The Macbeth Witches Essay Example For Students

The Macbeth Witches Essay In the first scene in act one we can see that the witches have some kind of psychic ability from when they predict that Macbeth will win the battle. The witches appear to be having some sport of shared vision. We can tell this from the second quotation- When the hurlyburlys done. When the battles lost and won. The witches clearly know that King Duncans side will win the battle. They also know when they will meet with Macbeth- There to meet with Macbeth. This addresses the theme of witchcraft and is Shakespeares way of letting the audience know that the witches have powers. We will write a custom essay on The Macbeth Witches specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The scene is set in the dark on the heath- a very open place, and the thunder and lightning in the background top it off as such. These key elements are Shakespeares way of conveying evil. In Elizabethan times this worked well on the audience who were convinced perhaps unlike a modern audience that these three women were witches from the very first line. Just before the end of the scene we see that the witches have familiars when the first and third witches call on them. This is also a key element in convincing the audience that the women are witches. The fact that they have familiars makes them seem evil and though perhaps a clichÃÆ' © now would have been very real for an Elizabethan audience. At the very end of the scene the witches do a sort of chant. Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. This implies some sort of evil spell and leaves the audience in suspense until the next time we meet the witches. The way the witches behave here make us feel disturbed or uncomfortable although there are no descriptions of appearances as yet. At the opening of scene three again we hear thunder, not only does this create the spooky atmosphere as before, but it also confirms the witches predictions about the weather and makes the audience think that they have some sort of power over the weather. The first witch begins to tell a story of a sailors wife towards whom she has taken great umbrage. She tells the others how she will get back at the woman by torturing her husband. She says she will sail in a sieve to him at Aleppo. We then see that the witches can control the weather again when the others say they will help her by sending a wind. The first witch refuses and continues to tell of her wicked ways with the sailor. She possesses a pilots thumb which is quite disturbing for the audience and highlights the key theme of witchcraft again. Suddenly we hear a drum and once again can see that the third witch in particular may be psychic. A drum, a drum! Macbeth doth come Then the witches begin to chant a spell. When it is done they say Peace the charms wound up. This  confirms for us that it was a charm or spell and makes the audience wonder what it has achieved. When Banquo speaks we get the first idea of what the witches look like. What are these, so withered, and so wild in their attire, that look not like th inhabitants o th earth, and yet are ont? This tells us that whatever way the witches looked it was hard for Banquo to tell whether the witches are human or not. This implies that the witches were perhaps ugly or deformed. He tells us that the witches do not speak they merely raise their fingers to their lips. From this action we can tell that this is not normal. Two lords stand in front of the three women and yet they dont speak. This is mysterious also. Banquo appears to find this strange as would the audience and this is in keeping with the theme of mystery. .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c , .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .postImageUrl , .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c , .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:hover , .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:visited , .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:active { border:0!important; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:active , .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1b6ccd48f0b874708f441f740b3b101c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The play Richard II by William Shakespeare is about a King who failed to perform his duties as King EssayThen the witches speak. They tell Macbeth that not only is he Thane of Glamis but also that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. Macbeth is startled by these predictions and although he seems frightened also seems to like these ideas. Banquo on the other hand is quite curious as to why they arent telling him anything. He asks them Speak then to me. The witches begin to talk in riddles and this although slightly confuses Banquo makes him very happy indeed. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail Macbeth and Banquo. These words keep in line with the psychic theme and even more mystery is added when the witches vanish in to thin air leaving Macbeth and Banquo to ponder the recent news. Overall in these two scenes we learn a lot about the three witches. That they have powers, how they look, how they behave and what that shows us about them. We also pick up on the key themes and how they are conveyed in the play.

Chutzph Dershowitz Essays - Alan Dershowitz, Free Essays

Chutzph Dershowitz Essays - Alan Dershowitz, Free Essays Chutzph Dershowitz In Alan Dershowitz's novel Chutzpah, he devotes an entire section to the issue of, and his personal feelings about James Pollard. He begins this section with a description of the way in which this man was caught selling classified government documents to the nation of Israel. Basically this man was a Jewish American spy for the Israeli government because of a duty he felt stemming from a secret loyalty he felt toward the nation of Israel. Over an extended period of time this man sold thousand of secret documents which in the eyes of Weinberger, the Secretary of Defense for the United States was a serious breech in national security. Dershowitz emphasizes in great detail how in order to avoid a trial in which the declassification of these documents would be required, Pollard was pressured to accept a plea bargain in which he would plead guilty, give full disclosure pertaining to the information he handed over, and release all rights to any of his future published material that pertained to the case. In exchange for these things he would be granted a formal request by the US government to the judge of the case which would call for a restricted sentence for him and his wife. Pollard agreed to this deal and was satisfied with it until he received a sentence of life in a maximum security prison and his wife received 5 years in prison. The evidence that Dershowitz presents suggests that Pollard did get an unfair deal, and a much harsher sentence than others in the past have received for similar crimes. Dershowitz stated in no uncertain terms that in his opinion the reason for for this discrepancy in the sentencing process has to do with the fact that Pollard is a Jewish man who betrayed America for Israel. He states: I am convinced that if Pollard were a non-Jew who had spied for a non-Jewish country, he would not be in prison today. Dershowitz finds fault in the way Pollards lawyers handled the case. He claims that if Pollard had used his constitutional right to remain silent that the government would have been hard pressed to to make a case against him because it would have required declassification of highly sensitive intelligence documents. His choice to accept the plea bargain and submit himself to the mercy of the government was in Dershowitzs eyes a terrible mistake and a partial reason for imprisonment. There is no doubt that in Dershowitzs eyes that this case is an issue of race and not so much an issue of foul play. He reiterates over and over that Pollards actions were not in conflict with American national security and that Israel was some how entitled to the documents because in many ways they pertained to Israeli national security. Dershowitz does his best to downplay Pollards acts of treason and at the same hammers home his point that Pollard is being unfairly held. He repeatedly emphasizes that Israel is an American ally, and that Pollard could have easily commanded much greater sums of money than he received from Israel if he had sold the information to more hostile nations. His description of the situation lacks legal substance, and tends to suggest a theory of widespread anti Semitism. Dershowitz makes a convincing argument that Pollard received a sentence that was inconsistent both with past cases as well as what he was actually promised in return for his guilty plea. It does seem that if Pollard had fought to the end that his worst case scenario would not be much different from what he got out of the plea bargain. Dershowitz blames poor legal advice and failure for the government to hold up its end of the deal for Pollards present situation. It is not exactly clear to the general public exactly what information Pollard turned over to the Israelis. All of these documents are still classified and it is likely that they will be for many years to come. However, the fact is that this man had an extremely high security clearance and that he broke a sworn oath to protect the interests of the American people. This is a very serious crime, and

