Saturday, November 30, 2019

To kill a mocking bird. Admirable qualities of Atticus Finch Essay Example

To kill a mocking bird. Admirable qualities of Atticus Finch Paper This story has all the qualities of a great fiction novel. That is why the novel is so famous fifty four years later. When I read this story, I got lost in the intricate plot, and remained entertained through Gem, Dill, and Scouts adventures, all the way to the heart wrenching ending. Like many books, this novel contains a unique cast of admirable characters who demonstrate a variety of likable qualities. Tactics Finch, one of the mall characters, exhibits many honorable traits that any reader would appreciate. In Harper Lees To Kill a Mocking Bird Tactics illustrates the qualities of being humble, intelligent, and ultimately courageous. Firstly, Tactics is a very humble man. He doesnt let pride get the best of him, and he always pushes to do the right thing. An example of his humbleness is when he allows Walter Cunningham, a little boy who is a poor farm child, into his home for dinner one evening. The thought of having a poor farm boy Into a wealthy, successful lawyers home In todays world Just doesnt happen. But Tactics TLD care about how much money someone had or the type of clothes they had on their back: anyone was welcome into his home. Scout, Tactics daughter didnt think the same. She said, He into company, Tactics, hes Just a Cunningham. California, Tactics house maid, knew that Tactics allowed anyone into their home and replied, Hush your mouth! Dont matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house you company and dont let me catch you remarking on their ways like you was so high and mighty (Lee 33). We will write a custom essay sample on To kill a mocking bird. Admirable qualities of Atticus Finch specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To kill a mocking bird. Admirable qualities of Atticus Finch specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To kill a mocking bird. Admirable qualities of Atticus Finch specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It Is evident that Tactics had his home pen to anyone and you can tell that he teaches his children the same. And doesnt want them to think they are better than anyone else. When necessary his house maid, California, has to remind them every so often of their fathers rules Another example is that, Tactics is highly intelligent. Not only is he book smart, but he is very street smart, too. Tactics is a lawyer, so he knows the law, and being a lawyer takes a lot of knowledge. In the book it says, Tactics Finch went to Montgomery to read law. (Lee 5) So he knew all the rules and regulations federally and In state. Also, being a lifelong citizen, everyone knew Tactics and he knew everyone, he knew his neighbors and how they felt about certain situations. For example, when Tom Robinson was at the Jail house, Tactics suspected that something fishy might go down. So Tactics spent that night at watch, protecting Tom Robinson. And Just as he suspected, all the towns men came late that night to try and hurt Tom Robinson, but Tactics was there to stop him. This makes It safe to say Tactics Intelligence and gut feeling saved Tom Robinsons life, Lastly, Tactics Is a very courageous man. One example is he is a single parent raising two children, has a steady job, and keep up his household. Another example, which is the main subject in the story is that, Tactics defended Tom Robinson, a young black man accused of a sexually heinous crime; raping a white woman. During that time, if a black person was accused of something, they were automatically guilty. But Tactics believed that Tom was wanted a fair case. He didnt care about what anyone said, or how they felt about him. He knew it was his Job and duty to do the right thing, even if it had uniqueness. For that reason, Tactics is found to be very courageous for wanting to do the right thing even when the outcome may have been inevitable. In conclusion, there are many reasons why Tactics Finch is a likeable character in To Kill a Mocking Bird. Ultimately, him being humble, intelligent, and courageous makes him admirable. In particular these traits teach people important values that all mankind should exhibit and strive to live life with. Lees novel is definitely a novel whose admirable characters leave a lasting impression on all of its readers.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to Find the Best Firewood for Burning

How to Find the Best Firewood for Burning Finding Firewood If you are looking for firewood to cut, you need a wood source that is relatively close to your storage area and easily accessible by your vehicle. If you have a place to store and season the cut wood, inexpensive wood can be found nearly anywhere trees are being removed because of storms, right-of-way clearing, or logging. Places to look for wood include sawmill yards, national forests, logging and arboricultural operations and even your own property. The old saying, the best firewood is free firewood has some merit if you have the desire and equipment to process it and a place to store it. Many urban firewood users purchase processed wood because of its convenience, availability, and deliverability. It takes a lot less room to store the wood and is usually processed to fit the fireplace or stove. Processed firewood comes at a premium cost associated with its preparation, handling, and transportation. You should acquaint yourself with the value of firewood in your area and pay a fair price. You can find plenty of great dealers online and in the phone book. The Easiest Wood to Split Various woods have different splitting characteristics which are important to consider. Some woods split with little effort while others can be tough, stringy, and difficult to split. Splitting enables the wood to dry out faster and reduces the size of the sticks to stove or fireplace size. Some wood has to be split to use in a stove. Tree species to avoid because of splitting difficulties are elm, sycamore, and gum. Tree species especially easy to split are most conifers, oaks, ash and hard maple. Woods with interlocking grain like elm, gum or sycamore are to be avoided and are difficult to split even with a mechanical log splitter. A couple  rules of thumb should also be remembered: green wood will split more easily than dry wood and softwoods will generally split more easily than hardwoods. How Wood Burns Every species of wood provides different quantities (BTUs) of usable heat when burnedwe will discuss this, further in the next section. Heating efficiency of firewood depends on how that wood progresses through the three stages of burning.   