No need for topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

No need for topic - Essay Example The various components of this chapter are highly related with the course content in the sense that Presidential powers might impose significant impact on the entire political system of the nation. In this regard, American constitution provides Presidents with the powers to frame proposals and develop effective strategies (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir and Tolbert 492-534). Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir and Tolbert (492-534) stated that Presidents have the responsibility to safeguard every state against any kind of assault as well as national violence. Thus, it is quite vital to understand the powers of Presidents that have extensive influences on various federal aspects of the US (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir and Tolbert 492-534). Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir and Tolbert (492-534) further stated that although Presidents are somehow unable to introduce any strict legislation and do not possess leading role in making law, they play imperative role in other spheres that include budget creation and dealing with key national problems. However, a President can expand his/her power through performing effective management practices. Going public is also regarded as one of the chief sources of Presidential power. Particularly, in the political system of America, the varied constitutional powers of Presidents have huge role to play in directing the nation towards right path (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir and Tolbert

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay This shows just how angry she is about being dumped. In Havisham Carol Ann Duffy makes miss Havisham seem less than human in many ways, first of all she degrades her by not giving her a proper title, just Havisham not Miss Havisham just Havisham this makes her seem in an under class, then she says that she spent whole days cawing nooooo this makes her seem like a crow as a crow caws, also the crow is an ugly bird so this makes miss Havisham seem even worse. In both Great Expectations and Havisham miss Havisham is shown as an evil old woman, however her appearance is described more shockingly in Great Expectations as miss Havisham is described through the eyes of a small child, Pip. In Havisham she is described through her own eyes, also her description in Great Expectations was of her appearance, her white hair, the yellowing dress e. t. c and in Havisham it is more so her feelings and not so much to do with her appearance. Great Expectations was wrote in a time when gothic novels were very popular, for example Bram Stockers Dracula or Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, also The Castle of Otranto by Mrs Radcliffe, as a result of this Mrs Havisham is portrayed in a very gothic way, as when Pip first sees her he compares her to a waxwork, see was very similar to a waxwork I remember having once seen that quite scared me also because Great Expectations was written a lot earlier than Havisham so Charles Dickens will have been a lot more restricted with the language he could use. You can see this as in Havisham Carol Ann Duffy describes miss Havisham making love to her fianci then biting off his manhood, Charles Dickens would never had dreamed of putting that in his novel so it shows that the two pieces of writing are different not just because of the authors styles or format but also because of the social and historical context. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

