist in improving the competitiveness of the local private sector. From the governments point of view, Osborne’s aim is to rebalance the economy hence gets the public sector on the move. This implies that cutting national pay for public sector employees is likely to level the playing field. In areas where the public sector receives more pay than private sector workers, the treasury argues that the private sectors are crowded out as they are unable to compete with the pay levels as suggested by Willis (2012). However this means that setting pays should take place at the local levels but the trade unions caution that this will lead to great differences across the country hence driving the pay down along the regions. Owing to this effect, most regions are expected to face an economic count down. Unions have responded angrily on plans to scrap national pay for some public sector workers in the UK. One of the implications is

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

National Correct Coding Initiative Edit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

National Correct Coding Initiative Edit - Essay Example The NCCI Coding Policy Manual for the Medicare Services is usually updated annually by the CMS. This Coding Policy Manual should therefore be used as a general reference tool, which explains the rationale for the NCCI edits, by the FIs and the carriers (â€Å"National Correct Coding Initiative Edits†, n.d.). There are two types of NCCI Edits, which include procedure-to-procedure (PTP), and Medically Unlikely Edits (MUE). The PTP edits defines HCPCS/CPT codes which should not be reported together for various reasons, while MUE defines the maximum units of service which a provider would report on the circumstances of the same beneficiary on a single service date for each HCPCS/CPT code The NCCI edits is aimed at preventing inappropriate or improper payments after reporting of incorrect code combination. It contains two tables of edits, one for the outpatient hospital services and another for the physicians/practitioners. The Correct Coding Edits table for Column 1 – Column 2 has been combined into one table with the Mutually Exclusive Edits table and they include the code pairs, which should not be reported together for several reasons, which are explained in the Coding Policy Manual (â€Å"National Correct Coding Initiative Edits†, n.d.). A Correspondence Language Manual has also been made available. It was written and is maintained for the Medical Contractors utilization in answering routine correspondence enquiries on the MUE edits and NCCI procedure-to-procedure. The rationale for the edits are explained in the paragraphs for the general correspondence language (â€Å"The National Correct Coding Initiative in Medicaid | Medicaid.gov.†, n.d .). These guidelines consist of HCPCS or CPT procedure code-pairs, which must not be reported together. It also consists of MUEs, which determine if the procedure codes are submitted in,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Success or Failure in the Organizational Change Process Essay Example for Free

Success or Failure in the Organizational Change Process Essay With the current state of the economy today many organizations are faced with the task of implementing organizational change. The change that needs to occur can be either very successful or a complete failure if attention to the details of the change is not explored. The Concord Bookstore is an independent store that faced these challenges during a time of urgency for businesses to restructure in order to achieve a successful strategic renewal. When reflecting on the varying approaches an organization can take in order to form a strategic renewal, there were a few critical steps that the Concord Bookstore ignored. These important steps may have been what contributed to the failure of their organizational change. The Concord Bookstore is one small business that is facing economic hardship similar to what many other organizations of all shapes and sizes are. The need for restructuring was self-evident, but the manner in which the restructuring occurred led to employee and customer resistance alike. The first example I would like to address involves the history of the business as an independently owned entity that survived for 64 years. Upon tallying the staff’s time with the company collectively it outdid the existence of the company itself averaging 73 years of experience. This detail leads one to believe that it is this experience which has made the business so successful in the community for so long. When the owner of the company announced the need for organizational change, Spector (2010) noted this change as a â€Å"precipitating event [that] was a surprise announcement last month†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (p. ) This description alone illustrates a disjointed business in which decisions were made from the upper level corporate management straight to the community with no intermediate involvement from the managers and the employees of the business. When they chose to take this approach, it led to much resistance from the employees since it did not take into account any of their personal attributes as being integral parts of the businesses past successes. Although one can agree based on the current economy alone, that small business does have major challenges they need to face in order to stay profitable and successful, it is imperative to have employee support in order to achieve these objectives. During a time of strategic renewal it is important to note that an organizational change is necessary. The Concord Bookstore should have evaluated the behaviors of the employees in order to reflect a more supportive stance in order to gain acceptance of the organizational change. According to Burrows, as cited by