Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Linda Jessica Campbell Of The Dea Essay - 881 Words

I interviewed my office’s law enforcement fellow Special Agent Alice Jessica Campbell of the DEA. She is originally from Galveston, TX. Due to her extensive background in boarder security she was attached to our office to provide insight into drug and border policy. She splits time between DC and El Paso. She stared her career in the Houston office before transferring to the El Paso division where she work mainly on Mexican drug trafficking, heroine specifically. She just began her attachment to out office in January and is assisting us with current homeland security budget and bill relating to drugs, heroin in particular, and boarder security. In Houston and El Paso she worked quite frequently with ICE, ATF, and the FBI in particular. Now that she is here in D.C. she spend a great deal of time with the other Law Enforcement Liaisons and congressional delegations. She graduated from Baylor University with a Criminal Justice degree. Throughout her schooling she knew that she wa nted to join a federal law enforcement agency but wasn’t sure until she got an internship with the DEA. That internship solidified the agency she really wanted to join. She was hired post 9/11 so the agencies relationship with homeland security was already in full swing. But she cited 9/11 as a major factor in her decision to follow a federal law enforcement track instead of her original plan to become a lawyer. Her job relates very much with Homeland Security as Mexican drug cartel have been found toShow MoreRelatedSolution Manual, Test Bank and Instructor Manuals34836 Words   |  140 Pages Garrett, Charles M. Grisham (TB) Biochemistry, 5th Edition _Reginald H. Garrett, Charles M. Grisham (TB) Biochemistry, 6th Edition _Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell (SM) Biochemistry, 6th Edition_ Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell (IM) Biochemistry, 7th Edition _ Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell (IM) Biochemistry, 7th Edition _Mary K. Campbell, Shawn O. Farrell (IM) Biological Psychology, 11th Edition _James W. Kalat (IM+TB) Biological Science with MasteringBiology, 4E_Scott Freeman

Monday, December 16, 2019

Children Begin by Loving Their Parents Free Essays

Despite my father’s aching back, at the age of 45 or so, he played wit me and lifted me up in the air on many occasions. He was so proud since I had grown an inch taller. It has been 11 years now since my mother had died. We will write a custom essay sample on Children Begin by Loving Their Parents or any similar topic only for you Order Now Both my parents had been involved in an accident, unfortunately my mothers injuries were too severe and there was nothing the doctors could do. I blamed my father for the death of my mother since he had been under the influence of alcohol while the accident had taken place. I had Jus turned 16 that year, and was influenced by my friends to run away from home. My arenas were extremely worried about me. It was while they were looking for me when they had met with an accident. I knew then, as I know now, that I helped drive father to drinking. I will never forgive myself for that. What was a problem we might have resolved exploded, and home was never home again. He could not be the same father to me anymore. He became angry and aggressive since the death of my mother. We both blamed each other for her death. If I never had ran away from home and If he had never been under the Influence of alcohol while driving, my mother would have still been alive. In my mind my father Is still the vibrant, witty and a private man that raised me, the man so steadfast In his love and devotion for my mother that I have never once heard a complaint or regret over their life together. A man who did whatever, anything, he could do for me. I know my father has many faults, faults that have sliced me In hidden places. My father has consumed alcohol various times. He has not always been the best father and has not always treated me well. But grief shows Itself In many forms. What we have been to each other are companions on a road I wish on no one. How to cite Children Begin by Loving Their Parents, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