In the first stage, wood is heated to the point where moisture within the wood cells is driven off and the cells are drying out. As the wood is losing moisture, it is chemically changing into charcoal, which is famous for its volatile gasses and liquids. Stopping the process at this point is where the charcoal industry packages their products. In the second stage, actual flames burn off the volatile gasses and  liquids to the point at which the charcoal has lost most of these volatile fuels. Much of the woods fuel energy is lost during this stage and premium wood burning systems can improve their efficiency. The third and final stage occurs when the charcoal burns and produce visible, glowing embers. This is called coaling. At this point, heat is radiated from the burning bed of coals. Different species of wood burn and expend energy differently throughout these three stages. Good firewood species should be dry, should burn through the second stage without sparks with a minimum of smoke production, and should spend a long time burning in the third coaling phase. Wood That Burns Best The heating potential of wood depends upon the increased density of that wood. A woods density is genetically determined by the tree species. Dense or heavy wood contains higher heating values, in British thermal units per unit volume, than lighter wood. A British thermal unit (BTU) measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Most of us dont realize that air dried wood will produce about 7,000 BTU’s per pound. Regardless of the species, all wood burns with the same value. The complication here is in the density variation between different species, which can be significant. As an example, one unit of heavy oak wood will produce roughly as much heat as two units of cottonwood when measuring BTU output. Therefore,  lighter woods like cottonwood and willow will produce the same heat per pound as the heavier oak and hickory woods. This means that a greater volume of cottonwood is needed than oak to produce the same amount of heat. Also consider that some species of wood start easier than others but give off more smoke and more sparks than others. Easy starting wood is not necessarily the best wood to use for heating. Remember that different species of wood will last longer and have better coaling qualities than others. It is important to consider these factors when selecting firewood. The Needle and the Leaf Debate Then comes the  issue of burning needled conifers and softer wood species. Harder wood species that are very dense, and typically called hardwoods, are the firewood of choice in North America. However, not everyone has access to wood from the Eastern hardwood forest. Conifers and softwoods have served well in those regions with limited hardwoods but the limitations are overcome with proper preparation and appropriate wood burning systems. On the positive side, conifers are easier to ignite because they are resinous. Still, these softwoods tend to burn rapidly with a high, hot flame and burn out quickly, requiring frequent attention. Finding a wood heating unit that can store this quick heat and distribute it through time is critical. Red cedar and other trees with high-resin will often hold moisture pockets which can be both irritating and dangerous without the proper burning hardware. When heated these trapped gasses will pop and cause sparks. This can present a significant fire risk, especially when burned in open fireplaces without screens. Hardwoods will burn longer but less vigorously when compared to softwoods. The wood is harder to start and conifers are often used to kindle the wood burning process. Hardwoods make the best fuel because they tend to produce more coals, a process called coaling, that lasts longer than softwoods. A well-seasoned oak makes an excellent fuel because it produces a uniformly short flame and provides heat preserving coals.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Bacon Roger

Bacon Roger Roger Bacon is an academic philosopher and scientist in the UK, one of the most influential teachers of the 13th century. He was born in 1214 at Irchester in Somerset State. Roger Bacon was educated at the University of Oxford and the University of Paris. After studying, he stayed in Paris and taught at the university in Paris for a while. When he returned to England around 1251, he entered the Franciscan religious order and lived in Oxford. He did active research and experimental work in the field of alchemy, optics, astronomy. Philosopher and theologian B Bacon, Roger (1214 - 1294) Roger Bacon was born in 1214 as a wealthy parent of Il Chester, Somerset State, England. He received education at Oxford University and then traveled to Paris. Bacon is familiar with arithmetic, astronomy, classics, geometry and music. After receiving the master of his art, he lectured at Aristotle. From 1247 to 1257 he studied alchemy and mathematics in detail. He does not believe the idea m ade by his generation of the same generation, and he does not like to do scientific experiments. He strongly opposed his beliefs. Some people think that they built the foundation of modern science in the 3 rd century. Bacon gave hints on making gunpowder. His experiment on the nature of light is remarkable. He observed the solar eclipse through a design that projects the image through a pinhole. During the school days, Bacon was strongly influenced by the Franciscan society and received a Franciscan Decree in 1255. The medieval British philosopher Roger Bacon insisted on the importance of so - called empirical science. In this respect, he is often considered a pioneer of modern science. Little is known about the details of Roger Bacon's lifetime and the chronology and inspiration of his major work. Bacon seems to have been born in Il Chester, Somerset State, England. He is not a big family, but he was born to a nobleman. When he was young, he studied works of ancient Greeks, mathema tics, geometry, astronomy and music. At the age of thirteen he entered Oxford University where he spent eight years. He eventually won a high degree in art.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Learning Effective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Learning Effective - Essay Example Teaching and learning information and knowledge is an anachronism, secondly a wider choice of the population procedure and produce knowledge. Knowledge is not the ownership of a small number of â€Å"experts†, thirdly, prospects for employment link more to the skill to improve and convey learning. The collection of a qualification is not sufficient and lastly the land of knowledge is a great deal richer and wider, involving numerous sources, forms and contexts. â€Å"Learning is no longer the province of special institutions: it is a way of being. In such a context the goals of learning need to focus less on knowledge acquisition by individuals, and more on knowledge-generation with others.† ( Institute of Education) Effective students have achieved knowledge of the social and individual procedure essential to become successful learners. This is not simply attainment of specific tactics, but the supervising and evaluation of knowledge to observe whether approaches are effectual. This has been explained as "metalearning" and "teaching how to learn†. Effective learning comprises this extra critical element which dynamically engages the learner in meta-cognitive procedure of setting up, supervising and reflecting. As a result we can deduce that learning is an endeavor of construction, dealt with others and driven by the agency of learners. Effective learning is every one of these properties at their best, as well as the review and monitoring of whether tactics and approaches are proving helpful for the specific context and goals. An effective student is resourceful and is able to actively make use of various approaches and strategies for different purposes and contexts, for instance, gaining knowledge from books even as alone, generating knowledge with different people during a project, actively paying attention to an explanation, constructing conversation with

