Once and future king expanded my mind Essays

Once and future king expanded my mind Essays Once and future king expanded my mind Essay Once and future king expanded my mind Essay Essay Topic: The Once and Future King Expanding my Mind The romance novel, The Once and Future King, contains several major humanistic themes. Its central theme throughout the entire book is Urethras exploration of human nature regarding power and Justice, as he tries to suppress the widespread might is right attitude. Through the transformations Merely provided Wart, I was able to develop my own attitude toward the subject of war. The antiwar theme became most prevalent in the chapters where Merely morphs Wart into different species. Each of the spiritual adventures that Merely gives Wart intends to teach him a specific lesson. The first transformation that Wart makes is into a fish. As he explores the underwater kingdom, he meets Mr.. P, who tells him only might is right (52). Mr.. P is the epitome of absolute power and his portrait of power is rather unintelligent. The despotic perch lunges toward Wart in an attempt to eat him. In the battle between brains and brawn, however, Wart learns that intellect can conquer even the most robust creature. The next animal that Wart morphs into is a Merlin. During his time in the Mews, Wart is interrogated and hazed by the senior birds. Throughout this Journey, the author criticizes knighthood and modern military by evicting their rituals as a brutal test. Thus, showing his resentment toward the subject. Next, Wart is changed into the most significant figure: an ant. In this chapter, he learns about what life would be like in a war. The ant farm is a totalitarian regime; who live monotonously working for the queen. The ants are an allegory for Nazism. They believe that war required; (121). In his next adventure Wart is converted into the opposite of what the ants represent. When Wart is a goose he finds that geese think for themselves, because their government is accepting. All of the geese are benefiting room the individuality. The author makes it quite obvious that this is his ideal representation of a utopia. Warts experience as a goose has taught him (subconsciously) to respect the idea of peace and harmony. The final creature that Wart transforms into is a badger. During his visit to the badger hill, Wart hears a story about how mankind has become dominant over every other animal in the world. After reciting the theory, Badger expresses his doubtful feelings toward humans. After all, man is one of the few kinds that declare war on their own species. Wart, a war figure, tries to defend his hobby by arguing that it establishes a sense of nor, camaraderie, and power, to which the badger asks him, Which did you like best, the ants or the wild geese (196). The conversation between Wart and the badger show that the glamour gallantly gained from the act of war is still a desire in Warts mind. Reading The Once and Future King has opened my previously ignorant mind to both arguments of war. Although T. H. White is biased, he allowed the opportunity for readers to develop their own opinion on the matter. Despite the fact that the experiences were deliberately for Wart, I felt as if I were right there with him. Once and future king expanded my mind By Emily-Custer

Slide, Leap or Climb into Writing . . . and Accept the Results

Slide, Leap or Climb into Writing . . . and Accept the Results I’ve shifted in how I talk to writers who contact me, asking for my advice on their particular journeys. Before I guide them on agents, contests, grants and the general â€Å"how can I start earning a living at this† questions, I ask: â€Å"What are you trying to do with your writing? What are your goals?† Most say: â€Å"I want to get published.† â€Å"I want to work full-time as a writer.† â€Å"I want to make money and I like to write.† Then I ask what they are doing about reaching that goal. I’ve yet to find a single writer who has an answer to that question other than â€Å"I’m writing this story†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There are three ways to become a professional writer. I use the word professional as the opposite to hob SLIDERS You are watching everyone else. You are also reading blogs, attempting to make â€Å"friends† online in various places with some of them, joining chat groups . . . all in the name of talking about writing. You exclaim over someone’s success, saying you hope to do that one day. You bash someone the media is already gnawing on, proclaiming them blasphemous to the profession. You write when a good idea strikes. You pick up an old story and piddle with it during NaNoWriMo. You enter a contest or two, blaming nepotism or good-old-boyism when you do not win, or you are honest and say maybe you still need to work harder. LEAPERS Well, damn, you’ve decided to be a writer. Today, this instant. Where can you submit? How do they pay? How long before you have enough to pay the bills and dump the crazy job you hate? You are now committed to being a writer, and you’re going to take the leap and see where you land. Ray Bradbury said leap and you sprout wings on the way down. If the concept is good enough for him, it’s good enough for you. CLIMBERS You want this title WRITER, maybe even AUTHOR one day. The goal is on that peak way up there, where you’ve published and earned a living as a writer. You see others grabbing flights to that peak, but you’re using your feet, your hands, the tools at your grasp, and taking the journey one hard, craggy step at a time. You do not want to reach that peak too soon, for then you have to prove to people what you know. That knowledge is in each step, each slip, each backsliding effort that makes you regroup and grip harder, dig in deeper. It might take you a while, but the fear of reaching that peak prematurely gives you the incentive to embrace the journey up the mountain. Not only will your muscles be stronger, your self-esteem deeper, but if you somehow stumble and fall off the mountain, you know exactly what it takes to get back up there.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive Essay

