The Assassination Of Jfk By Lee Harvey Oswald - 3669 Words

The shot seen across the country. The assassination of JFK still stands today as one of the most shocking events in American history. Its had a larger impact because of the fact that it was on national television and because of its graphic nature. Since we will never know the true motive of Lee Harvey Oswald, the only thing that we could do is make our own assumptions. That is what we’ve done, which have only made things more difficult for us to grasp and have created more conspiracy theories. I will get into the immediate effects that his actions caused such as the Warren Commission and what the report said and did. Mystery still surrounds this whole event because he was killed before he could even go on trial for his murders. That’s also what ties in Jack Ruby to a conspiracy because killing Oswald, made it look like he was trying to hide something. This event has a lot of moving parts, especially with all of the different conspiracy theories. I wasn’t all that familiar with the details of the assassination, but after gathering all of the information and reading about all the conspiracy theories, they all seem to be real possibilities. All of the theories do seem a little far-fetched, but they all have some good evidence to support it. All I can say is that learning about this assassination has certainly made me think. I will explain who John F. Kennedy was, what he stood for, and what he accomplished during his presidency. Also about Lee Harvey Oswald and what could haveShow MoreRelatedLee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK1453 Words   |  6 PagesLee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK A- Plan Of Investigation This investigation will answer the question: To what extent did Lee Harvey Oswald’s history predispose him to kill John F. Kennedy? To determine the extent to which childhood and previous jobs influenced Oswald to assassinate the President, the scope of the investigation will focus on Lee Harvey Oswald and his relationships with political groups. It will also examine Oswald’s youth and the actions of previous life eventsRead MoreA Brief Look at John F. Kennedy835 Words   |  4 Pageswas cut short by a belligerent man. John F. Kennedy or JFK would grow to become one of the United States’s smartest and youngest Presidents in history. Unfortunately for JFK his life and term as President was cut short after being assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Although JFK did not serve a full term as President he affected our nation in many positive ways and was on the best presidents we ever had. John Fitzgerald Kennedy also known as â€Å"JFK† because of his initials was the 35th President of theRead MoreNoah Cooper. Mrs. Sites. English 10A. 15 April 2017. Lee1749 Words   |  7 PagesApril 2017 Lee Harvey Oswald: The Sole Assassin? The public must be satisfied that Oswald was the assassin; that he did not have confederates who are still at large; and that evidence was such that he would have been convicted at trial. Unfortunately the facts on Oswald seem about too pat- too obvious (Marxist, Cuba, Russian wife, etc.) The Dallas police have put out statements on the Communist conspiracy theory and it was they who were in charge when he was shot and thus silenced (â€Å"The JFK Assassination†Read MoreTo Kill A Kennedy954 Words   |  4 Pagesbeing â€Å"A person who is easily manipulated or victimized : pushover,† (www.merriam-webster.com). This is what Lee Harvey Oswald claimed he was when the Dallas Police Department arrested him on November 22, 1963 for suddenly assassinating President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Today, the vast majority of Americans believe Oswald’s words, claiming that there was more behind the tragic assassination than the United States government once portrayed. Many hav e disregarded everything the government had told theRead MoreThe Assassination Of Jfk Assassination Theory1385 Words   |  6 Pagesessay is the JFK assassination theory. I would like to research this because I have seen documents and videos online and on television about the conspiracy but I have not done full research into it to see the facts. With the presidents of the United States they are able to make or break the country with their decisions, with that JFK was assassinated due to that and other reasons. I will be going into this research thinking that there is a conspiracy behind the assassination of JFK that it wasn tRead MoreAssassination Of Jfk s Assassination1140 Words   |  5 Pageslater, he was assassinated. The assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested 70 minutes after the assassination. There have been numerous debates over the last 55 years regarding this incident. Many people claim there is a conspiracy behind the case, allowing various conspiracy theories to emer ge over the years. One specific theory is about how the mafia was involved with JFK’s assassination. In 1963, the USA Presidential elections were approaching and so JFK and his wife Jacqueline travelled to DallasRead MoreJfk And The President Jfk1368 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK) was assassinated in Dallas Texas. The nation and the whole world was shocked in that day. In fact, president JFK was preparing for his next combine in Texas, he took a road trip by a motorcade with his wife Jacqueline Kennedy, Governor John Connally, and his wife Nellie. The road trip went through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas towards the trade mart, where the president was scheduled to give a speech there. The road that the president JFK was traveling on by his motorcadeRead MoreMystery of Who Killed John F Kennedy1483 Words   |  6 PagesDue to the vast speculations of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas the mystery of what really happened still lies amongst us today. From theory to theory there is no telling what the true motive in killing the President really was. Among the various theories are those that involve the Chicago mafia, Lee Harvey Oswald attempting the murder by himself, and the left and right wing factions of the U.S. government. After several investigations, there is no realRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1500 Words   |  6 PagesThere is a lot of speculation about what really took place in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Many people believe that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone, but there are many people across the nation who think differently. Many theories can both support and disprove that Lee Harvey Oswald worked as a lone wolf in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The official report by the government in the JFK assassination was that Lee Harvey Oswald worked alone on the twenty-third of November in 1963. The dayRead MoreAssassination of John F Kennedy1119 Words   |  5 Pageshe was abruptly struck by two penetrating bullets in the upper back and head. Our 35th President of the United States of America had been fatally assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, a sniper from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building. However, did Lee Harvey Oswald, a crazy lunatic act alone in the assassination of President Kennedy. Both first – hand knowledge and visual evidence allows people to re – examine the events of this day and prove that there were other gunmen

Essay on Juan Gris - 1522 Words

Juan Gris, a Spanish-born painter, made important contributions to the modern style of painting called Cubism. GrisÕs paintings were always depicting his immediate surroundings. He painted still lives composed of simple, everyday objects, portraits of friends, and occasionally landscapes or cityscapes. The objects in his paintings and collages are more clearly defined and richly colored than those in the works of the earlier cubists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. His attention to the object in his compositions, and more typically Spanish hues, link his work to the Spanish still-life tradition. That tradition presents itself in many of his works. In Gris, work Bottle of Anis del Mono he puts the whole label of the bottle. Most typical†¦show more content†¦Cubist paintings appear between the years 1908 through the First World War. A well-known painting that embodies this style, called Cubism is Still Life with a Guitar by Juan Gris, painted in 1913. Gris was 26 years old, when he did this oil painting. This was early in his brief career, which ended in 1927 at the age of 40. The geometrical compositions in which fragmented objects and sharp edged planes come together in an unreal clarity characterize this as part of the art form. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This work is less rigid then his other work and the objects on the table are easily identifiable. The work fills the canvas from corner to corner. Twice within the painting, you can see the guitar. There is also a shadow coming from the guitar. The shadow is not logical within the realm of reality, but typical of a cubist work. The guitar is resting on a ribboned portfolio. He also paints the wood grain, which was a later addition to cubism. In this painting there is a collage feeling element. It looks as if he pasted paper onto it but it is paint. He paints the words Le Jou on the paper that means to play. Therefore, it is as if he is playing with the pasting technique that Picasso was using in his work. They did have a friendly competitiveness between them and he paints a music sheet. Included are a pair of dice cups, a French newspaper, two clusters of grapes, and donÕt forget the cubist cup. Silhouetted flat and in black areShow MoreRelatedThe Works O f 1906 Juan Gris And Georges Braque Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1906 Juan Gris moved to Paris where he developed his own cubist style. Upon his arrival he managed to become friends with Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Within this artistic circle, Gris started to take his artistic talents more seriously. Gris contribution to the Cubism Movement opened upon the realms of possibilities for other artist. Though Picasso is considered the father of the Cubist Movement, Gris managed to create his own unique flavor within Cubism. He believed that the object in theRead MoreUsing Dark Humor And Journals871 Words   |  4 Pagesdeath was caused by renal failure. The Sunblind (1914) Juan Gris 1887 – 1927 †¢ Charcoal, paper, chalk, and gouache †¢ A lot of use of light and shadows †¢ Dull; No really bright colors used †¢ The blinds are closed on a sunny day – Gris can be interpreted to be sad, depressed, shut away †¢ A lot of brown †¢ An image of the local newspaper sold in Gris’ town – this was a painting of an area in his home. It is personal to him Juan Gris Gris was a Spanish painter and sculptor. Although he is SpanishRead MoreFilm Analysis : The Film Cronos By Guillermo Del Toro2097 Words   |  9 Pagesinterest. Themes of the most basic aspects of capitalism can be seen through out this film including consumption, consumerism, class conflict and, violence. The idea of the consumer is embodied by almost every character in the film except for Aurora Gris, who embodies the idea of Mexicos innocent who is taken advantage of by capitalism. The Cronos device itself can be seen as a highly sought after commodity that has the power to change how the consumer thinks, feels and acts. The theme of the movieRead MoreIs the Ending of the Wall by Jean Paul Sartre Ironic? Essay1175 Words   |  5 Pagesmatter what he does, whether he betrays Ramon Gris or not, he will die. He begins to question his behavior. Why would he sacrifice himself for Ramon Gris? Pablo realizes that no life has more value than another. No life has value (242). In the end , he concludes that life has no meaning anyway and that it will not make a difference if he lies to the inquisitors or tells them the truth. His trade becomes ironic when his exchange becomes futile. Ramon Gris dies because Pablo decides to save him insteadRead More Jean-Paul Sartre Essay1540 Words   |  7 Pagesbody experience is another way for him to try to understand what is happening and what will happen. Convinced they will kill him regardless of whether he betrays the rebel leader Gris. Pablo tells the fat officer; Gris is hiding in the cemetery, â€Å"In a vault or a gravediggers’ shack† (34). He does not believe Gris is hiding in the cemetery, but wishes to give the guards a hard time. Sartre uses the graveyard, as a symbol of non-existence. Since there is nothing after, our thoughts are gone,Read More Salvador Dali: Influences Essay616 Words   |  3 Pagesof them became famous. For example, both The Persistence of Memory and Six Apparitions of Lenin on a Piano were phenomenal successes. Dali was influenced by many things in his career as an artist. Two who inspired him early in life were artists Juan Gris and Seurat. Dali admired these artists because their styles were unique. Another of his influences was Italian Metaphysical School. The people there taught Dali to become a more meditative and relaxed person. His later influences differed quite aRead MoreCubism Essay811 Words   |  4 Pagesstarted in the early 20th century. Cubism artwork entails the breakdown of objects and reassembling them in an abstract manner (Cotter 2005). The objects are depicted from more than one point of view thus creating greater context. The Spanish artist Juan Gris made a remarkable contribution to art in this period through his work such as the â€Å"The Teacups† of 1914 (Cotter 2005). Cubism originated in France and later spread to other European nations and the world at large. Trying to understand cubism fromRead More Sigmund Freuds Influence upon Salvador Dali Essay1591 Words   |  7 PagesFreud. Among these artists, one name dramatically stands out: Sa lvador Dali. Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was first exposed to artists in 1916. Dali attended art classes held by academic artist Juan Nunez. In the early 1920’s, Dali drew inspiration from Cubism, and Metaphysical art, especially that of Juan Gris and Giorgio Chirico. By 1927, â€Å"Dali was to be visited by Spanish Surrealist painter Joan Miro (known for painting the subconscious experience) who would help him and advise him over the nextRead More Cubism Essay1305 Words   |  6 Pagesportrait done of her by Picasso, Gertrude Stein told him: ?I don?t look like that?. He answered, ?you will?. She later wrote, ?it is the only reproduction of me which is always I, for me? (Schaffner, 1998). Other artists soon adopted the style. Juan Gris was one of the first to copy cubism and brought it beyond France to his native Spain and other countries. In the spring of 1911, the Paris salon Des Independence began collecting the works of local Cubist painters and held an exhibit featuring JeanRead More Features Of Cubism And How It Represented Through The Artwork Of Cubist Essay1431 Words   |  6 Pages(Figure 3). This work is well represented the analytic cubism style as a masterpiece. The painting was suppressed the colour. In other hand, the vivid colour used in synthetic cubism between 1912 to 1914. For example, one of the synthetic cubist, Juan Gris painted Violi and Checkerboard (Figure4). The painting consists of various colours such as blue, yellow and green. It is more colourful and decorative than the artwork in analytic cubism. Fourthly, Cubism had created new art skill. At the beginning

