Coming to the states Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Coming to the states - Essay Example These facts relate to the level of freedom, quality of life, and the cultural diversity here in the US. This is why the United States is a popular destination for students who are seeking a high quality education in a multi-cultural environment. Over time I have realized that the country is so racially diversified that I do not feel as if I have come to an alien place and it automatically helps me integrate into the society over here. Hence, the United States is a perfect location not only to study but also to live in. I have never felt more freedom in any other place than in the United States, which is why I like doing my studies here in the US. Freedom is a major plus point of studying in the United States. Every individual has the freedom to do whatever they want without being restricted. I am guaranteed my fundamental rights in every way including freedom of speech, actions, and thought. This can be clearly witnessed in the fact that no one points a finger at me or my religion even if I practice it openly without indulging others. Moreover, the kind of dressing that I wear does not concern anyone whereas in my country a person is judged upon by the clothes he wears. Similarly at many instances I have freely expressed my notions regarding the American culture without any fear of being suppressed by the nationals. Because I am not always studying, I also get a lot of free time. In my free time, I can travel to other places without any restriction. I can travel wherever I want, even at night, without being afraid of my security at night. This confirms Further there is no restriction on the time; I can eat and sleep any time I want. At the same time, my usual life and studies are also not affected. Furthermore, I am not restricted or inhibited in any way. I am free to do as I like without affecting the rights of others. As a student as well, I have a lot of flexibility in terms of my schedule. After my classes I am free for a considerable amount of time

The Galapagos Island in Ecuador Essay Example for Free

The Galapagos Island in Ecuador Essay Nineteen breathtaking islands stunningly situated in the Pacific Ocean comprise the Galapagos Islands. Aside from the wonderful corporeal attributes of the island, it is also well-known for its â€Å"showcase of evolution. † The island houses different species of sea animals, which were believed to have evolved due to the volcanic activities affecting marine life. In fact, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on his observations in the Galapagos Island. (UNESCO, 2007) Unique creatures living in the island including land iguanas, giant tortoises, seal colonies, cormorants, bats, rats, and such presents the importance of supporting advocacies to protect and preserve this world heritage site. These animals, also including penguins and other kinds of birds who frequent the island coexist for a balanced marine ecosystem. (The Galapagos Island) Overall, the island boasts of over 1,600 species of various insects, over 800 species of shells, 200 starfishes, 120 crabs, and many more worthy of efforts and support for their conservation and sustained existence. (Explore Galapagos) Animal seclusion in the island was identified to cause nonchalant behavior of animal life in the area. (The Galapagos Island) Imbalance in the existing animal life community in the island is said to be caused by human interference. Human practices that threat the harmony in the Galapagos Island dates for more than two decades ago when explorers hunted animals in the area for personal provisions. Aside from this, people who inhabit the island alter the physical environment affecting the balance in the island’s ecosystem. For instance, some foreign plants set in the area have been identified to damage the life of native plants in the island. To protect the area from further damage brought about by human actions and practices, majority of the area in the Galapagos was transformed into a National Park. Ongoing scientific investigation to sustain preservation is also conducted in the area by the Charles Darwin Station. (Galapagos Conservation) Although the government of Ecuador and other international organizations such as UNESCO are working very hard to continue the protection and preservation of the island, conditions that threaten the unspoiled nature of the Galapagos still exist. Therefore, continuous and intensified support is needed to prevent the destruction of this immaculate heritage site. Primarily, what should be worked on is the growing economy and population in the area, increasing the presence of insidious species of plant and animal life, as well as man-made products that disturb the balanced and harmonious community in the island. Funding and efficient management skills should be a primary concern of everyone involved. To air the call for protection and preservation of the Galapagos, efforts should also be made to educate all people in order to determine the significance of the diverse community existing within the Galapagos and look out for ways on how the advocacy can be supported by all means possible. References Explore Galapagos. (2008). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Galapagos Conservation Trust.Website: http://www. gct. org/intro. html Galapagos Conservation. (2008). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Big Five Tours Expedition. Website: http://www. galapagos. com/conservation. php The Galapagos Island. (2006). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from interKnowledge Corp. Website: http://www. geographia. com/ecuador/galislands. htm UNESCO. (2007). Galapagos Island. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Website: http://whc. unesco. org/en/list/1

The Mutilation of Society :: essays research papers fc

The Mutilation of Society No matter how we perceive ourselves, human beings are still animals. However the difference between us and the animals that walk on all four, is that we have laws that don’t allow us to go back to the days when we struggled everyday for survival. The Island of Dr. Moreau can be compared with Lord of the Flies to answer the question, are humans generally good or bad? After the death of Dr. Moreau, the creatures’ retrogression represents man’s savagery as they take part in the survival of the fittest. Finally Dr. Moreau represents what happens to humans when they have too much power; his obvious god complex makes him feel justified in the fact that he is mutilating animals that have existed for longer than humans have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Island of Dr. Moreau, in my opinion uses the beasts to show that human nature truly is evil. As in Lord of the Flies, when civil rule is taken away from humans we go back to our animal instincts. Humans since their existence have been unable to rule themselves. As far back as the pharaohs of Egypt it was necessary to have written law that you will have to pay consequences if you kill another human being. Today the world struggles with the existence of terrorism threatening to kill off millions of its people. In some cultures this is accepted as good and even rewarded to perform these horrendous acts. In Lord of the Rings William Golding writes, â€Å"†¦Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy† (242). This is the same feeling that Prendick had when he ends his writing with, â€Å"There it must be, I think, in the vast and eternal laws of matter, and not in the daily cares and sins and troubles of men, that whatever is more than animal within us must find its solace and its hope† (Wells, 104). Both Ralph and Prendick realize that life for them will not be the same. They have been exposed to the evil that is inside of man. In response to these realizations, Ralph weeps and Prendick removes himself from society. The way both the beast and the young men turn on each other when rule and society is taken away is true to what happens in our world now.

marriage and funeral in ancient greece :: essays research papers fc

Marriage and Funeral in Classical Athens Marriage in Classical Athens was inevitable. It was a part of life. Everyone had to get married, just as everyone had to someday face death. Although most people would not see a connection between marriage and death, the Greeks did. Both define an irreversible physical change—the loss of virginity and the loss of life. This idea of loss, rebirth, and renewal are present in both wedding and funeral. This is evident in the way wedding and funeral ceremonies complement each other in character and content. Both ceremonies are interwoven with ritual meaning and overlapping rites.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are three distinctive parts to a Greek marriage: the engue, ekdosis, and gamos (Powers). The engue refers to the betrothal arranged by the kurioi, which are the fathers of the bride and groom (Duby 273). In this ceremony a verbal contract is made called engye. This is basically an agreement upon marriage between the groom and father of the bride. The dowry is also paid to the groom during this time. The agreement is sealed by the phrase ‘I hand over this woman to you for the ploughing of legitimate children’ (Blundell 101). Witnesses were present as proof of engue in case the legitimacy of children was ever questioned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the engue marked a pledge the ekdosis marked a transformation of the bride as she shifted from a child to an adult, a virgin to a wife. Actions that symbolized this transfer included cutting of the bride’s hair, removing the girdle she wore since puberty, and taking a ritual bath in water from a sacred spring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the ekdosis the daughter is given away by the father to her husband. The bride and groom prepare for the wedding with offerings, dedications, and sacrifices. All of these rites are for purification and conciliation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bride offers locks of her hair to the virgin deity Artemis in hopes that the god would ease her passage from virginity. The bride’s girdle is also taken off and consecrated to Artemis or Athena (Blundell 105). This pre-wedding ritual is one of the few events women are allowed to participate in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bride and groom both take a ritual bath which is believed to induce fertility (Avagianou 6). Sacred spring water for the bath is carried in a loutrophorus which means â€Å"someone who carries the bath water† (Rehm 15).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bride is then assisted in adorning herself for the public ceremony which begins with a feast at the family’s home.

Knowledge of Theory Essay

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Therefore Physical, mental and social is the three different types of well-beings of health.  Physical health: Physical fitness is good bodily health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery. A good height, weight is very good, is generally increased by improving nutrition and health care, and is also influenced by the standard of living and quality of life. Mental health: Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individual’s emotional and psychological well-being. One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Capable and competent, being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintain satisfying relationships, and lead an independent life.  Social health: Social health is if your social life is good, if you don’t have problems with your sport partners, and no problems of money, basically social health is if you have a good life, and you don’t have many problems with friends and family. Have friends that you can be open with, etc†¦ Fitness can be defined as the capacity to carry out the day’s activities without undue fatigue.  Physical fitness has two meanings: general fitness (a state of health and well-being) and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Physical fitness is the capacity of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles to function at optimum efficiency.  General fitness: Physical fitness is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery within the parameters allowed by the genome. Components:  Stamina:- to maintain effort (both cardiovascular and muscular) ; with stamina in football you last longer while you playing a match and it makes you play the game better.  Strenght:- to deal with the efforts and loads placed on the body ; with strenght you’ll be able to tackle the ball and the reverse player harder and with more power.  Supplness:- to move joints through their full range ; you’ll be more agil while you doing skills in football.  Speed:- to contract muscles quickly and slowly ; you’ll run faster than your opponent while you playing football. Specific fitness: Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person’s ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency. Specific training prepares athletes to perform good in their sports.In all the sessions I worked with Habib, he was my circuit training partner. During some session we had some interruptions from some people. The first session was the hardest one, but after the session it started to get easier.  I think I can do better then this, I progressed in all the sessions, but not that much in the push-ups, I think I progressed in almost all the sessions because I have been working harder each circuit. In all my lesson it were almost all the same, I worked always with Habib and was very easy .  Session 1- I worked with Habib and it was a bit difficult doing this circuit at the first time. There was lots of pupils †messing around†.  Session 2- I worked with Habib again and it was much easier to do the circuit this time, there were some disturbances during the circuit.  Session 3-I worked with Habib and was a good circuit with less interruption then the last time.  Session 4 -I worked with Habib once again and it was similar as the last circuit in terms of behaviour. But it was much easier to do the exercises.  Session 5-I worked with Habib for the last time , the behaviour terms were good and I had to do ma best in the exercises and I did. Planning  I think I didn’t use any pre-test results. I think that the training should have been harder den what it was. I applied some of the training in my circuit. They were specified to my sport, the sport that I choose was football .I used all the best sections that I think that would apply better to my specific sport.  Performing  I progressed in almost all my sessions of my circuit, but there was one that I didn’t progress that much. The keep-ups, bench raisers. I did all my session for 11min and a rest of 30s. After that I improved a lot in each of the exercises witch is a example that the circuit training resulted and that is worth doing it. Monitoring  Over the 5 week my skills in the types of session that I choose improved a lot, the heart rate and the rovery rate stayed the same. Witch is a good result an that shows a bit of improvement and that shows if you do the circuit training properly the results will be great.  Final Evaluation  My circuit training was good, but not successful enough, because it based in my sport but if it had more sessions it could be improved more. My training was more based in my legs, and my legs work improved a bit. My skills improved a lot and I enjoyed doing this type of circuit. This is very useful to be done in footbal beciuse there is evidence it improves the players skills.

