Leadership Goals And Objectives Of Leadership - 1349 Words

Leadership is splendidly complex, a cognitive process involving a perception based, relationship-oriented phenomenon found among leaders and followers. The most effective leaders understand the importance for embracing change and continuously galvanizing essential leadership skills and capabilities. While business environments are continuously changing, underestimating the importance for effective leadership has previously proven futile for many organizations. The need for organizational leaders to shift focus away from profitability is surreal, goals and objectives must focus on accommodating corporate, social, and environmental responsibilities. The premise of leadership is about turning data and information into knowledge and†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the paper will document and reveal temporary strategic plans beginning to take shape while the current course progressed. Conducting a strategy-to-performance gap analysis related previous leadership endeavors a nd as a result, enhanced a vast-array of individual performance related variables. The following paper reveals useful information applicable towards positively enhancing strategic leadership capabilities and performance related criteria by taking into consideration a multitude of internal and external environmental variables. Over the duration of the current course titled Leadership Theories and Styles, a wide array of unexpected organizational changes transpired. Those changes will ultimately affect almost every facet of two separate organizations, down to the core. Because of the changes transpiring, positive enhancements influencing performance for one organization will occur, the probabilities are high for the other organization to slowly revert to previous performance levels. From the onset of the current course, our class began to gain a profound understanding for what leadership and leading others’ truly means. The past six weeks involved reviewing the leader / follower relationship, highlighting scientifically proven highly effective leadership values, characteristics, beliefs, and