Role of Ngos in Bangladesh Free Essays

Role of NGOs in Bangladesh In all spheres of development, NGOs are reported to have created a landmark in the history of Bangladesh. NGOs as the proper alternative organizations have the vision of imagination, flexibility, autonomy, creativity, innovative machinery, experience resources and strategies of executing programmers including non formal constructive education. NGOs have different projects towards development. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Ngos in Bangladesh or any similar topic only for you Order Now Doubtlessly to say, the NGOs with their constructive efforts have been promoting development strategies by creating unique changes in the field of socioeconomic progress in Bangladesh since her independence. Most of the endeavors made by the NGOs mainly targeted to achieve overall development of the country by meeting pragmatically or practically. The NGOs have their constructive mission in developing the country. They touch the fundamental elements of socio economic development of a country. If human resources are not properly used, it will be gradual inactive and useless for the country bringing no utility. The most important NGO innovation has been in the way they reach the poor. A group-based or target group mobilization strategy underpins virtually all development NGO programs aimed at service-delivery. Such an approach serves to fulfill not only the goal of economic improvement through direct targeting and beneficiary participation, but also that of social and institutional development through strengthening the organizing capacity of the poor to be more able to help them. The identification of credit as a critical need felt by the poor and subsequent designing of an efficient and cost-effective delivery mechanism to serve this need, have justifiably become the most will-known of the development NGO innovations in Bangladesh. The model pioneered by  Grameen Bank (GB)  has established micro-credit as the most widely replicated anti-poverty program in both government and development NGO sectors. The role of the development NGOs has been crucial in a number of primary healthcare concerns, notably immunization and diarrhea control. NGOs have been particularly successful in effectively disseminating health through innovative media campaigns. Gains in immunization are already being reflected in reduced infant mortality. Universal awareness of oral dehydration therapy has also sharply cut down cases of diarrhoeal deaths. Low enrollment and high drop-out rates have been major problems that plague primary schools in Bangladesh. In response to this the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee(BRAC) pioneered a system of model is focused on poor children. It employs young Para-professional teachers (mostly female) drawn from the community. A strong emphasis is placed on parent and community involvement. Some NGOs undertake unique programs of technology transfer. Declining soil fertility is an emerging environmental concern. About eight NGOs are currently involved in ground-breaking farm-level innovations in fertilizer-use and pest-management. These activities are complemented are developing an extension system for appropriate technology transfer to homestead agriculture. It encourages cultivation of a variety of fruits and vegetables and teaches the proper method of cooling. The result not only provides income but also improves the nutritional status of the family, particularly children. During the seventies and early eighties, irrigation led agriculture was promoted by the government agencies. Small farmers with an acre or less of land could not afford irrigation technology. In response to the need of the small and marginal farmers and also to promote crop diversification, NGOs developed low-cost irrigation technologies through research and experiment. How to cite Role of Ngos in Bangladesh, Essay examples

Cosi Lewis Changes by Directing the Play free essay sample

How are ideas about betrayal and loyalty explored through the structure of the play- within-a-play? The most obvious structural feature is the play-within-a-play, which highlights the parallels between the characters and themes in Mozart opera, and those in Anoraks play. Both the opera and play revolve around issues of loyalty, fidelity and betrayal. The backdrop of war is also a significant feature of both texts: the Vietnam War In the sass (In Coos) and the Albanian battle for Independence from the Ottoman Empire ;n 1790 on coos Fan Tutee).Wars also involve loyalties and betrayals, and their chaos on a grand scale underscores the chaos in the lives of the characters in the opera and the play. (Sue Sherman : English for Year 12) ;According to Mozart Coos Fan Tutee, the issue of fidelity is depicted to be an ideal that is never achieved. ;Since Women are like that the interpretation of coos fan tutee, Mozart encouraged the belief that men should simply accept women are indeed disloyal In relationships. We will write a custom essay sample on Cosi: Lewis Changes by Directing the Play or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Narrow illustrates this same idea about women and infidelity through Lewis and Lullys relationship.While Lucy is Sleeping with Lewis, she is also having sex; with Nick. When Lewis discovers Lullys betrayal, she waves aside his shock. Defending that it is not as if were married. The revelation does indeed prove that Coos Fan Tutee is correct In stating that, Womans constancy Is like the Arabian Phoenix. Everyone swears It exists, but no one has seen It. ;Although the women in both Coos Fan Tutee and Coos are shown to be unfaithful, so are the men. While the men in Coos Fan Tutee do not actively participate in adultery, they do fabricate their departure to the war and also disguise themselves as Albanians. Their deception is also a betrayal to their wives. Meanwhile, Don Alfonse manipulates everyone. As seen In Coos, Lewis Is unfaithful to Lucy as he kisses Julie during rehearsals. ;Julie later reveals that she has a girlfriend who she would prefer to be with, confirming that both men and women are unfaithful in relationships. (source: VICE Study Guides) Women are never true. Women like to pretend they dont play around, but theyre Just more secretive about it. They dont brag about it like men. Women are flesh and blood too. l dont like mens double standards. Womens constancy is like the Phoenix of Arabia.Everyone swears it exists, but no one has seen it. Irony in the fact that Henry plays the part of Don Alfonse in Coos Fan Tutee as Henry firmly believes in truth and fidelity whereas Don Alfonse is cynical about it. This Coos condones the corruption of innocence. Omen are told to be tramps. Free love. Whether women can remain true is a tragedy. Dont insult those pure men. Theyre models of fidelity and perfect love. (Coos Fan Tutee) Only mad people in this day and age would do a Nor about love and infidelity. Lewis and Julie kiss demonstrating that men too can be unfaithful.In a way, Nick is also unfaithful in his friendship with Lewis. Mimi have enemies for life, but never lovers. Everyone blames women, but I forgive them. If they change their love a thousand times a day, some call it sin, others a drug, but I think its the necessity of womens hearts. Thats how men want us to be even though theyre not true and faithful themselves. Wagner foreshadows what is going to happen to the couples in the future. A life of torment and adultery. Nick Justifies his infidelity with were mates, arent we? Nick and Lucy didnt last long as both were not into love and fidelity.

Is it Time to Put Geothermal Energy Development on the Fast Track

Meeting energy demands is one of the most important factors to achieve sustainability. A reliable and affordable alternative source of energy can enhance broad economic gains. Geothermal energy is an important alternative source of energy that can increase energy production and enhance environmental safety. It is an important source of renewable energy that generates electricity (DiPippo, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is it Time to Put Geothermal Energy Development on the Fast Track? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Geothermal energy is obtained when heat from the Earth’s crust is released close to earth’s surface. When the underlying rocks have cracks, the heated ground water erupts through the cracks as geysers that are transformed in to geothermal power (Karsner and Petty, 2007).Geothermal power is a reliable, flexible, and green energy resource which can supply significant amounts of po wer for domestic and industrial use. Turpin (2003) posits that geothermal heat pumps have been used in homes and for commercial heating purposes. However, to produce energy from the geothermal sources require engineering techniques, funds, and political commitment. In order to meet the national goal of achieving 20% of the total electrical energy production in the U.S. by not later than 2030, geothermal power provides a better option because it is a major renewable energy source that contributes to the security of the nation, hence limiting the dependence on fossil fuels. Moreover, it minimizes the risks associated with the fluctuations in oil prices, and enhances the growth and development of new infrastructures. Therefore, geothermal energy is an economical source of energy because its production depends on a constant supply of free energy (Karsner and Petty, 2007). Due to an increase in energy demand, geothermal energy provides a better alternative for energy to sustain the world ’s growing population (Karsner and Petty (2007). The feasibility of geothermal energy depends on its supply and competitiveness in terms of its availability, cost of extraction, and reliability. Furthermore, the supply of geothermal energy is practicable in only certain locations. Thus, it can be made more available with improvements on engineering technologies that are used to produce energy from the geothermal sources (Karsner and Petty, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Geothermal energy is divided into hydrothermal, enhanced geothermal systems, geopressured, and a fluid co-produced with oil and gas. These geothermal technologies have been developed commercially worldwide. Enhanced Geothermal System is an important technology that enables the geothermal sources that lack sufficient water or permeability to be developed. The main purpose is to tap energy from hot permeable rocks. Geothermal energy extracted from Enhanced Geothermal System can provide electricity at a range that can greatly improve the U.S. energy supply to meet the increasing demands. EGS can produce up to an approximately 100,000 MW of electricity by the year 2050 depending on the availability of geothermal sources (Karsner and Petty, 2007). According to DiPippo (2011) it is projected that energy generated by geothermal power plants will double in the year 2030 up from 18 billion kWh achieved in the year 2010. In conclusion, the implementation of geothermal energy, as an alternative renewable energy, should be done with proper evaluation of its merits and demerits. The development of Enhanced Geothermal System can provide a secure alternative source of geothermal power that would help minimize economic instabilities that result from fossil fuel market fluctuations and supply uncertainties (Karsner and Petty, 2007). It is necessary to put more efforts towards developing geothermal power because it is cleaner and environmentally sustainable. Bibliography DiPippo, Ronald. 2011. â€Å"Geothermal energy: Electricity generation and environmental impact.† Energy Policy, Vol. 19 (8) 798-807.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is it Time to Put Geothermal Energy Development on the Fast Track? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Petty, Susan, and Karsner Alexander. 2007. Is it time to put geothermal energy development on the fast track? From testimony on the national geothermal initiative Act of 2007 before the senate committee on energy and natural resources, No. 9. 170-185. Turpin, Joanna R. 2003. â€Å"Commercial geothermal: Bright spot in a gloomy economy.† Air conditioning heating refrigeration news, Vol. 1:1-3. This essay on Is it Time to Put Geothermal Energy Development on the Fast Track? was written and submitted by user Danny Best to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Classic Slave Narratives