Spector (2010) â€Å"In the corporate world, customers expect to be treated as long-term partners, actually having a say in the development of new products† (p. 5 ). This theory tends to illustrate the dissatisfaction of the customers of the Concord Bookstore that also took the announcement of the organizational change as a negative attribute. These concerns stated by both employee and customers alike are what led to the failure of the organizational change. For a successful strategic renewal to take place a business/organization should really first aim to work towards behavioral change. This can be done in a variety of ways. The first initiative that the Concord Bookstore should have taken was to work on the â€Å"motivation† of the employees. As referenced by Spector (2010), Denison noted that the advantage to behavioral change relies on â€Å"the manner in which work is organized, information is shared, decisions are made, coordination occurs, and problems are solved are [all] performance differentiators† (p 7). If these attributes are defined and utilized during the organizational change process then the advantages can sustain for the long-term. Many customers noted that the admirable qualities of the Concord Bookstore were the knowledgeable staff and their eagerness and joy to meet the consumer demands. By the corporate level management deciding how the business would be restructured with no employee or customer input, it is easily understood why there was so much resistance to the organizational change. With the â€Å"participation† of the employees and customers alike, an organizational change leading to a strategic renewal may have been more successful. The willingness to let the employees and customers alike â€Å"participate† demonstrates a value for the employees and the customers that an organization does business with. Spector (2010) noted that â€Å"participation in the process of defining problems and designing solutions will help build commitment to the new directions that result from that process† (p. 12). When one lets â€Å"participation† occur naturally, it leads to a sense of self-worth, allows the employees to feel apart of the restructuring, gives the employees a chance to be a part of finding solutions and supporting the process with more commitment and motivation. When the Concord Bookstore made their initial announcement none of these strategies took place. When there is a need for and organizational change it is hard to leave the status quo. It is even harder to leave something so familiar if not allowed to feel a valued asset of what had once in the past contributed so much to the success of a business. Had the Concord Bookstore allowed the employees to play a more active role in the organizational restructuring of the business, there may have been a much different outcome. In the end, the Concord Bookstore ended up defending its initiatives for organizational change but never had the support of the people it needed the most; its employees and customers. This case demonstrates a great example to the fact that every organizational change needs to also deal the behavioral change of the business in order to avoid any type of resistance and further meet long-term success and vitality.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

‘Who am I when I am transported?’ Postcolonialism and Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs :: Essays Papers

‘Who am I when I am transported?’ Postcolonialism and Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs In Decolonising Fictions, theorists Diana Brydon and Helen Tiffin claim that postcolonial writers create texts that ‘write back’ against imperial fictions and question the values once taken for granted by the once dominant Anglocentric discourse of the imperial epicentre. In Jack Maggs the process of ‘writing back’ is well illustrated. As in Jean Rhy’s Wide Sargasso Sea , the colonial ‘other’ character from a canonised Victorian novel becomes the principal figure in a modern 'decolonising' text, and the peripheral reaches of empire become of central importance. In Jack Maggs, Australian novelist Peter Carey reconfigures the plot of Dickens’s classic Great Expectations so that it is the maginalised, (colonial) convict figure who now becomes the narrative focus. By filtering the experiences of the exiled convict through a post-colonial lens, Carey creates a text that pays homage too, yet simultaneously questions the values at the heart of the source text’s imperialist discourse. As Brydon and Tiffin point out, Anglocentrism refuses Post-Colonial territories the right to their own identities, assuming instead that they are merely engulfable parts of the imperial centre. Therefore, in Great Expectations, Australia functioned not as a coherent, cohesive nation, but rather, as an off stage peripheral location were characters awaited their return to the on stage action of the imperial centre, London . Carey tackles this trend head on, by writing a novel that seeks ‘non repressive alternatives to imperialist discourse’ and which refuses to privilege the metropolitan centre over the Colonial margins. At the heart of the text’s reconfiguration of imperialist discourse lies the complex relationship between returned convict Jack Maggs and up-and-coming writer Tobias Oates. Significantly, Oates bears more than a few biographical similarities with Charles Dickens. For instance, like Dickens, Oates has a feckless, indebted father, an unhappy marriage, a fascination with mesmerism, and the fierce desire to make his name ‘not just as the author of comic adventures, but as a novelist who might one day topple Thackeray himself’ (Carey 43). By having Oates, a fictionalised Charles Dickens figure, exist in the same imaginative space as Jack Maggs, the modern reworking of one of Dickens’ most memorable characters, Carey is able to explore not only the questions left unanswered by the source text, but also the difficult relationship that exists between character and creator. The relationship between Oates, soon to become the Empire’s greatest living writer, and Maggs, the marginalised colonial figure, is one that parallels the manner in which the literary potential of the Imperial colonies was mined by Victorian writers.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Blue Sword CHAPTER ELEVEN