A Night in the MVSEVM

A Night in the MVSEVM A Night in the MVSEVM A Night in the MVSEVM By Maeve Maddox A reader, noticing the way the word museum is engraved on some statues and entrances, writes: I am wondering why the word Museum is spelled Mvsevm . . . on many older things like statues. Until the twentieth century, classical Latin was an indispensable part of the school curriculum. Anyone who had been to school beyond the age of seven had at least a smattering. What are now called elementary schools or grade schools were once known as grammar schools. When the term grammar school originated, the grammar meant was Latin grammar. Because Latin was regarded as being much classier than English, it was often used to commemorate special occasions. For example, Latin was the language of choice on diplomas, ceremonial proclamations and stone inscriptions on statues, tombs, and museum entrances. The classical Latin alphabet did not contain the letters J, W or U: A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T V X Y Z It did not have what we call lowercase letters either. Latin inscriptions, therefore, were written in all capital letters. The letter V stood for both the vowel sound we represent with the letter U and the consonant sound we represent with the letter W. During the second century CE the rounded U form of the V appeared in Latin writing. A carved inscription that substitutes a V where English would use a U is supposed to look like classical Latin. Hence the capitals and the Vs for Us. Besides, Id guess that its much easier to make a V with a chisel than a U. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to KnowThe Writing ProcessHow Many Sentences in a Paragraph?

Governments Importance to Early Civilizations essays

Governments Importance to Early Civilizations essays Governments Importance to Early Civilizations It has been agreed upon by scholars world wide that in order for a group of peoples to be civilized they have to meet certain specifications. These include urbanization, long distance trade, occupational specialization, and a stable government. This positive step in humanities existence could not have been achieved without a form of leadership; and this leadership must co-exist with the populations beliefs. In this way, religion has influenced the governments of some of the earliest civilized groups. In all groups that were considered civilized and used agriculture for their primary food source, a stable government was a must. Irrigation had to be arranged for all the fields, a group dedicated to protecting the foodstuffs and seeds had to be created and trained, crops had to be regulated so that there was enough of each to last the entire off season, and planting and harvesting had to be timed perfectly. In addition to this, the government had to be able to fit with the religious beliefs of the population. In Mesopotamia, this meant the government had to show respect to each god evenly, and have a reason when one of the gods punished the land of Mesopotamia. This early civilization left little behind about their government however, there being no written language, it is guess work on what type of government it was; but democracy or monarchy, its hands were full. In ancient Egypt the government kept a close relationship with the polytheist religion of the time. The pharaoh had a special connection with the gods. He was chosen by them, and he was placed to create stability. When the pharaoh died he was placed in a large pyramid, where he could have a connection with both the living and the dead. In this pyramid everything that was needed in the after life was placed, including a tablet which reminded the pharaoh of what to say when he met Isis, t...

