Bastard out of Carolina essays

Bastard out of Carolina essays Bastard out of Carolina was a heartbreaking story about a child Ruth Anne or Bone rather. Bone a nickname given to Ruth Anne at birth because her uncle thought she was no bigger than a knucklebone when she was born. Bone was lucky that she was even born in the first place, after experiencing a traumatic car accident, which rendered her mother unconscious she was born while her mother had still not come through. Because of her mothers state at her birth, it was up to her Aunt Ruth and grandmother to take car of the birth certificate. Bones father never was a part of her or her mothers life so his name was not clear to either Ruth or Bones grandmother, because of this their was no choice but to claim Bone as illegitimate. When Anne came to she was very upset that her child had been named a bastard, so three times after Bones birth she tried to go to the court house and change the birth certificate, failing every time. Anne finally gained satisfaction when the courthouse burned down an d all the records were destroyed. Anne married again soon after Bone was born, it was important to her that her daughter grew up with a daddy. But, once again Anne was struck with bad luck; her second husband was killed when a car struck him while he was working for the family. Now, finding herself with a newborn and a toddler, Anne was once again on the look out for a father figure and a husband. Annes brother introduced her to Glen, a blue collar stud. Glen seemed so perfect at first, but soon after they married Anne found out he was anything but. Glen was constantly in and out of jobs, forcing Anne to be the main bread maker of the family. Under these circumstances the family was forced to move often to a place where Glen could find an odd job or two. At one point in time the children were eating nothing but crackers and ketchup for dinner, the only meal of the day. While finical situatio...

J.S. Bach Essays - German Lutherans, Johann Sebastian Bach

J.S. Bach Essays - German Lutherans, Johann Sebastian Bach J.S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach Since the dawn of music, there have been many great composers throughout the world. However, no composer had a greater impact to music than Johann Sebastian Bach from the Baroque era (1600 ad. -1750 ad.). Johann Sebastian Bach was a forefather to music as the author Homer was a forefather Western literature. Yet, unlike Homer's uses of words and verses in his literature, J.S. Bach used notes and chords in his music which to him was an apparatus of worship. Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685, in Eisenach, Thuringina, into a family that over seven generations created at least 53 outstanding musicians. He first received musical training from his father, Johann Ambrosius, a town musician. Stricken by his father's death at the young age of 10, he went to reside and study with his older brother, Johann Christoph, an organist in Ohrdruf. In 1700, Bach began to earn his own living as a chorister at the Church of Saint Michael in Luneburg. Later in 1703, he became a violinist in the chamber orchestra at the Church of Prince Ernst of Weimar, but later moved to Arnstadt, where he became a church organist. In October 1705, Bach went to Lubeck to study with the distinguished Danish-born German organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude which largely affected Bach. Bach was then criticized for the new lavish flourishes and bizarre harmonies in his organ accompaniments to congregational singing. He was already too highly respected, nevertheless, for either objection to result in his dismissal. Then in 1707, he went to Mulhausen as an organist in the Church of Saint Blasius. The next year, he went back to Weimar as an organist and violinist at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst and abide there for the next 9 years, becoming concertmaster of the court orchestra in 1714. In Weimar he composed about 30 cantatas, and also wrote organ and harpsichord works. In 1717, Bach began a 6- year employment as chapelmaster and director of chamber music at the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Kothen. During this time he basically wrote secular music for ensembles and solo instruments. In addition, he prepared music books with the intent of teaching keyboard technique and musicianship. These books include the Well- Tempered Clavier, the Inventions, and the Little Organ Book. In 1723, Bach moved to Leipzig were he spent the rest of his life. At Leipzig, he became the music director and choirmaster of Saint Thomas's church. Life at Leipzig however was unsatisfactory. He continually quarreled with the town council, and neither the council nor the critics appreciated his musical genius. They saw him more a stifling elderly man who clung stubbornly to obsolete forms of music. Regardless, the 202 cantatas surviving from the 295 that he wrote in Leipzig are still played today, whereas a lot that was new and in craze at the same time has been forgotten. Nearly all of the cantatas start with a section for both chorus and orchestra, continue with alternating recitatives and arias for solo voices and accompaniment, and end with a chorale based on a simple Lutheran hymn. Among these works are the Ascension Cantata and the Christmas Oratorio, the following including of six cantatas. The Passion of St. John and the Passion of St. Matthew also were composed in Leipzig, as was the momentous Mass in B Minor. Among the works written for keyboard during this period are the famous Goldberg Variations, Part II of the Well- Tempered Clavier, and The Art of the Fugue, a grand exhibition of his contrapuntal ability in the form of 16 fugues and 4 canons, all on a single theme. Bach's sight began to deteriorate in the concluding year of his life, and he died on July 28, 1750, following undergoing an failed eye operation. J.S. Bach's greatest impact to music was his own music. The importance of Bach's music is due in a big part to the magnitude of his intellect. He is the best recognized as a ultimate master of counterpoint. He was able to understand and use every resource of musical language that was available in the Baroque era as Homer did with the Greek language of Archaic Greece. At the same time, he could compose for voice and the different instruments so as to take advantage of the peculiar characteristics of the make up and tone quality in each. Also, when a text was associated with the music, J.S. Bach could compose musical equivalents of verbal concepts, such as expanding melody to characterize the sea, or a canon to depict the Christians following the teachings

Gender Portrayal and Prime Time Comedy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender Portrayal and Prime Time Comedy - Essay Example The proposed portrayal, therefore, was intended to be a young, highly educated attorney whom happened to be female. The cast, however, was broad in terms of characterization and included a number of clearly developed male and female characters. The majority of these characters were attorneys at Ally's law firm. Superficially, at least, the stage appears set for a comedy devoid of gender stereotypes. Ally is a successful attorney and her best friend is a man. She wears pants and is financially independent. A careful examination of the scripts, however, reveals that gender stereotypes remain pervasive even in a prime time television program purporting to be offering a stereotype-free program. I don't believe in equal parenting, and if we have kids I expect you to quit work and while I certainly don't think of you only as a sexual object, I do think of you as someone who should fulfill my sexual needs, and if you put on a hundred pounds, I'd have a big problem there too." (quoted in Lemaster: 2) The gender portrayal is hardly subtle; to be sure, it is a direct statement by a main character to the effect that men should work and women should take care of the home after having children. Billy doesn't believe in equality, he characterizes his girlfriend's duties as including the satisfaction of his sexual needs, and he warns her against gaining weight. So many stereotypes are packed into this simple portion of the television script. The woman must take care of the home, she must be available to satisfy the male's sexual needs, and she must place her appearance at a high level or she will risk losing the man. One can hardly conceive of dialogue which so directly contradicts the aforementioned goal of presenting a modern comedy devoid of stereotypes. The women seem to indulge the men rather than becoming offended or angry; to be sure, when confronted with actions and comments that would most certainly trigger sexual harassment lawsuits in the real world, these female characters instead merely play along. This playing along with the male characters seems to reinforce the stereotypes rather than challenging them or breaking them down. An illustrative portion of dialogue, from Episode 3, involves two of Ally's female colleagues interviewing a male applicant for an entry-level position: Renee: "Would you mind removing you shirt" Male interviewee: "I beg your pardon" Renee: "I just want to see your chest, and your stomach." Male interviewee: "Is that legal" Whipper: "It's illegal to require it, and of course we couldn't do that. Now, basically, the business of law is all about getting clients, now we plan to use our sensuality to do that. Renee and I will provide a little eye candy for the men." Renne: "It would be rude not to have something for the women." Whipper: "Absolutely." (quoted in Lemaster: 4). This dialogue is ironic; it is ironic because the women are at the same time mocking the behavior of their male colleagues and them justifying the use of their sexuality to gain clients. There is no anger or resentment. They may express their views more subtly than did Billy previously, but they see