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive - Essay Example Townsend (2011, p. 587) illustrates that the compatibilities which electronic and electrical equipment must comply with include designing equipment during the production process in a manner which facilitates reuse, repair, recycling and disassembly. This compatibility is guided by the WEEE’s principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The major goal of the directive is described by Vaisvila and Vaicikonis (2006, p. 43) as the minimization of the disposal of unsorted municipal refuse or waste and thus facilitate the achievement of a separated WEEE collection. Additionally the directive provides that the management systems within electrical and electronic industries must be designed and organized both in individual basis and collectively so that the directive is not violated by these industries.   Hidy, et al. (2011, p. 990) add that apart for provision of recycling and recovery targets, the WEE directives provides that export of electronic and electrical equipment ca n only be achieved through compliance with the WEEE directive. Furthermore the directive provides that manufacturers of this equipment must take responsibility for the costs associated with the picking of waste from the collection centers and also for the processes of refurbishing the equipment in readiness for reuse or recycling.Quinnell (2005, p. 71) explains that the large appliances which are used in households such as washing machines and refrigerators are covered by the WEEE directive. Small appliances such as hair dryers.

Rice Industry in Burma during Colonialism Essay - 1

Rice Industry in Burma during Colonialism - Essay Example Private merchant companies served as the instrument of expansion – these were the English East-Indian company (1600) and the Dutch East-Indian company (1602), having gained monopolistic rights from their governments to have trade relations with Asian countries. By the middle of the 16th century, Portuguese have been almost pushed away from their Asian possessions, while the English and the Dutch became masters of the biggest territory of Southern and Eastern Asia. (Wilson) 'Asian countries have always been known as the main producers and exporters of rice and during the colonial era Burma became the main world center of cultivation and exporting rice.' (Frank, 2002, p. 261) At the beginning of the 19th century Burma attracted the English not only by its strategic location, but by its raw materials, and the abundance of rice and teak. After the second English – Burma war of 1852-53, the English gained the control on the Lower Burma, which was hardly populated at the time, and only 5% of the land, suitable for cultivation, was used for agriculture. This very region was going to become the new granary of the whole Burma, and thus, a big economic center. (Frank, 2002, p. 259)

CO 2520 Prejudice Quiz Essay Example for Free

CO 2520 Prejudice Quiz Essay 1. Punishing those who behave in prejudiced ways is: A- the quickest solution to ending the problems of prejudiced behavior. B a response that is impossible since most prejudiced behavior is difficult to observe or prove. C unlikely to make a major difference since those who are the most prejudiced tend to have already received more punishment than most of us have received. D Both B and C. 2. If one thinks prejudiced thoughts, one should suppress them or avoid thinking them. A Yes, Thoughts are very close to actions and one should avoid thinking negative thoughts about other groups of people. B No. One should not suppress the thoughts, but should actively replace them with more positive images of the group members. C No. Prejudiced thoughts are normal and harmless; they are part of being in a group. D Yes. If we dont start on a personal level to reduce prejudiced thinking, then the problems simply grow. 3. Prejudices dont cost our society and therefore are really only a problem to those who are the victims of prejudiced behavior. A To discuss the monetary cost of prejudiced behavior is impossible. B The cost of prejudiced behavior is a human cost and is not a national economic issue. C The cost of sexism and racism alone have been estimated at over one-half trillion dollars per year. D Both A and B are true. 4. Most people are not prejudiced. A Surveys show that well over 75 percent of people in the U. S. do not consider themselves to be racist. B Those who discriminate represent a very small proportion of the U. S. population. C Research has shown that those who identify themselves as low in prejudiced beliefs still discriminate. D Both A and C are true. 5. There are no inexpensive methods of managing prejudiced behavior. A This is true because prejudiced behavior is so widespread, but we still need to try. B There are ways of managing prejudiced behavior that cost next to nothing. C While the training might be expensive the long term savings are worth the investment. 6. Those who risked their own lives to save Jewish people in Western Europe during the period that the Nazis were practicing genocide were more religious than those who did not try to save Jewish people. A True. B – False 7. Those who saved Jewish people from Hitlers genocide had more resources than those who did not. A – True, they had larger attics or larger basements. B False, they had no more resources. 8. Those who are in positions of authority can do a great deal to manage prejudice within the ranks of an organization. A True B – False 9. Being strongly prejudiced has little to do with a persons intellectual functioning or ability to make other types of judgments. A True B – False 10. The motivation of a strongly prejudiced person who is committing an overtly prejudiced act is basically the same as that of a person with lower levels of prejudiced behavior who is functioning out of a stereotyped perception. A True B – False 11. When a person who does not hold prejudiced beliefs behaves in a prejudiced way he or she often feels a personal sense of discomfort. A True B – False 12. Those who are most strongly prejudiced toward a target group generally know no more negative stereotypes about those they are prejudiced toward than those who are low in prejudiced behavior toward the same group. A True. B – False 13. When the leading scientists of the world look at the issues that threaten our future they look at environmental concerns not prejudiced behavior. A Scientists have little agreement about the things that threaten our future and there is nothing that even looks like a consensus. B There is clear consensus among the majority of leading scientists in the world about what threatens our future and it includes concerns about prejudiced behavior. C There is clear consensus among the majority of the leading scientists in the world about what threatens our future and it includes concerns about prejudiced behavior, specifically sexism. 14. Sexism, racism, ageism, xenophobia, homophobia and prejudices toward those with disabilities all have basically the same dynamics. A They are all basically the same except for homophobia which functions very differently from the others. B Each is different and has its own set of dynamics. C They are all basically the same except for prejudices toward those with disabilities, which function very differently from the others. D They are all basically the same.