Effect of Age on Self-Descriptions and Characteristics

Effect of Age on Self-Descriptions and Characteristics A small scale study involving two children aged 8 and 16 to recognise aspects of Rosenberg’s findings on how a child’s self-descriptions and characteristics change with age. Abstract This study examines the theory of Rosenberg (1989) that the characteristics of a child’s self-description changes with age. Namely, the researcher investigates how a child describes themselves changes with age as a result of experience, social interaction and knowledge. A primarily qualitative analysis with some quantitative analysis was carried out on two pre-existing semi structured interviews of two children a boy aged 16, and a girl aged 8. Using Rosenberg’s (1979) categorical analysis, in part the results showed that age does play a part in how a child’s self-description changes with age and an older child is more likely to focus on emotions and inner feelings when talking about themselves as opposed to a younger child who is more likely to focus of external behaviour and characteristics. Introduction This study aims to understand the relationship between how individual talks about themselves, and how these change with age thus creating their own identity. Identity is how a person views themselves and how others view that person. Initial work by Cooley and Mead ( 1902) found evidence that people build their own identity based on reactions of others towards them and that that children could not form a sense of self without feedback from others,† ( as cited in Meill Ding, p. 134 ) He referred to this as the â€Å"looking glass self†. Evidence was drawn from the â€Å"feral child case† whereby, a young boy was discovered living in the wild but had limited understanding of the world around him lacking in social skills due to minimal interaction with others. (Meill Ding, 2005) (Lewis, 1961) found evidence to support Cooley and Meads (1902) initial findings and theorised that a true sense of self happens over a period of time and changes dependant of a child’s age. The theories of Lewis (1961) consisted of two stages, the self as an object, (the categorical self) consisting of the characteristics that define an individual age, gender, name and the relationship that child has with others. The second stage (the existential self) refers to the self as a subject and this is gained as a result of personal development, experience and the social connections with others. (Maccoby, 1980) suggested that â€Å"building an identity and achieving self-awareness is a long term project† (as cited in Meill et al, p.131) and that children cannot form a true sense of oneself without feedback from others, therefore could not fully develop without the two aspects working together. Bannister and Agnew (1977) found that as children get older they become more accomplished at recognising themselves mentally from others, and additionally as they become older become better equipped at seeing themselves in a more distinctive way. Younger children have a tendency to depict and separate themselves by using physical characteristics and behaviours whereas older children rely more on mental characteristics and feelings. Following on from these ideas Rosenberg (1979) put forward his own theories. Rosenberg (1979) noted that as a child gets older they describe themselves with more internal qualities such as personal beliefs, feelings, emotions, attitudes, state of mind, wishes and insider facts and they were less likely to use character attributes to characterise themselves. The Younger children’s descriptions were more to do with interpersonal attributes such as external behaviours, descriptions and characteristic’s. Harter (1983) also found that the aspects that children talk about change with age. She reviewed interviews of children talking about themselves; she found that younger children tended to focus objective facts and external behaviour whereas, as the children got older the focus shifted to internal factors such as personal beliefs, feelings, emotions and attitudes. This study is aimed to demonstrate how a child perceives them self by self-description and how the characteristics they display change with age by using Rosenberg’s Categories of analysis. It is predicted that the differences between how Annie and Adam describe themselves should be significantly different with the younger child Annie, displaying more external characteristics and the older child Adam displaying more internal and personal characteristics within the meanings of the research question â€Å"who are you? (Meill et al 2005) Method Design The two children a boy aged 16 and a girl aged eight who were interviewed separately were asked to write up to 10 statements about themselves. One of the children, Annie the six year old girl was only able to write six so those six were just taken into account. The data was analysed for Rosenberg’s concept of Developmental Trend of Self Awareness and Rosenberg’s categories were applied to this data. Then the â€Å"Locus of Self Knowledge† was Considered and analysed and a theme on the â€Å"self† was identified using thematic analysis. Participants The participants (an eight year old girl and a sixteen year old boy) from Milton Keynes were provided by the Open University which obtained consent from the participants to use the interviews for research purposes. The study involved some quantitative analysis but it is primarily a qualitative study. The participants were interviewed separately by two different interviewers who were not previously known to the participants. Materials and apparatus The researcher an Open University psychology student, analysed the pre-existing material (the two semi structured interviews) comprising of a DVD. (The Open University, 2005 video band 3, self-concept interviews) and a transcript provided by the OU with the time taken with responses also recorded from beginning to end. The transcript provided the conversation between the interviewer and the child from start to end. Procedure Rosenberg’s categories were used in the analysis of the interviews referring to the DVD and transcripts noting the researchers own perception the themes of Rosenberg (1989) they were physical, the character, relationships and inner. These were identified on a category analysis form (see appendix 2 3) which were used to mark and record the different themes identified. The second part of the analysis involved the locus of knowledge and analysing the results separately then to conclude thematic analysis was applied to see if there were any reoccurring themes within the data. The interviewers examined the same subject theme of â€Å"who are you?† ( Miell et al, 2005) Ethical Issues The data collection complied with the BPS of code of ethics. Informed consent was obtained from the participant and their parents (for children under 16) The Interviewer made sure that the participants did not suffer from any physical or psychological harm as a result of their research. The children were fully briefed on the procedure and reminded of their right to withdraw at any time. The participants were debriefed at the end and thanked for their participation. No ethical issues were raised. Results Self-Description Table 1. A comparison of Annie and Adam‘s Categories of self-description (see appendix 1) The aim of this study was to see if the content of Annie (8) and Adam (16) interviews’ reflected a difference in the descriptions of one’s self (see table 1.) Adam as predicted, made 100 % more Inner statements compared to Annie, which supports Rosenberg’s theories that an older child would focus more on descriptions of Inner feelings than a younger child. It was also predicted that Annie (the younger child would have scored higher in the Physical category. 67% of her answers fell into the physical category compared to Adams 40 %. It was expected that as an older child the physical category would have had a lower score, but Adam enjoys the physical side of his life and is very active with sport etc. Surprisingly, Adam also scored 100 % higher than Annie in the Character category. According to Rosenberg’s theories, it was to be expected that the younger child Annie would have scored higher in this category. If the participant pool had been on a larger scale this may well have been the case. Locus of self-Knowledge Despite the difference in age and gender both children agreed, (when questioned who would know best, themselves or their respective mothers) that it would be their mothers who would know best. There was consistency in the way the questions were asked to both children but the answers were for different reasons. Adam showed displays of inner concepts in his answer that his mother probably would know best and gave emotional justifications for this â€Å"she always seemed to be in control of situations particularly his schooling.† He gave another example of this when he described his mother at parents evening and â€Å"how they could predict what the other was thinking.† (Theory of mind) Annie of the other hand laughs and gives a more simplistic explanation of her mother claiming she just â€Å"knows best† as if that is what was to be expected as she was the parent. However, how close a family is bonded or a sense of a more established sense of inner self could also explain both their reasoning in their answers. Themes Identified Two themes that were identified using thematic analysis were gender differences, although both sexes enjoyed football, it was viewed by both the participants as a traditionally male sport. The second theme that was identified was self-awareness of one’s self and both participants described how they thought they would be described by others. Discussion The aim of this study was to see if the content of Adam and Annie’s interviews reflected a difference in the descriptions of themselves, to identify the locus of knowledge and in addition any of themes. Adam said â€Å"when he’s older, he would like to be a leader, or something with power, and I’d been really strong as a leader.† (Referring to When he was football captain (25.33) which suggests that he still regards himself as developing and growing. This provides evidence for Harter (1983) theory that as a child gets older the focus shifts to more internal factors such as personal beliefs, feelings, emotions and attitudes. However Annie said â€Å"I love rabbits, guinea pigs and dogs† (3.36) which is a simple external statement and can be linked back to Rosenberg (1979) theory that Younger children were more likely to describe interpersonal attributes Although it appears that both children are able to express themselves Adam wrote ten â€Å"I am â€Å"statements whereas Annie only wrote six. This may suggest that a younger child may be more limited to expression of themselves. Both Annie and Adam acknowledge when asked â€Å"who would know best, themselves or their mothers? â€Å"That indeed, their mothers would probably know better than themselves and they both trust their respective parental judgement. This is referred to as the locus of knowledge. The two themes that were identified were gender and self-awareness. Adam refers to his passion about football (2.18) â€Å" if I am just walking with my friends and see a football match I will stop and watch it, if it’s on TV I’ll watch it, and I will stop what I am doing if someone asks me to play† He pinpoints when his passion started (2.57) when his† father first gave him his very own ball â€Å" There is a sense of pride in the way he speaks about his father giving him this ball , as if it is a male bonding between them. Annie has also identified that football is traditionally a male hobby. She refers to herself ( 11.24) As â€Å" being the same as Georgina because we are both tomboys and we love football â€Å" Even at six years old Annie has come to forma belief about the notion of masculiNIty and feminINity. Evidence from (Maccoby, 1980) suggested that â€Å"building an identity and achieving self-awareness is a long term project† (as cited in the early development of identity, p.131) and those children cannot form a true sense of oneself without feedback from others. The second theme that was identified was self-awareness. Annie identifies herself as being â€Å" a kind person, and if you got to know me you like me† ( 18.32) and Adam describes his interest in clothes and how his friends perceive him for working in the shop â€Å" they are always impressed with me â€Å" ( 8.53) These statements link to that of Lewis ( 1961) who found that â€Å" a true sense of self happens over a period of time and changes dependant of a child’s age Which consisted of two stages, the self as an object, (the categorical self) and the later second stage (the existential self) which was gained as a result of personal development. There are limitations when using discourse analysis as it is problematic when trying to evaluate the findings of research as the interpreter may not have correctly interpreted the meanings of the participants which raise the issue of intercoder reliability or another interpreter may have coded the answers differently. One of the problems that did arise within this study is validity as the comparison is it a not like for like comparison as Adam gave ten â€Å" I am â€Å" statements but Annie only gave six so there was a methodical flaw to begin. In order to improve on the methodology of this study, the participant number in each age group could be increased to take into consideration individual differences between children. Also it would be interesting to interview children from different cultures to see if that made a difference in the findings. This study shows partial support for Rosenberg (1979) findings as Adam (16) focussed on Inner feeling, Physical characteristics whereas Annie (6) focussed more on physical characteristics and relationships. It was to be expected that Adam would have scored higher than Annie in the relationship category although this study did not allow for individual and developmental differences, what had been learnt socially and the closeness of the individuals family unit. The younger child did use more self-descriptions than the older child in the relationship catagory which offers partial support Rosenberg’s findings. Conclusion To conclude, the findings show partial support for Rosenberg (1979) theories with evidence that self descriptions change in stages as a child matures with different aspects of identity being more significant at different ages and stages with the focus shifting from external characteristics of a younger child to the inner feelings and beliefs of an older child as a result of knowledge and experience. There is room for more research to be done in this area by using a larger participant pool and children from other cultures. References: Bannister, D. and Agnew, J. (1977) (as cited in The Open University, 2013, ED209, Tam 04 practical available from: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=345577section=1.2.1 (Accessed Feb 2014) Cooley, C.H Mead, G.H. (1902) as cited in Ding, S and Meill, D (2005) p.134. Ding, S Meill, D, (2005) â€Å" The early development of identity† in Ding, S and Littleton, K. (eds) Childrens Personal and Social Development, Oxford, Blackwell, The Open University. George, R., Oates, J. and Wood, C. (Eds) (2006) Methods and Skills Handbook, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Harter, S. (1983) as cited in Ding, S and Miell, D (2005) p.129 Lewis, M. (1961) as cited in Ding, S and Meill, D (2005) p.132. Maccoby, E. (1980) as cited in Ding, S and Meill, D (2005) p.130. Rosenberg (1979) (as cited in The Open University, 2013, ED209, Tma 04 practical available from: https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=345577section=1.2.1 (Accessed Feb 2014) The Open University (2006) ED209 Child Development, Media Kit Part 2, Audio Band 3: Self Concept Interviews. Appendices: Appendix 1. A comparison of Annie and Adam’s categories of self-description. Appendix 2. Category Analysis form for Annie. Appendix 3 Category Analysis form for Adam.

Handspring INC Evaluation and Control :: essays research papers

Solution EVALUATION AND CONTROL Evaluation of the sales staff should be done in order to improve their performance. Targets should be set at the beginning of every month and the actual performance in relation to the targets should be compared to get the real difference between the targeted performance and the real performance. A similar, target setting and evaluation of the sales performance will not only evaluate the performance of the employees but will also control them effectively. Remember, the yearly increments and promotions will to an extent depend on the performance of the sales personnel. This will help the company meet its sales objectives. Evaluation of the research & development staff is necessary to make Handspring products technically superior to that of competitors. For instance if the objective of the personnel is to develop products that are compatible with the operating system of Microsoft, then they have to be given objectives relating to the technical development of the product, the time deadline they have and the cost constraints. The R&D staff would be given a priori evaluation. That means that before the work starts on the project, the values attached to the various stages of the work would be decided. For example, if the work were to be completed on time, it would be given a rating of 5 and if the work were 80% complete the rating would be 4 and so on. This a priori contract would not only impose a control on the work but would help Handspring achieve its strategic objectives. For example, if the strategic objective of Handspring were to reduce the cost of Treo, then this project would be given to a projec t team with a fixed time period and a set of objectives. Setting up of objectives and entering into an a priori contract with them so that their performance can objectively be evaluated can do evaluation of the top managers also. For, example one of the vice- presidents can be entrusted with the task of setting up alliances with other top companies so that Treo is purchases as a tie up product. The vice-president will be given a target of forging say 6 alliances having a sale value of $XXM. Apart from this other criteria for his evaluation can be set up and each given a weight. At the end of the evaluation period the actual performance of the vice-president will be compared to the targeted performance and a composite score calculated for him. Handspring INC Evaluation and Control :: essays research papers Solution EVALUATION AND CONTROL Evaluation of the sales staff should be done in order to improve their performance. Targets should be set at the beginning of every month and the actual performance in relation to the targets should be compared to get the real difference between the targeted performance and the real performance. A similar, target setting and evaluation of the sales performance will not only evaluate the performance of the employees but will also control them effectively. Remember, the yearly increments and promotions will to an extent depend on the performance of the sales personnel. This will help the company meet its sales objectives. Evaluation of the research & development staff is necessary to make Handspring products technically superior to that of competitors. For instance if the objective of the personnel is to develop products that are compatible with the operating system of Microsoft, then they have to be given objectives relating to the technical development of the product, the time deadline they have and the cost constraints. The R&D staff would be given a priori evaluation. That means that before the work starts on the project, the values attached to the various stages of the work would be decided. For example, if the work were to be completed on time, it would be given a rating of 5 and if the work were 80% complete the rating would be 4 and so on. This a priori contract would not only impose a control on the work but would help Handspring achieve its strategic objectives. For example, if the strategic objective of Handspring were to reduce the cost of Treo, then this project would be given to a projec t team with a fixed time period and a set of objectives. Setting up of objectives and entering into an a priori contract with them so that their performance can objectively be evaluated can do evaluation of the top managers also. For, example one of the vice- presidents can be entrusted with the task of setting up alliances with other top companies so that Treo is purchases as a tie up product. The vice-president will be given a target of forging say 6 alliances having a sale value of $XXM. Apart from this other criteria for his evaluation can be set up and each given a weight. At the end of the evaluation period the actual performance of the vice-president will be compared to the targeted performance and a composite score calculated for him.