Descriptive Personal Narrative Story - 746 Words

â€Å"Yeah go ahead and run Trinity!!! Run like you always do!† My mom slurred sloppily from the front porch. I sprinted toward South Mission Beach. As I ran further, I heard the screen door close with a loud clannnnng†¦my mom still yelling drunken nonsense in the distance. That was nothing new. My eyes watered as I focused on my form. High knees†¦elbows straight†¦inhale†¦press†¦shoulders square†¦exhale... I put my earbuds in and thought back to when I was just a little girl on the Boca Islands of Trinidad Tobago’s. I remembered the crispness of the Caribbean Sea. Almost every day I’d run barefoot along the beach, my long lanky legs grew stronger, my feet would sinking in the sand from time to time. Many times my father would follow†¦show more content†¦Didn t want to get punched today. Depending on what type of â€Å"mood† my mom was in. My Trinidadian mother stood in the shadows of my curtain that was lazily used as a door. I sat on the end of the dark purple bean bag untying my cleats then looked up at her. Clear cream color skin, like a light mocha. Not one blemish. She had high cheek bones, with a heart shaped face taken from her Venezuelan roots. Her features included pouty lips like mine, and a perfect nose. Deep dark brown eyes that earned he r endless compliments peered at me. Her thick long mane fail messily onto the right side of her shoulder perfectly, while she adjusted her skin tight apple red dress. She had on gold bamboo earrings, and black Steve Madden stilettos with red heels. She could be a classy bitch when she wanted to, but would still knock a hoe out in a heartbeat. That was the fiery side of her. She had that whole beautiful nutjob vibe going on. Her body still looked great for her age. Gravity had been treating her well. Even despite all the boozing. Still, cigarette in one hand, her clutch in the other, my mom was a complete knockout. Model pretty, but not model like .As I untwisted my light brown ponytail I gazed at her. Staring at a face that looked so similar to mine, but a scowl that appeared so different at the same time. Her eye makeup ran slightly, but she was already too buzzed up to notice. My mom was a functioning alcoholic. Every day after her telemarketing job, she wouldShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Personal Narrative Story101 1 Words   |  5 PagesIt was a brisk fall morning at 4 o’clock, and I walked into the cold, stale hospital terrified. I was a brown haired, brown eyed 5-year-old wearing gray pajamas covered in blue, yellow and red race cars. I was scared and unsure of what was about to happen. I asked my mom, â€Å"What wong me?† Of course, she knew that meant, â€Å"What’s wrong with me?† â€Å"You are having a surgery but you will be alright,† she responded calmly. I was confused as to why she was so calm, while I was so worried about being in theRead MoreDescriptive Personal Narrative Story1438 Words   |  6 PagesI had woke up to the tranquility of a Sunday night there was a slight breeze, It was May 29th, 2016 around eight p.m. I was alone and confused in a poorly, lit living room. I stared into these white walls that were so bright it felt as if you were staring into snow, I was stuck and could only think, â€Å"I just have to organize all my things for tomorrow before I fall back asleep.†   I sat there on my couch tired from the late night before. I felt time was ticking as the sun faded with each second, IRead MoreNarrative vs. Descriptive Writing977 Words   |  4 Pages A narrative essay uses a point of view to tell a story. It is an engaging way for an author to tell his reader about an experience they have had or a personal story. Descriptive writing is a description of something. It could be a person, place, thing, emotion or experience. The author is allowed more artistic freedom when writing in descriptive form. While both descriptive and narrative essays are similar in many ways, the descriptive essays use of language fully immerses the reader intoRead MoreExpository Writing : Writing, Expository, Persuasive, Descriptive, And Narrative757 Words   |  4 Pagesprobably not going to a job interview. Just like anything else, writing has different expressions. Writing is a form of communication; the person is writing to inform, persuade, describe, or tell a story. There are four main types of writing styles, expository, persuasive, descriptive, and narrative. We then choose what we want to read according to our interest in each category. Let’s look at expository writing. Expository writing is usually developed around one topic and is used to describeRead MoreNarrative Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesThe Narrative Essay *What is a Narrative Essay? †¢ Narrative writing tells a story. In essays, the narrative writing could also be considered reflection or an exploration of the authors values told as a story. The author may remember his or her past, or a memorable person or event from that past, or even observe the present. †¢ The author may write about: -An experience or event from his or her past. -A recent or ongoing experience or event. Read MoreLoss of Freedom in Sedaris This Old House and Angelous Caged Bird1274 Words   |  6 Pagesconstructs his feelings through narrative writing, and Angelou explores her concerns through descriptive writing with the analogy of a bird, they still are exploring the similar topic of perceived loss. The loss of freedom, demonstrated by the demand to uphold a family image, versus the caged bird, remain very similar in both pieces due to perceived entrapment, disappointment and self-nonentity. Descriptive essays leave room for misinterpretation and confusion, where as a narrative essay is straightforwardRead MoreFilm Analysis : Movie Of A Film 1233 Words   |  5 PagesFor anyone who has ever watched a film is a critic in some form. They judge various aspects based on personal feelings or attitudes, then state them for anybody to hear. I, the writer, am guilty of this type of film analysis. I based my ‘review’ of a film solely on how I felt the narrative evolved or how well the acting was done. I never considered why the rhetor of film choose certain details or what might have influenced the rhetor in the first place. However, through this course I was exposedRead MoreEssay Writing Forms and Styles1402 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelop the comparison, and reach a conclusion. Compare and contrast is arranged emphatically.[8] [edit]Descriptive Descriptive  writing is characterized by  sensory  details, which appeal to the physical senses, and details that appeal to a readers emotional, physical, or intellectual sensibilities. Determining the purpose, considering the audience, creating a dominant impression, using descriptive language, and organizing the description are the rhetorical choices to be considered when using a descriptionRead MoreThe Great Journey Through History in John Demos’s The Unredeemed889 Words   |  3 PagesStanding at the boundary between narrative writing and historical review, John Demos’s The Unredeemed Captive is a paragon of history writing that is simultaneously informative and intriguing. Through his entertaining text and thorough analysis, the readers may find themselves as captivated by the story as the Deerfield captives were by the Native Americans. Although often criticized for his style, Demos has produced an evolutionary way to encapsulate facts through descriptive writing. Providing innumerableRead MoreCreation of Sympathy For The Monster In Vol Chapter 5 and Vol Chapter 7 In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein820 Words   |  4 PagesThese methods are utilised and explored deeply throughout the novel. Initially, Shelley introduces the creation of Frankensteins monster, through the viewpoint of Dr Frankenstein himself. This first interpretation of him is very descriptive and powerful, as it comes from Frankenstein upon the creation of this catastrophe. His disgust just creates a more vivid description of the monster, with him describing the monsters contrasting features, such as his lustrous black

