Room division operation managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Room division operation managment - Assignment Example There has to be a safety policy and safety committee which can give the consultation about health and safety of the organization. The act also stress on free personal protective equipment. But the employees have to make sure that the protective equipments should not be misused. Everybody should take care of self and others responsibly 2. Â   Â   Â  To minimize risk the primary step is to identify all the factors exposed to risk. The room division management has to identify the group of guests or employees who are especially exposed to high risk. Outsiders such as contractor, visitor or just a normal person might also be at risk. That has to be considered as well. Then one has to focus on existing risk control system, even if it is not satisfactory that has to be put into practice. Then evaluation and recording of the probability of an accident occurrence has to be done. Even the worst case should also be taken into account. Stress should be given on situation where the danger is imminent. Then immediately measures and precautions should be taken. Additional risk mitigation controls should be taken in priority. 3. Â   Â   Â  A United Kingdom Act of Parliament, the Data protection act 1998 recognizes the right to privacy as a fundamental right. It is especially applicable in the case of processing personal data. The definition of personal data considers the information that can be used to recognize a living individual. Room division operation rather the hospitality sector itself has the access to a lot of personal data of all the guests. However the freedom of information act 2000 modifies this act. The information about anyone should not be passed to any third party and should be protected from any abuse. Another point is that the website or public information system must not ask for personal data. 4. Â   Â   Â  Maintenance and design is the key tool to increase guest satisfaction. Cleanliness is the first thing that the guests ask from the hotel rooms. The success

Critical Review on the Iliad :: essays research papers

Nature’s Force   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Simone Weil, a French writer, explores the depth and motive of why and how we do the things we do. In this critical review, Weil elucidates the role of force in the Iliad. It is exceptionally difficult to put into words the meaning that Weil gives force. When she defines it, she states, â€Å"it is that x that turns anybody who is subjected to it into a thing† (331). When I first read this, I did not comprehend what she meant by it. As Weil refers to force, she uses in the context of war and the taking of lives in the Iliad. This force takes away all natural abilities. Weil explains how all living things respond to stimuli. The muscles in our body have reactions to things that take place in our environment. The force that she is trying to define is one that takes away this ability to respond. In war, a soldier must look past the pain that he is causing in taking another human being’s life. Weil suggests that this is as if life is being removed from the body of this soldier, resulting in a breathing corpse. Remorse becomes an overlooked emotion and all sensation vanishes. Does this not constitute a corpse, when all ability to respond to what is going on around him has departed; therefore taking away the very factor that defines a living object? When examining force by means of killing others, this force does not only have an effect on the victim, but also on the conqueror. â€Å"Force is as pitiless to the man who possesses it, or thinks he does, as it is to its victims; the second it crushes, the first it intoxicates† (332). Weil goes on to say that force is not really a retainable thing. All persons, weak and strong, have to at one point in their life relinquish control to force. No one is exempt. She points to Achilles as an example. When he is killing Hector, he is holding the force against Hector to take his life. On the other hand, when Agamemnon purposely degrades Achilles by taking his war prize, Achilles goes to be alone and weep in his humiliation. A force knocks him down as he knocked his opponent Hector down. To show the cycle, we find Agamemnon weeping just a few days later as a result of a force.

Martin Luther Essay

Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Germany. Although he was brought up in a catholic faith, he changed his faith by starting a new Christian movement that was against the teachings of Catholicism, which was consequently named as Lutheran. He taught as a theology lecturer, hence a professional in theology and he was a preacher as well. His parents Hans Luder mother Margarethe were catholic believers, therefore as soon as he was born; he got baptism on the following day which was St. Martin of Tours day of feast. He had brothers and sisters; however, two of his brothers passed way as a result of a plague. Jacob who had tight bonds with Martin lived on to old age. Martin’s father rented copper mines and smelters and he also worked as a spokesperson in the local council. Besides he wanted the best for his son; he aspired that Martin would be a lawyer . Martin began his early school life in 1497 at Mansfield, Magdeburg and Eisenach in that order; where he learnt Latin. When he was seventeen years of age he was a student at the University of Erfurt and by the year 1505, he had completed his postgraduate studies and was awarded a masters degree. Since his father wanted him to be a lawyer, he went ahead and registered for the law school however, he never pursued the course to completion since according to him law was ambiguous. Instead he preferred to study more on theology and philosophy and was fascinated by former philosophers like William of Ockham, Aristotle and Gabriel Biel. Nonetheless, he was more drawn to lecturers who taught on not laying trust on anyone including the philosophers unless the claims they state could be approved through familiarity. Because of this reason, Martin concluded that knowledge in philosophy could not help people get close to God because it merely emphasized on reasoning; which is valid when applied to people and organizations but not God. According to Luther, people could only acknowledge who God is by understanding the scriptures. From here, his quest for scripture understanding began. Later in 1505, Martin Luther abandoned his studies and joined the catholic monastery. Luther’s life as a monk was constituted by refraining from food, pilgrimage, declaration of his sins before a priest for forgiveness and praying for lengthy periods. The life at the monastery wasn’t easy at all; the monks spent less time in bed and they had to work hard in order to sustain community members. He confesses that his commitment to the church as a monk was not delighting to God; rather it made him aware of how sinful he was. Furthermore, the period within which he served as a monk gave a different perception of Jesus Christ in his life; the Christian life at the monastery was like a detention center