Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay

â€Å"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.†-Baha’u’llah. In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln sincerely suggests that all humans are more similar than assumed in order to reveal the causes of the Civil War and to italicize the fact that the nation should unite as one. The similarities of the North and South caused the war. Although both parties â€Å"deprecated† and â€Å"dreaded† war, one side â€Å"accepted† war while the other â€Å"made† war. Lincoln’s use of parallelism emphasizes the similarities between both parties, which ultimately are proven to be the main cause of the war. Along with parallelism, anaphora also plays a large role within Lincoln’s comparisons of the two parties. He often repeats words such as â€Å"both† and â€Å"neither,† which again, emphasizes the fact that both parties do, indeed, have similarities. Because both sides are so similar, they fail to acknowledge the fact that war is not needed; the bitter feelings toward war in which they both possess are the very feelings that keep them at war. The parties’ comparisons create friction, which in turn â€Å"rends† them â€Å"by war.† Lincoln appeals to authority by repeatedly referring to God. Lincoln suggests that the two sides are very similar because they both believe in the same higher power. Since both parties believe in the same higher power, it would be easier to come to an understanding, and hopefully, end the war. Lincoln’s use of antithesis compares and contrasts the two parties’ bitter feelings about war, and war itself. Their bitter feelings toward war created a war. Because the North and the South were so similar, it created friction, which was the main cause of the Civil War. Regardless of similarities or differences, the nation should unite as one. The only way to â€Å"heal the nation’s wounds† would be to come together as one nation. Lincoln appeals to beliefs of unity. Lincoln’s continuous reference to God and His relationship to everyone creates a feeling of oneness throughout the nation. Lincoln posits that everyone is the same in God’s eyes, and therefore He treats them the same way, regardless of what side of the nation they reside. Again, Lincoln uses anaphora to emphasize the idea  of oneness. He uses words such as â€Å"both,† â€Å"neither,† â€Å"we,† and â€Å"all† for these purposes. Lincoln only uses singular words, such as â€Å"I,† once to avoid further separation of the nation. In order for the â€Å"scourge of war† to cease, the nation should transition from being two separate halves, to one whole. Lincoln’s appeals to beliefs of fairness suggest that neithe r side was in total control. The nation should be equal. He also uses positive diction to give the audience a sense of hope. Regardless of how similar or different the nation is, it should still be united. The Civil War is a prime example of how one side’s misunderstanding of another can create friction. â€Å"United we stand; divided we fall.†- Aesop. Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay The United States Civil War was initially clashed to bring the rebellious South back in to the Union according to Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. In his speech Lincoln says, â€Å"..to saving the Union without war,† he means here that at his first inaugural address, everyone was trying to desperately avoid a civil war, but still would do anything to help their cause. Lincoln then goes on to say, â€Å"..accept war rather than let it perish.† Here is talking about how the North changed in the sense that they would do anything to help their cause, even if it means war. Lincoln’s reason for why the war was originally started was the fact that the North knew war was the only option to preserve the Union See more: Satirical essay about drugs Although President Abraham Lincoln originally said the cause of the war was to defend the Union, he then states that the new purpose of the war was to free the slaves. He says, â€Å"These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.† Lincoln specifically states here that slaves have all always been one of the greatest controversies of his time, and they ended up being the true purpose of the Civil War. Freeing slaves had always been an issue in America, only now, bloodshed was being cast in order to defend or uphold it. Lincoln’s post war plans for the Union are evident in this line, â€Å"let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him†¦to achieve†¦everlasting peace.† Abraham Lincoln brilliantly writes here that even if he beats up or wounds the South, he wants them back, as a part of the country. Also, not only does he want the South back, but he wants them to come back right away. Lincoln’s main goal was keeping the Union together, and he made sure his post-war plans continued this idea. Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he uses many different kinds of rhetorical strategies to unite a broken nation. During the time of the speech, it is four years into the Civil War and it is about to end. In this speech, Lincoln uses allusion, parallel structure, and diction to unify the North and the South. A rhetorical strategy that is seen throughout Lincoln’s speech is allusion. He uses God and the Bible to show that the people both from the North and also the South have the same values. Lincoln says, â€Å"Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.† What Lincoln said was from the Bible, and most people could relate because many of the citizens were very religious. Lincoln also states, â€Å"†¦ Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was also an allusion to the Bible, impacting the people to help fix the nation and to help come together as a nation. Religion was very important t o many citizens of that time, so the religious allusion used in the speech was very effective. Another strategy used in Lincoln’s address was parallel structure. The parallel structure emphasized what his goals were for the nation. For example, he says, â€Å"to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.† Abraham Lincoln’s goal was to establish peace again within the two sides and to rebuild the nation. Another example of allusion was at the beginning of the speech when Lincoln said, â€Å"All dreaded it, all sought to avert it.† He said, â€Å"all† to bring together both sides, saying that neither one wanted to fight, but now they have to come together to fix the â€Å"broken nation.† Lastly, Abraham Lincoln uses diction to create a feeling of unity between  the people. In his speech, Abraham says, â€Å"Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God.† Lincoln uses the word â€Å"both† often in his speech, which unifies the North and the South. It also says in his speech, â€Å"†¦let us strive on to finish the work we are in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That statement reminds everyone that they’re all in it together by saying â€Å"us.† Diction throughout Abraham Lincoln’s speech adds onto the unity that was created by parallel structure and allusion. In Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he uses religious allusion, encouraging parallel structure, and repetitive diction to unify the North and the South. Lincoln’s goal when giving this speech was not to celebrate the North’s win, but to unify and to create peace between the broken nation.