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Illegal trade, smuggling and forgery of luxury goods Essay

Illegal trade, smuggling and forgery of luxury goods - Essay Example There have been increases in smuggling activities, which have been aided by advances in technology and the emergence of new economies like China. Forgery of luxury has also been on the increase due to increased demand for these items making it a lucrative venture for many individuals. This paper seeks to discuss illegal trade, smuggling and forgery of luxury goods in the world. Forgery is term used to describe the imitation of and adaptation of items, objects and even identity of persons in an effort to pass them as the originals. The practice of producing forgeries is referred to as forging, and the forging of money or currencies is referred to as counterfeiting. Documents are also forged as when bank checks are forged or important personal documents like birth and death certificates, passports, drivers’ licenses and other important documentation. The forgery of art is another lucrative practice that sees the imitation of master paintings by Picasso, Da Vinci and Van Gogh. Ar t forgery is a thriving industry that involves the creation and sale of art works that are falsely credited to famous artists like Da Vinci and Van Gogh instead of their actual painters or creators (Keats 112). The increased demand for works of art by famous creators like Benini and Da Vinci makes forgery of these works of art a lucrative business. The value of forged art is determined by the name of the purported creator or artist (Keats 73). The forging of the Picasso painting by my second cousin involved a careful process that was characterized by getting the right paints and other materials like the painting medium. He chose the right scene or object in a painting to paint in order to capture all the elements that are identifiable with the original or master’s aspects (Keats 76). Forging masters requires that the imitations resemble the originals, which are usually aged and have the telltale signs of age. These signs include cracks filled up with dirt and faded colors. To age the painting in order to make it resemble the original, my cousin applied bleach to the back of the painting to make it feel old and brittle (Keats 96). The frame and the front of the painting was aged using a concoction of brown paint and thinner to age the wood frame, while the front was aged by a 70/30 blend of brown paint and thinner. Every painting by a master possesses an identifying signature or marker that confirms the identity of the true creator or artist. My cousin who is skilled enough in both of these processes did this or they can be done another individual who is skilled in the art of forging signatures and other identifying marks. I was able to easily forge ownership documentation for the painting, and acquire an authentication certificate showing that my fake Picasso was indeed an original. I was able to achieve this fete by bribing corrupt officials in the department of arts at a renowned local museum. The convention on the international trade in endangered sp ecies (CITES) is an international agreement between nations and states to ban the trade in animal and plant specimens that endangers their survival (Becker & Wehinger 28). Through CITES initiative and related organizations, a number of policies have been formulated and implemented to limit or completely ban the use, sale and trade of various goods associated with negative externalities

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Homeland Security Essay The challenge to traditional policing issued in the 1970s has created a new concept of policing and that is the role of policing in homeland security. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the federal government has shifted to a policy of homeland security, and part of that has incorporated local firefighters and local police agencies (Oliver Hilgenberg, 2004). But the creation has a lot of inadequacies. First, so much confusion still abounds in terms of what homeland security means: is it simply being more watchful for suspicious activities, is it intelligence gathering on the part of patrol officers, or is it standing guard at possible terrorist targets in their jurisdictions? Another inadequacy is not so much determining if local police are going to play a role in this new public policy but rather what role they can play. And, beyond determining what role the police will play in homeland security, the natural extension of this is to ask who will pay. Moreover, as the public policy of homeland security is clearly a national policy issue, it would seem that the policy will be an intergovernmental one driven by the presidential administration. While there have been some intergovernmental grant programs implemented, many of these have been slow to reach the local level, raising further questions as to what role state and local police can play without the necessary resources. While it is too soon to determine how this new policy will play out in terms of policing in America, there is little doubt that this will be an active part of the public policy process in policing for years to come. As America responded quickly to the attacks by educating themselves on terrorism and demanding action from government, the president and the U. S. Congress quickly began a process of restructuring government to focus on antiterrorism (prevention techniques) and counterterrorism (how to actively respond to terrorists) measures in order to meet these new demands. The creation of the Office of Homeland Security and its subsequent passage as a cabinet-level department is an inclination that the national government is moving in this direction. In addition, many of the grants for local agencies are now centered on homeland security, and perhaps most telling is the fact that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services had its budget slashed by the Bush administration, but the Department of Homeland Security has seen its budget allocations increase substantially. Although only time will tell if American law enforcement has entered into a new era of policing, there is little doubt that homeland security has become an overriding policy of the current administration and that, it will continue to be at least until January 2009 (Office of Homeland Security , 2002). Hence, a coordinated response to Homeland Security was good for interagency operations. That is why President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act into law on November 25, 2002 (National Public Radio, 2002). It has been touted to be the greatest reorganization of the federal government since the beginning of the Cold War. Several departments have been assigned to the new Secretary for Homeland Security. Some of the agencies transferred to