Connecting the local with the global Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Connecting the local with the global - Essay Example On the other hand, economies are exposed to the risk of the spread of economic crisis, for example the current financial crisis in the United States which spread to several other economies due to globalization. However, the benefits of globalization surpass the adverse effects since economies continue to thrive despite the negative aspects of globalization (John and Thomas 1997). For example, the East Asian economies are amongst those that have reaped much benefit from changes in the global scale. Once a peripheral economy, even with the devastating outcomes from the Korean War, Seoul, the capital of Republic of Korea, has become the worlds 11th largest economy in the world and has overcome the world economists expectation by developing into a semi-peripheral economy in a short time. This essay is a critique of events that have occurred as a result of globalization in South Korea. It offers an overview of the benefits that the community has reaped from globalization, as well as some hitches that have affected the people due to the globalization phenomenon in Seoul. It also gives the impression that the benefits that the benefits of globalization to the community surpass the few hitches tha t have been experienced. In the conclusion, it highlights the world-system theory of globalization that is reflected by the ideas that have been discussed. Globalization is one of the occurrences in the Republic of Korea that has had extensive effects on the country’s economy. The community in Seoul, which is the capital city, has been affected by the shift from protectionism to a liberalized economic system. The proliferation of foreign direct investment is as a result of globalization. The United States leads in the number of foreign companies investing in the country, which is focused towards more import liberalization in order to encourage consumption of foreign products in the country. This was meant to encourage foreign investment in the country (Noland 2009). The

Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business Research - Essay Example The wholesale and retail trading is a flouring industry in Singapore. The first quarter of 2007 registered 5.6% rise in income over the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The other three quarters also recorded significantly higher rise in income relative to that of the previous year [Table A2.7] (Central Provident Fund Board, 2008). These details indicate that the retail sector is growing in the recent years to a great extent. It is clear that there are a number of opportunities for ABC to expand its activities in the retail sector. Hence it is essential that ABC should concentrate on more number of localities in order to gain the first mover advantage (Jobber, 2004). It also has the added advantage of providing expendable items such as food products, beverages and tobacco products, in addition to the household goods. It is noticeable from the data in the Private Consumption Expenditure [Table A1.6] that there is a 4.3% increase in demand for Foods & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 1.6% more on Clothing & Footwear, 2.2% more on Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, 3.4% more on Furnishing, Household equipment & Maintenance (Statistics Singapore, 2008). The data on private consumption indicates that the market is growing in Singapore and that the demand for goods is increasing as people are ready to spend more on their household expenditures. The important thing to notice is that all most of the products that have shown an increase in consumption are covered by ABC mini-mart. Hence it is evident that ABC mini-mart can gain more market share by expanding its operations to other feasible locations. The ABC mini-mart has to analyze the market segments it serves in order to arrive at a conclusion on their user behaviour and expectations (Evans and Moutinho, 1999). Another important thing to be considered is their spending power (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 2004). The younger age group of Singapore, i.e., age 15 and over, are the main target market segments for ABC