How To Write A Last-Minute Essay

How To Write A Last-Minute Essay How to Write a Last-Minute Essay Sometimes students get caught up by time, and he/she is forced to write an essay uncomfortably quickly to meet the deadline. Students find themselves in this situation for either having postponed writing the perfect essay for too long or he/she has been busy to find the time and work on the assignment. However, do not worry, is it very possible to write the essay in the last minute. Needless to say, as a good and focused student it is advised you make preemptive plans to beat the assignment deadline and avoid last minute rush since it is not advisable for your grades. This article offers some insightful tips, do’s and don’ts on how to write a last-minute essay. Adopt the right mindset When it is too late to start the work, anyone can panic and restlessness. Such emotional discontentment would worsen the situation and make you lose focus. Remain goal-oriented and optimistic that you would meet the deadline and get to work. Last minute essay writing requires focus and attention and intolerance to negative thoughts. Plan and prepare your workstation Pick a good working station or create one. Ensure you have a comfortable seating position, clean environment and proper and lighting. Assemble all the materials you need for the essay writing and keep them on the working table. Â  Plan how to execute each of your tasks ahead and slot time for them. Start with the easier tasks and handle the more complicated ones later. Switch off your phone and social networks Distraction is the last thing you need when writing an essay at the last minute. To avoid unnecessary distraction, switch off your mobile phone and log out all social networking sites. This allows you to focus on finishing the work. The irresistible urge to open social network or your phone is much lower and aggressive is they are out of reach. Inform your friends and family members that you will be busy doing your homework for a while, and you do not need interruption or distraction unless it is a serious emergency. Read the question carefully Read and understand the tasks very well. If you rush to answer the questions, you are more likely to miss some details or give irrelevant information. Irrelevant information is the last thing you would wish to have at this time,needless to say, it would set you back and threaten your scores. Type your essay rather than handwriting it Handwriting and then transferring the typed work wastes a lot of precious time. Therefore, type rather than handwrite to save on the work. Keep saving your work as you go along. This is the last time you need your computer, and therefore ensure you save your work on your computer and online to eliminate any chance of losing your progress to an electrical fault. While typing directly into the document, make your notes on the document to avoid using hard copies that need more time to integrate into your final document. Rewrite the notes into the essay with notes or support sentences to explain them. Save the introduction and conclusion To write a good introduction and conclusion requires time, which in this case is in limited supply. Therefore, avoid writing the introduction and conclusion after you are through with the body paragraphs. Writing the body paragraphs would give you leverage in writing them. For the conclusion, try to rewrite the conclusion whilst reasserting the thesis statement. Wrap the conclusion with a good summative statement in an interesting manner that wraps the content. Do the references as you go along Saving to do the referencing for the last minute is not only time consuming, but also likely to do unintentional plagiarism. For each time, you quote someone, ensure you reference properly since tracking the quotes later can be time-consuming and could lead easily be missed. Proofread as you go along Ensure your work is perfect as you progress. Proofread as you go on writing the essay to avoid later revisiting the whole essay to find and correct your mistakes. It also helps to avoid leaving out important content in the essay writing. Each mistake is handled early and less likely going to be catastrophic. Don’t be tempted to copy and paste Do not be tempted to plagiarize your work. Do not assume your course instructor cannot note plagiarized work and if caught you will suffer grave consequences. Copy pasting also lowers the quality of your work since integrating distinctive texts from various sources may not be possible without proper synthesis of the information and editing it to fit your situation. Always remember, better late than never. Keep your style concise Do not attempt to try to violate the standard formatting guidelines according to the grading rubric. Large fonts, wider margins or over-spaced work not only looks ugly but also a sign of low-quality content. It also insinuates that the student did not do adequate research. Such theatrics are easily identifiable and do not assume your course facilitator cannot pick them up just by a glance at your essay. Take a break If you have to take a break, have it when you absolutely need it. Make it as short as possible and am sure you can also endure some pressure till you finish your work. Make sure you maintain your energy levels at optimum by taking a snack and keeping hydrated to avoid unnecessary breaks while working. If the scene you are working from is uncomfortable, try seeking refuge elsewhere where you can focus. Taking a break and returning to the same workstation may not be helpful in the long run. Concisely, the aforementioned tips and guidelines can be very helpful when doing last minute essay writing. This is the ultimate guideline on how to write an essay at the last minute, and hopefully, you found it helpful. However, do not dwell on it, rather get working to avoid the deadline from catching up with you.

DEFEATING THE LOGIC OF ISLAMIST TERRORISM Assignment

DEFEATING THE LOGIC OF ISLAMIST TERRORISM - Assignment Example The findings mentioned in the article actually highlights the overall weaknesses in the ideology of Islamic terrorist organizations and US can actually take efforts to help modern elements within Muslim countries to encourage such thinking. As discussed in the article, the overall battle is not only fought based upon the physical strength of the enemy but also upon the overall psychology, beliefs and ideas of the enemy too. US, due to its military and political power can subvert the governments however; the war on terror is relatively a different war. Islamic terrorist organizations are also making efforts to win it through ideas and raising general sentiments against West and US. Winning the battle of ideas therefore is of critical importance as it will not only allow US to reduce the number of supporters but can also help in future to actually allow more Modern Muslims to become the voice of Islamic world and not the

Applying the Doctrines of Entrapment and Outrageous Government Conduct Essay

Applying the Doctrines of Entrapment and Outrageous Government Conduct - Essay Example The need to balance the demands of law and order, on the one hand, and the rights of the accused to due process on the other, is the central dilemma that undergirds the debate. Fortunately, there are cases where the facts are of such clarity that it is not difficult to come up with a ruling that can be justified by both jurisprudence and the principles of the Constitution. It is respectfully submitted that this case is one of them. Based on the facts of the case, there is enough legal basis to rule in favor of the accused and grant his acquittal on the basis of the defense of â€Å"outrageous government conduct.† Outrageous government conduct The notion that behavior of state agents that â€Å"shocks the conscience† could constitute a violation of the right to due process of the accused and consequently, could secure the dismissal of the charges against him was first laid down in the case of Rochin v. California [342 us 165 (1952)]. In that particular case, the officers forcibly induced the accused to vomit capsules that they believed to be containing drugs. This decision served as the progenitor of the defense of â€Å"outrageous government conduct†, which essentially provides an extraordinary defense to the accused in a situation wherein the police had acted in an appalling, reprehensible manner that violated basic precepts of justice and decency. This was further refined in the case of United States v. Russell(1973):   "[W]e may someday be presented with a situation in which the conduct of law enforcement agents is so outrageous that due process principles would absolutely bar the government from invoking judicial processes to obtain a conviction (citing Rochin v. California, 342 U.S. 165. It must be underscored that only extremely exceptional cases should be considered here. A mere failure to disclose one’s role as an undercover informer does not come under the definition of outrageous conduct, as in the case of Hoffa v. United States [385 US 293 (1966)], nor does using an assumed name and identity in conducting at telephone transaction, as in the case of Lewis v. United States [385 US 206 (1966)]. In this case, while there is no showing that physical violence was employed against the accused, the behavior of the police officer Friday was equally egregious. He had practically forced the accused to commit the crime that he wanted him to commit, in a desperate attempt to have some output for his superiors who were expecting him to bust a drug ring. It must be noted that the criminal charges were for the possession of eight ounces of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute the same. The eight ounces of cocaine only came about because he forced the accused to get the other 4 ounces on credit, when the accused only wanted 4 ounces. But even more reprehensible is the use of Jane, who Friday knew to be someone that Bob had an eye for. The only reason that Bob was persuaded to proceed with the transaction was becaus e Friday deployed Jane to tell him that she would go home with him if he had the cocaine. It is even more reprehensible that Friday had engaged in sexual relations with this woman whilst undercover in his job, and using her to achieve his ends. This kind of behavior is truly galling and deserves reproach. Entrapment In truth, it may even be argued that the defense of entrapment is available to Bob. The Supreme Court makes a distinction between the defense of entrapment and the defense of outrageous government conduct, a distinction which was laid down in the case of Hampton v. United States [425 US 484 (1976]. The defense of entrapment employs a subjective standard, it means that for the defense to be available to the accused, he has to