Is Bollywood Shining in Asia

Is Bollywood Shining in Asia? Introduction As Smith, a columnist for Articlemyriad, mentioned, â€Å"Far from being mere entertainment, though, the Bollywood movies represent a powerful means of self- and community expression which Indians are using to define themselves in front of the rest of the world,† (Smith) Exploring the Bollywood movie and its emergency in Asia is an effective way to see whether India has some common culture elements with other Asian countries and whether they are integrating under the impulsion of culture.Dudrah (2006) mentioned in his book Bollywood: Sociology Goes to the Movies, â€Å"Bollywood, the moniker for popular Hindi cinema from Mumbai, India, has become an important catchword in the vocabulary of global South Asian popular culture. † (Dudrah, 2006) It demonstrates that Indian culture dominates in South Asia. However, with the success Three Idiots achieved in Asia, some people began to consider the situation of Bollywood in Asia. Bolly wood is a real buzz word at the moment,† said Vinay Virmani, writer and actor of Breakaway, in an interview, â€Å"I think that's because Bollywood has been able to translate beyond the whole south Asian community. † (Mahmood & Mitra, 2011)This opinion is true but maybe too simple as he just considered about the popularity. The opinion I want to argue in this paper is that although Bollywood movies become popular in Asia, the commercial profit they gained is still limited.Maybe Three Idiots, the most successful Bollywood movie in recent years, is the best representative of Bollywood movies which are facing such an embarrassing situation. â€Å"Have you seen the Three Idiots second time? † It may be the first reaction when Hong Kong people talked about this famous Indian movie. It is amazing that a Bollywood movie gained such huge success in Hong Kong. In fact, Three Idiots has run for 13 weeks since it was released in Hong Kong in September, 2011. It broke the sp ell that â€Å"Normally, a Bollywood Film in China and Hong Kong would run in select multiplexes for 1 to 2 weeks. (3 Idiots Rocks in China & Hong Kong, 2011)Although it gained high praise in Hong Kong and other Asia countries, the box-office contributed by Asian countries was still limited. According to the statistics from Box Office Mojo, 60. 8% box-office of Three Idiots came from India (3 IDIOTS box office, 2011) and it was released in only six other Asia countries (or areas), which are Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan. (3 Idiots) Why Bollywood becomes popular in Asia ) Thanks to Slumdog Millionaire Slumdog Millionaire tells a story happened in Indian slums. It is made by Hollywood but full of Bollywood characters, which made many audiences mistake it for a Bollywood movie. As it won the top prize at the Academy Awards and eight Oscars in total including best director and best picture, (The Oscars 2009, 2009) it appealed to more audiences, espec ially Asians, who regard the Academy Prize as the highest honor of a movie. It took $2,280,068 in its first week in China and $930,097 in Hong Kong. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE-box office, 2009) With the influence of Slumdog Millionaire, people would like to see Bollywood movies with huge interest and curiousness. Bollywood movie become a hit to Asian audiences. 2) A mirror of the issues faced by Asia It is obvious to see the changes in Bollywood movies when comparing those new successful movies with the old ones. The traditional stories about revenge or the love between a rich woman and a penniless man have already been out of date. New Bollywood movies focus more on the modern issues faced by many other Asian countries as well.The issues always mentioned are never leaving ethnic and religious conflicts, gap between the rich and poor and education. For instance, the Three Idiots mentioned before exposed the education problems existing in many Asian countries. The film is about three studen ts who do not fit the traditional and inflexible education method in Indian Institutes of Technology and are considered as idiots by professors. â€Å"However, the movie clearly shows who the three real idiots are – the educational system, the teachers and the parents†, Sudhakar RAM said. Ram, 2010) The performance-oriented system, faculty-led pedagogy and arbitrary parents criticized in this movie exist not only in India, but also other Asian states. In South Korea, academic achievements are regarded as the decisive factor for social success. Only the students getting into prestigious universities can guarantee their social success, while students with other abilities are unrecognized. (Suicide Figures Point to Failure of Education System, 2011) The same phenomena existed in Mainland China. In order to enter a famous university, students pursue higher exam marks rather than knowledge. Teaching methodology basically consists of force-feeding copious amounts of required information directly out of textbooks (often teachers will simply read directly from the text) and students are discouraged from asking questions, particularly if those questions challenge ideology or anything regarded as factual. † (Middle Kingdom Life) As this movies shows the familiar and real problems to Asian audience, people are able to understand the movie better and easily accept it, just as Zoher Abdoolcarim said, â€Å"They laughed when they were meant to and didn't when they weren't. (Abdoolcarim, 2011) In addition, Asia, as a growing power, is eager to get the approval from the world. India, with fast development in economy, has more aspiration and shows it by movies. There is a popular Bollywood movie among Asian audience called My Name Is Khan. It tells a story about how a Muslim man called Khan, in order to get forgiveness from his wife, overcame many difficulties to tell American President that his name had no relationship with terrorists. Although it seems l ike a love movie, what it shows indeed is the â€Å"questions of religious and national identity†. My Name is Khan – Movie Review, 2010) Asian states, like the Muslim, undergo untold hardships to develop, hoping to get the approval from the world. The emotion and sprit—national identifying—expressed in Bollywood movies reflect the psychology of Asia and fit the taste of Asians. 3) The attracting modern music Dance and songs are the symbols of Bollywood movies. â€Å"A Bollywood movie is incomplete without songs and dance in it. † (Role of dance Choreographer in Bollywood movie songs, 2011) However, young people in Asia seem not interested in the traditional dance and songs in Bollywood movies.Therefore, the Bollywood music changed among with the transformation in movies. It mixed the traditional songs with western elements to produce a new style that appeals international audience, of course, including Asians, rather than the pure classical Indian music that appeals to Indians only. Campus songs which never appeared now become popular in Bollywood movies. ‘Aal Izz Well' in Three Idiots has oodles of youth feeling, which brings audience back to their college days. 4) With the help of InternetAlthough playing full-length movie on internet is illegal in some countries, there are no strict restrictions in some Asia countries, like China, which provides audience a chance to watch Bollywood movies through internet. Three Idiots, for example, will be released in December, 2011 in Mainland China. However, the discussion of this movie in Internet lasted for a long time and it even got 8. 9 marks by 19,096 people marking in the Mtime, a websites regarded as Chinese IMDB. Three Idiots) This phenomenon benefits from the Chinese video-sharing websites, such as Tudou and Youku. In fact, this movie was played up to 1,824,335 times only in Tudou (Three Idiots). The same is Devads, which is marked 8. 4 in Mtime (Devdas) and played 279,4 69 times in Tudou. (Devdas) The force of internet cannot be overlooked in popularizing Bollywood movies. Why Bollywood movies have a little profit? As the statistics from Box Office Mojo show, most Bollywood movies are released in four other Asia areas mainly —Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.Although Bollywood movies have satisfied box-offices in these areas, the profit they gained in other Asian areas was still low compared to domestic market. The reason may be that Bollywood movies don’t squeeze into the two main markets in Asia—China and Japan because of the strict movie importing restrictions. China has strict import restrictions that limit the number of foreign blockbusters to 20 per year. â€Å"Film imports are still controlled by the state-owned China Film Group. † (Lee, 2011) And in Japan, the situation is even worse. â€Å"But selecting films for release in Japan is not easy. , said Aki Sugihara, general manager at licensing and acqu isition department of Nikkatsu Corp, â€Å"The rights for ‘3 Idiots' had been sold to every Asian country except Japan. † (IANS, 2011) The closing of the two main Asian movie markets makes the profit Bollywood movies gain limit in Asia. Tendency 1) The wall will come down With the globalization, the trade wall is decreasing, including the movie import policies. Taiwan is a case in point, who revised the Motion Picture law–dropping its film import restrictions—–to meet WTO demand in 2001.Many Bollywood movies, which are not released in Mainland China and Hong Kong, can be found on Taiwan screens, like Om Shanti Om and Taare Zameen Par. Taiwan is just a start as its policy influences other countries. The success of Three Idiots in Taiwan spirited South Korea to release it, according to a Korean industry office. (Bhat, 2011) The prospect in Mainland China is also bright. Thanks to the efforts of India's Ministry of External Affairs, India got a quota o f four out of the 20 imported movies per year. Baru, 2010)What’s more, as the deadline given by the World Trade Organization when China end its movie import restrictions is 19 March 2011, China is expected to raise the import quota to 30 films this year and a little more each year subsequently. (Jaffe, 2011) It is inspiring news for not only Bollywood but also the world, which can also be regarded as a symbol that the free and open movie market is a tendency in such a global world. 2) The cooperation can be realized Bollywood is exporting its movies to more countries by cooperating with foreign companies to produce movies.My Name is Khan, a Bollywood movie produced and marketed by Fox Star Studios, gained $38,326,589 in oversea market. (My Name Is Khan) It pointed out a new way for Bollywood to gain profit in Asia, which is cooperating with Asian companies. In fact, the Chinese government's official film production company has cooperated with Bollywood to make a movie called Gold Struck. â€Å"Since the film is being supported by China-based production companies, it will not be considered a foreign import and will fall outside the censorship restrictions that have impeded Bollywood's entry into the China market,† Cindy Shyu, CEO of Lighthouse Productions said. Krishnan, 2010) Also Aki Sugihara from Japan mentioned, â€Å"If our co-production expands, there will be a chance of getting into co-production with Indian films. † (IANS, 2011) By cooperation, Bollywood may knock at the door of China and Japan, and enter into these two huge Asian markets step by step. Conclusion Bollywood, which used to be regarded as â€Å"a factory of dances and songs†, is no longer what it was. In a global world, Bollywood is also expanding its influence power to Asia, even to the world. Going by the success of Slumdog Millionaire, Bollywood began to export its movies with a new image.It changes the style of dance and songs and pays more attention to the contents of movies, which expose the same issues Asians face and inspire emotional resonance. In addition, the internet popularizing also promotes the spread of Bollywood movies. However, Bollywood has fame but little profit in Asia because of the strict restrictions, especially in China and Japan. In another word, Bollywood’s emergence has already beyond South Asia but the true commercial success is still limited to domestic market.Although it seems that Bollywood has loss in Asia in terms of commerce from current movie market state, we cannot deny that Bollywood movies have potential to win because of the falling-down restrictions and the tiny cooperation with Asian movie companies. Bollywood is not shining in Asia now, but the time for it to shine is not far away. Reference SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE-box office. (2009, 12 20). Retrieved 12 1, 2011, from Box Office Mojo: http://boxofficemojo. com/movies/? page=intl&id=slumdogmillionaire. htm The Oscars 2009. (2009, 2 23). Retrieve d 12 1, 2011, from BBC: http://news. bc. co. uk/2/hi/entertainment/oscars/7904567. stm My Name is Khan – Movie Review. (2010, 2 11). Retrieved 12 1, 2011, from BollywoodWorld. com: http://www. bollywoodworld. com/movie-reviews/my-name-is-khan-movie-review-18299. html 3 IDIOTS box office. (2011, 11). Retrieved 12 1, 2011, from Box Office Mojo: http://boxofficemojo. com/movies/? page=intl&id=3idiots. htm 3 Idiots Rocks in China & Hong Kong. (2011). Retrieved from MovieMantra. com: http://moviemantra. com/telugu/2011/3-idiots-rocking-china-hong-kong/ Role of dance Choreographer in Bollywood movie songs. 2011, 5 13). Retrieved 12 2, 2011, from Enrichyou: http://www. enrichyou. info/role-of-dance-choreographer-in-bollywood-movie-songs/ Suicide Figures Point to Failure of Education System. (2011, 8 13). Retrieved 12 1, 2011, from The Chosunilbo: http://english. chosun. com/site/data/html_dir/2011/08/13/2011081300334. html 3 Idiots. (n. d. ). Retrieved 12 1, 2011, from IMDB: http:// www. imdb. com/title/tt1187043/releaseinfo Abdoolcarim, Z. (2011, 11 10). The ChIndian Century. Retrieved 12 1, 2011, from TIMESpecials:

River Restoration – Soft Engineering The River Cole, Oxford

The River Cole forms part of the border between the counties, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. It is a tributary of the River Thames and joins it near Lechlade. Many mills have altered the river by straightening and polluting it. Much of its upper course has been built over due to urbanisation and so the exact location of the source is unknown. It also ?ows through National Trust land. The River Cole had become very polluted and needed restoration. Restoration is returning a river to its natural state after arti?cial alteration.The river needed  restoration in order to change the water course, improve the water quality and manage the bank-side vegetation. In 1994, River Restoration Project was set up in order to show how contemporary restoration techniques could help damaged ecosystems thrive. The project was run by the RRP (River Restoration Project), the Environment Agency, English Nature, the National Trust, the Countryside Commission and the EU. Using the EU LIFE money, three demonst ration projects were set up, helping to restore over a 2km stretch of the River.The project was completed in 1996. In order to bring the river bed back in line with the ?oodplain, the river bed below Coleshill Bridge was raised. More gravel rif?es (fast ?owing midstream ridges) were introduced, as well as some small weirs (small barriers allowing pools to form behind them). Due to the redevelopment of the river bed, it ran at a higher level than a large stretch of the river. A new meandering channel was cut allowing the water to travel at the same height. Parts of the old river were kept and acts as backwaters.During high this provides shelter for ?sh, birds and insects, adding to the growing biodiversity of the river. The meanders also cause more regular ?ooding of the neighboring ?elds, creating water meadows and increasing agricultural productivity. The ancient course of the River Cole has been able to be recreated. This is due to the ?oodwaters, caused by meandering, restoring t he ?ood meadows along the western side of the Cole Mill. The Cole Mill is hoped to be put back into occasional operation by the RRP.However, the water levels in the stream ?owing near the mill must be raised in order for this to be possible. They plan to develop the River Leat (the feeder stream – the tributary that empties in to the River Cole) into a long lake. The plan for wet pasture and reed beds along the sides of the river will accompany this development. These will contribute in cleansing the streams that have been polluted by silt, fertiliser and treated sewage. The restoration has many bene?ts. It has allowed riverside organisms and wetland wildlife to thrive in the river and on the ?oodplain, playing a huge part in nature conservation.Fisheries now have an greater numbers of ?sh of different species. Due to installation of vegetation, there has been an increased interception of pollutants. Sediment has also been naturally settling on the ?oodplain and river bed. Th e restoration also acts as a ?ood defence. Due to the enlarged ?oodplain and the backwaters created by the old river, additional ?ood storage has been created. The restoration has also helped the attraction of recreational activities near the river. The natural landscape created by the restored river has received strong public support.Therefore, the River Restoration Project has been a success for the River Cole. This is thanks to the clear environmental bene?ts. Although the changes had to be paid for, there are economic bene?ts to the restoration. The surrounding landscape is now seen as a much more pleasant environment and so people are more likely to pay for recreational activities to do with the river. The social bene?ts are also clear. The cleaner waters of the river are both aesthetically and morally pleasing to general society. This leads to happier locals as their river is being taken care of.

