Three Witches and Macbeth - 2956 Words

The opening scene in Macbeth is a compact exposition. Everybody knows that a play is more restrained than a novel because it is written to be performed in less than three hrs. That is why it should attract the viewer and engage his or her attention from the beginning. That makes the opening scene of any play of such a great importance. The opening scene in a play acts as an expository scene that introduces the audience to the background of the play, its hero, and hints at the main theme. Shakespeare is one of the greatest dramatists who wrote the best expository scenes ever. They are known for their greatness and their capacity to attract the audience or the reader from the very beginning. One of Shakespeare s great opening scenes What†¦show more content†¦At the points in the play mentioned, the witches’ role is to provide Macbeth with authenticity and to gain respect from the Elizabethan audience. Shakespeare also uses the witches in Macbeth as the main vehicles for his verse and imagery and throughout the play these linguistic devices echo the continuous, underlying themes. In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare’s skilful poetry is immediately illustrated in the oxy-morons, ‘When the battle’s lost and won’ and ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’. These absurd paradoxes demonstrate the unnaturalness of the witches, their role in reversing God’s natural order and they echo the theme of abnormality. The play constantly explores the opposing forces, for example, how can a battle be both lost and won? This apparent contradiction is stressed further with ‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ – in this good is becoming evil, which is what happens to Macbeth and his wife gradually throughout the play. The rhyming couplets spoken by the witches contrast starkly against the iambic pentameter that is voiced by the other characters. Iambic pentameter or ‘blank verse’ is an unrhymed line containing five iambs, for example in Act 1 Scene 3 where Macbeth says, ‘And Thane of Cawdor too: went it not so?’ A verse couplet is a pair of rhymed lines of any metre, for example the openingShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Three Witches in Macbeth984 Words   |  4 PagesThe three witches in the tragedy Macbeth are introduced right at the beginning of the play. The scene opens with the witches chanting three prophesies: Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis and King. These prophesies introduce Macbeth to his plan of defeat and to over power. Macbeth will eventually follow through in killing king Duncan. Some people believe that the witches had the ability to reverse the order of things. This brings into the play idea of fate and the role with which itRead MoreA nalysis of the Three Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare1776 Words   |  8 PagesAnalysis of the Three Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare In this essay, I am going to look at and explore the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I will look at the way they are presented in each of their four scenes; how audiences might react to them and the part they play in his downfall. The witches don’t appear much in the play but bring about the idea of both evil and ambition. In Act 1 Scene 1 the mood is set. We first hear of the witches and the playRead MoreResponse to Shakespeares Macbeth Essay996 Words   |  4 PagesResponse to Shakespeares Macbeth Look very carefully at Act 1, scene 3 (L.30 - 62) and comment on the significance of the witches predictions. How do the witches affect what happens in the play, and how do you visualise them on stage? Throughout Shakespeares life, witches and witchcraft were the objects of fevered fascination. Between 1560 and 1603 hundreds of people (nearly all women) were convicted as witches and executed. Witches were credited with diabolicalRead MoreFate Vs. Free Will988 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the scottish tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare plays with the concept of fate versus free will in the the title character, Macbeth. This internal conflict is sparked and continued by the presence of the witches; three old hags whose primary purpose is presumably to serve evil. The three witches are in control of Macbeth throughout the play by incanting prophecies that ultimately remove Macbeth’s free will. Shakespeare chooses the witches to serve as the stimulant for Macbeth’s unethicalRead MoreRole of Women in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay1039 Words   |  5 PagesRole of Women in Macbeth Macbeth, by the playwrite William Shakespeare, is one of his most amazing tragdies and additionally one of his most well known plays. The play has picked up infamy (being great known for some awful quality or deed.) for the mischances that occurred all around its numerous stagings to such an extent that it is otherwise called the Scottish play to keep from needing to say its name. The spooky Lore surrounding the showing of the play is fitting given the events that takeRead MoreThe Role Of The Witches In Macbeth1395 Words   |  6 Pages In the novel Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is told his prophecy by the three witches, mysterious, secretive creatures, who we are left to develop our own vision of. Witches are known to represent evil, envy, and are always the villains of the story. In this novel, they are illustrated very similarly. In the beginning of the story, we learn that the witches are somehow associated with the weather, can cast spells, and like to take revenge. Macbeth pays the witches a visit to ask for hisRead MoreThe Role of the Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Essay1108 Words   |  5 PagesThe Role of the Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare some time between 1603 and 1606 and is set in Scotland around 1040. The time it was written coincides with the reign of King James the First of England. King James showed a great interest in witches and powers of the supernatural and Macbeth was arguably written to impress the king in what were violent times. Shakespeare used witches as pivotal characters to createRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesMacbeth Essay Since the beginning of time people looked up to the stars asking Gods their fate. Fate is a belief, that there is a set path for an event that is both unavoidable and inevitable, that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, viewers can observe fate or (prophecy) playing a major role. William Shakespeare was born April 1564 and died May 1616, during his life Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, and 157 sonnets, Shakespeare is also knownRead MoreMacbeth, By William Shakespeare1203 Words   |  5 PagesMacbeth is a play based on King James I, it was written by William Shakespeare, however this play isn’t a king and queen fairy tale, but it’s a play about greed and guilt, chaos and murder and three evil witches who use prophecies to influence Macbeth to do bad things, using flattery would instigate his inner ambition to become king, which in the end doesn’t lead to a very happy ending. Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, was written in the early Jacobean period. During those times, women had no power, theyRead More Fate and Free Will in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essays585 Words   |  3 PagesShakespeares Macbeth In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is a question as to whether or not Macbeth is driven by fate or free will. The three weird sisters approach Macbeth with prophecies that will all come true in the end. It would appear that Macbeth is just following destiny at first. However, Macbeth always had a choice throughout the play to choose his own fate. Macbeth journeyed to his murderous doom through his own free choice. In Act I, the three witches visit Macbeth and Banquo on the

A Worn Path Essay Free Essays

â€Å"A Worn Path† The setting in the Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† plays a very important role in the make-up of this story. The story is based in the old south several years ago during the cold month of December. The main character is a very old, weak, poor, and tired African American woman. We will write a custom essay sample on A Worn Path Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is unclear in the beginning for what the lady is on such a difficult mission, but the last part of the story makes it clear. She faces many obstacles while on her journey, almost as though even nature is fighting against her, but with her strong determination, she carries on and does not lose spirit. She proves that, though she is old and seems unable, she accomplished her goal with the great mindset and determination she has. The journey Phoenix faces would have been difficult for a person of any age, and it is unimaginable that a woman as old and frail as she would be physically capable of making such a long journey. All of the obstacles she faces in the story, such as the creatures, critters, even plants, serve as symbols of things that can interfere throughout life, but one must continue the struggle and fight for the goals they are trying to accomplish. There are many times that you expect her to give up and go home, but she never does. She keeps pushing until she has reached her goal of making it to town to get the medicine she is after. Phoenix is from the country and must walk a very long distance to make it to the nearest town. Had the story been set somewhere else, there would not have been such a struggle with Phoenix going to the doctor’s office to receive the medicine she needs for her grandson. The main part of the story is when she is fighting so hard to make it through the long, winding journey through the woods. This is where most of her struggle takes place. The reader really gets an opportunity to see how hard Phoenix’s mission is and to what extent she will go to get to the doctor. It is very clear that Phoenix is poor, uneducated, and very unfortunate. She wears old and worn out clothing, must beg for the ten cents that she needs to purchase a paper windmill for her grandson, has old shoes that she does not know how to tie, and uses an old umbrella as a walking cane. Her grandson is not any more fortunate than she. She most likely comes from a poor and uneducated family and has never seemed to have anything nice or unnecessary. This makes it obvious to the reader that every little thing Phoenix has must have such a great value to her. She must appreciate everything in her life. It does not sound as though Phoenix will be able to make the trip many more times, if even one more time. Her body and mind are both exhausted. When Phoenix reaches the doctor’s office, the nurse is speaking to her and she forgets what she has come to town for. Phoenix’s body is very frail and tired. There were times she fell during her walk through the woods, and her mind continued to go downhill quickly. This is a sure sign that she will not be capable of such things in the future. Phoenix is stubborn, yet a strong woman who will not let anyone or anything stand in her way. Many people could read this story and think less of her for begging and her lack of education and money, but many who read it will feel her pain because it is clear she is hurting terribly both physically and mentally with the challenges she faces. She shows, strength, bravery, and love for her grandson. How to cite A Worn Path Essay, Essays