Economic Malaysia Essay

The economy of Malaysia has expanded a lot in 2004, as in the following years, with a growth of 7.1 percent. At that time, GNI was at $ 117.1 billion and the GNI per capita at $ 4650. Malaysia’s economy continues to grow. In terms of purchasing power parity, the country was the twenty-ninth largest economy on the globe, having gross domestic product at $357.9 billion in 2007. Due to its continuous development in the industrial sector, Malaysia has one of the biggest living standards in Southeast Asia. RELATED ARTICLES THE 2008 ECONOMIC RECESSION AND ASIA E-Commerce Adoption By Malaysian Organizations Malaysian Culture The Implications Of Multiculturalism On Competition Law In Malaysia Malaysia has rich natural resources: palm oil, timber, tin, crude petroleum and rubber. Agriculture accounts for 12 per cent of the country’s GDP. 16 per cent of the working population is employed in the domain of agriculture. The most important crops are palm oil, cocoa and rubber, but also fruits and vegetables: coconuts, pineapples, rambutan, bananas and durian. The country cannot satisfy the population’s everyday need for rice, so Malaysia is forced to import it from the neighboring countries such as Vietnam or Thailand. Malaysia is the biggest producer of palm oil in the world; it produced 10 million metric tons of palm oil in 1999, most of which was exported. Malaysia is also a big exporter of rubber and wood: tropical logs, sawed tropical timber, hardwood. The manufacturing sector provides: furniture, office machines, electrical machines and appliances, clothing, footwear. International trade has a big role in the country’s economy, as it is one of the three countries controlling the Strait of Malacca. 48% of the country’s GDP is covered by the industrial sector: banking, telecommunications, tobacco, transportation, utilities. Bank Negara Malaysia regulates the financial sector in Malaysia. It licenses limits for foreign participation. In 2001, the central bank launched a Financial Sector Master Plan to recuperate the financial sector after the financial crisis in Asia, with an emphasis on Islamic Banks. Poverty is still a big issue to be solved. Urban poverty seems to have been neglected in the favor of rural poverty, because it is considered that only 2 percent of the urban population lives in poverty. Malaysia’s economy managed to sustain a fast economic development in the last thirty years. It has reduced poverty and provided a better environment for the ethnic groups in the country. The World Bank confirms the fact that growth was registered in all Malaysian sectors. Growth was continuous for 5 years mostly due to domestic consumption. The private investments led to a private sector, increasing the country’s economy. http://www.articlesbase.com/economics-articles/malaysian-economy-821769.html

Formal Outline Template

GUIDE TO FORMAL OUTLINING I. The outline should be in sentence form. A. That means that each section of the outline must be a complete sentence B. Each part may only have one sentence in it. II. Each Roman numeral should be a main section of the speech. A. Capital letters are main points of the thesis. 1. Numbers are sub-points under the capital letters. 2. Little letters are sub-points under the numbers. B. Sub-points need to correspond with the idea it is under. 1. This means that capital letters refer to the idea in roman numerals. 2. This means that numbers refer to the idea in the capital letter.III. All sub-points should be indented the same. A. This means that all of the capital letters are indented the same. B. All numbers are indented the same. IV. No sub-point stands alone. A. Every A must have a B. B. Every 1 must have a 2. C. You don’t need to have a C or a 3, but you can. D. There are no exceptions to this rule. Your speech outline should look something like the o ne in the sample. Your outline will also include the full sentence details of your speech, including source citations. The number of sub-points will differ in each speech and for each main idea. FORMAL SENTENCE OUTLINE FORMATStudent’s Name: Date: Topic: General Purpose: Specific Purpose: Key statement that describes the topic of your speech To inform OR To persuade Your specific purpose identifies the information you want to communicate (in an informative speech) or the attitude or behavior you want to change (in a persuasive speech). The central idea of your speech (should predict, control and obligate). Thesis: I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: Something that grabs the attention of the audience. Examples of this: startling statistics, stories, rhetorical questions, quotations, scenarios, etc. This point should be more than one entence long. Why should the audience listen to your speech, make it personal to each of them. Exact same statement as above. B. Reason to Listen: C. D. Thesis Statement: Credibility Statement: 1. 2. What personally connects you to this topic? What type of research have you done to establish credibility? E. Preview of Main Points: 1. 2. 3. First, I will describe †¦ Second, I will examine †¦ Third, I will discuss†¦ II. Restate thesis, exact statement as above. A. Statement of the first main point; you should not use a source in this sentence. 1. Idea of development or support for the first main point a.Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) b. Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) 2. More development or support a. b. Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) 3. Transition: More development if needed (Required) Statement of movement that looks back (internal summary) and looks forward (preview). Statement of second main point. Do not use a source in this statement. 1. Idea of development or support for the first main point a. b. . Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) B. More development or support a. b. Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) 3. Transition: More development if needed (Required) Statement of movement that looks back (internal summary) and looks forward (preview). Statement of third main point. Do not use a source in this statement. 1. Idea of development or support for the first main point a. b. . Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) C. More development or support a. b. 3. Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. – cite source) Support material (ex: statistics, quotation, etc. â₠¬â€œ cite source) More development if needed III. Conclusion A. Review of Main Points: 1. 2. 3. B. C. Restate your first main point. Restate your second main point. Restate you third main point. Exact same as above. Develop a creative closing that will give the speech a sense of ending.This point may be more than one sentence. You should refer back to your AttentionGetter. Restate Thesis: Closure: References APA format; all references need to be sited in APA format. Electronic sources must be . edu, . gov, or . org in order to be acceptable. Be sure to make sure that the references are in Alphabetical order. Double-Spaced; all references should be double-spaced and indented. Five source minimum: You must have at least five sources cited in your outline and listed on your reference page. Make sure to provide all necessary information in the references.

Free Essays on Aritficial Intelligence

Recently, the media has spent an increasing amount of broadcast time on new technology. The focus of high-tech media has been aimed at the flurry of advances concerning artificial intelligence (AI). What is artificial intelligence and what is the media talking about? Are these technologies beneficial to our society or mere novelties among business and marketing professionals? Medical facilities, police departments, and manufacturing plants have all been changed by AI but how? These questions and many others are the concern of the general public brought about by the lack of education concerning rapidly advancing computer technology. Artificial intelligence is defined as the ability of a machine to think for itself. Scientists and theorists continue to debate if computers will actually be able to think for themselves at one point (Patterson 7). The generally accepted theory is that computers do and will think more in the future. AI has grown rapidly in the last ten years chiefly because of the advances in computer architecture. The term artificial intelligence was actually coined in 1956 by a group of scientists having their first meeting on the topic (Patterson 6). Early attempts at AI were neural networks modeled after the ones in the human brain. Success was minimal at best because of the lack of computer technology needed to calculate such large equations. AI is achieved using a number of different methods. The more popular implementations comprise neural networks, chaos engineering, fuzzy logic, knowledge based systems, and expert systems. Using any one of the aforementioned design structures requires a specialized computer system. For example, Anderson Consulting applies a knowledge based system to commercial loan officers using multimedia (Hedburg 121). Their system requires a fast IBM desktop computer. Other systems may require even more horsepower using exotic computers or workstations. Even more exotic is the software th... Free Essays on Aritficial Intelligence Free Essays on Aritficial Intelligence Recently, the media has spent an increasing amount of broadcast time on new technology. The focus of high-tech media has been aimed at the flurry of advances concerning artificial intelligence (AI). What is artificial intelligence and what is the media talking about? Are these technologies beneficial to our society or mere novelties among business and marketing professionals? Medical facilities, police departments, and manufacturing plants have all been changed by AI but how? These questions and many others are the concern of the general public brought about by the lack of education concerning rapidly advancing computer technology. Artificial intelligence is defined as the ability of a machine to think for itself. Scientists and theorists continue to debate if computers will actually be able to think for themselves at one point (Patterson 7). The generally accepted theory is that computers do and will think more in the future. AI has grown rapidly in the last ten years chiefly because of the advances in computer architecture. The term artificial intelligence was actually coined in 1956 by a group of scientists having their first meeting on the topic (Patterson 6). Early attempts at AI were neural networks modeled after the ones in the human brain. Success was minimal at best because of the lack of computer technology needed to calculate such large equations. AI is achieved using a number of different methods. The more popular implementations comprise neural networks, chaos engineering, fuzzy logic, knowledge based systems, and expert systems. Using any one of the aforementioned design structures requires a specialized computer system. For example, Anderson Consulting applies a knowledge based system to commercial loan officers using multimedia (Hedburg 121). Their system requires a fast IBM desktop computer. Other systems may require even more horsepower using exotic computers or workstations. Even more exotic is the software th...