Merger of Everything Everywhere, T-mobile & Orange Essay

Merger of Everything Everywhere, T-mobile & Orange - Essay Example The new company would have 28.4 million subscribers (T-mobile UK, 8 September 2009). Another benefit of the merger would be the improvement of the network coverage but also of the network quality (T-mobile UK, 8 September 2009). According to Gervais Pellissier, the CFO of France Telecom, the merger would help both firms to increase their competitiveness in the UK market, but also ‘to develop new services and technologies’ (T-mobile UK, 8 September 2009). In the long term, the merger would result to the decrease of the firms’ operational costs, at least by ?445m annually (OFCOM 2010). The merger was set under examination aiming to ensure that it does not violate the British and the European laws on competition. The case was brought before the European Commission, which decided, in the 1st of March 2010, that the merger would be permitted (Orange Newsroom March 2010) since the terms that the European Commission had set were met. In accordance with OFCOM European Com mission allowed the merger mostly because of the commitments of the firms in terms of ‘spectrum and network sharing’ (OFCOM 2010). ... he specific name was chosen in order to highlight the firm’s potential to offer to its customers ‘instant access to the world around them, to everything everywhere’ (T-mobile UK, 1 July 2010). In practice, the specific strategy, i.e. the use of a new name for the firm resulting from the merger, can be characterized as rather risky, taking into consideration the similar practices of other competitors in the UK mobile industry, which tend to use their own brands. On the other hand, the customers of the new firm, Everything Everywhere Ltd would have the chance to use the mobile networks of both brands, being significantly benefited compared to the customers of other mobile operators in UK (Meyer 2010). At this point, it would be necessary to check whether the merger actually benefited Orange and T-mobile. At a first level, it seems that T-mobile has been more benefited from the specific initiative, compared to Orange, which is already well established in the UK marke t. Indeed, the performance of T-mobile across UK can be characterized as low (BBC News 2010); the merger with Orange would help the firm to improve its market position ‘overnight’ (Shaun Collins in BBC News 2010). After the merger, the position of the two brands in the UK industry is still different; indeed, Orange is still more powerful than T-mobile, with a network of about 17 million subscribers, compared to the 13 million subscribers of T-mobile (Meyer 2010). Moreover, Virgin mobile offers to its customers the potential to use the network of Orange, when being in areas where the Virgin mobile network is not available (Virgin Mobile 2011, Mandalia 2011). The firm that resulted from the merger, Everything Everywhere Limited has a key share in the UK mobile market, reaching ‘the 28 million

Reducing the Age of Drinking to 18 Years in the U.S Research Paper

Reducing the Age of Drinking to 18 Years in the U.S - Research Paper Example It also suggests that a small percentage of drinkers consumes most of the alcohol. This small percentage often consumes several drinks at once increasing the risk of serious health and safety problems. When compared to the data representing underage drinkers the following conclusions were made, the proportion of young drinkers who report heavy drinking is higher than for adults the image being 43 percent for adults and 50 percent for young drinkers (U.S. Department of justice 1,2). The reason behind federal law regulating the age for alcohol consumption was due to the rise in highway fatalities. The uniform drinking age act of 1984 threatened to withdraw highway funds from the state that failed to increase the minimum legal drinking age to 21. This law saved lives this was due to the decline in motor vehicle fatalities (Miron and Tetellbaum 10). Economically speaking in order to consider the minimum age of drinking an estimation of the loss in consumer surplus that results from reduc ing people’s alcohol consumption is put into consideration. It also requires the benefits to the drinker and to others from reducing alcohol related harms. Lowering of the drinking age in U.S. to 18 has been a primary effort for most activists the argument being 18 is the age agreed upon by most states. Again, 18 is the age of the majority for other activities such as voting military service serving on the jury. These facts make 18 a focal point when we compare U.S. to other countries who have set their age at 18 (Carpenter and Dobkin 135). The age set by U.S. is the highest in the world, majority of the rest of the world have the minimum age at 17 or 16 others have no minimum age. Many supporters of the minimum age argue that the human brain develops until the age of 21. However, many experts are keen on dismissing this point saying it would mean that only the U.S hold on to this idea. The current federal age as argued by most critics seemed to have reduced the total underag e consumption. However, they argue that underage persons who consumed alcohol are more likely to do so behind closed doors. The danger would be their overindulgence in alcohol consumption as soon as the get access to the stuff. Mitchell who is a supporter of the reducing of the minimum age to 18 argues that the reduction in highway fatalities is due to safer and better-built cars and the increased awareness of the dangers in drinking and driving. Mitchell points out that delaying of young adults exposure to alcohol is not a bright idea (310). Most college students support the idea of lowering the drinking age to 1. According to the daily sundial, some of the reports quoted illustrates that most young people found it ok for young people to enjoy themselves after a long week of studying and working. Others argued that 18 was the focal point age whereby things opened up it are the age that one acquired multiple obligations. Others argued from a health perspective saying, alcohol is hea lthy when consumed in moderation it reduces the risk of heart diseases to lowering the likelihood of gallstones. The argument is taken further by comparing other countries such as china France Italy and Spain whose minimum legal drinking age is 18. The youth in these countries are allowed to consume alcohol; however, they are taught to drink in moderation. The youth state that the current law is unreasonable and ineffective in that young people always have

Ludwig van Beethoven Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ludwig van Beethoven - Essay Example Beethovens hearing began to decrease when he was in his twenties. After some years, he became completely deaf. Despite this, Beethoven continued to play piano. Beethoven established his career in Vienna in 1792. Thereafter Beethoven composed many works of a wide range and maturity style. In Vienna his main guide was Joseph Haydan. He received immense financial support in this place and continued to stay there. Between 1798 and 1802, Beethoven composed 2 important pieces of music, the string quartet and the symphony. Thereafter, he composed many pieces of music which were published and earned him some decent income. During this time, Beethoven taught piano to many famous personalities. Beethovens health began to deteriorate since 1811. Due to physical and emotional problems he dropped out of composition in early 1813. Thereafter he suffered from several emotional, personal, physical and financial problems. In the end of 1813, Beethoven did do some composition which actually became a hit. But again, after that, he developed prolonged illness. The ninth symphony came out in 1817. Since 1825, Beethovens health worsened and he died in

Travel and Tourism Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Travel and Tourism - Coursework Example Among the cities that developed include; Bath, Buxton, Harrogate and Cheltenham. These cities were the most admired in the early 18th century (Cockrell and Trew, 2003, p. 25) Bath as a city was the representative city with a striking social and urban development of hot springs in England. Bath now had become famous and had developed from a small spa provincially to the most adorable place, outside London. The spa was famous for its healing powers. Bath became a valley of treasure to most people. People from different societies came to drink waters and enjoy the unique society, shop and even gamble (Billy, 1967, p. 45). While there was beneficial and healing properties of the waters of bathe. People did not mind about the modesty and decency depicted by the use of the waters. Individuals of both sexes male and female always bath by day and were naked. In the early 18th century, new private baths were built to cater for this situation. There was now a portion of the female and another one for males, and they no longer had to bath together. There was also the development of the National Health Service which was responsible in providing water treatments on prescription (oppapers, 2012, p.2) According to Chandra, (2009, p. 12) in 19th century seaside resorts had developed and had overtaken the most admired spots to visit. These resorts offered attractions that reflected the fitness obsessions and spiritual fulfillment of different individuals in the society. Most resorts had a theme running from religious virtues to retreats that were meditative. The seashore was also a relief to the invalid, but mostly it was used for recreational purposes. The earliest visitors could drink and not bathe in the water. Some small fishing resorts also developed in England as a result of those visitors who sunk themselves deeply into the sea water (Altman, 1945, p. 12). The sea side resorts became popular and gradually became the social meeting points. The number of

Development Of The New England Colonies - Colonial America Research Paper

Development Of The New England Colonies - Colonial America - Research Paper Example This third revolution was built on the fertile ground laid during the colonial period. Colonial economic development of the New England colonies, beginning in 1620, profoundly transformed the existing indigenous economy of gathering, hunting, fishing, and long fallow/polyculture farming (Merchant 1989). Europeans had already established a presence in the region for over a century as fur traders, essentially building upon the existing native economy. The trade did transform the economy by introducing new goods, new diseases, new religion, and intensifying the hunt for beaver and other small mammals. The New England colonists, however, introduced revolutionary change in the ecological and economic environment by introducing notions of private property, displacing the Native Americans, establishing farms and populous villages with a full rounded life, fully intending to make the land their new homes (unlike the transient fur trading posts largely made up of men), and engaging in several wars. However, the New England colonists were distinct not only from the Native Americans, but from the fur traders and their own countrymen to the South in the Chesapeake Bay colonies which, like the fur traders, were also largely skewed toward male settlement rather than families (cf. Merchant, 1989; Heyrman, 1991). The New England territories were rich in forests and fur trapping, with many harbors, but not in good farmland. Farms, accordingly, were small, mainly to provide food for individual families, with the inventories of most farmers showing five or six sheep and hogs, one or two horses, a few cattle, and several bushels of grain. The farmers were able to overcome the odds and create â€Å"comfortable abundance† for themselves (Merchant, 1989, p. 99). In whatever trade that existed, however, no particular cash crop, livestock, or commodity dominated. This caused the New England colonies to be perceived as less valuable to England, compared to Virginia or the West In dies (Newell, 1998). Much has been written about the settlers’ Puritan faith, their Calvinist work ethic, their moral discipline, their patriarchal nuclear family structure, and so forth, so that it has become part of the American foundation myth. By this foundation, it has been argued, New England avoided the kind of social disruption that unfettered commercial expansion and avarice had brought to plantation colonies in the Chesapeake and Caribbean (cf. Innes, 1995; Main, 2001). The New England economy during this period was relatively egalitarian, with each family being allotted an average of 150 acres. Spectacular wealth could not be created in these communities, which also meant that the economy did not produce the extreme inequalities found elsewhere (Heyrman, 1991). The Puritan settlers, however, lived on average nearly twice as long as Virginians and about ten years longer than men and women in England. New England also had relatively low rates of infant mortality. Whi le the people of Europe and the Chesapeake colonies barely reproduced themselves, the number of New Englanders doubled about every 27 years; a typical family raised seven or eight children to maturity (Bremer, 1995). While some products of the inland towns such as potash made market journeys profitable and others such as cattle could be driven to market, most products were too heavy and bulky

Marlboro Cigarettes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marlboro Cigarettes - Research Paper Example Since the company was able to successfully establish a strong cigarette brand, a lot of cigarette smokers are patronizing the brand regardless of gender, race, social status, and nationality (Philip Morris USA, 2012). Despite the serious economic slow growth in the United States, smokers continue to purchase Marlboro cigarettes in exchange for a premium price (Waldemer, 2012). In line with this, this particular market research study will focus on determining the significance of having a strong brand with the continuous patronage of its customers to the brand. Purpose of the Research Study Conducting a market research project is a significant part of a successful marketing study (Caporella, 2012; Hamel, 2012). For this reason, this research study will purposely design a research survey questionnaire that uses open-ended, closed-ended, scaled responses (i.e. nominal scales, ordinal scales, interval scales, and ratio scales) that will enable the researcher gather primary research data t hat could help us determine the significance of having a strong brand on the continuous patronage of PM USA on Marlboro brand. After executing a real-life marketing research study, the student is expected to make use of unlimited charts, graphs, and tables when presenting the research survey results. Problem Statement This study will attempt to identify different variables and/or other marketing dimensions that contribute to the