Guns Dont Kill People, People Kill People :: Say No To Gun Control

In the United States today, gun control has become a very big issue in the lives of its citizens. People arguing with each other over whether it is our constitutional right to be able to obtain and bear any kind of arms that we choose or that it only belongs to the militia. Many arguments come up over whether or not just average people can show up at a gun show and sell a gun to any person without giving them a background check first. Not only do they want back ground checks they want restrictions, and bans. Should there be bans on certain kinds of weapons? If so what kind of weapons? Should any person be able to buy a gun anytime or any place? Are people getting the right picture on what guns do for the country or are they getting deprived of information? It was shown that, â€Å"Out of 300 evening news segments, anti-gun stories outnumbered pro-gun stories by 164 to 20† (Dickens 1). This is an outstanding number that shows that the media plays a huge role in what people thin k about the issue of gun control. If all they see is guns involved with murders, and not involved with self-defense; how much longer will we have our guns? All of these things are factoring in to the issue of gun control and how important it is to some people and hated by others. In this paper I will lay out different views, arguments, and issues that could affect gun collectors, hunters, and the every day citizen for years to come. Gun control is in issue that dates back to the early 1900’s, near the times of prohibition. The first federal gun law was passed in 1927 which made it illegal to send weapons through the mail. This law did not really prevent the trade of firearms because people would just ship them other ways such as, trains, boats and cars. To follow up on this law the congress passed the National Firearms Act of 1934. This law consisted of, â€Å"Didn’t actually outlaw machine guns or sawed-off shotguns, but it imposed a 200$ tax on their manufacture, sale, and ownership† (Henderson16). As you can see the Federal government began to step in early on in this nation’s history. This is not a new issue it has been debated for years whether or not the government should be able to restrict America’s right to bear arms.

A blog for teenagers about using public transport

You're wearing your clothes, all dressed up to watch the X-Factor finals with your friends. But your dad's car broke down, and your mum has plans. What are you going to do? Have you considered using public transport? It's cheap, easy and very quick, however it does have its down sides. Using public transport is very cheap and free for all ages 16 and under. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson agreed that he would â€Å"look at what we can do next year to bear down on fares†. However if you lose your oyster card or are off by 20p you're forced to walk on your own two feet. So public transport isn't what it's cracked up to be. Using public transport teaches us to be more independent in terms of being capable as a person to navigate around networks and read maps as well as in terms of being able to get around without relying on your parents. In contrast, the media has shown that crime rates on public transport have increased. â€Å"Policeman reveals rape victim for EIGHT minutes before being thrown off bus for not having the full fair.† The 22-year-old student begged the bus driver to let her on board but he refused because she was only 20p short, â€Å"She was so badly battered that her mother failed to recognise her.† Reported the daily mail. Worried about the environment? Well, using public transport is a greener and a better mode of transport for the environment as oppose to going everywhere by car. Carbon emission will be reduced with your help. You could use public transport or bike to get around, as well as keeping you fit and healthy it's like a walk in the park. On the other hand waiting for the bus or train is a death penalty; you never know who is sitting next to you. Practically in urban areas there can be problems with behaviour and conduct with other passengers as well as the driver. Getting the train to get from A to B is the quickest way as you're avoiding all traffic and congestion. Although getting on the tube is like visiting a hospital, with all the germs around who know what you could catch. Viruses spread through the air and also transfer via hand-to-hand contact. On public transportation, the transfer takes place when you touch a support bar or strap that a sick person held. You rub your itchy eye, you welcome the Swine Flu. The most popular method of public transport as researchers have found the 64% of 14 – 19 year olds use the bus to manoeuvre, because it's the least cost effective. Whilst 64% of teenagers use the bus to get around only a mere 32% of parents encourage their children to use it. However public transport is a nightmare, delays and engineering works could ruin your day or night out. Sara Jama from Queens Park has been using public transport for 4 years now and says â€Å"I wouldn't use any other way, I have been using the bus to get to school, and haven't been late more than twice. It's very easy all i have to do is tap my oyster card and wait 'till my stop arrives. Using the train is similar, i top up my oyster card which costs around  £1.40, depending on where i'm going and sit in my seat. And if i ever get lost i've always got the tube map to help me.† As an experienced traveller i personally agree with Jama, using public transport is a piece of cake. So the next time you're ready to go out, but your dad's car broke down and your mum has plans, don't panic. Just grab your oyster card and hop on the nearest bus or train, but go with a sibling or arrange to meet up with a friend. Just in case, because public transport has the X-Factor. Evidence â€Å"I wouldn't use any other way, I have been using the bus to get to school, and haven't been late more than twice. It's very easy all i have to do is tap my oyster card and wait 'till my stop arrives. Using the train is similar, i top up my oyster card which costs around  £1.40, depending on where i'm going and sit in my seat. And if i ever get lost i've always got the tube map to help me.† – Sara Jama