that harassed innocent people, yet Jesus is â€Å"a Savior and a comforter†. Nevertheless, the monastery hardship transformed Luther as he found more time to know the Bible. Afterward, it was contemplated by Johann von Staupitz that Luther required to do something else so that his quest for the scripture could be disrupted. Accordingly, after his priestly ordination, he proceeded as a theology lecturer of Wittenberg University. By 1509, Luther had received two degrees; one in Biblical studies and the other in sentences. After three years, he graduated as a doctor in theology thereby becoming a member of the senate in the faculty of theology in the University of Wittenberg . The controversial issues regarding Catholicism began in 1517 when Martin Luther wrote the 95 theses. The theses focused on the indulgences that were sold in the church. Since the pope wanted funds to put up the St. Peter’s church in Rome, pardoning of sins was granted on condition that the sinner paid money. In other instances, one could purchase pardon for sins that he or she expects to commit. This spurred concern in Martin Luther because as he had read in the scripture, deliverance is freely given; whereas in Rome, salvation was an article of trade that could be traded between two partners- a sinner and the priest. Besides, more indulgences were sold so that those souls that were in purgatory could be released. Moreover, according to the Roman Catholic Theology it was believed that faith is not enough to justify a human being unless it is accompanied by deeds, for instance participating in works of charity and giving the church financial contributions . Luther objected the issue of indulgences that were being sold; consequently, he drafted a note to the archbishops of Magdeburg and Mainz; this note is what was later referred to as the 95 theses. A copy of the note he wrote to the archbishop was put on the door of Castle Church. According to Luther, the absolution and forgiveness of sins based on indulgences was wrong and deceptive. Within a short time the theses were converted to German, because they were written in Latin; after which they were printed and reproduced to make many copies. Accordingly, the reprinted theses were extensively distributed to various parts within Germany. Between 1510 and 1520, he spent his time in teaching the New Testament books including the Psalms. Even as he studied the Holy Scriptures, he came to realize that justification was a very significant aspect in salvation. That God acknowledges a sinner and makes him righteous when he believes the scripture; also God saves sinners because of grace. Luther proceeded to preach about justification, how it came from God’s only and faith as a present for humanity from God. The Roman papal authority took a period of three years to act in response to Luther’s writings despite the fact that the theses had been distributed at a faster rate. The Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg whom the letter was addressed to preferred not to answer Luther, but rather identified heretical phrases then sent the letter to Rome. Pope Leo X overlooked the letter believing that it was not a grievous issue; to him Luther was only drunk and after sometime he would get back to his senses. However, the perception was wrong: Country’s such as England, Italy and France were reading the theses by 1519. Furthermore, he wrote and published commentaries Psalms and Galatians, even though he had to work under protection. By 1520, he had published three books that are considered to be the most excellent among his works- â€Å"On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, On the Freedom of A Christian and To the Nobility of the German Nation. The Pope came to rethink of Luther’s thesis in 1519 and ordered him to give details of his theses which he did in a synopsis. As a result, Luther was called to meet the Pope in Rome so that he could give a detailed justification to his writings. Nonetheless, Luther went to Rome but as it was arranged by Frederick the Wise, he met Cardinal Thomas Cajetan who was a legate to the pope Nevertheless, the pope went ahead and wrote to Luther in a writing termed as â€Å"papal bull Exsurge Domine† cautioning him to denounce the theses he had written as well as subsections within the books that he had written, in a period of sixty days; failure of which would result in him getting suspended from the catholic community. Conversely, Luther burnt the papal bull and the other manuscripts, an action he later justified in his writings- Assertions Concerning All Articles as well as Why the Pope and His Recent Book Are Burned. Following this, Luther was suspended out of the Roman Catholic community in 1521 by the Pope. Later in April, 1521, Luther was presented before the Diet of Worms, a gathering of the Roman Empire authorities in Worms, Rhine. It was required of him to confirm if he was the author of the theses and the other books he had written, an issue he readily confirmed. However, in answering whether he supported the writings, he agreed after one day having discussed with friends and prayed. Accordingly, in May 1521, Luther was declared a heretic and his writings were banned. In addition, no one was permitted to provide neither shelter nor food as this would amount to punishment. Luther by the help of the Elector of Saxony, Fredrick III, stayed separate away from people in the Castle of Wartburg for about eleven months under the name Junker Jorg. It is during this period that he interpreted the New Testament, initially in Greek to German . When he went back to Wittenberg in March 1522, Luther continued to preach and many people were drawn to his sermons. He revised the church doctrines and assisted in reinstating peace and unity within the nation. The new church doctrines were based on faith, grace and scripture alone. Instead of the seven sacraments that exist in the Roman Catholic, only two sacraments were recognized- baptism and the Holy Communion. Lutheranism did not advocate for celibacy, however, no one was forced to marry. The first Lutheran declaration of faith, otherwise referred to as the Augsburg Confession, was read before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in 1530. The reformed church decided to name the new church as Lutheran in honor of Luther. Luther married Katharina who was initially a nun but defected. He passed away in 1546, in Eisleben after having been ill . Bibliography Collinson, P. (2004): The Reformation: a history, ISBN 0679643230, 9780679643234, Modern Library. Doak, R. S. (2006): Pope Leo X: Opponent of the Reformation, ISBN 0756515947, 9780756515942, Compass Point Books. Edwards, M. U. (March, 2000): Martin Luther: Exploring His Life and Times, 1483-1546. The Christian Century, Vol. 117. Fairchild, M. (2009): Martin Luther Bibliography. Retrieved on 13th April, 2009, from: http://christianity. about. com/od/lutherandenomination/a/martinlutherbio_2. htm Marius, R. (1999): Martin Luther: the Christian between God and death, 3rd Edition, ISBN 0674550900, 9780674550902, Harvard University Press. The Columbia Encyclopedia (2007): Luther, Martin, Sixth Edition, 2007.