International Intercultural Management for Nations- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theInternational Intercultural Management for Nations. Answer: Introduction The aim of this report is to highlight on the international intercultural management. In the globalised world and the development of economic interdependence among the nations, culture has been becoming vital in contemporary management of the business. At present, the expansion of globalization of business influences the culture on companys variables. These variables have been considered as one of the important determinant in the organizations success of doing their business operation in the global market (Spencer-Oatey 2015). Culture is defined as the deposit of beliefs, knowledge, values, religion, attitudes, roles, relations and the possessions that the individuals acquire through generations. Language as well as regional characteristics affects the business culture with the help of their core values. The globalization of a particular economy along with cross border alliance and ventures has introduced huge reforms in the aspect of international consumer relations as well as inter cultural management (Barmeyer and Franklin 2016). This led to a rise in appreciation by organization and hence managing differences in culture can be one of the key factors in doing things in effective way across borders. Intercultural management refers to the interdisciplinary field in human resource that is basically concerned with aiding communication and effectual interaction of the people across borders (Cassell and Blake 2012). In this study, the culture of Saudi Arabia has been compared to the national cultures of other two countries that includes India and Russia. This study also highlights on the cross-cultural analysis of Saudi Arabia with respect to the other two countries. It also includes evaluation of theoretical models such as Hofstede and Hall that has been applied in the cross-cultural analysis. The geographical data of Saudi Arabia reflects their total population, religious affiliations, language, level of education etc. Recent statistics highlights that the total population of this nation has been steadily increasing over the last few years. Near about 51%off the total population of Saudi Arabia is below 25 years of age. Saudi Arabias cultural environment is highly conservative and specially adheres to elucidation of Islamic religious law. However, men and women are not usually allowed to attend the events jointly and are also separated in their workplace. Thus, there has been no religious freedom within this nation. According to the recent estimates, the Islam comprises of two-thirds of the total population. In addition, other small communities and Christian population are also of uncertain size. Saudi Arabias official language is Arabic (Deresky 2017). The culture of India and Russia has been totally different with respect to Saudi Arabia. The culture of India has been l abeled as merger of different cultures and civilizations. In Russia, there are more than 100 languages spoken and the religion has been one of the basic components of their peoples life. However, religious freedom exists in these two countries and hence men and women are not discriminated in the workplace. There are some major inter cultural problems that each individual deals with in Saudi Arabia includes- Each person in this nation have confusion for lack of boundary between their private life and business Various hierarchy levels Lack of knowledge in the working process However, the other two nations must consider the following points for preventing these cultural problems. These includes- The people of these two countries must understand the behavior of Saudi Arabian and should not touch in their believe system and core values They must improve their personal relations and be flexible at certain times The people of other two nations must be open minded as well as aware of their cultural differences Cultural values are important in every nation as it provides the fundamental principles of integrating as well as organizing people, sorting of hierarchy, selecting of lifestyle and social behavior. The culture of Saudi Arabian particularly emphasizes on the use of silence, languages and other communication cues. Cross-cultural Analysis and evaluation of model Cross-cultural analysis refers to the comparative procedure of various cultural patterns in different societies, especially contrast of the cultural traits (Chanlat 2014). The analysis of cross culture is mainly intended in strengthening the interaction among the people of different countries and is an important problem in international business. The two theoretical frameworks of the cross-cultural analysis include Hofstede and Hall. Hofstede Model National culture has huge impact on the values of work. The dimension of Hofstede model of national culture is basically determined for 53 nations in the globe. According to this model, the workers and managers differs according to following national culture dimensions, which includes- Comparing individualism and collectivism Power distance Contrast between long term and short term orientation Uncertainty avoidance Individualism dimension refers to the extent of interdependence that each society maintain among the individuals (Elamin 2012). On the contrary, collectivism defines as the society where the individual from birth includes cohesive group protects their life in exchange of loyalty. Power distance refers to degree in which less powerful individuals of organizations within the specific nation expect that power have been unequally distributed. This aspect reflects that each person in the society is unequal. Besides the societies with high distance in power usually accepts huge power variation within the companies. Long-term orientation has been featured by the qualities on future rewards, especially perseverance. On the other hand, short-term orientation is usually featured by prediction of high consumption as well as low savings. The dimension of uncertainty avoidance evaluates the degree to which the individual of specific culture feels intimidated by unknown circumstances. Uncertainty avoidance also signifies the degree to which the society avoids the circumstances by implementing behavioral codes and establishing rules (French 2015). Therefore, the people with high avoidance of uncertainty are generally concerned with life security and usually avoid risk. On the other hand, the people with low avoidance of uncertainty are not concerned with life security and are highly risk tolerant. Comparing Saudi Arabias culture with the culture of India and Russia in Hofstede Insights Power Distance- The sore of Saudi Arabia is high, which reflects that the individuals accept hierarchical order and hence each individual has specific place. India also scores high in this dimension signifying appreciation for societys and entities hierarchy. Russia has high score in this dimension as power holders are distant in their society. Individualism and collectivism- Saudi Arabia scores low and has been considered as the collectivism society. However, their society promotes strong relationship among the individuals and hence each member takes responsibility of others in the group (Minkov and Hofstede 2012). India has intermediate score in this dimension and is the society with individualist as well as collectivistic traits. Russia scores low in this dimension and has the society with collectivistic traits. Uncertainty avoidance- Saudi Arabias score in this dimension is 80 and thus exhibits uncertainty avoidance. However, they uphold rigid codes of behavior and are also intolerant of unorthodox ideas (Thomas and Peterson 2017). On the contrary, India scores medium in this dimension and has less preference for uncertainty avoidance. Russia scores high in this dimension as Russians feels threatened by uncertain situations. Long-term orientation- The society of Saudi Arabia has normative nature and has lowest score in this dimension. The individuals in this society have normative thinking, which means that they exhibit huge respect for their traditions. India has intermediate score in this dimension, as preference in their culture cannot be determined. However, they have greater tolerance for their views about religion. Russia scores high in this dimension and is nation with pragmatic mindset. Therefore, the people in this society believes that truth relies on context, circumstances and time. Figure 1: Saudi Arabia culture in Hofstede insights Figure 2: Russia culture in Hofstede insights Figure 3: India culture in Hofstede insights Hall Model The Hall framework of both the high -context as well as low- context cultures has been one of the significant theoretical model for adopting intercultural communication. This framework is mainly related to three dimensions that includes- time, context and space. Time relates to the individuals of various cultures orienting towards time and the method by which they perceives it Context relates to the various ways of constructing meaning across cultures by utilizing different information. Space signifies various cultural models that organizes space with models internalized in each person According to this model, the individuals of monochromic cultures tend to be in low context while the individuals of polychronic cultures are usually of high context. High context and low context cultures It has been opined by Hall that cultures are characterized based on their style of communication in reference to the extent of non- verbal communication. Contexting allows each person in avoiding information overload, which in turn increases capacities of individuals in coping with complex information. Moreover, cultures helps in providing their individuals with various propensities to utilize contexting in regular communication (Jehanzeb, Rasheed and Rasheed 2013). As utilization of context differs across cultures, the transaction can be featured from high context to low context. This model also helps in providing better knowledge about how the individuals of various cultures perceive the same messages in various ways. Comparison of Saudi Arabias culture with the culture of India and Russia in the context of Hall Model Saudi Arabia has been considered in the culture of high context. Therefore, this signifies that the message conveyed by the people in this nation is usually based on additional communicative cues that includes body language, eye contact etc. Accordingly, the people in this country make assumption about the message that has not been conveyed. In addition, the culture of Saudi Arabia particularly emphasizes on the non-verbal communication for avoiding confusion in the business activities (Lauring 2013). Similarly, the communication style of India follows high- context culture. Therefore, in the most of the languages of India, the peoples communication to the elderly individuals uses respectful forms. On the other hand, as the people in Russia act polychronically, it follows low- context culture. The business that has been operating in Saudi Arabia is extremely conservative and ensures cross-cultural management (Moran, Abramson and Moran 2014). However, the people maintain appropriate formality degree and hence treat the individuals with huge respect. The intercultural competence as well as risk readiness has been low in this nation. Intercultural sensitivity has been vital with their peoples attitude towards risk. Limitations of these two frameworks The cultural dimension of Hofstede enable users in distinguishing nations but it does not reflect differences among the members of society. However, this model does not define the personalities of the individuals. Even the dimensions of cultures are not pertinent for contrasting the companies within the same nation. Furthermore, there are also certain limitations of Hall model that includes- High context is not efficient as well as productive while low context results in strained relations in workplace. In high context, the people are not pushed to highest efficiency whereas in low context it harms commitments to personal development. Cross cultural managerial analysis In the global economy, human resource management (HRM) has become one of the vital problems for effectiveness of the companies. The existence of cultural factors has been vital for the success of HRM. As the Arabic nations have various values as well as attitudes than other developed nations that might determine particular managerial approaches in the human resource (Robinson-Easley 2014). This nation has introduced several laws as well as policies including privatization, foreign investment for stimulating competition. However, this country has huge investment in HRM for achieving the development goals and raising their skill level. By developing HRM system in tribal society, it might result in several Saudi cultural effects on HRM practice. The impact of culture on the HRM practice in this nation reflects that the Arab countries are culturally different from few countries in the globe. All elements of culture plays vital role in the HRM practices (Neuliep 2017). The HRM practices is mainly dependent on the abilities of managers in understanding as well as balancing various cultural practices. Even in India and Russia, difference in regional cultures of the individuals leads to various problems in the organization operating in the respective nation. As the collective culture values of Saudi Arabia works, the pay performance structure identifies that the employees are destabilized when the HRM practices in organization tries to restrain it by writing statements on the forms in order to compensate the salary for the bad performers. It has been opined by Rothlauf (2015) that, culture has vital importance in companies preferences to develop proper structure for the HR practices. It has viewed by HR expert in Saudi Arabia tha t HR as strategy helps the company to improve their financial performance. Therefore, culture has strong impact on the business processes within the companies, which contribute to the option various HRM practices. This means that the companies generally have norms that the employees must be managed and be farmed by the influence of culture and hence culture refers to the procedure of conveying these norms. Conclusion There has been tremendous development in Saudi Arabian society over the past few decades. The people in this nation have adapted their values, traditions and their customs according to the modern world. The cultural traditions influence leadership as well as management of the organizations in Saudi Arabia. The mangers in this nation play the main role in the organization. Family owns most of the companies in this nation and hence the concept of family is vital in improving the performance of business and workers competitiveness. High power distance, collectivism group and cultural values in this nation have huge impact on the attitude of managers in the companies. Distance in high power among the HR managers is highlighted in the process of decision making within the organizations as it is designed by HRM policies. Therefore, the managers of the other two nations that is India and Russia aiming to work in Saudi Arabian companies will gain huge benefit from their HRM policies. The HRM practices in Saudi Arabia raises some ethical problems. First, the foreign workers working in substandard condition in their private companies. The rewards and working conditions are divided based on the origin of nation. Second, both foreign and local workers are not allowed in forming formal associations including trade unions for defending their rights. In fact, the Saudi Arabian government has made huge efforts in making sustainable development with the help of culture as well as innovation and also by joining several global conventions. The innovative solutions to potential cross cultural dilemmas includes avoiding cultural biasness, acquiring proper knowledge about other national cultures and development of cross cultural skills. References Barmeyer, C. and Franklin, P. eds., 2016.Intercultural Management: a case-based approach to achieving Complementarity and Synergy. Palgrave Macmillan. Cassell, M.A. and Blake, R.J., 2012. Analysis of Hofstede's 5-D model: the implications of conducting business in Saudi Arabia.International Journal of Management Information Systems (Online),16(2), p.151. Chanlat, J.F., 2013.Cross-cultural management: culture and management across the world. Routledge. Deresky, H., 2017.International management: Managing across borders and cultures. Pearson Education India. Elamin, A.M., 2012. Perceived organizational justice and work-related attitudes: A study of Saudi employees.World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development,8(1), pp.71-88. Evans, W.A., 2013.Management ethics: An intercultural perspective(Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. French, R., 2015.Cross-cultural management in work organisations. Kogan Page Publishers. Jehanzeb, K., Rasheed, A. and Rasheed, M.F., 2013. Organizational commitment and turnover intentions: Impact of employees training in private sector of Saudi Arabia.International Journal of Business and Management,8(8), p.79. Lauring, J., 2013. International diversity management: Global ideals and local responses.British Journal of Management,24(2), pp.211-224. Minkov, M. and Hofstede, G., 2012. Hofstedes fifth dimension: New evidence from the World Values Survey.Journal of cross-cultural psychology,43(1), pp.3-14. Moran, R.T., Abramson, N.R. and Moran, S.V., 2014.Managing cultural differences. Routledge. Neuliep, J.W., 2017.Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage Publications. Obeidat, B., Shannak, R., Masadeh, R.E.M.D.T. and Al-Jarrah, I., 2012. Toward better understanding for Arabian culture: Implications based on Hofstedes cultural model.European Journal of Social Sciences,28(4), pp.512-522. Robinson-Easley, C., 2014.Beyond diversity and intercultural management. Springer. Rothlauf, J., 2015.A global view on intercultural management: challenges in a globalized world. Walter de Gruyter GmbH Co KG. Spencer-Oatey, H., 2015. Achieving Mutual Understanding for Effective Intercultural Management. Taras, V., Steel, P. and Kirkman, B.L., 2012. Improving national cultural indices using a longitudinal meta-analysis of Hofstede's dimensions.Journal of World Business,47(3), pp.329-341. Thomas, D.C. and Peterson, M.F., 2017.Cross-cultural management: Essential concepts. Sage Publications.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Great Gatsby Greed And Wealth Essay free essay sample