Airports and ground handling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Airports and ground handling - Essay Example te a close collaboration between the top management of air transportation system including airline managers, handling agents, government agencies, as well as specialist agencies and the airport operators. The airport operators vary significantly in relation to the ownership, management structure, funding and degree of autonomy, thus making the manner with which one airport is managed to be significantly different from the other. Nevertheless, each airport operator is faced with challenging tasks of coordinating all services to enable the efficient functionality of the airport system. Each airport operator has a unique responsibility, but all assume the overall responsibility for control and coordination of the operations of the airport. In an attempt to understand the nature of work of the airport operations and the management system of the airports, this paper will analyze some of the future challenges operators are faced with, as well as analyze some of the consequences of these challenges. The paper will also provide an analysis of some of the mitigation measures that can be employed by the airport operators in the event of the potential future challenges. Airport operators are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of passengers and freight through the development of a safe airport environment. However, in some instances, there have been reported incidences when terrorist have managed to evade the security checks and measures in some of the modern and technologically sophisticated airports and managed to spill terror to the airline passengers and crew. An example of the June 8th 2014 terrorist attack on Jinnah international airport, Pakistan, resulting to the death of 36 people is an indication of the sophistication of terrorist attack on airports. Current terrorist attacks on airports are indications that terrorism in the 21st century has revolutionized and points to the development of more sophisticated methods that could be used by

Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Policy - Assignment Example The consideration was mainly for the couple that needed child and the child’s welfare was never the main issue. This has since changed and today and therefore during an adoption process the main issue that must be addressed is the welfare of the child. Despite there being corruption here and there that may hinder the due process of adoption to unwind, the environment of today tries to make adoption to be able to focus on how comfortable the child is going be during after he has been placed in the hands of adoptive parents (VanderMolen, 2005).. In this regard, unlike in the early years when the adoption of a child was almost like accounting the child to the highest bidder, what matters today is that the family or individual willing to adopt a child has to show that they will be able to provide the child with a viable environment in which to grow. They must show that they are not only financially capable to provide for the child but that they are also emotionally stable to give the child the emotional needs he or she requires in order to develop well from childhood to adulthood. This has also meant that the process of adoption is a long one and it is not a one day process. Anyone willing to adopt a child today must be willing to take a lengthy process that will finally determine if they are qualified. I also learn that adoption has also changed in other ways. For instance, during the inception of adoption, adoption was mainly for couples who did not have the biological ability to have their own children. Today, even a single individual can adopt a child and so they do not have to be a married couple. Even untraditional couples such as in gay marriages can adopt a child, but that depends on the state from which they come because some states do not allow gay marriages and so this would be a precedence to determine if the state will allow them to adopt a

Tax Treatments for Individual Returns Essay Example for Free

Tax Treatments for Individual Returns Essay A. Recommended Tax Filing Status The tax filing status that I would recommend is Married Filing Joint. The reason for this is that the IRS has various tax breaks for married persons that file together that are unavailable if you file married filing separate. It also affect the tax rate, they will pay a lower rate of taxes if they file together than they would if they filed separately. A2a. Taxable and Non-Taxable Income Taxable Income for the couple would include the following items: Spouse A’s income from the partnership, Spouse A’s income from the part time job, Spouse B’s income from the electronics firm, and the dividends that were received by Spouse A from Company E. Their Non-Taxable Income items would be: The child support that spouse B receives (child support is nontaxable because it was taxed as income on the parent that is paying it), the interest received on Municipal Bonds (municipal bonds are tax exempt), and the income on the sale of their personal residence is tax exempt because it was their primary residence and they lived there for the required amount of time for the exemption of 500,000 (since they are joint filers). A2b. Capital Gains and Losses The couple has 5,000 in short term capital losses from the day trading while spouse B was unemployed. These losses can be netted against any capital gains that may exist. For example if the sale of the rental property resulted in a long term capital gain, however the rental property is a passive activity so the short term loss can only be claimed for 3,000 and the remaining amount would be carried forward. A2c. Profit or Losses from Sale of Property The profit from sale of the couple’s personal residence would not be taxed. Their personal residence was lived in for at least 2 of the last 5 years and  was under the cut off of the exemption of 500,000 after their adjusted basis calculation was deducted from their sale price. The profit from the sale of the rental property would be taxed as mention in the paragraph above. Depending on how the adjusted basis came out it would either be an ordinary loss or a capital gain. A2d. Partnership Income and Losses Spouse A received a K-1 reporting the share of the partnership income as 142,000. This amount will be reported by the couple on their schedule 1040 as income. The cash withdrawal of 83,500 would most likely not be considered a gain (the determining factor for this is whether or not the amount of Spouse A’s interest in the partnership is higher or lower than the withdrawal amount.) A2e. / A3. Passive Activity Gains and Losses The couple has passive activity from the rental properties that they own but are managed by a local realty company, which means they are not actively participating. Their gross rents are 23,000 and their expenses/depreciation total 29,200. The result of this activity is a passive loss of $6,200.00 The couple also has the gain on the sale of the rental property that could be passive because again it is from their rental properties that they do not actively participate in. The maximum amount of loss they could claim from rental properties is 25,000 per the IRS regulations. A4. Adjustments to Income (on the 1040 form this area is called Adjusted Gross Income) There are multiple adjustments and deductions available to the couple in the 1040 AGI section. The alimony that Spouse A pays can be listed in this section as an adjustment, this will lower their income. Because alimony paid is a deduction to the payer. Alternatively the child support amount that they have listed will not affect anything; you do not need to include it in your income so it is not an adjustment to income. Spouse A’s health  insurance would qualify them for a self-employed health insurance deduction. The contributions to Spouse A’s Keogh plan are also an adjustment to income, this is because they can be deducted in the year they are contributed so that the contributions to the plan are â€Å"tax free†. However, I am unsure about the calculation of maximum because the IRS states that: â€Å"Retirement plans for self-employed people were formerly referred to as â€Å"Keogh plans† after the law that first allowed unincorporated businesses to sponsor retirement plans. Since the law no longer distinguishes between corporate and other plan sponsors, the term is seldom used.† (Retirement Plans for Self-Employed People, 2014) The moving expenses are not an adjustment to Income, the reason for this is that on form 3903 there is a distance test worksheet, when the calculation is done it shows the move was not a difference of 50 or more miles since the move was 52 miles minus the distance to her previous job of 3 miles it is only 49. This does not qualify them to deduct their expenses. A5. Deductions The itemized deductions that the couple would be allowed to take are a deduction for their medical expenses in the amount of expenses that exceeds 10% of their Adjusted Gross Income (line 38 on 1040). So they would take their 10% of their AGI and subtract that number from their total medical expenses and the remaining amount is the available deduction. I don’t believe this would result in much of a deduction if any in their situation. The 6,000 in charitable contributions would be an itemized deduction. However, the 2,600 in business suits is not a valid deduction because you can wear a business suit as everyday clothing. If the clothing were a uniform or something more specifically required by the job that she would not be able to wear in place of her everyday clothes then the amount would be deductible. Due to these calculations, I would recommend to the couple that they take the standard deduction of 12,200 because I believe this would be higher than  their total for itemized deductions. A6. Tax credits Because the couple has a dependent that is in college and living at home they may be eligible to take the American opportunity credit or the lifetime learning credit these credits are available to someone that pays college expenses for themselves or a dependent. They cannot take both however, only one education credit is allowed per year so they would want to calculate which is more beneficial. The couple has dependent children, so they might also be able to take a child tax credit of up to 1,000 per child however, their adjusted gross income may be too high which would phase the credit out to 0. Without doing all of the calculations I am not certain as to whether or not they would actually get this credit. It is also possible that they would qualify for a savers credit which is based upon contributions to a qualifying retirement plan, but again I am not sure if they would end up being over the adjusted gross income limit to receive this credit. References Partners Instructions for Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) (2013 ). (n.d.). Partners Instructions for Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) (2013 ). Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1065sk1/ch02.html Publication 523 (2013), Selling Your Home. (n.d.). Publication 523 (2013), Selling Your Home. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/publications/p523/ar02.html Publication 544 (2013), Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets. (n.d.). Publication 544 (2013), Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/publications/p544/index.html Ten Facts about Capital Gains and Losses. (n.d.). Ten Facts about Capital Gains and Losses. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Ten-Facts-about-Capital-Gains-and-Losses1 1040 Central. (n.d.). 1040 Central. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/1040-Central Retirement Plans for Self-Employed People. (n.d.). Retirement Plans for Self-Employed People. Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Retirement-Plans-for-Self-Employed-People