The Media And Mass Communication Essay - 1713 Words

Introduction The term media is often represented within popular culture in varying degrees. To a great extent, there seems to be a tendency to interchange media and mass communication. In this regard, it is imperative and perhaps prudent to define media holistically before proceeding further. For purposes of coherence, the definition of media will be categorized into two spheres; traditional media and new media. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (2009), traditional media can be defined as the collective media technologies such as radio, newspapers, television, newsletter, magazines, and other print publications. New media, on the other hand, refers to the new generation of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies (Electronic Frontier Foundation, 2009). Examples of new media include internet forums, blogs, wikis, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. There can be no gainsaying that the distinct role of the media, aside from providi ng entertainment, is the dissemination of information to the general public. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine how the media influences politics. What are the sources of News in the US? According to the American Press Institute (2014), keeping up with the news I an America activity that occurs on a daily basis across different formats, technologies, and devices. As matter of fact, a recent survey revealed that 33% of Americans preferred to keep up with news all day, 24% in theShow MoreRelatedMass Media Communication1719 Words   |  7 PagesDefinition Mass media is a media intended for a large audience. It may take the form of broadcast media, as in the case of television and radio, or print media, like newspapers and magazines. Internet media can also attain mass media status, and many media outlets maintain a web presence to take advantage of the ready availability of Internet in many regions of the world. Some people also refer to it as the â€Å"mainstream media,† referencing the fact that it tends to stick to prominent stories whichRead MoreThe New Media And Mass Communication1502 Words   |  7 PagesNew New Media New New Media is mass communication that contains information that is available through the internet. The information is digitally created, retrieved and shared mainly through social media, digital devices and other social networks. New New Media include online newspapers, which is a digital form of text, video games, blogs and audio. An example of New New Media would be Instagram. This form of mass communication is very popular and is used every day. This is New New Media because peopleRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Mass Communication Essay1806 Words   |  8 PagesMedia Communications Question 3a. Mass commuincation is the exchanging of information or messages on a large scale to a wide range of people, from individuals to organizational bodies simultaneously. The way in which mass communication is effectively accomplished is a very complex study. These days there are various methods and outlets used to circulate mass media. Particularly the last couple of decades, the Internet has predominantly played a massive role in mass communication, this used in conjunctionRead MoreEffect of Media and Mass Communication Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesThe media is a powerful presence within the lives of others. It can be described as the main channel of mass communication. Media is often used to deliver a message to a large audience who are diverse. It can be written, broadcast or spoken. Media is a significant force within modern culture. Culture can be defined as the norms and values of a society. In our culture, the communications media hold an influential place in disseminating info rmation, forming attitudes, and motivating behaviour. TechnologicalRead MoreMedia Is The Main Source Of Mass Communication877 Words   |  4 Pagesthe globe, media is seen everywhere. Billboards, magazines, television, the Internet, newspapers; it’s everywhere! Every day, each individual is exposed to some sort of media. It has now become an integral part of each individual’s life. Media is the main source of mass communication; whether through television, radio, newspapers, and/or the Internet. Prior to the 19th Century, letters, smoke signals, telegrams and carrier pigeons were the common ways of communications. Whereas now, media has managedRead MoreCover Letter For Media And Mass Communication1208 Words   |  5 Pages I, Md.Riaj Uddin Raihan, hailed from a family that consists of my parents and two siblings. I have completed my under graduation program in Media and mass communication, major in advertising from American International University Bangladesh (AIUB) with a CGPA of 3.44 out of 4 in February 2016 .I have passed my S.S.C and H.S.C examination with GPA of 4.63 and 5.00 (out of 5) both from business studies inRead MoreMass Media, Communication Technology and Semiology2149 Words   |  9 Pagesand describe the four main mass media industries, as described in the course. Why is ownership of these industries generally seen as important? 3 Question 2: Semiotic theory tells us that every sign is polysemic: ie, it has different meanings for different people, but that they acquire a denotative meaning. Define denotation and using a carefully chosen example, explain how a sign acquires a denotative meaning. 4 Question 3: It was contended in the course that both media industries and social changeRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media And Communication On The Society1674 Words   |  7 PagesMedia Message Introduction Behavioral sciences play a central role in figuring out the likely effect of mass media and communication in the society. Different theories and approaches are used to figure this out. This study refers to the Uses and Gratifications, and Cultivation theories to consider the effect of the media article below on individuals. The uses and gratification theory argues that consumers of a given media uses this media to satisfy and fulfill specific desires and needs. On theRead MoreMass Media And Its Impact On The Field Of Communication3001 Words   |  13 Pagesand evolution in the field of communication. It was an era when televisions were introduced. They formed a major source of entertainment, news and advertising. Advancements have been made in the field of communication and have resulted to varying and significant changes that have brought magnificent impacts that are witnessed today. Mass media and communication entails diversified media technologies. The technologies are purposed to reach large audience who are the mass. There are various types ofRead MoreMedia Convergence : From Mass For Networked Communication1508 Words   |  7 Pages Media convergence: From mass to networked communication Literature Review Media convergence refers to the services and activities emerged through the development of the Internet, where it has allowed for interlink between communication networks and media contents (ALRC, 2015). The establishment of ‘Internet’ has drastically changed the overall communication model in the society in the past 15 years. Where today the communication model has shifted from a mass communication into a networked communication

Elwira Bauers Nazi Propagandist Childrens Book Trust No...