Management Accounting Practice Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Questions: Q1: Explore and discuss the rationales, strategic as well as tactical and operational, behind the management shift towards a flow and process oriented view and its influence on todays MA-practice? Q2: Can MA be strategic? Why or Why not? Exemplify by using some area within MA such as costing, budgeting/prognosis/planning, PMS. Answers: 1.The management has shift towards a flow and process oriented view due to operational, strategic and tactical ways that have had great influence on contemporary management accounting practice. Rationales Business process assist the organization to realize their individual organizational objectives to allow management to review as well as realign as market changes, customer needs alters, product alters and strategies alter. The general changing nature of business demands novel growth is due to changing legislation, market saturation and global competition. In absence of process-oriented organization, workers will stomp out fires, miss on opportunities and waste time as well as money due to poor planning and absence of vision. Strategic The shift has been occasioned by the need to evaluate the external information about trends in cost, market share, cash flow, and prices and corresponding impacts on resource to allow the company determine the most promising tactical responses. This is because contemporary business can only survive when they incorporate strategic aspect of MA which call for enhanced intelligence regarding suppliers, technologies and competitors. Strategically, SMA is used by strategic management in the identification, development, formulation, implementation, and evaluation of strategic alternatives that move the organization forward (Kohlbacher and Reijers 2013). Tactical The tactical reason behind the shift is that contemporary will only survive when they tactically plan. Through tactical planning, the business can track its daily actions whose results shall move the company forward to accomplish the objectives of the business highlighted in the strategic plan. Thus tactical reason behind the shift is to provide the how aspect of strategic planning. Operational The operational reason behind the shift is that process-oriented allow the company to be successful by focusing on its customers. This is done by involving leadership and focusing on improving workers as well as business processes. Senior managers are engaged rather than merely delegating training to junior managers. Influence on MA The shift towards flow and process-oriented has had great influence on contemporary MA. It has helped merged the strategic business objectives with management accounting information thereby providing a forward looking model to help management in making business decisions. As opposed to MA that merely focus on internal accounting metrics, the flow and process-oriented has converted MA into SMA that has helped evaluate external info about costs, prices, cash flow, and market share alongside their influence on resources in determining appropriate tactical responses. The only pros about this shift is that the business will have restructure which might consume huge costs. 2. Management Accounting can be strategic. This can be exemplified by using planning area within management accounting. A management accountant can support the strategic planning of a company. Skilled management accountant will help the corporate leaders by conducting long range planning and decision making activities anchored on qualitative data. The managerial and cost accounting accountants will help to support the firm in strategic planning by generating strategic roadmaps, high level plans as well as policies with info drawn from the financial data of a company. The Management Accountant role in strategic planning in a company is extremely significant that these professionals are always referred to as strategic business partners within their respective organizations. They support long-term corporate planning efforts in a number of ways. Profitability Goal Setting: Managerial Accountants gather the right type of data, analyze it and translate it into information which senior decision makers require in establishing long range profitability goals. Managerial accountants thus provide senior leaders with financial information that permit them to reevaluate the pricing strategies of their products and assess their agreements among the distribution channel partners for the profit optimization. Acquisition Strategy Creation The managerial accountants provide the required financial information that supports the decisions which assist the firm to reach its high level goals as outlined in mission and vision statement that are the foundation for its plans and operations for healthy growth. Such an information provided by Managerial Accountants is used regularly to create acquisition strategies (Sikdar and Payyazhi 2014). Such strategies are then utilized in the identification of ways to reduce costs via consolidation as well as divestiture thus promoting the value creation for an organization investors by selecting business purchases. Corporate executives always have to consult before settling on any acquisition strategy with managerial accountants to determine whether the long-term results of their pending acquisition actions shall generated the desired improvement on performance. Risk Management and Controls Support Managerial Accountants helps business to monitor status and health of its activities by establishing mechanisms for risk management processes and control. A companys risk management function would hugely be reliant on subjective data without managerial accountant. Managerial accountant help leaders realize that they have to quantify objectives of risk management to make measurable and relevant by providing leaders the financial information which support this function (Fullerton, Kennedy and Widener, 2014). The managerial accountants also provide the company with financial information which contribute to the estimation of severity of impact to a given business unit/enterprise for risk identified. References Fullerton, R.R., Kennedy, F.A. and Widener, S.K., 2014. Lean manufacturing and firm performance: The incremental contribution of lean management accounting practices. Journal of Operations Management, 32(7), pp.414-428. Kohlbacher, M. and Reijers, H.A., 2013. The effects of process-oriented organizational design on firm performance. Business Process Management Journal, 19(2), pp.245-262. Sikdar, A. and Payyazhi, J., 2014. A process model of managing organizational change during business process redesign. Business Process Management Journal, 20(6), pp.971-998.

Response to Derek Walcotts Love After Love Essay Example

Response to Derek Walcotts Love After Love Paper The main idea of the poem is about looking back on your life and feasting upon what you have achieved, Feast on your life. I further believe that the poem is about finding your inner self and getting to know the inside of you that you have once known but lost. A key theme of identity revolves around the poem. The poem is about a person who is destined to greet their inner self. Their inner self is a person who has been forgotten over time but now these two people must discover each other once again. The author has not only used a single metaphor he has used an extended metaphor throughout the poem. In the poem Derek Walcott talks about his life, past and present. Instead of simply describing his past life he uses another person (a stranger) to show it. We therefore have two people in the poem, when really we only have one person talking about two different parts of one persons life. We will write a custom essay sample on Response to Derek Walcotts Love After Love specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Response to Derek Walcotts Love After Love specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Response to Derek Walcotts Love After Love specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Certain words in the poem are used to emphasise a point. The word will shows that something is destined to happen and there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Elation shows that this thing is going to be a good thing and will be greeted with great excitement. Repetition is used in the poem; an example of this is, at your own door, in your own mirror. I believe repetition has been used as it emphasises the fact that it is your own. We are given a religious imagery when Derek Walcott says, Give wine. Give bread. The word stranger (line 7 + 9) implies that these two people do not know each other; they are two new people meeting for the first time. The line Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, I believe is further backing up the earlier point of never regretting and living for the future. If you have bad memories then there is no reason for keeping them, as they will only cause pain. I believe Derek Walcott is trying to tell the reader that they should celebrate their life, live for the future and not regret things that have happened in the past. Peel your own image from the mirror. This line ties in with the theme of greeting someone (himself) whom he has once loved and known but overtime has forgotten. I believe this line is telling the reader to peel away the image they see in the mirror and look inside them self, to find their real identity. This linking again back to one of the key themes. I believe that Derek Walcott has been very clever in the way he has delivered his poem across to the audience. It has been done in such a way that the reader has to think into the poem and from this they can interpret it in their own ways. This therefore makes the poem more interesting then a simple poem, where everything is clear and straightforward. In my own opinion I did not really enjoy studying the poem, I found it hard to come to grips with the use of an extended metaphor. I believe that the poem is an excellent poem, as it has a meaning behind it and a message that it gets across; but I believe this poem was not to my personal taste.

Definition of Theoretical Yield in Chemistry

Definition of Theoretical Yield in Chemistry Theoretical yield is the quantity of a product obtained from the complete conversion of the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction. It is the amount of product resulting from a perfect (theoretical) chemical reaction, and thus not the same as the amount youll actually get from a reaction in the lab.  Theoretical yield is commonly expressed in terms of grams or moles. In contrast to theoretical yield,  the actual yield  is the amount of product actually produced by a reaction. Actual yield is usually a smaller quantity because few chemical reactions proceed with 100% efficiency because of loss recovering the product and because other reactions may be occurring that reduce the product. Sometimes an actual yield is more than a theoretical yield, possibly because of a secondary reaction that yields additional product or because the recovered product contains impurities. The ratio between actual yield and theoretical yield is most often given as percent yield: Percent yield Mass of actual yield / Mass of theoretical yield x 100 percent How to Calculate Theoretical Yield Theoretical yield is found by identifying the limiting reactant of a balanced chemical equation. In order to find it, the first step is to balance the equation, if its unbalanced. The next step is to identify the limiting reactant. This is based on the mole ratio between the reactants. The limiting reactant is not found in excess, so the reaction cannot proceed once it is used up. To find the limiting reactant: If the quantity of reactants is given in moles, convert the values to grams.Divide the mass of the reactant in grams by its molecular weight in grams per mole.Alternatively, for a liquid solution, you can multiply the amount of a reactant solution in milliliters by its density in grams per milliliter. Then, divide the resulting value by the reactants molar mass.Multiply the mass obtained using either method by the number of moles of reactant in the balanced equation.Now you know the moles of each reactant. Compare this to the molar ratio of the reactants to decide which is available in excess and which will get used up first (the limiting reactant). Once you identify the limiting reactant, multiply the moles of limiting reaction times the ratio between moles of limiting reactant and product from the balanced equation. This gives you the number of moles of each product. To get the grams of product, multiply the moles of each product by its molecular weight. For example, in an experiment in which you prepare acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) from salicylic acid, you know from the balanced equation  for aspirin synthesis that the mole ratio between the limiting reactant (salicylic acid) and the product (acetylsalicylic acid) is 1:1. If you have 0.00153 moles of salicylic acid, the theoretical yield is: Theoretical yield 0.00153 mol salicylic acid x (1 mol acetylsalicylic acid / 1 mol salicylic acid) x (180.2 g acetylsalicylic acid / 1 mole acetylsalicylic acid Theoretical yield 0.276 grams acetylsalicylic acid Of course, when preparing aspirin, youll never get that amount. If you get too much, you probably have excess solvent or else your product is impure. More likely, youll get much less because the reaction wont proceed 100 percent and youll lose some product trying to recover it (usually on a filter).

A Close Look at the Singapore Math Method

A Close Look at the Singapore Math Method One of the harder things parents have to do when it comes to their child’s schooling is understand a new method of learning. As the Singapore Math Method gains popularity, it’s starting to be used in more schools across the nation, leaving more parents to figure out what this method is all about. A close look at the philosophy and framework of Singapore Math can make it easier to understand what’s going on in your child’s classroom. The Singapore Math Framework The framework of Singapore Math is developed around the idea that learning to problem-solve and develop mathematical thinking are the key factors in being successful in math.The framework states: â€Å"The development of mathematical problem-solving ability is dependent on five inter-related components, namely, Concepts, Skills, Processes, Attitudes, and Metacognition.†Looking at each component individually makes it easier to understand how they fit together to help children gain skills that can help them solve both abstract and real-world problems. 1. Concepts When children learn mathematical concepts, they are exploring the ideas of branches of math like numbers, geometry, algebra, statistics and probability, and data analysis. They’re not necessarily learning how to work the problems or the formulas that go with them, but rather gaining an in-depth understanding of what all of these things represent and look like.It’s important for kids to learn that all of math works together and that, for example, addition doesn’t stand by itself as an operation, it carries on and is a part of all the other math concepts as well. Concepts are reinforced using math manipulatives and other practical, concrete materials. 2. Skills Once students have a solid grasp of the concepts, it’s time to move on to learning how to work with those concepts. In other words, once the students have an understanding of the ideas, they can learn the procedures and formulas that go with them. This way the skills are anchored to the concepts, making it easier for students to understand why a procedure works.In Singapore Math, skills don’t just refer to knowing how to work something out with pencil and paper, but also knowing what tools (calculator, measurement tools,etc.) and technology can be used to help solve a problem. 3. Processes The framework explains that processes â€Å"includes reasoning, communication and connections, thinking skills and heuristics, and application and modeling.†    Mathematical reasoning is the ability to look carefully at mathematical situations in a variety of different contexts and logically apply the skills and concepts to problem-solve the situation. Communication is the ability to clearly, concisely and logically use the language of math to explain ideas and mathematical arguments. Connections is the ability to see how math concepts are related to each other, how math is related to other areas of study and how math relates to real life. Thinking skills and heuristics are the skills and techniques that can be used to solve a problem. Thinking skills include things like sequencing, classifying and identifying patterns. Heuristics are the experience-based techniques a child can use to create a representation of a problem, take an educated guess, figure out the process to work through a problem or how to reframe a problem. For example, a child may draw a chart, try to guess and check or solve parts of a problem. These are all learned techniques. Application and modelling is the ability to use what you’ve learned about how to solve problems to choose the best approaches, tools and representations for a certain situation. It’s the most complicated of the processes and takes a lot of practice for children to create math models. 4. Attitudes Children’s are what they think and feel about math. Attitudes are developed by what their experiences with learning math are like.So, a child who has fun while developing a good understanding of concepts and acquiring skills is more likely to have positive ideas about the importance of math and confidence in his ability to solve problems. 5. Metacognition Metacognition sounds really simple but is harder to develop than you might think. Basically, metacognition is the ability to think about how you are thinking.For kids, this means not only being aware of what they are thinking, but also knowing how to control what they are thinking. In math, metacognition is closely tied to being able to explaining what was done to solve it, thinking critically about how the plan works and thinking about alternative ways to approach the problem.The framework of Singapore Math is definitely complicated, but it’s also definitely well thought out and thoroughly defined. Whether you’re an advocate for the method or not so sure about it, a better understanding of the philosophy is key in helping your child with math.