Analysing An Experience To Develop Current Knowledge Nursing Essay

Analysing An Experience To Develop Current Knowledge Nursing Essay Reflection In this reflective account I will relate to a significant event, demonstrating how I have developed personally and professionally, focusing on the implementation of care and support. Rodgers (2002) suggests from Dewey (1933) that reflection is the process of reconstruction and reorganisation of experience which adds to the meaning of experience. Therefore analysing an experience, to develop your current knowledge, by reviewing your actions and assessing the experience to develop your own personal and professional skills in future practice. Hamill (1999) recommends writing reflection in first person using Driscolls model of reflection (Driscoll 2000). The situation I have chosen to reflect on is an interaction with a patient who had been given a terminal diagnosis and had been informed the prognosis was limited. I have chosen to reflect on this account as it involved difficult communication which made me question my competency as a student and prior to the event I thought I would not be prepared to deal with it. (See Appendix) As I had previously interacted with the patient on her admission, I have already communicated and developed a relationship with her. Groogan (1999) states that communication creates a relationship, with communication providing a holistic approach to caring for the individual to meet their psychological, social, spiritual and physical needs. I was therefore able to recognise that something was wrong and identified that she wanted somebody to talk to. Forrest (1989) identified core elements of nursing as picking up on cues and the importance of being there. Jarrett and Payne (1995) reviewed literature on nurse-patient communication and concluded that there is a need for nurses to make an assessment of each individual situation, so that they are aware of whether the patient desires the information. Relating to the assessment I made of the situation I was aware the patient wanted to talk and realised that she was not asking for information but wanted someone to talk to. During the event I felt anxious and nervous about how to react and communicate with the patient as I had never been in that situation before. Buckman (1998) identified health care professionals experience fear of the untaught and fear of saying I dont know, the experience of showing emotions was also identified and throughout the situation I felt empathy towards her. Empathy is defined as the mental capacity to appreciate another persons feeling without joining them, understanding patients experiences. (Hojat et al 2001). Sieh et al (1994) states that special emphasis is placed on listening and empathy skills in the training of nurses. However, in the situation I questioned my competencies within my communication skills as I thought I was unequipped within my training to provide the care and support the patient required. On reflection, I identified that I worked within my role and limitations as a student to assess the situation and act as appropriate. Reflecting on the situation I have identified that non-verbal communication played a large part of the experience. Non-verbal communication includes the use of eye contact, flexibility of facial expressions, the use of gestures, use of touch, pausing to allow a response timing and body posture (Purnell 2000). This definition relates to the situation as I was sat at her bedside when she began to cry, and then she said to me I am dying arent I? She put her hand out and I just comforted her by holding her hand. The expression and discussion of feelings of loss and grief can be very difficult for patients with incurable disease and their families (Clements- Cortes 2004) When she asked me the question I am dying arent I? my first thoughts were to ask a Staff Nurse to come and speak to her, but I felt as if she had chosen me to talk to and that I couldnt have walked away to get someone. Although I didnt answer her question, I felt as though I was supporting her by being with her and as I knew she understood her prognosis and felt that the question didnt need an answer. On reflection, the event directly impacted on the patient, me and my role as a student and my mentor. I feel that the patient was able to express her feeling and emotions and I was able to provide care and support within my role. I identified that I assessed the situation and made decisions to provide the best possible care and support for the patient at the time. The situation made me question my ability however it developed my communication skills which are transferable to all aspects of nursing. To enable me to reflect on the situation I used literature as part of the reflective process to read around communicating in palliative care, the nurse-patient relationship to continuing development and promote learning as Glaze (2001) reports the use of literature is used as part of reflection to promote learning by reading around the topic. Following the event, I informed my mentor what had happened and she said she was aware of the situation and felt that I had dealt with it very well. We reflected on the event and I felt as though at the time somebody could have came to make sure the situation was ok but following the discussion my mentor was aware of the situation and that she would have intervened if necessary. Following the discussion I felt supported by my mentor, although the event was emotional and sensitive I feel it was a positive learning experience. Benner (1984) describes stages of practice from novice to expert, at this stage in my training, I am working towards an advanced beginner, although I recognise this in this situation I had no experience of communicating in difficult situations and for that reason I felt like a novice. For this reason I feel as though my mentor could have identified my weakness in this area and at the time and acted sooner. The role of the mentor is to assess and support the student in practice (NMC 2008) on this occasion I felt my mentor fulfilled their role after the discussion following the event, however during the event I felt it was just me and the patient, and I acted within my role. In conclusion, I have recognised the importance of the nurse-patient relationship and feel the experience at the time and reflecting on the experience has had a positive impact on my personal and professional development. Understanding that within the role of a nurse, communication is not only about information provision but about adapting your own skill to assess situations and act appropriately. In relation to implementation of care and support this experience highlights the nurse role to provide emotional support to continue to communicate effectively.

Sustainability Benefits of Urban Density

Sustainability Benefits of Urban Density Shreysha Shreysha (Student ID- 4561552) Project Charter The Vision for Melbourne 2026 Project title: Capture the sustainability benefits of urban density Project description Designing more energy efficient cities is a praiseworthy goal in order to obtain sustainable development. Melbourne is developing as a compact densely populated place to live, learn and work. It has one of the largest urban foot prints and a trend of increasing population in CBD due to job opportunities and facilities that holds number of benefits that can help create a sustainable city moving one step further towards better future. The idea of the project is to utilize the forces generated by urban population into the electrical energy that can be brought into use for different purposes. Purpose and justification The main purpose is to take a full benefit of daily activities of Melbournians and channeling these forces into production of electricity. Utilization of increasing urban density to reduce energy consumption will lead Melbourne towards sustainable future. Melbournes CBD is set to become the largest business center with increasing number of people traveling daily towards the city for jobs. There are many sustainable techniques that contributes in lowering the energy consumption. So, use of floor tiles that convert the kinetic force from a footstep to light up the city is one of them. Installation of such tiles in the main city core where attraction of crowd is more likely can be beneficial. Same ideas can be incorporated in the playgrounds and park where children play. West free gateway is the busiest urban freeway in Melbourne where around 200,000 vehicles passes each day. Installation of specially designed slabs with energy capture device under West gate bridge that converts the vehicle force into electricity to light up the road will reduce dependency on the electrical grids. Melbourne has a booming economy and population that loves being physically fit. The trend and need of leading a healthy life style influenced huge numbers of Melbournians to join fitness center. So, it is of no surprise that there are numbers of gymnasium in Melbourne. Even though the conversion of moving wheels of exercise bikes to energy couldnt be justified in the past due to its high costing. Mass production of such motors and increase in demand may result in the price reduction and may change the scenario in a coming decade. Objective Laying the ground work for creating Melbourne citys sustainable energy future Implementing daily activities to convert kinetic force into electricity To reduce the load of electricity on distribution companies To feed the grids with electrical system rather than depending on it Reduction of energy bill To encourage the mass production of energy capturing devices making it affordable for the consumers. Success Criteria Prioritizing sustainability goals towards area where you can make the most meaningful impact and generate the biggest results. .The accumulated electrical energy can be used to power the services within the same building, area or routed to a new location. Cost effectiveness of the energy capturing devices Switching to energy efficient lighting levels in accordance with your production schedule will reduce long term electrical costs. Highlighting project initiatives to the public will help to attract a whole base of customers, resulting in increase in sales. Innovation of new technology that holds benefits for the community Assumptions and Constraints Assumption: Installation costs are high but considering the long run benefit the project becomes feasible. Reduction on the price of devices will attract more eyes towards this technique resulting in the success of the project Similar techniques to be adopted for other activities in future. Constraints: If the installation cost for the motor/generator (energy capturing devices) that is used in the exercise bike doesnt descend, energy output from this technology will have to wait a decade to recover the money that has been invested. Initiation of the project is possible only if the sponsors agree to invest. Lack of support from the community High level Project description A sustainable solution has always been a topic of interest and has been given priority because of its positive and healthy results. Therefore, proper study and justification of the project is to be submitted in order to collect funds form the sponsors (Victorian Government, private organizations) High level risks Energy output from the motor(devices) will have to wait a decade to regain the money invested on this technology if the installation cost for motors/generators in the exercise bikes doesnt descends. Will have to face a huge loss if the people does not support the idea of this technique. Summary milestone A greener city that lights up with the energy created by its urban residents. Over a decade or so, we might dream of a city that feeds the grid rather than depending on it leading the city to better and brighter future. Deliverables The main deliverables of this project are the installation of motors and generator of electricity which gets charged by the human and vehicular force in the area with maximum occupancy of people and vehicles. The main target area for this project would be the main CBD of Melbourne, Playgrounds, West gate bridge and fitness centers in Melbourne. Summary budget Sustainability fund distribution by the Victorian government can be one of the option for collecting budget for the project. The government is investing funds in sustainability projects to improve resource efficiency in Victorian community. So, this would be the opportunity to introduce strategic initiatives to receive investment through funds distributed by the government. Stakeholder list Electricity distribution companies Government of Victoria Residents of Melbourne Fitness centers Department of transport and main roads (Victoria) West gate freeway West gate bridge Sponsors Approval requirements Approval from the Victorian government Approval from the sponsors To be further investigated PM authority on staffing, technical, decision, conflict, resolution, budget management To be investigated Sponsor Victorian government Private organizations To be further investigated

God And The Problem Of Evil Essay -- Religion Evil God religious Essay

God And The Problem Of Evil Everyday it is possible to read a newspaper, or turn on TV or radio news and learn about evil going on in our world. Banks are robbed, cars are stolen, violent murders and rapes are committed. Somewhere in the world the aftershock of an earthquake is being felt. Cancer is killing millions of people each year, while other debilitating conditions continue to affect many with no cure to end their suffering. President Bush said that our country is fighting a war against evil. We all agree that evil is real and cannot be ignored; the problem comes when we try and rationalize the concept of God and evil coexisting. Two types of evil exist in our world today. Natural evil occurs when earthquakes, hurricanes, and storms occur causing devastation in the world. Moral evil occurs when a person makes a choice as to how he will act in a certain situation. Everyday moral decisions are made. People decide whether to steal, give in to anger and harm another, falsify information, and behave in a way unacceptable to society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The problem of evil is this; If God is loving, then he would want to end evil; and if he is all-powerful he would be able to do just that. Since evil exists, how can God be both omnipotent and loving? The Christian Science answer to this question is that evil is an illusion of the human mind. The Judaic/Christian faiths do not hold to this theory. The Bible is full of descriptions of good and evil in human life. Evil is pictured as dark and ugly. The ultimate example of evil for the Christian is the crucifixion of Jesus, a violent rejection of God’s Messiah. St. Augustine’s view is that the universe is good, (a creation of a good God and meant for a good purpose). He does not hold to the belief that matter is evil. He believes that there are higher, and lower, greater, and lesser goods in abundance and variety. â€Å"Everything is good in its own way, except that it may have become spoiled or corrupted.† Whether the evil is an instance of pain, or some disorder in nature, it is the distortion of something intrinsically valuable. Since evil is negative, logic would reason that it was not willed or created by God. Why does an all-powerful God allow suffering and pain? What about moral evil? Why was a world created in which such things exist? One defense for evil is the free-will defense. This says that peop... ...il depends on his definition of God and the word good. Most people think good means the best possible outcome, the absence of pain or problem, pleasure and happiness. Loosing is not good to us, even if loosing might help to develop good sportsmanship or a good work ethic. We do not consider being in need good, though it may help us to appreciate the times when we had plenty. A debilitating disease or handicap is not good, though any life has positive moments, and joy can be found if it is looked for. Our negative responses to all these things helps to create their outcome. How sad it would be if God has simply created a world devoid of any problems with people who never need struggle with making the right decision. Whether it is called â€Å"soul making† or character development the world is enriched by qualities such as love, compassion, generosity, and mercy. No definite answer can be reached as to why evil exists, but philosophy helps us to examine our own beliefs and consider why it is we think as we do. Sources: Augustine, St. Augustine’s Confessions VII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hick, John. Philosophy of Religion 2nd Edition. Mackie, J. L. â€Å"Evil and Omnipotence† Mind. April 1955.