Blade Essay Research Paper Blade The Doubleedged free essay sample

Blade Essay, Research Paper Blade- The Double-edged Sword Between Two Communities Worlds subside in a universe that thrives on community, society, and relationships. Within each of these classs people function together, believe in the same ethical motives and values, and make their ain divisions within these groups. Through excepting certain groups or persons the society would discontinue to work, while enabling the community to experience normal and safe in their ideals. In the film Blade, the human race is unable to hold on the nature of the lamia kingdom. The people reside in a topographic point where their mundane lives are unscathed by the dark universe of the dark. The dark is an mercantile establishment for the lamias to feed, and thrive. Blade is a combination of both human and lamia. This gives him limited entree into both universes, because both groups fear Blade. These communities can non encompass him because they can non place with him. We will write a custom essay sample on Blade Essay Research Paper Blade The Doubleedged or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He possesses greater strengths than worlds and lamias. He is finally feared by both groups, and is non recognizable in either society that he dwells. His lone mercantile establishment is to assist the one race that does non cognize what sort of man/thing he is. As indicated in this film, when an single possesses the specifying features of two diverse communities Blade will necessarily take the one least endangering to him. Worlds live in a sugarcoated universe. They like to believe of themselves as persons within a community. The truth is that they are portion of a community that makes them experience secure with themselves. Whether it is a state nine, a brotherhood, or a church, they attach themselves to something to do them who they are. The human race lacks any type of empathy towards anyone outside of his or her group. They can non associate to foreigners. In the film Blade, the human race is have oning a blindfold. They can non see the truth that lurks in the dark. They may non be able to accept the truth because it would interrupt the world they have created for themselves. This makes them weak to the marauders that are runing them. Within the film Blade, the human race is missing any cognition of the lamia race that thrives in the dark. They are so fixated on believing that the universe is a good and just topographic point that they have neglected to see what s gazing them in the face. Dr. Karen Jenson provinces, This is like a bad dream. She can non penetrate a life filled with such horrid existences. She automatically hates them, without understanding what they believe in or what their ideals are. She has excluded the lamias from her societal connexions because she can non grok the thought of going or prosecuting with a lamia. This action embodies the full human race. We can non accept what we do non cognize. We are a society that divulges itself into premises and prevarications. We allow classs to devour our lives, which make us susceptible to losing the society we thought we knew. Vampires live in a society that is much darker than the human race. They think of themselves as a superior race. They try to intermix in with worlds for their ain support, so they can prolong their ain power within the circle they encompass. In the film Blade, lamias have a set of regulations. They use these regulations to regulate the ways in which they will increase their population, but besides they need them to work as a society. Within this community there is a council. It is made up of 12 members from the House of Erebus. These are pure blood lamias, that is, they were born a lamia. They control the regulations and ordinances of the lamia community. Each member of the council in inscribe vitamin D with a tattoo. This allows other lamias to cognize who you are, what your strengths are, where you came from, and what place on the council you belong to. The lamias speak a different linguistic communication and have their ain set of archives or bible. This is non much different than the human community. Within this peculiar society lamias exclude worlds. Worlds are the ugly, ostracized, and unwanted species in the group. Vampires do non experience that worlds have a right to be in their society. Deacon Frost provinces, The universe belongs to lamias non worlds. This thought that lamias are greater than worlds, or their feeling that they are non like worlds, gives them the power to except the human race. It empowers them to apologize their construction of life and helps them to make their ain idealistic world. Blade is the most of import component in this film. He is the key into the universes of vampirism and humanitarianism. Blade is a loanblend that is bound by human Torahs but besides by lamia Torahs. He is about forced to take between the two. How does one travel about making that? As a lamia he possesses all the strengths of the lamias but none of the failings. As a homo, his ethical motives will neer be questioned, and more than probably he will be accepted. The job with Blade is that even though it may look that he is taking to contend the lamias for human sort, the existent motivation may be that he will neer be accepted by the lamia race. He is a menace to all lamias. He possesses the ability to walk during the twenty-four hours. This makes the lamias feel that Blade is in one higher or more advanced than they are. He was born a lamia and it is encoded into his Deoxyribonucleic acid. This makes him elite with the remainder of the lamia council. This is endangering for the lamia c ommunity and hence, they deny him entree to the society that they embrace. In bend, Blade is non truly human. He has a thirst for blood, and needs a serum to assist halt his cravings. He is a lone wolf. He can non suit into human society because he is a intercrossed. Blade would be excluded from human society because he is of unnatural design. It would be about impossible for society to include him as a member of their group, because Blade interferes with societies thoughts of humanity. Does Blade truly have the pick of contending for the human race? No. He fights for the human race because they haven Ts identified him as a lamia yet. He has non yet been excluded from their society as he has been with the lamias. Blade is doomed to be an castaway in either society because neither can accept the abilities he has acquired, and hence, his being will forever rely on society. All societies have their ain thoughts and premises. How they formulate their picks and spread out their community can merely depend on their actions. Everyone should be treated every bit, whether they are or are non the typical individual, depends on that community. Acceptance is a great power that every adult male, adult female, and kid possesses, and with that, society demands to larn to accept non tolerate others. Blade is a individual who is seeking for credence from the two societies environing him. He is forced to do determinations to protect his holiness of life, and even though Blade fears the human race, he is forced to protect them from the lamias. He has already been stigmatized by the lamia community, which leaves him to support the lone society that will let him to feign he is a member of. Plants Cited Blade. Dir. Stephen Norrington. Perf. Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorf, Kris Kristofferson, N Bushe Wright. 1998. DVD. New Line Productions, 1998