Discuss the perceptions of Amerindians in popular culture (literature, Essay

Discuss the perceptions of Amerindians in popular culture (literature, theater, TV, film,etc). with particular attention as to how this perception has changed over time - Essay Example The misconceptions and beliefs that people tend to carry as an integral part of their value system tend to influence a lot as to how the two races and cultures view and interact with eachother. The views and decisions arrived at on the basis of the stereotypical ethnographic perceptions of other cultures and races do give way to, too many misunderstandings and misconceptions. It goes without saying that the Amerindians have been the victims of such trends. To begin with the European-Americans heaped a generalized and collective identity on the Amerindians under the guise of a monolithic term ‘Indian’.2 Realistically speaking, the Amerindians never preferred themselves to be identified under a single umbrella identity. They rather preferred to be known more in terms of their tribes and ethnic beliefs. It was under the influence of such a generalized approach towards the Amerindians that they were more or less portrayed in a negative way by the European-Americans. The remnants of this belief system had a marked influence on the projection of the Amerindians in the future popular culture, be it the literature, cinema, or TV. Almost all the earlier Western Films portrayed the Amerindians as hopeless and stupid savages, who were unhygienic, immoral and illiterate and people who simply cannot be trusted by the Whites.3 Some of the recent films like Dances with Wolves did project the Amerindians as wise and humane. Yet, the iron y is that the perception of the Amerindians in such films is more or less patronizing, inaccurate and to a great extent superficial. However, in recent times, with the augmenting of interest in the Amerindian diversity and way of life, the popular culture perceptions pertaining to the Amerindians have started to get more realistic. The popular interest has started to grow around the Amerindians’ way of life and the beliefs and values of the varied Amerindian tribes. A great deal of this change could be attributed to the educated and

Federal Court System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Federal Court System - Essay Example â€Å"Within limits set by Congress and the Constitution, the district courts or trail courts have jurisdiction to hear nearly all categories of federal cases, including both civil and criminal matters†(Federal Court Structure, n. d.). For convenience, America is divided into 94 federal judicial districts and at least one federal judicial district is operating in each state. Bigger states may have more than one federal judicial district whereas the smaller states may have only one federal judicial district. Even though trial courts are normally operating on district-wise, two special trail courts such as The Court of International Trade and The United States Court of Federal Claims, operate nationally. Appellate courts are operating regionally. The 94 judicial districts are arranged in 12 regions and each region consists of an Appellate court. Appellate courts normally hear the unresolved cases in judicial districts under its jurisdiction. Appeals from federal agencies will also be heard in appellate courts. â€Å"In addition, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals in specialized cases, such as those involving patent laws and cases decided by the Court of International Trade and the Court of Federal Claims† (Federal Court Structure, n.

Enrollment system Essay Example for Free

Enrollment system Essay Welcome! The following terms serve as a contract that governs your use of our family of websites, applications and services (the â€Å"Service†). BY SIGNING UP, OR ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICE, YOU SIGNIFY THAT YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS (AGREEMENT OR TERMS) AND TO RESOLVE ANY DISPUTE BY ARBITRATION. 1. Summary of Terms These Terms have the same force and effect as an Agreement signed in writing. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service. Each time you access, upload, or download any content from the Service, you signify your agreement to the then-current terms. This Agreement is subject to change at any time; therefore, you are responsible to review these Terms regularly to learn about any changes. We will post an updated version of these Terms if we modify them. You understand and agree that your ongoing use of the Service after we post or provide notice of the changes to this Agreement means that you accept and confirm that the updated Terms apply to you. The laws of the State of California govern this Agreement. You agree to resolve any dispute with us as provided in the Dispute Resolution Procedures described in Sections 21 and 22 below, which include arbitration and the options you have with arbitration. We use the term You to mean the person or entity who will access or use the Service as an end user. The term Login means the combination of unique username and password that is used to access our Service. A login is a license to use a site, application or service for a period of time that is specified. Membership or Members means a single registration and/or subscription account per user of a valid username and password (login) for the service during the term of a subscription. We or us in this Agreement shall mean: its brands, affiliates, subsidiaries and operating divisions.

Invasion of Normandy Essay -- WWII World War 2 American History

Invasion of Normandy Invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day or Operation Overlord, was a cross channel attack planned by the allies that took place over the English channel. Not only was D-Day the largest amphibious assault the world had seen, it was a critical point in World War II. (Locke, Alain, ed. Pg 203) The Invasion of Normandy is when the allies decided that they must take an offense and invade Germany on their home land if Hitler was to be stopped. The allies put all of their power together, for failure was not an option. If the invasion was to fail it was quite likely that the United States would have to postpone their fight against Germany and turn their full attention to the war in the Pacific, leaving the fate of Europe to Britain and the Soviet Union. Chances are that by the time the United states returned to fight Germany, Hitler would have overrun the continent since all of Britain's resources had been drained, leaving the majority of the fighting to the Soviet Union. Towards the end of November 1943, President Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met in Tehran for the first meeting about how to invade Germany. Roosevelt and the prime minister had already agreed that it would be best to launch a cross-channel attack, code named Overlord. President Roosevelt was in full favor of launching operation Overlord as soon as the weather permitted. With Stalin's agreement to join in, operation Overlord was set for May 1944, depending on the weather. (Anderson, Jervis. Pg 86) American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was named supreme commander for the allies in Europe. British General, Sir Frederick Morgan, established a combined American-British headquarters known as COSSAC, for Chief of Staff to the Supreme... ..., Steve Pg 53)eyes focused somewhere else while the main part of the war took place on five beaches. With the exception of Omaha beach, the rest were reasonably easy compared to past battles. Work Cited Anderson, Jervis. World War II. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1982. Bloom, Harold, ed. Conflicts during World War II. New York: Pantheon, 1993. Huggins, Nathan. World War II in picture. London: Oxford University Press, 1989. Lewis, David Levering, ed. D-Day. New York: Penguin 1994. Locke, Alain, ed. The Longest Day. New York: Atheneum, 1992. Studio Museum, The. Music, the once great art. New York: Abrams, 1987 Watson, Steve. Nothing Less then Victory. New York: Pantheon, 1995 Candaela, Kerry. The Voices of D-Day. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997. Daniel, Mips. Weapons of World War II. New York: Pantheon, 1995

How Effective Was Victorian Policing?

When police forced were first set up in the early nineteenth century, they were very unpopular. This was due to the fact the police were criticised for violent and drunken behaviour. Furthermore such as the cost of running the police force and the public feared them as a threat to their personal and political freedom. For example, the police didn’t solve any crime â€Å"the lack of protection† and mainly many places did not have a police force until 1856, which meant that there was no point having them because it contrasted greatly with the population.One point historians find that Victorian policing was a failure is that most of the time the police spent clearing drunks and beggars off the street, and not solving serious crime, such as only four numbers of arrests were made in 16 years. Late Victorian England is described by some historians as a ‘golden age’ of policing because of the amount of public trust and approval.There were reforms which meant that there were less drunkenness in the force and the public approved the police were seen more as a friend than threat. Also the people thought it seemed worth it to run the police force. This was because the police force was starting to realise their mistake and learned from it. There was an increase in the number of arrest the police made and the crime rate began to steadily fall.Furthermore they started to gather evidence from the public and made prosecutions, which suggests the police were taking action and tried to solve crimes. In addition there were new technologies-this system was to classify information more efficiently. But historians also ask whether this really was a ‘golden’ age. For example the Bertillon system was difficult to use, therefore there was no much point to use them; unless a witness could give detailed descriptions of the criminal.One major point that proves the Victorian policing was a failure is in the nineteenth century police officers werenâ⠂¬â„¢t trained enough. Overall, to some extent the Victorian policing were effective in that they learnt from their mistakes and kept improving, but to some extent it wasn’t effect in preventing criminals effectively or solving crimes. However in my opinion the Victorian policing were effective in the way that if the mistakes weren’t made, we’d be faced with the same problems now.

Ponzi scheme and Madoff Fraud

Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent undertaking whereby the investors are duped into a seemingly profitable deal. The clients are asked to â€Å"invest† their money in a venture to earn huge interest rates. This normally works through the payment of the earlier investors’ interests and principals by using the later investors’ principal amount. This illegal activity got its name after Charles Ponzi of England (1920s). Bernard L. Madoff and Ponzi scheme Bernard Madoff, 70, is the former chairman of Nasdaq Stock Market. He held the position till December 2008 when he was arrested over alleged possibly the largest fraud ever in history.He is the founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, which undertakes market-making, and acting as middleman in buying and selling of securities, but is since under receivership after a court order was obtained to place an injunction on its operations by the Security Exchange Commission. (Mike, 2008) It was revealed that Madoff had a separate and secretive investment arm of his firm which was running on a separate floor of their premises. The firm’s financial statements were kept â€Å"under lock and key† and Madoff was â€Å"cryptic† about the firm’s investment arm, according to some top level management employees of the firm.This secret investment arm is the one under investigation due to believe that it is where the Ponzi scheme was perpetrated. (Mike, 2008) Madoff was very smart in playing the Ponzi scheme. He filed false returns with the Securities Exchange Commission, and fabricated gains claiming that its investments together with accounting and audit firms it ran were highly lucrative. At some point for example, Fairfield Sentry Ltd, Madoff’s hedge fund ran by Madoff Investment Services to invest in the shares in Standards & Poor’s 500. Fairfield claimed that its share index had risen by 5.6%, while that of S&P 500 had fallen by more than 30%. Fairfield was late r said to be down by 0. 06% when that of S&P 500 had fallen by about16%. The firm was averaging 10. 5% annually since its inception in 1990. These statistics are quite illogical to believe, and is one way in which Mr. Madoff managed to survive through his Ponzi scheme. (Mike, 2008) The firm’s losses accrued up to $50 billion since it was no longer able to meet its customer demands. This is after clients requested for about $7 billion when they had only about $250 million in the account. (Mike, 2008)Prevention of similar frauds The SEC should be made more proactive. For instance, warnings such as those of Harry Markopoulos, a financial analyst, should have been taken seriously by the SEC since he started his revelation back in 1999. The hedge fund of Mr. Madoff too didn’t register till September 2006, which is too late. Recommendation for enforcement of law, such as Sec. 17 (a) of the Securities Act 1933, Sec. 10 (b) of Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and rule 10b-5 th ere under, and sections 206(1&2) of the Advisors Act of 1940, will also help prevent such frauds.It is worth to make public the reality of rates of interests offered by a firm to its clients. This creates transparency and some sense of genuineness of a firm’s undertaking. The accounting professionals also should be made to learn from such cases to prevent future occurrences of the same vice. Public awareness programs can be broadcasted through media too. This will warn investors to be careful in their choice of investments portfolio. Reference: Mike, S. (2008, December 13th). Biggest Fraud in History $50 billion Madoff Ponzi Scheme. Retrieved April 4th, 2009, from The Market Oracle: http://www. marketoracle. co. uk/Article7769. html.

Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering) Essays

Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering) Essays Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering) Essay Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering) Essay Essay Topic: Nashville Name Course Instructor Date Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering) A. Civil engineering is a specialized engineering discipline, which involves in construction, design and the continuation of the physical and naturally made environment. Civil engineering is also the process of applying physical and scientific principles. Roads, buildings, bridges are set under this field. The civil engineering works are seen in the construction of main roads in the country incorporating the profession to built strong, stable and longer lasting sites. The history of civil engineering is associated with knowledge of science, geology, geography, mechanics, structures and other subjects. Engineering has been a feature of the human life since time immemorial and its earliest practices are traced back to the Ancient Egypt when people began agriculture and abandoned their nomadic lifestyle. A gap for housing created the need for shelter construction and civil engineering was born. Civil engineering is inclusive of both the private and private sector. In government, it is from the lowest level of municipal council to the national federal government. The government hires the work of professional engineers for the buildings and infrastructural development. These engineers also help the government to formulate, direct and safeguard building laws by establishing codes of construction of structures and buildings. For the private sector, it is local companies, homeowners, national and international companies. Without civil engineering, the buildings, roads, railways, air systems, dams would occasionally deal with problems of instability, unsafe and eventually fall apart. It covers wide range professions involving various fields. These professions include environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, urban engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, hydraulic engineering and construction engineering. Environmental engineering improves the natural environment by applying science, engineering, and assess construction projects and their effects on the environment. Environmental engineers engage in studies of pollution, control of radiation levels, setting laws for environmental engineering, containing levels of wastewater and provide insight on the engineering laws of the environment (ABET) Construction engineering occupies the position similar to that of a business nature with the supplies and conducting logistical operations, price monitoring and drafting or reviewing agreements and contracts. It fits in a variety of design executing and planning of transportation, hydraulic, site development, and geotechnical and construction engineers. Management of buildings, highways, airports, railways, bridges and other infrastructures is carried out by construction engineers. (Chapman, p.67) Geotechnical engineering is a branch of Civil Engineering collaborating with knowledge from geology, mechanics concerning the rock and soil (earth material) Geotechnical engineers deal with building at ground level by investigating semi surface materials and conditional ties to uncover their properties. As a result, the standards of a solid foundation of the construction project are set (Engineering and Technology) Structural Engineering is an area concerned with the structures like towers, sea gas fields, bridges in their design and analysis. They formulate design considerations such as strength, stability, cost and sustainability of the structure. (Sims, p. 65) Urban Engineering also called municipal engineering takes in aspects of art, science and engineering for the environment in urban areas. It stipulates designing and assesses publi c works, public and leisure parks, networks for water supply and sidewalks. The professionals coordinate and manage these infrastructures. Transportation engineering is an area particular with transportation design, Intelligent Transport System (ITS) designing and maintaining transport infrastructure. Efficiency and safety is important in transport engineering. B Transportation engineering is a major feature of civil engineering and a preferred choice for many. The facilities supported are air, water, railways, space and pipeline transportation. It is a broad area, of railway engineering, port and harbor engineering, pipeline engineering and airport engineering. Technology and specialized scientific principles are applied into the operational planning, functional design and coordination of facilities for a variety of modes of transport. This provides for comfortable, convenient, efficiency and safety in the movement of persons and their goods. Urban planning is related to this field of engineering in terms of planning by using forecasting decisions and political issues (Chen et. al, p.120). Passenger travel carries out technical forecasting which usually involves a model of urban planning in estimation of trips in their generation, mode to be undertaken, decisions made by travelers (trip chaining) and distribution. Trips of passengers are vital because they are a representation of the level of demand in either transport arrangement. These human factors are valuable especially with contact of the users, drivers and their vehicles. In designing, transport engineering takes account of the area covered by the facility (size and capacity), vertical and parallel alignment, thickness, weight and the materials to be used. The size and capacity influence the choice the material for construction whether roads, railroads, airports and highways. The alignment is of value whether vertical and horizontal in order to avoid poor positioning of the structures and modes of transport. The thickness is used to make sure the structure is safe and stable to prevent it from falling and killing people in the future. The weight and materials used are key determinants of the design, stability and long lasting of the work constructed. Control and operations techniques in traffic engineering and modern technologies such a s Intelligent (Kapoor, p. 74) Transportation Systems for traveling individual’s modes of information, improved traffic control systems and the integration of vehicles and infrastructure. The practice by the engineers integrates planning for the means of transport and the planning determine the overall outlook of roads, airports, ports and highways. C To become a professional civil engineer, one has to study at a credited institution and acquire an academic degree. The degree has to be a major in civil engineering. The period of study varies from various universities from three to five years. Some offer it as a Bachelor of Engineering while others as a Bachelor of Science. Units such as physics, design, mathematics and some disciplines of civil engineering are covered. Further studies can be undertaken for specializing in a specialized area of interest in civil engineering as some universities offer awards for postgraduate engineering. After education, the engineers are certified after meeting the conditions of a professional engineering body. The requirements are exam results and some level of work experience and other conditions prescribed by the professional body. Afterwards the engineer acquires the title of Professional Engineer according to the United States system. Most Commonwealth countries refer to them as Chartered Pr ofessional Engineer (Kapoor,p.68). Relevant Professional bodies have established International Agreements on engineering that provide for engineers to practice their profession worldwide without border limits. These professional bodies play a key role in making certain that ethical standards are observed. For example in America, only a licensed professional Engineer can make preparations on engineering plans, signed and sealed to the public authority or for other clients. The works are calculation of a study, designs settings, reports, valuations, supervising and analyzing engineering works and technical documents. Specializing in engineering enables an engineer to have an increased knowledge and intense understanding in their area of specialization and expertise. D The West Broadway (CSAH 103) is a transit way project, which has been established in Brooklyn Park this comes after the City of Brooklyn Park agreed to work with the Hennepin County to rebuild the West Broad Way Avenue. The Hennepin County is the lead agency in the development of the construction (Flood, p.85) Increasing the road from about 500ft south of the Candlewood Drive to close to 500ft north of the 93rd Avenue North this is the target of the project. The roadway section will add a new traffic signal at the intersection of the Candlewood Drive. The roadway is to have an upgrade to have four lanes and raise the concrete median. The urban section is to be increased at all intersections inclusive of all the intersections. Locations such as 84th Avenue and 93rd Avenue are also set to receive upgrades. However, there are some conditions, which should be given priority and the Hennepin County for instance, the signal requirements are to be set by the County. The transportation engineers have presented a designed layout to the City Council, which has given the rights to carry on the construction. This was done after they had done the prerequisite preparations and planning. Technological and specialized scientific principles were used to apply into the operational planning, functional design and coordination of various facilities. The engineers are set to maintain and overlook the construction of these structures. They are tasked to make sure that the planning is done well and completed without any obstructions. They will look into the human factors that drive the Broadway project. Such like factor are the trips made by the users, their interface with the vehicles, road and traffic lights and trip chaining. All these will dictate how the overall project’s outcome. The project w ill also purpose to make transportation less costly, easier, environment friendly, accessible and efficient. During the formulation of the project, the engineers considered the size and capacity of the road, alignment and the materials they were to use. The materials are to be of high quality and long lasting. They used advanced technology like the Intelligent Transportation Systems and traffic control systems. They also work with other branches of engineering to prevent any loopholes. They work with environmental engineers in order to prevent environmental pollution and causing harm to both the human and natural environment during and after the construction period. The engineers have also explained the provided environmental rules to avoid infringing the laws of the environment. If there will be a recommended transit way the design plans will have to be revised leading to the amendment of the Environmental Assessment. This is because of inadequate funding and the transit way is not instituted in the initial design. There were no expectations for the financing of the transit way at the time. Moreover, that can be done in the future. Currently, the schedule includes relocating the existing Xcel Energy transmission line and poles along the west side of CSAH 103 between 89th and 83rd Avenues to further locations in the West. This will be the first phase of the Project (Projects of Brooklyn Park, 2012) in 2014, the Northern portions (85th and 93rd Avenues are) of the construction are expected to have began. The South of 85th Avenue is projected for the period of 2015 to 2016. This project is going to improve transportation and increase the area covered, as it is currently narrow. It will improve the accommodation of the corridor users who are primarily the pedestrians, cars, cyclists and residents. The drainage is also going to be upgraded and the roadside ditches removed according to the engineers. The project also shows the challenges transport engineers face in their line of work. Especially challenges arise in transport engineering because it mainly conducts jobs of public works and for the society. Some of the locals on Brooklyn have rejected the proposals made by Hennepin County. On the construction of the sideway and this is a set back because they are forced to compromise in some of the construction sites (Projects of Brooklyn Park, 2012) The lack of proper funding has also reduced the scope of work and the engineers are forced to let do of a section of the project in the transit way. These are the main challenges facing the project. The project is set to enhance the transportation of people and their products and enhance security in the Brooklyn area. Civil Engineering since its inception in Ancient Egypt has improved numerous aspects of human life. The road system has improved since the use of Macadam roads to modernized highways and lanes. The railway engineers have also advanced to fast track rails and speed trains. Civil Engineering in current times is also using space studies a modern means of transport that entails scientific technology of taking people to discover the space and the universe from a different view. Including science and art into the profession has led to construction of historical landmarks and buildings such as the Brooklyn Bridge that will have a lasting effect on the human race. Civil engineering has promoted the construction of environment friendly structures, which prevent pollution and water resources depletion. In the 21st century, the discipline has marked major changes and advances to improve the life of human beings on earth. Work Cited Chapman, Allan. England‘s Leornardo: Robert Hooke and the Seventeenth Century’s Scientific Revolution.2005 CRC Press Print â€Å"Projects City of Brooklyn Park Minnesota† brooklynpark.com. 5 October 2012. Web. 5 October 2012. Chen, Wai-Fah, and J Y. R. Liew. The Civil Engineering Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2003.Print ABET. â€Å"Civil Engineering†. Accrediting College Programs in Applied Science, Computing, 2010, April 8 Web. 5 October 2012 Engineering and Technology. Retrieved from http:www//www.abet.org/ October 5, 2012 web Kapoor, R. Dictionary of Civil Engineering. New Delhi: SBS Publishers Distributors, 2009. Print. Flood, Ian. Towards a Vision for Information Technology in Civil Engineering: Proceedings of the Fourth Joint International Symposium on Information Technology in Civil Engineering : November 15-16, 2003, Nashville, Tennessee, Usa. Reston, Va.: ASCE, 2004. Print.