Elwira Bauers Nazi Propagandist Childrens Book Trust No Fox on Green Meadow and no Jew upon his Oath In response to the factional society of the Weimar Republic, Nazism endeavored to create a new, more-unified society; an ideal national community, populated by an ethnically and culturally homogenous citizenry dogmatically obedient to the theories, laws, and policies of the central governing apparatus (the Nazi Hierarchy and ultimately Hitler). To attain its aims, Nazism employed a variety of tactics: laws were enacted to ethnically purify the population (e.g., the 1935 Nuremberg Laws), sentiments were propagated with the intention of uniting the population behind its leadership (i.e., the Fà ¼hrer Principle), and policies were†¦show more content†¦Moreover, as an example of Nazism’s relentless deconstruction of Jewish character, the title also served as a proponent of both â€Å"Gleichschaltung† and the Fà ¼hrer Principle, by discrediting and denigrating the Jews, an enemy was defined and targeted for the non-Jewish population to â€Å"coordinate† be hind their â€Å"Fà ¼hrer† against. Since the purpose of the Hitler Youth (HJ) and the Nazi League of German Girls (BDM) was the coordination of Germany’s young people into a single national movement that was unquestionably loyal to Hitler, the title of the excerpt â€Å"The Fà ¼hrer’s Youth† appears to have been carefully worded to reinforce Nazism’s designs for a unified national community through â€Å"Gleichschaltung† and quite obviously the Fà ¼hrer Principle. Bergen illustrates, â€Å"For at least some Germans the surge of group activities provided an exciting sense of belonging†¦a teenager in 1933, later described how she loved being part of the Nazi League of German Girls.† (65). Moreover, the first stanza of the poem reinforced the Nazi principles of ethnic purity (â€Å"The boys who are true Germans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ), coordination (â€Å"To Hitler’s Youth belong†), cultural unity (â€Å"The German Heritage is theirs†), and

The Evolution Of Parenting And Styles - 920 Words

The evolution in parenting and styles has changed so drastically over the years. From things parents had for their children, to disciplinary tactics, and family values are something that every day in the world is constantly changing. My mother and I often have conversations about my childhood and her childhood and how different things are today then they were sixty years ago when she was a small girl. Media has now played a major role in life today with all the technology and trends that children are trying to mimic. When my mom was eighteen she had her first child. She overcame raising small children with her boyfriend who was suffering from ALS. After losing him shortly after her second child was born she now faced the life of living as a single parent. Being a single parent then and now I think is completely different. The world to me, didn’t seem like such a scary place back then as it does now. She has often told me how the cost of living was much cheaper, more things were available, like finding babysitters for example. It’s hard to find a good babysitter these days because people aren’t who they seem to be anymore. Everyday you read the paper or watch the news and see more and more horrible things happening all over the world and even in our own cities. The United States, which at one time I thought was one of the safest places to live, now seems like a scary place to not only live but raise children . I am a single parent and feel like I have a hard time findingShow M oreRelatedInfluence of Nuclear Family to Development of Antisocial Behaviour795 Words   |  4 Pagesthe first teacher of any child. Therefore, the family a child grows in has a major part to determine how a child will turn out to be later in life. A child is a product of his/her family. There has been a major evolution of the structure of a family because of globalization. The evolution has effects both positive and negative on child’s social behavior. Globalization has made even the women going out to work as opposed to the traditional woman whose responsibility was mainly home keeping and motherhoodRead MoreAnalysis Of Willy Miller s A Salesman 1306 Words   |  6 PagesIn order for Biff and Happy to flourish and mature as people to their full potential, Willy must fulfill his duty of raising them with strategies that oblige wisdom and evolution of their personal selves. Willy engages in fulfilling this duty from three angles linked together by his amicable methods. Exaggeration is one of the many ways in which Willy attempts to be affable with his sons. He constantly â€Å"talks himself up† glorifying his ‘momentous’ title of a notorious salesman. â€Å"Go to Filene’s, goRead MoreThe Gap Between Wealth And Poverty1351 Words   |  6 PagesSuperior†, talks about the differences Western parenting and Chinese parenting. She also lists some rules that she would not allow her two daughters to do, which seem tough and strict to western children. Amy Chua also uses her daughters’ examples to illustrate why her Chinese parenting is more successful than her husband’s education to the children, as she compares Chinese parenting and Western parenting. Then people would ask, why the parenting style is so