, Research Paper In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, we learn that every character, except Nick and George, uses wealth as a agency of felicity, which in bend, gets in the manner of their ain ethical motives to move as nice, respectable human existences. Nick Carraway, the chief character in the book, seems to be that nice, respectable human being. He is the voice of ground in the narrative. It is through his point of position that we can separate who is corrupt and who isn t. Nick even says he is an honorable adult male, which gives him some credibleness. He gives a graphic word picture of each character he meets over that summer, and every one of them except a low garage machinist, George Wilson, is claimed by greed and wealth in one signifier or another. For Tom Buchannan, his greed came in the signifier of another adult female. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby Greed And Wealth Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The married woman of George Wilson, Myrtle Wilson, is his kept woman. He is corrupt because he is being unpatriotic to his married woman Daisy and George Wilson. His wealthiness is a ground he is unpatriotic because he can utilize his money to acquire any adult female that he wants. Tom is hot tempered, ready to snarl at anyone who gets in his manner. He is besides a racialist, ever speaking about the White Race necessitating to suppress all. It s up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will hold control of things. Tom is the perfect illustration of the sort of amoral people described in the book. Greedy, ignorant and wealthy. Myrtle Wilson is merely the same. She is dishonorable towards her hubby and speaks extremely of herself. But she is one over Tom because she takes him for granted. He is the one purchasing all of her apparels and beauty accoutrements. He even went every bit far as to purchase her a Canis familiaris. This doesn T seem to trouble oneself Tom a spot though. At her party in New York, things turn a spot rancid though. Tom and Myrtle are contending about something when Myrtle brings the name Daisy into the statement. Hot tempered Tom gets upset with Myrtle and really interrupt her olfactory organ. Myrtle s sister Catherine gives Nick an Interesting piece of information. Neither of them can stand the individual their married to. These two people are likely the most penurious brace in the book. They love each other one minute and hatred eachother the following, being dishonest and disloyal to anything and everything around them. Daisy is closer to being less of a puritan than Myrtle, but she is still sneaky because of her matter with Gatsby. She has an hostel ocence about her, but as the narrative goes on, her immoral properties start to reflect through. In the terminal, Daisy didn t even name Gatsby, and she let him take the incrimination for the car accident that killed Myrtle. Well I tried to swing the wheel- He broke off, and all of a sudden I guessed at the truth. Was Daisy driving? Yes, he said after a minute. Even though Gatsby was willing to do the forfeit for Daisy, Daisy was nowhere to be found when Gatsby needed her most. Finally, Jay Gatsby, the adult male who gives his name to the book, has a different sort of selfishness to him than any of the others. All of his work, whatever it may be, all of his success and all of his parties, even though looking like a nice gesture to other people, were done for something that he wanted for himself. But what he wanted was for person to be happy with him. Ever since he fell in love with Daisy, he hasn t of all time forgotten about her. When Daisy didn t maintain her promise to wait for him, he was devastated, but he still didn t give her up. He went to great lengths to affect her and win her dorsum from Tom. He even kept newspaper cuttings of her. His attempts didn t travel to waste, nevertheless. Daisy did stop up holding a little matter with him. So Gatsby was amoral to Tom. Daisy, that s all over now, he said seriously. It doesn t affair any more. Just state him the truth-that you neer loved him-and it s all wiped out everlastingly. ( 139 ) . Gatsby s attempts to be with Daisy went a small overboard. He is seeking to state Daisy how she felt. Possibly he has fooled himself so much that he believes that they were already together. Throughout that full summer, Nick was capable to many Acts of the Apostless of selfish, dishonest, disloyal, puritan and avaricious behaviour. It s from these people s ignorance that made the terminal bend out how it did. From Gatsby s parties in his house to the slaying that took topographic point in his pool. From the get-togethers in Myrtle s flat to her tragic decease. The clip was every bit corrupt as the people that lived in it. There was neer truly any hope for the destinies that lied waiting for these characters during the summer of 1922. I believe Nick stated it best when he said ; They were careless people # 8230 ; .they smashed up things and animals and so retreated back into their money or their huge sloppiness or whatever it was that kept them together, and allow other people clean up the muss they had made # 8230 ; . ( 187 ) . They were careless people, careless in everything except themselves.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