Translating By Into Spanish

Translating By Into Spanish By is one of the English prepositions that is most confusing for Spanish students, because it can have many meanings. Before you try translating a sentence using by, you need to ask yourself, what does this word mean? In many cases, if you can reword the sentence to express the same thought or relationship in different words, you are well on your way to figuring out what you want to say in Spanish. Here are some of the most common meanings of by with examples of how the same thing can be said in Spanish. To Indicate the Agent or Cause Usually, you can say that something was created or put in its present condition by someone or something using the preposition por. If the word or phrase (known as an object) following by answers the question who or what did it? then por is your likely choice. Hamlet was written by Shakespeare. Hamlet fue escrito por Shakespeare.The area affected by the sound is very large. La zona afectado por el sonido es muy grande.Ozone is a gas formed by the action of sunlight. El ozono es un gas que se forma por la accià ³n de la luz solar. As in the first example above, por is often used to indicate authorship. Thus, a book cover will usually indicate that the contents were written por the author. However, in sentences in English that can be reworded to use the name of an author as a description, the preposition de is usually used in translation: Volver is a film by Almodovar. (Volver is an Almodovar film.) Volver es una pelà ­cula de Almodà ³var.Where I can I buy books by Mark Twain in Spanish? (Where I can I buy Mark Twain books in Spanish?)  ¿Dà ³nde puedo comprar libros de Mark Twain en espaà ±ol? Means of Transportation Usually en or por can be used more or less interchangeably when indicating how someone or something travels, although en is more common. We are traveling by plane from New York to London. Viajamos en avià ³n desde Nueva York a Londres. Viajamos por avià ³n desde Nueva York a Londres.Traveling by car through Norway is easy and pleasant. Viajar en coche por Noruega es sencillo y agradable. In Time Elements When by means not later than, para can be used: I will be ready by 4.  Estarà © lista para las cuatro. Indicating Proximity When by means near or next to, cerca de or junta a can be used: There is a large park by the library. Hay un gran parque junto a la biblioteca.All the hotels are located by the beach. Todos los hoteles se encuentran ubicados cerca de la playa. Untranslated By With the Spanish Present Participle Spanish often uses present participles (the verb form ending in s: A fake doctor got rich by diagnosing nonexistent cancers. Un falso doctor se hizo rico diagnosticando cnceres inexistentes.By studying weekends, Susana will pass the test. Estudiando los fines de semana, Susana aprobar el examen. Note that in these examples, the English by could be omitted with little or no change in meaning. In Arithmetic To divide by is dividir entre, while to multiply by is multiplicar por. When dimensions are given, por is used: tres metros por seis, three by six meters. Meaning Per Where by is the rough equivalent of per, use por: Compramos los huevo por docenas.  We buy eggs by the dozen (per dozen). Idiomatic phrases Numerous idiomatic phrases using by often cant be translated word for word. The concept may be expressed in some other way in Spanish other than directly translating by. Some examples: I want to do it by myself. Quiero hacerlo sin ayuda. (The phrase is translated as the Spanish equivalent of without help.)You could follow our trip almost day by day thanks to Davids blog. Pudisteis seguir nuestro viaje casi dà ­a a dà ­a gracias al blog de David.We want to eat by candlelight. Queremos comer a las luz de las velas.Pablo introduced all the teachers to us one by one. Pablo nos presentà ³ uno a uno todos los profesores.What do you mean by difficult?  ¿Quà © quieres decir con dificil?

New nursing orientation and retention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New nursing orientation and retention - Essay Example Presently, the orientation program in place seems to be achieving very little for graduate nurses. The program seems highly cumbersome and manual. This means that each nurse has so much at hand to deal with. This makes it very difficult for the new nurses to master anything. This is because they are forced to learn a little of many things at a time. There is the need for a new orientation model that is more competent and safe towards the nursing needs of graduate nurses; especially for emergency situations. The major objective of this new model should be able to play a role of helping nurses transit from recent graduates to professional nursing practitioners. It is suggested that the following topics be treated under the orientation for nurses under the Emergency Department: Due to the intensity of the orientation model, it is suggested that the timeline for the delivery of the whole program be nine (9) months instead of the usual six (6) months usually practiced in most nursing institutions. Below are excerpts of what the new model should be made up of. Stage 1: Three (3) months of structured orientation where by graduate nurses will be prepared exclusively under the care of a trained preceptor. Three months is suggested for this stage because of the fact that nurses are being prepared for emergency situations. This period will give the graduates a lot of mentorship to ensure that once they are detached, they can do a lot for themselves with the least aid. Stage 2: One (1) month of classroom based tuition and lecturing. It is highly recommended that as much as trained nursing tutors would come in to give lectures, a lot of the time be devoted for peer nurse learning. This is recommended because it would give the graduates a lot of time to freely express themselves and share ideas from their individual institutions that may be necessary for onward practice. Stage 3: This is the final stage and should be made up of five (5) months of individualized

Any arguement with a moral or causal claim Essay

Any arguement with a moral or causal claim - Essay Example Indubitably, such religious decrees have made man what he is today, where God and His guidelines have been argued to have paved the way of human development. Astonishingly, there is no specific definition for God. Yet, man loves Him and fears Him from the ancient period. Nevertheless, humans, either in their conscious or unconscious thoughts, have faced the questions asking for the existence of God. Certainly, if God exists, and as argued in the religious verses, acts in the good of mankind then why does not He share His presence in the earthly world or even support His followers with firm evidences to proof that He exists? Thesis Statement This thesis will aim at assessing the cosmological claim of God’s existence which states that if the universe exists, it is for a cause which is none other than God and thus, it can be considered as a truth that God exists. Based on this cosmological thought and the modern day connotations, the thesis will further intend to argue regarding the causal claim to come across a rational explanation to the theological question that whether God exists, and if He does then why. Discussion Since the evolution of scientific theories, ancient human beliefs have been contradicted on various grounds, whether it is Galileo Galilei’s discovery of earth’s rotation around the sun or Albert Einstein’s theory on gravity. Although these revolutionary concepts were accepted in the human society with passing time and relatively at a much rapid pace, a few of these still remain widely debated topics amid philosophers and scientists. The arguments regarding God’s existence have been one of the most disputable issues to create a parallel distinction between atheists and theists. Certainly, due to the unavailability of requisite proof on the basis of scientific rationale and also because of the reluctance deciphered by the theists to accept the logic argued by atheists, this particular issue has contributed in moder n philosophy as a cosmological thought which has attracted critics from around the world and apparently, from every doctrine (Palmquist, 2009). Arguments raised on this ground have often pointed that if God’s existence is questioned, the historic notional views, based on which the human society has been built, shall fumble and alas, might be destroyed (Hans & Helge, 2011). The cosmological view explained with reference to kalam argument on the existence of God further affirms that, â€Å"Everything that exists or begins to exist has a cause (Premise 1: EP); The universe exists and began to exist (Premise 2: EP); The universe must have a cause (Premise 3: IP); The cause of the universe is God (Conclusion: IC)†. However, this particular argument has been strongly criticized by atheists acclaiming the view to be a paradoxical notion (Morriston, 2000). In response to these questions and arguments, various studies were conducted to prove that God exists on the basis of comp lex theoretical philosophical underpinnings. Explaining the cosmological arguments on the existence of God, Craig (2010) explained that things exist either for an external cause or because of its necessity in the world as connoted in the Premise 1 of the kalam argument. For instance, mathematics exists because of necessity while physical objects exist for a particular cause. Therefore, if the universe is regarded as a physical object, it

Environmental web portal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental web portal - Essay Example An environmental web portal can serve as scientific as well as educational purposes for the community that uses its information. It provides a platform whereby resources, information, and experts in environmental science can converge and exchange ideas.Moreover,it will create an online opportunity for researchers to further their fieldwork and establish a bridge between class work and field work The web portal is aimed at enriching its information through accepting contributions from people visiting the site like the inclusion of a video blog, data collection, equipment operation and different observations from site visitors (Popovic, Lindic, Stemberger and Jaklic, 2005). The portal will form a basis of scientific research and verification of data through engaging in discussions and other activities that enhance environmental awareness. Environmental Web Portals host research, lesson plans, and online coursework, monitor student outcomes, and satisfy the reporting standards established. The environmental science projects require people to establish common grounds through which they can share knowledge and join efforts to solve environmental problems. The areas of interest include pressures of urbanization, information management and ensuring information accessibility to both the research hers and to those visiting the web portal.The environmental web portal will enhance both live and recorded online presentations of data and will enable visitors to understand how field equipment and other equipments are used in the process of data collection and analysis. In addition, the environmental portal will have a clear indication of the research funded by the government, its achievements and challenges. A clear description of the investment in people, the equipment to be used and the relevance of the research and how it is bound to affect people’s lives will be highlighted. Through the environmental analysis, the portal can be developed using basic technologies and helps in the achievement of tasks like development of online communities, administrators and environmental experts. Properly designed portals can act as effective communication tools that can enhance adoption of best practices in the environmental conservation campaigns. Availability of the environmental documentaries online enables constant updating on the latest research findings like discovery of new species, those facing extinction and effects of climatic change on the survival of organisms. According to Popovic, Lindic, Stemberger and Jaklic (2005), rapid technological and environmental changes pose new challenges to researchers and environmentalists that have been tasked with the responsibility of explaining the changes and recommending the desired course of action. The government aims at building an environmental research infrastructure to necessitate the adoption of environmental research data management. The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) were structured by the government and given the responsibility to initiate an environmental monitoring network. The Institute of Sustainable Resources (IRS) received funding from the Grains Research Development Corporation