How to Use Delphi to Build a Custom Windows Explorer

How to Use Delphi to Build a Custom Windows Explorer Windows Explorer is what you use in the Windows operating system to browse for files and folders. You can create a similar structure with Delphi so that the same content is populated within your programs user interface. Common dialog boxes are used in Delphi to open and save a file in an application. If you want to use customized file managers and directory browsing dialogs, you have to deal with file system Delphi components. The Win 3.1 VCL palette group includes several components that allow you to build your own custom File Open or File Save dialog box: TFileListBox, TDirectoryListBox, TDriveComboBox, and TFilterComboBox. Navigating Files The file system components allow us to select a drive, see the hierarchical directory structure of a disk, and see the names of the files in a given directory. All of the file system components are designed to work together. For example, your code checks what the user has done to, say, a DriveComboBox and then passes this information on to a DirectoryListBox. The changes in DirectoryListBox are then passed to a FileListBox in which the user can select the file(s) needed. Designing the Dialog Form Start a new Delphi application and select the Win 3.1 tab of the Component palette. Then do the following: Place one TFileListBox, TDirectoryListBox, TDriveComboBox, and TFilterComboBox component on a form, keeping all of their default namesAdd one TEdit (named FileNameEdit) and one TLabel (call it DirLabel).Include a few labels with captions, like File Name, Directory, List Files of Type, and Drives. To show the currently selected path as a string in a DirLabel components caption, assign the Labels name to the DirectoryListBoxs DirLabel property. If you want to display the selected filename in an EditBox (FileNameEdit), you have to assign the Edit objects Name (FileNameEdit) to the FileListBoxs FileEdit property. More Lines of Code When you have all the file system components on the form, you just have to set the DirectoryListBox.Drive property and the FileListBox.Directory property in order for the components to communicate and show what the user wants to see. For example, when the user selects a new drive, Delphi activates the DriveComboBox OnChange event handler. Make it look like this:   procedure TForm1.DriveComboBox1Change(Sender: TObject) ;beginDirectoryListBox1.Drive : DriveComboBox1.Drive;end; This code changes the display in the DirectoryListBox by activating its OnChange event Handler:   procedure TForm1.DirectoryListBox1Change(Sender: TObject) ;beginFileListBox1.Directory : DirectoryListBox1.Directory;end; In order to see what file the user has selected, you need to use the OnDblClick event of the FileListBox:   procedure TForm1.FileListBox1DblClick(Sender: TObject) ;beginShowmessage(Selected: FileListBox1.FileName) ;end; Remember that the Windows convention is to have a double-click choose the file, not a single click. This is important when you work with a FileListBox because using an arrow key to move through a FileListBox would call any OnClick handler that you have written. Filtering the Display Use a FilterComboBox to control the type of files that are displayed in a FileListBox. After setting the FilterComboBoxs FileList property to the name of a FileListBox, set the Filter property to the file types that you want to display. Heres a sample filter:   FilterComboBox1.Filter : All files (*.*)|*.* | Project files (*.dpr)|*.dpr | Pascal units (*.pas)|*.pas; Hints and Tips Setting the DirectoryListBox.Drive property and the FileListBox.Directory property (in the previously written OnChange event handlers) at runtime  can be also be done at design time. You can accomplish this kind of connection at design time by setting the following properties (from the Object Inspector): DriveComboBox1.DirList : DirectoryListBox1DirectoryListBox1.FileList : FileListBox1 Users can select multiple files in a FileListBox if its MultiSelect property is True. The following code shows how to create a list of multiple selections in a FileListBox and show it in a SimpleListBox (some ordinary ListBox control).   var k: integer;...with FileListBox1 doif SelCount 0 thenfor k:0 to Items.Count-1 doif Selected[k] thenSimpleListBox.Items.Add(Items[k]) ; To display full path names that are not shortened with an ellipsis, do not assign a Label object name to the DirLabel property of a DirectoryListBox. Instead, insert a Label into a form and set its caption property in the DirectoryListBoxs OnChange event to the DirectoryListBox.Directory property.

Discussion Week 5 Question 1 Stock Options Chapter 8 Assignment

Discussion Week 5 Question 1 Stock Options Chapter 8 - Assignment Example Using Wal-Mart Company as an example, the company usually gives options to its employees. Each option covers a maximum of ten years from the time when it is granted. For those who at the time the option is granted own stock which represent 10% of the voting power in stock at the company, the term will not exceed five years. An employee can exercise an option when he gives notice to Wal-Mart and the company receives full payment for the option. An employee can exercise their option when their term ends as long as the option does not have restrictions. This can be done within sixty days. Options are transferable and are disposable to an immediate family; this is a â€Å"Permitted Transfer†. An option cannot is not transferable to another person other than through the â€Å"Permitted Transfer† or by the laws of distribution. The best way that the company can leverage stock options so as to offset employee compensation is by allowing employees to sell, transfer and dispose stock in the open market. This is because many employees see options as being part of their compensation and usually want to exercise them so as to get money. Restricting this to just family members is likely to make the options unattractive to employees. Employees should also be free to exercise the options at any time without following the process of notifying the company. This is because as they are in the process of notifying the company, they may miss out on making profits the moment that the stock prices go up in the stock

Kabbalahs Place in Jewish Mysticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Kabbalahs Place in Jewish Mysticism - Essay Example The essay "Kabbalah’s Place in Jewish Mysticism" is interested in exploring its impact upon the individual and collective life of the Jews on the one hand, and its association with Christian philosophy on the other. Since mysticism is considered to be the way of unveiling the concealed realities of universal phenomena through soul’s direct or indirect encounter with the Creator, by seeking inspiration from Him. It is therefore, one particular class out of the followers belonging to all Abrahamic faiths practice the same in one way or the other in order to obtain wisdom, unique mystic experience and spiritual uplift as well through meditation, rumination and contemplation. However, the ways and methods adopted by various sects appear to be divergent ones in nature, though the destination is one and the same i.e. examination of the truth and realities of universe in order to approach the Creator; the same is applied to Kabbalah, which not only enjoys imperative status in spiritualism and mysticism, but also appears to be the foundation of Jewish mysticism, followed by various communities and cultures in different forms. The first and oldest one among the three Abrahamic religious faiths, Judaism serves as one of the ancient belief systems of the world, which seeks its inspiration from divine revelation and complete code of leading a systematic life under the commandments introduced by the prophets of God to the progeny of Abraham by direct spiritual guidelines sent from the Creator of the universe to the holy men.