In the hollow where they met Murfoth they set up their first proper camp. The hunting-beasts all went out that night, and everyone, not just a few Riders, had good fresh meat for dinner. The king's zotar was put up, and it was obvious that it was the king's, for it was the biggest, but this one was plain, a dull dun color, and the door was just a tent flap, and inside there were a few carpets, and hooks on side poles for lanterns, but that was all; although the black-and-white banner still flew bravely from the peak of the roof. She and the king and Murfoth and most of the Riders – Innath and Mathin among them – slept within it; but she lay awake a long time listening to the others breathe. You didn't hear the person next to you breathing if there wasn't a ceiling over you to keep the noise closed in. She missed the stars. The next morning there was breakfast at a long table similar to the one where she had first met the Riders; they were all there again, with a few others of those who had joined them over the last few days. Corlath explained what was immediately ahead of them: how they would climb into the mountains again – the range was widest where the curve west was sharpest – to meet the high plateau where the Lake of Dreams lay, and where Luthe lived. Luthe? thought Harry. Most of the army would not climb all the way to the meeting-place, but fade into the forest in little groups and pretend to be invisible; for, so far at least, Corlath and the outriders believed they had not been sighted. Harry blinked and wondered if the morning mists that seemed to continue all day long every day as a kind of dull haze had after all been more than a curious local weather pattern. Luthe himself – Mathin told her this during an interval while the household folk brought in hot malak – had ways even Corlath did not understand of seeing things, and Corlath wished to see and speak to him. But Luthe never left his lands, and so it was necessary to seek him there. â€Å"Luthe claims that lowland air confuses him,† Mathin said, and shrugged the uneven Hill shrug. â€Å"It is not for us to know.† He picked up his cup. â€Å"Yes, but who is Luthe?† said Harry. Mathin regarded her with his inscrutable expression. â€Å"No one knows,† he said. â€Å"Luthe is †¦ someone who lives in the mountains, who sees things – things something like what some of us see when we taste the Meeldtar. He has been there a very long time. No one can remember when Luthe came, or when he has not lived on his mountain.† â€Å"And the Lake of Dreams?† Mathin stared into his cup. â€Å"There is a spring that runs into the Lake of Dreams, and it is where the Water of Sight is found; but sometimes the water from the spring is only water, and no one knows why; although it is believed that Luthe knows. Water drunk from the Lake of Dreams does not give the Sight, as the true Meeldtar does; but it is not quite like drinking †¦ water.† Harry sighed. Corlath explained briefly for the newcomers what the army was proposing to do. The Northerners must, perforce, choose the one wide pass in the mountains that led into the great central plain and then the bare desert of Damar, for it was the only gap large enough to accommodate an army's numbers. The gap was a bit west of the midpoint of the length of the mountains from the curve where the north-south mountains, the Ildik range, became the east-west Horfel Mountains. When the last of Corlath's little army had collected in the hollow at the elbow of the two ranges, they would ride as quickly as horseflesh would allow to the mouth of that pass, and prepare to engage the enemy among the empty villages and deserted fields of Damar. Then there was a silence, for all in the king's tent knew that Corlath's force could not win a victory from the Northerners; nor were they likely able to resist them to the point that the invaders would decide Damar wasn't worth the trouble and return home. The best the defenders could hope for, and this they did hope for, was to cause enough trouble and loss that the Northern army would not have the strength left to seize all of Damar in quite so tight and effective a grip as Thurra would wish; and that pockets of renegade Hillfolk might hide in the Hills, or under the kelar of the City. If they succeeded so much, the battle would be worth what it would cost them, for they would have preserved themselves a future. Harry swallowed uncomfortably. She heard, a little dizzily, what Corlath was saying about the foothills the mountain pass gave into, and where the army would stand; and she cast in her mind for her best memory of Damarian geography, for she had the unpleasant sensation that something was being ignored, something that shouldn't be. Corlath was saying that they would decide more exactly once they arrived, but he seemed to know every stone and clump of grass there, the exact location of every farmhouse, as did those who listened; no one fell so low as to seek recourse to a map. She frowned in concentration. She could almost see the Residency map of Dana; it was very poor at the eastern end; it barely admitted to the existence of the mountains where the king's City stood – the City itself was one of Jack Dedham's native legends – but about the west it was pretty accurate †¦ Ah! Corlath had fallen silent. Murfoth said something and there was another silence, and Harry put in, timidly but stubbornly: â€Å"Sola, what of the pass just northwest of the †¦ of the Outlander station? It is narrow, but not so narrow that the †¦ the Northerners could not send a line through to come up behind us.