Macbeth And Jay Gatsby | Evaluation

Macbeth And Jay Gatsby | Evaluation Jay Gatsby and Macbeth are in many ways responsible for their own downfalls, though I believe that Macbeth contributes more directly to his downfall than the comparatively indirect actions of Gatsby. Both characters are in some ways also to blame for the demise of other characters and their unrealistic hopes, dreams and ambitions bring about their untimely death. Moreover, the influence of key characters, especially women, whom are associated with Macbeth and Gatsby contribute to some extent to the two protagonists downfalls. By records, Macbeth is thought to have been written by William Shakespeare around 1603 and 1607, during the reign of James I, who became king in 1603. James was one of Shakespeares playing companys patrons, The Lord Chamberlains Men, and this play shows Shakespeares thoughts towards the king. Fitzgerald began The Great Gatsby in June 1922. It was written and takes place during the Roaring Twenties in a post World War One America, described as a time when gin was the national drink and sex was the national obsession. The novel was finally finished and published in 1925. The presentation of Gatsby and Macbeth at the start of their stories to the reader are contrasting to that at the end. The fist mention of Macbeth at the start of the play is by witches. To the audience, this automatically associates Macbeth with evil and witchcraft. To amplify this connection, Macbeth is given similar lines to the witches, Fair is foul, and foul is fair (1:1:10) from the witches and So foul and fair a day I have not seen from Macbeth to Banquo. Yet Macbeth is described by the bloody captain as a valiant and brave soldier on the battlefield, like Valours minion (1:2:19) and whose sword smoked with bloody execution (1:2:18); showing that Macbeth is worthy of the name brave Macbeth (1:2:16). But through the play, the character of Macbeth gradually deteriorates into a frail, cowardly man who is profoundly disillusioned, totally in contrast to the portrayal of him by the bloody captain. A similar change occurs during The Great Gatsby, where initially the character of Jay Gatsby is portrayed by Fitzgerald as mysterious, and who represented to Nick everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. Throughout the novel, Gatsby comes across as forlorn and lonely, and this feeling of isolation is emphasised during Gatsbys party at the beginning of chapter three in which he invites other lonely aristocrats, in the off chance that Daisy might appear. Nick feels as though there is more to this man than the stories Gatsby tells him of a gallant war hero, saying that every Allied government gave him a decoration even Montenegro, whom earned millions in the liquor business. But Gatsby is only cheating himself as he lies about his past, his family and his travels around the world. As the story goes on, Gatsbys goal becomes ever clearer, eventually reaching a point in which is similar to that of Macbeth; pathetic, dishonest, and desperate. The influence of women in the characters lives contributes towards the initial rise and then breakdown of their hopes, dreams and ambitions. During The Great Gatsby, the influence of Daisy plays on Gatsbys mind until his death. In a past life, Gatsby and Daisy had very strong feelings for each other before she and Tom became married. These feelings have long since left Daisy yet she still has a strong influence in Gatsbys life bringing to light the ultimate reason for his downfall. Fitzgerald uses Gatsby waiting at his phone and lurking outside his house as a metaphor for his and Daisys relationship. Gatsbys feelings for her are not realistic or worthy but this is what drives him on through life and it comes across that he would do anything to have her love him again. Nick observes He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: I never loved you'. Nick states that Gatsby found what a grotesque thing a rose is, a rose usually being relating to beauty, which de spite Gatsby telling Daisy that he loved her for other reasons, would have effected Gatsbys thoughts towards Daisy. Macbeth, though initially worthy of his title of Thane of Cawdor, is ironically overwhelmed by the great power that his wife, Lady Macbeth, has upon him. She comes across as a very influential woman of great strength and determination as of act three scene two in which the viscous plan of convincing Macbeth to kill Duncan is masterminded. But around act three, scene two, Lady Macbeth undertakes a dramatic change to take the appearance of a friendlier character towards Macbeth. Her level of influence over Macbeth gradually deteriorates and the guilt manifests inside her, turning her mad, eventually leading to a break down when she commits suicide. To ensure and emphasise the hopes and ambitions of Macbeth, the witches also play a direct role in influencing Macbeth by creating a prediction of the future. An example of these predictions is the title of Thane of Cawdor that Macbeth is to receive All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee Thane of Cawdor! at which Macbeth replies in disbelief But ho w of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives. The witches also foresee Macbeth becoming king, which Macbeth uses to convince himself to make this happen. Ultimately the gradual decline of the characters leads directly onto their deaths. The way in which Macbeth falls is crucial to his isolation in the castle during the attack. The most significant factor to which contributed to Macbeths downfall was paranoia. The fact that Macbeth had committed treason by killing Duncan fed his paranoia and could only ensure his safety by more action. Macbeth was aware that Banquo could suspect him of committing this crime and could not afford to let him be which lead only to one conclusion, the death of him and his family. In this way Macbeth takes on a more tyrannical view towards those he believes might succeed or even kill him. By the attack of the castle near the end of the play, there are few who would stand for Macbeth during the battle. Shakespeare then gives the reader a sense for Macbeths situation using very poetic language in the unlikely situation of combat, I have livd long enough. My way of life is falln into the sere, the yellow leaf, and that which should accompany old age. This shows that Macbeth realises that he has brought about his own downfall, and realises that there is little or no point in trying to redeem himself of his sins other than being killed and therefore almost allows Macduff to kill him. But he is proud at death. In some ways, the way in which Gatsby falls is similar to that of Macbeth in the sense of dishonesty. Yet the most significant aspect of it is the continuing build up of lie upon lie by Gatsby to those around him and himself. His life and livelihood are based upon his hopes and ambitions of once again being together with Daisy. Gatsby does not really see Daisy for who she is, but has rather built up an idealistic image of her. This build up of lies leads Mr Wilson to believe that Gatsby is the one that is having an affair with Myrtle and to Tom implying that he ran her down in the street, and therefore these rumours lead Mr Wilson to kill Gatsby for what he thinks Gatsby has done. Gatsbys romantic feelings are lost for Daisy by her rejection, and so death is more or less accepted by Gatsby. For Macbeth, Banquo is another influence, but in contrast to the influence of the witches and Lady Macbeth. In act one, scene three, after the predictions of Macbeths future are made, the witches foresee the future for Banquo as well, comparing it to that of Macbeth Lesser than Macbeth, and greater, Not so happy, yet much happier and Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none Later in the play Macbeth portrays these predictions as a danger to his power, foreseeing them as a betrayal by Banquo. This fuels Macbeths paranoia and leads to the slaughter of Banquo and his family And the right-valiant Banquo walked too late; whom, you may say, ift please you, Fleance killed, for Fleance fled. This paranoia eventually leads to Macbeths downfall. Another influence in Gatsbys life is the mysterious character of Meyer Wolfsheim. The reader is not presented much about this character, but from Nicks observations we see that he has had business relations with Gatsby. From what we do know, he is involved in the liquor business, of which Gatsby also seems to be a part of. To Gatsby, Meyer Wolfsheim is his apparent mentor, who could possibly have influenced Gatsby into his business. But it becomes apparent that Meyer Wolfsheim is involved in illegal businesses, taking fixing the World Series for example, which brings to light the possible truth behind Gatsbys fortune. In summary, the similar effects of the characters allowing themselves be influenced by women, and the characters unrealistic and unworthy hopes, dreams, and ambitions are the ways in which they are responsible for and gradually lead to the deaths of other characters around them and to the downfall and eventual untimely demise of the characters themselves.

Educating Rita by Willy Russell :: English Literature

Educating Rita Educating Rita is a story written by Willy Russell. He was born in Whiston, which is just outside Liverpool. When he was five his mum and dad moved to Knowsley, on an estate full of Liverpudlians who taught him how to talk properly. It is about two main characters Rita and Frank. Rita is a literature student at the Open University. This is a university that is used as a way of enabling adult students, like Rita. Frank is a tutor at the Open University but unlike the normal upper class tutors frank is a normal scruffy old man, this shocks Rita. Rita wanted to study and learn here, and so the fear and pressure from her friends made her join in with the others around her. She didn't want to become different from her family and friends, nor those around her, and so blocked the thought that she wanted more from her life: "I'd just play another record or buy another dress an' stop worryin" She put this off because of the peer pressure from the other working class people, she didn't want to be different and upset them so went along with their assumptions of women as low, and this put her off for a while. Rita sees the middle class as totally different from herself, and although doesn't want to be working class, doesn't feel she will be accepted as middle class either. She has the idea that all middle class individuals are free, and stereotypes, making sweeping generalisations. She assumes they all eat wholemeal bread, flora, and watch the BBC, as this is seen as more intellectually stimulating than ITV, the channel that many of the working class watch. This shows that she stereotypes certain groups of people from what she has heard, instead of her own views, she doesn't wait to get to know them before judging. As Rita believes herself to be sophisticated and well read, she has named herself after an author. Her real name is Susan, but Rita Mae Brown is a pornographic author, and as Rita likes her books, she laughably adopts her name and believes she is making herself seem more sophisticated, once again showing her complete misunderstanding that sexually explicit novels are classified as good literature. Such an action again indicates her naive outlook and lack of literary awareness at the beginning of the play. There are many themes during the play, change is probably the most important as it shows how an individual can develop and learn in both positive and negative ways, the play indicates the protagonist changing from one extreme to the other, eventually discovering a happy

Full Metal Jacket vs the Things They Carried Essay

I’m going to show you a short clip from the movie â€Å"Full Metal Jacket† directed by Stanley Kubart, the guy Mr. MacBride’s brother mentioned yesterday in the LMC. In this scene, this group of American soldiers finally found and wounded the sniper that had already killed 3 of their men. One of which is Joker’s, the protagonist’s, best friend, Cowboy. In the scene we just watched, the sniper was wounded, and Baldwin wanted to leave the sniper to rot, but Joker kills her instead. This leads the audience wonder: â€Å"Did Joker kill her because he wanted to end her misery, or did he kill her out of frustration and as way of revenge for his friend, Cowboy?† The significance isn’t in the answer, but in the question itself. The fact that this movie makes you doubt Joker’s motives shows that this is a true war story. There is no moral in Full Metal Jacket. There are no good guys and bad guys, and there isn’t a clear line drawn between justice and evil. You don’t feel hatred towards the Viet Cong sniper, and you don’t have undying support the American soldiers. It’s different from all the other clichà ©, patriotic war movies. Like Tim O’Brien writes â€Å"A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always done. If a story seems moral, do not believe it. If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie.† No one would argue what Joker did was a â€Å"model of proper human behavior†, because no one knows if he killed the sniper out of sympathy or to fulfill his lust for vengeance. Baldwin wanted to do what â€Å"men have always done†; he wanted to let the sniper feel the amount of pain and sorrow he feels; he wanted her to die a slow, painful death, he wanted revenge. The ending doesn’t uplift you, and the situation the soldiers were in allowed no rectitude. All these factors integrated create a masterpiece to what O’Brien would proudly consider as a true war story. The Things They Carried is ironic in a way that it tells you how to tell a true war story, but the novel itself is a work of fiction. However, this doesn’t mean the stories themselves aren’t realistic; they are, as O’Brien would say, the story truth. Sometimes the story truth is truer than the happening truth, because it makes things feel present. Reading this book makes the reader feel confused, and even cheated, because by creating a â€Å"fictional† protagonist called Tim O’Brien, a soldier who fought in the Vietnam War, the author, Tim O’Brien, a Vietnam war veteran, is luring us into believing that these stories are true. By treating this work as a work of non-fiction, the reader sympathizes for the soldiers, and forms an emotional connection with the characters. In the chapter, â€Å"Good Form†, O’Brien tells you everything is made up. We, as readers, experience a sudden psychological change, and this change mirrors the psychological change the soldiers of the war experienced. We view the stories differently now, and the soldiers were forced to view life and death differently. Notice in â€Å"The Lives of the Dead†, everyone in O’Brien’s platoon shook hands with the dead Vietnam soldier, gave him a can of orange slices, and talked to him. In order to cope with the brutality of the war, these guys had to reanimate the dead. They had to see and treat him as if he was still alive to relieve their guilty conscience of murder. After we realize these tales are just tales, we readers are forced view these stories through a different lens, and those boys who went to war had to see the war through the lens of soldier. Much like how Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was trained not to see his men as individuals, but rather as interchangeable units of command. O’Brien’s intentional setup allows the reader to experience to a certain degree how the soldiers felt entering the war. If he just told us real stories, the happening truths, we would still empathize with them, but we wouldn’t truly understand. This is why the story truth is sometimes truer, and more expressive than the happening truth. The Things They Carried is truly a great form of art, not only because of its stylistic language, but because it abandons tradition and blurs the line between fiction and non-fiction, creating brand new possibilities in the world of literature.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 2