Effects Of Climate Change On Tourism Tourism Essay Essays

Effects Of Climate Change On Tourism Tourism Essay Essays Effects Of Climate Change On Tourism Tourism Essay Essay Effects Of Climate Change On Tourism Tourism Essay Essay Tourism is an industry that contributes to the universe economic system. In fact, some states economic systems derive most of their grosss from touristry. The addition in single income and the publicity of different states of their attractive forces have caused the industry to turn. Its growing is besides fueled by the easiness of transit as more and more hard-to-reach finishs have constructed airdromes for easier entree. With airdromes, tourers find it possible to make widespread countries and bask the beauty of the local topographic points. Those who come from cold topographic points would seek heater locations in the same or different continent. The Northern Europeans, for case, would travel to the states in the south, like Spain and Italy, to take advantage of the heater clime. Others would even travel so far as Southeast Asia or the Caribbean for their beaches or coral reefs ( Bigano et al. 2005, p. 1 ) . In the past several old ages, there has been a turning concern over the consequence of planetary heating on the clime. All around the universe, clime alterations are going more apparent, doing implosion therapy and utmost temperatures in different states. Weather forms have become unpredictable, which means that summer periods could be extended or winter may be longer than usual. These perturbations in the conditions and their impact on the environment are important to the touristry industry. The touristry industry is dependent on the predictability of the season in order to pull travellers who want to see different activities related to the season. Those who love skiing would see ski Lodges while the H2O partisans are traveling to beaches during summer. But with clime alterations, the touristry industry is affected in assorted ways. Climate alterations can straight or indirectly affect the local finishs, which need to retain their entreaty to foreign visitants in order for the indus try to boom. A. Impacts of Climate Change on Tourism Each tourer finish worldwide has its ain entreaty. This can come from the activities it can supply to visitants, like skiing or golf, or it can come from their natural beauty or what nature has to offer. It is of import that each finish should retain its appeals in order to maintain the tourer industry booming. Another of import factor to maintain touristry alive is that of handiness. Areas that become damaged or unaccessible lose their appeal, doing tourers to seek other good or approachable finishs. With clime alteration, the beauty of the local finishs is threatened while handiness excessively can go a job particularly when airdromes, roads and Bridgess are destroyed during utmost conditions perturbations. The different impact of clime alterations on the touristry industry will be discussed in the succeeding subdivisions. ( I ) Coral Bleaching: Affects Scuba Diving Tourists Scuba diving is one of the most popular activities that encourages the growing of touristry. Areas with extended and diverse coral reefs would pull visitants from different states to research the admirations of the submerged universe. However, clime alterations in recent old ages have caused harm to the oceans and the reefs. In the Philippines, a state that is blessed with assorted plunging sites, the heating of the sea particularly from the El Nino phenomenon resulted to what is known as coral bleaching. Coral decoloring consequences to the decease of approximately 49 % of unrecorded coral. Furthermore, the higher sum of dissolved CO2 means that corals, molluscs and shells are besides destroyed in the procedure ( Ocean Heritage Philippines 2009 ) . Without these beings and animals underwater, the diving industry in this state will endure. The diving crowd does non hold any ground to see the Philippines if its corals and sea life will go on to see desolation. Maldives is another state that would be badly affected by clime alterations. Like the Philippines, it besides has rich coral reefs that are in danger of being destroyed because of coral bleaching. Divers who visit Maldives specifically for its coral would lose a ground for sing the island. The same is true for all the other plunging musca volitanss worldwide. They would all endure the decrease of the figure of visitants to their topographic points. Tourists who are into plunging may choose to remain in their topographic points of beginning or prosecute other options if there are non adequate corals in the universe left that are worth their clip ( Viner and Agnew 1999, p. 16 ) . ( two ) Coastal Flooding and Erosion A more urgent concern of clime alterations is the rise of the sea degree. Maldives lift is low, which means that the higher the sea degree rises, the more likely will the island be overwashed with storm rushs. It is estimated that Maldives could be removed from the map in the following 30 old ages if the sea degree continues to lift unabated. Not merely will the state s touristry become affected but the full island would vanish ( Viner and Agnew 1999, p. 17 ) . The Bahamas is another popular finish among tourers because of its temperate clime and its pristine beaches. But the warming brought on by clime alterations is traveling to negatively impact the island. Like the Maldives, the Bahamas is besides vulnerable to ramp rushs, which can acquire worse with the rise of the sea degree. Its fresh water organic structures are besides turning brackish because of the invasion of the saltwater. Flooding and coastal eroding will badly impact the touristry industry of the Bahamas because touristry is dependent on the comparative beauty of the coastal countries. Resorts and hotels could be badly damaged if there are strong storm surges. This island, along with others in the Caribbean, must accommodate to climate alterations so that their exposures are lessened ( Smith 2008 ) . ( three ) Menace to Winter Activities: Decrease of Snow Cover While lifting sea degrees and coral bleaching threaten tropical islands, those that are located in colder parts are faced with a different sort of menace brought on by clime alterations. The touristry industry in colder parts are dependent on winter athleticss, like skiing, The general tendency in the conditions conditions is that of heating, which means that the summer months could be extended and the snow screen would be lower. Without adequate snow, traditional ski resorts will non be able to offer their usual winter activities. Without those activities, touristry will go slow since their visitants would non desire to be stuck in ski resorts with nil to make for the continuance of their holiday ( Viner and Agnew 1999, p. 19 ) . In the Prairie Provinces of Canada, which includes Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, it is expected that the grassland ecozone will be switching North, and the wildlife will besides travel with the ecozone. Some wildlife will non be able to accommodate to rapid alterations, which can ensue to their extinction. Wildlife partisans will besides follow the game and would non see the usual topographic points where touristry usually is. A longer summer is besides foreseen, which will endanger the support of ski resort operators, eating houses, and hotels ( International Institute for Sustainable Development 1997, p. 9 ) . Alternatively, cool finishs become more attractive non because of the winter athleticss but as a reprieve from the heating of the already warm parts. Peoples would seek colder topographic points, like North America and Australia. The British and German tourers, who are considered to be the largest in the figure of overall international tourers, may prefer to remain home because their conditions would non be excessively cold any longer ( Lynas 2003, p. 97 ) . The consequence of this would be a diminution in international touristry grosss. ( four ) Uncomfortably High Temperatures Causes Shift in Destinations While ski resorts are sing lower grosss because of shorter seasons, those that are located in heater climes are besides happening it a job when temperatures rise to an uncomfortable degree. Northern Europeans largely like to travel holidaying during winter in other parts of the universe where the conditions is normally sunny for most of the twelvemonth. They would remain out-of-doorss to sunbathe for several hours. However, summer temperatures are likely to lift above 40 grades Celsius. This degree is already really high for homo to still experience comfy. This can already take to heat emphasis and may even do human deaths due to stroke. Tourists are non likely to see the summer topographic points to avoid the surging temperatures. They could alternatively travel to topographic points that are still cold but non every bit cold as their ain parts. Alternatively, the tourists may choose to prorogue their holidaies to a ulterior clip of the twelvemonth or take it earlier while the heat is non that intense yet ( Viner and Agnew 1999, p. 21 ) . Bigano et Al. ( 2005, p. 8 ) stated that it is possible for the motion of tourers to switch and for international touristry grosss to go lower. Some parts are traveling to profit from the displacement since tourers would be heading to temperate parts ; others will endure from the motion because of the loss of grosss. ( V ) Spread of Diseases There are many diseases that thrive on heater climes. Many of them become dispersed or carried to other states that did non hold them in the past because of the motion of people and goods. The dengue-carrying mosquito and the malaria-carrying mosquito do non boom in cold climes. They are found in tropical states in Africa and in Southeast Asia. But with the heating of the Earth, suited environments can be created for them in other states. This can impact touristry because tourists will eschew a tourer finish that becomes a beginning of a fatal unwellness. In Spain, for illustration, the state is seen as a no-risk finish. Meaning, tourers do non necessitate to acquire immunized for malaria or the xanthous febrility. Peoples can travel to Spain and have their merriment without worrying about alien diseases. However, malaria has resurfaced in Spain because the clime alterations in the part is going ideal for the genteelness of the type of mosquitoes that carry the disease ( Viner and Agnew 1999, p. 23 ) . ( six ) Loss of Income for Tourist Destinations Since clime alterations cause temperatures to lift, the consequence of that would be the thaw of snowcaps and the flood of coastal countries. The thaw of snowcaps is traveling to ache the ski operators in Japan, Australia, North America, and the European Alps. When snow thaws, that would do the H2O degree to lift, which in bend will deluge coastal countries that are really attractive to those who like to see the sea. All of these would cover a immense blow on industries that straight or indirectly depend on touristry. The ski resorts are traveling to lose clients without adequate snow for their usual activities. The beach resorts are traveling to be damaged because of implosion therapy and the natural attraction of the beaches could acquire damaged after deluging. Peoples working on resorts are traveling to lose their occupations. Those that are indirectly affected by a diminution in touristry are the circuit ushers, the hotels, and the people who derive their income from selling to tourers or for offering their services. Of the $ 735 billion grosss generated from international touristry, about one tierce of that income went to developing states that self-praises of beautiful beaches and extended coral reefs. A deterioration of clime alteration means that developing states are traveling to lose a rich beginning of income ( Balboa 2009 ) . B. Deduction for Tourism Management Policies Although touristry is a large beginning of income, it can besides go the beginning of pollution that affects the environment and contributes to climate alteration. Air travel, land activities, and land conveyance all increase the emanations of C dioxide, which causes the clime to go fickle. This means that the local authoritiess should implement policy alterations so that touristry does non go a job. Toward this terminal, several tourer finishs worldwide are already taking steps to avoid declining the environmental debasement, every bit good as, continue natural attractive forces. The Boracay Island in the Philippines is one of the celebrated finishs for people who enjoy long, shorelines with white and powdered beaches. The local authorities, along with assorted environmental groups like Green Peace Solar Generation Youth, has implemented climate-friendly solutions that tourers and resort operators should follow. These include responsible touristry, energy efficiency, and zero waste. Energy efficiency steps include the usage of solar panels for powering laptops and the usage of batteries to run autos and minibikes ( Temblador 2009 ) . The Phuket island of Thailand promotes ecotourism since the authorities is besides cognizant that concerns and persons have to radically alter how they deal with the environment in order to take down nursery emanations. The Carbon Neutral Concept is already in consequence so that those who are in the island go environmental stewards who protect and conserve the natural resources for the hereafter. The plan besides calls for conce rns and persons to mensurate and restrict their C footmarks. If possible, they should aim net nothing emanations ( Hot Phuket Villas, n.d. ) . These two illustrations are merely among the local alterations initiated by the authoritiess of countries that are known to be popular tourer finishs. However, these attempts are localised and merely aimed at protecting local attractive forces. There is a demand to organize attempts among the planetary touristry industry so that long-run solutions are reached. Those that are in the concern should besides work with assorted authoritiess and involvement groups so that more states adapt to the alterations that the environment demands. Decision It is undeniable that the universe is sing conditions perturbations due to climate alterations. Experts believe that environmental harm is one of the grounds why this is go oning. Tourism is found to be a conducive factor to climate alterations because the motion of people and their activities while on holiday addition the degree of C emanations. The different effects of clime alterations include snowcaps runing, coral bleaching, implosion therapy, and lifting sea degrees, which are all doing alterations to the touristry industry. The more obvious effects include the lowering of the figure of tourers in popular finishs where the natural resources, like coral reefs and beaches, have been destroyed due to climate alterations. It is besides predicted that there is traveling to be a displacement in the motion of people off from overly warm climes to temperate 1s, which creates new occupations in new topographic points while doing the old finishs suffer economically due to occupation losi ngss. The impact of clime alterations on touristry calls for reforms in the bing policies that relate to the environment. There is a demand for local and international cooperation so that the concerns and persons in the sector will be able to accommodate to these alterations. The touristry industry has to follow steps so that natural resources are protected. These steps should besides lend to the protection of the planetary environment.

Financial development in the country of choice Essay

Financial development in the country of choice - Essay Example A non-transparency in the transactions and interactions of the main participants of the financial market persisted (Mohan, 2004b). The financial environment in these years consequentially was featured by segmented and underdeveloped financial markets and banking in these years was essentially governed by fiscal priorities rather than optimal financial management and commercial motives. Although the financial sector was kept under administrative control with the objective of preventing mismatching alignment problems caused by market exploiting motives, by the end of the 1980s it was recognised that such attempts actually had led to declining transparencies, accountabilities and efficiency seeking motives and thus had defeated the initial purpose of achieving efficiency through effective co-ordination (Reddy, 2007). Financial sector reforms became warranted with the dawning perception of the inability of the present system to achieve efficient allocation of resources (Mohan, 2006). In the remainder of this brief note, we shall briefly look at the development of the banking sector and the financial markets since the reforms. We shall mention the major reforms and briefly note their effects as observed over the course of the last 15 years or so in the degree of detail as allowed by the scope. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was nationalized as the central banking authority of the Indian economy in 19482. The Indira Gandhi Government nationalised 14 banks in 1969 and six more in 1980. Sectors like agriculture, small-scale industry, retail trading were declared as priority sectors and the banks were directed to forward 40 % of their net credits to these sectors (Datt & Sundharam, 2005). The basic Banking structure since then has remained the same. There has been a significant increase in total deposits by 32.6 times for the time period 1971 to 1991 while notably this rise

Major changes in family forms and structures that have taken place in Essay

Major changes in family forms and structures that have taken place in Australia since Federation - Essay Example Gilding (1995, p.8) contends that the family form is a ‘social ordering of kinship and co-residence’ that is politically asserted with the aim of attaching relations based on reliance and commitment but that the family members alter and modify that form to meet their own needs and demands. The historical definition proposed by sociologists and anthropologists was the ‘nuclear family’, which was thus considered as the norm to the extent by some that the construct was a universal ‘basic living unit’ (Baker, 2001, p.7). Today the term ‘nuclear family’ is still under contention, with some believing the ideal is a myth (Eichler, 1997, cited in Baker 2001) to which very few households have and do actually adhere; for others it is the norm but declining (Briggs, 1994; Gilding, 1995). Bittman & Pixley (1997) believe the fact that the nuclear family is declining at the rapid pace as proposed by government statistics and researchers, is itsel f a myth. While they agree there is a diversity of family units, they assert that the measurements are invalid because they are taken at a particular point in time and that people move via a succession of changes wherein they move in and out of a nuclear family structure. What is apparent however, despite the myth or reality of a nuclear family being the norm within Australian society, is that the family structure and form has changed and become more diverse, particularly over the last four decades, for a number of reasons. Since the post war period more Australians have been marrying later and divorcing earlier; marrying partners from different ethnicities; making choices on whether to have children, how many and when; living in de-facto relationships (cohabitating) with and without children, living within homosexual or lesbian partnerships, with or without children, and mixing their family roles (Briggs, 1994). It is quite common to find Australian children living in sole parent f amilies, step parent families, extended families, same-sex families and foster families (Saggers & Sims, 2004). This diversity has been a progressive process over the last century due to the changes in fertility patterns, with women giving birth to 6 children on average pre-Federation to the current day average of 2 children per woman; increasing lifespan resulting in an aging population and an increase in the number of divorces and people choosing not to marry (Bittman & Pixley, 1997). Family diversity in Australia can also be attributed partly to immigration resulting in cultural and ethnic diversity. Immigrants bring a plethora of different beliefs, ideals, behaviours and languages, together with their family structures and relationships, and the roles each member plays within those family forms. Cultural diversity also incorporates Australia’s indigenous people, who again bring their own family structures and values to the stage. Thus the Australian family now incorporate s those that are not only diverse in terms of size (single parent, nuclear or extended families); they are also diverse in terms of organisation (Saggers & Sims, 2004) and the way in which children are raised, how elderly parents are cared for, and they are diverse in expectations of gender. Social changes and