A Synopsis of the Movie Billy Elliot Essay Example

A Synopsis of the Movie Billy Elliot Essay Example A Synopsis of the Movie Billy Elliot Paper A Synopsis of the Movie Billy Elliot Paper This theory Is based on the Idea that In relationships benefits must outweigh cost to have a compatible relationship. In the movie of Billy Elliot, this is extremely obvious in the relationship of Billy and Mrs.. Wilkinson. These two put in time and effort so that they can reap the benefits later in the movie, Mrs.. Wilkinson teaches Billy how to dance for free during her free time. She wishes nothing more then for him to succeed and In turn he lives out the dream she never could. In the opposite, Billy works hard because he sees that Mrs.. Wilkinson dream was never achieved and he wishes to do well not only for himself but for her as well. He also sees that If he does well, he will later be able to use his talents to make a living while doing what he enjoys. In both situations the work put into the relationship between the two is outweighed by the benefits which come from the effort put in. This is also very obvious in the the strike itself, the union feels as if the costs of working are not worth what they get In return so they decided It was time to do something about it. On the there hand, the government feels the opposite, In that the work the minors put In Is either equal to the benefits or more then what they deserve to have. The government also feels that even without the striking men they still receive what they need for the remaining workers, so their needs are being met by the workers costs while those remaining minors have the same feeling towards the government. Conflict Theory: The conflict theory is the idea that, there are levels in society and there will always been conflict between those. Such groups as the bourgeoisie who are the rich and rueful control the proletariat who are the working people. These two groups are always fighting to better themselves which creates conflict between the them. In the example of Billy Elliot, Bubbly brother Tony and father Jackie work as minors who represent the proletariat. They are also part of the the minors union who are on strike and fighting the government, who are the bourgeoisie for their rights. The workers want better conditions and more money while the government wants to keep down costs. The government works hard to oppress the minors with violence and force. In turn this creates more conflict then the strike which is going on already. This conflict Is prevalent throughout the entire film as the government and union fight until the bitter end where the government wins the battle. In the situation of Billy himself this theory is seen. Billy who would be considered the proletariat is being controlled by his family and friends and how they think of him and his choices. His friends and family are the bourgeoisie and they wish for him to be a certain masculine way and do now believe that ballet is something that he would do. They believe that If he does ballet he Is gay and because this is not what they believe In they oppress Bubbly dreams and aspirations. At one point, Bubbly father even takes away ten money en need Ecological Theory: s Tort Nils Dealer lessons so en cannot go anymore. This is the theory that explains there are four levels to life, these level all affect the smallest level of micro indirectly. The next level is the mess, then ex. and finally the macro level. The micro level for example is a child and family, in this level everybodys actions affect each other directly. As you move outward into the other levels the people in those levels actions indirectly have an affect on the micro level such as teachers providing the students with knowledge, on the ex. level the parents life and city affect the child or family in either adverse or positive manners. Finally comes the macro level which is something such as national issues or government which can affect peoples lifestyles and actions. Now in Billy Elliot you see this as Billy, the father, brother and grandmother represent micro. Also Mrs.. Wilkinson, Debbie Wilkinson, ND Michael Jeffrey are the mess level then comes the ex. level which is reflected by the union and their fight against the government who is the macro level. All these people and organizations have a direct or indirect affect on Billy. His family forces him to be a certain way and the way they act influences Billy to go into boxing and not ballet. Then comes Mrs.. Wilkinson, her daughter, his friend Michael, his boxing coach and the pianist who try to influence Billy to go in one direction or another. As you move up through the levels it is possible to see how the father and brothers work fife conflicts and influences what Billy can and cannot do. Because the strike money around the house is very tight and the money provided to Billy for his boxing lessons was worked hard for he must do as the father says. When Jackie finds out that Billy has been spending the money on ballet he is very angry and assaults Billy. This is an indirect affect of the strike which is occurring at the time. This is also the representation of how a national issue affects the micro level as the governments decisions to not conform to the unions demands keeps the family form making the money they need.

Friday, November 22, 2019

How a Genetic Mutation Led to the White Race

How a Genetic Mutation Led to the White Race Imagine a world where everyone had brown skin. Tens of thousands of years ago, that was the case, say scientists at Pennsylvania State University. So, how did white people get here? The answer lies in that tricky component of evolution known as a genetic mutation. Out of Africa It has long been assumed in scientific circles that Africa is the cradle of our human civilization​ and that it was there that our  ancestors shed most of their body hair around  2 million years ago. They quickly evolved dark skin for protection from skin cancer and other harmful effects of UV radiation. Then, says a 2005 study conducted at Penn State, when humans began leaving Africa 20,000 to 50,000 years ago, a skin-whitening mutation appeared randomly in a sole individual. That mutation proved advantageous as humans moved into Europe. Why? Because it allowed the migrants increased access to vitamin D, which is crucial to absorbing calcium and keeping bones strong. Sun intensity is great enough in equatorial regions that the vitamin can still be made in dark-skinned people despite the ultraviolet shielding effects of melanin, explains  Rick Weiss of the Washington Post, which reported on the findings.  But in the north, where sunlight is less intense and more clothing must be worn to combat the cold, melanins ultraviolet shielding could have been a liability. Just a Color This makes sense, but did scientists identify as well a bona fide race gene? Hardly. As the Post notes, the scientific community maintains that race is a vaguely defined biological, social and political concept...and skin color is only part of what race is- and is not. Scientists still say that race is more of a social construct than a scientific one because people of the so-called same race have more distinctions in their DNA than people of different races do. In fact, scientists posit that all people are roughly 99.5 percent genetically identical. The Penn State researchers findings on the skin-whitening gene show that skin color accounts  for a minuscule biological difference between humans. The newly found mutation involves a change of just one letter of DNA code out of the 3.1 billion letters in the human genome- the complete instructions for making a human being, the Post reports. Skin Deep When the research was first published, scientists and sociologists feared that the identification of this skin-whitening mutation would lead people to argue that whites, blacks, and others are somehow inherently different.  Keith Cheng, the scientist who led the team of Penn State researchers, wants the public to know thats not so. He told the Post, I think human beings are extremely insecure and look to visual cues of sameness to feel better, and people will do bad things to people who look different. His statement captures what racism is in a nutshell. Truth be told, people may look different, but theres virtually no difference in our genetic makeup. Skin color really is just skin deep. Not so Black and White Scientists at Penn State continue to explore the genetics of skin color. In  a study published in Science on October 12, 2017, researchers report their findings of even greater variants in skin color genes among native Africans. Such diversity, says  evolutionary geneticist Sarah Tishkoff, the lead author of the study, likely means that we cant even speak of an African race, much less a white one.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example The story awakens readers that despite how long time ago God had spoken to his people, through dreams, visions, and nature, but he still does the same today. He does speak to people who believes in him, and obeys him without having a second thought. He speaks to them through impressions, events, and thoughts (â€Å"Does God Still† (A)). The text is no ordinary nonfiction and it happens in real, everyday life. It can drive the reader to react to an emotional level since the story has something to do with the person’s relationship with a supreme being and not every person has the kind of intimate relationship with God, to the point that the character talks to God, asks him questions and to the point also that God himself responses. The text goes, â€Å"As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought, stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook and said out loud, ‘God is that you?’ It continues, â€Å"He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home, he again felt the urge, ‘turn down that street’† (â€Å"Does God Still Speak to Us?†). The writer’s purpose is to motivate the readers that it is possible for man to converse with God today and it is possible also that God will answer and will speak right through a person’s thoughts. But the writer wants to emphasize that for man to be able to hear from God, he must first believe that he exists. God only speaks to people who have faith in him, for without faith, it is impossible to establish a relationship with him. He also emphasizes the value of trust that comes along with having faith. In the text, â€Å"He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. ‘Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.’ Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk† (â€Å"Does God Still Speak to Us?†). Here we can see how much the man puts his trust to God even when it