Street gangs in America

Street gangs in America Street gangs in America: Street gangs are the new big problem of organized crime in America. Gangs started out as a minor nuisance to society, but they have become to a massive crime force in America. They account for much of Americas violence as well as trafficking drugs throughout the states (Drugs and Gangs). If they are not taken care of soon, they will get out of hand. Street gangs in America are growing in size due to increases in poverty as well as the influence of peer pressure, and they are becoming increasingly violent because of gang wars and drug trafficking. The old street gangs were very different from the modern day gangs. In early street gangs groups of kids, usually poor children would come together for support (Gardner, 19). These groups would spend a lot of time together and get into trouble with the law, but they were not dangerous to innocent bystanders, and did not pose a threat to America (20). These groups would gather to talk, insult and make fun of each other jokingly, and shoot hoops at the park (20). Modern street gangs are changing into profit driven groups that traffic drugs throughout the nation and are committed to violence. Modern gangs are much larger having about 731,000 active gang members (Organized Gangs). National street gangs pose the greatest threat of all because they smuggle, produce, transport, and distribute large quantities of illegal drugs throughout the country and are extremely violent. Early gangs were not very organized, modern day gangs are very organized. Modern gangs have ranking system that they follow. Gang activity rises and falls periodically and the ranks of members are determined by who has recently been arrested or killed (Stewart 31). The core of the gang is made up of the â€Å"hard-core† members. These are the members that are actually committing the bad crimes and will probably be in the gang for the rest of their life. The rest of the gang is made up of â€Å" wanna-be† members. These members are either not really part of the gang or have not committed any initiation crimes to become a part of the gang. In todays gangs teens as old as nine or ten can be a part of drug trafficking, all they have to do is hand over the little bag and hold on to the money until an overseer comes and grabs the money (â€Å"Drugs and Gangs†). Although some gangs have leaders, many do not. Typically, gangs with leaders are not very well organized because most of the time gang crimes are nearly all carried out on impulse (Gardner 21). Some national street gangs are very organized, with as many as 100,000 members and associates. The most highly organized gangs, such as Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, and Vice Lords, Bloods and the Crips have centralized leadership cores (â€Å"organized gangs†). Usually there is little forethought when it comes to gang crime and violence because most gang crime occurs when two rival gangs encounter each other, no matter where they are or what they are doing. Most gangs will have different rankings. For example, an O.G or Original Gangster will usually teach the younger members how stuff works before they take their spot. Gang hierarchy is followed by nearly every gang. Street gangs have increased in size because of the bad economy in America. There are roughly 21,500 gangs in America and more than 731,000 active gang members (â€Å"Organized gangs†). The poor state of the economy is causing many people to lose their jobs, and forcing more Americas into poverty. People who are faced with a lack of money may turn to crime if they cant earn enough with a real job. This partly explains why gangs exist in poor, areas of cities. Although not everyone who decides to joins a gang is poor, and not every gang member is poor (Gardner 51). While poverty does draw much of Americas youth to gangs there is still many poor teens who are not in gangs. Siblings in gangs have a strong influence for their brothers or sisters along with teens to join and become a member of their street gangs. Gangs also provide a way to make money, and sometimes lots of it. Poverty is one of the main reason teens and young adults get pulled into joining street gangs. Although poverty does attract many youth to gangs, peer pressure is also a big factor. There is peer pressure in every teens life. A lot of gang members are very young, gangs intentionally recruit teenagers (Gardner 41). They do this because no matter what kind of trouble a teen gets into they cannot go to jail for their crime. Some young teenagers may join gangs to earn respect from others (Osman 36). Most teens that live in parts of a city with gang presence usually have friends that are in at least one gang. Those friends will pressure the teen into joining their gang. Often youth will get harassed or â€Å"beat up† until they accept and join the gang (37). Another reason teens may end up joining a gang is for protection (33). But joining a gang often brings bigger threat because are vulnerable to getting attacked by a rival gang. Gang influence in schools is also a big problem, if they youth goes to a school with a strong gang presence, they might find that many of their f riends are joining gangs and follow them (â€Å"a reputation for being tough and a good fighter is important for many kids† (Gardner 41). About twenty-eight percent of schools have reported street gang presence in their school (Drugs and Gangs). Gang presence in schools is just another factor that pushes teens to join gangs. â€Å"Resisting peer pressure as every teenager knows is tough†. You have to have a high self esteem, strong motivation and a good support system (Gardner, 30). As gangs increase in popularity, gang violence does to. Gang violence is rising due to availability of new guns and cars. Gang members are now getting their hands on AK-47s, Submachine guns, M 16s, Uzis, and semi automatic pistols. Sgt. Joe Guzman, a sheriff gang expert told the Los Angeles times â€Å"Today instead of brawling, its all about the fire power and taking people out† (qtd. in Osman 55). This is because in the past gang fights would be a brawl of twenty to thirty using just fists. These modern day guns are way more effective and dangerous than guns in the past, these guns kill much quicker with even a single bullet can end someones life. Any gang member can easily hide a gun while walking on the street, quickly pull it out and kill someone within seconds. Guns are one of the leading reasons why gang violence is increasing. Having more than one gang in a city is also a major cause for gang violence. Because gangs have their territories or turf even living around a certain area is enough to get attacked, robbed, or even killed (Gardner 13). Gang territories are marked by crews.† Crews claim they are non violent, but they mark their turf with graffiti encouraging vandalism and gang violence over the turf (street gangs in America 60). When more the one gang is present in a single city or area, there is bound to be a rise in crime in the area. The Los Angeles Crips and their enemies the Bloods are famous their rivalry and fighting over turf with each other (Gardner 40). On top of the acts of violence, street gangs are now seeking profit by dealing illegal durgs throughout America. Many gangs that started as turf gangs are now evolving into money making criminal organization whose activities include not just drugs but, smuggling, transportation, and wholesale distribution of the illegal drugs (â€Å"Organized gangs†). â€Å"Large, nationally affiliated street gangs pose the greatest threat because they smuggle, produce, transport, and distribute large quantities of illegal drugs throughout the country and are extremely violent† (Drugs and Gangs). â€Å"About 3.5 million individuals age 18 and older have admitted to having injected an illegal drug during their lifetime. Of these individuals, 14 percent or (498,000) were under the age of 25† (National Drug Intelligence Center). Gangs convert cocaine into crack cocaine and make almost all the PCP in America. Some gangs make millions per month selling illegal drugs, distributing weap ons, operating prostitute businesses, and selling stolen property (Drugs and Gangs). Street gangs have now moved to new areas, specifically rural and suburban areas, to avoid the police and get new customers (â€Å"Organized Gangs†). Profit driven gangs relentlessly traffic drugs throughout America, and they will use violence without a second thought to continue their operation. There are also Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) outside of America that are distributing drugs into the United States. Mexican Drug trafficking organizations are one of the biggest problems of why there is such a large amount of drugs in America. Street gangs in America are seeking to establish connections with Mexican DTOs to expand their drug trafficking organizations (â€Å"Organized Gangs†). Mexican DTOs and criminal groups exhibit far greater influence over drug trafficking in the United States than any other group, and their influence is increasing, particularly with respect to cocaine and methamphetamine distribution (â€Å"Organized gangs†). Many gangs have developed or relationships now with nationwide criminal organizations and DTOs. These relationships provide gangs with access to much more illegal drugs then the gangs can get their hands on in just the United States alone (â€Å"National Level†). Most of the illegal drugs come from out o f the country, but still find their way into America. The threat posed by gangs will increase as gangs become better structured; more sophisticated, and develop their markets. This threat is magnified by the high and increasing level of violence associated with expansion of drug trafficking activities by gang. Street gangs in America are growing in size due to the increase in poverty as well as the influence of peer pressure and these gangs are becoming increasingly violent because of gang wars and drug trafficking. Gangs are growing in size and their use of violence becoming a much bigger problem. These gangs constantly distribute drugs through the states around the country and are getting more and more youths addicted too these illegal substances. If gangs are not dealt with and stopped soon they will get way out of hand. Americans must realize what gangs are doing to the country and our youth. The modern street gang problem must be solved so that America can live in peace and knowing that the youth will be safe from street gangs.