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition Paper Research - 1

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition - Research Paper Example Japan is the home of most of the world’s best motor producing companies like Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi among others. General Motors Corporations is the world’s largest automaker whose headquarters are in the United States, but has branches in about one hundred and fifty seven countries across the globe. The ownership of the general motors is majorly by the United States government, which owns about sixty-one percent of the total shares. Others entities that have ownership of the general motors are the united Autoworkers, the Canadian government, and bond holders from the old company. General motors once experienced financial crisis in the late 2000s such that it threatened closure of most of its branches in North America (Kennedy, 2005). The American government however came in and funded the corporation. On the other hand, Naza is a Malaysian based industry whose main objective during formation was marketing and distribution of motor vehicles. It was not un til 2003 when the firm started production of bikes then motor vehicles in the year 2005. The company founded by a mogul Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin of Malaysia in 1975 was intended to import reconditioned cars. The company established itself and became an importer of luxury vehicles. The business expanded and in the late nineties, it franchised with South Korean carmaker thus expanded its portfolio of distribution. General motors is credited as the world’s number one automaker, and absorbs as many as hundreds of thousands of people across the world. Naza has absorbed hundreds of people, but the expectations are that it will recruit more members in the near future. The indulgence of the company into the manufacturing sector and mergence with other firms has seen its growth to a recognizable status. General motors has been generating a profit of about 4.7 million US dollars excluding the pensions cost and other expenses. In ranking as per income generation, the general motors took th e second position in the United States after Toyota (Cooney & Yacobucci, 2007). General motors have expanded globally and has gained worldwide recognition. It has main branches in North America, Asia, and Africa. For instance in Africa, General motors ventured back in 1920s but it grew and started assembling vehicles in1950. On arrival in Africa, the first situation of general motors was Egypt, which up to date is the only producer if traditional general motors branded vehicles (Kennedy, 2005). Apart from this, the industry has other branches in Tunisia, which assembles mainly Mazda and Isuzu models. In Kenya GM is situated in Nairobi and it assembles a wide variety of trucks and buses. General motors have its stations in other East African countries like Uganda, Tanzania, and central Africa. Naza on the other hand has its demand locally based though it has entered into contract with worlds distributors that make Naza the hub of their products specifically in Malaysia. In 2010, Gene ral Motors Corporation assigned Naza as the sole distributor of Chevrolet model in Malaysia. Naza also entered into contract with Piaggio group to distribute its main brands in Malaysia. According to Cooney & Yacobucci (2007), the products of general motors have repeatedly participated in the worlds racing championship winning many races. The recent invention from general motors, Cadillac V-series has also ventured in the racing championship. General motors did many research programmes for the market demands. This led to its mergence with various companies to

King leopold's destruction of the Congo followed the themes of Essay

King leopold's destruction of the Congo followed the themes of dehumanization and greed - Essay Example Some very land mark issues of the world seem to fade from memory and become invisible to powers that be. The Congo story is a good example of such. The rule was characterized by exploitation of Africa. Hochschild notes, â€Å"There is no trade going on here. Little or nothing is being exchanged for the rubber and ivory. † 1 The colonization of Africa had elicited mixed results. The prominent impact was the exploitation. Davidson points out that, â€Å"On one side, the colonial systems had continually drained Africa of the wealth produced by African labor, land, and natural resources.†2 Twain says, â€Å"Rape was routine, but so was the mutilation of the male and female genitalia in the presence of family members†3. Adam Hochschild captures this very well in his book King Leopolds’s Ghost. Belgium's King Leopold II and his ownership of the Congo from the late 1800 until after the turn of the 20th century is a perfect example of bad leadership and governance . Hochschild asserts, â€Å"... the Congo Free State, as it is then called, the huge territory in central Africa that is the world’s only colony claimed by one man†4. He managed the Congo as his own property; this was at a time when the Congo was arguably one of the biggest colonies in Africa. Through lies, crafty political manipulations, tricks and simple ignored activities, the monarch who wanted to rule more than small Belgium, found himself ruling a colony which was to be a good example of how not to run a country. It is stated, â€Å"Leopold formed the ironically named Congo Free State and set in place a bureaucratic-sadistic operation to extract rubber and other raw materials†5. What was being experienced in Congo under his leadership was akin to slavery. Hochschild notes, â€Å"More than two hundred mass meetings to protest slave labor in the Congo would be held across the United States†6. King Leopold, a young king who could never have enough of a nything. He continually exploited Africa, Congo in this case, to fulfill his desires. These activities were carried out using crude means backed by ludicrous paper work such as having village chiefs sign (or rather, "X") complicated, legalese-filled documents some of whose content they did not understand. The term "Association" was a term he used to confuse the African into believing that the contracts they were singing were for their own. This gave him an upper hand against the rest of the explorers especially the Arabs and Indians. The Belgian King Leopold capitalized on the image of the Congolese as being "in need of help" back in the late 1800s when he wanted to colonize the area. This idea carried the day because a conventionally-accepted perception at the time was that Africans had to be saved from each other and themselves though legislation and imposed measures of western civilization The exploitation of Congo by Leopold is one of the worst in history. It is recorded,  "This is the story of that movement, of the savage crime that was the savage crime that was its target.† 7 Few Europeans could stand in Leopold’s way let alone the naive Africans. The public in their naivety, continued to praise the new machine gun created by Hiram Maxim. The world at the time was not any different from Leopold's vision, through his exemplary political maneuverings, Leopold succeeded in convincing the United States to recognize his Congo with little if any investigation. The impact in terms of economic gains on Africa was not one sided. Davidson notes, â€Å"

Commercials in classrooms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commercials in classrooms - Essay Example Many factors are responsible for it. But for the present, the focus will be on one major factor, displaying of commercials in classroom. The School premises have become an important playground for the companies. To increase their customer base, companies marketing strategy makers have been innovating newer and newer ways. For many companies children and teenagers are being viewed as the vital customer base. They are inventing various ways to attract teenagers towards their product. Among the newly innovated ways, one of the important ones is using commercial in different parts of school premises to attract children’s and teenager’s attention towards their product. Earlier companies used to attract customer’s attention by giving advertisements of their products on T.V., radio, news Paper, magazines, billboards in the road sides etc. But now companies are making direct interaction with children and teenagers through schools. The present paper is concerned with a review of Mr. Michael Sandel’s essay on â€Å"Commercials in the classroom†. This paper actually seeks to analyze the demerits of using commercials in the classroom and then will discuss which kinds of advertisement ought to be removed from the classroom along with explaining the reasons for doing so. Commercials in classroom – a threat to pupil’s future: Classroom no longer remained the place of learning only. This holy place also has not been left untouched by corporate marketing strategy. Marketing personnel of the companies are now seeing a huge client base among the children and teenager. They, therefore, have become very much desperate to attract those customers to their products. They have invented new process of advertising for their products. Advertising on T.V, radio, news paper, etc does not ensure that these will be watched by the audiences they are targeting. If children and

King leopold's destruction of the Congo followed the themes of Essay

King leopold's destruction of the Congo followed the themes of dehumanization and greed - Essay Example Some very land mark issues of the world seem to fade from memory and become invisible to powers that be. The Congo story is a good example of such. The rule was characterized by exploitation of Africa. Hochschild notes, â€Å"There is no trade going on here. Little or nothing is being exchanged for the rubber and ivory. † 1 The colonization of Africa had elicited mixed results. The prominent impact was the exploitation. Davidson points out that, â€Å"On one side, the colonial systems had continually drained Africa of the wealth produced by African labor, land, and natural resources.†2 Twain says, â€Å"Rape was routine, but so was the mutilation of the male and female genitalia in the presence of family members†3. Adam Hochschild captures this very well in his book King Leopolds’s Ghost. Belgium's King Leopold II and his ownership of the Congo from the late 1800 until after the turn of the 20th century is a perfect example of bad leadership and governance . Hochschild asserts, â€Å"... the Congo Free State, as it is then called, the huge territory in central Africa that is the world’s only colony claimed by one man†4. He managed the Congo as his own property; this was at a time when the Congo was arguably one of the biggest colonies in Africa. Through lies, crafty political manipulations, tricks and simple ignored activities, the monarch who wanted to rule more than small Belgium, found himself ruling a colony which was to be a good example of how not to run a country. It is stated, â€Å"Leopold formed the ironically named Congo Free State and set in place a bureaucratic-sadistic operation to extract rubber and other raw materials†5. What was being experienced in Congo under his leadership was akin to slavery. Hochschild notes, â€Å"More than two hundred mass meetings to protest slave labor in the Congo would be held across the United States†6. King Leopold, a young king who could never have enough of a nything. He continually exploited Africa, Congo in this case, to fulfill his desires. These activities were carried out using crude means backed by ludicrous paper work such as having village chiefs sign (or rather, "X") complicated, legalese-filled documents some of whose content they did not understand. The term "Association" was a term he used to confuse the African into believing that the contracts they were singing were for their own. This gave him an upper hand against the rest of the explorers especially the Arabs and Indians. The Belgian King Leopold capitalized on the image of the Congolese as being "in need of help" back in the late 1800s when he wanted to colonize the area. This idea carried the day because a conventionally-accepted perception at the time was that Africans had to be saved from each other and themselves though legislation and imposed measures of western civilization The exploitation of Congo by Leopold is one of the worst in history. It is recorded,  "This is the story of that movement, of the savage crime that was the savage crime that was its target.† 7 Few Europeans could stand in Leopold’s way let alone the naive Africans. The public in their naivety, continued to praise the new machine gun created by Hiram Maxim. The world at the time was not any different from Leopold's vision, through his exemplary political maneuverings, Leopold succeeded in convincing the United States to recognize his Congo with little if any investigation. The impact in terms of economic gains on Africa was not one sided. Davidson notes, â€Å"