Freud and his view of psychology based on Creative Writers and Research Paper

Freud and his view of psychology based on Creative Writers and Daydreaming - Research Paper Example While this is obvious in some creative art movements like â€Å"Surrealism†, to a certain extent, this holds true for every art form though often not very obvious. The subconscious mind, in its wandering day-dreaming form, allows the artist to touch such deep rooted emotions which normally are restrained by social consciousness and social appropriateness. The drifting mind creates a world of its own in the deep alleys of the subconscious, allowing the mind to roam in this unreal play world and create images and imagery. This becomes the basis for many a creative endeavor. Sigmund Freud, the famous psychoanalyst and the originator of modern psychoanalysis, in his theories had subscribed to some form of this theory. This is hardly surprising as the Freudian theory is based on bringing out the subconscious thoughts of a person into consciousness and thereby making the person free from the agonies of repression and consequent distortion. As Sigmund Freud once said, â€Å"there ar e no indications of reality in the unconscious, so that one cannot distinguish between the truth and fiction that has been cathected with affect† (as cited in Steiner, 5). Sigmund Freud was born in Austria on 6th May 1856 to Jewish parents. He came from a very impoverished family but worked his way up through sheer hard work, intelligence and talent. Though he started his research work related to medical studies on the life history of eels, failure in this line made him change and turn to psychology as his field of study. He later founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology and is famous for his theories on the unconscious mind and his method of treating psychological patients through psychoanalysis or dialogues between a patient and the doctor. Freud believed that the subconscious or the unconscious was an inroad to the thoughts and actions of a conscious mind and helped in understanding the latter. Dreams, as per Freud, were a method by which one can understand the

Theory of contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Theory of contract law - Essay Example The primary object of courts while construction of a contract is to determine and give effect to the intention of the parties. This fact is elucidated by the eminent judges such as Chief Justice Brian in 1478 held 'that the intention of a man cannot be tried, for the Devil himself knows not the intent of a man'1. And nineteenth century judges such as Lord Eldon who in kennedy v Lee said that it was not the task of his 'to see that both parties really meant the same thing, but only that both gave their assent to that proposition which, be it what it may, defacto arises out the terms of their corresondence.2 And Austin said that 'when we speak of the intention of contracting parties, we mean the intention of the promissor or the intention of the promisee' and he also added that 'the sense in which it is to be inferred from the words used or from the transaction or from both that the one party gave and the other received it'3.Before essaying the subject it is significant to discuss conc isely on other prime factors of a valid contract to which intention of the parties is related to, such as Offer and acceptance and consideration.Offer: Consensus ad idem is the maxim on the offer and acceptance, which means meeting of minds. A contract is made out of an agreement and an agreement is made out of offer and acceptance that means in an agreement one party makes an offer and the other party accepts it. An offer may be an advertisement or a definite offer either to a particular person or to public at large. The law is settled in this respect in Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co4 in which the company made an offer through an advertisement offering 100 to any person who is affected with influenza after using smoke balls. The plaintiff Carlill has claimed for 100 from the company since she was effected influenza. The company defended that (i) the transaction was only a bet with in the meaning of gaming acts (ii) the advertisement was not intended to create a binding obligatio n (iii) there was no offer to any particular person (iv) no acceptance is notified by the plaintiff. The court of appeal has rejected the grounds taken by the defendant and allowed in favour of the plaintiff. The court while allowing held that there was an offer to the world at large, an offer can be made to the world at large and it also held that by making an offer to the world a contract is made with a limited parties who perform the conditions. Here we can observe that the intention of the advertisement was with an intention to create a legal obligation that is the reason the court has come to a conclusion of existence contract. Offer and an invitation to treat - Intention: The law of contract makes a distinction between offer and an invitation to treat. An invitation to treat does not make a binding contract. When a person responds to an invitation to treat makes an offer. The courts have made distinction between offer and an invitation to treat in auction sale and advertisements. In offer the intention of the parties to create legal obligation where as the in invitation to treat this intention to create legal obligation is premature. Harris v Nickerson5 In this case it was held that an advertisement specifying that goods will be sold by auction do not constitute a promise or offer. It is settled law that an advertisement without further qualification is not an offer to sell the goods but it is only an invitation to treat. The court observed the fact that the intention of the party making an advertisement is to receive the offers from the willing parties and he would select the best offer and intends to withdraw his invitation if he is not receiving the offer he is anticipating or he could accept, therefore there is no legal relationship exists at that particular point of time. The distinction between the offer and invitation to treat was clearly illustrated in Gibson v Manchester City of Council6. Acceptance: When one person makes an offer and such offer is accepted then becomes an agreement. Acceptance is an

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 72

Reflection - Essay Example The mechanism of the cell cycle also provided an in-depth perspective on the occurrence of cancer (Morgan, 2007). Cancers of various body parts including the skin and breast are among the leading causes of death. This course has broadened my understanding of the disease and brought the realization that the introduction of certain changes to the genetic makeup of cells causes them to proliferate abnormally thereby leading to cancer. I have also understood that cancer seems to progress faster because cancerous cells divide faster than normal cells. Additionally, approximately 90% of cancerous cells are preparing for division at any given time. While researching topics related to cancer, I learned that environmental and genetic factors predisposed individuals to cancers. The environmental aspect included exposure to carcinogenic substances, which interfered with the genetic makeup of cells and led to the formation of abnormal cancerous cells. On the other hand, the genetic aspect meant that certain individuals possessed certain inherent genetic traits that increased their susceptibility to cancer. We cannot control our inherent genetic makeup, but we can limit exposure to carcinogenic substances.The course has taught me to protect myself from cancer by avoiding substances such as skin lightening products, unnecessary exposure to ultra violet rays, among many other substances. Various oncology societies advocate for early treatment of cancers, which can only be possible if the disease is detected early enough before it advances. As a result, individuals are required to have regular screening for various forms of cancers. For example, women of certain ages need to have annual breast cancer screening. I advocate for such practices because they improve the treatment of cancer. In addition, they prevent the metastasis of the cancerous cells into other parts of the body

Esse Quam Videri Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Esse Quam Videri - Essay Example The political aspect of seeming rather than being is perhaps at the heart of the issue facing people today. There is a distinct connection between listening to candidates spout platitudes and seeming as if they care about helping people and those who wear T-shirts with pithy political slogans, but do not help the world. A walk around any college campus will reveal that political action in most cases means attacking the surface quality; it is easier to seem as though you are political involved than to be politically involved. Helping people is not political, however; it is a necessity for making the world a better place. I arrived at the decision to quit seeming as though I cared about the surface politics of helping people and actually become someone who helped. Too many people in this country feel they have done enough to help the environment by signing petitions calling for cleaner air standards or opposing drilling in the Alaskan wilderness. Those are great things, to be sure, but to do so is merely to seem as if you care about the environment unless you back it up with action. If you want to really be someone who cares about the environment then you need to make changes in your lifestyle.

Theory of contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Theory of contract law - Essay Example The primary object of courts while construction of a contract is to determine and give effect to the intention of the parties. This fact is elucidated by the eminent judges such as Chief Justice Brian in 1478 held 'that the intention of a man cannot be tried, for the Devil himself knows not the intent of a man'1. And nineteenth century judges such as Lord Eldon who in kennedy v Lee said that it was not the task of his 'to see that both parties really meant the same thing, but only that both gave their assent to that proposition which, be it what it may, defacto arises out the terms of their corresondence.2 And Austin said that 'when we speak of the intention of contracting parties, we mean the intention of the promissor or the intention of the promisee' and he also added that 'the sense in which it is to be inferred from the words used or from the transaction or from both that the one party gave and the other received it'3.Before essaying the subject it is significant to discuss conc isely on other prime factors of a valid contract to which intention of the parties is related to, such as Offer and acceptance and consideration.Offer: Consensus ad idem is the maxim on the offer and acceptance, which means meeting of minds. A contract is made out of an agreement and an agreement is made out of offer and acceptance that means in an agreement one party makes an offer and the other party accepts it. An offer may be an advertisement or a definite offer either to a particular person or to public at large. The law is settled in this respect in Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co4 in which the company made an offer through an advertisement offering 100 to any person who is affected with influenza after using smoke balls. The plaintiff Carlill has claimed for 100 from the company since she was effected influenza. The company defended that (i) the transaction was only a bet with in the meaning of gaming acts (ii) the advertisement was not intended to create a binding obligatio n (iii) there was no offer to any particular person (iv) no acceptance is notified by the plaintiff. The court of appeal has rejected the grounds taken by the defendant and allowed in favour of the plaintiff. The court while allowing held that there was an offer to the world at large, an offer can be made to the world at large and it also held that by making an offer to the world a contract is made with a limited parties who perform the conditions. Here we can observe that the intention of the advertisement was with an intention to create a legal obligation that is the reason the court has come to a conclusion of existence contract. Offer and an invitation to treat - Intention: The law of contract makes a distinction between offer and an invitation to treat. An invitation to treat does not make a binding contract. When a person responds to an invitation to treat makes an offer. The courts have made distinction between offer and an invitation to treat in auction sale and advertisements. In offer the intention of the parties to create legal obligation where as the in invitation to treat this intention to create legal obligation is premature. Harris v Nickerson5 In this case it was held that an advertisement specifying that goods will be sold by auction do not constitute a promise or offer. It is settled law that an advertisement without further qualification is not an offer to sell the goods but it is only an invitation to treat. The court observed the fact that the intention of the party making an advertisement is to receive the offers from the willing parties and he would select the best offer and intends to withdraw his invitation if he is not receiving the offer he is anticipating or he could accept, therefore there is no legal relationship exists at that particular point of time. The distinction between the offer and invitation to treat was clearly illustrated in Gibson v Manchester City of Council6. Acceptance: When one person makes an offer and such offer is accepted then becomes an agreement. Acceptance is an

Esse Quam Videri Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Esse Quam Videri - Essay Example The political aspect of seeming rather than being is perhaps at the heart of the issue facing people today. There is a distinct connection between listening to candidates spout platitudes and seeming as if they care about helping people and those who wear T-shirts with pithy political slogans, but do not help the world. A walk around any college campus will reveal that political action in most cases means attacking the surface quality; it is easier to seem as though you are political involved than to be politically involved. Helping people is not political, however; it is a necessity for making the world a better place. I arrived at the decision to quit seeming as though I cared about the surface politics of helping people and actually become someone who helped. Too many people in this country feel they have done enough to help the environment by signing petitions calling for cleaner air standards or opposing drilling in the Alaskan wilderness. Those are great things, to be sure, but to do so is merely to seem as if you care about the environment unless you back it up with action. If you want to really be someone who cares about the environment then you need to make changes in your lifestyle.