Encouraging Gun Ownership :: Guns Weapons Rights Amendments Essays

Encouraging Gun Ownership Introduction I. What is the foundation of modern technology? It's the history of the gun. Thesis Statement: I will persuade you in that, (1) federal gun control laws are unconstitutional, and (2) I will prove the 2nd Amendment is both a "State" and "Individual Right." Body I.The foundation of our country is based in English Bill of Rights and the American Revolution. A. What is the difference between the Declaration of Independence, the U. S. Constitution and the "Bill of Rights?" 1. The Declaration of Independence gives the reasons, as to why America wanted seperation. 2. The Constitution gives the federal government certain powers. 3. The "Bill of Rights" limited the power of the federal government. B. The views of gun control advocates. 1. Gun control saves lives. 2. When America was founded guns only shot one bullet at a time. 3. Gun control will keep guns out of the hands of criminals. 4. Children should not have guns. 5. Gun control will reduce the hazards to law enforcement. 6. If citizens carry guns, there will be daily shoot-outs in the streets. 7. We don't want to ban deer rifles, just assault rifles. 8. Why do you need an assault rifle? 9. The entertainment industry is not at fault, it's the gun's fault! 10. The 2nd is a collective right and not an "Individual Right." C. My rebuttal to gun control advocates. 1. Vehicle control saves more lives than gun control. 2. The musket was an assault rifle, like the AK-47 is today. 3. If you don't want criminals to have guns, keep them behind bars. 4. As a child I had guns, and I came out ok. 5. Law enforcement is often the problem, remember Rodney King. 6. Crime has gone down in States with right to carry laws. 7. The Violence Policy Center wants to vilify the deer rifle. 8. Who knows what the future holds? Do you remember Hilter? The economic fall-out of 1929? 9. The gun's fault? Could it be society has been socially conditioned, into violence behavior? 10. The 2nd is both a "State" and "Individual Right." (historical) II. I defy my opponents to show in the "Bill of Rights" where it bars any particular type of firearm. A. I lawfully purchased the AK-47, with in the frame-work of the Constitution. The federal government allowed it to be imported. The State of Texas allowed it to be sold, thus making its ownership Constitutional. (legal) B. My views are better than my opponents views, because the 2nd Amendment in the "Bill of Rights" is intended to limit the power of the federal government, and not that of the States.