Concert Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Concert Review - Essay Example lighting of the pews contrasted with the brightly lit stage thereby making every aspect of the performance at the concert visible to the various musical critics present at the concert. A number of artists performed various classics including Castle Valse Classique, Burritt variations, Prelude and Fugue in Bb Major, Rounders and the Jolly Caballero among many others. The percussion ensembles on stage on the night consisted of a variety of musical instruments including a tambourine, cymbals, triangle, bass drums and xylophone. The construction of the stage was systematic and fitted with adequate microphones to help enhance the audibility of the surround system in the halls. The xylophone was a major instrument that enhanced the presentation of the classic percussion theme as various artists took their turns at the magical instrument and produced a variety of unique and creative creations. The first piece performed at the concert was the legendary Castle Valse Classique, which took us on an adventurous journey through different emotions and sounds and so did several other pieces performed in the night event. The performers portrayed their musical genius as they began the piece as a classic before they transformed into a jazz-like beats and ending the performance in a high tempo with a beat that resembled beats in hip-hop. This raised the spirit of the fans thereby setting the stage for other equally talented performers. The performance compared and contrasted with the things we have done in Drum Circle. Key among the similarities was the rotational performance as the various artists played their respective instruments systematically yet alternately at particular durations thereby producing different sounds appropriately. In performing The Joy Caballero, four performers took to the stage with their various musical instruments, which included the xylophone and marimbas among many others. They played the instruments methodically thus producing a holistic musical

Juvenile Statistics Paper Essay Example for Free

Juvenile Statistics Paper Essay Crimes are committed by juvenile offenders every day and to gain a better understanding as to why they commit such crimes the trends have to be evaluated. The following statistics are findings made in 2008. These findings will give a clear understanding of the overall decrease in juvenile arrests made, touch base on the increase in drug offenses and simple assaults, provide implications for juvenile females and members of ethnic and racial minorities, examine the increase in arrests of juvenile females and the decrease in arrests of male juvenile offenders for violent crimes, and assess the tracking of juveniles arrests as a method of measuring the amount of and trends in juvenile crime. In 2008, there were about 2.11 million juveniles arrested. Overall, there were three percent fewer juvenile arrests in 2008 than in 2007 and violent crime arrests fell two percent. These findings are made by local law enforcement agencies throughout the country who report to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR). From 1990-1997 the juvenile arrest rate for drug abuse violations increased 145%. The rate declined 28% from 1997-2008 but the 2008 rate was 78% more than the 1990 rate. From 1980-1997 the juvenile arrest rate for simple assault increased 156%. This number declined a small amount in 2002 and raised a small amount through 2006. Following the decline over those two years, the 2008 arrest rate for simple assault was greater than the 1980 rate for most racial groups. In 2008, females accounted for 30% of juvenile arrests. There were a total of 629,800 females under the age of 18 who were arrested in 2008. Racial composition of the U.S. juvenile population ages 10-17 in 2008 was 78% white, 16% black, 5% Asian/Pacific Islander and 1% American Indian with Hispanics being included in the white racial category. Of all juvenile arrests for violent crimes in 2008, 47% were white/Hispanic, 52% were black, and 1% Asian and 1% were American Indian. Juvenile female arrests increased for simple assault, larceny theft, and DUI while male arrests decreased. â€Å"From the mid-1980s to the peak in 1993, the juvenile arrest rate for murder more than doubled. Then, the juvenile arrest rate for murder declined through the mid-2005, reaching a level in 2004 that was 77% less than the 1993 peak. The growth in the juvenile murder arrest rate that began in 2004 was interrupted in 2008 as the rate fell 6% over the past year, resting at a level that was 74% below its 1993 peak.† (Puzzanchera, Charles. 2009. Juvenile Arrests 2008.) Juveniles have certain protections under the law but the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) allows us to keep track of what crimes, known to the police, and arrests made during the reporting calendar year. Based on the information provided by the UCR, the FBI prepares its annual Crime in the United States statistical compilation. This information is used to provide details on the extent and nature of juvenile crimes and if there are any trends being made. Some of the findings from the UCR Program is that â€Å"juveniles accounted for 16% of all violent crime arrests and 26% of all property crime arrests in 2008.† Another interesting finding by the UCR is that â€Å"between 1999 and 2008, juvenile arrests for aggravated assault decreased more for males than for females (22% vs. 17%). During this period, juvenile male arrests for simple assault declined 6% and female arrests increased 12%†. The UCR also found that â€Å"the juvenile murder arrest rate in 2008 was 3.8 arrests per 100,000 juveniles ages 10 through 17. This was 17% more than the 2004 low of 3.3, but 74% less than the 1993 peak of 14.4. In 2008, 11% (1,740) of all murder victims were younger than age 18. More than one-third (38%) of all juvenile murder victims were younger than age 5, but this proportion varied widely across demographic groups.† (Puzzanchera, Charles. 2009. Juvenile Arrests 2008.) The conclusion is simple, the overall juvenile arrests made for violent crimes only fell two percent than the year before and more juvenile females are committing more violent crimes. All of the statistics that were discussed have been analyzed and examined. Criminal Justice and Juvenile Justice Professionals should be able to identify and organize these statistics to structure a preventative system within a community to deter such delinquent acts. The UCR reports and findings allow Americans to understand the crime trends within the juvenile justice system. References (Puzzanchera, Charles. 2009. Juvenile Arrests 2008.)