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 8~9

Chapter 8 October 4, 1864 As a human, I'd thought it was my mother's death that had shaped the men Damon and I would become. I'd called myself a half-orphan in the initial days after she died, locking myself away in my room, feeling as though my life had ended at the young age of ten. Father believed grieving was weak and unmanly, so Damon had been the one to comfort me. He'd go riding with me, let me join the older boys in their games, and beat up the Giffin brothers when they made fun of me for crying about Mother during a baseball game. Damon had always been the strong one, my protector. But I was wrong. It is my own death that has shaped me. Now the tables have turned. I am the strong one, and I have been trying to be Damon's protector. But while I have always been grateful to Damon, he despises me and blames me for what he has become. I had forced him to feed from Alice, a bartender at the local tavern, which had completed his transformation. But does that make me a villain? I think not, especially as the act had saved his life. Finally, I see Damon the way Father had seen him: too imperious, too willful, too quick to make up his mind, and too slow to change it. And as I had also realized earlier this evening as I stood just outside the dim glare of the gas lamp, the body of the dead nurse at my feet: I am alone. A full orphan. Just as Katherine had presented herself when she came to Mystic Falls and stayed in our guesthouse. So that's how vampires do it, then. They exploit vulnerability, get humans to trust them, and then, when all the emotions are firmly in place, they attack. So that is what I will do. I know not how or who my next victim will be, but I know, more than ever, that the only person I can look out for and protect is myself. Damon is on his own, and so am I. I heard Damon steal through the city, moving at vampire speed down the streets and alleys. At one point, he paused, whispering Katherines name over and over again, like a mantra or a prayer. Then, nothing Was he dead? Had he drowned himself? Or was he simply too far away for me to hear him? Either way, the result was the same. I was alone–Id lost my only connection to the man Id once been: Stefan Salvatore, the dutiful son, the lover of poetry, the man who stood up for what was right. I wondered if that meant that Stefan Salvatore, with no one to remember him, was really, truly dead, leaving me to be anyone. I could move to a different city every year, see the whole world. I could assume as many identities as Id like. I could be a Union soldier. I could be an Italian businessman. I could even be Damon. The sun plunged past the horizon like a cannonball falling to earth, dipping the city into darkness. I turned from one gaslit street to the next, the soles of my boots rasping over the gravelly cobblestones. A loose newspaper blew toward me. I stomped on the broadsheet, examining an etched photo of a girl with long, dark hair and pale eyes. She looked vaguely familiar. I wondered if she was a relative of one of the Mystic Falls girls. Or perhaps a nameless cousin whod attended barbecues at Veritas. But then I saw the headline:BRUTAL MURDER ABOARD THE ATLANTIC EXPRESS. Lavinia. Of course. Id already forgotten her. I reached down and crumpled the paper, hurling it as far as I could into the Mississippi. The surface of the water was muddy and turbulent, dappled with moonlight. I couldnt see my reflection–couldnt see anything but an abyss of blackness as deep and dark as my new future. Could I go for eternity, feeding, killing, forgetting, then repeating the cycle? Yes. Every instinct and impulse I had screamedyes. The triumph of closing in on my prey, touching my canines to the paper-thin skin that covered their necks, hearing their hearts slow to a dull thud and feeling a body go limp in my arms. Hunting and feeding made me feel alive, whole; they gave me a purpose in the world. It was, after all, the natural order of things. Animals killed weaker animals. Humans killed animals. I killed humans. Every species had their foe. I shuddered to think what monster was powerful enough to hunt me. The salty breeze wafting from the water was laced with the odor of unwashed bodies and rotting food–a far cry from the aroma across town, where scents of floral perfume and talcum powder hung heavy in the air of the wide streets. Here shadows hugged every corner, whispers rose and fell with the flowing of the river, and drunken hiccups pierced the air. It was dark, here. Dangerous. I quite liked it. I turned a corner, following my nose like a bloodhound on the trail of a doe. I flexed my arms, ready for a hunt–a gin-soaked drunk, a soldier, a lady out after dark. The victim didnt matter. I turned again, and the iron-scent of blood came closer. The smell was sweet and smoky. I focused on it, on the anticipation of sinking my fangs into a neck, of wondering whose blood Id be drinking, whose life Id be stealing. I continued to walk, picking up my pace as I traced the scent to an anonymous back street lined with an apothecary, a general store, and a tailor. The street was a replica of our own Main Street back in Mystic Falls. But while wed only had one, New Orleans must have had dozens, if not hundreds, of these corridors of commerce. The rusty smell of iron was stronger now. I followed twists and turns, my hunger building, burning, searing my very skin until finally, finally I came to a squat, peach-colored building. But when I saw the painted sign above the door, I stopped short. Sausages in their casings hung in the buildings grimy window; slabs of cured meat dangled from the ceiling like a grotesque childs mobile; carved ribs were nestled in ice beneath a counter, and in the far back, whole carcasses were strung up, draining blood into large vats. This was a butcher shop? I sighed in frustration but my hunger forced me to push the door open anyway. The iron chain snapped easily, as if it were no sturdier than thread. Once inside, I gazed at the bloodied carcasses, momentarily mesmerized by the blood falling into the vats, one drip at a time. Over the sound of the raining blood, I heard the slightestping, no louder than the twitch of a mouses whiskers. Then came the light shuffle of toes passing over concrete. I reared back, my eyes darting from corner to corner. Mice scuttled beneath the floorboards, and someones watch ticked in the building next door. All else was quiet. But the air around me suddenly felt thicker, and the ceiling lower somehow, and I became acutely aware that there was no back exit in this room of death. â€Å"Who goes there?