In The Classic Slave Narratives, Harriet Jacobs contribution â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, add a spin to the slavery story that is oftentimes not thought of as much in the antebellum period. While it is true that slave men received harsh treatments and punishments, slave women were not immune to this maltreatment. In fact, through her autobiography, Jacobs lays out a story of the hardships and conditions that she had to face from the start of her birth. Jacobs begins her story from the beginning, describing her family and how they became enslaved and sent to America. Life started out good for Jacobs. In fact, it was not until the death of her families’ mistress that her life would become more troublesome. Jacobs also lost her father and mother within the same time frame. Worse yet, Dr. Flint took over caring for the estate, and his wife and himself made life much more horrible for Jacobs than she ever realized that it could. It was during this time that Jacobs says that she first realized that she was a slave. The Flints treated Jacobs and her fellow slaves as mere property, which was not uncommon at the time, which was a stark contrast to the easier going life that they had lived just months ago. One of the few people left for Jacobs to confide in was her grandmother, and even she was not immune to Flint’s carelessness. Flint ordered that she was to be sold, however, fortunately for Jacobs’s grandmother, the small town all knew what a kind and generous slave she was, and would not stand to see her sold away. An elderly woman bought her, and set her free. Slave life for Jacobs continued to become more difficult as time progressed. One of her brothers, Benjamin, often rebelled against the wishes of his master, and would often face punishment for it. After one fight where Ben shoved his master to the ground, Ben resolved to flee to the North. However, he was captured, and jailed for a substantial period ... Free Essays on Classic Slave Narratives Free Essays on Classic Slave Narratives In The Classic Slave Narratives, Harriet Jacobs contribution â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl†, add a spin to the slavery story that is oftentimes not thought of as much in the antebellum period. While it is true that slave men received harsh treatments and punishments, slave women were not immune to this maltreatment. In fact, through her autobiography, Jacobs lays out a story of the hardships and conditions that she had to face from the start of her birth. Jacobs begins her story from the beginning, describing her family and how they became enslaved and sent to America. Life started out good for Jacobs. In fact, it was not until the death of her families’ mistress that her life would become more troublesome. Jacobs also lost her father and mother within the same time frame. Worse yet, Dr. Flint took over caring for the estate, and his wife and himself made life much more horrible for Jacobs than she ever realized that it could. It was during this time that Jacobs says that she first realized that she was a slave. The Flints treated Jacobs and her fellow slaves as mere property, which was not uncommon at the time, which was a stark contrast to the easier going life that they had lived just months ago. One of the few people left for Jacobs to confide in was her grandmother, and even she was not immune to Flint’s carelessness. Flint ordered that she was to be sold, however, fortunately for Jacobs’s grandmother, the small town all knew what a kind and generous slave she was, and would not stand to see her sold away. An elderly woman bought her, and set her free. Slave life for Jacobs continued to become more difficult as time progressed. One of her brothers, Benjamin, often rebelled against the wishes of his master, and would often face punishment for it. After one fight where Ben shoved his master to the ground, Ben resolved to flee to the North. However, he was captured, and jailed for a substantial period ...

Sales Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 9

Sales Management - Essay Example The identification of the needs of the customers helps sales persons in approaching them. Well-built business relationships between the sales person and the customer, provides the customer with an ease to communicate their expectations from the product or services and aid the salesperson in easily capturing the customers’ knowing their requirements (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2008). Customers enter into a process of purchasing a product on the basis of the purchase situation. A purchase situation refers to the relationship or interaction of the buyer with the business, for instance, it may be a new business and the first time the customer shows his willingness to purchase from a particular business, or it may be a longstanding relationship with the business running for several years. The multi-attribute matrix of buyers is an important tool for the salesperson to understand the requirements of the customer, satisfy their needs and build their relationship stronger in terms of pri oritizing the products with attributes which are appreciated or important to the customers like price, quality, quantity and so on (Tanner, Honeycutt, & Erffmeyer, 2009). Customers need a salesperson who has the understanding of their choice and requirements. It helps the customers in getting the right product, at the right price, on the right time with less effort. Such a system of relationships between buyers and sellers help in customer satisfaction and reliance on the seller’s advice. This trust and reliance is basically on the convincing power of the salesperson along with their presentation style for a particular product (Kurtz et. al., 2009 p. 310). Organizations and salesperson can work hand in hand to build stronger customer-seller relationship. The relationship between customers and the company lies in the goodwill of the brand. The brand name is the recognition factor for the customers for a business. Building a strong brand name, however, is not an easy task. It requires

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Globalisation - Essay Example 04th%20International%20Survey%20of%20Corporate%20Sustainability%20Reporting&r_issn=&r_year=2002&r_volume=&r_issue=&r_startpage=&r_endpage=&r_publisher=KPMG/WIMM&r_authors=KPMG] TWN 2006: 14 is the publication you have already located, namely Third World Network (TWN) 2006, Globalization, Liberalization and Protectionism: Impacts on poor rural producers in developing countries, International Fund for Agricultural Development. Globalisation is often addressed as the distinct feature of modernity, but this phenomenon is not new though the speed, reflexivity, complexity and consequences of modern global processes are genuinely outstanding. Modern globalisation processes can be traced back to the period after World War II while the earlier versions remain subject to intensive scholarly debate. Thus some authors study events since 1492 in considering the history of globalisation, and some focus on the more remote past (Frank and Gills 1994). However, these views are not commonly accepted with the majority of scholars concentrating on the recent past in their studies of modern globalisation processes. One popular perspective on globalisation (particularly economic globalisation) seeks for its origins in the period between approximately 1850 and 1914. These earlier forms of globalisation manifested in British imperialism and increased trade and capital flows between politically independent European states, their colonial territories, and the United States (Raskin et al. 2002). The first era of globalization was characterized by growth of export and profits, capital flow, massive migration of workforce from Europe to Northern America and other states (almost 60 million people). At the same time, the world saw increasing disparity between the countries actively involved in globalization processes and the rest of the world with industrialization being the key reason for this tendency (Crafts 2000). Evidently, this perspective also implies that World War I was the outcome

The causes of the current aberrant weather patterns Essay

The causes of the current aberrant weather patterns - Essay Example Hence, a change in the weather pattern occurs. 2. Changes to Earth’s Orbit – For thousands of years, the earth got considered as a natural cycle that results to aberrant weather patterns. Its effect is extremely low. The tilting of the axis, the orbit’s shape and the rotation of the earth, affected the quantity of solar energy entering the earth causing atmosphere imbalances (Spencer, page 57). 3. Greenhouse Gas Emissions – Human industrialization has caused more to the environment. Industries produce some of the most toxic gas effluents to the atmosphere. These gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and many other gases. Carbon dioxide gets produced in surplus to the atmosphere leading to capturing of heat (Spencer, page 50). This causes imbalance to average temperature of the atmosphere. Hence, it leads to the aberrant weather pattern. 4. Pollution - Some of gases, such as sulfur dioxide results to depletion of the ozone layer. This results to entry of more harmful and powerful to the atmosphere causing global warming, which in turn leads to aberrant weather patterns (Spencer, page