Event Driven Programming

Event Driven Programming P1 Describe the key features of event driven programming Event handlers The GUI is formed of a great deal of built in things such as text boxes, tool icons menus etc. When the user clicks on a mouse or presses a key on the keyboard they trigger these GUI features. This sort of interaction is called events. Windows operating systems provide the event driven program with these event triggers. The code is written so that it reacts to every event that arise through user interaction. Events are the activities which are carried out by the user when the program is being used. When the user clicks on any object then the Click event is executed. If the user repositions the mouse then the mouse move event occurs. By the similar method a program can produce Key down event, Key up event, mouse double click event. The event is perceived by a form or control. Code is initiated by a program in reaction to an event. All forms and controls in VB have a set of events already in place. If one of these events takes place, VB brings up the code in the related event process. Despite the fact that predefined collection of events are detected without human intervention by objects in VBA, it still up to the programmer to decide if and how they react to a specific event. Event procedures are written for events in order to make a control respond to an event. Different objects can trigger different event processes when an event happens, although a lot of objects recognise the same event. For instance,if a user clicks a userform, the Userform_Click event process takes place; if a user clicks a command button named CommandButton1, the CommandButton1_Click event procedure is triggered. Usually there are two different types of events. There are the events which are triggered by user interaction (clicking on a mouse, pressing a key on the keyboard) and there are System initiated events which are events produced to respond to a user action (scrolling text, highlight a button). Both of these events have to be dealt with in a UI. It is also possible that a user event triggers a system initiated event. What happens in a classic event driven application is the user opens the program and triggers an event by clicking on a button or pressing a key on the keyboard or the code in the program can trigger an event for example loading a form from the Load event procedure. The event is received by the program. If there is an event procedure in place for that particular event then the task is performed. The program then waits for another event to happen.   An event handler deals with these events. All events are parts of data from the main configuration usually the GUI toolkit. Event handlers are very important elements of event driven programming. The events are generated by the structure found on understanding lower-level interactions, which could be lower-level events themselves. For instance, by moving the mouse the program takes this to be a menu selection and timers running out. The events primarily are initiated from actions on the operating system level, for example, interrupts produced by hardware devices, software interrupt instructions, or state changes in polling. In these circumstances interrupt handlers and signal handlers relate to event handlers. An event loop is where the program takes delivery of an event, deals with the event and then waits for another event and then executes a trigger function to deal with it. Trigger functions are written to correspond to the necessary actions. The algorithm which has been prog rammed has to make sure that triggers which have been made available are performed as soon as they are required which as a result presents a software concept that imitates an interrupt driven structure. The event loop normally doesnt stop until the user closes the program. When it receives the event it initiates the suitable event handler. This will ultimately be built-in to your application as a window. You can insert controls to this which might include a text box, check box command buttons etc Every event is examined by a dispatcher so that it can decide what sort of event it is, and the event is then sent by the dispatcher to the associated handler so that the particular event can be processed. The dispatcher has to deal with a flow of input events. Once an event is transmitted it has to be looped back so that it can deal with the next event, this is done via the event loop. Several programs particularly those which control hardware could be endless and consequently would have to designate a special event to end the event stream (an end of file marker or pressing the escape key). For this to happen there has to be a quit facility in the dispatcher logic, so that an event looped can be stopped when the special event is found. In some circumstances, the dispatcher could decide that there is no suitable handler for the event. When this happens, the event could be ignored or an exception could be initiated. Events that dont have handlers would be ignored by A GUI program because GUI programs are only concerned about particular types of events. For example although it might act on a mouse click it may not act on mouse movement. In the majority of other programs if an event is not recognised then it is regarded as an error which causes an exception to be initiated. There is an event queue which is used for storing events when the dispatchers or handlers cant deal with the events as quickly as they come in. The events queue is brought in to the events stream where the stream can be temporarily held. When an event comes in it is put to the back of the queue and the dispatcher deals with the events at the front of the queue as quick as possible. Most GUI programs have an event queue. It might take longer to process larger events like mouse clicks, so at the same time this event is being dealt with other events such as mouse movement might build up in the queue however as soon as the dispatcher is ready it can quickly get rid of the meaningless mouse movement events so that the event queue is cleared out quickly. P2 What is most noticeable in event driven programming is the flexibility that it provides, and the way in which it makes an effort to be as modeless as much as it can.. Graphical user interface applications are usually programmed in an event driven way. Event Driven Programming is relatively easy to do especially in Visual Basic because they have incorporated some revolutionary tools to help us along. Drag and drop design tools, property sheets, plus click and code aids helps make EDP less of a burden. Because of the flexibility offered with Event driven programming, it is an extremely popular method, especially for creating GUI programs. With Visual Basic EDP is simple because we are given various design tools to work with in order to produce user interface components (windows and dialog boxes) On top of this we are also provided with a complete suite of Windows interface components (including command buttons, text fields, list boxes, pictures, drop-down menus and file system contr ols) which can be created at the touch of a button without the need to write any code.   The forms engine for producing the interface applies technology obtained from Cooper Software.  We can then add functionality to these interface components, which react to events. By programming in EDP we are also able to adapt procedures quickly and respond to faults. Event Driven programs are used in in Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), Point of Sale (POS) systems, certain types of smart cards, Internet kiosks and handheld devices M1 Windows Operating systems are event driven programs in two ways. In one way it is similar to EDP because it uses interrupt handlers which are used as direct event handlers for hardware events, but replaces the job of the dispatcher with CPU hardware. In Windows Operating systems, data and software interrupts are transferred to user processes which usually are written as event handlers themselves, so in short the Operating system perform as dispatchers. Microsoft Windows take action when initiated by messages which are sent to the main application thread. So that the program can receive these messages the program continuously calls the GetMessage function which is found in the event loop. This means that Microsoft Windows is event based. Once a little elective processing has been carried out, the DispatchMessage() is summoned to dispatch the message to the appropriate handler which is called the WindowProc. In Microsoft Windows a message loop is created by user-interactive procedures to react to events, the message is connected to the event and is forced on the OS. The event doesnt just have to be user interaction but can also be things like network traffic, system processing and timer activity. Windows operating systems also have an event queue (or message queue as it is in Windows) which is where the messages are kept. Messages are dispatched to a particular job among a cluster of collaborative jobs. Messages are received by a window handle object via a WinProc, all of which correspond to an independent task in that system. In order for the next message to be dispatched a task has to finish its job as quickly as possible. D1 Event driven Programs are able to set off warnings, based on business policies. With the network and applications repeatedly collecting and sharing observed events, organizations get direct access to â€Å"in-context† data on the root of the problem and the consequences if it was to happen. This facilitates combined decision-making which gives an organisation the power to avoid unfavourable situations and, finally, to enhance competiveness in numerous aspects. For example, if a sensor discovers that part of the equipment in an isolated plant has broke down. This data is linked to a customer contract which has a service-level agreement with it. A warning corresponding to the equipment which has broke down and its effect on the customer contract is dispatched to the appropriate personnel throughout the business —business analysts, plant operations, and production control personnel. At the same time, a meeting can be set up with these people so that they can consider th e effect of the fault, when it will be fixed, and how business procedures should be altered so that they are better prepare if it was to happen again in the future. Events dont just have to be triggered by user interaction but can also be triggered by other applications (application events) or by system events such as alarms or warnings. Copied Modern business processes often require the blending of automation into the work environment through the invocation of behind-the-scenes functions and procedures. Behind-the-scenes tasks can include the automatic production of output such as an invoice that prints automatically when an order is processed, a Web site that is automatically updated with current data, or an automatic e-mail with fresh report output when a transaction is completed. A solution often adopted is to write the application in the style of an event driven system. That is, something happening and to which a task should respond, is modelled as an event. The event is put together by a central thread of control, with the event and thread of execution being handed over to the appropriate task. It is now the tasks job to deal with that event and subsequently return the thread of execution back to the executive or dispatcher. In an event driven system, a task, when allowed to run, must return control when it no longer requires it or when it can not precede further. That is, the task cannot perform an operation which would cause execution to block within that task. If the task was half way through an operation and was waiting on more data, it would need to remember where it was and return. When the data it was waiting on arrived it would then continue from where it had previously stopped. The thread of execution must be given back to the dispatcher in order to allow other tasks to run and deal with their own events. The tasks therefore must cooperate with each other to ensure that all are able to get through their respective jobs. At a lower level, an event driven system can also be viewed as being a form of simulation system. In simulation systems, there is a list of jobs to be performed. The central executive or dispatcher retrieves the first job from the list and executes the code associated with the job. The code must eventually return so that succeeding jobs in the list can be executed. If it was not possible to finish an operation, the code for that job would add a new job to the end of the list of jobs such that the operation could be completed at a later time. The main difference with an event driven system is that the central executive or dispatcher must be aware of a number of primary event sources. When the dispatcher goes to retrieve the next job to execute, it must also check the event sources and if an event is waiting, create a job for the delivery of the event to the appropriate task. In a simulation system, when there are no more jobs to execute the program would terminate. For an event driven system, while ever any of the primary event sources are active and tasks are interested in events from those sources, the process will continue to execute. This means that if there were no jobs to execute in the list of jobs, the process would block and wait for an event to arrive. As the process itself is blocked, those events will of necessity be the result of some stimulus from the operating system. For example, a timer or alarm expiring, a signal being directed at the process, or data being ready for the process to read. But first, what are the business opportunities enabled by EDA and where do they exist? Consider the airline industry as a good example. Airline operators monitor weather sources, customer reservations, and air traffic control in real-time to manage their daily flight schedules. Their event-driven systems provide pricing adjustments and re-scheduling based on the real-time, complex analysis of those event streams in order to maximise their profitability and operational efficiency. This is a classic EDA benefit: optimised business operations with real-time information and increased operating margins Almost every company has a daily operational aspect that can benefit from an EDA solution. A poultry processor in the midwestern United States provides an example from the manufacturing sector. This processor utilises distributed cooling equipment throughout its plant to keep the temperature below 50 degrees as per U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. Equipment malfunctions are very costly to the business all products within the processing area must be scrapped if the temperature rises above 50 degrees. The coolant substance is also a potentially harmful chemical, thus any leaks requires a plant evacuation. For all these reasons, the cooling equipment must be closely monitored and maintained, 247. This monitoring and maintenance is typically done on a regularly scheduled basis around the clock. That requires significant resources however, so the company implemented an EDA solution that included physical sensors to capture equipment diagnostic information across the plant. The diagnostic information is now automatically captured and analysed every few minutes, making it easy to identify pieces that are potential candidates for failure. Not only can they fix the equipment before it breaks, but they have also alleviated the need for round the clock maintenance staff in favour of a more management-by-exception approach. Greater efficiency and lower costs are not the only benefits. Companies are also using EDA solutions to generate a competitive advantage in their industries by providing unique and differentiated real-time services. EDA solutions provide excellent opportunities for companies to become a leader in their industry, through better management of their daily operations and the unique services they can provide to their customers. These solutions take advantage of existing IT investments, creating more value through the analysis and processing of events that already exist within most applications and IT systems. As EDA solutions have evolved into more standards-based and open systems, the speed and cost of implementation have also greatly decreased, making now an attractive time to invest.

Slavery :: Slavery Essays

Oppression and cruelty; just two of the many words used to describe slavery. However no word or words can be used to truly illustrate the hardships and tough times that the slaves went through. In the time of slavery, innocent people were taken from their homes and separated from their families to be sold as workers to people around the world. They did not just work, similar to modern times, they were restrained and held captive while being forced to work in terrible and unsuitable conditions. These people had dark skin, which the slave owners saw as an asset due to the fact that they could stay in the sun longer. In particular was a slave by the name of Olaudah Equiano, who wrote a personal narrative on his own experiences during slavery. In his writings, he did an excellent job in highlighting the oppression and cruelty in his own life and other peoples as well. The point of his narrative was to turn the English public against slavery. Based on what I have read, I can now give a cl earer opposition to slavery due to the fact that he has exemplified what slavery was really like. The idea of taking many, many people from their homelands and bringing them to a foreign place seems a bit over whelming. This seems like impossibility when looked at by the slaves’ point of view. During the times of slaves, the ships and such were not as advanced as they are now. They used wind and oars to power the boats. In addition, these boats were not being produced at a high rate. The point being the ships were so over crowded that it seemed pointless to ship slaves overseas. The slaves were put in these ships and packed into rooms that were not made to accommodate that many people. Equiano writes, "The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely enough room to turn himself, almost suffocated us" (p.56). This was how the slaves were kept when they were put under the deck. Enormous amounts of people packed into one small space. In this situation, one must think about the possible outcomes. If there are a lot of people, literally on top have on another, outbreak of disease will eventually occur- and of course it did.