Langston Hughes An Outsiders Voice Of The People Essays

Langston Hughes: An Outsider's Voice Of The People Langston Hughes: An Outsider's Voice of the People Langston Hughes is often considered a voice of the African-American people and a prime example of the magnificence of the Harlem Renaissance. His writing does embody these titles, but the concept of Langston Hughes that portrays a black man's rise to poetic greatness from the depths of poverty and repression are largely exaggerated. America frequently confuses the ideas of segregation, suppression, and struggle associated with African-American history and imposes these ideas onto the stories of many black historical figures and artists. While many of them have struggled with these confines set upon them by American society, Langston Hughes did not fulfill this historical stereotype due to his personal wealth, education, and recognized success (Early 1). James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. His father, James Nathaniel Hughes was a lawyer and businessman and his mother, Carrie Mercer (Langston) Hughes was a schoolteacher. The dual income from his parents appropriated him with funds that he used for his education and to begin his poetry career (Langston Hughes 1). This was an advantage unknown to many black Americans at this time. Hughes spoke of the poverty of the black people and struggles that many went through in their lives just to make enough money for their families to survive. Langston Hughes never greatly encountered this first-hand. In Let America Be America Again, he states I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart. Hughes was never as poor as the downtrodden he spoke of and was never fooled and pushed apart (Presley 1). He also was fortunate enough to obtain a benefactor, which still to this day is considered a rare blessing to aspiring writers. In 1929, he met Charlotte van der Veer Quick Mason, a wealthy widow and for the next four years, was financially supported by this generous woman (Langston Hughes 2). Again in Let America Be America Again, Hughes pleads I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years. In comparison to the many African-Americans at the time who were, indeed, struggling with financial burdens, Langston Hughes knew nothing of this uncertainty he spoke of due to his benefactor. The images of poverty that Hughes evokes through his poetry, contribute to the American notion of impoverished black Americans since the days of slavery, however, Hughes' life was very different from the notion he described (Early 3). At this time in history, many Americans were illiterate, especially minorities. Langston Hughes was fortunate to be able to read, and blessed with his talent to write. Due to financial stability, Hughes was able to attend Columbia University and Lincoln University. This level of study was seldom attained by African-Americans. Even though Langston Hughes was highly educated for an African-American of the time, he still used black slang and southern dialects in many of his poems. In Po' Boy Blues, he not only relays the thoughts of black oppression through the factual words of the poem, but through the dialect used. Weary, weary, Weary early in de morn. Weary, weary, Early, early in de morn. I's so weary I wish I'd never been born. Reading this evokes images of slavery and the meager existence of poor blacks of the South, but Hughes was not one of these. His own poetry tells the story of the repressed black Americans, yet this also furthers the preconceived images in the readers mind that the writer is, himself, a part of this life style, which he is not. Many are born with the talent to write, but few obtain recognition, especially within their own lifetimes. Langston Hughes' success was even more rare as he was black. He was first recognized as a talented writer as early as 1915, in grammar school as was published in his high school newspaper. In 1925, he was discovered by Carl Van Vechten, and The Weary Blues was published three weeks later. I got the Weary Blues And I can't be satisfied Got the Weary Blues And can't be satisfied- I ain't happy no mo' And I wish that I had died. -The Weary Blues Even though Hughes continued to express the plight of the underprivileged African-Americans, he became more