the Homeland Security (DHS) include the United States Secret Service, National Infrastructure Protection Center, Energy Assurance Office, National Communications System, United States Coast Guard, Customs Service, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Protective Service, Functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Office of Domestic Preparedness, Selected functions of the Department of Agriculture, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, National Bio-Weapons Defense Analysis Center, Nuclear threat assessment programs, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Domestic Emergency Support Team, Metropolitan Medical Response System, National Disaster Medical System, Strategic National Stockpile of the Department of Public Health, Nuclear Incident Response Team, A new Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Further, this new department is arranged under five Under Secretaries for: (1) Information Analysis and Infrastructure, (2) Science and Technology, (3) Border and Transportation Security, (4) Emergency Preparedness and Response, and (5) Management Services (Oliver, 341-342). The purpose of this massive reorganization of course is to centralize government planning and response. The DHS has been charged to cooperate and coordinate with state and local governments. The CIA and FBI remain separate agencies. In the homeland security, the government is calling for full participation by state and local agencies. Hence, it is good as it seeks to develop cooperative relationships with existing police agencies and homeland defense managers need to negotiate power sharing arrangements with state and local police.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Spatial Cognition and Navigation :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Spatial Cognition and Navigation In the complex dissection of the human brain evolving in our course, great strides have been made on the path to comprehension of thought and action. Evidence concerning the true relationship of mind, body, and behavior has been elucidated through discoveries of the neural pathways enabling active translation of input to output. We have suggested the origins of action, discussed stimuli both internal and external, as well as concepts of self, agency, and personality interwoven with a more accessible comprehension of physical functionality. However, I remain unable to superimpose upon the current construct of brain and behavior a compatible notion of awareness of self. What are the cognitive and neural mechanisms involved in understanding the spatial relationships between oneself and other objects in the world? How do we even become aware of space and the environment in which we live? What element of the nervous system governs those processes, which enable human beings to navigat e through space? The term "spatial cognition" is used to describe those processes controlling behavior that must be directed at particular location, as well as those responses that depend on location or spatial arrangement of stimuli (1). Navigation refers to the process of strategic route planning and way finding, where way finding is defined as a dynamic step-by-step decision-making process required to negotiate a path to a destination (2). As a spatial behavior, negotiation demands a spatial representation; a neural code that distinguishes one place or spatial arrangement of stimuli from another (1). What, though, serves as such a representation in navigation and from where are these representations derived? The processes occurring within the hippocampus provide such representations. The hippocampal mode of processing is concerned primarily with large distances and long spaces of time. These processes demand a very specific form of spatial representation, which relate locations to one another as well as to landmarks in an environment, rather than simply to the agent of action. Spatial attention and action, which result from encoded sensory information, are controlled by the parietal neocortex (1). Information relating to the location and stimuli derived from that location is encoded in sensory cortices. Informed by this egocentric information, allocentric representations provide a basis from which one's current location and orientation can be computed from one's relationship to sensory cues in the environment. This particular set of locations is referred to as a cognitive map.

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Eight

â€Å"What?† said Elena dully. â€Å"Well, the way she ended up, in her slip. She looked just like she did when we found her on the road, only then she was all scratched up, too.† â€Å"Cat scratches, we thought,† said Meredith, finishing the last bite of her cake. She seemed to be in one of her quiet, thoughtful moods; right now she was watching Elena closely. â€Å"But that doesn't seem very likely.† Elena looked straight back at her. â€Å"Maybe she fell in some brambles,† she said. â€Å"Now, if you guys are finished eating, do you want to see that first note?† They left their dishes in the sink and climbed the stairs to Elena's room. Elena felt herself flush as the other girls read the note. Bonnie and Meredith were her best friends, maybe her only friends now. She'd read them passages from her diary before. But this was different. It was the most humiliating feeling she'd ever had. â€Å"Well?† she said to Meredith. â€Å"The person who wrote this is five feet eleven inches tall, walks with a slight limp, and wears a false mustache,† Meredith intoned. â€Å"Sorry,† she added, seeing Elena's face. â€Å"Not funny. Actually, there's not much to go on, is there? The writing looks like a guy's, but the paper looks feminine.† â€Å"And the whole thing has sort of a feminine touch,† put in Bonnie, bouncing slightly on Elena's bed. â€Å"Well, it does,† she said defensively. â€Å"Quoting bits of your diary back at you is the kind of thing a woman would think of. Men don't care about diaries.† â€Å"You just don't want it to be Damon,† said Meredith. â€Å"I would think you'd be more worried about him being a psycho killer than a diary thief.† â€Å"I don't know; killers are sort of romantic. Imagine your dying with his hands around your throat. He'd strangle the life out of you, and the last thing you'd see would be his face.† Putting her own hands to her throat, Bonnie gasped and expired tragically, ending up draped across the bed. â€Å"He can have me anytime,† she said, eyes still closed. It was on Elena's lips to say, â€Å"Don't you understand, this isserious ,† but instead she hissed in a breath. â€Å"Oh,God ,† she said, and ran to the window. The day was humid and stifling, and the window had been opened. Outside on the skeletal branches of the quince tree was a crow. Elena threw the sash down so hard that the glass rattled and tinkled. The crow gazed at her through the trembling panes with eyes like obsidian. Rainbows glimmered in its sleek black plumage. â€Å"Why did yousay that?† she said, turning to Bonnie. â€Å"Hey, there's nobody out there,† said Meredith gently. â€Å"Unless you count the birds.