† Corlath frowned. â€Å"Let them take the Outlander city – it will keep them amused long enough to delay them, perhaps. Even the Outlanders will try to stop them when they are on the threshold.† There was a silence so rigid that Harry felt that speaking words into it was like chopping holes in a frozen lake. â€Å"They would do a better job trying to stop them if they were warned,† she said. Her words didn't make much of a hole; the ice thickened visibly. She didn't want to do anything so obvious as put her hand on her sword hilt; but she did press her elbow surreptitiously against it, and stiffened her spine. â€Å"They were warned,† said Corlath, and Harry raised her eyes to his and saw the golden tide rising in them; and wondered what that fruitless conversation in the Residency must have cost him. Yet he hadn't burned the Residency down with that golden glare of his, as she suspected he could have; and so she blinked at him now and said, â€Å"Colonel Dedham would listen to you. You did not know the Northerners were on the march †¦ then; you know for certain now. The pass is narrow; he could hold it for you indefinitely – but not if they have had time to come through and go where they will.† Her voice was rising with fear and perhaps anger: was there anything but stubborn pride, the offended majesty of the absolute ruler of his small land, working in Corlath, that he should waste a chance to gain a little more time? How little she knew him after all, and how little she knew Damar, she who could not visualize every yellow blade of korf before the great pass in the mountains. And yet she could see – did she not truly see? – the threat that this second, narrow pass presented; a threat that the king and the commander of the army was choosing to overlook. She did not understand; she was born of a different people and she understood different things. â€Å"No,† said Corlath; the word rang like an axe blow, and his eyes were as yellow as topazes. Harry stared back at him – you great bully – even knowing what he could do to her, even as the sweat broke out on her skin with the effort of holding his eyes. Her elbow clamped desperately on Gonturan, and the hard edge of the blue gem dug into her ribs and encouraged her. Then he snapped his gaze from her and pointed it at the tent flap and shouted, though he rarely shouted, and fresh malak was brought in and fruit with it. The ice began, nervously, to break up, and Harry glowered at her cup and refused to be drawn into conversation, and listened to her heart beating, and wondered if she were a traitor; and if so, to whom? The next morning thirty-five chosen horsemen, with Corlath at their head and Harry, still somewhat sulky, among them, started up the track to Luthe's holding. The rest of the army broke camp first, and melted into the scrub of the mountains' feet, taking the hunting-beasts and the pack horses with them. Corlath and the little band with him waited till last, watching them go, judging if their disappearance was effective; looking to see if there were any too obvious paths broken in the undergrowth. A few fleeks broke cover, but that was the only sign of their passage. Corlath and whoever else might have a weather talent must have been satisfied, and Harry watched, with a few cold fingers working their way up her spine in spite of the heat: for the loyal fog over them was blandly breaking up. The sky was blue and clear. A britti burst into song, and Harry raised her eyes to watch the little brown speck zigzagging madly overhead. Corlath sent his big bay forward, and thirty-four riders, and one obstinate hunting-cat, followed. Harry hung near the back. She had not slept the night before for thinking of the northwest pass and Jack Dedham; Dedham's face watching Corlath as he stormed out of the Residency; and Corlath's face as he said, â€Å"Let them take the Outlander city – it will keep them amused.† Surely there was a reason none of the Hillfolk thought that gap into Damar worth consideration? But if there was a reason, what was the reason? Perhaps this Luthe would show some sense. Perhaps his crystal ball or what-have-you would say, â€Å"Beware the northwest pass! Beware!† And then again maybe it wouldn't. So, Harry, what do you propose to do about it then? She didn't know. She concentrated on Sungold's ears, slender and pricked, framing the trail in front of her, and the dark grey haunches of Innath's horse going on before. The scrub gave way to trees, and the trees to greater trees, till they were walking in a forest heavy with age, where even the air tasted old. By the end of the afternoon all the riders were on foot, walking with their sweat-dark horses up a steep uneven incline. Harry was panting, but she tried to do it quietly. Corlath probably never breathed hard. Tsornin's nostrils showed red, but his ears were as alert as ever, and occasionally he would rub his nose gently against the nape of her neck, just in case she was momentarily not thinking about him. Narknon ranged beside them like a dappled shadow. The trees were so tall and grand that Harry, watching her, could believe that she was no bigger than a housecat; that when she came up to be petted, she would twine around Harry's ankles, and Harry would pick her up with one hand and put her on her shoulder. The trees were so high overhead that the twilight beneath them might have been sunset, but might only be leaf shade; and they were a silent company, for no one spoke and the footfalls were muted by leaves and moss. Harry allowed herself to wonder about the trail, as an alternative to her endless mental circles about