TWO Or, well, it looked like mason. He – or it or whatever – was hard to see. I had to keep squinting and blinking to get him in focus. His form was insubstantial – almost translucent – and kept fading in and out of my field of vision. But yes, from what I could see, he definitely looked like Mason. His features were washed out, making his fair skin look whiter than I recalled. His reddish hair now appeared as a faint, watery orange. I could barely even see his freckles. He was wearing exactly what I'd last seen him in: jeans and a yellow fleece jacket. The edge of a green sweater peeped out from underneath the coat's hem. Those colors, too, were all softened. He looked like a photograph that someone had left out in the sun, causing it to fade. A very, very faint glow seemed to outline his features. The part that struck me the most – aside from the fact that he was supposed to be dead – was the look on his face. It was sad – so, so sad. Looking into his eyes, I felt my heart break. All the memories of what had taken place just a few weeks ago came rushing back to me. I saw it all again: his body falling, the cruel look on the Strigoi faces†¦. A lump formed in my throat. I stood there frozen, stunned and unable to move. He studied me too, his expression never changing. Sad. Grim. Serious. He opened his mouth, like he might speak, and then closed it. Several more heavy moments hung between us, and then he lifted his hand and extended it toward me. Something in that motion snapped me out of my daze. No, this could not be happening. I wasn't seeing this. Mason was dead. I'd seen him die. I'd held his body. His fingers moved slightly, like he was beckoning, and I panicked. Backing up a few steps, I put distance between us and waited to see what would happen. He didn't follow. He simply stood there, hand still in the air. My heart lurched, and I turned and ran. When I'd almost reached the door, I stopped and glanced back, letting my ragged breathing calm down. The clearing he'd stood in was completely empty. I made it up to my room and slammed the door behind me, hands shaking. I sank onto my bed and replayed what had just happened. What the hell? That had not been real. No way. Impossible. Mason was dead, and everyone knows the dead don't come back. Well, yeah, I had come back†¦but that was a different situation. Clearly, I'd imagined this. That was it. It had to be. I was overtired and still reeling from Lissa and Christian, not to mention that Victor Dashkov news. Probably the cold had frozen part of my brain too. Yes, the more I thought about it, the more I decided there had to be a hundred explanations for what had just happened. Yet, no matter how often I told myself that, I couldn't fall back asleep. I lay in my bed, covers pulled to my chin as I tried to banish that haunting image from my mind. I couldn't. All I could see were those sad, sad eyes, those eyes that seemed to say, Rose, why did you let this happen to me? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to think about him. Since Mason's funeral, I'd been working so hard to go on and act like I was strong. But the truth was, I was nowhere near being over his death. I tortured myself day after day with what if? questions. What if I'd been faster and stronger during the Strigoi fight? What if I hadn't told him where the Strigoi were in the first place? And what if I'd simply been able to return his love? Any of those could have kept him alive, but none of them had happened. And it was all my fault. â€Å"I imagined it,† I whispered out loud into the darkness of my room. I had to have imagined it. Mason already haunted my dreams. I didn't need to see him when I was awake too. â€Å"It wasn't him.† It couldn't have been him, because the only way it could have been was†¦Well, that was something I didn't want to think about. Because while I believed in vampires and magic and psychic powers, I most certainly did not believe in ghosts. I apparently didn't believe in sleep, either, because I didn't get much of it that night. I tossed and turned, unable to quiet my racing mind. I eventually did drift off, but it seemed like my alarm went off so soon after that I could have hardly slept for more than a few minutes. Among humans, the light of day tends to chase off nightmares and fear. I had no such daylight; I awoke to increasing darkness. But just being out with real and living people had nearly the same effect, and as I went to breakfast and my morning practice, I found that what I'd seen last night – or what I thought I'd seen last night – was growing fainter and fainter in my memory. The weirdness of that encounter was also being replaced by something else: excitement. This was it. The big day. The start of our field experience. For the next six weeks, I wouldn't have any classes. I'd get to spend my days hanging out with Lissa, and the most I'd have to do was write a daily field report that was only about a half-page long. Easy. And, yeah, of course I'd be on guard duty, but I wasn't concerned. That was second nature to me. She and I had lived among humans for two years, and I'd protected her the whole time. Before that, when I'd been a freshman, I'd seen the kinds of tests the adult guardians planned for novices during this phase. The ordeals were tricky, absolutely. A novice had to be on watch and not slack – and be ready to defend and attack if necessary. None of that worried me, though. Lissa and I had been away from the school our sophomore and junior years, and I'd fallen behind then. Thanks to my extra practices with Dimitri, I'd quickly caught up and was now one of the best in my class. â€Å"Hey, Rose.† Eddie Castile caught up to me as I walked into the gym where our field experience orientation would kick off. For a brief moment, looking at Eddie, my heart sank. Suddenly, it was like I was out in the quad again with Mason, staring at his sorrowful face. Eddie – along with Lissa's boyfriend, Christian, and a Moroi named Mia – had been with our group when we'd been captured by Strigoi. Eddie hadn't died, obviously, but he'd come very close to it. The Strigoi who'd held us had used him as food, feeding from him throughout our capture in an effort to tease the Moroi and scare the dhampirs. It had worked; I'd been terrified. Poor Eddie had been unconscious for most of the ordeal, thanks to blood loss and the endorphins that came from a vampire's bite. He'd been Mason's best friend and nearly as funny and lighthearted. But since we'd escaped, Eddie had changed, just like I had. He was still quick to smile and laugh, but there was a grimness to him now, a dark and serious look in his eyes that was always on guard for the worst to happen. That was understandable, of course. He pretty much had seen the worst happen. Just like with Mason's death, I held myself responsible for this transformation in Eddie and for what he'd suffered at the hands of the Strigoi. That may not have been fair to me, but I couldn't help it. I felt like I owed him now, like I needed to protect him or make things up to him somehow. And that was kind of funny, because I think Eddie was trying to protect me. He wasn't stalking me or anything, but I'd noticed him keeping an eye on me. I think after what had happened, he felt he owed it to Mason to watch over his girlfriend. I never bothered to tell Eddie that I hadn't been Mason's girlfriend, not in the real sense of the word, just as I never rebuked Eddie for his big brother behavior. I could certainly take care of myself. But whenever I heard him warning other guys away from me, pointing out that I wasn't ready to date anyone yet, I saw no point in interfering. It was all true. I wasn't ready to date. Eddie gave me a lopsided smile that added a little boy type of cuteness to his long face. â€Å"Are you excited?† â€Å"Hell, yeah,† I said. Our classmates were filling in bleachers on one side of the gym, and we found a clear spot near the middle. â€Å"It's going to be like a vacation. Me and Lissa, together for six weeks.† As frustrating as our bond was sometimes, it nonetheless made me her ideal guardian. I always knew where she was and what was happening to her. Once we graduated and were out in the world, I'd be assigned to her officially. He turned thoughtful. â€Å"Yeah, I guess you don't have to worry as much. You know your assignment when you graduate. The rest of us aren't so lucky.† â€Å"You got your sights set on someone royal?† I teased. â€Å"Well, it doesn't matter. Most guardians are assigned to royals lately anyway.† That was true. Dhampirs – half-vampires like me – were in short supply, and royals usually got first pick of guardians. There was a time in the past when more Moroi, royal and non-royal alike, would have gotten guardians, and novices like us would have competed fiercely to get assigned to someone important. Now it was almost a given that every guardian would work for a royal family. There weren't enough of us to go around, and less influential families were on their own. â€Å"Still,† I said, â€Å"I guess it's a question of which royal you get, right? I mean, some are total snobs, but lots of them are cool. Get someone really rich and powerful, and you could be living at the Royal Court or traveling to exotic places.† That last part appealed to me a lot, and I often had fantasies of Lissa and me traveling the world. â€Å"Yup,† agreed Eddie. He nodded toward a few guys in the front row. â€Å"You wouldn't believe the way those three have been sucking up to some of the Ivashkovs and Szelskys. It won't affect their assignments here, of course, but you can tell they're already trying to set things up after graduation.† â€Å"Well, the field experience can affect that. How we're rated on this will go into our records.† Eddie nodded again and started to say something when a loud, clear feminine voice cut through the murmur of our conversation. We both looked up. While we'd been talking, our instructors had gathered in front of the bleachers and now stood facing us in an impressive line. Dimitri was among them, dark and imposing and irresistible. Alberta was trying to call us to attention. The crowd fell silent. â€Å"All right,† she began. Alberta was in her fifties, wiry and tough. Seeing her reminded me of the conversation she and Dimitri had had last night, but I filed that away for later. Victor Dashkov was not going to ruin this moment. â€Å"You all know why you're here.† We'd become so quiet, so tense and excited, that her voice now rang through the gym. â€Å"This is the most important day of your education before you take your final trials. Today you will find out which Moroi you've been placed with. Last week, you were given a booklet with the full details of how the next six weeks will play out. I trust you've all read it by now.† I had, actually. I'd probably never read anything so thoroughly in my life. â€Å"Just to recap, Guardian Alto will highlight the main rules of this exercise.† She handed a clipboard to Guardian Stan Alto. He was one of my least favorite instructors, but after Mason's death, some of the tension between us had lightened. We understood each other better now. â€Å"Here we go,† said Stan gruffly. â€Å"You'll be on duty six days a week. This is actually a treat for you guys. In the real world, you're usually working every day. You will accompany your Moroi everywhere – to class, to their dorms, to their feedings. Everything. It's up to you to figure out how you fit into their lives. Some Moroi interact with their guardians just like friends; some Moroi prefer you to be more of an invisible ghost who doesn't talk to them.† Did he have to use the word ghost? â€Å"Every situation is different, and you two will have to find a way to work it out to best ensure their safety. â€Å"Attacks may come at any time, anywhere, and we'll be dressed in all black when it happens. You should always be on your guard. Remember, even though you'll obviously know it's us doing the attacking and not real Strigoi, you should respond as though your lives are in terrible, immediate danger. Don't be afraid of hurting us. Some of you, I'm sure, won't have any qualms about getting us back for past grievances.