Many Of The Characters In Of Mice And Men Have Dreams Essay Example for Free

Many Of The Characters In Of Mice And Men Have Dreams Essay John Steinbeck wrote the novel Of Mice and Men in 1937. The settings were personally related to the author himself. The Novel is set were he originally came from, around Salinas, California. It was written during the great depression which not only effected America, but Europe as well; however the novel only focuses on America. Steinbeck had his reasons for writing about it. He wanted to show the reality of the great depression as it struck everyone in different ways. He used realistic characters that represented the main groups of people living in America and what effects took place according to their status. One of the biggest problems was that twenty-five percent of the whole population was unemployed, leaving a mass of civilians to roam the streets, desperate to survive by any means. Others were forced to become itinerant workers. George and Lennie, the main characters, are two ranch workers. They are prime examples or itinerant workers due to the economic disaster they faced. They had slight difficulties maintaining a job as Lennie has a mental and almost physical disability. His child-like mind didnt allow him to correspond well with his beastly physicality. This means he is unaware of how brutal and uncivilized his actions may be. Its what always got him in trouble and George was the one always defending him. All they had was each other. As Itinerant workers they travelled far in search of work as did many others who were desperate to earn enough money to survive or perhaps support their family. They pretty much had no choice if they wanted to live. Work on a ranch didt always pay well ; however, the workers were provided with the necessities which had already cover a lot of costs such as a roof over their head, cooked meals, bathing facilities, so they were grateful. All those small things are the things that are taken for granted, but to those times they were valued and appreciated. Whatever salaries they received at the end of each month they would send home to their families or spend it all on a cat house (prostitute house) and start all over again. George and Lennie had other plans which differentiated them from the rest. George and Lennie both shared a dream. Besides the fact that their relationship status was quite rare, the dream made it that little bit more special. Most people travelled alone and just had their minds set on surviving. George and Lennie had their hearts set on bigger things. We could live off the fatta the lan, a quote used constantly by both George and Lennie. They are implying that they want to buy land in which they can live off everything they grow so they wont have to rely on any one to survive. Its a big change from working for someone to working for yourself; its more satisfying knowing they can do what they want for themselves. Well have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, well just say the hell with going to work! Their dream gets deeper with endless wants; to them its almost like an obsessive fantasy. However, their dreams are still realistic compared to a modern day dream which tends to be more selfish and greedy. A sense of freedom is what they are after which is highly understandable and admirable. Lennie also has an obsession with tending rabbits. Again his child-likeliness is getting the better of him; then again all children look forward to particular things they enjoy. Their dream is like a private sanctuary in their minds, an escape from reality, the one thing that no one can take from them. Its their goal, the one thing that keeps them motivated to carry on. Come on, George. Tell Me. Please, George. Like you done before. George tells their dream like a story out of a fairytale to satisfy Lennies childish behavior. Lennie also repeats his sentences as a sign of enthusiasm. The dialect used gives quite a clear impression of what they sound like and helps to visualize their words and actions. What is said is written quite different from how we would write and speak today, so it emphasizes on how long ago this took place. The Ranch consists of more than just workers and one dream. George and Lennie werentt alone; there were others with different occupations and completely different dreams. George and Lennies dream later developed into a larger dream including one other member. Candy, a former worker, who had lost his hand on the ranch so he wasnt much use. He was aware that it wouldntt be long until he would have no were to go, he was only getting benefits for his loss on the ranch, and no one wants a useless worker hanging about. When Candy over hears George going into story mode, he was overwhelmed knowing that there was some hope. You know wheres a place like that? and How much they want for a place like that? showed Candy was deeply interested by asking questions. Candy was interested by all of this because his life was slowly passing by and he was still not doing anything about it. So this dream of having a ranch and not working for somebody was a big eye-one for candy and seemed very interested in the dream. He stated obviously that hes interested by saying, Spose I went in with you guys and shows us how desperate he is by offering three hundred an fifty bucks which was more than half of the overall payment required. Just to sweeten up the deal even more he adds, I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. And Id make a will an leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, Candy chose his words carefully letting George know it will benefit everyone rather than it being a selfish gesture. Just to make sure they kept him in he used a very short but never the less a very effective emotional line, When they can me here I wisht somebodys shoot me. Automatically they feel sympathetic towards him because he lost his hand and his best friend, the dog. It was after that conversation that Candy gained hope after all. However, a serious incident occurred which lead George to kill Lennie for the good and safety of others. He gave up on the dream and decided to become a part of what everyone else already was. then its all off? Candy asked sulkily. Without George, Candy couldntt stand a chance making the dream come true alone and there was no persuading George to reconsider. Candy was vexed at Curleys wife as she laid dead, Everbody knowed youd mess things up. He knew that if she didnt disturb Lennie they would all be able to leave the ranch and have a good life together. Now that she had caused all these problems he had no respect for her at all and insulted her by using harsh names such as lousy tart and bitch. Women to those times werent seen as equals, they done what they were told and werent much use. Curleys wife is a good example of a typical woman to those times. She is referred to as Curleys wife and nothing else to show her lack of importance. She craves attention as no one pays her no mind, so she resorts to Lennie who listens too her dream. Her dream was to make something of her self by becoming an actress. Coulda been in the movies, an had nice clothes all of them nice clothes they wear. An I coulda sat in them big hotels, an had pitchers took of me. she reminisces on the past were she had a chance of fulfilling her dream and all the materialistic things she would have had. She sounded ungrateful when she said, I wouldnt be livin like this, you bet as if to say what Curley had to offer wasnt good enough when thats what nearly all women wish they could have. Her marriage to Curley was an escape from loneliness which seemed to have failed. As she was an attention seeker she used her sexuality to her advantage to lure in other men, even if they were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Although the other men were aware of the sly schemes, Lennie was mesmerized by her beauty and was generally vulnerable. She even admitted that she was lonely to make Lennie feel sorry for her by saying, Why cant I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely. She did this to make him feel sorry for her and give in to her cunning ways. She had finally found someone dumb enough to listen to her pitiful life story without passing a judgment on her and it all started from, Maybe I will yet. Then with such passion she let lose what she had bottled up inside for a while. She couldnt care about what Lennie had to say when he included his own dream in the conversation, she went on with her story quickly, before she could be interrupted. For someone desperate to talk to someone she seemed awfully ungrateful and selfish. She was fully aware of what he was capable of yet she still took the risk of getting to close. She took Lennies hand and put it on her head she told him to Feel right aroun this was the biggest mistake she could have ever possibly made. From the slightest jerk he began to panic. His child and animalistic side began to collide again. Like a child he held on and panicked, however, he didnt realize he was hurting her and she wasnt strong enough to struggle free. She died young and still could have made something of herself but she could never get another chance after that. This quote is taken after Curleys wife died, her dreams like the others but hers different of wanting to be famous were shattered. Crooks is just the isolated nigger at the bottom of the social hierarchy on the ranch who constantly got degraded by everyone. His status is even lower than any womans. Any black person to those times would have the most selfless dream, to be treated as an equal and to have freedom. George and Lennie were the only ones that communicated with Crooks so it probably made him feel somewhat wanted. Crooks also developed a desire to join the dream. Crooks constantly had to take everything thrown at him verbally by Curleys wife as he had no status as a busted-back nigger. She constantly abused him and when he finally decided to stand up for him self he got knocked back down again. Keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny. This shows that if Crooks did anything out of the ordinary it will be reported and he will be dealt with in harsh ways. It made him realise that he couldnt take part in the dream, all hope had been lost thanks too the threat Curleys wife made. Every character mentioned above presented their dreams in the form of a story to another character. Each of the dreams were different yet similar in many ways. All of the dreams resorted to freedom from somewhere or someone, and not to suffer from financial problems. They all wanted to be able to support themselves and survive from what they owned. The only difference being that some were unrealistic and they had different views of the dreams they wished too accomplish. In the past Curleys wife was close to being an actress twice. Only thing that stopped her was her mother, who didnt let this dream continue knowing what the consequences would be later on in life. George, Lennie and Candy were less than a month away from completing their task of obtaining the land. In the end Lennie accidentally ruined everything and didnt even know what he had caused. Crooks wasnt as close, he only had hopes of becoming apart of the dream, but nothing had been established officially. I think the situation on the whole affected George the most as it was originally his aim to work towards it and without it he felt like there was nothing left for him. He lost faith in his dream and his fellow companion. I believe Steinbeck looked at how the Great Depression affected the different people in America and sympathized on their behalf. All the characters represent all types of people in America; the elderly, disabled, women and the ethnic minorities. They all played important parts as they helped to show how major the issue was.

Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Feminism Feminis

Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper " was originally shunned by the American patriarchal literary powers present before the turn of the century. Despite editors' hesitation, Gilman's determination eventually led to the story's publication in New England Magazine in 1892. It was not until the early 1970's, however, that the story was adopted by the feminist literary movement and viewed as the author undoubtedly intended. A popularly held opinion among critics is that this delayed acceptance was "a case of misinterpretation by audiences used to 'traditional' literature. " Before the modern feminist movement in literature, readers would not have expected or looked for the kind of message found in "The Yellow Wallpaper." Were the story written a century later, the feminist message would likely be stronger. To get it published and portray the realities of her narrator, however, Gilman recognized the need for ambiguity in the story's feminist message. Gilman left the story ope n to patriarchal interpretations, but included enough commentary within and beyond the narration to convince the feminist reader of her true intentions. The submissive unnamed protagonist and narrator acts as an enabler to her patriarchal surroundings. Gilman clarifies on the first page the narrator's feminist disinclination, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage." This defines the woman's attitude towards her position in her marriage and society. The woman's defeatism also works to 'put her in her place' in the patriarchal society. After briefly explaining that her husband does not believe s... ...not discounting, does somewhat deflate, or mask, the argument that Gilman is offering a truism about the difference between males and females. Some of the greatest writers, artists, and musicians have been patently misread or ignored by their contemporaries, only to be discovered as visionaries decades or centuries later. By creating a submissive female narrator, Gilman makes a powerful statement to the modern reader about the realities of women before the 20th century. The narrator's acquiescent quality is simultaneously a common trait for women of the time and the catalyst of her insanity. Considering the state of women when the story was written, the narrator had to be as she was to be believable. Thus, the story's recent rise to popularity must be attributed to Gilman's subtle feminist assertions, almost a century ahead of their time.

Implications of Aging in Contemporary Society Essay

A Census is a study of individuals and families to supply necessary information from national to the neighbourhood level. The United Kingdom first took a census of its population in 1801 and every 10 years thereafter. Census is an important measure to impart a good number of remarkable information about the structure of the country. The results are often used to estimate resource distribution to regional and local service providers, by governments in the United Kingdom and European Union levels. A survey conducted by Kevin Kinsella and Victoria A. Velkoff (2001) showed that global population is aging at an unprecedented rate. This means that there are more elderly citizens across the globe, not just in the United Kingdom. Implications of Aging in Contemporary Society The 2001 UK census revealed that there are now more people in the United Kingdom over the age of 60 than people under the age of 16. This shows that there are more older people in the UK than younger people. Economically, this has implications in today’s contemporary society. The valuable history of a society is sustained, communicated and improved in grand showcase through the participation and contributions of older persons. These elder persons will likely to get low-wage jobs which mean less income from which to put aside for retirement and are less likely to be covered by private pension plans. Low paying employment form the least secure fraction of the labour market, leaving these workers jobs more susceptible to unemployment. The so-called age dependency ratios or the ratio of retirees to workers, will be higher than we look at it today. The implications of this development are simple. The collective effects of less workers, more retirees and longer retirement periods endanger not just the continuity of pension systems but also the larger fiscal prospects of countries such as the United Kingdom. A summary report conducted by Schwab, K and Samans (2004) stated that the most effective solution to this is quite complex. That is to have more workers, longer careers, higher productivity and more global exchange and cooperation. With a diminishing supply of young workers, the older workforce will have to put more years in the labour market. This is one of the many consequences of the growing financial problems of retirement systems. The ageing trend will also have to be attended by a modification of stance towards the older workforce and practical guidelines for boosting training, efficiency and integrity of work for the older workforce. Working longer and retiring later while paying higher pension payments for reduced pensions can be viewed as a venture from a reorganized regime, bringing portions of the fruits of progress to early retirement with occasionally high wage replacement rates. A phenomenon has come up with the aging of our societies through the advent of organized retirement programs. These programs basically owe their subsistence to the rising worker efficiency and principles of living and the idea that these developments or improvements should be shared among workers and older members of society. The older members of the society have become mostly dispensable in the fabrication of economic goods in developed economies. Conclusion Since the survey is aimed at coming up with figures to help in determining the distribution of resources, the United Kingdom governments will have to allocate its revenues to both the young and the old. What the 2001 survey showed is that the government will carry out programs that will help the elderly population of the Kingdom. The aging phenomenon goes past the composition and funding of government programs to bigger concerns about falling productivity and standards of living. Everyone is a consumer and all consumers jointly rely on people to produce the goods and services they consume. Retirement schemes let older people to continue to consume without openly giving to the useful ability of the economy. The survey by Kevin Kinsella and Victoria A. Velkoff (2001) further said that there are now about 420 million elderly citizens worldwide as of 2001. These individuals have actually paved a better way for this generation. Sources Kinsella, K. and Velkoff, V. An Aging International Population Reports International. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2001. Living Happily Ever After: Schwab, K and Samans, R. The Economic Implications of Aging Societies. Executive Summary of a Report to the World Economic Forum Pension Readiness Initiative developed in partnership with Watson Wyatt Worldwide 2004