Essay examples --

The Blind Watchmaker In 1986, Richard Dawkins, an eminent ethologist and evolutionary biologist, published a three-hundred-plus page refutation of William Paley’s watchmaker analogy. The writing itself is thorough, elegant, and forceful. Dawkins possesses what is possibly the most blunt yet poetic scientific writing style that exists, sometimes even quoting pieces of poetry and literature in his writings. While previous works such as The Selfish Gene and The Ancestor’s Tale were scientific masterpieces unto themselves, the insights contained in The Blind Watchmaker are among some of the most important and impressive ever offered by a human being. In writing this paper, it was difficult to decide exactly what to highlight; the book itself is dense, although that’s not necessarily a hindrance to its effectiveness. A good place to start would probably be Paley’s watchmaker analogy itself. To paraphrase, Paley asks you to imagine stubbing your toe in the middle of a grassy field. If you asked yourself how the stone got there, you might just assume it had always been there. However, if you were to stumble upon a watch in that same field, you would not assume the same. You would suppose that at some point in time, a watchmaker designed and created it for a purpose. Paley goes on to explain that â€Å"every indication of contrivance, every manifestation of design, which existed in the watch, exists in the works of nature† (Dawkins 5). To strengthen his argument, life is immensely more complex than a watch. The crux of Paley’s argument was the eye, and in his work Natural Theology he compares it to the man -made telescope. On its face, this appears to be a strong, scathing argument against the natural appearance of life, but the analogy begins... ...rking on randomly mutating, self-replicating creatures in order to create the variety and abundance of life on our planet is surely one of the greatest revelations mankind has ever produced. Chemistry and physics alone are capable of colluding and eventually creating not just life, but sentience, intelligence - no divine nudge necessary. That’s not to say that this idea is entirely original to Dawkins (David Hume was capable of constructing an argument against design by only philosophizing), but that doesn’t diminish the accomplishment this book represents. While many freethinkers out there disagree with his tactics and approach as a proselytizing atheist, he’s certainly earned a level of frustration. In The Blind Watchmaker, Dawkins has done all the footwork for us already. We need only open its pages and utilize the relatively large brains that nature has given us.