† Students in the crowd giggled at this. â€Å"But some of you may feel like you have to hold back, for fear of getting in trouble. Don't. You'll get in more trouble if you do hold back. Don't worry. We can take it.† He flipped to the next page of his clipboard. â€Å"You will be on duty twenty-four hours a day for your six-day cycles, but you may sleep during daylight when your Moroi does. Just be aware that although Strigoi attacks are rare in daylight, they aren't impossible indoors, and you will not necessarily be ‘safe' during these times.† Stan read over a few more technicalities, and I found myself tuning them out. I knew this stuff. We all did. Glancing around, I could see I wasn't alone in my impatience. Excitement and apprehension crackled in the crowd. Hands were clenched. Eyes were wide. We all wanted our assignments. We all wanted this to begin. When Stan finished, he handed the clipboard to Alberta. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"I'm going to call out your names one by one and announce who you're paired with. At that time, come down here to the floor, and Guardian Chase will give you a packet containing information about your Moroi's schedule, past, etcetera.† We all straightened up as she leafed through her papers. Students whispered. Beside me, Eddie exhaled heavily. â€Å"Oh man. I hope I get someone good,† he muttered. â€Å"I don't want to be miserable for the next six weeks.† I squeezed his arm reassuringly. â€Å"You will,† I whispered back. â€Å"Er, get someone good, I mean. Not be miserable.† â€Å"Ryan Aylesworth,† Alberta announced clearly. Eddie flinched, and I instantly knew why. Before, Mason Ashford had always been the first one called on any class lists. That would never happen again. â€Å"You are assigned to Camille Conta.† â€Å"Damn,† muttered someone behind us, who'd apparently been hoping to get Camille. Ryan was one of the suck-ups in the front row, and he grinned broadly as he walked over to take his packet. The Contas were an up-and-coming royal family. It was rumored that one of their members was a candidate for when the Moroi queen eventually named her heir. Plus, Camille was pretty cute. Following her around wouldn't be too hard for any guy. Ryan, walking with a swagger, seemed very pleased with himself. â€Å"Dean Barnes,† she said next. â€Å"You have Jesse Zeklos.† â€Å"Ugh,† Eddie and I both said together. If I'd been assigned to Jesse, he would have needed an extra person to protect him. From me. Alberta kept reading names, and I noticed Eddie was sweating. â€Å"Please, please let me get someone good,† he muttered. â€Å"You will,† I said. â€Å"You will.† â€Å"Edison Castile,† Alberta announced. He gulped. â€Å"Vasilisa Dragomir.† Eddie and I both froze for the space of a heartbeat, and then duty made him stand up and head toward the floor. As he stepped down the bleachers, he shot me a quick, panicked look over his shoulder. His expression seemed to say, I don't know! I don't know! That made two of us. The world around me slowed to a blur. Alberta kept calling names, but I didn't hear any of them. What was going on? Clearly, someone had made a mistake. Lissa was my assignment. She had to be. I was going to be her guardian when we graduated. This made no sense. Heart racing, I watched Eddie walk over to Guardian Chase and get his packet and practice stake. He glanced down at the papers immediately, and I suspected he was double-checking the name, certain there was a mix-up. The expression on his face when he looked up told me that it was Lissa's name he'd found. I took a deep breath. Okay. No need to panic just yet. Someone had made a clerical error here, one that could be fixed. In fact, they'd have to fix it soon. When they got to me and read Lissa's name again, they were going to realize they'd double-booked one of the Moroi. They'd straighten it out and give Eddie someone else. After all, there were plenty of Moroi to go around. They outnumbered dhampirs at the school. â€Å"Rosemarie Hathaway.† I tensed. â€Å"Christian Ozera.† I simply stared at Alberta, unable to move or respond. No. She had not just said what I thought. A few people, noticing my lack of movement, glanced back at me. But I was dumbstruck. This wasn't happening. My Mason delusion from last night seemed more real than this. A few moments later, Alberta also realized I wasn't moving. She looked up from her clipboard with annoyance, scanning the crowd. â€Å"Rose Hathaway?† Someone elbowed me, like maybe I didn't recognize my own name. Swallowing, I stood and walked down the bleachers, robot-like. There was a mistake. There had to be a mistake. I headed toward Guardian Chase, feeling like a puppet that someone else was controlling. He handed me my packet and a practice stake meant to â€Å"kill† the adult guardians with, and I stepped out of the way for the next person. Disbelieving, I read the words on the packet's cover three times. Christian Ozera. Flipping it open, I saw his life spread out before me. A current picture. His class schedule. His family tree. His bio. It even went into detail about his parents' tragic history, how they'd chosen to become Strigoi and had murdered several people before finally being hunted down and killed. Our directions at this point had been to read through our dossiers, pack a bag, and then meet up with our Moroi at lunch. As more names were called, many of my classmates lingered around the gym, talking to their friends and showing off their packets. I hovered near one group, discreetly waiting for a chance to talk to Alberta and Dimitri. It was a sign of my newly developing patience that I didn't walk right up to them then and there and demand answers. Believe me, I wanted to. Instead, I let them go through their list, but it felt like forever. Honestly, how long did it take to read a bunch of names? When the last novice had been assigned his Moroi, Stan shouted above the din for us to move on to the next stage of the assignment and tried to herd out my classmates. I cut through the crowd and stalked up to Dimitri and Alberta, who blessedly were standing with each other. They were chatting about something administrative and didn't notice me right away. When they did glance at me, I held up my packet and pointed. â€Å"What's this?† Alberta's face looked blank and confused. Something in Dimitri's told me he'd been expecting this. â€Å"It's your assignment, Miss Hathaway,† Alberta said. â€Å"No,† I said through gritted teeth. â€Å"It's not. This is somebody else's assignment.† â€Å"The assignments in your field experience aren't optional,† she told me sternly. â€Å"Just as your assignments in the real world won't be. You can't pick who you protect based on whim and mood, not here and certainly not after graduation.† â€Å"But after graduation, I'm going to be Lissa's guardian!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Everyone knows that. I'm supposed to have her for this thing.† â€Å"I know it's an accepted idea that you'll be together after graduation, but I do not recall any mandatory rulings that say you're ‘supposed' to have her or anyone here at school. You take who you're assigned.† â€Å"Christian?† I threw my packet on the floor. â€Å"You're out of your mind if you think I'm guarding him.† â€Å"Rose!† snapped Dimitri, joining the conversation at last. His voice was so hard and so sharp that I flinched and forgot what I was saying for half a second. â€Å"You're out of line. You do not speak to your instructors like that.† I hated being chastised by anyone. I especially hated being chastised by him. And I especially hated being chastised by him when he was right. But I couldn't help it. I was too angry, and the lack of sleep was taking its toll. My nerves felt raw and strained, and suddenly, little things seemed difficult to bear. And big things like this? Impossible to bear. â€Å"Sorry,† I said with great reluctance. â€Å"But this is stupid. Nearly as stupid as not bringing us to Victor Dashkov's trial.† Alberta blinked in surprise. â€Å"How did you know – Never mind. We'll deal with that later. For now, this is your assignment, and you need to do it.† Eddie suddenly spoke up beside me, his voice filled with apprehension. I'd lost track of him earlier. â€Å"Look †¦ I don't mind†¦. We can switch†¦.† Alberta turned her stony gaze from me to him. â€Å"No, you certainly cannot. Vasilisa Dragomir is your assignment.† She looked back at me. â€Å"And Christian Ozera is yours. End of discussion.† â€Å"This is stupid!† I repeated. â€Å"Why should I waste my time with Christian? Lissa's the one I'm going to be with when I graduate. Seems like if you want me to be able to do a good job, you should have me practice with her.† â€Å"You will do a good job with her,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Because you know her. And you have your bond. But somewhere, someday, you could end up with a different Moroi. You need to learn how to guard someone with whom you have absolutely no experience.† â€Å"I have experience with Christian,† I grumbled. â€Å"That's the problem. I hate him.† Okay, that was a huge exaggeration. Christian annoyed me, true, but I didn't really hate him. As I'd said, working together against the Strigoi had changed a lot of things. Again, I felt like my lack of sleep and general irritability were cranking up the magnitude of everything. â€Å"So much the better,† said Alberta. â€Å"Not everyone you protect will be your friend. Not everyone you protect will be someone you like. You need to learn this.† â€Å"I need to learn how to fight Strigoi,† I said. â€Å"I've learned that in class.† I fixed them with a sharp look, ready to play my trump card. â€Å"And I've done it in person.† â€Å"There's more to this job than the technicalities, Miss Hathaway. There's a whole personal aspect – a bedside manner, if you will – that we don't touch on much in class. We teach you how to deal with the Strigoi. You need to learn how to deal with the Moroi yourselves. And you in particular need to deal with someone who has not been your best friend for years.† â€Å"You also need to learn what it's like to work with someone when you can't instantly sense that they're in danger,† added Dimitri. â€Å"Right,† agreed Alberta. â€Å"That's a handicap. If you want to be a good guardian – if you want to be an excellent guardian – then you need to do as we say.† I opened my mouth to fight this, to argue that having someone I was so close to would train me up faster and make me a better guardian for any other Moroi. Dimitri cut me off. â€Å"Working with another Moroi will also help keep Lissa alive,† he said. That shut me down. It was pretty much the only thing that could have, and damn him, he knew it. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Lissa's got a handicap too – you. If she never has a chance to learn what it's like to be guarded by someone without a psychic connection, she could be at greater risk if attacked. Guarding someone is really a two-person relationship. This assignment for your field experience is as much for her as for you.† I stayed silent as I processed his words. They almost made sense. â€Å"And,† added Alberta, â€Å"it's the only assignment you're going to get. If you don't take it, then you opt out of the field experience.† Opt out? Was she crazy? It wasn't like a class I could sit out from for one day. If I didn't do my field experience, I didn't graduate. I wanted to explode about unfairness, but Dimitri stopped me without saying a word. The constant, calm look in his dark eyes held me back, encouraging me to accept this gracefully – or as close as I could manage. Reluctantly I picked up the packet. â€Å"Fine,† I said icily. â€Å"I'll do this. But I want it noted that I'm doing this against my will.† â€Å"I think we already figured that out, Miss Hathaway,† remarked Alberta dryly. â€Å"Whatever. I still think it's a horrible idea, and you eventually will too.† I turned and stormed off across the gym before any of them could respond. In doing so, I fully realized what a bitchy little brat I sounded like. But if they'd just endured their best friend's sex life, seen a ghost, and hardly gotten any sleep, they'd have been bitchy too. Plus, I was about to spend six weeks with Christian Ozera. He was sarcastic, difficult, and made jokes about everything. Actually, he was a lot like me. It was going to be a long six weeks.