northwest passes: that it stayed clear enough that no one had to duck under low-hanging branches, or fight a way through an encroaching bush, but so little used that the moss underfoot was thick and smooth. And still smooth after thirty horses and thirty human pedestrians have tramped over it, the thirty-first pedestrian thought, scuffing it curiously with one foot. Sturdy moss. Maybe Luthe is a botanist in his spare time. By nightfall Harry was still walking only by dint of holding a large handful of Sungold's mane in one hand. She had tried resting an arm across his back, but his back was too high for comfort; and her sweaty hand kept sliding through his fine hair. Even his head was hanging a little low, and Harry knew she was still in company only by the soft creaking of other saddles and the occasional flicker in the gloom immediately ahead that was Innath's horse flipping its tail. As she walked her eyes closed and the colors of exhaustion twinkled across her eyelids. Then to her dismay they began to sort themselves out into patterns, but she was too tired even to open her eyes and disperse them. She saw a red-haired rider on a white horse. The horse was old, white with age, the bones of its face very clear and fine; she thought it went just a bit short with its right hind foot, but its neck was arched and its tail high. The rider's shoulders were set grimly, the legs against the horse's sides were determined, not eager. There was a smoky redness to the horizon beyond them, scarlet that did not look like dawn or sunset; they were going toward it, and the light flashed off a chain around the rider's neck and the helm tied to the saddle, and the rider's hair, and the horse's flanks. Harry wondered where they were going, where they had come from. The countryside could have been Damar. It could have been almost anywhere. She realized there was light shining through her eyelids; it was setting the white horse on fire. The horse broke into a canter, a shining glistening wave of motion †¦ Harry dizzily opened her eyes. They were approaching a clearing set with torches; she could see Corlath halted, talking to a man as tall as he was, but narrower; the man's hair was yellow. Innath broke into the lighted circle, and Harry came after, trying not to stumble, too tired even to take her hand out of Sungold's mane for pride's sake. She looked around a little, and the faces she could see near her were haggard and drooping. Perversely, this gave her strength; she dropped her hand and straightened her shoulders. Sungold turned his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. â€Å"Who's reassuring whom here?† she murmured, and Narknon immediately sat on Harry's feet and bumped her hand with her head as if to say, I am. Someone knew the way, for while Corlath finished speaking with the yellow-haired man the rest of the Riders were following someone else to †¦ someplace to lie down, Harry wished fervently. She stole a glance at Corlath as she passed him, and was comforted by the hollows under his eyes and cheekbones. It might have been only the torchlight. When Harry woke up the sun was high, and for a minute she had no idea where she was. Her first thought was that she had missed breakfast and her father would tease her about burning midnight oil. Then she remembered, with the old lurch of the heart, that she was in Daria with Richard – no, Damar, with Sungold, and Narknon, who sprawled across her feet. And Corlath, and Gonturan. Her hand had rested lightly on her sword hilt again as she slept, and through the first upheaval of waking; now her fingers recognized what they touched. She shivered, sighed, sat up. She was in a long narrow hall with a dozen or so low beds in it; high overhead, narrow but close-spaced windows let in a flood of sunlight. She only dimly remembered coming here, having seen Tsornin stabled and unsaddled and happy with a manger of grain and a heap of hay; and falling into her bed, asleep before she touched it. Most of the other beds in the room were still occupied. The hall was built of large blocks of undressed grey-and-white stone; the same sort of stone, she thought, as much of Corlath's City. The room was cool, but it smelled clean and sharp, like young leaves. There were doors at each of the narrow ends of the room, and as she stood at the foot of the bed she could look through either of them. The flagstones were cold underfoot. She sat back down on the edge of the bed – It's even a real bed, she thought – and regarded her pillow a moment. Then she sighed regretfully and pulled on her boots. Narknon opened one eye and closed it again. The rooms on each side looked much like the one she was in, and full of still-sleeping bodies rolled in dark blankets. There was another door midway in the wall opposite the windows. This she went through. Here was a vast hall, taller than the ancient trees of the forest she had just walked wearily through, with windows cut at the very heads of the walls to open above the lower roofs of the sleeping corridors. At one end of this space was a fireplace that in any room less immense would have been itself enormous; here it looked insignificant. There were several massive wooden chairs before it, and a long trestle table beyond these; the rest of the chamber was empty. Opposite the fireplace wall were doors, thrown open to admit sunlight and birdsong and the rustle of leaves. She looked up at the ceiling. Curiously, there was no sense of oppression built by the stone and space; rather there was peacefulness, the quiet of repose. Contented simply to be less tired than she had been the night before, she stood a moment, drinking in the sense of relaxation. For the first time since the confrontation with Corlath, the thought of the northwest pass left her freely, without her straining to push it aside; even the