Why Do We Sweat

Why Do We Sweat The human body and other living organisms have numerous natural adaptive mechanisms that keep them at the state of functioning properly. Sweating is one of these very crucial processes. Sweating can be defined as a natural thermoregulation process that helps in maintaining a balanced body temperature (Franklin, 2005).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Why Do We Sweat? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This research paper seeks to investigate the reasons why we as human beings sweat. It will thus explain how sweating occurs biologically, the circumstances under which we sweat and factors enhancing it, the sweat components, and finally discuss the genetic and sex influence on sweating. Sweating, as mentioned above, is one of the most crucial natural ways through which the body cools down especially during hot conditions. Sweating which is also referred to as perspiration may seem to make the body hotter, especial ly when the temperatures are slightly higher. However, without sweating, our bodies would not be able to withstand the heat that it produces. According to research, the sweating process occurs in order to maintain the normal body temperature which has been clinically determined to be about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius (Roizen Oz, 2008). In the event of sweating failure, human beings would suffer from heatstroke especially during hot weather or when they are exercising. Sweating can be explained from a physiological perspective. We all eat food most of the time in order to sustain life and keep ourselves healthy. The food that we take in daily has to be burned off during the metabolic process of respiration (Franklin, 2005). This process, therefore, produces large amounts of heat energy which in turn triggers the hypothalamus in our brain to automatically jump start the natural cooling off process. Beneath the human skin, that is in the epidermis, are long and spira ling tubes of body structures which are called sweat glands and are responsible for ensuring the cooling process. During warm or hot days, the vessels carrying blood in our skin open up and the glands contract resulting in the sweat glands releasing the fluid through the sweat pores found on the surface of the skin. The released sweat moisturizes the skin and then it evaporates taking away some amount of heat from the body (Freudenrich, 2006, April 23). Normally, it is this evaporation process that causes general cooling of the body.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The number of sweat glands in our body is estimated at 2 million. Sweating is not, however, restricted to hot conditions only, but we also perspire during cold days even when we are not engaged in any strenuous work (Franklin, 2005). It has been established that our body constitutes of two-thirds o f water and we lose such a great amount of it on a daily basis through the perspiration process. This is the reason why physiological professionals recommend the consumption of about two liters of water daily if the lost fluid is to be fully replenished. Further studies into the body system have revealed that there are two major types of sweat glands, namely, the apocrine and eccrine glands. The more dominant of the two is the eccrine glands which are found in most body parts like the forehead, soles of the feet, and palms of hands and are shallower. The apocrine glands can be found mainly in the groin, armpits, around the nipples, and at the end of the hair follicles. The apocrine fluid is more viscous and the glands become activated at puberty stage of human development. It is much easier to recognize sweat in the armpits and the groin region because it is not easy to evaporate unlike sweat on the exposed skin surfaces like the forehead and the palms (Freudenrich, 2006, April 23). Regions like the external genital organs, the nipples, and the lips have no sweat glands. Scientists have also investigated the composition of sweat. There are different elements that make up sweat. The most dominant elements that can be found in sweat are water and sodium, which is commonly know as salt. Traces of potassium, urea, and lactate, can also be detected in the sweat that we release. In most instances when it is cold or we are less active, our bodies produce less sweat. Apart from large amounts of sweat being produced during warm weather, a lot of exercising does lead to perspiration. Furthermore, stressful situations and nausea also cause sweating. When our bodies sweat profusely, the sweat contains approximately 20 percent more salt compared to cold weather when there is low production of sweat. Research has further revealed a significant difference in the chemical components when we perspire through the two major sweat glands. Sweat produced through the apocrine gland s, or rather in the armpit, will be much thicker and may contain a yellowish coloration (Clare, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Why Do We Sweat? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is due to the fact that the perspiration consists of proteins and fatty acids, including bacteria excreted from the body system. Most people prefer using antiperspirants under their armpits. These contents explain why the sweat from this region can turn clothing yellowish in color. The apocrine sweat mostly produces a bad smell and this is why deodorants are usually applied only to the armpits. Sweat is normally odorless but it starts to produce an unpleasant smell when it decomposes and bacteria act on it. It is advisable to use antiperspirants on the underarms since the amount of sweat released is very low and hence cannot affect the body’s overall cooling process (Fabian Society of Great Britain, 1990). People in different parts, according to research findings, do have different rates of perspiration depending on there environmental conditions. For instance, the people in India produce larger amounts of sweat due to the hotter weather. As a result, they consume a lot of salt that would be considered abnormal by people in much colder regions. This can be explained by the fact that Indians lose a lot of sodium during perspiration and hence the need to replace them accordingly for the proper functioning of the body. Sometimes, sweating may be considered embarrassing yet it is one of the most important natural responses for the proper functioning of the body and hence our survival (Roizen Oz, 2008). The amount of sweat that can be produced by an individual who is not used to hot weather is estimated by researchers at about one liter each hour. From the discussion above, sweating occurs due to increased environmental temperatures and when we engage ourselves in strenuous exercises. Further re search to find out why we sweat has revealed that we perspire when our nervous system is over-stimulated. This normally occurs when an individual is in a tense state or anticipating a tense situation. For instance, before a job interview, an upcoming first ever date or ones wedding ceremony, a presentation before a large audience, or sitting for an exam, an individual will realize sweat on the palms or the armpits. Furthermore, sweating may also occur due to embarrassment, sexual arousal, and anxiety in general. Under such situations, the triggered apocrine glands release a much oilier fluid which gets to the skin surface and evaporates causing cooling (Clare, 2006). All these occur due to the involuntary stimulation of the nervous system. This finding indicates that sweating is significantly affected, not only by our physical activity but also by our emotional states. This response is also one of the major reasons why human beings sweat a lot.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to research, genetics also play a central role as far as sweating is concerned. Every individual is born with unique number of sweat glands ranging from two million to five million for mature persons. This will therefore determine the amount of sweat released per time. It has also been established that sweating depends on sex where women have more sweat glands than men, but men sweat more profusely than women due to their sweat glands being more active (Roizen Oz, 2008). The paper has extensively explored the reasons why we sweat including the numerous factors behind this natural and crucial process. A biological explanation of sweating has been offered together with the factors which enhance it like environmental conditions, number and location of sweat glands. The chemical components of sweat fluid have been discussed and that sodium and chlorine (salt) are the most dominant minerals with some traces of potassium. Furthermore, it has been found that water constitutes 99 % of a given sweat volume. We can therefore conclude that perspiration is a necessary physiological process that ensures our survival and hence should not be considered as causing embarrassment. References Clare, B. (2006). Why do we sweat? Howstuffworks. Retrieved from https://serendipstudio.org/exchange/node/30 Fabian Society of Great Britain (1990). Sweating: a focus on the causes and its remedy. Kraus Reprint. Franklin, K. W. (2005). The sweating system: understanding thermoregulation. American Physiological Journal, 4 (12), 1-22. Freudenrich, C. (2006, April 23). How Sweat Works. The New York Times, p. 12-13. Roizen, M. F. Oz, M. C. (2008). Being Beautiful: why do we sweat? Simon Schuster.