Vampire Academy Chapter 4

FOUR WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ENTIRE commons' attention this time, thank God, but a few passing people had stopped to stare. â€Å"What the hell do you think you're doing?† asked Doll Girl, blue eyes wide and sparkling with fury. Up close now, I was able to get a better look at her. She had the same slim build as most Moroi but not the usual height, which was partly what made her look so young. The tiny purple dress she wore was gorgeous – reminding me that I was indeed dressed in thrift-shop wear – but closer inspection led me to think it was a designer knockoff. I crossed my arms across my chest. â€Å"Are you lost, little girl? The elementary school's over on west campus.† A pink flush spread over her cheeks. â€Å"Don't you ever touch me again. You screw with me, and I'll screw you right back.† Oh man, what an opening that was. Only a head shake from Lissa stopped me from unleashing any number of hilarious comebacks. Instead, I opted for simple brute force, so to speak. â€Å"And if you mess with either of us again, I'll break you in half. If you don't believe me, go ask Dawn Yarrow about what I did to her arm in ninth grade. You were probably at nap time when it happened.† The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation, in addition to my smartass one. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night. Judging from the look on this girl's face, it was. One of the patrolling staff members strolled by right then, casting suspicious eyes at our little meeting. Doll Girl backed off, taking Aaron's arm. â€Å"Come on,† she said. â€Å"Hey, Aaron,† I said cheerfully, remembering he was there. â€Å"Nice to see you again.† He gave me a quick nod and an uneasy smile, just as the girl dragged him off. Same old Aaron. He might be nice and cute, but aggressive he was not. I turned to Lissa. â€Å"You okay?† She nodded. â€Å"Any idea who I just threatened to beat up?† â€Å"Not a clue.† I started to lead her toward the lunch line, but she shook her head at me. â€Å"Gotta go see the feeders.† A funny feeling settled over me. I'd gotten so used to being her primary blood source that the thought of returning to the Moroi's normal routine seemed strange. In fact, it almost bothered me. It shouldn't have. Daily feedings were part of a Moroi's life, something I hadn't been able to offer her while living on our own. It had been an inconvenient situation, one that left me weak on feeding days and her weak on the days in between. I should have been happy she would get some normality. I forced a smile. â€Å"Sure.† We walked into the feeding room, which sat adjacent to the cafeteria. It was set up with small cubicles, dividing the room's space in an effort to offer privacy. A dark-haired Moroi woman greeted us at the entrance and glanced down at her clipboard, flipping through the pages. Finding what she needed, she made a few notes and then gestured for Lissa to follow. Me she gave a puzzled look, but she didn't stop me from entering. She led us to one of the cubicles where a plump, middle-aged woman sat leafing through a magazine. She looked up at our approach and smiled. In her eyes, I could see the dreamy, glazed-over look most feeders had. She'd probably neared her quota for the day, judging from how high she appeared to be. Recognizing Lissa, her smile grew. â€Å"Welcome back, Princess.† The greeter left us, and Lissa sat down in the chair beside the woman. I sensed a feeling of discomfort in her, a little different from my own. This was weird for her too; it had been a long time. The feeder, however, had no such reservations. An eager look crossed her face – the look of a junkie about to get her next fix. Disgust poured into me. It was an old instinct, one that had been drilled in over the years. Feeders were essential to Moroi life. They were humans who willingly volunteered to be a regular blood source, humans from the fringes of society who gave their lives over to the secret world of the Moroi. They were well cared for and given all the comforts they could need. But at the heart of it, they were drug users, addicts to Moroi saliva and the rush it offered with each bite. The Moroi – and guardians – looked down on this dependency, even though the Moroi couldn't have survived otherwise unless they took victims by force. Hypocrisy at its finest. The feeder tilted her head, giving Lissa full access to her neck. Her skin there was marked with scars from years of daily bites. The infrequent feedings Lissa and I had done had kept my neck clear; my bite marks never lasted more than a day or so. Lissa leaned forward, fangs biting into the feeder's yielding flesh. The woman closed her eyes, making a soft sound of pleasure. I swallowed, watching Lissa drink. I couldn't see any blood, but I could imagine it. A surge of emotion grew in my chest: longing. Jealousy. I averted my eyes, staring at the floor. Mentally, I scolded myself. What's wrong with you? Why should you miss it? You only did it once every day. You aren't addicted, not like this. And you don't want to be. But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampire's bite. Lissa finished and we returned to the commons, moving toward the lunch line. It was short, since we only had fifteen minutes left, and I strolled up and began to load my plate with french fries and some rounded, bite-size objects that looked vaguely like chicken nuggets. Lissa only grabbed a yogurt. Moroi needed food, as dhampirs and humans did, but rarely had an appetite after drinking blood. â€Å"So how'd classes go?† I asked. She shrugged. Her face was bright with color and life now. â€Å"Okay. Lots of stares. A lot of stares. Lots of questions about where we were. Whispering.† â€Å"Same here,† I said. The attendant checked us out, and we walked toward the tables. I gave Lissa a sidelong glance. â€Å"You okay with that? They aren't bothering you, are they?† â€Å"No – it's fine.† The emotions coming through the bond contradicted her words. Knowing I could feel that, she tried to change the subject by handing me her class schedule. I looked it over. 1st Period Russian 2 2nd Period American Colonial Literature 3rd Period Basics of Elemental Control 4th Period Ancient Poetry -Lunch – 5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology 6th Period Advanced Calculus 7th Period Moroi Culture 4 8th Period Slavic Art â€Å"Nerd,† I said. â€Å"If you were in Stupid Math like me, we'd have the same afternoon schedule.† I stopped walking. â€Å"Why are you in elemental basics? That's a sophomore class.† She eyed me. â€Å"Because seniors take specialized classes.† We fell silent at that. All Moroi wielded elemental magic. It was one of the things that differentiated living vampires from Strigoi, the dead vampires. Moroi viewed magic as a gift. It was part of their souls and connected them to the world. A long time ago, they had used their magic openly – averting natural disasters and helping with things like food and water production. They didn't need to do that as much anymore, but the magic was still in their blood. It burned in them and made them want to reach out to the earth and wield their power. Academies like this existed to help Moroi control the magic and learn how to do increasingly complex things with it. Students also had to learn the rules that surrounded magic, rules that had been in place for centuries and were strictly enforced. All Moroi had a small ability in each element. When they got to be around our age, students â€Å"specialized† when one element grew stronger than the others: earth, water, fire, or air. Not specializing was like not going through puberty. And Lissa? ­well, Lissa hadn't specialized yet. â€Å"Is Ms. Carmack still teaching that? What she'd say?† â€Å"She says she's not worried. She thinks it'll come.† â€Å"Did you – did you tell her about – â€Å" Lissa shook her head. â€Å"No. Of course not.† We let the subject drop. It was one we thought about a lot but rarely spoke of. We started moving again, scanning the tables as we decided where to sit. A few pairs of eyes looked up at us with blatant curiosity. â€Å"Lissa!† came a nearby voice. Glancing over, we saw Natalie waving at us. Lissa and I exchanged looks. Natalie was sort of Lissa's cousin in the way Victor was sort of her uncle, but we'd never hung out with her all that much. Lissa shrugged and headed in that direction. â€Å"Why not?† I followed reluctantly. Natalie was nice but also one of the most uninteresting people I knew. Most royals at the school enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, but Natalie had never fit in with that crowd. She was too plain, too uninterested in the politics of the Academy, and too clueless to really navigate them anyway. Natalie's friends eyed us with a quiet curiosity, but she didn't hold back. She threw her arms around us. Like Lissa, she had jade-green eyes, but her hair was jet black, like Victor's had been before his disease grayed it. â€Å"You're back! I knew you would be! Everyone said you were gone forever, but I never believed that. I knew you couldn't stay away. Why'd you go? There are so many stories about why you left!† Lissa and I exchanged glances as Natalie prattled on. â€Å"Camille said one of you got pregnant and went off to have an abortion, but I knew that couldn't be true. Someone else said you went off to hang out with Rose's mom, but I figured Ms. Kirova and Daddy wouldn't have been so upset if you'd turned up there. Did you know we might get to be roommates? I was talking to? ­Ã¢â‚¬  On and on she chatted, flashing her fangs as she spoke. I smiled politely, letting Lissa deal with the onslaught until Natalie asked a dangerous question. â€Å"What'd you do for blood, Lissa?† The table regarded us questioningly. Lissa froze, but I immediately jumped in, the lie coming effortlessly to my lips. â€Å"Oh, it's easy. There are a lot of humans who want to do it.† â€Å"Really?† asked one of Natalie's friends, wide-eyed. â€Å"Yup. You find ? ®em at parties and stuff. They're all looking for a fix from something, and they don't really get that a vampire's doing it: most are already so wasted they don't remember anyway.† My already vague details dried up, so I simply shrugged in as cool and confident a way as I could manage. It wasn't like any of them knew any better. â€Å"Like I said, it's easy. Almost easier than with our own feeders.† Natalie accepted this and than launched into some other topic. Lissa shot me a grateful look. Ignoring the conversation again, I took in the old faces, trying to figure out who was hanging out with whom and how power had shifted within the school. Mason, sitting with a group of novices, caught my eye, and I smiled. Near him, a group of Moroi royals sat, laughing over something. Aaron and the blond girl sat there too. â€Å"Hey, Natalie,† I said, turning around and cutting her off. She didn't seem to notice or mind. â€Å"Who's Aaron's new girlfriend?† â€Å"Huh? Oh. Mia Rinaldi.† Seeing my blank look, she asked, â€Å"Don't you remember her?† â€Å"Should I? Was she here when we left?† â€Å"She's always been here,† said Natalie. â€Å"She's only a year younger than us.† I shot a questioning look at Lissa, who only shrugged. â€Å"Why is she so pissed off at us?† I asked. â€Å"Neither of us know her.† â€Å"I don't know,† answered Natalie. â€Å"Maybe she's jealous about Aaron. She wasn't much of anybody when you guys left. She got really popular really fast. She isn't royal or anything, but once she started dating Aaron, she – â€Å" â€Å"Okay, thanks,† I interrupted. â€Å"It doesn't really – â€Å" My eyes lifted up from Natalie's face to Jesse Zeklos's, just as he passed by our table. Ah, Jesse. I'd forgotten about him. I liked flirting with Mason and some of the other novices, but Jesse was in an entirely different category. You flirted with the other guys simply for the sake of flirting. You flirted with Jesse in the hopes of getting semi-naked with him. He was a royal Moroi, and he was so hot, he should have worn a warning: flammable sign. He met my eyes and grinned. â€Å"Hey Rose, welcome back. You still breaking hearts?