† Elena turned away from them. The tree was empty now. â€Å"I'm sorry,† said Bonnie in a small voice, after a moment. â€Å"It's just that it all doesn't seem real sometimes, even Mr. Tanner's being dead doesn't seem real. And Damon did look†¦ well, exciting. But dangerous. I â€Å"And besides, he wouldn't squeeze your throat; he'd cut it,† Meredith said. â€Å"Or at least that was what he did to Tanner. But the old man under the bridge had his throat ripped open, as if some animal had done it.† Meredith looked to Elena for clarification. â€Å"Damon doesn't have an animal, does he?† â€Å"No. I don't know.† Suddenly, Elena felt very tired. She was worried about Bonnie, about the consequences of those foolish words. â€Å"I can do anything to you, to you and the ones you love,† she remembered. What might Damon do now? She didn't understand him. He was different every time they met. In the gym he'd been taunting, laughing at her. But the next time she would swear that he'd been serious, quoting poetry to her, trying to get her to come away with him. Last week, with the icy graveyard wind lashing around him, he'd been menacing, cruel. And underneath his mocking words last night, she'd felt the same menace. She couldn't predict what he'd do next. But, whatever happened, she had to protect Bonnie and Meredith from him. Especially since she couldn't warn them properly. And what was Stefan up to? She needed him right now, more than anything. Wherewas he? It started that morning. â€Å"Let me get this straight,† Matt said, leaning against the scarred body of his ancient Ford sedan when Stefan approached him before school. â€Å"You want to borrow my car.† â€Å"Yes,† Stefan said. â€Å"And the reason you want to borrow it is flowers. You want to get some flowers for Elena.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And these particular flowers, these flowers you've just got to get, don't grow around here.† â€Å"They might. But their blooming season is over this far north. And the frost would have finished them off anyway.† â€Å"So you want to go down south – how far south you don't know – to find some of these flowers that you've just got to give to Elena.† â€Å"Or at least some of the plants,† Stefan said. â€Å"I'd rather have the actual flowers though.† â€Å"And since the police still have your car, you want to borrow mine, for however long it takes you to go down south and find these flowers that you've just got to give to Elena.† â€Å"I figure driving is the least conspicuous way to leave town,† Stefan explained. â€Å"I don't want the police to follow me.† â€Å"Uh huh. And that's why you want my car.† â€Å"Am I going to give my car to the guy who stole my girlfriend and now wants to take a jaunt down south to get her some kind of special flowers she's just got to have? Are you crazy?† Matt, who had been staring out over the roofs of the frame houses across the street, turned at last to look at Stefan. His blue eyes, usually cheerful and straightforward, were full of utter disbelief, and surmounted by twisted, puckered brows. Stefan looked away. He should have known better. After everything Matt had already done for him, to expect more was ridiculous. Especially these days, when people flinched from the sound of his step and avoided his eyes when he came near. To expect Matt, who had the best of reasons to resent him, to do him such a favor with no explanation, on the basis of faith alone, reallywas insane. â€Å"No, I'm not crazy,† he said quietly, and turned to go. â€Å"Neither am I,† Matt had said. â€Å"And I'd have to be crazy to turn my car over to you. Hell, no. I'm going with you.† By the time Stefan had turned back around, Matt was looking at the car instead of him, lower lip thrust forward in a wary, judicious pout. â€Å"After all,† he'd said, rubbing at the flaking vinyl of the roof, â€Å"you might scratch the paint or something.† Elena put the phone back on the hook.Somebody was at the boarding house, because somebody kept picking up the phone when it rang, but after that there was only silence and then the click of disconnection. She suspected it was Mrs. Flowers, but that didn't tell her anything about where Stefan was. Instinctively, she wanted to go to him. But it was dark outside, and Stefan had warned her specifically not to go out in the dark, especially not anywhere near the cemetery or the woods. The boarding house was near both. â€Å"No answer?† said Meredith as Elena came back and sat down on the bed. â€Å"She keeps hanging up on me,† Elena said, and muttered something under her breath. â€Å"Did you say she was a witch?† â€Å"No, but it rhymes with that,† said Elena. â€Å"Look,† said Bonnie, sitting up. â€Å"If Stefan's going to call, he'll call here. There's no reason for you to come and stay the night with me.† Therewas a reason, although Elena couldn't quite explain it even to herself. After all, Damon had kissed Bonnie at Alaric Saltzman's party. It was Elena's fault that Bonnie was in danger in the first place. Somehow she felt that if she were at least on the scene, she might be able to protect Bonnie. â€Å"My mom and dad and Mary are all home,† Bonnie persisted. â€Å"And we lock all our doors and windows and everything since Mr. Tanner was murdered. This weekend Dad even put on extra locks. I don't see whatyou can do.† She left a message for Stefan with Aunt Judith, telling him where she was. There was still a lingering constraint between her and her aunt. And there would be, Elena thought, until Aunt Judith changed her mind about Stefan. At Bonnie's house, she was given a room that had belonged to one of Bonnie's sisters who was now in college. The first thing she did was check the window. It was closed and locked, and there was nothing outside that someone could climb, like a drainpipe or tree. As inconspicuously as possible, she also checked Bonnie's room and any others she could get into. Bonnie was right; they were all sealed up tight from the inside. Nothing from the outside could get in. She lay in bed a long time that night, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She kept remembering Vickie dreamily doing a striptease in the cafeteria. What was wrong with the girl? She would remember to ask Stefan that next time she saw him. Thoughts of Stefan were pleasant, even with all the terrible things that had happened recently. Elena smiled in the darkness, letting her mind wander. Someday all this harassment would be over, and she and Stefan could plan a life together. Of course, he hadn't actually said anything about that, but Elena herself was sure. She was going to marry Stefan, or no one. And Stefan was going to marry no one but her†¦ The transition into dreaming was so smooth and gradual that she scarcely noticed it. But she knew, somehow, that shewas dreaming. It was as if a little part of her was standing aside and watching the dream like a play. She was sitting in a long hallway, which was covered with mirrors on one side and windows on the other. She was waiting for something. Then she saw a flicker of movement, and Stefan was standing outside the window. His face was pale and his eyes were hurt and angry. She went over to the window, but she couldn't hear what he was saying because of the glass. In one hand, he was holding a book with a blue velvet cover, and he kept gesturing to it and asking her something. Then he dropped the book and turned away. â€Å"Stefan, don't go! Don't leave me!