† I called into the darkness, whirling around, my fangs bared. And then came movement. Fangs, eyes, the thud of footsteps closed in around me from all corners. A low, guttural growl echoed off the bloodstained walls of the shop, and I realized with a sickening jolt that I was surrounded by vampires who looked all too ready to pounce. Chapter 9 I crouched low, my fangs elongated. The heady scent of blood permeated every corner of the room, making my head spin. It was impossible to know where to attack first. The vampires growled again, and I emitted a low snarl in response. The circle closed in tighter around me. There were three of them, and I was caught, like a fish in a net, a deer surrounded by wolves. â€Å"What do you think youre doing?† one of the vampires asked. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and had a scar that ran the length of his face, from his left eye to the corner of his lip. â€Å"Im one of you,† I said, standing at my full height, fangs on display. â€Å"Oh, hes one of us!† an older vampire said in a sing-songy voice. He wore glasses and a tweed vest over a white-collared shirt. But for the fangs and red-rimmed eyes, he could have been an accountant or a friend of my fathers. I kept my face impassive. â€Å"I have no ill business with you, brothers.† â€Å"We are not your brothers,† said another with tawny hair. He looked not a day over fifteen. His face was smooth, but his green eyes were hard. The older one stepped forward, poking his bony finger against my chest as if it were a wooden stake. â€Å"So, brother, nice evening to dine or die. What do you think?† The young vampire kneeled next to me, gazing into my eyes. â€Å"Looks like hell do both tonight. Lucky boy,† he said, ruffling my hair. I tried to kick him, but my foot simply flopped harmlessly against air. â€Å"No, no, no.† While the scarred vampire watched wordlessly, the boy grabbed my arms and wrenched them so sharply and abruptly behind my back that I gasped. â€Å"Dont be disrespectful. Were your elders. And youve already done quite enough disrespecting already, if Miss Mollys house is any indication.† He drawled her name as if he were a benign, genteel Southern gentleman. Only the steel grip on my limbs betrayed that he wasnt anything of the sort. â€Å"I didnt do anything,† I said, kicking again. If I were to die, then Id die in a fight. â€Å"Are you sure?† he asked, looking down at me in disgust. I attempted to twist away, but still I couldnt budge. The elder vampire chuckled. â€Å"Cant control his urges. Impulsive, this one. Lets give him a taste of his own medicine.† With a flourish, he released me from his grasp, pushing me forward with strength Id never before felt. I hit the plaster wall with a crash and fell on my shoulder, my head cracking against the wooden floorboards. I cowered beneath my attackers, the realization sinking in that if I were to survive this encounter, it would not be by might. â€Å"I didnt mean to do anything. Im sorry,† I said, my voice breaking on the word. â€Å"Do you mean it?† the young vampire asked, a glint in his eye. The sound of wood breaking assaulted my ears. I flinched. Would one vampire stake another? This was not a question I wanted answered the hard way. â€Å"Yes. Yes! I didnt mean to come in here. I didnt know anyone was here. I only just arrived in New Orleans,† I said, scrambling for an excuse. â€Å"Silence!† he commanded, advancing toward me, a jagged piece of wood in his hand. I pressed my spine into the damaged wall. So this is how it would end. With me dying on a makeshift stake, killed by my own kind. Two hands crushed my arms, while another two pinned my ankles together so forcefully that it felt as though I were stuck under boulders. I closed my eyes. An image of Father lying prone on his study floor swam to the forefront of my mind, and I shook my head in agony, remembering his sweating, terrified face. Of course, Id been trying to save him, but he hadnt known that. If he was watching, as an angel or a demon or a mere specter condemned to haunt the world, hed be thrilled to see this scene unfold. I squeezed my eyes tighter, trying to evoke some other memory to the fore of my mind, one that would take me to another place, another time. But all I could think of were my victims, of the moment when my fangs sliced into their skin, their plaintive wails descending into silence, the blood dripping down my fangs and onto my chin. Soon, all the blood Id taken would be released, seeping out of my own body and back into the Earth, as I was left to die, for real this time, forever, on this wooden floor. â€Å"Enough!† A female voice sliced through the montage in my mind. Immediately, the vampires let go of my hands and feet. My eyes sprang open, and I saw a woman gliding through a narrow wooden door in the back. Her long blond hair descended in a single plait down her back, and she wore mens black pants and suspenders. She was tall, though slight as a child, and all the other vampires shrank away from her in fear. â€Å"You,† she said, kneeling next to me. â€Å"Who are you?