different between east and west? ProbablyRead MoreNeuroticism Is A Dimension Of Temperament That Can Potentially Play A Role1057 Words   |  5 Pagesenvironmental stressors, there is also speculation on parenting styles that can give rise to neuroticism. Three highlighted parenting styles are: low responsiveness, intrusive and controlling, and positive attachment. Positive attachment (protective factor) enhances the child’s ability to cope and their sense of self-efficacy. Children with unresponsive parents, show a persistent low sense of control over their environment. Lastly, parenting styles that are intrusive or over controlling (â€Å"snowplow†)Read MoreThe Emotional Link Of Attachment1661 Words   |  7 Pagesin Berk, 2011, p. 264). However, by the second half of the first year, infants begin to develop attachments towards anyone who responds to their needs. The work of psychologists Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby embarks on deeper insight into the evolution of attachment in early childhood. Bowlby developed four phases of attachment beginning at birth: pre-attachment, attachment in the making, clear-cut attachment and the formation of a reciprocal relationship. Throughout the first three phases, nonverbalRead More Beliefs Taken to the Extremes Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pageschildren, and not teaching vital principles reducing childrens understanding of the world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the subject of education the Religious Right takes the belief that only certain subjects should be taught in school and others, such as evolution and alternative sexualities, should be banned outright. Also the Religious Right promotes mandatory prayer in school regardless of personal preference.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When the Religious Right views an institution like the American library systemRead MoreBowen Familys System Theory And Structural Family Theory Analysis1583 Words   |  7 PagesShe was so preoccupied with spending time with me she hardly ever made time for herself nor time for her marriage that was on the rock. Essentially, her emotional reaction as a result of my fathers absence created significant changes in her parenting style. My mother was often demanding, critical, and resentful about anything I wanted to do outside the family which impeded my need for self- autonomy and independence as a developing adolescent. I hardly ever hung out with friends and she repeatedlyRead MoreSymptoms And Diagnosis Of Adhd920 Words   |  4 Pagesof Ritalin and other prescribed stimulants raise a few questions about the ethical side of using such powerful substances that affect the human brain, mind and human behavior. Is the medicalization of the society one of the underlying reason of ‘evolution’ of ADHD? Treating every malady, every disorder, every illness, every pathology and all abnormalities with medicines seems like a prevailing tendency in our society. Pills are just a quick fix. So is Ritalin and other prescribed stimulants. JustRead MoreAttachment And Loss Volume 11020 Words   |  5 Pageswith a wire feeding model and a cloth covered model, they would feed from the wire model but go for comfort and reassurance to the cloth model. Harlow also noted that the monkeys went on to have difficulties with relationships, sexual function and parenting. He concluded that the early deprivation they had endured had caused lasting impairment to their emotional and social development and that a critical period for them to form attachments with other monkeys had been missed, causing permanent damageRead MoreMy Evolution As A Parent Educator989 Words   |  4 PagesMy Evolution as a Parent Educator Before this class began I would get nervous before I would teach, but I enjoy teaching because I learn a lot from it. In this particular class I was more anxious to teach than normal because I knew I would be teaching parents. It made me feel uneasy teaching parents how to parent when I am not even a parent myself. In class I was able to get very comfortable teaching. The first time I taught my peers I was a little nervous, but after that I was not nervous at all

Fool Chapter 2 Free Essays

TWO NOW, GODS, STAND UP FOR BASTARDS![11] I found Drool in the laundry resolving a wank, spouting great gouts of git-seed across the laundry walls, floors, and ceiling, giggling, as young Shanker Mary wagged her tits at him over a steaming cauldron of the king’s shirts. â€Å"Put those away, tart, we’ve a show to do.† â€Å"I was just giving ‘im a laugh. We will write a custom essay sample on Fool Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now † â€Å"If you wanted to show charity you could have bonked him honest and there’d be a lot less cleaning to do.† â€Å"That’d be a sin. Besides, I’d as soon straddle a gateman’s halberd as try to get a weapon that girth up me.† Drool pumped himself dry and sat down on the floor splay-legged, huffing like a great dribbling bellows. I tried to help the lout repack his tackle, but getting him into a codpiece against his firm enthusiasm was like trying to pound a bucket over a bull’s head – a scenario I thought comical enough to perhaps work into the act tonight, should things get slow. â€Å"Nothing stopping you from givin’ the lad a proper cleavage toss, Mary. You had ’em out and all soaped up, a couple of jumps and a tickle and he’d have carried water for you for a fortnight.