Effect of Alcohol on Human Sperm In Vitro

Effect of Alcohol on Human Sperm In Vitro EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON HUMAN SPERMATOZOA IN VITRO: SPERM CHROMATIN DISPERSSION TEST AND ROS. Omkar Pokharkar, Dr. Himanshu Patel, Madhuri Patel, Vidisha Bhatt. Abstract: This study was carried out to find the detrimental effect on human spermatozoa when exposed to alcohol/ethanol in vitro. For this study semen samples obtained from 12 healthy individuals were washed using the sperm preparation technique and each washed samples were divided into equal aliquots. Then ethanol at various concentrations of 60 mm and 120 mm were added to the aliquots labeled as test samples and samples without ethanol were considered as control samples. All samples with or without ethanol were incubated for 1 hour (60 minutes) at 370C. These samples when subjected to semen analysis after exposure to ethanol, it was found that samples added with 60 mm ethanol showed a decrease in motility and vitality, sperms in samples with 120 mm ethanol were almost static with minimum motility. Sperms in both test samples revealed degraded vitality. DNA fragmentation test or SCD when carried out it was revealed that ethanol caused DNA fragmentation in sperms and as the concentr ation of ethanol increased, DNA fragmentation also increased, motility of sperms decreased and morphology was affected to some extent such as the head and tail defects which was less in the control samples. The sample aliquots with 120 mm ethanol showed morphological abnormalities. The ROS test performed using Agarose-N-gel tubes on the unwashed/raw samples exposed to ethanol in different concentrations revealed the highest oxidative stress displaying dark purple color and unexposed samples showed light pink color indicating low oxidative stress. Reactive oxygenspeciescan damage DNA bases and can cause lesions that block the progression ofreplication. This study proved that, alcohol when consumed can destroy sperm mobility, vitality and causes high fragmentation levels. Keywords: Ethanol, sperms, DNA fragmentation, motility, vitality, ROS. INTRODUCTION: Alcohol is a drug which is classified as depressant, when consumed in low/controlled volume it can induce the stimulant effect, but if an individual consumes excess alcohol then he experiences the depressant effect. Alcohol is produced by fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. Alcohol gets absorbed rapidly from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. Once alcohol enters the stomach, up to 20% of it gets absorbed and directly enters the bloodstream. Within minutes, alcohol reaches to the brain. Even various nutrients are not capable to pull this off. The remaining alcohol enters into the intestines and is absorbed along with the nutrients. Only a small amount of alcohol is excreted from the body through urine, sweat etc which is not enough to get rid of alcohol in the blood stream.When the alcohol is consumed, the human body is hardwired to metabolize alcohol immediately that means the body stops metabolizing all other things just to metabolize alcohol first becaus e protein, carbohydrates, and fat, can be stored whereas alcohol cannot be stored in the body so it has to be metabolized first and excreted as soon as possible. Alcohol can affect every organ in the consumer’s body and can damage the developing fetus in woman who is pregnant. Also alcohol has the potential to severely damage sperms. If alcohol consumption is fairly regular then it will affect sperm motility and vitality in men. Heavy alcohol consumption lowers the sperm count leaving the person infertile and the levels of free radicals generated due to alcohol can break DNA strands in the sperm cells. The aim of this study was focused on the effects of alcohol on sperms and mainly on the level of DNA fragmentation and oxidative stress caused in sperm samples due to alcohol in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the study of alcohol effects on sperms in vitro, Semen samples from 12 healthy men (non-alcoholic) aged 21 – 27 were collected in wide mouthed sterile collection containers and Sperm samples were obtained during 3-4 days of sexual abstinence and liquefied for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. The quality of the sperm is judged on the basis of its morphology and movement patterns or motility and vitality. For in vitro study, sperm samples from healthy individuals were washed by swim up from pellet method, which is a very common method for retrieval of viable sperms and has a high success rate. All the washed samples were divided in 3 equal aliquots of 0.5ml. Ethanol in different concentrations of 60mm and 120 mm respectively were added to 2 sample aliquots labeled as test samples and 1 aliquot was un-exposed to alcohol labeled as control sample. These samples were incubated for 60 minutes at 370C and subjected to semen analysis according to the guidelines set by world heal th organization. Sperm count and motility evaluation was done under bright field microscope, morphology was studied by making smears of sperms on the slides and was stained using Giemsa stain. pH was observed by using a pH strip and vitality of the sperms were noted by staining sperms with eosin and nigrosin stain. Morphology was judged by referring the types of sperm deformities proposed by WHO (World Health Organization., 2010). Motility was calculated by using a formula: 100 X (number of motile spermatozoa)/ (total number of spermatozoa counted). Also for calculating vitality percentage: 100 X (number of viable spermatozoa)/ (total number of spermatozoa counted). More than 500 spermatozoa per ejaculate were evaluated for estimation of sperm motility and vitality. The outcome of this analysis was noted. The rest of the control and test samples were used for DNA fragmentation test. SPERM CHROMATIN DISPERSION TEST: The test aliquots were added with various concentrations of alcohol (60mm and 120mm respectively) to see what concentration of alcohol will affect the DNA of the sperms. The control sample (0.5 ml) with no ethanol and 2 test samples (0.5 ml each) mixed with ethanol incubated at 370 C for 60 minutes were subjected to DNA fragmentation test. Requirements per sample were 3 coated slides, 1 for control and other 2 for test. The procedure involved addition of sperm samples of both test and control to agarose tubes which were previously boiled for 2 minutes. After adding and mixing the 40 Â µl droplets of sperms from both control and test samples in the agarose tubes, a total of 150 Â µl droplets of sperm samples from each tube was extracted using micropipette and was laid on pre-coated slides. Cover slips were placed on the droplets for even distribution of sperm sample immersed in agarose matix on the slide. The 3 slides of 1 control and 2 test samples were kept inside a fridge for 6 m inutes to solidify the agarose gel in which sperms were added. After this step, cover slips were removed in such a way that the gel integrity was not disturbed. Acid denaturant (1 ml) was laid on the slide for 7 minutes and was drained. Then 1ml of lysis solution was overlaid on the slide for 20 minutes and was drained. Then both test and control slides were washed with 20 ml of distilled water and were overlaid with 1 ml each of dehydrating solutions 1, 2, 3 for 2 minutes each. After disposing or draining the dehydrating solutions, the slides were air dried for few minutes. Stain was prepared by mixing stain solution and stain diluting solution. The slides prepared for each of the 12 samples were stained for 3 minutes and were washed in a beaker filled with tap water to remove excess stain. Slides were again air dried for few minutes before observing under bright field microscope for halos. For calculating percentage of DNA fragmentation: 100 X (Number of spermatozoa with fragmente d DNA)/ (Total number of spermatozoa counted). More than 450 spermatozoa per ejaculate were evaluated for estimation of sperm DNA fragmentation (Omkar pokharkar et al., 2015). For this study, A Sperm DNA Fragmentation Detection Kit called ‘CANfrag’ [REF No.CA-001], provided by ‘CANdORE Bioscience’, Ahmedabad, Gujarat was used to assess the levels of sperm DNA fragmentation in the samples. This entire procedure was followed for all 12 samples and it took around 18 days (10th February –27th February, 2015) for completion of the study and to arrive at results. ROS (reactive oxygen species) test: A Reactive Oxygen Species detection kit called ‘CANros’ [REF NO.CA-002] also provided by ‘CANdORE Bioscience’ was employed for mapping oxidative stress in exposed and un-exposed samples. Along with washed samples of test and control, 2 aliquot (test) of raw samples of 0.5 ml each was also added with ethanol in various concentration of 60mm and 120 mm respectively and control raw sample of 0.5ml was un-exposed to alcohol. After incubation of both control and test samples for 60 minutes in an incubator at 370C, ROS test was conducted by heating the Agarose N-Gel tubes in boiling water at 90-100Â ºC for 2 minutes to melt the gel. The tubes were cooled down for 2 minutes at room temperature before addition of the sample. 0.2 ml of semen sample was added and mixed thoroughly with the melted agarose gel and air bubbles were avoided. The Agarose-N-gel tubes were then placed in an incubator at 37Â ºC for 60 minutes. After incubation the color changes were observed immediately and were compared with the color code mentioned in the ROS kit to determine the level of oxidative stress present in the sample (Omkar pokharkar et al., 2015). The results of this test were noted. RESULTS: The pH of both exposed samples (60mm and 120 mm) was in the abnormal range. Alcohol affected the pH of the samples in which it was added and increased with the increase in the concentration of alcohol. Morphology of sperms was affected by alcohol to some extent only in samples with 120 mm ethanol/ 0.5 ml of sperm sample. The sperm count in all the samples remained in normal range at these concentrations. The average sperm count for all samples throughout the study was in the range of 60 to 70 million sperms/per ml. The average percentages of motility and vitality obtained for all 12 samples were calculated and framed in the table below. Results are mentioned in the chart and table form below: Table I. Semen parameters for both alcohol exposed and un-exposed samples Chart I. Effect of alcohol on sperm motility The motility in sperm samples was decreased due to alcohol exposure. Motility in samples un-exposed to alcohol showed excellent motility and samples exposed to the alcohol showed a decrease in the motility as the concentration of alcohol increased. Chart II. Effect of alcohol on sperm vitality The chart mentioned above indicates that, the sperm un-exposed to the alcohol showed an excellent range of vitality percentage while the exposed samples at various concentration of alcohol showed a constant drop in the vitality percentage. The table mentioned below represents the average DNA fragmentation percentages obtained for all 12 samples. Table II. DNA fragmentation in exposed and un-exposed samples Chart III. Sperm DNA fragmentation due to alcohol Figure I. Original picture of DNA fragmentation slide un-exposed to alcohol (control slide) It is evident from the picture above that, the samples un-exposed to ethanol showed maximum sperms with intact DNA displaying large halos. On the other hand, the samples exposed to ethanol in concentrations of 60mm and 120mm showed maximum sperms with fragmented and degraded DNA and revealed minimum sperms with intact DNA displaying small and no halos. Below is the picture showing fragmented and degraded sperms. Figure II. Original picture of DNA fragmentation slide exposed to alcohol [60mm and 120mm (test slide)] ROS (reactive oxygen species) TEST. ROS test were performed using freshly collected semen samples. Test aliquot of core samples exposed to alcohol at concentration of 60mm/0.5 ml and the 2nd test aliquot exposed to alcohol at concentration of 120mm/0.5 ml of semen sample produced dark purple colour. On the other hand control aliquot un-exposed to alcohol showed light pink colour. Low levels of ROS (un-exposed samples). light pink Table III. Reactive oxygen species result for alcohol Dark purple color was obtained for both test samples which indicated that highest level of oxidative stress was induced in the sample due to alcohol. Whereas samples un-exposed (control) to alcohol showed light pink color. Alcohol, at even low concentrations can achieve highest levels of ROS. CONCLUSION: The study revealed that alcohol in high concentrations can damage the sperms in every possible way and make it non-viable. The results mentioned above point out to the fact that as the alcohol/ethanol concentration increases, the sperm quality decreases. Motility in control samples was greater as compared to both the test samples (see Chart I). Vitality in sperm samples went on degrading as the ethanol concentration increased (see Chart II). Morphological abnormalities were mostly scored on the test slides with 120 mm ethanol and samples with 60 mm ethanol and control samples with no ethanol showed a normal range of morphological defects and pH of samples also increased with the increase in concentration of alcohol (see Table I). This indicated that the alcohol in high concentrations can damage the physical appearance of sperms. The number of sperms with fragmented DNA was most prominent in the test samples with 120 mm ethanol and 60 mm ethanol. On the other hand, control samples sho wed fewer fragmentations (see Table II and Chart III). The sperms with fragmented DNA disperse small halos and most of the time no halos were observed (see Figure II) and sperms with intact DNA disperse big halos (see Figure I). By this method, it becomes easy to map the fragmented and non-fragmented DNA of the sperms. ROS test was conducted to evaluate the findings and it gave the further evidence of fragmentation caused due to alcohol in vitro by achieving dark purple color in the Agarose-N-gel tubes by reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium and un-exposed samples managed to display light pink color indicating low levels of free radicals (see Table III). Reactive oxygenspecieshas the potential to damage DNA bases and can cause lesions that blocks progression ofreplication. Damaged sperm chromatin contains base adducts and the prominent adducts found in human sperm DNA are 8OHdG (8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine or 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2–deoxyguanosine) present in nuclear and mitochondr ial DNA is one of the predominant forms of free radical-induced oxidative lesions, and is widely used as a biomarker for oxidative stress and carcinogenesis also two ethenonucleosides such as 1,N6-ethenoadenosine and 1,N6-ethanoguanosine are found in sperm DNA. Single strand breaks are the direct consequences of oxidative attacks on sperm DNA. DISCUSSION: As the coin has 2 sides, alcohol too have a good and a bad side. It depends how the individual use the alcohol and for what purpose. Alcohol is in use for scientific purposes as well as for production of beverages such as beer and wine for centuries. Applications of Alcohol in the field of science date back to 18th century when it was used for dressing up the wounds and to sterilize the equipment for surgery (civil war in U.S. 1850’s). Today along with these applications, alcohol is also used as antifreeze, preservatives, fuels, and also as solvents. But high consumption of alcohol is not beneficial in any way; Addiction to alcohol could severely damage the reproductive system of that individual making him infertile. A few studies around the world indicated that consumption of alcohol every day can effectively reduce the sperm count and quality of the sperm degrades as the consumption of alcohol increases. The people with disorders such as ‘auto brewery syndrome’ (gut fermentation syndrome) have very less reproductive capabilities. In this type of syndrome body produces alcohol through endogenous fermentations within the digestive system. A fungal infection of ‘Saccharomyces cerevisiae’ in gastrointestinal tract is responsible for this condition. This constant production of alcohol leads to several other body problems such as kidney failure, liver dysfunction and leydig cells in the testes are damaged which are responsible for production of testosterone and the levels of testosterone in blood drops and also Sertoli cells present in the testes are affected which interferes with sperm maturation. Immature sperms present in the ejaculateare not capable to move and fertilize the egg. The aim of this study was focused on in vitro effects of ethanol which involved direct exposure of ethanol to sperms which caused more damaging effect. However, in vivo study of effects of alcohol on sperms would produce more promising and accurate resu lts as compared to in vitro study because alcohol undergoes elimination by various metabolic mechanisms that occur in the body. The enzymes involved are aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, cytochrome P450 and catalase. The interaction occurring between alcohol byproducts obtained after metabolism and other cell components, leads to the formation of dangerous compounds such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Alcohol metabolism occurs primarily in the liver. Alcohol undergoes detoxification procedure and gets eliminated from the blood by the process termed as oxidation. Oxidation inhibits accumulation of alcohol and prevents destruction of cells and other organs in the body to some extent. So the in vivo results would be much different than in vitro study as the alcohol undergoes metabolic paths. In in vitro study direct exposure of ethanol caused high fragmentations and more damage was inflicted to the sperm parameters (motility, vitality, morphology, and pH). It can be con cluded that, consumption of alcohol is associated with degradation of sperm quality which can be reversed to some extent upon alcohol consumption discontinuation which would reduce the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and intake of antioxidants on a regular basis would maintain low concentration of free radicals and will protect the DNA of sperms from damage. AKNOWLEDGEMENT: Authors would like to thank the entire team of stem cure pvt ltd, center for reproductive medicine and stem cell development – Ahmedabad, India, for their contribution whenever needed. Authors would also like to thank Komal Patel for providing laboratory equipments to carry out this study. REFERENCES: [1] World Health Organization. (2010). WHO laboratory manual for the Examination and processing of human semen (5 ed.). (D. T. Cooper, Ed.) geneva, Switzerland. [2] Omkar pokharkar et al. (2015). Effect of Wi-Fi radiations on sperms in vitro:Sperm DNA fragmentation test and ROS. International journal of healthcare sciences, III(1), 26-30.