Blood Promise Chapter Ten

Everyone had hit it off so well at lunch with Avery that the group had gotten together again that evening and had kind of a wild time. Lissa was thinking about that as she sat in her first-period English class the next morning. They'd stayed up late last night, sneaking out past curfew. The memory brought a smile to Lissa's face, even as she stifled a yawn. I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of jealousy. I knew Avery was responsible for Lissa's happiness, and that bothered me on a petty level. Yet†¦ Avery's new friendship was also making me feel less guilty about leaving Lissa. Lissa yawned again. It was hard to concentrate on The Scarlet Letter while fighting a slight hangover. Avery seemed to have a never-ending supply of liquor. Adrian had taken to this right away, but Lissa had been a little more hesitant. She'd abandoned her partying days a long time ago, but she'd finally succumbed last night and drunk more glasses of wine than she really should have. It wasn't unlike my situation with the vodka, ironically enough. Both of us overindulging, despite being miles and miles apart. Suddenly, a high-pitched wail pierced the air. Lissa's head shot up, along with everyone else's in the class. In a corner of the room, a small fire alarm flashed and shrieked its warning. Naturally, some students started cheering while some pretended to be scared. The rest just looked surprised and waited. Lissa's instructor also looked a little caught off guard, and after a quick examination, Lissa decided this wasn't a planned alarm. Teachers usually had a heads-up when there were drills, and Ms. Malloy didn't wear the usual weary expression teachers had when trying to figure out how much time the drill would cut from their lessons. â€Å"Up and at 'em,† said Ms. Malloy in annoyance, grabbing a clipboard. â€Å"You know where to go.† Fire drill procedure was pretty standard. Lissa followed the others and fell in step with Christian. â€Å"Did you set this up?† she teased. â€Å"Nope. Wish I had, though. This class is killing me.† â€Å"You? I have the worst headache ever.† He gave her a knowing grin. â€Å"Let that be a lesson to you, Little Miss Lush.† She made a face in return and gave him a light punch. They reached their class's meeting spot out on the quad and joined in the semblance of a line the others were trying to form. Ms. Malloy arrived and checked everyone off on her clipboard, satisfied no one had been left behind. â€Å"I don't think this was planned,† said Lissa. â€Å"Agreed,† said Christian. â€Å"Which means even if there's no fire, it might take a while.† â€Å"Well, then. No use waiting around, huh?† Christian and Lissa turned around in surprise at the voice behind them and saw Avery. She wore a purple sweater dress and black heels that seemed totally out of place on the wet grass. â€Å"What are you doing here?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Figured you'd be in your room.† â€Å"Whatever. It's so boring there. I had to come liberate you guys.† â€Å"You did this?† asked Christian, slightly impressed. Avery shrugged. â€Å"I told you, I was bored. Now, come on while it's still chaotic.† Christian and Lissa exchanged glances. â€Å"Well,† said Lissa slowly, â€Å"I suppose they did already take attendance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hurry!† said Avery. Her excitement was contagious, and, feeling bold, Lissa hurried after her, Christian in tow. With all the milling students, no one noticed them cutting across the campus-until they reached the outside of guest housing. Simon stood leaning against the door, and Lissa stiffened. They were busted. â€Å"Everything set?† Avery asked him. Simon, definitely the strong-and-silent type, gave a swift nod as his only answer before straightening up. He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and walked off. Lissa stared in amazement. â€Å"He just†¦ he just let us go? And is he in on it?† Simon wasn't on campus as a teacher, but still†¦ that didn't necessarily mean he'd let students skip out on class because of a faked fire drill. Avery grinned mischievously, watching him go. â€Å"We've been together for a while. He's got better things to do than babysit us.† She led them inside, but instead of going to her room, they cut off to a different section of the building and went somewhere I knew well: Adrian's room. Avery beat on the door. â€Å"Hey, Ivashkov! Open up.† Lissa slapped a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles. â€Å"So much for stealth. Everyone's going to hear you.† â€Å"I need him to hear me,† Avery argued. She kept pounding on the door and yelling, and finally, Adrian answered. His hair stuck up at odd angles, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He'd drunk twice as much as Lissa last night. â€Å"What†¦?† He blinked. â€Å"Shouldn't you guys be in class? Oh God. I didn't sleep that much, did I?† â€Å"Let us in,† said Avery, pushing past. â€Å"We've got refugees from a fire here.† She flounced onto his couch, making herself at home while he continued staring. Lissa and Christian joined her. â€Å"Avery sprang the fire alarm,† explained Lissa. â€Å"Nice work,† said Adrian, collapsing into a fluffy chair. â€Å"But why'd you have to come here? Is this the only place that's not burning down?† Avery batted her eyelashes at him. â€Å"Aren't you happy to see us?† He eyed her speculatively for a moment. â€Å"Always happy to see you.† Lissa was normally pretty straitlaced about this kind of thing, but something about it amused her. It was so wild, so silly†¦ it was a break from all her recent worries. â€Å"It's not going to take them that long to figure it out, you know. They could be letting everyone in right now.† â€Å"They could be,† agreed Avery, putting her feet up on the coffee table. â€Å"But I have it on good authority that another alarm is going to go off in the school once they open the doors.† â€Å"How the hell did you manage that?† asked Christian. â€Å"Top secret.† Adrian rubbed his eyes and was clearly amused by this, despite the abrupt wake-up. â€Å"You can't pull fire alarms all day, Lazar.† â€Å"Actually, I have it on good authority that once they give the all-clear on a second alarm, a third's going to go off.† Lissa laughed out loud, though a lot of it was due more to the guys' reactions and less to Avery's announcement. Christian, in fits of antisocial rebellion, had set people on fire. Adrian spent most of his days drunk and chain-smoking. For a cute society girl like Avery to astonish them, something truly remarkable had to happen. Avery looked very pleased at having outdone them. â€Å"If the interrogation's over now,† she said, â€Å"aren't you going to offer your guests any refreshments?† Adrian stood up and yawned. â€Å"Fine, fine, you insolent girl. I'll make coffee.† â€Å"With a kick?† She inclined her head toward Adrian's liquor cabinet. â€Å"You have got to be kidding,† said Christian. â€Å"Do you even have a liver left?† Avery wandered over to the cabinet and picked up a bottle of something. She held it out to Lissa. â€Å"You game?† Even Lissa's morning rebelliousness had limits. The wine headache still throbbed in her skull. â€Å"Ugh, no.† â€Å"Cowards,† said Avery. She turned back to Adrian. â€Å"Well then, Mr. Ivashkov, you'd best put on the pot. I always like a little coffee with my brandy.† Not long after that, I faded away from Lissa's head and drifted back into my own, returning to the blackness of sleep and ordinary dreams. It was short-lived, however, seeing as a loud pounding soon jerked me into consciousness. My eyes flew open, and a deep, searing pain shot through the back of my skull-the aftereffects of that toxic vodka, no doubt. Lissa's hangover had nothing on mine. I started to close my eyes, wanting to sink back under and let sleep heal the worst of my pain. Then, I heard the pounding again -and worse, my whole bed shook violently. Someone was kicking it. Opening my eyes again, I turned and found myself staring into Yeva's shrewd dark eyes. If Sydney had met many dhampirs like Yeva, I could understand why she thought our race were minions of hell. Pursing her lips, Yeva kicked the bed again. â€Å"Hey,† I cried. â€Å"I'm awake, okay?† Yeva muttered something in Russian, and Paul peered around from behind her, translating. â€Å"She says you're not awake until you're actually out of bed and standing up.† And with no more warning, that sadistic old woman continued kicking the bed. I jerked upright, and the world spun around me. I'd said this before, but this time, I really meant it: I was never going to drink again. No good ever came from it. The covers looked awfully tempting to my agonized body, but a few more kicks from Yeva's pointy-toed boots made me shoot up off the bed. â€Å"Okay, okay. Are you happy now? I'm up.† Yeva's expression didn't change, but at least she stopped with the kicking. I turned to Paul. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Grandmother says you have to go with her.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"She says you don't need to know.† I started to say that I wasn't following that crazy old wench anywhere, but after one look at her scary face, I thought better of it. I didn't put it past her to be able to turn people into toads. â€Å"Fine,† I said. â€Å"I'll be ready to go once I shower and change.† Paul translated my words, but Yeva shook her head and spoke again. â€Å"She says there's no time,† he explained. â€Å"We have to go now.† â€Å"Can I at least brush my teeth?† She allowed that small concession, but a change of clothes was apparently out of the question. It was just as well. Each step I took made me feel woozy, and I probably would have passed out doing something as complicated as dressing and undressing. The clothes didn't smell or anything either; they were mostly just wrinkled from where I'd fallen asleep in them. When I got downstairs, I saw that no one else was awake except Olena. She was washing leftover dishes from last night and seemed surprised to see me up. That made two of us. â€Å"It's early for you, isn't it?† she asked. I turned and caught sight of the kitchen clock. I gasped. It was only about four hours after I'd gone to bed. â€Å"Good God. Is the sun even up?† Amazingly, it was. Olena offered to make me breakfast, but again, Yeva reiterated our time crunch. My stomach seemed to simultaneously want and loathe food, so I couldn't say if abstaining was a good thing or not. â€Å"Whatever,† I said. â€Å"Let's just go and get this over with.† Yeva walked into the living room and returned a few moments later with a large satchel. She handed it to me expectantly. I shrugged and took it, hanging it over one shoulder. It clearly had stuff in it, but it wasn't that heavy. She went back out to the other room and returned with another tote bag. I took this one too and hung it over the same shoulder, balancing both of them. This one was heavier, but my back didn't complain too much. When she left for a third time and returned with a giant box, I started to get irate. â€Å"What is this?† I demanded, taking it from her. It felt like it had bricks in it. â€Å"Grandmother needs you to carry some things,† Paul told me. â€Å"Yes,† I said through gritted teeth. â€Å"I sort of figured that out fifty pounds ago.† Yeva gave me one more box, stacking it on top of the other. It wasn't as heavy, but by this point, it honestly didn't matter. Olena shot me a sympathetic look, shook her head, and returned silently to her dishes, apparently not about to argue with Yeva. Yeva set off after that, and I followed obediently, trying to both hold the boxes and not let the bags fall off my shoulder. It was a heavy load, one my hungover body really didn't want, but I was strong enough that I figured it wouldn't be a problem to get into town or wherever she was leading me. Paul ran along at my side, apparently there to let me know if Yeva found anything along the road she wanted me to carry too. It seemed like spring was charging into Siberia far faster than it ever did into Montana. The sky was clear, and the morning sun was heating things up surprisingly fast. It was hardly summer weather, but it was definitely enough to notice. It would have made very uncomfortable walking weather for a Moroi. â€Å"Do you know where we're going?† I asked Paul. â€Å"No,† he said cheerfully. For someone so old, Yeva could move at a pretty good pace, and I found myself having to hurry to keep up with her with my load. At one point, she glanced back and said something that Paul translated as, â€Å"She's kind of surprised that you can't move faster.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I'm kind of surprised that no one else can carry any of this.† He translated again: â€Å"She says if you're really such a famous Strigoi killer, then this shouldn't be a problem.† I was filled with great relief when downtown came into sight†¦ only we kept walking past it. â€Å"Oh, come on,† I said. â€Å"Where the hell are we going?