† â€Å"Are you volunteering?† His grin widened. â€Å"Let's hang out sometime and find out. If you ever get parole.† He kept walking, and I watched him admiringly. Natalie and her friends stared at me in awe. I might not be a god in the Dimitri sense, but with this group, Lissa and I were gods – or at least former gods – of another nature. â€Å"Oh my gawd,† exclaimed one girl. I didn't remember her name. â€Å"That was Jesse.† â€Å"Yes,† I said, smiling. â€Å"It certainly was.† â€Å"I wish I looked like you,† she added with a sigh. Their eyes fell on me. Technically, I was half-Moroi, but my looks were human. I'd blended in well with humans during our time away, so much so that I'd barely thought about my appearance at all. Here, among the slim and small-chested Moroi girls, certain features – meaning my larger breasts and more defined hips – stood out. I knew I was pretty, but to Moroi boys, my body was more than just pretty: it was sexy in a risqu? ¦ way. Dhampirs were an exotic conquest, a novelty all Moroi guys wanted to â€Å"try.† It was ironic that dhampirs had such an allure here, because slender Moroi girls looked very much like the super-skinny runway models so popular in the human world. Most humans could never reach that â€Å"ideal† skinniness, just as Moroi girls could never look like me. Everyone wanted what she couldn't have. Lissa and I got to sit together in our shared afternoon classes but didn't do much talking. The stares she'd mentioned certainly did follow us, but I found that the more I talked to people, the more they warmed up. Slowly, gradually, they seemed to remember who we were, and the novelty – though not the intrigue – of our crazy stunt wore off. Or maybe I should say, they remembered who I was. Because I was the only one talking. Lissa stared straight ahead, listening but neither acknowledging nor participating in my attempts at conversation. I could feel anxiety and sadness pouring out of her. â€Å"All right,† I told her when classes finally ended. We stood outside the school, and I was fully aware that in doing so, I was already breaking the terms of my agreement with Kirova. â€Å"We're not staying here,† I told her, looking around the campus uneasily. â€Å"I'm going to find a way to get us out.† â€Å"You think we could really do it a second time?† Lissa asked quietly. â€Å"Absolutely.† I spoke with certainty, again relieved she couldn't read my feelings. Escaping the first time had been tricky enough. Doing it again would be a real bitch, not that I couldn't still find a way. â€Å"You really would, wouldn't you?† She smiled, more to herself than to me, like she'd thought of something funny. â€Å"Of course you would. It's just, well? ­Ã¢â‚¬  She sighed. â€Å"I don't know if we should go. Maybe – maybe we should stay.† I blinked in astonishment. â€Å"What?† Not one of my more eloquent answers, but the best I could manage. I'd never expected this from her. â€Å"I saw you, Rose. I saw you talking to the other novices during class, talking about practice. You miss that.† â€Å"It's not worth it,† I argued. â€Å"Not if? ­not if you? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish, but she was right. She'd read me. I had missed the other novices. Even some of the Moroi. But there was more to it than just that. The weight of my inexperience, how much I'd fallen behind, had been growing all day. â€Å"It might be better,† she countered. â€Å"I haven't had as many? ­you know, things happening in a while. I haven't felt like anyone was following or watching us.† I didn't say anything to that. Before we'd left the Academy, she'd always felt like someone was following her, like she was being hunted. I'd never seen evidence to support that, but I had once heard one of our teachers go on and on about the same sort of thing. Ms. Karp. She'd been a pretty Moroi, with deep auburn air and high cheekbones. And I was pretty sure she'd been crazy. â€Å"You never know who's watching,† she used to say, walking briskly around the classroom as she shut all the blinds. â€Å"Or who's following you. Best to be safe. Best to always be safe.† We'd snickered amongst ourselves because that's what students do around eccentric and paranoid teachers. The thought of Lissa acting like her bothered me. â€Å"What's wrong?† Lissa asked, noticing that I was lost in thought. â€Å"Huh? Nothing. Just thinking.† I sighed, trying to balance my own wants with what was best for her. â€Å"Liss, we can stay, I guess? ­but there are a few conditions.† This made her laugh. â€Å"A Rose ultimatum, huh?† â€Å"I'm serious.† Words I didn't say very much. â€Å"I want you to stay away from the royals. Not like Natalie or anything but you know, the others. The power players. Camille. Carly. That group.† Her amusement turned to astonishment. â€Å"Are you serious?† â€Å"Sure. You never liked them anyway.† â€Å"You did.† â€Å"No. Not really. I liked what they could offer. All the parties and stuff.† â€Å"And you can go without that now?† She looked skeptical. â€Å"Sure. We did in Portland.† â€Å"Yeah, but that was different.† Her eyes stared off, not really focused on any one thing. â€Å"Here? ­here I've got to be a part of that. I can't avoid it.† â€Å"The hell you do. Natalie stays out of that stuff.† â€Å"Natalie isn't going to inherit her family's title,† she retorted. â€Å"I've already got it. I've got to be involved, start making connections. Andre – â€Å" â€Å"Liss,† I groaned. â€Å"You aren't Andre.† I couldn't believe she was still comparing herself to her brother. â€Å"He was always involved in all that stuff.† â€Å"Yeah, well,† I snapped back, â€Å"he's dead now.† Her face hardened. â€Å"You know, sometimes you aren't very nice.† â€Å"You don't keep me around to be nice. You want nice, there are a dozen sheep in there who would rip each other's throats to get in good with the Dragomir princess. You keep me around to tell you the truth, and here it is: Andre's dead. You're the heir now, and you're going to deal with it however you can. But for now, that means staying away from the other royals. We'll just lie low. Coast through the middle. Get involved in that stuff again, Liss, and you'll drive yourself? ­Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Crazy?† she supplied when I didn't finish. Now I looked away. â€Å"I didn't mean? ­Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay.† she said, after a moment. She sighed and touched my arm. â€Å"Fine. We'll stay and we'll keep out of all that stuff. We'll ? ®coast through the middle' like you want. Hang out with Natalie, I guess.† To be perfectly honest, I didn't want any of that. I wanted to go to all the royal parties and wild drunken festivities like we'd done before. We'd kept out of that life for years until Lissa's parents and brother died. Andre should have been the one to inherit her family's title, and he'd certainly acted like it. Handsome and outgoing, he'd charmed everyone he knew and had been a leader in all the royal cliques and clubs that existed on campus. After his death, Lissa had felt it was her family duty to take his place. I'd gotten to join that world with her. It was easy for me, because I didn't really have to deal with the politics of it. I was a pretty dhampir, one who didn't mind getting into trouble and pulling crazy stunts. I became a novelty; they liked having me around for the fun of it. Lissa had to deal with other matters. The Dragomirs were one of the twelve ruling families. She'd have a very powerful place in Moroi society, and the other young royals wanted to get in good with her. Fake friends tried to schmooze her and get her to team up against other people. The royals could bribe and backstab in the same breath – and that was just with each other. To dhampirs and non-royals, they were completely unpredictable. That cruel culture had eventually taken its toll on Lissa. She had an open, kind nature, one that I loved, and I hated to see her upset and stressed by royal games. She'd grown fragile since the accident, and all the parties in the world weren't worth seeing her hurt. â€Å"All right then,† I said finally. â€Å"We'll see how this goes. If anything goes wrong – anything at all – we leave. No arguments.† She nodded. â€Å"Rose?† We both looked up at Dimitri's looming form. I hoped he hadn't heard the part about us leaving. â€Å"You're late for practice,† he said evenly. Seeing Lissa, he gave a polite nod. â€Å"Princess.† As he and I walked away, I worried about Lissa and wondered if staying here was the right thing to do. I felt nothing alarming through the bond, but her emotions spiked all over the place. Confusion. Nostalgia. Fear. Anticipation. Strong and powerful, they flooded into me. I felt the pull just before it happened. It was exactly like what had happened on the plane: her emotions grew so strong that they â€Å"sucked† me into her head before I could stop them. I could now see and feel what she did. She walked slowly around the commons, toward the small Russian Orthodox chapel that served most of the school's religious needs. Lissa had always attended mass regularly. Not me. I had a standing arrangement with God: I'd agree to believe in him – barely – so long as he let me sleep in on Sundays. But as she went inside, I could feel that she wasn't there to pray. She had another purpose, one I didn't know about. Glancing around, she verified that neither the priest nor any worshippers were close by. The place was empty. Slipping through a doorway in the back of the chapel, she climbed a narrow set of creaky stairs up into the attic. Here it was dark and dusty. The only light came through a large stained-glass window that fractured the faint glow of sunrise into tiny, multicolored gems across the floor. I hadn't known until that moment that this room was a regular retreat for Lissa. But now I could feel it, feel her memories of how she used to escape here to be alone and to think. The anxiety in her ebbed away ever so slightly as she took in the familiar surroundings. She climbed up into the window seat and leaned her head back against its side, momentarily entranced by the silence and the light. Moroi could stand some sunlight, unlike the Strigoi, but they had to limit their exposure. Sitting here, she could almost pretend she was in the sun, protected by the glass's dilution of the rays. Breathe, just breathe, she told herself. It'll be okay. Rose will take care of everything. She believed that passionately, like always, and relaxed further. Then a low voice spoke from the darkness. â€Å"You can have the Academy but not the window seat.† She sprang up, heart pounding. I shared her anxiety, and my own pulse quickened. â€Å"Who's there?† A moment later, a shape rose from behind a stack of crates, just outside her field of vision. The figure stepped forward, and in the poor lighting, familiar features materialized. Messy black hair. Pale blue eyes. A perpetually sardonic smirk. Christian Ozera. â€Å"Don't worry,† he said. â€Å"I won't bite. Well, at least not in the way you're afraid of.† He chuckled at his own joke. She didn't find it funny. She had completely forgotten about Christian. So had I. No matter what happened in our world, a few basic truths about vampires remained the same. Moroi were alive; Strigoi were undead. Moroi were mortal; Strigoi were immortal. Moroi were born; Strigoi were made. And there were two ways to make a Strigoi. Strigoi could forcibly turn humans, dhampirs, or Moroi with a single bite. Moroi tempted by the promise of immortality could become Strigoi by choice if they purposely killed another person while feeding. Doing that was considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins, both against the Moroi way of life and nature itself. Moroi who chose this dark path lost their ability to connect with elemental magic and other powers of the world. That was why they could no longer go into the sun. This is what had happened to Christian's parents. They were Strigoi.