knowledge of the coming war, of her part in her first battle, did not trouble her at present. Of the latter she did know it would trouble her later – soon; but she would attend to it later. For now she smiled. Her mouth felt stiff. She brought her gaze down from the ceiling and directed it again toward the fireplace. Sleep and peace were all very well, but she smelled food, and she was hungry. The man with yellow hair who had stood talking with Corlath the night before was sitting in one of the great wooden chairs; she did not notice him till she was quite near. Her footfalls dropped gently to silence; no sullen echoes ran up the walls to disturb the birdcalls. She stopped. There was a tiny fire, barely two hands' breadth, burning at the front of the cavern of the hearth. Over it hung a large silver pot on a chain, and on a stool nearby were a stack of deep silver bowls, and a heap of shining silver spoons. â€Å"Breakfast,† said the man with yellow hair. â€Å"I've had mine; eat as much as you like. I flatter myself it's quite good, although I admit I'm not much accustomed to cooking for so many, and one begins to lose count of how many potatoes one has already put in after the first armful.† She sat down with her bowl, feeling that formal introductions were not wanted and that he would be amused if she tried to be conventionally polite; and she was so hungry. As she sat, he brought up a leather bag from the far side of his chair and poured into a flagon discovered at his feet. He handed it to her: â€Å"Goat's milk,† he said. There were brown flecks of spices floating in it. She smiled, not so stiffly this time. She looked at him as she ate; and while she was sure he knew she watched him, he kept his eyes on the small leaps and dance steps of the flame beneath the pot, as if letting her look her fill was a courtesy he did her along with filling her belly. He was tall, she knew; sitting, he looked even taller, for he was so slender. His arms were spread wide from his sides to rest on the is of the chair; but his long fingers reached well over the curled fronts of the armrests, and his knees were several inches beyond long seat of the chair. He wore a dark green tunic, and a brown shirt beneath it, with long full sleeves gathered at the wrists with gold ribbons. He wore tall pale boots that reached just above his knees, where the tunic fell over them. The tunic was slit up the side to his waist, and the leggings beneath it were the gold of the ribbons. He wore no sash; rather a narrow band of dark blue cloth made a cross over his breast, and wrapped once thinly about his waist. The ends of it were tassels, midnight blue shot with gold. A huge dark red stone hung on a chain around his neck. His face was thoughtful as he stared at the fire. His nose was long and straight and his lips thin; his eyes were heavy-lidded and blue. His hair was curly as well as bright gold, and it grew low over his collar and ears although he was clean-shaven. He should look young, Harry thought. But he did not. Neither did he look old. He turned to her as she set down her bowl and cup, and smiled. â€Å"Well? Did I know when to stop adding potatoes?† Hill potatoes were golden and far more flavorful than the pale Homelander variety that Harry had eaten obediently but without enthusiasm when she was a child, and here they blended most satisfactorily with the delicate white fish that was the basis of the I stew. It was the first time she had eaten fresh fish since she had left her Homeland, where she had often brought supper home after a few hours beside a pool or stream on her father's estate; and she was pleased, now, to notice that remembering this fact caused no nervous ripples of emotion about her past or her future. â€Å"Yes,† she said peacefully. Their eyes met, and he asked, as though he were an old friend or her father, â€Å"Are you happy?† She thought about it, her gaze drifting away from his and coming to rest on the tip of Gonturan, as she leaned against her sol's chair; for she had, without thinking about it one way or another, slung Gonturan around her as soon as she stood up from her bed. â€Å"No, not precisely,† she said. â€Å"But I don't believe I wish to complain of unhappiness.† She paused a minute, looking at the thoughts that had been with her constantly for the weeks since she had left her old life as a bundle across Fireheart's withers. â€Å"It is that I cannot see what I am doing or why, and it is unsettling always to live only in the moment as it passes. Oh, I know – one never sees ahead or behind. But I see even less. It is like being blindfolded when everyone else in the room is not. No one can see outside the room – but everyone else can see the room. I would like to take my blindfold off.† The man smiled. â€Å"It is a reasonable wish. No one lives more than a few moments either way – even those fortunate or unfortunate ones who can see how the future will be cast; and perhaps they feel the minute's passing the most acutely. But it is comforting to have some sense of †¦ the probability of choices, perhaps?† â€Å"Yes,† she sighed, and tapped a finger on Gonturan's hilt, and thought of the red-haired rider on the white horse. He had looked as though he knew where he was going, although she had to admit that he had also looked as if the knowledge gave him no joy. â€Å"Not he,† said the man with yellow hair. â€Å"The Lady Aerin. You should begin to recognize her, you know; you have seen her often enough.† She blinked at him. â€Å"You carry her sword, and ride to a fate not entirely of your own choosing. It is not surprising that she in some manner chooses to ride with you. She knew much of fate.