So long a letter :: essays research papers

Daniel Overmyer’s, Religions of China, discusses the historical developments of the different religions of China. It also addresses the impact religion has on the daily life of the Chinese in the past and present. Overmyer introduces the Chinese living system with his knowledge of Feng-shui, and how everything is connected by shared rhythms. â€Å"These rhythms are discussed as the cold, dark forces of yin and the hot, bright forces of yang; together with the five powers of metal, plant, life, water, fire and earth; these forces are modes of qi, â€Å"vital substance†. Their interaction produces all things† (12). The author does an excellent job in his approach to teaching Chinese religions and culture. He explains its concept and upbringings then tries to relate them to the reader’s daily life. This book serves as an introduction to Chinese History, in terms of religions and practices, which paved the way for China today. In order to help introduce the major cultural and religious features of the book, the author places a chronological list of events in the beginning of the text; from the Prehistoric time (6000 B.C.) to the Peoples Republic of China (1949-present). Its geographical limits are all of China, which extends from the Pacific Ocean to India to Afghanistan, and from Burma in the south to Siberia in the north. Overmyer gives a brief historical view of the country’s’ political and social climb, one example was with the decline of the Hans dynasty to the uprising of the Yellow Turbans then to Way of the Celestial Masters. â€Å"These two popular movements were also forerunners of Daoism, which became the most important religious tradition founded in China† (37). The presentation of the text is thematic and it provides the reader with a step by step analysis to religions and practices. The author presents the concept in a very organized fashion. The first chapter introduces the beliefs and values of China’s living system, with the concept of Feng-shui and qi. The next chapter gives a brief overview of the historical developments of the different religions; Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Popular Religion, and Foreign Religion. The proceeding chapters include the traditions and practices in their religious life and also the community’s intervention with the spiritual life; i.e. The Spring Festival, Exorcism and the Buddhist Enlightenment. The last chapter, Chinese Religions Today, emphasizes on present day religion in Taiwan and China mainland. Overmyer is very knowledgeable in the subject matter, he was taught by his mother during his first 5 years living in China.

Online Marketing Essay

In today’s world, marketing research has begun to use the Internet and popular social networking sites such as, Facebook and Twitter, to gather personal information of all users. It’s becoming a lot easier for companies to connect directly with customers and collect individual information that goes into a computer database. This information can also be matched to other websites and share data collected during unrelated transactions. There are ethical and technical considerations that need to be addressed on how companies conduct its market research. Two major examples of ethical considerations of online marketing are privacy and confidentiality. Many online consumers try to avoid anything that will result in invading their privacy, but many companies tend to do that without the consumer’s knowledge. A company can easily have the ability to collect and store information relating to a consumer that can violate their right to privacy. The companies use this information to target certain advertising to that consumer, but the constant targeting can put a strain on the privacy of the consumer and start to result in a breach of confidentiality. Businesses are constantly sharing consumer’s information with partners or other affiliates to precisely target them with certain services or products they offer. Some companies sell the information to outside companies to make extra money that will lead to more strain on your privacy or even worse, identity theft. The most important example of technical consideration of online marketing is security. Security is the number one issue in a consumer’s mind when they need to use personal information to purchase or do anything online that requires that information. Hackers and viruses can lead to personal information on any database to be sold and used to wreak havoc on innocent consumers. Viruses can be used through E-mail or websites to hack into the businesses or consumer’s computer and track or steal sensitive information that can be given to a hacker at any time. Hackers can then sell that information to anyone or use it for their own benefit to ruin the reputation of that consumer. For example, hackers can use the personal information of the consumer to steal their identity and purchase things without the knowledge of the consumer and the consumer will be at fault for anything the hacker does. This continues to be an ongoing problem in the online world and something that businesses need to be very cautious about when dealing with personal information that was given from a consumer through trust in the company’s integrity online. As online marketing is becoming more popular daily around the world, companies need to realize the ethical and technical considerations that play a role on the abundance of consumer’s personal information they have. Businesses rely on precise online marketing to make the most profit with as little effort as possible, but they also need to focus on the consumer’s personal needs. Privacy, confidentiality, and security are the most important topics when it comes to personal information being stored and shared online. Without taking the time to address and resolve these issues, companies can scare away consumers from revealing certain information that helps their business grow and become successful. References Masters, T. (n.d.). Ethical Considerations of Marketing Research. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-considerations-marketing-research-43621.html. Sullivan, B. (Dec 6). Online privacy fears are real. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3078835/t/online-privacy-fears-are-real/#.UZl358qE72o

Classic Quotes From Comedian Mitch Hedberg

Classic Quotes From Comedian Mitch Hedberg American stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg was known for his quirky observations and dry delivery of fast one-liners that kept his audiences hustling to keep up with him. His friends claim he was the funniest person in the world. Whether or not you agree, youre bound to enjoy reading some of his classic remarks.   Mitch Hedbergs Thoughts on a Mechanized World I know a lot about cars. I can look at a cars headlights and tell you exactly which way its coming. I like an escalator, man, cause an escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. There would never be an Escalator temporarily out of order sign, only Escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience. Funny Things About Food I bought a donut, and they gave me a receipt. When will I ever need to prove I bought a donut? Some skeptical friend: Hey man! Dont you even act like I didnt buy this donut! I have the receipt ... damn ... I forgot it at home ...in the filing cabinet under D...for donut. That would be cool if you could eat a good food with a bad food and the good food would cover for the bad food when it got to your stomach. Like you could eat a carrot with an onion ring and they would travel down to your stomach, then they would get there, and the carrot would say, Its cool, hes with me. My friend said to me, You know what I like? Mashed potatoes. I was like, Dude, you have to give me time to guess. If youre going to quiz me you have to insert a pause. On Relationships I dont have a girlfriend. But I do know a woman whod be mad at me for saying that. I dont have any children, but if I had a baby, I would have to name it, so I would get a baby-naming book. Or I would invite somebody over who had a cast on. To Sleep Perchance to Dream You know, Im sick of following my dreams, man. Im just going to ask where theyre going and hook up with em later. I hate dreaming because when you want to sleep, you want to sleep. Dreaming is work. Next thing you know, I have to build a go-cart with my ex-landlord. Department of Health People who smoke cigarettes, they say You dont know how hard it is to quit smoking.  Yes,  I do. Its as hard as it is to start flossing. Someone handed me a picture and said, This is a picture of me when I was younger. Every picture of you is when you were younger. Heres a picture of me when Im older. Whered you get that camera man? I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too. My fake plants  died  because I did not pretend to water them. Mitch Hedbergs Random Musings on Golf and Other Subjects Im not good at golf, I never got good. I never got a hole in one, but I did hit a guy. And thats way more satisfying. Youre supposed to yell Fore, but I was too busy mumbling There aint no way thats gonna hit him. I went to the park and saw this kid flying a kite. The kid was really excited. I dont know why. Thats what theyre supposed to do. Now if he had had a chair on the other end of that string, I would have been impressed. You know, theres a fishing show on TV. They catch the fish, but they let it go. They dont want to eat the fish, but they do want to make it late for something. I use the word totally too much. I need to change it up and use a word that is different but has the same meaning. Mitch, do you like submarine  sandwiches? All-encompassingly.