Class Test on Micro Economics Essay Example for Free

Class Test on Micro Economics Essay i) All questions in this section are compulsory ii) Marks for questions are indicated against each iii) Answers for very short answer questions carrying 1 mark must be answered in ONE sentence each iv) Answers for short answer questions carrying 3 marks each should not normally exceed 60 words v) Answers for short answer questions carrying 4 marks each should normally not exceed 70 words vi) Answers for long answer questions carrying 6 marks each should not normally exceed 100 words each. vii) Answers should be brief and to the point – The above word limits should be adhered to as far as possible. 1. Name the characteristic which make monopolistic competition different from perfect competition[1] 2. Why is demand for water inelastic?[1] 3. State one feature of oligopoly[1] 4. In which market form is the demand perfectly inelastic?[1] 5. Distinguish between increase in demand and increase in quantity demanded[3] 6. Goods X and Y are substitutes. Explain the effect of a fall in price of Y on the demand for X.[3] 7. At a price of Rs. 5 per unit of a commodity A, total revenue is Rs 800. When its price rises by 20%, total revenue increases by Rs. 400. Calculate its rice elasticity of demand[3] 8. Explain the implication of freedom to entry and exit of firms under perfect competition[3] 9. Given below is the cost schedule of a firm. Its average fixed cost is Rs 20 When it is producing 3 units. |Output |1 |2 |3 | |Average Variable cost (Rs.) |30 |28 |32 | Calculate its marginal cost and average total cost at each given level of output.[3] 10 Explain the features of â€Å"What to produce† OR Explain any two main features of centrally planned economy.[4] 12. When the price of a commodity falls by Rs. 2 per unit, its quantity demanded increases by 10 units. Its price elasticity is (-)1. Calculate its quantity demanded on its equilibrium price.[4] 13. Explain the effect of increase in income of buyers of a normal commodity on its equilibrium price.[4] 14. State whether the following statements are true or false: Give reasons for your answer (a) When total revenue is constant, average revenue will be constant. (b) Average variable cost can fall even when marginal product is rising (c) When marginal product falls, average product will also fall.[6] 15. Explain the law of variable proportions with the help of total and marginal product curves. [6] 16 Explain producers equilibrium with the help of a marginal cost and marginal revenue schedule [6]

Smog Pollution And Problems It Causes Environmental Sciences Essay

Smog Pollution And Problems It Causes Environmental Sciences Essay Smog pollution is a major problem that this planet is suffering from everyday. It has affected our homes, weather, and health. It is a very dangerous situation for us if we do not do anything about it. Smog pollution is caused by chemicals, automobiles, factories and corporations. The greatest thing we can do as a society is try to find a way to help prevent and stop smog pollution. If the people on this planet do not do anything to stop smog pollution we are going to have a BIG problem and it will hurt us in the future. We need a plan and we need to put a stop to smog pollution. The American Lung Association (ALA) has been trying to find ways to help stop and prevent smog pollution from hurting us and the environment. If we can just do our part and find a way to prevent this problem from getting any bigger, it will benefit us all. We all have heard of smog pollution, but do we really know what it is. Smog pollution has many causes that can be hazardous and dangerous to our health and well being. The term smog pollution is also known as photochemical smog. It is formed by the interaction with sunlight with different types of chemicals in earths atmosphere (Oblack). The main component of smog pollution or photochemical pollution is ozone. Ozone is in the earths stratosphere, which the shields the earth from dangerous UV radiation from the sun. The problem with ozone is when it touches down on the earths surface it can be very dangerous and can cause serious health problems for people on the planet (Oblack). The ground level ozone is made by the emissions of automobiles that put nitrogen oxide into the air, which is caused by the vehicles exhaust fumes (Oblack). The organic components from the fumes combined with the ozone and fume evaporation that combines with sunlight, causes smog pollution on the planet (Oblack). Many people try to find ways to help avoid smog in a more planet friendly environment, so some people use substitutes for their everyday use. There is just one problem with that, and that is the sun. Many people dont understand that sunlight and warm climates cause pollution. For example, places like California, Florida, and Arizona and even North America are some of the most polluted places in the country (Oblack). Another problem that causes an increase in smog pollution is the increased usage of fossil fuels for industrial, heating, and of course transportation purposes (All that smog). Also, cutting down, burning trees, and disposing of agricultural and organic waste can also lead to emissions of smog pollution and harmful problems for the planet (All that Smog). Sunlight mixed with different types of dangerous chemicals (se condary pollution) also makes it difficult to stop smog pollution from occurring on the surface of the planet (All that Smog), which creates another big problem. Climate is a major factor for the cause of smog pollution. Many places in the world can try to be more environmental friendly to help save our planet. Some people ride bicycles instead of driving cars. Other people try to reduce their use of using fire to warm themselves. The only problem that these people cannot get away from is something that they cannot control, and that is the sun. California is ranked in the top 10 most polluted areas in the United States. Ozone pollution that is caused by the sun has a major affect on this planet. Smog and air pollution is having a serious impact on the environment and can condemn all ecosystems (seirraclub). The reason why the sun causes so many problems is because the ozone layer that is supposed to protect planet earth is practically destroyed. Without the protection, the sun is able to shine radiation onto the planet and is the main reason for many health issues that people go through every day. Issues like skin cancer, radiation poisoning, and sun burn are having fatal affects on people. This type of pollution not only harms humans, but it can also harm wild life and the environment. Smog can harm different plants, which can lead to damaging consequences. Because the plants are damaged, it makes it hard for plants to make and save food for themselves in their living environment (seirraclub). In addition, the sun and smog can destroy leaves and plants it would make many of the plants vulnerable to getting diseases. And, they cannot defend themselves from different types of bugs and insects that can cause a huge decrease in plant life (seirraclub). Smog pollution is a yearly problem for places like Texas, Georgia, Florida, and many other southern and sunny parts of the world, but there is also a big increase in smog pollution in the summer (seirraclub). This is caused by strong sunlight that burns the earths surface. However, the one thing that is helping smog pollution is all of the problems that are on this planet. A ll of the power plants, automobile emissions, industrial, and chemical vapors are other causes of pollution (seirraclub). Climate changes are part of the problem as well. Within the months of June, July, and August, it makes it harder to try and control the smog pollution, due to the sun. This planet has gone through billions of years of evolution. It survived dinosaurs, the ice age, and the black plague, but because of smog pollution this planet might not be able to survive this new attack. A major problem smog pollution is causing is health concerns for the public. Smog pollution is affecting human health because it is making it harder to breathe the smog induced air. Because of this and sun radiation, this is resulting in many fatalities, including skin and lung cancer. Peoples lungs and hearts can be dangerously affected by smog and air pollution (Oblack). Many people are still skeptical about smog pollution, but one thing that is known is long term exposure can result in dangerous and even fatal heath affects to people (Oblack). Some of the long term affects caused by exposure to smog pollution are problems breathing, coughing, wheezing, pneumonia, bronchitis, inflammation of the pulmonarys, lung cancer, heart problems, asthma like symptoms, pre mature aging of lungs, and last, but not least, death (Oblack). Smog pollution, even in small doses, can be very dangerous and harmful to all people. The American Lung Association estimated that 48 percent of people in the w orld live with very high levels of smog (seirraclub). Even though exposure to smog is dangerous, there are three types of people who can be severely damaged from smog, which include children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems (seirraclub). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created the Air Quality Index which lets you check the air density and pollution level around your areas (seirraclub). Furthermore, The Department of Motor vehicles have been trying to develop a plan to reduce vehicle emission and try to improve on air quality for the planet and help save the planet (Malone). The DMV has also been trying to encourage the residents of the United States to help stop smog. They are trying to do their part by asking people to report anyone who has visible exhaust coming out of their automobiles (Malone). If we can all do our fair share and help support this plan we can be able to help stop smog pollution. In all, smog pollution is a major concern for our environment and this planet. If we do not find a way to try and stop smog pollution, we will have many more health problems. Fortunately, there are people who are trying to find ways to stop smog pollution. Many people who are trying to create plans that can help bring this planet back to a healthier state. In 1996, smoking vehicle program was passed that stated that anyone who sees smoking exhaust coming from cars, trucks, or any other motor vehicles were to voluntarily report it to the authorities as a way of preventing polluted air (Malone). It is also there to help educate people about smog pollution and what they can do to help stop it (Malone). The American Lung Association (ALA) also came up with certain help to bring attention to the issue of smog pollution. They advised people to pay more attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI) around their area. They tried to educate people about Ozone action days and how not to ignore them . Finally, ALA attempted to help people get familiar with how smog adversely affects their health (Oblack). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) takes it upon them to check evidence every five years to see whether or not the situation of smog pollution has changed for better or worse (seirraclub). It is very simple to stop smog pollution. We can all use our cars, trucks, and motorcycles, sparingly. We all must try to do our fair share and we must be able to bring awareness to how dangerous the sun can really be. We need to fight back against smog. If we do not do anything about it, this planet and everything on it will suffer. Group against Smog and Pollution (GASP) is a non-profit citizens group in Southwestern Pennsylvania working for a healthy, sustainable environment. GASP was founded in 1969, with a group of volunteers who were worried about air quality issues here in Pennsylvania. GASP has been a diligent watchdog, educator, litigator, and policy-maker on many environment al issues, with a focus on air quality in the Pittsburgh region. Their objective is to teach and enlighten the public about pollution and its remedies. Their Mission Statement is will act to obtain for the residents of Western Pennsylvania clean air, water, and land in order to create a healthy, sustainable environment and quality of life to which we are entitled (Groups against Smog and Pollution.) Obviously GASP is doing their part, but what are we doing as individuals to help?