† Her amber eyes gazed into mine. They were clear and curious, but there was something about them–the darkness of the pupils, perhaps–that seemed ancient and knowing, which stood in sharp contrast to her rosy-cheeked, unlined face. â€Å"Stefan Salvatore,† I answered her. â€Å"Stefan Salvatore,† she repeated in a perfect Italian accent. Although teasing, her voice didnt seem unkind. She ran a finger gently along my jaw, then placed her palm against my chest and she pressed me against the wall, hard. The suddenness of the movement stunned me, but as I sat, pinned and helpless, she brought her other wrist to her mouth, using her fang to puncture the vein. She dragged her wrist along her teeth, creating a small stream of blood. â€Å"Drink,† she commanded, bringing her wrist to my lips. I did as I was told, managing to get a few drops of the liquid down my throat before she yanked her hand away. â€Å"Thats enough. That should fix your wounds at any rate.† â€Å"He and his brother have been wreaking havoc all over town,† the large vampire said, his makeshift stake pointed at me like a rifle. â€Å"Just me,† I said quickly. â€Å"My brother had no part in it.† Damon would never survive the wrath of these demons. Not in his weakened state. The blond vampire wrinkled her nose as she leaned even closer toward me. â€Å"Youre what, a week old?† she asked, leaning back on her heels. â€Å"Almost two weeks,† I said defiantly, lifting my chin. She nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips, and stood, surveying the shop. The plaster wall was partially caved in, and blood smeared the floor and speckled the walls, as though a child had stood in the center of the room and twirled around with a wet paintbrush. She tsked, and the three male vampires simultaneously took a step back. I shivered. â€Å"Percy, come here, and bring that knife,† she said. With a sigh, the youngest vampire produced a long carving knife from behind his back. â€Å"He wasnt following the rules,† he said petulantly, reminding me of the Giffin boys back home. They were both bullies, always ready to kick a kid in the schoolyard and then turn around and tell a teacher they had nothing to do with it. She took the knife and stared at it, running the pad of her index finger over the gleaming blade. Then she held it back out to Percy. He hesitated a moment, but finally stepped forward to take it. Just then the girls canines elongated and her eyes flushed bloodred. With a growl, she stabbed Percy right in the chest. He fell to his knees, doubled over in silent agony. â€Å"You hunt this vampire for making a scene in town,† she seethed, stabbing the knife in farther, â€Å"and yet you attempt to destroy him in this public space, in this shop? Youre just as foolish as he is.† The young vampire staggered to his feet. Blood streamed down the front of his shirt, as though hed spilled coffee on himself. He grimaced as he pulled the knife out with a sucking sound. â€Å"Im sorry,† he gasped. â€Å"Thank you.† The woman held her wrist toward Percys mouth. Despite her youthful look and apparently violent temper, she also had a mothering quality that the other vampires seemed to accept, as if her stabbings were as normal to them as a light swat would be to a high-spirited child. She turned toward me. â€Å"Im sorry for your troubles, Stefan. Now, can I help you be on your way?† she asked. I looked around wildly. Id thought no further ahead than escaping this room. â€Å"I â€Å" â€Å". . . dont have anywhere to go,† she said with a sigh, finishing my thought. She glanced toward the other vampires, who were now huddled in the corner of the room, heads bent in conversation. â€Å"Ill just be going,† I said, struggling to my feet. My leg was fine, but my arms shook, and my breath came erratically. With local vampires watching my every move, where would I go? How would I feed? â€Å"Nonsense, youre coming with us,† she said, turning on her heel and walking out the door. She pointed to the young vampire and the one who wore glasses. â€Å"Percy and Hugo, stay and clean this place up.† I had to practically run to keep up with her and the tall, scarred vampire whod watched my torture. â€Å"Youll need someone to show you around,† she explained, pausing only slightly. â€Å"This is Buxton,† she said, grabbing the elbow of the vampire with the long scar. We walked down street after street until we neared a church with a tall spire. â€Å"Were here,† she said, turning sharply to enter a wrought-iron gate. Her boots echoed against a slate path that led to the rear of a house. She opened the door, and a musty scent greeted me. Buxton immediately walked through the parlor and up a set of stairs, leaving me and the young female vampire alone in the darkness. â€Å"Welcome home,† she said, spreading her hands wide. â€Å"There are plenty of spare rooms upstairs. Find one that suits you.† â€Å"Thank you.† As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I took in my surroundings. Black velvet curtains fastened with golden rope blocked every window. Dust motes floated in the air, and gilt-framed paintings covered the walls. The furniture was threadbare, and I could just make out two sweeping staircases with what looked like oriental runners and, in the next room, a piano. Though at one point this must have been a grand house, now the soiled walls were cracked and peeling, and cobwebs draped over the gold-and-crystal chandelier above us. â€Å"Always enter through the back. Never draw back the curtains. Dont ever bring anyone here. Do you understand, Stefan?† She looked at me pointedly. â€Å"Yes,† I said, running a finger along the marble fireplace, cutting a path in the inch-thick dust. â€Å"Then I think you will like it here,† she said. I turned to face her, nodding in agreement. My panic had subsided, and my arms no longer trembled. â€Å"Im Lexi,† she said, holding out her hand, allowing me to raise it to my lips and kiss it. â€Å"I have a feeling that you and I will be friends for a long time.†