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Scoping and Scanning an Organization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scoping and Scanning an Organization - Assignment Example This can mainly be done through ceremonies and events which aim at bringing Christians together like the Easter Celebrations and Christmas Celebrations. The church is under obligation to perform its duties which go beyond preaching and praying and for this reason other tools like SWOT analysis and business logic will be necessary (Roger Kaufman, 2003). The church must establish a culture of supporting the community by nourishing them physically, spiritually, materially, and mentally. The cultural screen will also require a good organization culture to ensure that there is no conflict of interest and brushing of shoulders which can easily bring down Christian institutions. This will further ensure good communication processes which are necessary since a church also acts as a guidance and counseling center within the society. In addition to this, the leaders are supposed to serve as an example and lead in the core competencies by presenting spiritual ideas to the community and the loca l government as well. By engaging the political leaders, it is possible to influence government policies that will in turn favor Christian institutions and hence provide them with smooth running of their spiritual

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Oscar Wildes Aestheticism Essay Example for Free

Oscar Wildes Aestheticism Essay Though Oscar Wilde is the incarnation of the aestheticism schools, we can’t afford to ignore the other artists of the aesthetes. It is imperative that we should give a general introduction to aestheticism in the following paragraphs. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that studies the principles of beauty especially in art. Aestheticism is the collection of all the fruits of aesthetics. â€Å"The word ‘aesthetic’ was first found in Aesthetica, appearing as a Latin word, which is the name of two books written by Alexander Baumgarten, 17141762. †(Williams, 2005: 31) Baumgarten believes beauty can be defined as aesthetic, but when it is related to art, the most important part of Baumgarten’s translation of beauty is that beauty is not abstract but can be felt by people through their senses. This translation is the same as the Greek word â€Å"aisthesis†, the original meaning of which is the power of uniting mentally the impressions conveyed by the five physical senses. And in the middle of the 19th century, aesthetic is understood as â€Å"the beautiful†, which is generally related to art. In 1880, the word â€Å"aesthete† was used in a wide range, but contained a derogatory sense. Both the principle and the practice of the aesthetic movement led by Walter Pater were criticized at that time. But the British decadent writers were deeply influenced by Walter Pater. The artists and writers of the aesthetic movement held the view that sensuous pleasure should be provided by arts, not moral or sentimental messages. As a consequence, they did not accept John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold’s utilitarian conception of art as something moral or useful. Instead, they believed that art did not have any didactic purpose; it needed only be beautiful. The aesthetes developed the cult of beauty, which they considered the basic factor in art. In Britain, Oscar Wilde is famous as one of the best representatives of the aesthetes. He believes that art represents nothing but itself, and that art has its own life just as thoughts do.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Comparing Shakespeare Julius Caesar, Ibsens A Dolls House, and Millers Death of a Salesman :: comparison compare contrast essays

Tragedy's Problem From Shakespeare' Julius Caesar to Henrik Ibsen's A Dolls House, problem plays have taken form in character, plot, and even setting.   It is not necessary for a problem play to be considered a problem play just because it was not written in the time period of when problem plays were formed.   Arthur Miller disproves this theory and successfully wrote a problem play in the modern time period; his play was Death of a Salesman.  Ã‚   The timely struggles that characters such as Willy Loman face, eventually lead to a major personal problem that, in this case, leads to death.   Problem plays deal directly with social and professional issues.   Death of a Salesman is a prime example of a character struggling with social and professional problems. Problem Plays Problem plays were first invented at the time of William Shakespeare.   His plays, including All's Well, Measure for Measure, and Hamlet, are under the category of "problem plays" (Schanzer, ix).   Many authors have written of Shakespeare and his "problem play."   F.S. Boas was one of these men.   He once wrote, "All these dramas introduce us into highly artificial societies, whose civilization is ripe unto rottenness...Thus throughout these plays we move along dim untrodden paths, and at the close our feeling is neither of simply joy nor pain" (Schanzer, 1).   An artificial society is exactly what is created in Miller's Death of a Salesman.   Problem plays suggest major personal, social, political or professional issues in which each problem is timely, realistic and a character experiences these situations in real places and the problems have real outcomes.   The idea of "real-ness" opens the door to problem plays.  Ã‚   Eager Unhappiness Miller deals with more than the simplicity of Willy Loman's eager unhappiness.   It deals ultimately with the so-called American Dream.   The extreme power of mankind to create an image of freedom and self-equality sets this play in motion.   One critic of the play, Craig Garrison, stated in an essay "The play makes, finally, no judgment on America, although Miller seems always on the verge of one, of telling us that America is a nightmare, a cause of and a home for tragedy" (Garrison, "The System").   Making America the nightmare that is the home for tragedy ultimately puts the American Dream to shame and makes the lives of people like Willy Loman a dream in itself.   Willy continually fantasizes about the farm in the west.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Progression Module Essay

The progression module is a course which I would recommend for anyone. It has a numerous amount of benefits, one of the main benefits is it allows you to explore a broad range of courses at a variety of university. I feel the progression module has prepared me for university as I have discovered many courses that interest me. The progression module has also helped me understand other vital things that need to be considered when going university, such as deciding whether to live at home or away from home and all the financial implications university life holds. During the progression module I have discovered a great deal about myself and what I would like to pursue a career in. After completing the progression module I feel I now have the opportunity to access the career I want through a variety of routes. I also feel I am now much more confident in terms of writing letters, CV’s and personal statements. This has benefited massively because when applying for voluntary work I was much more assertive when writing my CV, I took a positive approach which I learned from the progression module and due to this approach I was given the role of volunteer in the hospital. Whilst doing a-levels students are expected to deliver presentations on subject topics. In the progression module I had to create a presentations and deliver it, I followed all the information provided from the progression module and I feel I managed to deliver my presentation effectively remaining confident and clear at all times. Another thing the progression module prepared me for was interview, following the progression modules guidelines helped me develop all the positive and necessary skills required for delivering a questionnaire. After following these guidelines I was successful in my mock interview. I remained confident at all times, I did everything possible to express the knowledge and interest I had for medicine without showing arrogance. After participating in a mock interview I was also given feedback on my performance and what I should do to do even better. The mock interview was a huge boost of motivation as all the feedback I received was positive and I was told if I go for an interview tomorrow I will be successful. Universities always look at personal statements before accepting any student for an interview. So essentially the personal statement is a vital part in the acceptance of an applicant. In unit four of the progression module I was expected to write a personal statement but obviously I was given ideas on how to structure it, what to avoid and what to definitely include. This was extremely beneficial as I now feel I am prepared for university, I have a personal statement written and all I need to do is fill in my UCAS. Overall the progression module has helped me decide what I would like to do in terms of living at home or living away from home. I have decided I am going to study at a university close to home so I can love at home. I know about all the financial implication involved when living at home and I know how to approach these implications and deal with them effectively. The progression module was very interesting and intriguing it has been a huge benefit to my future especially my career. I feel I am now much more confident when applying for university and I am also aware of all the options that are available for me to undertake. The progression module is fantastic and completing it not only helps applying for university but also benefits an individual in terms of the academic challenges they may have to face.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Vampire Academy Chapter 5