How did pop art challenge beleifs in consumerism Essay -- Essays Paper

How did pop art challenge beleifs in consumerism Introduction: In order to discuss pop art I have chosen to examine the work and to some extent lives of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol who were two of the main forces behind the American movement. I intend to reflect the attitudes of the public and artists in America at this time, while examining the growing popularity of pop art from its rocky, abstract expressionist start in the 1950s through the height of consumer culture in the 60s and 70s to the present day. Roy Liechtenstein, (fig 1) was born in 1923 into to a middle class Hungarian family living in New York, there was no artists on either side of his family and throughout Liechtenstein’s schooling there were no art classes. He used to paint in oils and draw, sometimes sketching musicians he saw playing in Harlem and the Apollo Theatre as a hobby. It was not until ‘1939’ the summer of his last year at high school that he enrolled in art classes in the Art Students League run by a man called Reginald Marsh. Liechtenstein’s influences regarding his painting style at this time had been the European avant-garde artists such as Picasso. These cubist and expressionist styles were rejected buy by Marsh who favoured painting the masses of New York life such as carnival scenes, boxing matches and the subways catching the detail in fleeting brush strokes, in a non-academic easily recognisable way. This style of recognisable American art that used everyday scenes are dir ectly related to the consumer orientated Pop Art that Liechtenstein was to develop later in his life. Andy Warhol, (fig2) no one, including Warhol him self knows his exact birthday but its thought to be around 1928-1931. Born in Forest city Pennsylvania and christened Andrew Warhola (which he changed in 1949 while living in New York). There are several contradicting stories about his life although he left two autobiographies the factual authenticates are not known, however his parents emigrated to the States from Czechoslovakia in 1909, his father came first to avoid national service and his mother nine years later. His father who worked as a coal minor in West Virginia didn’t play a big role in brining up Warhol, as he was away form home allot. After his death Andrew his mother and his brothers had a very poor existence, during school holidays Andrew sold fruit and helped as a window... ...cles for the American consumer only disconnected from there origins ‘Fig5’. Warhol’s idolisation of the super stars of that era is what set him apart from his contemporaries and immortalised him in popular culture the most famous or these being Marilyn Monroe ‘Fig6’. And this was no accident as his personal goal was to become a star in his own right and he consciously generated a cloak of mystery which made it almost impossible to distinguish the man from the legend â€Å"you can only become famous if everybody is talking about you†(Warhol). Bibliography: All dressed up (the sixties and the counter culture), Jonathon Green, Pimlico 1999. The 50s, Peter Lewis, Book Club Associates, 1978. Fifties source book, Christopher Pearce , virgin imprint W.H Allen & co, 1990 Warhol, Klaus Honnef, Benedikt Taschen Verlag Gmbh, 2000 Lichtenstein, Janis Hendrickson, Benedikt Taschen Verlag Gmbh, 2000 Pop Art, Michael Compton, Feltham-Hamlyn, 1970 Pop as art: a study of the new super realism, Amaya-Mario, London: studio vista, 1965 Pop Art U S A – UK, Japan catalogue committee (isbny8226086), 1987 Cross overs: art into pop/pop into art, Walker John A, London Methuen, 1987

Farewell To Arms :: essays research papers

â€Å"You are all a lost generation† -Gertrude Stein This quotation’s importance on author Earnest Hemmingway is reflected in his modern Romeo and Juliet novel entitled A Farewell to Arms. The recurring tone of the novel suggests that the only reality is the harsh truth which is anything but romantic and proves that in the end, all is futile. This generation in which Stein spoke of to Hemingway is the generation of romantic war times. This idea is symbolized in the character Catherine Barkley’s vision of her wartime love where she states â€Å" ‘ I remember having this silly idea he might come to the hospital where I was. With a sabre cut, I suppose, and a bandage around his head. Or shot through the shoulder. Something picturesque.’ ‘This is the picturesque front,’ I said. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘People can’t realize what France is like. If they did, it couldn’t all go on. He didn’t have a sabre cut. They blew him all to bits.’ (20)† Catherine’s pathetic ideal of a â€Å"picturesque† rendezvous is also the majority mentality at the time. Her realization of the cruel truth is but a glimpse of the futile art of war and life. Yet, even though it appears that she, who ultimately represents all of society in this scene, realizes this truth, she in fact is ignorant to it many times throughout the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel is terrorized by the overlaying tone of the harsh nihilism. Belief in nihilism is the melancholy view in which there is no point to life, and faith in nothing. This tone is best portrayed in the agony of Henry when questioned about his desires for the war by the priest. â€Å" ‘I had hoped for something .’ ‘Defeat?’ ‘No. Something more.’ ‘There isn’t anything more. Except victory. It may be worse.’ ‘I hoped for a long time for victory.’ ‘Me too.’ ‘Now I don’t know.’ ‘It has to be one or the other.’ ‘I don’t believe in victory any more.’ ‘I don’t . But I don’t believe in defeat. Though it may be better.’ ‘What do you believe in?’ ‘In sleep,’ I said. He stood up. ‘I am very sorry to have stayed so long. But I like so to talk with you.’ ‘It is very nice to talk again. I said that about sleeping, meaning nothing.’ (179)† As the dismal priest describes his lack of faith on the side of victory, the irony of the passage is increased when Henry confronts his nihilistic ways with the priest who represents the opposite.