Byzantine Empire Essays

Byzantine Empire Essays Byzantine Empire Paper Byzantine Empire Paper A Resource to Accompany History Alive! The Ancient World Brings Learning Alive! Teachers Curriculum Institute 1. Introduction In Chapter 37, you learned how the emperor Constantine moved his capital from Rome to the ancient city of Byzantium in 330 C. E. This city eventually became known as Constantinople. After Constantines reign, power was usually divided between two emperors. One was based in Rome, and one in Constantinople. After the fall of Rome, the eastern half of the empire continued for another 1,000 years. Today we call this eastern empire the Byzantine Empire, after Byzantium, the original name of its capital city. This great empire straddled two continents, Europe and Asia. It lasted from about 500 to 1453 C. E., when it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks. East and west did remain connected for a time through a shared Christian faith. But the church in the east developed in its own unique way. It became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church. Over time, Byzantine emperors and church officials came into conflict with the pope in Rome. The conflict eventually led to a permanent split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Justinian more than anything wanted to restore the Roman Empire, and while restoring it he wanted to include much of the Roman fortifications used in the old Roman Empire. As shown in document 5, Justinian built the Hippodrome which was modeled after The Circus Maximus. Justinian started restoring the Roman Empire by trying to conquer the land that first belonged to the eastern Roman Empire. He gained back southern Spain, all of Italy, and northern Africa. Once he started gaining all this land he had to start to find a way the gain back all the money he spent on conquering land. As shown in document 6, The Byzantine Empire reached its greatest size under Justinian. Because of the location the Constantinople, Justinian had a great advantage because it was right in the center of two cross roads between Asia and Europe, so the empire gained a lot of money in trade because if its location. Because of all these advantages of Constantinople, it was known as the center of power. Without all the contributions Justinian made, the Roman Empire probably wouldn’t have been rebuilt. Out of the many contributions that Justinian gave to the Roman Empire a few stand out. One of the many contributions Justinian made was the building of the Hagia Sophia which was a huge dome like building that when entered gave people the influence of god. In document 3 the Hagia Sophia is described as a spherical-shaped dome that is exceedingly beautiful. The entire ceiling is covered with pure gild, which adds glory to the beauty. The Hagia Sophia was known as a place of god, a place where people worshiped god. This was important because it taught people how important religion was in their lives and the beauty it can bring. Another contribution Justinian gave to the Byzantine Empire was his code of law; his laws kept the empire in order and told people the way to live. According to document 1, people were finding the laws obscure because they had become for more numerous than they should be and in obvious confusion because they disagreed with each other. Justinian preserved them in the Legal Code of Emperor Justinian by controlling their discrepancies with the greatest firmness. That means that he controlled their conflicting ideas by creating this code of law. Justinian created the laws so that everybody had fair rights. Justinian’s main goal in rebuilding the empire was to preserve the Greco-Roman culture. Justinian kept some of the old Roman traditions but fixed them to fit the requirements for the new empire, for example, laws were rearranged to become fair to everybody because many citizens didn’t agree with them and new buildings and structures were constructed which lead to a lot trade and cultural diffusion. Justinian made a large impact to the new empire.