† she cried. Her fingers flattened whitely on the glass. Then she noticed that there was a latch on one side of the window and she opened it, calling to him. But he had disappeared and outside she saw only swirling white mist. Disconsolately, she turned away from the window and began walking down the hall. Her own image glimmered in mirror after mirror as she went by them. Then something about one of the reflections caught her eye. The eyes were her eyes, but there was a new look in them, a predatory, sly look. Vickie's eyes had looked that way when she was undressing. And there was something disturbing and hungry about her smile. As she watched, standing still, the image suddenly whirled around and around, as if dancing. Horror swept over Elena. She began to run down the hall, but now all the reflections had a life of their own, dancing, beckoning to her, laughing at her. Just when she thought her heart and lungs would burst with terror, she reached the end of the corridor and flung open a door. She was standing in a large and beautiful room. The lofty ceiling was intricately carved and inlaid with gold; the doorways were faced with white marble. Classical statues stood in niches along the walls. Elena had never seen a room of such splendor, but she knew where she was. In Renaissance Italy, when Stefan She looked down at herself and saw she was wearing a dress like the one she'd had made for Halloween, the ice blue Renaissance ball gown. But this dress was a deep ruby red, and around her waist she wore a thin chain set with brilliant red stones. The same stones were in her hair. When she moved, the silk shimmered like flames in the light of hundreds of torches. At the far end of the room, two huge doors swung inward. A figure appeared between them. It walked toward her, and she saw that it was a young man dressed in Renaissance clothing, doublet and hose and fur-trimmed jerkin. Stefan! She started toward him eagerly, feeling the weight of her dress swing from the waist. But when she got closer she stopped, drawing in a sharp breath. It was Damon. He kept on walking toward her, confident, casual. He was smiling, a smile of challenge. Reaching her, he put one hand over his heart and bowed. Then he held out the hand to her as if daring her to take it. â€Å"Do you like dancing?† he said. Except that his lips didn't move. The voice was in her mind. Her fear drained away, and she laughed. What was wrong with her, to have ever been afraid of him? They understood each other very well. But instead of taking his hand, she turned away, the silk of the dress turning after her. She moved lightly toward one of the statues along the wall, not glancing back to see if he was following her. She knew he would. She pretended to be absorbed in the statue, moving away again just as he reached her, biting her lip to hold in the laughter. She felt wonderful right now, so alive, so beautiful. Dangerous? Of course, this game was dangerous. But she had always enjoyed danger. The next time he drew near her, she glanced at him teasingly as she turned. He reached out, but caught only the jeweled chain at her waist. He let go quickly, and, looking back, she saw that the pronged setting on one of the gems had cut him. The drop of blood on his finger was just the color of her dress. His eyes flashed at her sideways, and his lips curved in a taunting smile as he held the wounded finger up. You wouldn't dare, those eyes said. Oh, wouldn't I? Elena told him with her own eyes. Boldly, she took his hand and held it a moment, teasing him. Then she brought the finger to her lips. After a few moments, she released it and looked up at him. â€Å"Ido like dancing,† she said, and found that, like him, she could speak with her mind. It was a thrilling sensation. She moved to the center of the room and waited. He followed her, graceful as a stalking beast. His fingers were warm and hard when they clasped hers. There was music, although it faded in and out and sounded far away. Damon placed his other hand on her waist. She could feel the warmth of his fingers there, the pressure. She picked up her skirts, and they began dancing. It was lovely, like flying, and her body knew every move to make. They danced around and around that empty room, in perfect timing, together. He was laughing down at her, his dark eyes glittering with enjoyment. She felt so beautiful; so poised and alert and ready for anything. She couldn't remember when she'd had this much fun. The room around her was blurring. She could see only his eyes, and they were making her feel more and more sleepy. She allowed her own eyes to half close, her head to fall back. She sighed. She couldfeel his gaze now, on her lips, on her throat. She smiled to herself and let her eyes close completely. He was supporting her weight now, keeping her from falling down. She felt his lips on the skin of her neck, burning hot as if he had a fever. Then she felt the sting, like the jabs of two needles. It was over quickly, though, and she relaxed to the pleasure of having her blood drawn out. She remembered this feeling, the feeling of floating on a bed of golden light. A delicious languor stole through all her limbs. She felt drowsy, as if it were too much trouble to move. She didn't want to move anyway; she felt too good. Her fingers were resting on his hair, clasping his head to her. Idly, she threaded them through the soft dark strands. His hair was like silk, warm and alive under her fingers. When she opened her eyes a slit, she saw that it reflected rainbows in the candlelight. Red and blue and purple, just like – just like the feathers†¦ And then everything shattered. There was pain at her throat suddenly, as if her soul was being torn out of her. She was pushing at Damon, clawing at him, trying to force him away. Screams rang in her ears. Damon was fighting her, but it wasn't Damon; it was a crow. Huge wings beat against her, thrashing in the air. Her eyes were open. She was awake and screaming. The ballroom was gone, and she was in a darkened bedroom. But the nightmare had followed her. Even as she reached for the light, it came at her again, wings thrashing in her face, sharp beak diving for her. Elena struck out at it, one hand flung up to protect her eyes. She was still screaming. She couldn't get away from it, those terrible wings kept flailing frantically, with a sound like a thousand decks of cards being shuffled at once. The door burst open, and she heard shouts. The warm, heavy body of the crow struck her and her screams went higher. Then someone was pulling her off the bed, and she was standing protected behind Bonnie's father. He had a broom and he was beating at the bird with it. Bonnie was standing in the doorway. Elena ran into her arms. Bonnie's father was shouting, and then came the slam of a window. â€Å"It's out,† Mr. McCullough said, breathing hard. Mary and Mrs. McCullough were just outside in the hallway, clad in bathrobes. â€Å"You're hurt,† Mrs. McCullough said to Elena in amazement. â€Å"The nasty thing's pecked you.† â€Å"I'm okay,† Elena said, brushing at a spot of blood on her face. She was so shaken that her knees were â€Å"How did it getin?