Transformation: Randle McMurphy & Patients Essay -- Essays Papers

Transformation: Randle McMurphy & Patients He waltzed into the ward and introduced himself to every patient as a gambling man with a zest for women and cards. Randle P. McMurphy, a swaggering, gambling, boisterous redheaded con man, arrived at the ward from the Pendleton Work Farm. He was sentenced to six months at the prison work farm, but pretended to be insane in order to obtain a transfer to the hospital because he thought it would be more comfortable than the work farm. Bromden senses that there was something different about this new patient. After his first experience with the excruciating routine of the Group Meeting, McMurphy tells the patients that Nurse Ratchet is a genuine â€Å"ball-cutter.† The other patients tell him that there is no defying Nurse Ratched because, in their eyes, she is an all-powerful force. True to his nature as a gambling man, McMurphy makes a bet with the other patients that he can make Ratched lose her temper. At first, the confrontation between Ratched and McMurphy provides some humorous entertainment for the other patients. However, McMurphy’s confrontation soon becomes their confrontation as he draws them into the conflict by encouraging their rebellion. The success of his bet hinges on a failed vote to change the television schedule so they can watch the World Series. The Series was on television during the time allotted for cleaning chores. McMurphy and the other patients staged a protest by sitting in front of the blank television in...

Stop Smoking Right Now

Diamanta Stop Smoking Right Now Do you know every 10 seconds someone dies from smoking related diseases? There are many people who have smoking habit nowadays, and the age of first time smokers is getting lower in Taiwan. People start smoking for many different reasons, some think smoking lets them feel relaxed, some think smoking looks cool, and others may just want to try. However, when people start smoking, it will be hard to stop because cigarette contains tobacco which makes them become addicted.These smokers enjoy smoking every day, but they seem to not know that smoking causes so many problems which not only concern themselves, but also other non-smokers. In my opinion, people should give up smoking right now because smoking affects their interpersonal relationship, does harm to human health, and brings secondhand smoke. For one thing, smoking concerns smokers’ interpersonal relationship. When people are smoking, most non-smokers dislike the smell of cigarette. In fact, this irritant smell will cling to smokers for a long time, including their hair, body, and clothes.Moreover, smokers’ breath always reeks of cigarettes, and it is also hard to be removed. Actually, it is very impolite and offensive to talk with others with the stale cigarette smoke. On the other hand, smokers’ teeth will become yellow if they smoke too much. Expect the smell of cigarettes; unclean teeth also give others a bad impression. In short, smokers should try to be considerate to others’ feeling, especially when they are in public. Second, smoking influences on human health. Smoking can seriously damage human body, and it is considered to a health killer.Actually, the most serious problem is studies have confirmed that smoking causes various kinds of cancer, including cancers of nose, mouth, throat, and lung. The more cigarettes a person smoked each day, the more risk of cancer increases. However, heart disease also relative to smoking. Heart disease is the leading cause of death today, and there are a large number of people who die from heart problems because they smoke heavily. Another bad effect of smoking is aging of the skin. Smoking consumes Vitamin A in the skin and cause wrinkles, especially around the lips and the eyes.On the other hand, pregnant women also should not smoke. A pregnant woman who has smoking habit also influences on the  unborn baby, and it may cause her baby born too early or with low birth weight. To sum up, smoking really causes a variety of bad effects on human body. Finally, smoking makes secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is also called environmental tobacco smoke. In fact, Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette and the smoke exhaled out by the smoker. When people stand near a smoker, they breathe secondhand smoke. However, many people still do not realize the dangers of secondhand smoke.Actually, secondhand smoke also affects non-smokers, and it is very harmful to human body. Secondhand smoke has more than 50 chemicals that cause lung and breathing problems, including coughing, hard to breathe, moreover, it is possible that it causes lung cancer even people do not smoke. In addition, according to the researches, secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease by 15 to 20 percent. In Taiwan, secondhand smoke cause about 20,000 of the deaths of heart disease each year. As a result, everyone should keep away from smokers because secondhand smoke is dangerous.In conclusion, smoking is against social politeness, causes damage to both smokers’ and non-smokers’ health, and makes terrible secondhand smoke. Smoking really does not bring any benefit, so people should not smoke or buy cigarettes anymore. I think smokers must realize that not just their health will be affected; everyone around them is also influenced by their bad habit. For staying in good physical condition, smokers should consider to take steps towards quitting s moking from now. Staying smoke free let people keep healthy, get more energy, and live a better life.

Measuring Sulphur Dioxide Levels Across London Environmental Sciences Essay

The issue of urban air quality has been a major concern all over the universe. This is because air quality and pollution have been recognised globally as pressing environmental issues ( Krivoruchko, 1999 ) . Since the London smog of 1952 that led to decease of more than 4000 people, the Governments of United Kingdom both at the national and local degrees have been doing conjunct attempts to better air quality by commanding emanations of pollutants into the ambiance through statute laws and other steps. This survey aims to measure the recent sulfur dioxide ( SO2 ) emanations from 38 monitoring sites across London. The appraisal will no doubt supply more penetrations that will policy shapers in inventing schemes that will assist in commanding the emanation of pollutants into the ambiance. 1. 1 Sulphur Dioxide ( SO2 ) Emissions in UK Sulphur dioxide is one of the eight chief air pollutants in the UK ‘s Air Quality Strategy. It is produced by firing coal and oil. â€Å" Sulphur dioxide ( SO2 ) is a colourless, non-flammable gas with a perforating odour that irritates the oculus. It reacts on the surface of a assortment of airborne solid atoms, is soluble in H2O and can be oxidised within airborne H2O droplets † ( Encyclopaedia of Atmospheric Environment, 2000 ) . SO2 emanations are chiefly from power Stationss, oil refineries and big industrial workss. The chart below shows 1998 SO2 emanation beginnings in UK. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Figures/UK_SO2.jpg Adapted from ( Encyclopaedia of Atmospheric Environment, 2000 ) 2.0 Datas: The information for this analysis comprise of SO2 monitored degrees recorded in parts per billion ( ppb ) between January 2008 to September 2009 and their monitored sites across London. The informations were obtained from the London Air Quality Network ( LAQN ) . The datasets were examined in Excel Worksheet, look intoing the columns and rows by oculus. After careful scrutiny of the informations, the undermentioned issues were identified in the information. Some SO2 measurings were recorded with negative values. Basically, in a monitoring site there could be either a positive reading or no reading recorded at all. Therefore, all the negative values were assigned positive values Site TK3 was non shown as one of the SO2 monitored sites during the monitoring period under consideration but was populated with some readings in the value Fieldss. This could be a error during the procedure of recording of the data.To avoid any colored analysis, TK3 was removed in the value field. Brent 2 ( BT2 ) has merely reading on 31/8/2009 but no readings from 01/01/2008 – 30/8/2009. Croydon 4 ( CR4 ) merely has merely reading on 31/8/2009 but no SO2 readings from 01/01/2008 – 30/8/2009. Teddington ( TDO ) no SO2 readings from 01/01/2008 – 30/8/2009. Probe of the information reveals hapless informations recordings in LAQN database. It is good that to hold records of air pollutants emanations but much more has to be done on the issue of informations quality given to the populace. Recording of informations such as this should be automated. After scrutiny of the informations and necessary redacting done, a map demoing SO2 measured values for each monitoring site was created in the Arc Map utilizing London Wards as a background. so.jpg The map above shows the cumulative sulfur dioxide concentration degrees in assorted sites in London. There were high concentrations of SO2 in locations like Lambeth 1, Lambeth 3, Lambeth 4, Greenwich, Berkley, Newham 2, Thurrock 1, Crystal Palace, Lewisham 1 etc, while there somewhat low SO2 concentration in locations like Tower Hamlet 1 and Westminster. Castle Point, Thurrock 1, Sevenoaks background and Elmbridge are non within the London wards. The histogram chart of the concentration map is shown below. Histogram of relative symb.jpg Since some concentrations of SO2 are clustered, it is possible to find hot and cold pots in the information by looking for bunchs of sites with high values and bunchs of sites with low values. With the informations available, it is besides possible to make SO2 one-year norm maps ( for 2008 and 2009 ) . Monthly upper limit of SO2 values for each site can besides be mapped. 3.0 Modeling Approach: Laqn.dbf and Location.dbf informations provide merely information on SO2 emanation values at monitored locations across London. These informations entirely are unequal to foretell SO2 degrees across London. Dispersion Models can be used to see the spacial distribution of SO2 concentrations and so do estimations of SO2 degrees at unsampled sites. However, Dispersion theoretical account will necessitate informations like SO2 emanation beginnings and local meteoric information such as air current velocity, wind way etc. , which are non available. An option here is to utilize Interpolation methods which will utilize SO2 monitored informations, and effort to gauge concentrations at unsampled locations by suiting surfaces through the monitored information points ( APMoSPHERE Project, 1998 ) . â€Å" Interpolation is described as process of foretelling the value of property at unsampled site from measurings made at location within the same country or part. Interpolation is necessary when t he land truth informations do non cover the sphere of involvement wholly † ( Othman 2009 ) . There are two types of insertion ; Deterministic and Geostatistical insertions. 3.1 Methodology Simple Kriging – geostatistical insertion theoretical account was used here. â€Å" Kriging operates by gauging different constituents of fluctuation, and utilizing the ensuing theoretical accounts to gauge conditions at unsampled locations † ( APMoSPHERE Project ) . Three types of Kriging are widely used in geostatistical analysis are ; Ordinary and simple kriging which histories for merely local-scale fluctuation in the variable of involvement ; cosmopolitan kriging takes history of long-range fluctuation or impetus as instance may be and co-kriging employs extra information on exogenic variables, covariates to assist in foretelling local fluctuations. ( APMoSPHERE Project ) . Simple Kriging in Geostatistical Analyst of ArcGIS was explored here. The theoretical account is Gaussian based. SO2 degrees ( Value property ) Simple Kriging – Semivariogram Prediction Map – Gaussian Contour Surface Using ArcGIS, a semi-variogram theoretical account was foremost created to cognize how spacial dependant the information. Semi-variogram Graph – Simple Kriging The graph of semi-variogram below shows that the information has weak spacial dependance which means that it will be hard to do anticipations where SO2 emanations are non monitored. In cross proof nosologies graph, about all the points are spread along the horizontal line ( the measured or observed line ) which makes anticipations hard here. There are besides broad spread in the mean difference between the measured and predicted values. The sum-up of anticipation mistakes is presented in the tabular array below: Summary tabular array of Simple Kriging – Prediction Mean 0.017 Root-Mean-Square 0.5337 Average Standard Mistake 0.5625 Mean Standardized 0.02743 Root-Mean-Square Standardized 0.9501 Arrested development map – 0.034*x + 1.263. The average tends towards normalcy and RMSE about approaches one. Finally, the anticipation end product map is produced. contour.jpg 3.2 Consequences and Discussion: Simple kriging geostatistical tool was merely explored here. No anticipations were made due to insufficiency of the information available. The information provide merely information on SO2 emanation values at monitored locations across London. It did non state the relationships between the SO2 emanations and other variables emanation beginnings etc. 4.0 Analysing Exposure and Health Impacts of SO2 and other Air Pollutants across London There has been a turning concern about the impact of SO2 and other air pollutants on person ‘s wellness. Many surveies have suggested that people enduring from asthma and other respiratory diseases may be peculiarly susceptible to the inauspicious effects of sulfur dioxide. SO2 pollution is considered more harmful when particulate and other pollution concentrations are high. In this appraisal, an effort was made to gauge the possible persons ‘ exposures to SO2 pollution utilizing the datasets available. Valuess from simple kriging predicted surface map were extracted utilizing Zonal Statisticss in Spatial Analyst tools of ArcGIS. Mean was used as chart statistics. The end product file was so joined with London Wards attribute information.The Sum_Bad Health field was normalised with Kriging Mean utilizing Symbology builder. krigig surf.jpg Heallth hazard map.jpg The map above shows the likely figure of people in the London Wards to be affected by the SO2 pollution. 4.1 Discussions: Ideally, informations demoing hospital admittances on respiratory and other health-related diseases would be required to gauge the likely figure of people to be affected. it with SO2 degrees informations and attribute information in the London Ward. 5.0 Restrictions Data Issues: To a big extent, truth of any geospatial analysis depends upon the quality of the informations being used. There were some many issues observed in the information for this appraisal. Examination of the information showed hapless recording of the informations in the LAQN database. The attribute information on the information was non plenty for any complete appraisal. Laqn. information contains merely SO2 values recorded in parts per billion. It did non state us the relationship between these values and other variable of involvements. London Air Quality Network may see it utile to automatize the whole procedure of their informations recording as this will to some extent guard against human mistakes. Issues on the adopted modeling attack As with every theoretical account there are many restrictions associated***** Kriging geostatistical tool was used for the insertion. It provides a good interpolator for thin informations like SO2 degrees. Simple Kriging uses a semivariogram, a step of spacial correlativity between two points, so the weights change harmonizing to the spacial agreement of the samples. â€Å" It provides a step of the mistake or uncertainness ( of the estimated surface † ( Othman 2009 ) . Kriging restrictions – Mistake appraisal depends on variograms and distribution of information points and size of interpolated blocks. Kriging requires attention when patterning spacial correlativity construction. It,