The Great Change (Langston Hughes)

One of the most important men in the Harlem Renaissance was Langston Hughes. His identity was formed in the neighborhood of New York City although it was said that he had much travel in his life that he can be considered as the man with no roots at all. But Langston had his heart dedicated to voicing out the experiences and the sorrow of the African American people. During his time, he created poems, plays, and books about the black making real their status in the society. He was one of the great men who were against racism and inequality. He found direction in his life not just through writing but also to listening to jazz and blues. He was the kind of man who would sit in a bar and listen to music and in that way he created a new direction not just in his poetry but in art itself. His importance and value was seen in the way he made other blacks to reach out their longings to the society, their wanting not just to be free from racism but also to be seen and valued like the whites. Hughes spoke of value as a man for the Blacks.The Harlem Renaissance characterized by new ideas was emphasized by Hughes through his music and poetry. One of his famous poem was â€Å"The Negro speaks of River† helped him make a good start in the world of poetry and cultural exposition.The Negro Speaks of Rivers (to W. E. B. B. DuBois)I've known rivers: I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.My soul has grown deep like the rivers.I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln wentdown to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turnall golden in the sunset.In this poem, he gave significance to the â€Å"Blacks† being the builders of civilization, something that should be considered in history. For a long time, prior to the African American Cultur al Movement, the black people have experienced injustice in different forms, whether at work, in school and in the community as a whole. Their existence was seen to be less than the white where some African American people would say that they never really existed at all. The poem speaks of the places known to every black, and it can be noticed that these places all have historical significance.The persona and his comrades not only look for significance and visibility but also for home. The poem creates an image of longing for home where there is comfort and justice. The words â€Å"lulled me to sleep† are quite powerful for the readers to see what is being longed for by the persona, that’s none other than tranquility within. This can be related to the home that the blacks have searched for a long time in the community of whites who dominated and received the best of what the world could offer. The poem also raises the blacks’ voice of considering them the builde rs of growth and civilization because they have always been there, in the past, in the present and in the future. Hughes tried to create an immortal stand of the blacks against invisibility, an element that made racism flourish.Another poem by Langston Hughes entitled â€Å"Dream Deffered† exposes sorrow and heavy burden in life. â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore and then run?†Ã‚   The poem is made of questions that seem to be unending. The tone is with hopelessness. The language used was simple, simple enough to be understood that it’s all about dreams of the blacks that were held long enough by time. Possibilities and ways of the process of disappearance can be seen in the poem like for example drying up from the heat of the sun which was mentioned a while ago.The line â€Å"Does it stink in a rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over – like a syrupty sweet?† is another question that may be related to the kind of death that blacks experience. The image of a rotten meat suggests something mournful and intolerable while the latter is an image of a sweet death. It makes one wonder just how tolerable is it to just throw one’s body into the river because the one who died is not really that significant and his existence is not really valued, a very common scenario of the black people who are enslaved and sold to the market of the whites. But more than the question of privilege for a peaceful death is their â€Å"right† to have it. If they are removed of the privilege to have even a good burial or death, should the question on chances for a good fate be questioned still?The tone for â€Å"Quiet Girl† can also be likened to â€Å"Dream Deffered† as it speaks also of grief over a status or position but the difference is that there is a glimpse of hope that can be seen in it.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"I would liken you to a night without stars were it not fo r your eyes. I would liken you to a sleep without dreams were it not for your songs.†   The night without stars can be seen as another hopeless case of some sort in the scene, however, it is given a sprinkle of a good chance through the eyes that was silently assumed to sparkle instead of the stars. The songs were made powerful in attaining a tranquil sleep even if there was no dream. The wonderful thing that can be derived from the poem is the sound of continuity of life despite some faulty circumstances in the lives of the black. There is the balance that is being claimed from the poem, the balance that could give meaning to the blacks’ existence.But if there is one particular poem that can characterize the present African Americans, with the way they react and live in the present society, that would be the poem â€Å"Me and the Mule.†My old mule, He's gota grin on his face. He's been a mule so long He's forgotten about his race.I'm like that old mule   Black — and don't give a damn! You got to take me Like I am.A mule that is known for its good working ability for an animal not only works for nothing, but also works for a master. But that can be one point of the poem. It can be seen also in a positive sense in the way that there is a courage directly shown from the mule and from the persona to not care, yes, not care at all from all the discrimination that he has experienced and from what the world tells about him. The mule just like the persona shall continue to live no matter how hard it is to exist and no matter how heavy the load seems. The present though doesn’t change the blacks’ past. Still, even after the Harlem Renaissance, it can’t be denied that they were still despised of their rights to experience a just treatment. But right now they are already visible, yet they will still be like the mule that won’t give a â€Å"damn† to the society’s offensive thoughts. Perhaps, ju st like the mule, giving no â€Å"damn† will make them live longer, and stronger.Hughes was able to see and react on the basis of his position and his art, his love for music, poetry and plays made him more than a figure of the Harlem renaissance. He made himself and his race visible to the world and worth it of the great and positive changes with the way blacks are treated. More than a poet, Langston Hughes was the big difference of the Harlem Renaissance.Sourcesâ€Å"A Renaissance Man.† April 23, 2007   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Langston Hughes.† April 23, 2007 â€Å"Langston Hughes Biography.† April 24, 2007 â€Å"Langston Hughes.† April 24, 2007

Athenian View of Human Nature Essay

The course of history has shown that during times of confusion or disaster, people’s true human nature emerges. Unlike the view of Gandhi, in these moments humans behave violently and are concerned with self-interest, supporting the Athenian’s view of human motivation. In the History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides gives ample support of this view of human nature. Generally regarded as one of the first true historians, he wanted to view the world as it really was and firmly insisted on sticking to the facts. Thucydides subjected human nature to an extremely cold and reductive analysis, which could be regarded as pessimism, but he considered to be realism. Generally people want to maintain a positive self-concept of themselves which causes them to agree with the overly idealistic views of human nature, such as that presented by Gandhi. The Athenians held the belief that the three motives for human nature are security, honor, and self-interest, and these cause people to be inherently violent. When there is a breakdown of law and order, a state of unprecedented lawlessness occurs and during the confusion, people’s values revert to a barbaric state. Gandhi, on the other hand, believed that humans act violently as a result of a war or disaster, but that their true human nature compels them to be peaceful. In other words, humans only act violently when provoked and when it is necessary for survival. Yet, the Athenians show that people become wild and violent during times of confusion, because their true human nature is allowed to emerge. â€Å"Then, with the ordinary conventions of civilized life thrown into confusion, human nature, always ready to offend even where laws exist, showed itself proudly in its true colors, as something incapable of controlling passion, insubordinate to the idea of justice, the enemy to anything superior to itself? † (p. 245) During the Peloponnesian War, Athens was struck by the plague, which caused widespread chaos and confusion. The Athenians became indifferent to the rules of religion and law, and began openly performing acts of self-indulgence. â€Å"It was generally agreed that what was both honorable and valuable was the pleasure of the moment and everything that might conceivably contribute to that pleasure. No fear of god or law of man had a restraining influence. † (p. 155) The same kind of lawlessness occurred during the civil war in Corcyra where extreme violence took place during a period of uncertainty. Fighting and aggression were considered courageous and anyone who held violent opinions could always be trusted, while anyone who objected them became a suspect. The Athenians developed a democratic system of government that was necessary to keep order and peace among the people. The people felt that their participation in government was important in order to prevent themselves from being uncivilized and therefore barbaric. Gandhi argued that mankind shouldn’t punish each other due to the belief that no one has power over anyone else but themselves, yet it is clear that laws and punishments are elementary in containing violent human nature. Strong governments prevent people from destroying each other out of self-interest. There becomes an orderly balance provided by the strong ruling the weak. A major aspect in the Athenian view of human motivation is the notion that those in power are the stronger and naturally rule or dominate over the weak. During the debate at Sparta, the Athenians admit to exploiting their empire for their advantage and ground their actions firmly in a natural law tied to an eternal human nature. They hold the belief that it is human nature to rule what one can and they are merely acting in accordance with the existing law. â€Å"It has always been a rule that the weak should be subject to the strong; and besides, we consider that we are worthy of our power. † (p. 80) Violence and survival are the laws of nature and although humans have found a way to manipulate their surroundings those basic instincts exist in all humans on a fundamental level. It makes the most sense to live peacefully in society, which is why people generally obey laws, but that does not mean that humans are inherently good. In the end, people are naturally disposed to do wrong and no amount of laws of punishments will prevent it. â€Å"In a word it is impossible? for human nature, when once seriously set upon a certain course, to be prevented from following that course by the force of law or by any other means of intimidation. † (p. 221).

Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen

I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I’m downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You’re going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I’ve got a ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger’s?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me half price. â€Å"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it’s not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don’t worry. I believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I’m not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It’s not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It’s still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I’m a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who’s Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he’s afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk – that if he’s doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There’ll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It’s just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I’m sure it’s fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’ network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose’s boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who’d filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he’d seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen’s sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I’d observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It’s Adrian. You have to rescue him.† Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I’m downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You’re going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I’ve got a ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger’s?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me half price. â€Å"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it’s not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don’t worry. I believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I’m not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It’s not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It’s still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I’m a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who’s Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he’s afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk – that if he’s doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There’ll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It’s just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I’m sure it’s fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’ network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose’s boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who’d filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he’d seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen’s sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I’d observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It’s Adrian. You have to rescue him.†