† â€Å"He already does. And I don’t even want that thing near me. A Natural, he is. There’s devils in his jizm.† â€Å"Devils? Devils? There’s no devils in there, lass. Chock full o’ nitwits, to be sure, but no devils.† A Natural was either blessed or cursed, never just an accident of nature, as the name implied. Sometime during the week, Shanker Mary had gone Christian on us, despite being a most egregious slut. You never knew anymore who you were dealing with. Half the kingdom was Christian, the other half paid tribute to the old gods of Nature, who were always showing promise on the moonrise. The Christian God with his â€Å"day of rest† was strong with the peasants come Sunday, but by Thursday when there was drinking and fucking to be done, Nature had her kit off, legs aloft, and a flagon of ale in each hand, taking converts for the Druids as fast as they could come. They were a solid majority when the holiday was about, dancing, drinking, shagging the virgins, and sharing the harvest, but on the human sacrifice or burn-down-the-King’s-forest days, there was none but crickets cavorting ’round the Stonehenge – the singers having forsaken Mother Earth for Father Church. â€Å"Pretty,† said Drool, trying to wrestle back control of his tool. Mary had commenced to stirring the laundry but had neglected to pull her dress up. Had the git’s attention hostage, she did. â€Å"Right. She’s a bloody vision of loveliness, lad, but you’ve buffed yourself to a gleam already and we’ve work to do. The castle’s awash in intrigue, subterfuge, and villainy – they’ll be wanting-comic relief between the flattery and the murders.† â€Å"Intrigue and villainy?† Drool displayed a gape-toothed grin. Imagine soldiers dumping hogsheads of spittle through the crenellations atop the castle wall – thus is Drool’s grin, as earnest in expression as it is damp in execution – a slurry of good cheer. He loves intrigue and villainy, as they play to his most special ability. â€Å"Will there be hiding?† â€Å"There will most certainly be hiding,† said I, as I shouldered an escaped testicle into his cod. â€Å"And listening?† â€Å"Listening of cavernous proportions – we shall hang on every word as God on Pope’s prayers.† â€Å"And fuckery? Will there be fuckery, Pocket?† â€Å"Heinous fuckery most foul, lad. Heinous fuckery most foul.† â€Å"Aye, that’s the dog’s bollocks,[12] then!† said Drool, slapping his thigh. â€Å"Did you hear, Mary? Heinous fuckery afoot. Ain’t that the dog’s bollocks?† â€Å"Oh yeah, the dog’s bloody B. it is, love. If the saints are smilin’ on us, maybe one of them nobles will hang your wee mate there like they been threatening.† â€Å"Two fools well-hung we’d have then, wouldn’t we?† said I, elbowing my apprentice in the ribs. â€Å"Aye, two fools well-hung, we’d have, wouldn’t we?† said Drool, in my voice, tone to note coming out his great maw as like he’d caught an echo on his tongue and coughed it right back. That’s the oaf’s gift – not only can he mimic perfectly, he can recall whole conversations, hours long, recite them back to you in the original speakers’ voices, and not comprehend a single word. He’d first been gifted to Lear by a Spanish duke because of his torrential dribbling and the ability to break wind that could darken a room, but when I discovered the Natural’s keener talent, I took him as my apprentice to teach him the manly art of mirth. Drool laughed. â€Å"Two fools well-hung – â€Å" â€Å"Stop that!† I said. â€Å"It’s unsettling.† Unsettling indeed, to hear your own voice sluicing pitch-perfect out of that mountain of lout, stripped of wit and washed of irony. Two years I’d had Drool under my wing and I was still not inured to it. He meant no harm, it was simply his nature. The anchoress at the abbey had taught me of nature, making me recite Aristotle: â€Å"It is the mark of an educated man, and a tribute to his culture, that he look for precision in a thing only as its nature allows.† I would not have Drool reading Cicero or crafting clever riddles, but under my tutelage he had become more than fair at tumbling and juggling, could belch a song, and was, at court, at least as entertaining as a trained bear, with slightly less proclivity for eating the guests. With guidance, he would make a proper fool. â€Å"Pocket is sad,† said Drool. He patted my head, which was wildly irritating, not only because we were face-to-face – me standing, him sitting bum-to-floor – but because it rang the bells of my coxcomb in a most melancholy manner. â€Å"I’m not sad,† said I. â€Å"I’m angry that you’ve been lost all morning.† â€Å"I weren’t lost. I were right here, the whole time, having three laughs with Mary.† â€Å"Three?! You’re lucky you two didn’t burst into flames, you from friction and her from bloody thunderbolts of Jesus.† â€Å"Maybe four,† said Drool. â€Å"You do look the lost one, Pocket,† said Mary. â€Å"Face like a mourning orphan what’s been dumped in the gutter with the chamber pots.† â€Å"I’m preoccupied. The king has kept no company but Kent this last week, the castle is brimming with backstabbers, and there’s a girl-ghost rhyming ominous on the battlements.