Opening scene of Hamlet Essay Example

Opening scene of Hamlet Essay Example Opening scene of Hamlet Paper Opening scene of Hamlet Paper The audience observes the opening scene of Hamlet, where they see a man standing guard (Francisco) on the platform of the castle known as Elsinorea, at the dead of night. In films, this place is often depicted, as very high up on the walls of the castle, over looking the dark sea. This would portray quite a somber and haunting theme. Throughout the opening scene, Shakespeare is constantly addressing his audience, in the form of questioning, through his characters. Even, the very first words, uttered in this scene is presented to the audience as a question whos there? This portrays the character (in this case Barnardo) as fearful, since he is in the presence of something unknown. This is Shakespeares attempt, to capture his audiences interest. He does this, by trying to get his audience to show empathy toward Barnardo, making them also worried and fearful of the unknown, which makes the audience want to find out the answer to this rhetorical question, that they have been presented with by Barnardo. Then the audience is allowed to find relief which they would have much thanks for (since they are now able to name this unknown presence as Francisco.) The audience is then easily silenced, when they are presented with another question Have you had quiet guard? making them worry yet again, if there could be another cause for concern. And also creating an atmosphere of tension and mystery, while at the same time leaving the audience in suspense. On the battlements of Elsinore. Tis now twelve and Barnardo has suggested to Francisco that he should Get himself to bed, since Tis bitter cold, and Francisco is sick at heart. Obviously the audience is given the impression, that this scene is set late a night. Also at that point in time, the battlements of Elsinore wasnt exactly the nicest place to be. There are two significant periods within this scene, which have a common factor the ghost (i. e. the theme of the super natural). Within the first period, Francisco speaking for the first time Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself. The idea that it might be the ghost terrifies him, so in demanding to know who he is in the presence of allows him to put his worries at ease, once he as been answered. Followed by the second period, where Horatio sees the ghost for the first time Horatio. He is full of fear but at the same time wonder; at this point the audience would be sharing Horatios inquisitive, yet scared mannerism. The reader must remember that the Elizabethans were very superstitious and took matters of the super natural very seriously. Ghost were normal seen as representatives for good (as opposed to witches who were believed to be sent by the devil). Which is rather ironic, since Shakespeare does not establish whether or not the ghost is good or evil until later on in the play. This may have been done to get the audiences attention, making them want to know the purpose of this apparition (more that they would have if the answer had just been simple given to them). The dialogue in this scene is rather shot, suggesting tension. The two significant events contain the main sources of tension. The fact that there are long pauses and the language is not very descriptive also shows tension. Marcellus speaks of peace, break thee off, which suggests a rather rhythmic repetition of a beating drum (acting as an indication to war). When Horatio is first introduced to the audience only a piece of him is there. Physically he is there but mentally is somewhere else (i. e. half-asleep). Horatio is simply enduing Marcellus and Barnardo. He is quite the skeptic and believes tis only but our fantasy. So Horatio is rather a doubting Tom. The audience would be amused by the fact that his attitude is the complete opposite of the others. Also this is an interval between the two events, which just the presence of the super natural since texts becomes more descriptive and there are longer sentences. This would also imply that the was less tension thanks to Horatios disbelief and the greeting of friends. The ironically Horatios attitude drastically changes confronted the ghost, he can not believe that he had see it of mine own eyes. He also refers to the ghost as a thing simply because it is not quite explainable what this thing really is. The apparition has two nights been seen. By this point the audience would be very curious and would be very interested to see the out some of this scene. Before seeing the ghost Horatio believed that twill not appear, the audience wouldnt be able to comprehend whether the ghost was truth or illusion, heightening the suspense and making the audience eager to find out. Bernado sits down to explain what they had seen. The atmosphere would be calmer and the audience curious. When the ghost appeared, the audience would have been anxious and nervous. It is made clear to the audience that the apparition has taken on a figure like the king thats dead, giving the impression that the deceased king had unfinished business (i.e. the matter of revenge to deal with). After seeing the ghost, the audience would now believe what the soldiers had told Horatio. Horatios reaction proves that the ghost is not fantasy. The soldiers continue to talk about how the ghost looked like the king and how it was even dressed in his armor. This whole idea tis strange. This begins an air of mystery and worry to the scene. The fact that the ghost is wearing armor may be some sort of indication that it has come to wage war against Denmark. This bodes a strange eruption to our state. This introduces the time theme of corruption (i. e. think of evil erupting like a volcano. ) The audience at this time believed in the divine right of kings, seeing the Sovereign as central to the affairs of the nation. They would be wondering what had gone morally wrong for the king to return. The second part of the scene appeals more to the intellect that to the emotions. The audience would be keen and interested to be told why the soldiers were on duty constantly. They are told why Fortinbras is meaning to attack and filled in on historical facts, which will be important to their understanding of the play later. When Horatio begins to talk about what happened before Julius Caesar was killed. The audience would start to wonder whether the ghosts appearance in Denmark would have the same effect. * He states that all of these things were a bad omen suggesting that the ghosts appearance is a bad omen. The audience would therefore be interested to know if something like this happened in Denmark. At this point the tension increases and the audience would be on the edge of their seats watching the guards cross themselves for protection. As the ghost spreads its arms they would be straining to listen and hear what it had to say. Each time Horatio Asked it to speck what art thou, they would be willing it to reveal why it was there. As the cock crows action occurs as the soldiers try to strike the ghost, The audience would be full of astonishment by the fact that the ghost is really. Horatio then tries to restrain the ghost from leaving by striking it, still, it vanishes. Marcellus thinks that they have committed a grievous error in striking the ghost of the late king. The ghost had started like a guilty thing/Upon a fearful summons. Horatio recalls that traditionally the crowing of the cock was believed to awake the good of day and serve as a warning to all preternatural and erring spirits that the time has come to return to their confines. As dawn breaks, Horatio and the two officers decide to share the events of the night with prince hamlet, the late kings son. Now the audience would be thinking that the apparition was definitely evil. This scene ends on a hopeful note with the coming of the light the audience would have new hope that the ghost will speck to hamlet. They would be eager to find out his reactions. This scene ends on a note of suspense and mystery. This scene is full of devices to arouse the interest and silence a noisy audience. Tension, suspense and mystery are created through language and actions of the soldiers as they wait and confront the king s ghost on the castle battlements at Elsinore.

The Importance of Companys Management Assignment

The Importance of Companys Management - Assignment Example The company took a different direction after Zhang Ruimin took over as the CEO. The company is now regarded as one of the fast developing and aspiring Chinese brands in the International Market. Before Zhang came to the rescue of the company, the Haier Group had a group of undisciplined and low-skilled employees and suffered from low productivity and reduced product quality. Zhang faced difficult times while trying to rescue the company from management mayhem and financial turmoil (Lau & Han 1-2). In order to liberate the company, Zhang instituted an organizational philosophy and rules and overhauled the business strategy to establish an incentive-oriented management control system. As the company continued to grow, Zhang was proud of its growth. However, one of the hurdles facing the company was how to fine-tune its processes and structure to face transformations in the current competitive global market. In order for the company to sustain growth in the future, it needs to consider how it will motivate its workers in the future to attain high performance goals, and how it will revolutionize the management control system to adjust to the organization’s internationalization stratagems. ... However, as the organization’s operations grew, it shifted from a process to people oriented approach. This led to the implementation of OEC management system, which aroused the employee’s sense of responsibility (Lau & Han 4). This management system grouped people into small groups with different standards and targets. This required every group to ensure that it attained the targets. This made the groups repeat the processes in order to find means of improving their process the same day (Lau & Han 5). The fact that the employees were required to come up with ways on how to improve their process within the same day would have acted as a less motivating factor. Notably, most of the processes in an organization require a considerable number of hours if the process fails or does not meet the target result then the employees will have to redo the process and will spend more time and will have overworked within that day. It is imperative to note that overworking of employees is one of the factors that contribute to low levels of motivation among employees. This may make the workers feel overburdened with huge work that can make them stressed and less motivated. Therefore, it is significant to recommend an OEC management system with a longer timeline such as two days or a week, or a management system that gives few processes to be accomplished within a given time. For instance, an OEC management system that gives three tasks that can be accomplished within five days. The reward system adopted by Haier is based on the performance of each product division recorded by the product manager (Lau & Han 7). Though this seems to be an

The media and today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The media and today - Essay Example Meeuwis in 1993 illustrated the effectiveness of media by highlighting the role of television and press in the creation of nationalism in Serbia.1 Stuart Ewen argues that advertising has a more significant power in human collective consciousness as compared to the credit, which is given to it. Moreover, the two theories Social Learning theory and Cultivation theory also describe the importance of modern media in shaping the perceptions of people.2 In 1990, Abernethy found 32 percent rate of television commercial avoidance and in 1994, King found 35 percent audience claiming to watch ads.3 â€Å"Advertising effectiveness does vary over time, and when the market is in an unfavourable or unsaturated condition, advertising generally becomes more important and effective (Chung and Kaiser 1998).†4 A research conducted by Campbell, Margaret C. and Kevin Lane Keller on Television ads and internet ads showed that on both media the â€Å"wear out point happens sooner when the ad being repeated is for an unfamiliar brand as opposed to a familiar brand.†5 Marketing Evaluation research show that nowadays, power of media mix or ‘Surround Sound Marketing’ is greater as compared to what one medium can produce, thereby, highlighting a reduced effectiveness of media.6 Moreover, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) revealed that about 62 percent of marketers uphold that in the last two years, the television a dvertising has become less effective.7 In short, a radical changed has been seen in the advertising industry in the last few years. A logical perspective is that the consumers’ past responses to the media advertising is not the same because of the changing tastes, demographics, competition, economic and social factors, advertising theme etc. Furthermore, the marketing world has changed and even a target market consumer of a product/service is not considered to be ‘effectively exposed’, unless he watches the ad at least three to four times.