Twilight 6. SCARY STORIES

6. SCARY STORIES As I sat in my room, trying to concentrate on the third act of Macbeth, I was really listening for my truck. I would have thought, even over the pounding rain, I could have heard the engine's roar. But when I went to peek out the curtain – again – it was suddenly there. I wasn't looking forward to Friday, and it more than lived up to my non-expectations. Of course there were the fainting comments. Jessica especially seemed to get a kick out of that story. Luckily Mike had kept his mouth shut, and no one seemed to know about Edward's involvement. She did have a lot of questions about lunch, though. â€Å"So what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?† Jessica asked in Trig. â€Å"I don't know,† I answered truthfully. â€Å"He never really got to the point.† â€Å"You looked kind of mad,† she fished. â€Å"Did I?† I kept my expression blank. â€Å"You know, I've never seen him sit with anyone but his family before. That was weird.† â€Å"Weird,† I agreed. She seemed annoyed; she flipped her dark curls impatiently – I guessed she'd been hoping to hear something that would make a good story for her to pass on. The worst part about Friday was that, even though I knew he wasn't going to be there, I still hoped. When I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica and Mike, I couldn't keep from looking at his table, where Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper sat talking, heads close together. And I couldn't stop the gloom that engulfed me as I realized I didn't know how long I would have to wait before I saw him again. At my usual table, everyone was full of our plans for the next day. Mike was animated again, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised sun tomorrow. I'd have to see that before I believed it. But it was warmer today – almost sixty. Maybe the outing wouldn't be completely miserable. I intercepted a few unfriendly glances from Lauren during lunch, which I didn't understand until we were all walking out of the room together. I was right behind her, just a foot from her slick, silver blond hair, and she was evidently unaware of that. â€Å"†¦don't know why Bella† – she sneered my name – â€Å"doesn't just sit with the Cullens from now on.† I heard her muttering to Mike. I'd never noticed what an unpleasant, nasal voice she had, and I was surprised by the malice in it. I really didn't know her well at all, certainly not well enough for her to dislike me – or so I'd thought. â€Å"She's my friend; she sits with us,† Mike whispered back loyally, but also a bit territorially. I paused to let Jess and Angela pass me. I didn't want to hear any more. That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning. I think he felt guilty for leaving me home alone on the weekends, but he'd spent too many years building his habits to break them now. Of course he knew the names of all the kids going, and their parents, and their great-grandparents, too, probably. He seemed to approve. I wondered if he would approve of my plan to ride to Seattle with Edward Cullen. Not that I was going to tell him. â€Å"Dad, do you know a place called Goat Rocks or something like that? I think it's south of Mount Rainier,† I asked casually. â€Å"Yeah – why?† I shrugged. â€Å"Some kids were talking about camping there.† â€Å"It's not a very good place for camping.† He sounded surprised. â€Å"Too many bears. Most people go there during the hunting season.† â€Å"Oh,† I murmured. â€Å"Maybe I got the name wrong.† I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a clear yellow light streaming through my window. I couldn't believe it. I hurried to the window to check, and sure enough, there was the sun. It was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didn't seem to be as close as it should be, but it was definitely the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I left the blue would disappear again. The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store, but I'd never stopped there – not having much need for any supplies required for being outdoors over an extended period of time. In the parking lot I recognized Mike's Suburban and Tyler's Sentra. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other boys I had class with; I was fairly sure their names were Ben and Conner. Jess was there, flanked by Angela and Lauren. Three other girls stood with them, including one I remembered falling over in Gym on Friday. That one gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck, and whispered something to Lauren. Lauren shook out her cornsilk hair and eyed me scornfully. So it was going to be one of those days. At least Mike was happy to see me. â€Å"You came!† he called, delighted. â€Å"And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?† â€Å"I told you I was coming,† I reminded him. â€Å"We're just waiting for Lee and Samantha†¦ unless you invited someone,† Mike added. â€Å"Nope,† I lied lightly, hoping I wouldn't get caught in the lie. But also wishing that a miracle would occur, and Edward would appear. Mike looked satisfied. â€Å"Will you ride in my car? It's that or Lee's mom's minivan.† â€Å"Sure.† He smiled blissfully. It was so easy to make Mike happy. â€Å"You can have shotgun,† he promised. I hid my chagrin. It wasn't as simple to make Mike and Jessica happy at the same time. I could see Jessica glowering at us now. The numbers worked out in my favor, though. Lee brought two extra people, and suddenly every seat was necessary. I managed to wedge Jess in between Mike and me in the front seat of the Suburban. Mike could have been more graceful about it, but at least Jess seemed appeased. It was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I was glad I had the window seat. We'd rolled the windows down – the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it – and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible. I'd been to the beaches around La Push many times during my Forks summers with Charlie, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar to me. It was still breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves. There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue sky. We picked our way down to the beach, Mike leading the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and the boy I thought was named Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders. â€Å"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?† Mike asked me. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches; the other girls clustered, gossiping excitedly, on either side of me. Mike kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter. â€Å"No,† I said as he placed the blazing twig carefully against the teepee. â€Å"You'll like this then – watch the colors.† He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood. â€Å"It's blue,† I said in surprise. â€Å"The salt does it. Pretty, isn't it?† He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadn't yet caught, and then came to sit by me. Thankfully, Jess was on his other side. She turned to him and claimed his attention. I watched the strange blue and green flames crackle toward the sky. After a half hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I loved the tide pools. They had fascinated me since I was a child; they were one of the only things I ever looked forward to when I had to come to Forks. On the other hand, I'd also fallen into them a lot. Not a big deal when you're seven and with your dad. It reminded me of Edward's request – that I not fall into the ocean. Lauren was the one who made my decision for me. She didn't want to hike, and she was definitely wearing the wrong shoes for it. Most of the other girls besides Angela and Jessica decided to stay on the beach as well. I waited until Tyler and Eric had committed to remaining with them before I got up quietly to join the pro-hiking group. Mike gave me a huge smile when he saw that I was coming. The hike wasn't too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around me. I had to watch each step I took very carefully, avoiding roots below and branches above, and I soon fell behind. Eventually I broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life. I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my mind that wondered what Edward was doing now, and trying to imagine what he would be saying if he were here with me. Finally the boys were hungry, and I got up stiffly to follow them back. I tried to keep up better this time through the woods, so naturally I fell a few times. I got some shallow scrapes on my palms, and the knees of my jeans were stained green, but it could have been worse. When we got back to First Beach, the group we'd left behind had multiplied. As we got closer we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation come to socialize. The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. Angela and I were the last to arrive, and, as Eric said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down next to Angela, and Mike brought us sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from, while a boy who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was also named Jessica, and the boy who noticed me was named Jacob. It was relaxing to sit with Angela; she was a restful kind of person to be around – she didn't feel the need to fill every silence with chatter. She left me free to think undisturbed while we ate. And I was thinking about how disjointedly time seemed to flow in Forks, passing in a blur at times, with single images standing out more clearly than others. And then, at other times, every second was significant, etched in my mind. I knew exactly what caused the difference, and it disturbed me. During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy surface. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Mike – with Jessica shadowing him – headed up to the one shop in the village. Some of the local kids went with them; others went along on the hike. By the time they all had scattered, I was sitting alone on my driftwood log, with Lauren and Tyler occupying themselves by the CD player someone had thought to bring, and three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including the boy named Jacob and the oldest boy who had acted as spokesperson. A few minutes after Angela left with the hikers, Jacob sauntered over to take her place by my side. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-colored; his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin. Altogether, a very pretty face. However, my positive opinion of his looks was damaged by the first words out of his mouth. â€Å"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?† It was like the first day of school all over again. â€Å"Bella,† I sighed. â€Å"I'm Jacob Black.† He held his hand out in a friendly gesture. â€Å"You bought my dad's truck.† â€Å"Oh,† I said, relieved, shaking his sleek hand. â€Å"You're Billy's son. I probably should remember you.† â€Å"No, I'm the youngest of the family – you would remember my older sisters.† â€Å"Rachel and Rebecca,† I suddenly recalled. Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they fished. We were all too shy to make much progress as friends. Of course, I'd kicked up enough tantrums to end the fishing trips by the time I was eleven. â€Å"Are they here?† I examined the girls at the ocean's edge, wondering if I would recognize them now. â€Å"No.† Jacob shook his head. â€Å"Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer – she lives in Hawaii now.† â€Å"Married. Wow.† I was stunned. The twins were only a little over a year older than I was. â€Å"So how do you like the truck?† he asked. â€Å"I love it. It runs great.† â€Å"Yeah, but it's really slow,† he laughed. â€Å"I was so relived when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there.† â€Å"It's not that slow,† I objected. â€Å"Have you tried to go over sixty?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"Good. Don't.† He grinned. I couldn't help grinning back. â€Å"It does great in a collision,† I offered in my truck's defense. â€Å"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster,† he agreed with another laugh. â€Å"So you build cars?† I asked, impressed. â€Å"When I have free time, and parts. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?† he added jokingly. He had a pleasant, husky voice. â€Å"Sorry,† I laughed, â€Å"I haven't seen any lately, but I'll keep my eyes open for you.† As if I knew what that was. He was very easy to talk with. He flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in a way I was learning to recognize. I wasn't the only one who noticed. â€Å"You know Bella, Jacob?† Lauren asked – in what I imagined was an insolent tone – from across the fire. â€Å"We've sort of known each other since I was born,† he laughed, smiling at me again. â€Å"How nice.† She didn't sound like she thought it was nice at all, and her pale, fishy eyes narrowed. â€Å"Bella,† she called again, watching my face carefully, â€Å"I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?† Her expression of concern was unconvincing. â€Å"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?† the tall, older boy asked before I could respond, much to Lauren's irritation. He was really closer to a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep. â€Å"Yes, do you know them?† she asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward him. â€Å"The Cullens don't come here,† he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring her question. Tyler, trying to win back her attention, asked Lauren's opinion on a CD he held. She was distracted. I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. He'd said that the Cullens didn't come here, but his tone had implied something more – that they weren't allowed; they were prohibited. His manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success. Jacob interrupted my meditation. â€Å"So is Forks driving you insane yet?† â€Å"Oh, I'd say that's an understatement.† I grimaced. He grinned understandingly. I was still turning over the brief comment on the Cullens, and I had a sudden inspiration. It was a stupid plan, but I didn't have any better ideas. I hoped that young Jacob was as yet inexperienced around girls, so that he wouldn't see through my sure-to-be-pitiful attempts at flirting. â€Å"Do you want to walk down the beach with me?† I asked, trying to imitate that way Edward had of looking up from underneath his eyelashes. It couldn't have nearly the same effect, I was sure, but Jacob jumped up willingly enough. As we walked north across the multihued stones toward the driftwood seawall, the clouds finally closed ranks across the sky, causing the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my jacket. â€Å"So you're, what, sixteen?† I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I fluttered my eyelids the way I'd seen girls do on TV. â€Å"I just turned fifteen,† he confessed, flattered. â€Å"Really?† My face was full of false surprise. â€Å"I would have thought you were older.† â€Å"I'm tall for my age,† he explained. â€Å"Do you come up to Forks much?† I asked archly, as if I was hoping for a yes. I sounded idiotic to myself. I was afraid he would turn on me with disgust and accuse me of my fraud, but he still seemed flattered. â€Å"Not too much,† he admitted with a frown. â€Å"But when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want – after I get my license,† he amended. â€Å"Who was that other boy Lauren was talking to? He seemed a little old to be hanging out with us.† I purposefully lumped myself in with the youngsters, trying to make it clear that I preferred Jacob. â€Å"That's Sam – he's nineteen,† he informed me. â€Å"What was that he was saying about the doctor's family?† I asked innocently. â€Å"The Cullens? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation.† He looked away, out toward James Island, as he confirmed what I'd thought I'd heard in Sam's voice. â€Å"Why not?† He glanced back at me, biting his lip. â€Å"Oops. I'm not supposed to say anything about that.† â€Å"Oh, I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious.† I tried to make my smile alluring, wondering if I was laying it on too thick. He smiled back, though, looking allured. Then he lifted one eyebrow and his voice was even huskier than before. â€Å"Do you like scary stories?† he asked ominously. â€Å"I love them,† I enthused, making an effort to smolder at him. Jacob strolled to a nearby driftwood tree that had its roots sticking out like the attenuated legs of a huge, pale spider. He perched lightly on one of the twisted roots while I sat beneath him on the body of the tree. He stared down at the rocks, a smile hovering around the edges of his broad lips. I could see he was going to try to make this good. I focused on keeping the vital interest I felt out of my eyes. â€Å"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from – the Quileutes, I mean?† he began. â€Å"Not really,† I admitted. â€Å"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood – supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark.† He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. â€Å"Another legend claims that we descended from wolves – and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them. â€Å"Then there are the stories about the cold ones.† His voice dropped a little lower. â€Å"The cold ones?† I asked, not faking my intrigue now. â€Å"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Your great-grandfather?† I encouraged. â€Å"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf-well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves.† â€Å"Werewolves have enemies?† â€Å"Only one.† I stared at him earnestly, hoping to disguise my impatience as admiration. â€Å"So you see,† Jacob continued, â€Å"the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did – they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces.† He winked at me. â€Å"If they weren't dangerous, then why†¦ ?† I tried to understand, struggling not to let him see how seriously I was considering his ghost story. â€Å"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist.† He deliberately worked a thick edge of menace into his tone. â€Å"What do you mean, ‘civilized'?† â€Å"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead.† I tried to keep my voice casual. â€Å"So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your greatgrandfather met?† â€Å"No.† He paused dramatically. â€Å"They are the same ones.† He must have thought the expression on my face was fear inspired by his story. He smiled, pleased, and continued. â€Å"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived.† He was fighting a smile. â€Å"And what are they?† I finally asked. â€Å"What are the cold ones?† He smiled darkly. â€Å"Blood drinkers,† he replied in a chilling voice. â€Å"Your people call them vampires.† I stared out at the rough surf after he answered, not sure what my face was exposing. â€Å"You have goose bumps,† he laughed delightedly. â€Å"You're a good storyteller,† I complimented him, still staring into the waves. â€Å"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone.† I couldn't control my expression enough to look at him yet. â€Å"Don't worry, I won't give you away.† â€Å"I guess I just violated the treaty,† he laughed. â€Å"I'll take it to the grave,† I promised, and then I shivered. â€Å"Seriously, though, don't say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there.† â€Å"I won't, of course not.† â€Å"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?† he asked in a playful tone, but with a hint of worry. I still hadn't looked away from the ocean. I turned and smiled at him as normally as I could. â€Å"No. I think you're very good at telling scary stories, though. I still have goose bumps, see?† I held up my arm. â€Å"Cool.† He smiled. And then the sound of the beach rocks clattering against each other warned us that someone was approaching. Our heads snapped up at the same time to see Mike and Jessica about fifty yards away, walking toward us. â€Å"There you are, Bella,† Mike called in relief, waving his arm over his head. â€Å"Is that your boyfriend?† Jacob asked, alerted by the jealous edge in Mike's voice. I was surprised it was so obvious. â€Å"No, definitely not,† I whispered. I was tremendously grateful to Jacob, and eager to make him as happy as possible. I winked at him, carefully turning away from Mike to do so. He smiled, elated by my inept flirting. â€Å"So when I get my license†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began. â€Å"You should come see me in Forks. We could hang out sometime.† I felt guilty as I said this, knowing that I'd used him. But I really did like Jacob. He was someone I could easily be friends with. Mike had reached us now, with Jessica still a few paces back. I could see his eyes appraising Jacob, and looking satisfied at his obvious youth. â€Å"Where have you been?† he asked, though the answer was right in front of him. â€Å"Jacob was just telling me some local stories,† I volunteered. â€Å"It was really interesting.† I smiled at Jacob warmly, and he grinned back. â€Å"Well,† Mike paused, carefully reassessing the situation as he watched our camaraderie. â€Å"We're packing up – it looks like it's going to rain soon.† We all looked up at the glowering sky. It certainly did look like rain. â€Å"Okay.† I jumped up. â€Å"I'm coming.† â€Å"It was nice to see you again,† Jacob said, and I could tell he was taunting Mike just a bit. â€Å"It really was. Next time Charlie comes down to see Billy, I'll come, too,† I promised. His grin stretched across his face. â€Å"That would be cool.† â€Å"And thanks,† I added earnestly. I pulled up my hood as we tramped across the rocks toward the parking lot. A few drops were beginning to fall, making black spots on the stones where they landed. When we got to the Suburban the others were already loading everything back in. I crawled into the backseat by Angela and Tyler, announcing that I'd already had my turn in the shotgun position. Angela just stared out the window at the escalating storm, and Lauren twisted around in the middle seat to occupy Tyler's attention, so I could simply lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes and try very hard not to think.