† Without giving me a backward glance, Yeva rattled off something. â€Å"Grandmother says Uncle Dimka never would have complained so much,† Paul said. None of this was Paul's fault; he was just the messenger. Yet, every time he spoke, I kind of wanted to kick him. Nonetheless, I kept carrying my burden and didn't say anything else for the rest of the walk. Yeva was right to a certain extent. I was a Strigoi hunter, and it was true that Dimitri would have never complained about some old lady's crazy whims. He would have done his duty patiently. I tried to summon him up in my mind and draw strength from him. I thought about that time in the cabin again, thought about the way his lips had felt on mine and the wonderful scent of his skin when I'd pressed closer to him. I could hear his voice once more, murmuring in my ear that he loved me, that I was beautiful, that I was the only one†¦ Thinking of him didn't take away the discomfort of my journey with Yeva, but it made it a little more bearable. We walked for almost an hour more before reaching a small house, and I was ready to fall over in relief, soaked in sweat. The house was one floor, made of plain, weatherworn brown boards. The windows, however, were surrounded on three sides by exquisite, highly stylized blue shutters overlaid with a white design. It was that same sort of flashy use of color I'd seen on the buildings in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Yeva knocked on the door. At first there was only silence, and I panicked, thinking we'd have to turn right around and head back. Finally, a woman answered the door-a Moroi woman. She was maybe thirty, very pretty, with high cheekbones and strawberry-blond hair. She exclaimed in surprise at seeing Yeva, smiling and greeting her in Russian. Glancing over at Paul and me, the woman quickly stepped aside and gestured us in. She switched to English as soon as she realized I was American. All these bilingual people were kind of amazing. It wasn't something I saw very often in the U.S. She pointed to a table and told me to set everything there, which I did with relief. â€Å"My name's Oksana,† she said, shaking my hand. â€Å"My husband, Mark, is in the garden and should be in soon.† â€Å"I'm Rose,† I told her. Oksana offered us chairs. Mine was wooden and straight-backed, but at that moment, it felt like a down-filled bed. I sighed happily and wiped the sweat off my brow. Meanwhile, Oksana unpacked the things I'd carried. The bags were filled with leftovers from the funeral. The top box contained some dishes and pots, which Paul explained had been borrowed from Oksana some time ago. Oksana finally reached the bottom box, and so help me, it was filled with garden bricks. â€Å"You have got to be kidding,† I said. Across the living room, Yeva looked very smug. Oksana was delighted by the gifts. â€Å"Oh, Mark will be happy to have these.† She smiled at me. â€Å"It was very sweet of you to carry these that whole way.† â€Å"Happy to help,† I said stiffly. The back door opened, and a man walked in-Mark, presumably. He was tall and stockily built, his graying hair indicating an age greater than Oksana's. He washed his hands in the kitchen sink and then turned to join us. I nearly gasped when I saw his face and discovered something stranger than the age difference. He was a dhampir. For a moment, I wondered if this was someone else and not her husband, Mark. But that was the name Oksana introduced him with, and the truth hit me: a Moroi and dhampir married couple. Sure, our two races hooked up all the time. But marriage? It was very scandalous in the Moroi world. I tried to keep the surprise off my face and behave as politely as I could. Oksana and Mark seemed very interested in me, though she did most of the talking. Mark simply watched, curiosity all over his face. My hair was down, so my tattoos couldn't have given away my unpromised status. Maybe he was just wondering how an American girl had found her way out to the middle of nowhere. Maybe he thought I was a new blood whore recruit. By my third glass of water, I began to feel better. It was around that time that Oksana said we should eat, and by then, my stomach was ready for it. Oksana and Mark prepared the food together, dismissing any offers of help. Watching the couple work was fascinating. I had never seen such an efficient team. They never got in each other's way and never needed to talk about what needed doing next. They just knew. Despite the remote location, the kitchen's contents were modern, and Oksana placed a dish of some sort of potato casserole in the microwave. Mark's back was to her while he rummaged in the refrigerator, but as soon as she hit start, he said, â€Å"No, it doesn't need to be that long.† I blinked in surprise, glancing back and forth between them. He hadn't even seen what time she'd selected. Then I got it. â€Å"You're bonded,† I exclaimed. Both looked at me in equal surprise. â€Å"Yes. Didn't Yeva tell you?† Oksana asked. I shot a quick look at Yeva, who was again wearing that annoyingly self-satisfied look on her face. â€Å"No. Yeva hasn't been very forthcoming this morning.† â€Å"Most everyone around here knows,† Oksana said, returning to her work. â€Å"Then†¦ then you're a spirit user.† That made her pause again. She and Mark exchanged startled looks. â€Å"That,† she said, â€Å"is not something that's widely known.† â€Å"Most people think you haven't specialized, right?† â€Å"How did you know?† Because it was exactly how it had been for Lissa and me. Stories of bonds had always existed in Moroi folklore, but how bonds formed had always been a mystery. It was generally believed they â€Å"just happened.† Like Oksana, Lissa had generally been regarded as a non-specializing Moroi-one who didn't have any special ability with one element. We realized now, of course, that bonding only occurred with spirit users, when they saved the lives of others. Something in Oksana's voice told me she wasn't really all that surprised I knew. I couldn't figure out how she'd realized that, however, and I was too stunned by my discovery to say anything else. Lissa and I had never, ever met another bonded pair. The only such two we knew about were the legendary Vladimir and Anna. And those stories were shrouded by centuries of incomplete history, making it difficult to know fact from fiction. The only other leads we had to the world of spirit were Ms. Karp-a former teacher who went insane-and Adrian. Until now, he had been our biggest discovery, a spirit user who was more or less stable-depending on how you looked at it. When the meal was ready, spirit never came up. Oksana led the conversation, keeping to light topics and jumping between languages. I studied her and Mark as I ate, looking for any signs of instability. I saw none. They seemed like perfectly pleasant, perfectly ordinary people. If I hadn't known what I did, I would have had no reason to suspect anything. Oksana didn't seem depressed or unhinged. Mark hadn't inherited that vile darkness that sometimes seeped into me. My stomach welcomed the food, and the last of my headache faded away. At one point, though, a strange sensation swept through me. It was disorienting, like a fluttering in my head, and a wave of heat and then ice coursing through me. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came on, and I hoped it'd be the last of that demon vodka's ill effects. We finished eating, and I jumped up to help. Oksana shook her head. â€Å"No, there's no need. You should go with Mark.† â€Å"Huh?† I asked. He dabbed at his face with a napkin and then stood up. â€Å"Yes. Let's go out to the garden.† I started to follow, then paused to glance back at Yeva. I expected her to chastise me for abandoning the dishes. Instead, I found no smug or disapproving looks. Her expression was†¦ knowing. Almost expectant. Something about it sent a shiver down my back, and I recalled Viktoria's words: Yeva had dreamed of my arrival. The garden Mark led me to was much bigger than I expected, enclosed in a thick fence and lined with trees. New leaves hung on them, blocking the worst of the heat. Lots of bushes and flowers were already in bloom, and here and there, young shoots were well on their way to adulthood. It was beautiful, and I wondered if Oksana had had a hand in it. Lissa was able to make plants grow with spirit. Mark gestured me over to a stone bench. We sat down side by side, and silence fell. â€Å"So,† he said. â€Å"What would you like to know?† â€Å"Wow. You don't waste time.† â€Å"I don't see any point in it. You must have lots of questions. I'll do my best to answer.† â€Å"How did you know?† I asked. â€Å"That I'm shadow-kissed too. You did, right?† He nodded. â€Å"Yeva told us.† Okay, that was a surprise. â€Å"Yeva?† â€Å"She can sense things†¦ things the rest of us can't. She doesn't always know what she's sensing, however. She only knew there was a strange feel to you, and she'd only ever felt that around one other person. So she brought you to me.† â€Å"Seems like she could have done that without me having to carry a household's worth of stuff.† This made him laugh. â€Å"Don't take it personally. She was testing you. She wanted to see if you're a worthy match for her grandson.† â€Å"What's the point? He's dead now.† I nearly choked on the words. â€Å"True, but for her, it's still important. And, by the way, she does think you're worthy.† â€Å"She has a funny way of showing it. I mean, aside from bringing me to meet you, I guess.† He laughed again. â€Å"Even without her, Oksana would have known what you are as soon as she met you. Being shadow-kissed has an effect on the aura.† â€Å"So she can see auras too,† I murmured. â€Å"What else can she do? She must be able to heal, or you wouldn't be shadow-kissed. Does she have super-compulsion? Can she walk dreams?† That caught him off guard. â€Å"Her compulsion is strong, yes†¦ but what do you mean, walk dreams?† â€Å"Like†¦ she'd be able to enter someone else's mind when they're asleep. Anyone's mind-not just yours. Then they could have conversations, just as if they were together. My friend can do it.† Mark's expression told me that was news to him. â€Å"Your friend? Your bondmate?† Bondmate? I'd never heard that term. It was weird-sounding, but it made sense. â€Å"No†¦ another spirit user.† â€Å"Another? How many do you know?† â€Å"Three, technically. Well, four now, counting Oksana.† Mark turned away, staring absentmindedly at a cluster of pink flowers. â€Å"That many†¦ that's incredible. I've only met one other spirit user, and that was years ago. He too was bonded to his guardian. That guardian died, and it ripped him apart. He still helped us when Oksana and I were trying to figure things out.† I braced myself for my own death all the time, and I feared for Lissa's. Yet it had never occurred to me just what it would be like with a bond. How would it affect the other person? What would it be like to have a gaping hole, where once you'd been intimately linked to someone else? â€Å"He never mentioned walking dreams either,† Mark continued. He chuckled again, friendly lines crinkling up around his blue eyes. â€Å"I thought I would be helping you, but maybe you're here to help me.† â€Å"I don't know,† I said doubtfully. â€Å"I think you guys have more experience at this than we do.† â€Å"Where's your bondmate?† â€Å"Back in the U.S.† I didn't have to elaborate, but somehow, I needed to tell him the whole truth. â€Å"I†¦ I left her.† He frowned. â€Å"Left as in†¦ you simply traveled? Or left as in you abandoned her?† Abandoned. The word was like a slap in the face, and suddenly, all I could envision was that last day I'd seen her, when I'd left her crying. â€Å"I had things to do,† I said evasively. â€Å"Yes, I know. Oksana told me.† â€Å"Told you what?† Now he hesitated. â€Å"She shouldn't have done it†¦ She tries not to.† â€Å"Done what?† I exclaimed, uneasy for reasons I couldn't explain. â€Å"She, well†¦ she brushed your mind. During brunch.† I thought back and suddenly recalled the tickling in my head, the heat rolling over me. â€Å"What does that mean exactly?† â€Å"An aura can tell a spirit user about someone's personality. But Oksana can also dig further, reaching in and actually reading more specific information about a person. Sometimes she can tie that ability into compulsion†¦ but the results are very, very powerful. And wrong. It's not right to do that to someone you have no bond with.† It took me a moment to process that. Neither Lissa nor Adrian could read the thoughts of others. The closest Adrian could come to someone's mind was the dream walking. Lissa couldn't do that, not even for me. I could feel her, but the opposite wasn't true. â€Å"Oksana could feel†¦ oh, I don't know how to explain it. There's a recklessness in you. You're on some sort of quest. There's vengeance written all over your soul.† He suddenly reached over and lifted my hair up, peering at my neck. â€Å"Just as I thought. You're unpromised.† I jerked my head back. â€Å"Why is that such a big deal? That whole town back there is filled with dhampirs who aren't guardians.† I still thought Mark was a nice guy, but being preached to always irritated me. â€Å"Yes, but they've chosen to settle down. You†¦ and others like you†¦ you become vigilantes of sorts. You're obsessed with hunting Strigoi on your own, with personally setting out to right the wrongs that whole race has brought down upon us. That can only lead to trouble. I see it all the time.† â€Å"All the time?† I asked, startled. â€Å"Why do you think guardian numbers are dwindling? They're leaving to have homes and families. Or they're going off like you, still fighting but answering to no one-unless they're hired to be bodyguards or Strigoi hunters.† â€Å"Dhampirs for hire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I suddenly began to understand how a non-royal like Abe had gotten his bodyguards. Money could make anything happen, I supposed. â€Å"I've never heard of anything like that.† â€Å"Of course not. You think the Moroi and other guardians want that widely known? Want to dangle that in front of you as an option?† â€Å"I don't see what's so wrong with Strigoi hunting. We're always defensive, not offensive, when it comes to Strigoi. Maybe if more dhampirs set out after them, they wouldn't be such a problem.† â€Å"Perhaps, but there are different ways of going about that, some better than others. And when you're going out like you are-with a heart filled with sorrow and revenge? That's not one of the better ways. It'll make you sloppy. And the shadow-kissed darkness will just complicate things.† I crossed my arms over my chest and stared stonily ahead. â€Å"Yeah, well, it's not like I can do much about that.† He turned to me, expression surprised once more. â€Å"Why don't you just have your bondmate heal the darkness out of you?†