Work placement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Work placement - Essay Example Second, I wanted to gain adequate knowledge about the actual responsibilities of a production engineer, which is what I am destined to be. Lastly, I intended to network so that I could have links when I finally graduate and launch job hunt. I reviewed my objectives to help me determine if my learning was on course. Even though my work was challenging, I managed to achieve most of my objectives. I now know what responsibility I will be charged with in the future, have vast knowledge and practical skills about production and also established a good network with various production engineers and other important people in the field of engineering. I also learnt how organizations operate and the challenges they face as well as some of the strategies they use to overcome production problems. However, I realized that it needs a longer duration to effectively learn how companies operate and overcome their problems. Additionally, I learnt about effective management skills, especially participative leadership, which includes all employees and ensure efficiency in the production process. I also learnt how the organization operates, their challenges and how they go about

Route 66 and of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Route 66 and of Mice and Men Essay John Steinbeck wrote many novels, including Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. In the book, Of Mice and Men, he mentions the historic Route 66. A short summary of â€Å"Of Mice and Men,† background information, and the correlation of Route 66 and The Grapes of Wrath will describe how the two are related. First, in the book Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George travel from ranch to ranch looking for jobs as ranch hands. There is a problem with Lennie and a woman at the ranch of Weed, so he and George go to a new ranch. When they arrive, they meet Curley, Slim, Crooks, Curley’s Wife, and others. They help out around the ranch while getting paid. Lennie and George do not spend their money because they have a dream house they are saving up for. Lennie always talks about â€Å"Tending the rabbits† and the great times they will have when they get the house. The other ranch hands hear about this plan and want in. Unfortunately, Curley’s wife was a whore and tried to get on Lennie, even after he killed his puppy, thinking that it would bounce off the ground. Lennie likes soft things, like mice and soft fabrics, so when Curley’s wife offered for Lennie to touch her hair, he grabbed on and didn’t let go. She started screaming so Lennie choked her. After George found out that Lennie killed her, he realized that he would have to go to an asylum where he would be probed and tested because of the mental disabilities he had. George had to shoot him and go on his way. Next, the Historic Route 66 played a great role in American history, especially during the Great Depression. This route was made of dirt and rocks, and stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. It crossed a lot of the Midwest, Great Plains, and the Southwest. Historic Route 66 does not exist anymore, but highways and other paths can be taken to get a feel of the distance and scenery. Following, John Steinbeck, in his 1940 novel Grapes of Wrath, chronicled the migration along Route 66 of thousands of farmers leaving the Dust Bowl of Kansas and Oklahoma during the Great Depression, trying to reach a better land in California. Steinbeck posited the road as an almost hostile force, draining money, energy, and enthusiasm from the optimistic Okies. In Of Mice and Men, the highway that George walks to after Lennie is dead is the famous Historic Route 66. In conclusion, Route 66 was a major part of both John Steinbeck’s novels and the American history of the Great Depression. It helped many migrant farmers get to a better life in California and shaped our nation for years to come.

Cell Phones :: essays research papers

Cell Phones!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What Causes Mobile Phone Radiation and How Does it Effect Your Body? Why is it so popular with young teenagers today? What problems do Mobile phones cause? Walking around in school to walking around at the shopping centre with your mobile phone may seem fashionable and trendy, but did you know that it might be causing you to get a cancer and brain damage threw lost of memory? . Many mobile phone holders do not realize it and it should be something everyone should be aware of. It may seem a bit unusually how a Mobile phone can cause a child or an adult to get cancer, but it is true. New evidence is growing fast about health risks from mobile phones – electromagnetic radiation. These devices can be used to make telephone calls from almost any country in the world to another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are a growing number of unconfirmed reports of individuals whose health has been affected after chronic, frequent use of mobile phones, presumably from radiation effects on brain cells. There are two types of phones, one has the antenna mounted on the handset and the other has the antenna mounted on a separate transmitter or, if the telephone is installed in a vehicle, mounted on the roof or rear window. Communication between a mobile telephone and the nearest base station is achieved by the microwave emissions from the antenna. Concerns have been raised about the type of mobile telephone that has the antenna in the handset. In this case, the antenna is very close to the user's head during normal use of the telephone and there is concern about the level of microwave emissions to which the brain is being exposed. Media reports have claimed that up to 2/3 of the microwave emissions from hand- held mobile telephones may be absorbed in the user's head. Those telephones that have th e antenna mounted elsewhere are of no concern, since exposure levels decrease rapidly with increasing distance from the antenna also Cordless telephones, which need to be operated within about 20 meters of a base unit that is connected directly to the telephone system do not have any health concerns associated with their use because exposure levels are very low. There is no clear evidence in the existing scientific literature that the use of digital or analogue mobile telephones poses a long-term public health hazard.

Blind Children :: essays research papers

Blind children, if given a chance, can play and learn right alongside their sighted peers. An open mind, a positive attitude, and a little creativity are usually all it takes to integrate blind students into regular preschool programs. The blind child can learn the same concepts that are taught the other children. The only difference is the method of learning. The blind child must make more use of the other senses. They also need parents and teachers who will allow lots of hands-on experiences. Blind children can learn the same concepts as other children. They may just need to learn it in a different method such as hands-on. Concepts such as big and little, same and different, prepositions (over, under, in, out, behind), shapes, number concepts, and others are easily taught with concrete objects as an alternative to pictures on paper. Parents of blind children are used to helping their children get accustomed to new places and will guide you in doing so. Usually, one or two visits to the classroom when the other children are not present will be enough to orient the child. Children will use many things to find their way around. The sound of the wall clock or heater may be a way for them to locate themselves. They quickly learn that the story time area is carpeted and that the dress-up area is next to the windows where they can feel the sun or hear the rain. Blindness does not mean that the child is totally without usable vision. Most of blind children have varying amounts of vision, which can be quite helpful. â€Å"Legal blindness† is a term you may hear. It means that a child has 10% or less of normal vision. Teachers need to know that many factors affect what, and how much, a child may see at any particular time. Type of eye condition, fatigue, lighting, excitement, etc. all affect a partially sighted child’s vision. There is little need to worry about the comfort the blind child will have with its peers in the classroom.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 39