FIVE OR RATHER, THEY HAD BEEN Strigoi. A regiment of guardians had hunted them down and killed them. If rumors were true, Christian had witnessed it all when he was very young. And although he wasn't Strigoi himself, some people thought he wasn't far off, with the way he always wore black and kept to himself. Strigoi or not, I didn't trust him. He was a jerk, and I silently screamed at Lissa to get out of there – not that my screaming did much good. Stupid one-way bond. â€Å"What are you doing here?† she asked. â€Å"Taking in the sights, of course. That chair with the tarp on it is particularly lovely this time of year. Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir. And let's not forget that beautiful table with no legs in the corner.† â€Å"Whatever.† She rolled her eyes and moved toward the door, wanting to leave, but he blocked her way. â€Å"Well, what about you?† he taunted. â€Å"Why are you up here? Don't you have parties to go to or lives to destroy?† Some of Lissa's old spark returned. â€Å"Wow, that's hilarious. Am I like a rite of passage now? Go and see if you can piss off Lissa to prove how cool you are? Some girl I don't even know yelled at me today, and now I've got to deal with you? What does it take to be left alone?† â€Å"Oh. So that's why you're up here. For a pity party.† â€Å"This isn't a joke. I'm serious.† I could tell Lissa was getting angry. It was trumping her earlier distress. He shrugged and leaned casually against the sloping wall. â€Å"So am I. I love pity parties. I wish I'd brought the hats. What do you want to mope about first? How it's going to take you a whole day to be popular and loved again? How you'll have to wait a couple weeks before Hollister can ship out some new clothes? If you spring for rush shipping, it might not be so long.† â€Å"Let me leave,† she said angrily, this time pushing him aside. â€Å"Wait,† he said, as she reached the door. The sarcasm disappeared from his voice. â€Å"What? ­um, what was it like?† â€Å"What was what like?† she snapped. â€Å"Being out there. Away from the Academy.† She hesitated for a moment before answering, caught off guard by what seemed like a genuine attempt at conversation. â€Å"It was great. No one knew who I was. I was just another face. Not Moroi. Not royal. Not anything.† She looked down at the floor. â€Å"Everyone here thinks they know who I am.† â€Å"Yeah. It's kind of hard to outlive your past,† he said bitterly. It occurred to Lissa at that moment – and me to by default – just how hard it might be to be Christian. Most of the time, people treated him like he didn't exist. Like he was a ghost. They didn't talk to or about him. They just didn't notice him. The stigma of his parents' crime was too strong, casting its shadow onto the entire Ozera family. Still, he'd pissed her off, and she wasn't about to feel sorry for him. â€Å"Wait – is this your pity party now?† He laughed, almost approvingly. â€Å"This room has been my pity party for a year now.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Lissa snarkily. â€Å"I was coming here before I left. I've got a longer claim.† â€Å"Squatters' rights. Besides, I have to make sure I stay near the chapel as much as possible so people know I haven't gone Strigoi? ­yet.† Again, the bitter tone rang out. â€Å"I used to always see you at mass. Is that the only reason you go? To look good?† Strigoi couldn't enter holy ground. More of that sinning-against-the-world thing. â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Why else go? For the good of your soul?† â€Å"Whatever,† said Lissa, who clearly had a different opinion. â€Å"I'll leave you alone then.† â€Å"Wait,† he said again. He didn't seem to want her to go. â€Å"I'll make you a deal. You can hang out here too if you tell me one thing.† â€Å"What?† She glanced back at him. He leaned forward. â€Å"Of all the rumors I heard about you today – and believe me, I heard plenty, even if no one actually told them to me – there was one that didn't come up very much. They dissected everything else: why you left, what you did out there, why you came back, the specialization, what Rose said to Mia, blah, blah, blah. And in all of that, no one, no one ever questioned that stupid story that Rose told about there being all sorts of fringe humans who let you take blood.† She looked away, and I could feel her cheeks starting to burn. â€Å"It's not stupid. Or a story.† He laughed softly. â€Å"I've lived with humans. My aunt and I stayed away after my parents? ­died. It's not that easy to find blood.† When she didn't answer, he laughed again. â€Å"It was Rose, wasn't it? She fed you.† A renewed fear shot through both her and me. No one at school could know about that. Kirova and the guardians on the scene knew, but they'd kept that knowledge to themselves. â€Å"Well. If that's not friendship, I don't know what it is,† he said. â€Å"You can't tell anyone,† she blurted out. This was all we needed. As I'd just been reminded, feeders were vampire-bite addicts. We accepted that as part of life but still looked down on them for it. For anyone else – especially a dhampir – letting a Moroi take blood from you was almost, well, dirty. In fact, one of the kinkiest, practically pornographic things a dhampir could do was let a Moroi drink blood during sex. Lissa and I hadn't had sex, of course, but we'd both known what others would think of me feeding her. â€Å"Don't tell anyone,† Lissa repeated. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and sat down on one of the crates. â€Å"Who am I going to tell? Look, go grab the window seat. You can have it today and hang out for a while. If you're not still afraid of me.† She hesitated, studying him. He looked dark and surly, lips curled in a sort of I'm-such-a-rebel smirk. But he didn't look too dangerous. He didn't look Strigoi. Gingerly, she sat back down in the window seat, unconsciously rubbing her arms against the cold. Christian watched her, and a moment later, the air warmed up considerably. Lissa met Christian's eyes and smiled, surprised she'd never noticed how icy blue they were before. â€Å"You specialized in fire?† He nodded and pulled up a broken chair. â€Å"Now we have luxury accommodations.† I snapped out of the vision. â€Å"Rose? Rose?† Blinking, I focused on Dimitri's face. He was leaning toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders. I'd stopped walking; we stood in the middle of the quad separating the upper school buildings. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"I? ­yeah. I was? ­I was with Lissa? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I put a hand to my forehead. I'd never had such a long or clear experience like that. â€Å"I was in her head.† â€Å"Her? ­head?† â€Å"Yeah. It's part of the bond.† I didn't really feel like elaborating. â€Å"Is she all right?† â€Å"Yeah, she's? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. Was she all right? Christian Ozera had just invited her to hang out with him. Not good. There was â€Å"coasting through the middle,† and then there was turning to the dark side. But the feelings humming through our bond were no longer scared or upset. She was almost content, though still a little nervous. â€Å"She's not in danger,† I finally said. I hoped. â€Å"Can you keep going?† The hard, stoic warrior I'd met earlier was gone – just for a moment – and he actually looked concerned. Truly concerned. Feeling his eyes on me like that made something flutter inside of me – which was stupid, of course. I had no reason to get all goofy, just because the man was too good-looking for his own good. After all, he was an antisocial god, according to Mason. One who was supposedly going to leave me in all sorts of pain. â€Å"Yeah. I'm fine.† I went into the gym's dressing room and changed into the workout clothes someone had finally thought to give me after a day of practicing in jeans and a T-shirt. Gross. Lissa hanging out with Christian troubled me, but I shoved that thought away for later as my muscles informed me they did not want to go through any more exercise today. So I suggested to Dimitri that maybe he should let me off this time. He laughed, and I was pretty sure it was at me and not with me. â€Å"Why is that funny?† â€Å"Oh,† he said, his smile dropping. â€Å"You were serious.† â€Å"Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for two days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed,† I whined. â€Å"It's just one hour.† He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love. â€Å"How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?† â€Å"I hurt like hell.† â€Å"You'll feel worse tomorrow.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, better to jump in now while you still feel? ­not as bad.† â€Å"What kind of logic is that?† I retorted. But I didn't argue anymore as he led me into the weight room. He showed me the weights and reps he wanted me to do, then sprawled in a corner with a battered Western novel. Some god. When I finished, he stood beside me and demonstrated a few cool-down stretches. â€Å"How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?† I asked. â€Å"You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?† He didn't answer right away. I got the feeling he didn't talk about himself very often. â€Å"No. I attended the one in Siberia.† â€Å"Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana.† A glint of something – maybe amusement – sparked in his eyes, but he didn't acknowledge the joke. â€Å"After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord. He was killed recently.† His smile dropped, his face grew dark. â€Å"They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus.† I thought about what he'd said before. Some Strigoi killed the guy he was supposed to have been guarding? â€Å"Did this lord die on your watch?† â€Å"No. He was with his other guardian. I was away.† He fell silent, his mind obviously somewhere else. The Moroi expected a lot from us, but they did recognize that the guardians were – more or less – only human. So, guardians got pay and time off like you'd get in any other job. Some hard-core guardians – like my mom – refused vacations, vowing never to leave their Moroi's sides. Looking at Dimitri now, I had a feeling he might very well turn into one of those. If he'd been away on legitimate leave, he could hardly blame himself for what happened to that guy. Still, he probably did anyway. I'd blame myself too if something happened to Lissa. â€Å"Hey,† I said, suddenly wanting to cheer him up, â€Å"did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that.