10 Things to Know about Dating Your College Classmate

10 Things to Know about Dating Your College Classmate 1. You Change Throughout College Whether it’s the kids that come in fresh out of high school or those that wait until later in their twenties, four years of undergraduate studies changes a human being. You’re one way when you arrive, and another way when you leave. Think about how much you’ll have learned! With that said, it makes dating somewhat more difficult for most students. There’s so much going on. So many deadlines. So many choices. Typically a large dating pool where everyone’s hooking up with someone. Just remember that if you hook up with someone early on in your freshmen year, the relationship must be able to adapt as you both change as people. 2. Many Different Shades of Grey You’ve got to be precise when it comes to college dating. Let’s look at the four most common types or definitions: Courting: You’re both digging on one another and it’s obvious to everyone there’s something going on, but it’s not serious yet. You’re still getting to know both yourselves and each other. Exclusive: It’s official, everyone else has to keep their hands off of both of you. Social lives can easily begin to suffer here, which isn’t necessarily a great idea in college where you’re supposed to be getting out there and involved. Temporary: You’re exclusively dating but there’s no illusions. Once the graduation dates come you’re both going your separate ways. It means you won’t have to deal with being single, but there isn’t a post-college long-term commitment either. However, there are still some ways to save your relationships after graduation. Fling: Also known as the fresh, sophomore, junior and senior year fling. Yeah, they can happen every year. Typically around spring. You’ve been eyeing one another all year in college or passing by in the halls or whatever, and finally you’re hooking up for the summer. 3. A Long Term Question In America, more than half of the ladies walking around campus everyday secretly or publically hope to meet their spouse while in college. As you might have guessed, that number tends to be a bit lower with college guys. Most of them aren’t thinking much farther ahead than mid-terms, or this coming Friday night. 4. Dating can get Expensive! Unfortunately, for the vast majority of college students out there today, dating isn’t really a viable financial prospect. Not serious dating anyhow. Going out get be pricey enough. When possible, keep dating as humble as possible. 5. Grades Could Suffer Once people begin throwing the â€Å"L† word around, things could get complicated. What if there’s a pregnancy? If grades are a high priority, then keep it that way and make sure that dating doesn’t cause you to completely divert from your long term goals. 6. Guys and Girls Are not at the Same Page While most girls think of relationships as committment to the other person and love, most guys dont strive for anything serious in college and approach relationships as fun. This is about not about good or bad its just the fact caused by differences in gender psychology. Both boys and girls should find balance between having fun and serious commitment and discuss their expetations from the relationships before jumping into things too quickly. 7. Be a Yes Person It’s college. If someone asks you out you nod and say, â€Å"yes.† Simple. Obviously there are exceptions, but as a general rule you should be taking every single opportunity that comes your way to make friends, learn about new people and set up college networks of friends. Give people a chance you normally wouldn’t. Remember, after college it’s all about who you know. 8. Expectations are Poisonous When dating in college it’s best to keep the expectations at a minimum for the first few months. Is it a fling? Are you expecting a relationship from someone who is in a transitional phase of their life? Are they expecting you to wait and be faithful while they’re in Europe for six months without you? It’s best to keep your priorities in line and go with the flow. 9. Date Outside Your Major Whenever possibly try to dating someone in finance or marketing. If you’re in finance or marketing, go for a philosophy major. I’m kidding. But honestly, try not to get yourself stuck inside a little bubble where you never leave your own area of study. Date someone from a completely different major. Mingle! Get to know and make friends with people in as many different majors as possible. 10. Online College Dating? Is it really even online dating if you go to the same college? Hey, these days if you have issues with going to parties or trying to ask out people in your classes, then hop online and reach out to them that way. At this point, there’s nothing abnormal about it. â€Å"Hey, aren’t you in my 9am English class?† You can engage people in texting conversations and Facebook updates without having to get up close and personal. Overall, dating in college can be tricky for some, and easy for others. Make sure to live it up! Have you ever dated someone in your class? What that easy or not? Share your experience in the comments section!

You can decide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

You can decide - Essay Example The zoo also provides a detailed history of their origin. The following is a detailed report of my visit. The first stop was at the Safari Park Lemur Walk that provides an impressive exhibit of the promisian Lemur whose scientific name is Lumeniformes. A belief history about their origin indicates that they are from Madagascar. The park officially started conservation in 1963 .There is a total of five ring tailed Lemurs in the exhibit. The Lemur is very small and one might think it is a squirrel, a cat or a dog but it the smallest primate ever. It resembles a fox with its snout and it has a hairless nose which is usually wet this adapts it to be a good sniffer.it has a smooth fur which was gray for some and others had a red fur they varied with colour.The tails of the Lemurs are not PREHENSILE . The tails are long and unique with black and white rings. They have five digits on the FRONT and HIND LIMBS and bright round eyes. For the first ten minutes, the Lemurs were grooming each using an elongated nail on the second toe. They also used their finely spaced teeth. They communicated with sounds that were similar to the mewing of a cat. Physical signals like facial expressions are rare to the Lemurs lack facial muscles like most primates. In the next five minutes, something interesting came up the zookeeper kept some food in the cage that included some biscuit a vegetable and fruits. The Lemurs were using their tails to communicate to each about the food.one would hold up their tail and the other four would take note of it. After a few minutes, they all ran toward where the food was. The tail is also a tool of communication by the lemurs. The rest of the time, the lemurs’ were sun bathing and grooming. The troop had only one male, the reason to that is because a powerful female dominates them and they chase men from their troop. I went to the Monkey Trail in the Lost Forest as my second destination.