Elena clutched the child to her. Damon had understood, even in his dazed and confused state. Everyone was connected. No one was alone. â€Å"And he asked something else. He asked if you would hold me, just like this – if I got sleepy.†Velvety dark eyes searched Elena's face. â€Å"Would you do that?† Elena tried to keep steady. â€Å"I'l hold you,†she promised. â€Å"And you won't let go ever?† â€Å"And I won't let go ever,†Elena told him, because he was a child, and there was no point in frightening him if he had no fear. And because maybe this part of Damon – this smal , innocent part – would have some kind of â€Å"forever.†She had heard that vampires didn't come back, didn't reincarnate the way humans did. The vampires in the top Dark Dimension were Still†alive† – adventurers or fortune-seekers, or condemned there as a prison by the Celestial Court. â€Å"I'l hold you,†Elena promised again. â€Å"Forever and ever.† Just then his smal body went into another spasm, and she saw tears on his dark eyelashes, and blood on his lip. But before she could say a word, he added, â€Å"I have more messages. I know them by heart. But† – his eyes begged her forgiveness – â€Å"I have to give them to the others.† What others? Elena thought at first, bewildered. Then she remembered. Stefan and Bonnie. There were other loved ones. â€Å"I can†¦tel them for you,†she said hesitantly, and he gave a tiny smile, his first, just the corner of one lip up. â€Å"He left me a little telepathy, too,†he said. â€Å"I kept it in case I had to cal to you.† Stillfiercely independent, Elena thought. Al she said was, â€Å"You go ahead, then.† â€Å"The first one is for my brother, Stefan.† â€Å"You can tel him in just a moment,†Elena said. She held on to the smal boy in Damon's soul, knowing that this was the last thing she had left to give him. She could sacrifice a few priceless seconds, so that Stefan and Bonnie could say their own good-byes. She made some sort of enormous adjustment to her real body – her body outside Damon's mind, and found herself opening her eyes, blinking and trying to focus. She saw Stefan's face, white and stricken. â€Å"Is he – ?† â€Å"No. But soon. He can hear telepathy, if you think clearly, as if you were speaking. He asked to talk to you.† â€Å"To me?†Stefan bent down slowly and put his cheek against his brother's. Elena shut her eyes again, guiding him down through the darkness to where one smal light was Stillshining. She felt Stefan's wonder as he saw her there, Stillholding the little dark-haired boy in her arms. Elena hadn't realized that through her link to the child, she would be able to hear every word spoken. Or that Damon's messages would come in the words of a child. The little boy said, â€Å"I guess you think I'm pretty stupid.† Stefan started. He'd never seen or heard the child-Damon before. â€Å"I could never think that,†he said slowly, marveling. â€Å"But it wasn't much like†¦ him, you know. Like†¦ me.† â€Å"I think,†Stefan said unsteadily, â€Å"that it's terribly sad – that I never real y knew either of you very well .† â€Å"Please don't be sad. That's what he told me to say. That you shouldn't be sad†¦or afraid. He said it's a little bit like going to sleep, and a little bit like flying.† â€Å"I'l †¦remember that. And – thank you – big brother.† â€Å"I think that's al . You know to watch over our girls†¦.†There was another of the terrible spasms that left the child breathless. Stefan spoke quickly. â€Å"Of course. I'l take care of everything. You fly.† Elena could feel the grief slash at Stefan's heart, but his voice was calm. â€Å"Fly away now, my brother. Fly away.† Elena felt something through the link – Bonnie touching Stefan's shoulder. He quickly got up so that she could lie down. Bonnie was almost hysterical with sobbing, but she had done a good thing, Elena saw. While Elena had been in her own little world with Damon, Bonnie had taken a dagger and cut off a long lock of Elena's hair. Then she had cut one of her own strawberry curls, and placed the locks – one wavy and golden, one curling and red-blond – on Damon's chest. It was al they could do on this flowerless world to honor him, to be with him forever. Elena could hear Bonnie, too, through her link with Damon, but at first al Bonnie could do was sob, â€Å"Damon, please! Oh, please! I didn't know – I never thought – that anyone would get hurt! You saved my life! And now – oh, please! I can't say good-bye!† She didn't understand, Elena thought, that she was talking to a very young child. But Damon had sent the child a message to repeat. â€Å"I'm supposed to tel you good-bye, though.†For the first time the child looked uneasy. â€Å"And – and I'm supposed to tel you ‘I'm sorry,'too. He thought you'd know what that meant and you'd forgive me. But†¦if you don't†¦I don't know what wil happen – oh!† Another of the hateful spasms went through the child. Elena held on to him hard, biting her own lip until the blood came; at the same time trying to shield the little boy completely from her own feelings. And deep in Damon's mind, she saw Bonnie's expression change, from tearful penance to astonished fear to careful control. As if Bonnie had grown up al in an instant. â€Å"Of course – of course I understand! And I forgive you – but you haven't done anything wrong. I'm such a sil y girl – I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We don't think you're a sil y girl,†the child said, looking vastly relieved. â€Å"But thank you for forgiving me. There's a special name I'm supposed to cal you, too – but I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He sank back against Elena. â€Å"I guess – I'm†¦getting sleepy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Was it ‘redbird'?†Bonnie asked careful y, and the little boy's pale face lit up. â€Å"That was it. You knew already. You're al †¦so nice and so smart. Thank you†¦for making it easy†¦But can I say one more thing?† Elena was about to answer, when abruptly she was jarred completely out of Damon's mind and back into reality. The Tree had slammed down another spider's leg set of branches, trapping them and Damon's body between two circles of wooden bars. Elena had no plans. No idea how to get to the star bal that Damon had died for. Either the Tree was intel igent, or it was wired to have such efficient defenses that it might as well have been. They were lying on the evidence that many, many people had tried for that star bal – and left behind their bones ground to sand. Come to that, she thought, I wonder why it hasn't gone for us, too – especial y for Bonnie. She's been in, and then out, and back in again, which I should never have let her do except that we were al thinking about Damon. Why didn't it go for her again? Stefan was trying to be strong, trying to organize something out of this disaster that was so stunning that Elena herself simply sat. Bonnie was sobbing again, making heart-wrenching sounds. Between both circular sets of bars a wooden network was spreading – too close-knit for even Bonnie to squeeze through. Elena's group was efficiently separated from anything outside the sand pit, and just as efficiently separated from the star bal . â€Å"The axe!†Stefan cal ed to her. â€Å"Throw me – â€Å" But there was no time. A rootlet had curled around it and was swiftly dragging it into the upper branches. â€Å"Stefan, I'm sorry! I was too slow!† â€Å"It was too fast!†Stefan corrected. Elena held her breath, waiting for the last crash from above, the one that would kil them al . When it didn't come, she realized something. The Tree was not only intel igent, but sadistic. They were to be trapped here, away from their supplies, to die slowly of thirst and starvation, or to go mad watching the others die. The best that they could hope for was that Stefan would kil both Bonnie and her – but even he would never get out. These wooden branches would come crashing down again and again, as often as the Tree felt necessary, until Stefan's crushed bones joined the others that had been mil ed to fine sand. That was what did it, the thought of al of them, trapped with Damon, making a mockery of his death. The thing that had been swelling inside Elena for weeks now, at hearing the stories about children who ate their pets, at creatures who delighted in pain, had, with Damon's sacrifice, final y gotten so big that she could no longer contain it. â€Å"Stefan, Bonnie – don't touch the branches,†she gasped. â€Å"Make sure you're not touching any part of the branches.† â€Å"I'm not, love, and Bonnie isn't either. But why?† â€Å"I can't keep it in anymore! I have to stand like this – â€Å" â€Å"Elena, no! That spel – â€Å" Elena could no longer think. The hateful demi-light was driving her mad, reminding her of the pinpoint of green in Damon's pupils, the horrible green light of the Tree. She understood exactly about the Tree's sadism to her friends†¦and in the corner of her eye she could see a bit of black†¦like a rag dol . Except that it was no dol ; it was Damon. Damon with al of his wild and witty spirit broken. Damon†¦who must be gone from this and al worlds by now. His face was covered with her blood. There was nothing peaceful or dignified about him. There was nothing the Tree had not taken from him. Elena lost her mind. With a scream that peeled raw and bleeding from her backbone and came hoarsely out of her throat, Elena grabbed a branch of the Tree that had kil ed Damon, that had murdered her beloved, and that would murder her and these two others she loved as well. She had no thoughts. She wasn't capable of thinking. But instinctively she held a high bough of the Tree's cage and let the fury explode out of her, the fury of murdered love. Wings of Destruction. She felt the Wings arch behind her, like ebony lace and black pearls, and for a moment she felt like a deadly goddess, knowing that this planet would never harbor any life ever again. When the attack flared out, it turned the twilight al around her to matte black. What a fitting color. Damon wil like this, she thought in confusion, and then she remembered again, and it slammed blistering out of her again, the Power to destroy the Tree al over this smal world. It shattered her from the inside but she let it keep coming. No physical pain could compare with what was in her heart, with the pain of losing what she had lost. No physical pain could express how she felt. The huge roots in the ground underneath them were bucking as if there was an earthquake, and then – There was a deafening sound as the trunk of the Great Tree exploded straight upward like a rocket, disintegrating to fine ash as it went. The spider's-leg bars around them simply disappeared along with the canopy above. Something in Elena's mind noted that very far away the same destruction was going on, racing to turn branches and leaves into infinitesimal bits of matter that hung in the air like haze. â€Å"The star bal !†Bonnie cried in the eerie silence, anguished. â€Å"Vaporized!†Stefan caught Elena as she sank to her knees, her ethereal black wings fading. â€Å"But we'd never have gotten it anyway. That Tree had been protecting it for thousands of years! Al we'd have gotten would have been a slow death.† Elena had turned back to Damon. She had not been touching the stake that ran through him – in seconds it would be the only remnant of the Tree on this world. She could hardly dare hope that there was a spark of life left in him now, but the child had wanted to speak with her and she would make that possible or die trying. She scarcely felt Stefan's arms around her. Once again, she plunged into the very depths of Damon's mind. This time she knew exactly where to go. And there, by a miracle, he was, although obviously in hideous pain. Tears were rol ing down his cheeks and he was trying not to sob. His lips were bitten raw. Her Wings had not been able to destroy the wood inside him – it had already done its poisonous damage – and there was no way to reverse that. â€Å"Oh, no, oh God!†Elena caught the child in her arms. A teardrop fel on her hand. She rocked him, scarcely knowing what she was saying. â€Å"What can I do to help?† â€Å"You're here again,†he said, and in his voice, she heard the answer. This was al that he wanted. He was a very simple child. â€Å"I'l be here – always. Always. I'm never letting go.† This didn't have the effect that she wanted. The boy gasped, trying to smile, but was torn with a horrible spasm that almost arched his body out of her arms. And Elena realized that she was turning the inevitable into slow, excruciating torture. â€Å"I'l hold you,†she modified her words for him, â€Å"until you want me to let go. All right?† He nodded. His very voice was breathless with pain. â€Å"Could you – could you let me shut my eyes? Just†¦just for a moment?† Elena knew, as perhaps this child did not, what would happen if she stopped badgering him and let him sleep. But she couldn't stand to see him suffering any longer, and nothing was real again, and there was no one else in the world for her, and she didn't even care if doing it this way meant she would fol ow him into death. Careful y steadying her voice, she said, â€Å"Maybe†¦we can both shut our eyes. Not for a long time – no! But†¦just for a moment.† She kept rocking the smal body in her arms. She could Stillfeel a faint pulse of life†¦not a heartbeat, but Still, a pulsing. She knew that he hadn't shut his eyes yet; that he was Stillfighting the torture. For her. Not for anything else. For her sake only. Putting her lips close to his ear, she whispered, â€Å"Let's close our eyes together, All right? Let's close them†¦at the count of three. Is that All right?† There was such relief in his voice and such love. â€Å"Yes. Together. I'm ready. You can count now.† â€Å"One.†Nothing mattered except holding him and keeping herself steady. â€Å"Two. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Elena?† She was startled. Had the child ever said her name before? â€Å"Yes, sweetheart?† â€Å"Elena†¦I†¦love you. Not just because of him. I love you too.† Elena had to hide her face in his hair. â€Å"I love you, too, little one. You've always known that, haven't you?† â€Å"Yes – always.† â€Å"Yes. You've always known that. And now†¦we'l close our eyes – for a moment. Three. â€Å" She waited until the last faint movement stopped, and his head fel back, and his eyes were shut and the shadow of suffering was gone. He looked, not peaceful, but simply gentle – and kind, and Elena could see in his face what an adult with Damon's features and that expression would look like. But now even the smal body was evaporating right out of Elena's arms. Oh, she was stupid. She'd forgotten to close her eyes with him. She was so dizzy, even though Stefan had stopped the bleeding from her neck. Closing her eyes†¦ maybe she would look as he had. Elena was so glad that he'd gone gently at the end. Maybe the darkness would be kind to her, too. Everything was quiet now. Time to put away her toys and draw the curtains. Time now to get in bed. One last embrace†¦and now her arms were empty. Nothing left to do, nothing left to fight. She'd done her best. And, at least, the child had not been frightened. Time to turn off the light now. Time to shut her own eyes. The darkness was very kind to her, and she went into it gently.