Slang Words Ending in O

Slang Words Ending in O Slang Words Ending in O Slang Words Ending in O By Mark Nichol Among the more curious classes of slang words is that of terms ending in the letter o, the topic of this post. Several categories exist in which informal words end in o. Among the oldest are those consisting of words to which an extraneous o has been added, such as cheerio (from cheer or cheery), which in British English is used as a greeting or a farewell, and boyo, an extension of boy, just as kiddo is derived from kid. Sometimes, a word ending in o is simply a truncation of a word in which o is naturally the last letter of the abbreviation, such as condo, for condominium, which originally meant â€Å"joint rule or sovereignty† but in the mid-twentieth century came to refer to a privately owned apartment. (The word to which the element con-, meaning â€Å"with,† has been attached is cognate with domain.) Another example is demo, short for demonstration, in the sense of a presentation of a product or a rough version of a music recording. Sometimes the o is attached to a truncated word after the first syllable regardless of which vowel follows in the full form of the word, as in aggro, for aggressive (generally to describe a hostile person or hostile behavior); ammo, for ammunition; combo, for combination (usually in the sense of a small ensemble of musicians, especially those who play jazz); convo, for conversation; and journo, for journalist. Australia is fertile ground for word formation of this type (as well as other diminutive forms, such as applying -ie, as in alkie, for alcoholic, and barbie, for barbecue). Some more obscure abbreviations from Australia include arvo, for afternoon; doggo (in the expression â€Å"lie doggo,† meaning â€Å"lay low†); and muso, for musician. One slightly truncated word in American English is rando, from random; several decades ago, the latter word was first employed as a noun to describe a peculiar person, and from there it acquired the sense of someone who is sketchy or undesirable. Rando inherited that connotation, usually in the context of a stranger who unexpectedly tries to make contact with another person, either in person or through social media. An older, synonymic term is weirdo, which sports an o attached to weird. On this model was beardo formed to refer to someone sporting a trendy-looking full, bushy beard, especially one who might also be tagged a rando or a weirdo. Occasionally, a word ending in o is adopted from another language. In the case of mondo, which denotes excessiveness or outrageousness, it derives ultimately from the Italian word for world; the context is Mondo Cane, the title of an Italian documentary about human eccentricity. (The loose English translation of the title is A Dog’s Life; cane is cognate with canine.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business EmailsExcited ABOUT, not "for" 150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

Article Review and Reflection TopicHuman resouce Literature

Article and Reflection TopicHuman resouce - Literature review Example Research Questions or Hypotheses The research question holds a central position in a research paper. It addresses the idea, in brief, that the researcher explains in the course of his paper. Generally, the research question is stated specifically although sometimes, to address complex issues, multiple questions have to be mentioned. A common phenomenon observed among the Chinese enterprises is described by the phrase ‘lasting briefly, and growing with difficulty’. With the passage of time, the mindset of people has undergone changes along with economic development of the country. In the later part of the 1980s, the term ‘Private Economy’ emerged in China. The economic entities which are invested into by a non-government body or a private enterprise or individual and run by them are known as privately operated economy. They are based on private resources and do not embody the state capital. There are several small and medium enterprises that are emerging in t he country based on private investment. Such firms, although faring well in the initial phase, sometimes cannot grow further later on. It is quite difficult for any enterprise to hold on to its existence if it becomes stagnant. The hypothesis made in this paper is: whether the difficulties faced by the private enterprises is owing to the problem arising in the management of their human resources. Literature Review The literature review of a research paper provides guidance in the formation of a theoretical and conceptual framework required for the study. This builds the base on which the entire research work is founded. The literature review provides the backdrop for research work and shows further avenues for conducting research. In this current paper, the theory of small and medium private enterprises in China and their basis of management have been well established. Consequently, the authors have discussed the hurdles that these firms face, and the links between these problems an d their improper management structure. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework pertaining to a research work is inclusive of three broad things: the problem to be addressed, the literature review and the purpose of research. Foreign companies operating in China had brought in the term ‘Human Resources’ into China. In simple words, the term refers to the workers that work in a certain organization and their capability to do productive work. They are an integral part of an enterprise since the development of a firm, both economically and socially, depends to a great extent on the human resources of the firm. The workers’ efforts can be categorized into two divisions: physical work and intellectual work. Not only does the quantity of production made by the workers put an upward thrust on the performance of the company in the market but is also largely dependent on the efficient management of the resources that would lead to a good quality of their performance. Human resources management, thus, plays a crucial role in any organization’s administration for it to remain healthy over time. By ‘effective human resources management’ one emphasizes the management of human resources in a reasonable and scientific way. A reasonable utilization of human resource