† He arched an eyebrow curiously. Cool. I'd always wished I could do that. â€Å"You're complimenting me on that?† â€Å"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried.† â€Å"Last one?† â€Å"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds.† â€Å"This was the first time we found you. In Portland.† I sat up from my stretches and crossed my legs. â€Å"Um, I don't think I imagined psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it.† â€Å"Maybe,† he said dismissively. I could tell by his face he didn't believe that. I returned to the novices' dorm after that. The Moroi students lived on the other side of the quad, closer to the commons. The living arrangements were partly based on convenience. Being here kept us novices closer to the gym and training grounds. But we also lived separately to accommodate the differences in Moroi and dhampir lifestyles. Their dorm had almost no windows, aside from tinted ones that dimmed sunlight. They also had a special section where feeders always stayed on hand. The novices' dorm was built in a more open way, allowing for more light. I had my own room because there were so few novices, let alone girls. The room they'd given me was small and plain, with a twin bed and a desk with a computer. My few belongings had been spirited out of Portland and now sat in boxes around the room. I rummaged through them, pulling out a T-shirt to sleep in. I found a couple of pictures as I did, one of Lissa and me at a football game in Portland and another taken when I'd gone on vacation with her family, a year before the accident. I set them on my desk and booted up the computer. Someone from tech support had helpfully given me a sheet with instructions for renewing my e-mail account and setting up a password. I did both, happy to discover no one had realized that this would serve as a way for me to communicate with Lissa. Too tired to write to her now, I was about to turn everything off when I noticed I already had a message. From Janine Hathaway. It was short: I'm glad you're back. What you did was inexcusable. â€Å"Love you too, Mom,† I muttered, shutting it all down. When I went to bed afterward, I passed out before even hitting the pillow, and just as Dimitri had predicted, I felt ten times worse when I woke up the next morning. Lying there in bed, I reconsidered the perks of running away. Then I remembered getting my ass kicked and figured the only way to prevent that from happening again was to go endure some more of it this morning. My soreness made it all that much worse, but I survived the before-school practice with Dimitri and my subsequent classes without passing out or fainting. At lunch, I dragged Lissa away from Natalie's table early and gave her a Kirova-worthy lecture about Christian – particularly chastising her for letting him know about our blood arrangement. If that got out, it'd kill both of us socially and I didn't trust him not to tell. Lissa had other concerns. â€Å"You were in my head again?† she exclaimed. â€Å"For that long?† â€Å"I didn't do it on purpose,† I argued. â€Å"It just happened. And that's not the point. How long did you hang out with him afterward?† â€Å"Not that long. It was kind of? ­fun.† â€Å"Well, you can't do it again. If people find out you're hanging out with him, they'll crucify you.† I eyed her warily. â€Å"You aren't, like, into him, are you?† She scoffed. â€Å"No. Of course not. â€Å"Good. Because if you're going to go after a guy, steal Aaron back.† He was boring, yes, but safe. Just like Natalie. How come all the harmless people were so lame? Maybe that was the definition of safe. She laughed. â€Å"Mia would claw my eyes out.† â€Å"We can take her. Besides, he deserves someone who doesn't shop at Gap Kids.† â€Å"Rose, you've got to stop saying things like that.† â€Å"I'm just saying what you won't.† â€Å"She's only a year younger,† said Lissa. She laughed. â€Å"I can't believe you think I'm the one who's going to get us in trouble.† Smiling as we strolled toward class, I gave her a sidelong glance. â€Å"Aaron does look pretty good though, huh?† She smiled back and avoided my eyes. â€Å"Yeah. Pretty good.† â€Å"Ooh. You see? You should go after him.† â€Å"Whatever. I'm fine being friends now.† â€Å"Friends who used to stick their tongues down each other's throats.† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Fine.† I let my teasing go. â€Å"Let Aaron stay in the nursery school. Just so long as you stay away from Christian. He's dangerous.† â€Å"You're overreacting. He's not going Strigoi.† â€Å"He's a bad influence.† She laughed. â€Å"You think I'm in danger of going Strigoi?† She didn't wait for my answer, instead pushing ahead to open the door to our science class. Standing there, I uneasily replayed her words and then followed a moment later. When I did, I got to see royal power in action. A few guys – with giggling, watching girls – were messing with a gangly-looking Moroi. I didn't know him very well, but I knew he was poor and certainly not royal. A couple of his tormentors were air-magic users, and they'd blown the papers off his desk and were pushing them around the room on currents of air while the guy tried to catch them. My instincts urged me to do something, maybe go smack one of the air users. But I couldn't pick a fight with everyone who annoyed me, and certainly not a group of royals – especially when Lissa needed to stay off their radar. So I could only give them a look of disgust as I walked to my desk. As I did, a hand caught my arm. Jesse. â€Å"Hey,† I said jokingly. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be participating in the torture session. â€Å"Hands off the merchandise.† He flashed me a smile but kept his hand on me. â€Å"Rose, tell Paul about the time you started the fight in Ms. Karp's class.† I cocked my head toward him, giving him a playful smile. â€Å"I started a lot of fights in her class.† â€Å"The one with the hermit crab. And the gerbil.† I laughed, recalling it. â€Å"Oh yeah. It was a hamster, I think. I just dropped it into the crab's tank, and they were both worked up from being so close to me, so they went at it.† Paul, a guy sitting nearby whom I didn't really know, chuckled too. He'd transferred last year, apparently, and hadn't heard of this. â€Å"Who won?† I looked at Jesse quizzically. â€Å"I don't remember. Do you?† â€Å"No. I just remember Karp freaking out.† He turned toward Paul. â€Å"Man, you should have seen this messed-up teacher we used to have. Used to think people were after her and would go off on stuff that didn't make any sense. She was nuts. Used to wander campus while everyone was asleep.† I smiled tightly, like I thought it was funny. Instead, I thought back to Ms. Karp again, surprised to be thinking about her for the second time in two days. Jesse was right – she had wandered campus a lot when she still worked here. It was pretty creepy. I'd run into her once – unexpectedly. I'd been climbing out of my dorm window to go hang out with some people. It was after hours, and we were all supposed to be in our rooms, fast asleep. Such escape tactics were a regular practice for me. I was good at them. But I fell that time. I had a second-floor room, and I lost my grip about halfway down. Sensing the ground rush up toward me, I tried desperately to grab hold of something and slow my fall. The building's rough stone tore into my skin, causing cuts I was too preoccupied to feel. I slammed into the grassy earth, back first, getting the wind knocked out of me. â€Å"Bad form, Rosemarie. You should be more careful. Your instructors would be disappointed.† Peering through the tangle of my hair, I saw Ms. Karp looking down at me, a bemused look on her face. Pain, in the meantime, shot through every part of my body. Ignoring it as best I could, I clambered to my feet. Being in class with Crazy Karp while surrounded by other students was one thing. Standing outside alone with her was an entirely different matter. She always had an eerie, distracted gleam in her eye that made my skin break out in goose bumps. There was also now a high likelihood she'd drag me off to Kirova for a detention. Scarier still. Instead, she just smiled and reached for my hands. I flinched but let her take them. She tsked when she saw the scrapes. Tightening her grip on them, she frowned slightly. A tingle burned my skin, laced with a sort of pleasant buzz, and then the wounds closed up. I had a brief sense of dizziness. My temperature spiked. The blood disappeared, as did the pain in my hip and leg. Gasping, I jerked my hands away. I'd seen a lot of Moroi magic, but never anything like that. â€Å"What? ­what did you do?† She gave me that weird smile again. â€Å"Go back to your dorm, Rose. There are bad things out here. You never know what's following you.† I was still staring at my hands. â€Å"But? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I looked back up at her and for the first time noticed scars on the sides of her forehead. Like nails had dug into them. She winked. â€Å"I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me.† I jumped back to the present, unsettled by the memory of that bizarre night. Jesse, in the meantime, was telling me about a party. â€Å"You've got to slip your leash tonight. We're going up to that spot in the woods around eight thirty. Mark got some weed.† I sighed wistfully, regret replacing the chill I'd felt over the memory of Ms. Karp. â€Å"Can't slip that leash. I'm with my Russian jailer.† He let go of my arm, looking disappointed, and ran a hand through his bronze-colored hair. Yeah. Not being able to hang out with him was a damned shame. I really would have to fix that someday. â€Å"Can't you ever get off for good behavior?† he joked. I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile as I found my seat. â€Å"Sure,† I called over my shoulder. â€Å"If I was ever good.†