† said Bonnie. Mr. McCullough was inspecting the window. â€Å"You shouldn't have left this open,† he said. â€Å"And what did you want to take the locks off for?† â€Å"I didn't,† Elena cried. â€Å"It was unlocked and open when I heard you screaming and came in,† Bonnie's father said. â€Å"I don't know who else could have opened it but you.† Elena choked back her protests. Hesitantly, cautiously, she moved to the window. He was right; the locks had been unscrewed. And it could have been done only from the inside. â€Å"Maybe you were sleepwalking,† said Bonnie, leading Elena away from the window as Mr. McCullough began putting the locks back on. â€Å"We'd better get you cleaned up.† Sleepwalking. Suddenly the entire dream flooded back to Elena. The hall of mirrors, and the ballroom, and Damon. Dancing with Damon. She pulled out of Bonnie's grasp. â€Å"I'll do it myself,† she said, hearing her own voice quaver on the edge of hysteria. â€Å"No – really – I want to.† She escaped into the bathroom and stood with her back to the locked door, trying to breathe. The last thing she wanted to do was look in a mirror. But at last, slowly, she approached the one over the sink, trembling as she saw the edge of her reflection, moving inch by inch until she was framed in the silvery surface. Her image stared back, ghastly pale, with eyes that looked bruised and frightened. There were deep shadows under them and smears of blood on her face. Slowly, she turned her head slightly and lifted up her hair. She almost cried out loud when she saw what was underneath. Two little wounds, fresh and open on the skin of her neck.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

My Roles as a Teacher Essay

My role as a ICT tutor, sometimes requires me to be mentor or even an absent friend to support my learners emotionally through their learning. All of this provides me the means to enable learning to the best of my ability. I have a responsibility to ensure that students gain the knowledge and skills they require to become effective learners. Also the responsibility to meet the high standards of professional and ethical behavior required by the learner, and my profession itself. The responsibilities listed below provide guidance for me as a teacher. * To demonstrate the highest standards of professional behaviour, exercise professional judgement and act in a considerate and sensitive manner when interacting with students, or caregivers, staff and the public. * To be conscious of the need for equitable treatment of all students, including those with disabilities or other special needs; to meet the individual learning needs of students and assist each student to maximize his or her learning outcomes. To be familiar with the provisions of legislation relevant to my official responsibilities. * To perform my duties efficiently and effectively and with honesty, integrity and fairness at all times * To ensure that decisions are made fairly and conveyed promptly both within the Department and to those students and members of the public who have a right to know. * To use information gained in the course of employment only for proper and appropriate purpose. To use public resources economically * I must not, under any circumstances, have sexual relationships with students. It is irrelevant whether the relationship is homosexual or heterosexual, consensual or non-consensual . The age of the students or staff member involved is also irrelevant. * I must not, under any circumstances, engage in conduct of a sexual nature with a student. Improper conduct of a sexual nature by me against a student includes sexual intercourse and any other form of child sexual abuse (which must be notified) as well as but not limited to: inappropriate conversations of a sexual nature; obscene language of a sexual nature; suggestive remarks or actions; jokes of a sexual nature; obscene gestures; unwarranted and inappropriate touching; sexual exhibitionism; personal correspondence with students in respect of my sexual feelings for the student; and deliberate exposure of students to sexual behavior of others. Prescribed medications and non-prescribed medications (such as analgesics) should only be administered in accordance with departmental guidelines. You must not give students alcohol or other drugs, or encourage or condone the use of alcohol or other drugs by students. * I must not, under any circumstances, use any form of discipline that includes any threat of physical violence or harm, corporal punishment or engage in any form of behaviour which could cause physical, emotional or psychological harm of any kind to students. Several examples of good or acceptable behaviour Teacher-student relationships †¢ Participate in social contact with a student only after obtaining informed consent of the student (and principal where appropriate); such contact includes meetings, sporting events, phone calls or electronic communications, e. g. , emails and text messages; †¢ When acting as a student’s mentor, develop a relationship with clear professional boundaries that cannot be misinterpreted as a personal, rather than a professional, interest in the student. If a student develops a ‘crush’ on you, inform a supervisor, so independent, sensitive advice and support are available; †¢ Praise and recognise all students when appropriate, so they all feel fairly treated. †¢ Physically contact students in a way that makes them comfortable, e. g. , shaking hands, a congratulatory pat on the back. †¢ To be alert to cues from students about how comfortable they are in your proximit y and respect individual needs for personal space. †¢ Be aware of cultural norms that may influence interpretation of your behaviour towards students.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Newspaper Headlines Lesson for Students of English

Newspaper Headlines Lesson for Students of English Take a look at any newspaper or magazine headline and you are likely to find incomplete sentences full of action-packed verbs. Headlines live in a linguistic bubble all by themselves because they ignore grammar conventions such as the use of helping verbs and so on. Of course, this means that newspaper headlines can be confusing to English language students. This is because newspaper headlines are often incomplete. For example: Difficult Times AheadUnder Pressure from BossMustang Referral Customer Complaint This lesson focuses on helping make sense of the strange forms used in newspaper headlines. You may want to review some of the most common grammar exceptions found in newspaper headlines before you take this lesson into class. Lesson Breakdown and Outline Aim: Understanding newspaper headlinesActivity: Translating newspaper headlines into more understandable EnglishLevel: Intermediate to higher levels Outline: Find some headlines in old newspapers or on the internet and cut them out. There should be at least two headlines per student.Pass out one of the headlines to each student. Give them a few minutes to think about the meaning of each headline.Ask students to read their headlines aloud and give an explanation of what they think the article in question concerns.As a class, brainstorm on possible structural meanings behind the strange grammar found in headlines (refer to grammar exceptions found in newspaper