Legalizing Assisted Suicide For Terminally Ill Patients

The highest value of a democratic society is human rights, which means first of all that a human being is the one who is in charge of his or her own life. The premise presupposes that a person has the right to take a decision about what to do with his or her life on the most global level – whether to go on living or stop living.That is why the state, which aim is to provide the execution of citizens rights, should pay careful attention to such a burning issue as helping terminally ill patients to die. The solution to the problem is legalizing euthanasia as a way of defending human rights alongside taking into consideration the possible moral challenges.Indeed, moral concerns have been the main factors which prevented the quick spread of euthanasia which could otherwise happen. It is first of all religious communities which oppress the adoption of the law, and the more religiously conservative the country is the stronger is the oppression to assisted suicide. Even if one doesnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t know which countries already have the relevant laws we can easily guess what they are by knowing their excessive tolerance to controversial issues like legalizing marijuana or gay marriages.Among them are first of all Scandinavian countries and Holland, some of them having adopted the law others at the brink of adoption. It was in 1994 when Oregon approved Ballot Measure, which would have legalized physician-assisted suicide under limited condition but the vote met the oppression of Federal Government.So, the United States seem to belong to the countries with the strongest moral and religious orthodoxy alongside with deeply Catholic countries as opposed to the tolerant Protestant European societies mentioned above. However, the statistics show it is not completely true. In 1999 Gallup organization held a national survey asking Americans the following question: â€Å"If you personally had a disease that could not be cured and were living in severe pain, would you consider c ommitting suicide or not?†.Forty percent answered â€Å"yes†, fifty one – â€Å"no† and nine were not sure. So, on the face of it, the community divided in halves, roughly speaking. But a there is crucially important detail which shouldn’t be missed: the respondents who took part are naturally not terminally ill and they don’t suffer severe pain. This fact distorts the real statistics which might arise in case they were suffering terrible tortures.But the controversy is not only about the rights of the patients but also about doctors who help their patients to die. The much-talked-of case of Dr.Kevorkian is the evidence of how ambiguous the interpretation of this or that action can be. â€Å"He has been hailed as the champion of the right-to-die movement and denounced as a ghoulish cheerleader for suicide† (Lesenberry, 1994) Jack Kevorkian, who helped twenty people to die on their request, was given a name Dr Death. The case demonstrat ed the controversy, the current system of law has – there is no legal differentiation between killing out of hate and killing out of mercy.There is a moral difference, however. And if we try to trace how the legal system has been historically formed, it becomes clear that it grew out of moral system of values, it was its reflection. Society has always been trying to match moral and law, and there have always been discrepancy between them which needed to be bridged. The historical process hasn’t stopped, and the gap needs to be overcome.But looking at the problem closer makes it evident that it is not so much a matter of the motivation of killing because it is not so much the formal â€Å"killer† we are talking about. The focus is actually on the person who chooses death; a doctor is just an instrument for performing his or her will. Everyone should realize that making euthanasia a legal option is not defending suicide but defending choice.Depriving people of the right to choose is a heavy violation of their human rights. The task of the state is to find a way how to protect the rights of one side without violating the rights of the other one. But the point is the right of all people are least protected when there is no legal definition of the issue at all.One of the arguments against euthanasia is the claimed immorality of making the relatives of the terminally ill patients decide if to keep them living, especially in case the are not able to decide themselves, like those in coma. Indeed, the issue is very sensitive, which the survey confirmed.The respondents were asked the question: â€Å"If a member of your family were terminally ill and wanted to die, would you be willing to help them?† Forty percent said yes, forty-six no, and fourteen percent were not sure. Indeed, this is a moral challenge for the relatives of the person but again it is a matter of having choice.Of course, it is easier for the relatives to have no choice in su ch cases because indeed, it must be the hardest choice a person can face in his or her life. On the other hand, it is questionable what is more immoral – to challenge the relatives with the decision or to let them shift responsibility by making the state decide instead of them.