Dialectic Behavior Therapy Paper Essay

This paper will review the article: â€Å"Mechanisms of change in dialectical behavior therapy: Theoretical and empirical observations.† This paper will summarize the theoretical and empirical observations that indicate why DBT is successful in treating clients with borderline personality disorder. This paper will discuss the specific aspects of how dialectical behavior therapy is used. Dialectical behavior therapy is the recommended treatment for clients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder based on several evidence based successful studies. These studies found that dialectical behavior therapy has reduced client depression and harmful behavior by combining acceptance and change techniques. There therapist looks to transform a clients behavior by supplying the client with a hypothesis for their problem. Clients with dialectical behavior therapy in a sense learned poor coping techniques in response to not knowing how to regulate their emotions. It is a goal of dialectical behavior therapy to reduce the client’s emotional dysregulation by helping the client learn how to control their emotions and changing their behaviors (Lynch & Chapman, 2006). The philosophy behind dialectical behavior therapy is that you must look at the whole client system to figure out the client’s reality because each part of the client’s system is interrelated. Each aspect of a client’s life can affect their emotions and behaviors. Dialectical behavior therapy is based on a biosocial theory that looks at the client’s childhood environment that could have led them to be emotional susceptible as a child causing emotional dysregulation as an adult. A client’s inner personality as a child of being emotionally sensitive was refuted by adults in their life through punishing the child in forms of abusive behaviors. Growing up these clients’ are in a feedback loop cause there emotional dysregulation to continue (Lynch & Chapman, 2006). It is important for the therapist to create an environment where the client’s feelings are validated. Therapists help clients be mindful of their current emotions without trying to change it. Clients learn to be mindful of their beliefs, their logic and what emotions are real to them in that present moment. During treatment the therapist helps the client learn to communicate what is truly experienced by the client and for the client to be conscious aware of wh at to do. The client learns that they have control over how they process the situation. The client then applies rational thoughts and emotional regulation to the situation to achieve a sense of harmony. The client then learns not to resort to previous feedback loops. The client is encouraged to experience and accept their emotion fully without any attempts to regulate it. Clients therefore learn to stop the pattern of trying to control their affect (Lynch & Chapman, 2006). Being mindful can stop feedback loops and change how a client responds to an emotional situation. Therapists help clients identify and challenge their belief systems that focuses on a rule where people must behave a certain way when faced with certain event. Clients are taught in dialectic behavioral therapy to focus their attention on what is happening instead of how the situation makes them feel. It is important for therapist to validate clients’ feelings and efforts towards change. Validation allows client to increase their self-confidence in their ability to self-regulate. This unconditional positive regard by the therapist helps clients learn how their history has affected their current behavior through emotional dysregulation and why dysfunctional behavior patterns are preventing them from having healthy relationships. The therapist then trains the client in healthy relationship skills and reinforces the clients’ use of the new skills (Lynch & Chapman, 2006). This paper reviewed the article: â€Å"Mechanisms of change in dialectical behavior therapy: Theoretical and empirical observations.† This paper summarized the theoretical and empirical observations that indicate why DBT is successful in treating clients with borderline personality disorder. This paper discussed the specific aspects of how dialectical behavior therapy is used. References Lynch, T., Chapman, A. et al (2006). Mechanisms of change in dialectical behavior therapy: Theoretical and empirical observations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(4), 459-480. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=19901233&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Night World : Huntress Chapter 15