headlines).Ask students to fit the following headlines into the correct categories on the worksheet. You may want to have students pair up to do this.Correct the exercise as a class.Pass out the headlines you have left to the students. Ask each student to translate each headline into proper English and give an explanation of what they think the article in question concerns.As a homework option, you may want to ask students to find some headlines on their own and repeat this exercise. A further challenge might be to ask students to find headlines, read the articles, and then ask other students to interpret their headlines in small groups. Newspaper Headlines Exercises for Students of English 1. Match these newspaper headlines with the following categories (some headlines fit two categories): Newspaper Headlines Difficult Times AheadForgotten Brother AppearsJames Wood to Visit PortlandLandscaping Company Disturbance RegulationsMan Killed in AccidentMayor to Open Shopping MallMustang Referral Customer ComplaintOverwhelming Response of VotersPasserby Sees Woman JumpPresident Declares CelebrationProfessors Protest Pay CutsTommy the Dog Named HeroUnder Pressure from BossUnexpected VisitWidow Pension Pay Committee Categories Noun PhrasesNoun StringsSimple Tenses instead of Continuous or PerfectAuxiliary Verbs Dropped in Passive FormArticles DroppedInfinitive to Indicate Future 2. Try to translate the meaning of each of the headlines.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Cross-cultural Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Cross-cultural Communication - Research Paper Example .......................................3 2.0 Literature Review ..........................................................................................5 2.1 Cross cultural communication and conflicts............................................ 6 2.2 Types of communication styles................................................................ 7 2.2.1. Direct v indirect communication style............................................. 7 2.2.2 Attached v detached communication style ........................................7 2.2.3 Concrete v abstract communication style......................................... 8 2.3 Other aspects of communication................................................................ 8 2.4. Conflicts in the workplaces .......................................................................8 3.0 Research methodology ......................................................................................11 4.0 Research findings and discussions....................... .............................................. 12 5.0 Recommendations and conclusion..................................................................... 14 References ................................................................................................................15 1.0 Introduction Cross-cultural communication is a relatively new phrase that has gained global attention because of increased interaction of people from different cultural backgrounds. In the recent past globalization has produced better and faster methods of transportation that have improved movement of people across different regions in the world. In addition, fast and more efficient methods of communication through electronic and information technology has opened wider avenues for interaction between people of different cultures without the need of physical movement. Currently, most workplaces are multicultural, and this has created the need for establishing a favourable environment to promote good wo rking relations between the employees. In this respect, cross-cultural communication is important in order to develop, nurture, and improve relationships between employees from diverse cultural backgrounds (Tung, 1993: 357). However, Adler (1997: 31) notes that all communication is cultural irrespective of the background of the communicators. Cultural diversity in any organization could be both beneficial and detrimental to its performance. One of the major benefits of diversity in workplaces is that it provides an organization with a wide range of skills and human resources; however, it could cause conflicts that jeopardize the spirit of teamwork in an organization. This research paper investigated conflict and violence among employees in Ovine Medical centre, medium multicultural and imaginary healthcare facility in Singapore. 1.1 Objectives of the study The objective of this paper was to investigate i. Conflict and violence between employees at Ovine medical centre ii. Determine the effects of conflicts and violence on their performance and productivity iii. Establish the effect of cross-cultural communication on the customer satisfaction and retention in the medical facility. 1.2 Research questions i. Is cultural diversity responsible for conflict and violence in the facility? ii. Does conflict affect performance at the medical facility? iii. Is declining client satisfaction and retention caused by the conflict between the employees? 1.3 Organization background Ovine Medical Centre was started by a British Neurologist, Dr Gordon Cook

Saturday, November 2, 2019

WORLDVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WORLDVIEW - Essay Example The book of Timothy says God was pleased with His work. The question of identity is concerned with â€Å"Who am I?† The book of Genesis says that we are created by God in his own image and likeness (Weider & Guiterrez, 2011). God also calls Himself Almighty in the book of Genesis 17. As such we are His subjects are dignified since we are created in God’s image though all of us have sinned and fallen short of glory. Why do we exist? People often ask themselves this question at various stages of their lives especially when faced with difficulties. The main purpose of our creation is to glorify God (Sire, 2004). In the book of Genesis after man had sinned against God, He instructed man to till the land, multiply and fill the earth and worship Him. Morality entails what is right or wrong. Christians believe that there is an objective moral law based on the nature of God. The bible teaches that Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life and no one goes to the Father except through Him hence we must obey him. He has also given men moral conscience to discern right and wrong. The biblical worldview of destiny is that there is life after death (Weider & Guiterrez, 2011). Death is certain and the only way to have eternal life is through Jesus Christ who died on the cross and resurrected. Whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. Judgment awaits us after death for things done in this life. It influences the way we think about, treat, and speak to others on a daily basis in the belief that our actions after death will be judged based on things we do in this life. We are also all equal before God since we are created in His image hence we treat each other with respect. It also affects how we treat the environment and non-human creations. Everything was created by God and man was put in charge of the rest of the creation hence should look after it. We were also given a moral conscience to decide what is right or wrong unlike other