Heart Rot Tree Diseaseâ€Prevention and Control

Heart Rot Tree Disease- Prevention and Control In trees, heart rot is caused by a fungal disease that causes the center of the trunk and branches to decay. The most obvious symptom is the presence of mushrooms or fungal growths, called conks, on the surface of the trunk or limbs. Most hardwood species can be afflicted with heart rot, and it can be a major problem for the logging and lumber industry since the center heartwood is the most valuable wood in a hardwood tree.   Causes of Heart Rot in Trees Heart rot in living trees can be caused by many different fungal agents and pathogens that can enter the tree through open wounds and exposed inner bark wood to infiltrate the center core of the tree- the heartwood. Heartwood  makes up most of a trees inner wood and support structure, so over time, this rot can cause the tree to fail and collapse. Heartwood cells have some resistance to decay but depend  on a barrier of protection from the bark and outside living tissue. Heart rot can occur in many hardwoods and other deciduous species but is especially common in oaks infected with the  I. dryophilus  and  P. everhartii decay fungi.  All deciduous trees can get heart rot,  while resinous conifers have some extra resistance. More on Heartwood It should be noted that heartwood is genetically programmed to spontaneously separate from living wood tissues that surround it.  Once heartwood formation has begun to lay down annual layers and increase in volume, the heartwood quickly becomes the largest part of the trees structure by volume.  When that living barrier of protection surrounding the heartwood fails, the resulting disease in the heartwood causes it to soften. It quickly becomes structurally weaker and prone to breakage. A mature tree that has a large volume of heartwood is more at risk than a young tree, simply because its heartwood constitutes more of its structure.   Symptoms of Heart Rot Usually, a conk or mushrooming fruiting body on the surface of the tree is the first sign at the site of infection.  A useful rule of thumb suggests that a cubic foot of inner heartwood wood has decayed for each conk produced- there is a lot of bad wood behind that mushroom, in other words. Fortunately, though, heart rot fungi do not invade living wood of healthy trees. Other than the resulting structural weakness heart rot creates, a tree can otherwise look quite healthy even though it is riddled with heart rot.   Economic Costs Heart rot is a major factor influencing the  economics of logging high-value lumber, although it is a natural  consequence in many older forests. The heartwood of tree is where the valuable lumber exists, and a badly rotten tree is of no value to the timber industry. A hardwood tree that lives long enough will likely deal with heart rot at some point, since it is a natural part of the trees life cycle, especially in native forests. A very old tree will almost certainly suffer storm damage at some point that will allow fungi to enter and begin the process of heart rot. In some cases, entire forests may be at risk if, for example, a catastrophic storm has caused major damage at some time in the past. The fungi spread very slowly within a tree, so it may be many years after the initial fungal infection that serious weakness becomes evident.   Heart rot is prevalent throughout the world, and it affects all  hardwood  trees. It can be very hard to prevent and control, although a tree that is carefully monitored over its entire lifetime may avoid it.   Prevention and Control of Heart Rot As long as a tree is growing vigorously, rot will be confined to a small central core within the tree. This behavior is called tree wood compartmentalization. But if the tree is weakened and fresh wood exposed by severe pruning or storm damage, decay fungi can advance into more and more of the trees heartwood. There is no economically feasible fungicide to use on a tree that hosts the heart rot fungi. The best way to prevent heart rot in your hardwood tree is to keep it healthy using proper management techniques: Minimize pruning wounds that expose large areas of wood.Shape trees at an early age so major branch removal will not be necessary later.Remove broken branch stubs following storm damage.Have trees you suspect of heart rot checked by an arborist to determine if sufficient live wood is present for structural safety.Check trees every few years to be certain new growth is maintaining a  sound structure. Large trunks and main branches with extensive decay may have little sound wood to support the tree.

Literary analysis paper from a historical perspective Essay

Literary analysis paper from a historical perspective - Essay Example Words used in the literary pieces also give away the race and perhaps the gender of the author as will be seen in this paper on the analysis of two of Langston Hughes’ poems. As a Harlem Renaissance writer, Hughes had his own taste of the bitter pill of racial discrimination in the field he had chosen where black poets were given few if not no chance at all for their works to be published (Hutchinson, 1995). As his people were fighting for equal rights as their white counterparts, Hughes definitely experienced the difficulties of such a situation; not to mention the troubles he met in his personal life. Hughes’ parents separated after his birth and he lived in several cities as a result of his mother transferring from one city to another to find a job. After high school, he went to live with his father who became a successful cattle rancher in Mexico, escaping the racism in the north where the young writer went back home after one year (. His works are reminiscent of su ch facts, picturing his life and background. Dream Deferred depicts the hopelessness brought about by weariness when a dream is postponed. Being recognized among the great poets in his time, Hughes most probably did not just speak for his own dreams but the ideals of his people as well.

Value Stock Versus Growth Stock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Value Stock Versus Growth Stock - Essay Example In real world, there are more risks involved than just one of type of risk. Market sensitivity is an important risk but that cannot alone be used in order to compute the intrinsic value of stocks and hence by relying on only this type of risk, we are actually making the things more simple than they really are and not accounting for important risk elements which lead to faulty analysis and intrinsic value determination of stocks. This can lead to poor decision making and by relying just on Capital Asset Pricing model, investors stand a chance of losing their hard earned money because they are not account for all types of risk that should be included in their investment. All of this debate shows that investors should not just pick the blue chip stock but also first try to classify stocks into value or growth stocks and then create a portfolio on the basis of a strategy called â€Å"Dogs of the Dow† and keep on making structural changes to their portfolios based on the results an nounce. This way they are not only diversifying, but also upgrading the return on their investments. 2) There are several factors that account for Risk and Returns according French and Fama. Risks are basically of three types. The first type of risk is beta or market volatility. The second type of risk is investing in small versus big stocks, and the final type of risk is investing in growth versus value stocks. The reason why these factors are considered is because these are three main alternatives investment strategies that an investor can choose. Investor can invest either in stocks which have high beta or low beta. However, this decision will be made according to the expectation of the investor. If the investor is expecting the market to fall then negative correlation with market in a stock would be preferred. However, if the investor thinks that the market is going to climb upwards then it is better for the investor to invest in stock having a positive correlation with the mark et. In either case, the investor is speculating market to perform either way. If the investor chooses to invest in large company, then there are chances that the growth of these stocks would be much less than a new aggressive company. Hence, the investor would not be able to make quick capital gain in these stocks, but stream of income in the form of dividends would be quite high if the investor chooses to invest in a stock of a large company. Similarly, if the investor chooses to invest in the value stock there are chances that the investor would earn high returns, but there are also chances that the investor would not be able to earn any return on these stock. This is in line with Warren Buffets’s and EMH investment theories which state â€Å"Buy the sells and sell the buys† . The fundamental behind this theory is the fact that stocks which have never performed in the past will perform in the future whereas stocks which have performed well in the past will not be per forming as brilliantly as they have done before. Hence, it is better to buy stocks of companies which are relatively lagging behind the blue chip stocks. In other words it is better to buy the dogs of today than stars of the past. 3) Capital Assets pricing model is based on just one facet of the risk return model. This risk is represented by beta and can be explained as stock