Thursday, November 7, 2019

10 Quotes for Unique and Beautiful Wedding Vows

10 Quotes for Unique and Beautiful Wedding Vows A wedding may only be a ceremony, if you look at it from a logical standpoint. However, a  marriage vow is a pledge- a verbal promise- to uphold all that is considered sacrosanct in a marital relationship. The exchange of vows, though just a collection of words, has a greater significance when the bride and the groom say the words with full intent and in good faith. Traditional vs. Personal Vows Traditional vows are all-encompassing. Traditional vows, as per Catholic marriage customs, involve a pledge to take ones partner, for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part. While it is unlikely that these traditional vows will go out of use, there is an increasing trend among people who prefer to make their own vows. When you write your own vows, you have the creative liberty to include some of your personal details, a dash of humor, a touching anecdote, or a special promise that makes you own the vows. Writing your own vow is no cakewalk- many brides and grooms find it difficult to pen a few lines that would bind them for eternity. Tips for Writing Vows If you are writing your own vows, here are a few things to keep in mind to make your marriage vows beautiful: Keep it Simple: Flowery words will have no meaning if you dont mean what you say. When you keep it simple, you allow your partner to assimilate the depth of your words.Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say:  It goes without saying that your marriage vows are a declaration of your love and commitment. If you are honest and sincere in your vows, you will find your married life easy to deal with.Include Details: Make sure to include specific details that make it unique to your marriage. While it is not a good idea to make a long verbose speech (remember, it is not an award acceptance ceremony), let your marriage vows reflect your personal beliefs, your dreams, and those of your spouse.Include Humor, Avoid Comedy: Humor should just be a mild seasoning to pepper your vow. Let it not override the intensity or seriousness of your solemn vow. The focus of your vow should be your love and your sincere commitment.Avoid a Public Spectacle: Though you will be saying your vows in the presence of your near and dear ones, you dont have to write your vows to please the audience. It is your marriage, and only you should decide what goes into your vows. Dont attempt to make it entertaining or interesting for your audience. They are simply here to witness and bless your marriage. Keep your vows genuine, straightforward, and personal.  Ã‚   Meaningful Quotes If you find yourself struggling for the right words, you can use some of these quotes to help you create a great wedding vow. These quotes will add a touch of color  to your vows. I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. –  William Butler Yeats,  He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.   –  Robert Browning I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Roy Croft I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Amy Tan I love thee, I love but theeWith a love that shall not dieTill the sun grows coldAnd the stars grow old...–  Bayard Taylor You call it madness, but I call it love.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Don Byas If I know what love is, it is because of you.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Herman Hesse We are the leaves of one branch, the drops of one sea, the flowers of one garden. –  Jean Baptiste Henry Lacordaire This is my beloved and this is my friend.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Song of Solomon Youre nothing short of my everything.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Ralph Block

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Lab#2 concrete mix design and compression tests Lab Report

#2 concrete mix design and compression tests - Lab Report Example Concrete quality control is an essential practice to ensure consistency in both the fresh and hardened concrete. Some of the laboratory methods used for concrete quality control include; slump test, compressive strength test and workability tests. The primary objective for this experimental study was to identify the characteristics exhibited by concrete materials and to familiarize with the commonly used laboratory specimen manufacturing and testing methods. In design and quality control of concrete, the most specified concrete property is strength. This can be attributed to the fact that testing methods available are relatively easy and furthermore; other concrete properties such as resistance to weathering and fire, elastic modulus, and impermeability are directly linked to strength. This means that having the strength data, then the other properties can be deduced. A good concrete mix should take into account the following key attributes: workability, consistency, strength, water cement ratio, durability, density, slump expected, and heat and chemical resistance. The relative proportions of concrete components, either by volume or weight, will closely influence its properties in both fresh and hardened state. The cement-water paste forms the active component in the concrete material, which is dependent on the characteristics of materials used and their relative proportions. The aggregates used must be well graded to minimize air voids in the concrete matrix. Generally, concrete mix designs are currently being over-designed for the fear of production of results that will not meet the minimum strength criteria specified by the engineer concerned. There is therefore need for analysis of concrete compressive strength variance and understanding of the criteria for proper concrete mix designs suitable for various applications. Concrete is a

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Pablo Picasso Artworks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pablo Picasso Artworks - Essay Example The essay "Pablo Picasso Artworks" attempts to portray the reasons Picasso painted and why he changed the movement. He was a Spanish sculptor, stage designer, playwright, printmaker, ceramicist, and painted who lived between 1881 and 1973. He was an influential artist who helped develop and investigate many varieties of styles. ). For instance, he co-founded the Cubist movement in the 20th century. He is recognized with Marcel Duchamp and Henri Matisse as artists who revolutionized printmaking, plastic arts, ceramics, painting, and sculpture. Picasso showed unusual artistic ability from his early years. Through his childhood and adolescence, he painted in a realistic manner. At the beginning of the 20th century, he changed his painting style after experimenting with various theories. Picasso’s work is categorized into movements. There are the expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Picasso’s expressionism can be further categorized into Blue period, Rose period, and Afri can-influenced period. Cubism is can be classified further into Analytic cubism and Synthetic cubism. There are many differences in the two painting. The differences lie in the painting style used. Picasso used expressionism in the Drunk Woman is Tired, while, in Girl in Chair, he used cubism and surrealism. In the Drunk Woman is Tired, Picasso is expressing his feelings of a real situation. In the painting, a drunken woman is asleep. The woman is emaciated and poor. She has no place to go. Picasso used the painting to express his sympathy to her.