† â€Å"Well, there’s always a bloody ghost, ain’t there?† Mary fished a shirt out of the cauldron and bobbed it across the room on her paddle like she was out for a stroll with her own sodden, steaming ghost. â€Å"You’ve got no cares but making everyone laugh, right?† â€Å"Aye, carefree as a breeze. Leave that water when you’re done, would you, Mary? Drool needs a dunking.† â€Å"Nooooooo!† â€Å"Hush, you can’t go before the court like that, you smell of shit. Did you sleep on the dung heap again last night?† â€Å"It were warm.† I clouted him a good one on the crown with Jones. â€Å"Warm’s not all, lad. If you want warm you can sleep in the great hall with everyone else.† â€Å"He ain’t allowed,† offered Mary. â€Å"Chamberlain[13] says his snoring frightens the dogs.† â€Å"Not allowed?† Every commoner who didn’t have quarters slept on the floor in the great hall – strewn about willy-nilly on the straw and rushes – nearly dog-piled before the fireplace in winter. An enterprising fellow with night horns aloft and a predisposal to creep might find himself accidentally sharing a blanket or a tumble with a sleepy and possibly willing wench, and then be banished for a fortnight from the hall’s friendly warmth (and indeed, I owe my own modest apartment above the barbican[14] to such nocturnal proclivity), but put out for snoring? Unheard of. When night’s inky cape falls o’er the great hall, a gristmill it becomes, the machines of men’s breath grind their dreams with a frightful roar, and even Drool’s great gears fall undistinguished among the chorus. â€Å"For snoring? Not allowed in the hall? Balderdash!† â€Å"And for having a wee on the steward’s wife,† Mary added. â€Å"It were dark,† explained Drool. â€Å"Aye, and even in daylight she is easily mistaken for a privy, but have I not tutored you in the control of your fluids, lad?† â€Å"Aye, and with great success,† said Shanker Mary, rolling her eyes at the spunk-frosted wall. â€Å"Ah, Mary, well said. Let’s make a pact: If you do not make attempts at wit, I will refrain from becoming a soap-smelling prick-pull. What say ye?† â€Å"You said you liked the smell of soap.† â€Å"Aye, well, speaking of smell. Drool, fetch some buckets of cold water from the well. We need to cool this kettle down and get you bathed.† â€Å"Nooooooo!† â€Å"Jones will be very unhappy with you if you don’t hurry,† said I, brandishing Jones in a disapproving and somewhat threatening manner. A hard master is Jones, bitter, no doubt, from being raised as a puppet on a stick. A half-hour later, a miserable Drool sat in the steaming cauldron, fully-clothed, his natural broth having turned the lye-white water to a rich, brown oaf-sauce. Shanker Mary stirred about him with her paddle, being careful not to stir him beyond suds to lust. I was quizzing my student on the coming night’s entertainments. â€Å"So, because Cornwall is on the sea, we shall portray the duke how, dear Drool?† â€Å"As a sheep-shagger,† said the despondent giant. â€Å"No, lad, that’s Albany. Cornwall shall be the fish-fucker.† â€Å"Aye, sorry, Pocket.† â€Å"Not a worry, not a worry. You’ll still be sodden from your bath, I suspect, so we’ll work that into the jest. Bit of sloshing and squishing will but add to the merriment, and if we can thus imply that Princess Regan is herself, a fishlike consort, well I can’t think of anyone who won’t be amused.† â€Å"‘Cepting the princess,† said Mary. â€Å"Well, yes, but she is very literal-minded and often has to be explained the thrust of the jest a time or two before lending her appreciation.† â€Å"Aye, remedial thrusting’s the remedy for Regan’s stubborn wit,† said the puppet Jones. â€Å"Aye, remedial thrusting’s the remedy for Regan’s stubborn wit,† said Drool in Jones’s voice. â€Å"You’re dead men,† sighed Shanker Mary. â€Å"You’re a dead man, knave!† said a man’s voice from behind me. And there stood Edmund, bastard son of Gloucester, blocking the only exit, sword in hand. Dressed all in black, was the bastard: a simple silver brooch secured his cape, the hilts of his sword and dagger were silver dragon heads with emerald eyes. His jet beard was trimmed to points. I do admire the bastard’s sense of style – simple, elegant, and evil. He owns his darkness. I, myself, am called the Black Fool. Not because I am a Moor, although I hold no grudge toward them (Moors are said to be talented wife-stranglers) and would take no offense at the moniker were that the case, but my skin is as snowy as any sun-starved son of England. No, I am called so because of my wardrobe, an argyle of black satin and velvet diamonds – not the rainbow motley of the run-a-day fool. Lear said: â€Å"After thy black wit shall be thy dress, fool. Perhaps a new outfit will stop you tweaking Death’s nose. I’m short for the grave as it is, boy, no need to anger the worms before my arrival.† When even a king fears irony’s twisted blade, what fool is ever unarmed? â€Å"Draw your weapon, fool!