Essay about Recipe Butter and Cream Cheese

Essay about Recipe Butter and Cream Cheese Essay about Recipe: Butter and Cream Cheese Chunky Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies 1  ¼ all-purpose flour  ½ teaspoon baking soda  ½ teaspoon salt  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon  ¾ cup butter = 1  ½ sticks  ½ cup sugar  ½ cup brown sugar  ½ cup peanut butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips  ½ cup chopped peanuts 1) Combine flour, baking soda, salt & cinnamon in small bowl. 2) Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar & peanut butter in a bowl until creamy. 3) Beat in an egg. 4) Gradually beat in flour mixture. 5) Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanuts. 6) Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased sheet. 7) Preheat 375 ° for 7-10 mins. Soft Pretzels 2 tablespoons hot water (110 °) 1 1/3 cups warm water 4-5 cups flour 1 package dry yeast 1/3 cup brown sugar Kosher salt 1) Preheat 400 ° 2) In a bowl mix hot water & dry yeast. 3) Stir in warm water. 4) Add brown sugar. 5) Add flour 1 cup at a time & mix well. 6) Knead about 5 mins & add flour if sticky. 7) Grease pans well. 8) Divide the dough into 12-16 equal portions & roll into a long roll & shape like a pretzel. 9) Fill a 3 quart pot sauce pot almost full with water. 10) Count the number of cups of water & put the same number of tablespoons baking soda per cup of water. 11) Bake for 10-12 mins. Wendy's Chil 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1  ½ – 2 lbs. ground chuck 10 oz. can french onion soup 21 oz. red kidney beans – undrained 8 oz. can tomato sauce 6 oz. can tomato paste 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin  ½ teaspoon black pepper 3 drops tabasco sauce 1) In a pot over medium heat, brown the meat in the oil breaking it up as it cooks. 2) Puree soup into a blender & pour over the meat. 3) Stir in remaining ingredients into pot. 4) Simmer over low heat stirring occassionally for at least 30 mins. Pon Asian Wonton with Sweet Soy 1 lb. ground pork or chicken  ½ cup white onion, minced 2 tablespoons ginger paste  ¼ cup sweet soy sauce  ½ bunch fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon vegetable oil *enough oil to have 1.5-2† layer in pan for shallow frying Wonton skins (40) 1 cup water 1 cup all-purpose flour Salt & pepper to taste 1) Saute onions & garlic 2-3 mins. 2) Add meat & ginger paste & cook it. 3) Stir in sweet soy sauce. 4) Remove from heat & add chopped cilantro & cover with lid & set aside. 5) Heat pan to medium high heat. 6) Dust surface with flour. 7) Lay out wonton wrapper. 8) Place approximately 1 teaspon of mixture in center of wrapper. 9) Wet the edges of wrapper & fold to make them look like a triangle 10) Place them in oil gently & fry on one side 30 secs-1 min & turn them with tongs. 11) Remove them from oil & drain on cooling rack & drizzle them with sweet soy sauce. Mounds 2 lbs. confectioners sugar 1 stick of butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 large package coconut 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1) Mix all ingredients together. 2) Shape in a flat oval. 3) Dip in 12 ox. melted chocolate combined with  ¼ stick wax in a double boiler. Cavatini 1  ½ cup shell noodles 1  ½ cup twist noodles (ratini) 1  ½ cup hollow noodles (penne) 1 lb. ground beef 1 onion, chopped pepperonis, chopped jar of spaghetti sauce 12 oz. Mozzarella cheese 1) Cook noodles 2) Brown ground beef & onions 3) Add pepperonis & spaghetti sauce & heat until simmer 4) Place noodles in a 9x13 casserole dish & pour other mixture over & stir 5) Sprinkle cheese on top & bake 350 ° oven for 25-30 mins or until cheese is starting to brown. Oreo Truffles 1 16 oz. package oreos 1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened 2 8oz. package semi-sweet baking chocolate melted 1) Crush 9 oreos to fine crumbs. 2) Crush remaining oreos to fine crumbs 3) Place in a bowl & mix with cream cheese until well blended 4) Roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter 5) Refrigerate 6) Dip balls into melted chocolate & place onto waxed paper 7) Refrigerate