† Not surprising. It continued to surprise her. She would prefer that it surprise her, in fact. She permitted herself – just briefly – to think about her Homeland, with the wide grassy low hills and blue rivers, when the only sword she knew was her father's dress sword, which was not sharp and which she was forbidden to touch; and where the only sand was at the seaside. She rediscovered herself staring at a silver pot over a tiny fire. â€Å"I'm afraid I can't comfort you very much with predictions; it is pleasant when I can comfort anyone with predictions, and I always enjoy it as much as possible because it doesn't happen too often. But I can tell you even less than I can usually tell anyone, and it hurts my pride.† His hand closed around the dark stone at his neck; it glowed through his fingers like fire. She looked at him, startled. â€Å"You have already begun to see the hardness of the choices that you will soon be forced to make; and the choosing will not be any easier for your not knowing why you must choose.† His voice took on a singsong quality, the red light of the stone pulsed like a heart, and the heavy eyelids almost closed. â€Å"Take strength from your own purpose, for you will know what you must do, if you let yourself; trust your horse and the cat that follows you, for there are none better than they, and they love you; and trust your sword, for she holds the strength of centuries and she hates what you are learning to hate. And trust the Lady Aerin, who visits you for your reassurance, whether you believe it at present or not; and trust your friendships. Friends you will have need of, for in you two worlds meet. There is no one on both sides with you, so you must learn to take your own counsel; and not to fear what is strange, if you know it also to be true.† He opened his eyes. â€Å"It is not an enviable position, being a bridge, especially a bridge with visions. I should know.† â€Å"You're Luthe, of course,† she said. â€Å"Of course. I told Corlath in particular to bring you – although he has always brought his Riders if he brings anyone. And I knew you had been made a Rider. I don't ask for anyone often; you should be pleased.† â€Å"I can see the two worlds I am between,† she said, unheeding, â€Å"although why the second one chose to rise up and snatch me I still don't understand – â€Å" â€Å"Ask Colonel Dedham the next time you see him,† Luthe put in. â€Å"The next – ? But – † she said, bewildered, and thrown off her thought. â€Å"You were about to ask me a question important to you, for you were trying to put your thoughts in order, when I interrupted you,† said Luthe mildly, â€Å"although I won't be able to answer it. I told you I am not often comforting.† â€Å"What are your two worlds?† she said, almost obliterating the question as she continued: â€Å"But if you can't answer it, why should I ask? Can you hear everything I'm thinking?† â€Å"No,† he replied. â€Å"Only those arrow-like thoughts that come flying out with particular violence. You have a better organized mind than most. Most people are distressing to talk to because they have no control over their thinking at all, and it is a constant barrage, like being attacked by a tangle of thornbushes, or having a large litter of kittens walking up your legs, hooking in their claws at every step. It's perhaps also an effective preventative to having one's mind read, for who can identify the individual thorn?† Harry laughed involuntarily. â€Å"Innath said you lived where you do, high up and away from everything, because lowland air clouds your mind.† â€Å"True enough. It is a little embarrassing to be forced to play the enigmatic oracle in the mountain fastness, but I have found it necessary. â€Å"Corlath, for example, when he has something on his mind, can knock me down with it at arm's length. He's often asked me to come stay in his prison that he calls a city, saying that I might like it as it is made of the same stone as this – † He gestured upward. â€Å"No thank you.† He smiled. â€Å"He does not love the stone walls of his city, and so he does not understand why I do love my walls; to him they look the same. But he knows me better than to press it, or to be offended.† â€Å"If it is only within arm's length you find Corlath overwhelming, I have no sympathy for you,† Harry said ruefully, and he laughed. â€Å"We soothsayers have other means of resistance,† he said, â€Å"But I shall be sure to tell him you said so.† She sobered. â€Å"I'd rather you didn't, if you don't mind. I'm afraid we're – we're not on the best of terms just now.† Luthe drummed his fingers on the wooden armrest. â€Å"Yes, I did rather suspect that, and I'm sorry for it, for you need each other.† He drummed some more. â€Å"Or at any rate he needs you, and you could do a lot worse than to believe in him.† Luthe rubbed his forehead. â€Å"But I will grant you that he is a stubborn man at times.† He was silent a moment. â€Å"Aerin was a little like that; but she was also a little like you †¦ Aerin was very dear to me.† He smiled faintly. â€Å"Teachers are always vain of the students who go on to do great things.† â€Å"Aerin?† said Harry. â€Å"Aerin? Lady Aerin of this sword?† – and she banged the hilt of Gonturan. â€Å"Yes,† said Luthe gently. â€Å"The same red-haired Aerin who troubles you with visions. You asked me about my two worlds: you could say that they are the past and the present.† After a long cold moment Harry said, â€Å"Why did you ask Corlath to bring me here?† â€Å"I told you that, surely. Because I knew he needed you; and I wanted to find out if you were the sort of vessel that cracks easily.† Harry took a deep breath. â€Å"And am I?† â€Å"I think you will do very well.† He smiled. â€Å"And that is a much more straightforward answer than anyone consulting an oracle has a right to expect. I shall stop feeling guilty about you.