Jez recognized them immediately-not the individuals, but the type. They were ‘wolves, and they were thugs. Somebody's hired muscle. She didn't have her stick, but she didn't need it. She could feel a dangerous smile come to her lips; part anticipation and part sheer fury. Suddenly she wasn't tired, wasn't sore, wasn't anything but perfectly in tune with her body and dying to use it as a weapon. She launched herself like a streak of red lightning, passing Claire easily and knocking the human girl flat before landing in front of the ‘wolves. A guy and a girl. They snapped to attention in front of her, each dropping into a fighting stance. Behind her, she could hear Claire say, â€Å"Ow.† â€Å"Good morning and welcome to the Bay Area,† Jez told the ‘wolves; then she snap-kicked the girl in the face. The girl flew backward. She wasn't out of commission, but it had wrecked the joint attack they had been about to make. The guy knew this, but he was a wolf, so instead of waiting for his partner to recover, he growled and threw himself at Jez. Oh, Goddess, this is too easy. As he drove a punch at her face, Jez turned sideways and let his fist whistle past her. Then she threw her left arm â€Å"* around his left hip, holding him in what was almost an embrace. A deadly one, though. At the same instant she slammed her left hand up to his chin, striking with enough force to stun him. He staggered in her arms, snarling. Bristly hairs erupted on his face. â€Å"Sweet dreams, Fido,† Jez said. She hooked her left leg around his right just below the knee and brought him crashing to the platform. His head hit the concrete and he went limp. Somewhere behind Jez, a sort of thin shrieking had begun. Claire. Jez ignored it, and ignored the two or three people scrambling for the stairs- avoiding the down escalator because it was right beside Jez. She was focused on the female werewolf, who was back on her feet. â€Å"Do yourself a favor and don't even try anything,† she said, grinning. â€Å"You're way outclassed.† The girl, who had reddish-brown hair and a feral expression, didn't answer. She simply showed her teeth and lunged for Jez. With both hands reaching for Jez's face. You'd think they would learn, Jez. thought. Especially after what just happened. Even as she was thinking it, her body was making the right moves. She grabbed the girl's leading arm with both hands, then twisted, pulling her off balance. She took the girl down with a pull drop, flipping her to the platform. As soon as the girl was flat Jez locked the arm she still held and began to apply leverage against the elbow joint. â€Å"Don't move or I'll break your elbow,† she said pleasantly. The girl was writhing in pain, spitting and struggling and hurting herself worse. Absently, Jez noticed that Claire had stopped shrieking. She glanced up to make sure her cousin was all right and saw that Claire was on her feet, staring openmouthed. Jez gave her a reassuring nod. Then she looked back at the female ‘wolf. Now that the fight was over she had the leisure to wonder what was going on. There were plenty of people who might want to kill her, but she couldn't think of any reason for them to target Claire. And they had been targeting her; Jez was sure of that. This was no random thing. This was two ‘wolves attacking a human right in public, in front of witnesses, as if they didn't care who saw them. This was something planned, something important. She gave the girl's arm a little twist, and the girl snarled wildly, glaring at Jez with reddish eyes full of animal fury and hatred. â€Å"Okay, you know what I want,† Jez said. ‘I need answers, and I don't have much time. What are you doing here? Who sent you? And why do you want her?† She jerked her head toward Claire. The girl just glared harder. Jez applied more pressure. â€Å"Look, I can make time for this if I need to. I can do this all day. After I break this elbow I'll do the other one. And then I'll break your ribs, and then your kneecaps-â€Å" â€Å"Filthy halfbreed scum,† the werewolf snarled. Jez's heart gave an odd lurch. She tried to quiet it Well, now, that was interesting. Somebody obviously knew her secret. And since they'd been going for Claire, they knew Claire was connected with her†¦. They knew about her family. Jez saw white light. She threw sudden pressure against the ‘wolfs elbow joint. The girl screamed, a sound more of anger than of pain. â€Å"Who hired you?† Jez said softly, each word coming out like a chip of ice. â€Å"Who sent you after my cousin?† She stared into the reddish eyes, trying to reach into the girl's soul and yank an answer out of her. â€Å"Nobody messes with my family,† she whispered. â€Å"Whoever sent you is going to be sorry.† She couldn't ever remember feeling so angry. And she was so focused on the girl, so intent, that it wasn't until Claire screamed that she realized someone was approaching behind her. â€Å"Jez, watch out!† The yell woke Jez up. Without releasing her hold on the female ‘wolf, she turned around-just in time to see a male vampire stalking her. He must have come up the down escalator. And behind him, unbelievably, was Claire, running and getting ready for a flying tackle. â€Å"Claire, don't!† Jez yelled. She struck the female ‘wolf once, with deadly accuracy, on the side of the jaw to knock her out. Then she sprang toward the vampire. But Claire was already grabbing him-a completely futile and foolish gesture. He whipped around and seized a handful of dark hair, and then he was holding Claire in a choke hold, putting her body between him and Jez. â€Å"One more step and I'll break her neck,† he warned. Jez skidded to a stop. â€Å"You let go of my cousin,† she spat. â€Å"No, I really think we need to talk first,† he said, the beginnings of an ugly grin on his face. â€Å"You're the one who's going to give answers-â€Å" Jez kicked him. A roundhouse kick to his knees while he was busy talking. She didn't worry about keeping it nonlethal. She only cared about breaking his hold on Claire.- It worked. He lost his grip, stumbling sideways. Jez grabbed Claire and thrust her out of the way, shouting â€Å"Run! The escalator's right there!† But Claire didn't run. â€Å"I want to help you!† â€Å"Idiot!† Jez didn't have time to say that Claire couldn't help her; could only hurt her. The vampire had recovered and was moving toward her in fighting position. He was big, probably over two hundred pounds. And he was a full vampire, which gave him the advantage of strength and speed. And he was smarter than the ‘wolves; he wasn't just going to lunge. And Jez didn't have a weapon. â€Å"Just keep behind me, okay?† she snarled under her breath to Claire. The vampire grinned at that. He knew Jez was vulnerable. She was going to have to keep half her attention on protecting Claire. And then, just as he was about to make an attack, Jez heard the smack of footsteps on concrete. Running footsteps, with a weird little hesitation between them, like somebody with a limp†¦. She flashed a look toward the stairs. Hugh had just rounded the top. He was out of breath and bleeding from cuts on his face. But as soon as he saw her and the vampire he waved his arms and yelled. â€Å"Hey! Ugly Undead! Your friend missed me! You want to have a try?† Hugh? Jez thought in disbelief. Fighting? â€Å"Come on, hey; I'm here; I'm easy.† Hugh was hopping toward the vampire, who was also flashing looks at him, trying to assess this new danger while not taking his focus off Jez. â€Å"You want to go a few rounds?† Hugh dropped into a boxer's pose, throwing punches at the air. â€Å"Huh? You want to try for the title?† All the time he was speaking, he was dancing closer to the vampire, circling to get behind him. Beautiful, Jez thought. All she needed was for the vampire to shift his attention for one second-just to glance behind him once-and she could kick his face in. It didn't work that way. Something went wrong. The vampire tried to glance behind him. Jez saw her chance and made the kick, a high kick that snapped his head back. But somehow instead of falling backward the vampire managed to blunder forward straight at her. She could easily have gotten away-except for Claire. Claire had obediently kept behind her-even when behind her meant standing right by the BART tracks, on the yellow metal squares that marked the edge of the platform. Now, as the vampire stumbled forward and Jez began to slide out of the way, she heard Claire gasp, felt Claire clutch at her wildly. She knew what had happened instantly. Claire had tried to run the wrong way and was teetering on the edge of the platform. More, she was taking Jez with her. There was a distant rumble like thunder. Jez knew she could save herself-by getting rid of Claire. She could use Claire's body as a springboard to propel herself away from the drop. That way, only one of them would die. Instead, she tried to twist and throw Claire away from her, toward safety. It didn't work. They both lost their balance. Jez had the strange, surprised feeling one gets in the middle of a fell-where's the ground?-and then she hit it It was a bad fell because she was tangled with Claire. All Jez could do was try to keep Claire* away from the third rail on the far side of the track. The impact winded both of them and Jez saw stars. She could hear Hugh screaming her name. The distant thunder had become a roaring, whizzing sound, carried through the tracks underneath Jez. Down here, she could feel a rattling that wasn't audible from above. It was a noise that filled her head and shook her body. She knew absolutely, in that instant, that they were going to die. Both of them. Crushed to pieces under the train. The white dragon would run right over them and not even know it. There was simply no chance. Claire was clinging to her desperately, clawing Jez's arms hard enough to draw blood, and gasping in the breath for a scream. And even if Jez had been a full vampire, she couldn't have lifted Claire the four feet to the platform fast enough. There was nothing to save them, no hope. No rescue. It was over. All of this flashed through Jez's mind in the single instant it took her to look up and see the train bearing down on them. Its sleek white nose was only thirty feet away, and it was braking, but nowhere near fast enough, and this was it, the actual moment of her death, the last thoughts she would ever think, and the last thing she would ever see was white, white, white- Blue. It happened all at once, filling her vision. One second she could see clearly, the next the entire world was blue. Not just blue. Fiery, dazzling, lightning-shot blue. Like being inside some sort of science-fiction special effect. There was blue streaming and crackling and sizzling all around her, a cocoon of blue that enfolded her and shot past her and disappeared somewhere ahead. | I'm dead, Jez thought. So this is what it's like. Completely different from what people say. Then she realized that she could hear a faint shrieking sound beneath her. It was Claire. They were still holding on to each other. We're both dead. Or we've fallen into some kind of space warp. The rest of the world is gone. There's just-this. She had an impulse to touch the blue stuff, but she couldn't move because of Claire's grip on her arms. It might not have been safe anyway. Where it flowed over her, she could feel a sort of zinging and tingling as if all her blood were being excited. It smelled like the air after a storm. And then it disappeared. All at once. Not by stages. But it still took Jez several moments to see anything, because her eyes were blinded with dark yellow after-images. They burned and danced in front of her like a new kind of lightning, and she only gradually realized where she was. On the train tracks. Exactly where she had been before. Except that now there was a huge, sleek BART train two feet in front of her. She had to tilt her head to look up at its nose? It was gigantic from this angle, a monster of white, like the iceberg that sank the Titanic. And it was stopped dead, looking as if it had always been here, like some mountainous landmark. As if it had never moved an inch in its history. People were yelling. Shrieking and yowling and making all kinds of noise. It seemed to come from far away, but when Jez looked she could see them staring down at her. They were at the edge of the platform, waving their arms hysterically. As Jez stared back at them, a couple jumped down to the tracks. Jez looked down at her cousin. Claire was dragging in huge breaths, hyperventilating, her whole body shaking in spasms. She was staring at the train that loomed over them with eyes that showed white all around. A loudspeaker was booming. One of the people who had jumped, a man in a security guard's uniform, was jabbering at Jez. She couldn't understand a word he was saying. â€Å"Claire, we've got to go now.† Her cousin just whooped in air, sobbing. â€Å"Claire, we have to go now. Come on.† Jez's whole body felt light and strange, and when she tried to move she felt as if she were floating. But she could move. She stood up and pulled Claire with her. She realized that somebody was calling her name. It was the other person who had jumped to the tracks. It was Hugh. He was reaching for her. His gray eyes were as wide as Claire's, but not wide and hysterical. Wide and still. He was the only calm person in the crowd, beside Jez. â€Å"Come on. Up this way,† he said. He helped her boost Claire to the platform, and then Jez scrambled up and reached down to help him. When they were all up, Jez glanced around. She knew she was looking for something-yes. There. The werewolves she'd knocked out. It seemed a hundred years ago, but they were still lying there. â€Å"The other guy got away,† Hugh said. â€Å"Then we have to get out of here fast.† Jez heard her own voice, sounding quiet and faraway. But she was beginning to feel more attached to her body. Hugh was guiding Claire toward the escalator. Jez got on the other side of Claire, and they both helped keep her on her feet. The security guy was behind them, yelling. Jez still couldn't understand him and ignored him completely. When they reached the lower level, she and Hugh began to walk faster, pulling Claire along with them. They shoved Claire through the handicapped gate by the ticket window and vaulted over themselves. From down here, Jez could see that the train was smoking all along its bottom. White smoke that sizzled up into the muggy air. â€Å"We can't go on the street,† Hugh said. â€Å"They've got cars out there.† â€Å"The garage,† Jez said. They both headed for it, a multi-story brick building that looked dark and cool inside. They were almost running with Claire, now, and they didn't stop until they were deep within the bowels of the garage, with emptiness echoing all around them. Then Jez sagged against a brick pillar. Hugh bent over with his hands on his knees. Claire simply folded to the ground like a marionette with all its strings cut. Jez let herself breathe for a few minutes, let her brain settle down, before slowly lowering herself beside her cousin. They all looked as if they'd been in an accident. Hugh's shirt was ripped and there was drying blood all down one side of his face. Claire's hair was wildly disheveled, and there were scrapes and small cuts on her face and arms. Jez herself had lost a lot of skin to the tracks, and her forearms were bleeding where Claire had scratched her. But they were alive. Beyond all hope, they were alive. Claire looked up just then to find Jez gazing at her. They sat for several moments simply staring into each other's eyes. Then Jez reached out to touch her cousin's cheek. â€Å"It was you,† she whispered. â€Å"All that time-and it was you.† She looked up at Hugh and began to laugh. He looked back, his face pale in the semi-darkness. He shook his head and began to laugh, too, but shakily. â€Å"Oh, Goddess,† he said. â€Å"I thought you were dead, there, Jez. I thought I'd lost you.† â€Å"Not while she's around, apparently,† Jez said, and laughed harder. She was slightly hysterical, but she didn't care. Hugh's laughter sounded a little like crying. â€Å"I saw that train-and there was no way it was going to stop in time. And then-that light. It just shot out-and the train hit it. It was like a physical thing. Like a giant cushion. The train hit it and it squashed and the train went slower and then it kept squashing-â€Å" Jez stopped laughing. â€Å"I wonder if the people on the train got hurt.† â€Å"I don't know.† Hugh was sober now, too. â€Å"They must've gotten thrown around. It stopped so fast. But it didn't smash. They're probably okay.† â€Å"I just-from the inside, it looked like lightning-â€Å" â€Å"From the outside, too. I didn't imagine it would look like that-â€Å" â€Å"I didn't know it would be so powerful. And, think about it; she's untrained-â€Å" There they were, an Old Soul and a vampire hunter who'd seen everything the streets had to offer, babbling like a couple of kids. It was Claire who stopped them. She had been looking from one of them to the other, getting more and more agitated. Now she grabbed Jez's arm. â€Å"What are you guys talking about?† Jez turned to her. She glanced at Hugh, then spoke gently. â€Å"We're talking about you, Claire. You're the Wild Power.†