Definition and examples of Alphabet

Definition and examples of Alphabet An alphabet is made up of the letters of a language, arranged in the order fixed by custom. Adjective: alphabetic. The basic principle of alphabetic writing is to represent a single sound (or phoneme) of a spoken language by a single letter. But as Johanna Drucker notes in The Alphabetic Labyrinth (1995), This phonetic writing system is at best an approximation. The orthography of English, for instance, is notoriously plagued by inconsistencies and peculiarities. The First Alphabet In about 1500 B.C., the worlds first alphabet appeared among the Semites in Canaan. It featured a limited number of abstract symbols (at one point thirty-two, later reduced to twenty-two) out of which most of the sounds of speech could be represented. The Old Testament was written in a version of this alphabet. All the worlds alphabets descend from it. After the Phoenicians (or early Canaanites) brought the Semitic alphabet to Greece, an addition was made that allowed the sounds of speech to be represented less ambiguously: vowels. The oldest surviving example of the Greek alphabet dates from about 750 B.C. This is, via Latin and give or take a few letters or accents, the alphabet in which this book is written. It has never been improved upon. (Mitchell Stephens, The Rise of the Image, the Fall of the Word. Oxford University Press, 1998) The Greek Alphabet [T]he Greek alphabet was the first whose letters recorded every significant sound element in a spoken language in a one-to-one correspondence, give or take a few diphthongs. In ancient Greece, if you knew how to pronounce a word, you knew how to spell it, and you could sound out almost any word you saw, even if youd never heard it before. Children learned to read and write Greek in about three years, somewhat faster than modern children learn English, whose alphabet is more ambiguous. (Caleb Crain, Twilight of the Books. The New Yorker, Dec. 24 31, 2007)The Greek alphabet ... is a piece of explosive technology, revolutionary in its effects on human culture, in a way not precisely shared by any other invention. (Eric Havelock, The Literate Revolution in Greece and Its Cultural Consequences. Princeton University Press, 1981) While the alphabet is phonetic in nature, this is not true of all other written languages. Writing systems ... may also be logographic, in which case the written sign represents a single word, or ideographic, in which ideas or concepts are represented directly in the form of glyphs or characters. (Johanna Drucker, The Alphabetic Labyrinth. Thames, 1995) Two Alphabets English has had two different alphabets. Prior to the Christianization of England, the little writing that was done in English was in an alphabet called the futhore or runic alphabet. The futhore was originally developed by Germanic tribes on the Continent and probably was based on Etruscan or early Italic versions of the Greek alphabet. Its association with magic is suggested by its name, the runic alphabet, and the term used to designate a character or letter, rune. In Old English, the word run meant not only runic character, but also mystery, secret.As a by-product of the Christianization of England in the sixth and seventh centuries, the English received the Latin alphabet. (C.M. Millward, A Biography of the English Language, 2nd ed. Harcourt Brace, 1996) The Dual Alphabet The dual alphabetthe combination of capital letters and small letters in a single systemis first found in a form of writing named after Emperor Charlemagne (742-814), Carolingian minuscule. It was widely acclaimed for its clarity and attractiveness, and exercised great influence on subsequent handwriting styles throughout Europe. (David Crystal, How Language Works. Overlook, 2005) The Alphabet in an Early English Dictionary If thou be desirous (gentle Reader) rightly and readily to understand, and to profit by this Table, and such like, then thou must learne the Alphabet, to wit, the order of the Letters as they stand, perfectly without book, and where every Letter standeth: as b near the beginning, n about the middest, and t toward the end. (Robert Cawdrey, A Table Alphabetical, 1604) The Lighter Side of the Alphabet Educational television ... can only lead to unreasonable disappointment when your child discovers that the letters of the alphabet do not leap up out of books and dance around with royal-blue chickens. (Fran Lebowitz) Writers spend three years rearranging 26 letters of the alphabet. Its enough to make you lose your mind day by day. (attributed to Richard Price)Dr. Bob Niedorf: Name as many mammals as you can in 60 seconds. Ready? Go.George Malley: Hmm. 60 seconds. Well, how would you like that? How about alphabetical? Aardvark, baboon, caribou, dolphin, eohippus, fox, gorilla, hyena, ibex, jackal, kangaroo, lion, marmoset, Newfoundland, ocelot, panda, rat, sloth, tiger, unicorn, varmint, whale, yak, zebra. Now varmint is a stretch; so is Newfoundland (thats a dog breed); unicorn is mythical; eohippus is prehistoric. But you werent being very specific, now, were you, Bob?Dr. Bob Niedorf: Well! Ahh, Ill, uhIll try to be more specific.(Brent Spiner and John Travolta, Phenomenon, 1996) EtymologyFrom the Greek,  alpha  Ã‚  beta Pronunciation: AL-fa-BET

Business Continuity and Disaster Management for Aviation Essay

Business Continuity and Disaster Management for Aviation - Essay Example A significant event or crisis refers to such events, where there is a pressing need for an immediate and novice response, with the aim of lessening the adverse effects taking place in the reputation, profitability and the operations of the airport. This paper will examine the particular problems that affected Heathrow airport frequently and the effects felt by the airport, British airways and the UK aviation industry as a whole. Additionally, the paper will examine the steps that could be taken to minimize the effects of adverse weather and the outcomes that the new strategy would yield, for the wide array of industry stakeholders. Airports are highly intricate systems and are very essential to the effective transit of people and goods across the globe. In addition, airports are significant employment hubs, which allow them to work as economic drivers for surrounding regions; support businesses by facilitating the transit of goods and people, foster trade and support tourism. Despite the fact that airports have remained a critical link to the stability of natural infrastructural models, they have also been identified as highly vulnerable to a variety of external and internal disturbances. All of the internal and the external disturbances affecting the performance of airports impact or even limit the normality of airport operations. One of the recent events that gave evidence about the adverse effects of airport disturbances was the failure of the systems and the performance of London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, after it was launched. The newly opened airport building suffered from significant failures in the performance of operational and passenger-specific functions (Brady & Davies, 2010). The failures led to the cancelation of more than 34 flights in a day, after the start of the launch of operations and the cancelation of flights left