† Corlath and his Riders spent two days in Luthe's hall; the horses grazed in a broad meadow, the only wide stretch of sunlit green within a day's journey of the tree-filled valley where Luthe made his home. Harry found Sungold tearing across the field, head up and tail a banner, on the first morning, the toilsome way up the mountain apparently forgotten. He galloped over to where Harry leaned on the frame of the open stable, where a few of the horses still lingered inside, musing over their hay. â€Å"You make me tired,† said Harry absently, thinking of her conversation with Luthe. â€Å"You should be recuperating, not bounding around like a wild foal.† Tsornin thrust his nose under her chin, unrepentant. â€Å"You realize we will have to do the whole thing again shortly? And then go on – and on and on? You should be harboring your strength.† Sungold nibbled her hair. The other Riders and the fifteen other horsemen slowly seeped out of the tall stone house. Harry tried to decide, watching them, if any had had bewildering conversations with their host; but she couldn't guess, and it did not seem the sort of thing one might ask. They all looked only semi-awake, as if the journey so far – this was the first real halt since they left the City – combined with the sweet peacefulness of Luthe's domain prevented the lot of saddle-hardened warriors from feeling anything but pleasantly drowsy. They smiled at one another and leaned on their swords, and even tended their precious horses nonchalantly, as though they knew that the horses did not need them here. Narknon, so far as Harry could tell, never moved from her bed; she merely stretched out when Harry left it, and reluctantly permitted herself to be shoved to one side when Harry re-entered. Harry, although she felt the same gentle air around her, was surprised; whatever it was, it had less effect on her. Corlath himself strode around in his usual high-energy fashion; if any sense of ease was trying to settle on him, it was having a hard time of it, for he was no different than he ever was, although he did not seem surprised at the condition of his followers. Harry stayed out of his way, and if he noticed this, he gave no sign. Mostly he spoke to Luthe – Harry saw with interest, on the occasions she saw them together, that Corlath seemed to do far more talking than his companion – or muttered to himself. The mutter-ings couldn't have been pleasant, for he was often scowling. The two days were fine and clear; warm enough during the day to make bathing in the pool at the edge of the horses' meadow pleasant, cool enough at night to make the blankets on the beds in the sleeping-chambers of comfort. The torches that formed a ring outside the front gates of the hall were not lit again; Luthe was willing to welcome his guests, but did not deem further illumination necessary. On the second afternoon Harry followed the stream that spilled out of the bathing-pool, and after a certain amount of fighting with curling branches and tripping over hidden hummocks she burst out of the undergrowth to a still silver beach bordering a wide lake. The Lake of Dreams. The stream stopped its chattering as it left the edge of the woods, and slid silently over the silver sand and slipped into the waters of the lake. Harry went to the edge of it and sat down, looking at the water. There was a step at her side; she looked up and it was Luthe. â€Å"There is a path,† he said. â€Å"You should have asked.† He bent down and detached a twig from her hair, and another from the back of her tunic. Then he sat down beside her. â€Å"I will show you the way to return.† â€Å"Do you live here alone?† Harry said, extracting a leaf from the neck of her undershift. â€Å"No,† he replied, â€Å"but my housemates are even shyer than I am, and have a tendency to retreat into the undergrowth when visitors are anticipated. There are quite a number of visitors, now and again.† â€Å"The oracle is a popular one,† said Harry, smiling. Luthe smiled back, but sidelong. â€Å"Yes; I think it may be private dismay that sends my companions away at such times; they have something of kelar and the Sight themselves.† He did not seem disposed to go on, so Harry said: â€Å"Does everyone who comes here behave as though they're half asleep?† â€Å"No again; I and my friends are generally quite sharp. But yes, most visitors find it a sleepy sort of place – a reputation I, um, encourage, as it makes their thoughts sleepy too, and thus easier to dodge.† Harry said, â€Å"Encourage?† Luthe said, â€Å"You are not a sleepy one, are you? The source of the Meeldtar taints all the water here; and the air that passes over the Lake of Dreams carries something of sleepiness with it. Only those bearing much kelar of their own do not find that faintest touch of the Water of Sight a little drowsy. Like you. And Corlath.† Harry, at that, caught a thought just as it was streaking out, and stuffed it back behind her eyes. â€Å"Very good,† said Luthe. â€Å"I thought you might prove apt. I didn't catch a glimpse of that one.† Harry smiled faintly. â€Å"I suspect, however, that it might make you more comfortable to ask me it nonetheless,† Luthe said, looking into her face; but she turned away. â€Å"Corlath, eh?† Luthe said gently. Harry shook her head, not denying it, but as though she could shake herself free of her anxieties; but Luthe said no more. At last she stood up, gazing across the lake; she could not see its farther shore. â€Å"It is so large,† she said. Luthe rose to stand beside her. â€Å"No, not so large,† he said, â€Å"but it is a private sort of lake, and hard to see. Even for me.† He was quiet a moment, looking across the water. â€Å"I think perhaps the reason I stay in this particular uninhabited valley of all the uninhabited valleys in the Hills is that it comforts me by reminding me of things I cannot do. I cannot see the farther shore of the Lake of Dreams.† He turned away. â€Å"Come; I will show you the path. Unless you prefer fighting your way through the poor trees, which are accustomed to being undisturbed.†