† said Edmund. â€Å"Sadly, sir, I have none,† said I. Jones shook his head in unarmed woe. We both were lying, of course. Across the small of my back I wore three wickedly-pointed throwing daggers – fashioned for me by the armorer to be used in our entertainments – and while I had never used them as weapons, truly flung they had spitted apples off the head of Drool, nipped plums from his outstretched fingers, and yea, even speared grapes out of the air. I had little doubt that one might find its way into Edmund’s eye and thus vent his bitter mind like a lanced boil. If he needed to know he would know soon enough. If not, well, why trouble him? â€Å"If not a fight, then a murder it is,† said Edmund. He lunged, his blade aimed for my heart. I sidestepped and knocked his blade away with Jones, who lost a bell from his coxcomb for his trouble. I hopped up onto the lip of the cauldron. â€Å"But, sir, why spend your wrath on a poor, helpless fool?† Edmund slashed. I leapt. He missed. I landed on the far side of the cauldron. Drool moaned. Mary hid in the corner. â€Å"You shouted bastard at me from the battlements.† â€Å"Aye, they announced you as bastard. You, sir, are a bastard. And a bastard most unjust to make me die with the foul taste of truth still on my tongue. Allow me a lie before you strike: You have such kind eyes.† â€Å"But you spoke badly of my mother as well.† He put himself between me and the door. Bloody bad planning, building a laundry with only one exit. â€Å"I may have implied that she was a poxy whore, but from what your father says, that, too, is not breaking the bonds of verity.† â€Å"What?† asked Edmund. â€Å"What?† asked Drool, a perfect parrot of Edmund. â€Å"What?† inquired Mary. â€Å"It’s true, you git! Your mother was a poxy whore!† â€Å"Beggin’ your pardon, sir, poxiness ain’t so bad,† said Shanker Mary, shining a ray of optimism on these dark ages. â€Å"Unfairly maligned, the poxy are. Methinks a spot o’ the pox implies experience. Worldliness, if you will.† â€Å"The tart makes an excellent point, Edmund. But for the slow descent into madness and death with your bits dropping off along the way, the pox is a veritable blessing,† said I, as I skipped just out of blade’s reach from the bastard, who stalked me around the great cauldron. â€Å"Take Mary here. In fact, there’s an idea. Take Mary. Why spend your energy after a long journey murdering a speck of a fool when you can enjoy the pleasures of a lusty wench who is not only ready, but willing, and smells pleasantly of soap?† â€Å"Aye,† said Drool, expelling froth as he spoke. â€Å"She’s a bloody vision of loveliness.† Edmund let his sword point drop and looked at Drool for the first time. â€Å"Are you eating soap?† â€Å"Just a wee sliver,† bubbled Drool. â€Å"They weren’t saving it.† Edmund turned back to me. â€Å"Why are you boiling this fellow?† â€Å"Couldn’t be helped,† said I. (How dramatic, the bastard, the water was barely steaming. What appeared to be boiling was Drool venting vapors.) â€Å"Common fuckin’ courtesy, ain’t it?† said Mary. â€Å"Speak straight, both of you.† The bastard wheeled on one heel and before I knew what was happening, he had the point of his blade at Mary’s throat. â€Å"I’ve been nine years in the Holy Land killing Saracens, killing one or two more makes no difference to me.† â€Å"Wait!† I leapt back to the lip of the cauldron, reaching to the small of my back with my free hand. â€Å"Wait. He’s being punished. By the king. For attacking me.† â€Å"Punished? For attacking a fool?† â€Å"‘Boil him alive,’ the king said.† I jumped down to Edmund’s side of the cauldron – moved toward the doorway. I’d needed a clear line of sight, and should he move, I didn’t want the blade to hit Mary. â€Å"Everyone knows how fond the king is of his dark little fool,† said Mary, nodding enthusiastically. â€Å"Bollocks!† shouted Edmund, as he pulled the sword back to slash. Mary screamed. I flipped a dagger in the air, caught it by the blade, and was readying to send it to Edmund’s heart when something hit him in the back of the head with a thud and he went bum over eyebrows into the wall, his blade clanging across the floor to my feet. Drool had stood up in the cauldron and was holding Mary’s laundry paddle – a bit of dark hair and bloody scalp clung to the bleached wood. â€Å"Did you see that, Pocket? Smashing fall he did.† All of it a pantomime to Drool. Edmund was not moving. As far as I could see, he was not breathing either. â€Å"God’s bloody balls, Drool, you’ve kilt the earl’s son. We’ll all be hung, now.† â€Å"But he were going to hurt Mary.† Mary sat on the floor by Edmund’s prostrate body and began stroking his hair on a spot where there was no blood. â€Å"I was going to shag him docile, too.† â€Å"He would have killed you without a thought.† â€Å"Ah, blokes have their tempers, don’t they? Look at him, he’s a fair form of a fellow, innit he? And rich, too.† She took something from his pocket. â€Å"What’s this?† â€Å"Well done, lass, not so much as a comma between grief and robbery, and much the better when he’s still so fresh his fleas have not sailed to livelier ports. The Church wears well on you.† â€Å"No, I’m not robbing. Look, it’s a letter.† â€Å"Give it here.† â€Å"You can read?† The tart’s eyes widened as if I had confessed the ability to turn lead into gold. â€Å"I was raised in a nunnery, wench. I am a walking library of learning – bound in comely leather and suitable for stroking – at your service, should you fancy a bit of culture to go with your lack of breeding, or vice versa, of course.† Then Edmund gasped and stirred. â€Å"Oh fuckstockings. The bastard’s alive.† How to cite Fool Chapter 2, Essay examples