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example These works include a lot of paintings, photography, media arts, sculpture and design. The collections and works in the museum therefore serve the international community. When I arrived at the museum I saw different cadre of people from all walks of life either entering, leaving or in the museum. This attracted my attention and I got interested as to why all these people came to this place. I knew there must have been something very unique. When I arrived at the museum, it was appealing enough. The buildings are lovely and the architects are very touching. I felt as if I should stay there for the rest of my life. When I was entering I realized that it was not necessary that I follow a particular route. I saw everyone else following their self made routes. This enabled me to go the direction which I admired. The freedom that was there was just amazing. The oceanic galleries were dramatic and marvelous (Kino, 2010). The department of Media arts at San Francisco develops exhibition programs as well as educational events (Littlejohn, 2010). The events relate to video, performance art related to media arts and films. This department is composed of diversified modern art production technologies. This department consists of videos, digital film experiments and web projects. The museum has archives which are used as a conservation and research centre. Modern paintings, paper works, analogue and digital objects. It provides security to these objects and is also used by various professionals as a laboratory for carrying out research. The research library is composed of exhibition catalogues, monographs, serials titles and general art resources. Other things in the archives are a collection of artists’ books such as Margery Mann and Tillim (Kino, 2010). In general this department is composed of all the historical things and objects. After a visit to the museum I can say that it was a good experience to me. It provided me with positive

Nanotechnology in Aeviation Essay Example for Free

Nanotechnology in Aeviation Essay †¢Nanotechnology in Aerospace Materials †¢Introduction Figure 1. The aerospace industry is under pressure to improve its environmental footprint, primarily by making aircraft more efficient. Image credit: Bureau of Labor Statistics. †¢There are few industries where the applications of nanotechnology are so clearly beneficial as in the aerospace industry. The primary development goals match almost exactly with the advantages offered by using various nanomaterials in the place of traditional bulk metals like steel. †¢The aerospace industry is one of the most important heavy industries in the world. Countless companies rely on the ability to ship products and people around the world with the speed that can only by achieved by air. The aircraft manufacturing market was worth xxx billion in 20xx, and the bulk of this was accounted for by military spending. †¢Along with this huge economic value, however, comes huge consumption, and one of the largest carbon footprints on the planet relative to the size of the market. For this reason, the major drivers in current aerospace RD are towards lighter construction materials and more efficient engines the overall goal being to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions associated with air travel and air freight. The significant interest in nanotechnology for the aerospace industry is justified by the potential of nanomaterials and nanoengineering to help the industry achieve this goal. †¢This article will review some of the nanomaterials which are already being applied in aerospace manufacturing, and the benefits they can provide. †¢Nanostructured Metals †¢Bulk metals with some nanoscale structure are already widely used in aircraft manufacturing. It is now well known that nanostructured metals exhibit considerably improved properties compared to their counterparts with microscale or larger grain structure. †¢This is particularly noticeable for properties which are crucial for materials used in aircraft primarily yield strength, tensile strength and corrosion resistance, coupled with low density which helps keep the total weight of the aircraft down. †¢ †¢Figure 2. Bulk nanostructured metals exhibit much better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance than their counterparts with larger crystal structures. Image credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory. †¢Polymer Nanocomposites †¢Various nanomaterials have been used as filler materials to enhance the properties of structural and non-structural polymers used in aircraft construction. The most commonly used nanomaterials include nanoclays, carbon nanotubes, nanofibres, and graphene. †¢Carbon nanotubes in particular have been shown to give excellent advantages when used as fillers in various polymers, due to their exceptional stiffness, toughness, and unique electrical properties. †¢Nanocomposites typically have superb weight-to-strength ratios, and enhanced resilience to vibration and fire, making them ideal for use in the aviation industry. The properties of the nanofillers, like the conductivity of nanotubes, for example, can create interesting opportunities for multifunctional materials. †¢The properties of polymers enhanced by nanomaterial fillers are so well-tuned to the requirements of aircraft manufacturers, that they are actually being used to replace some of the metals used in the airframes. This obviously brings along huge weight savings, and often cost savings as well. †¢Tribological and Anti-Corrosion Coatings †¢Another major trend in the materials used in aircraft is towards nanocoatings to enhance the durability of metals. In particular, magnesium alloys, which are far lighter than steel or aluminium, are prone to corrosion, due to the high chemical reactivity of magnesium. Coatings can help prevent corrosion, but the type typically used contain chromium complexes which are a highly toxic pollutant. †¢Materials used for these novel anti-corrosion nanocoatings include silicon and boron oxides, and cobalt-phosphorous nanocrystals. †¢Nanocoatings are also now being used on turbine blades and other mechanical components which have to withstand high temperatures and friction wear. Tribological coatings can drastically lower the friction coefficient and improve resistance to wear this greatly improves the efficiency of the engines. †¢Many nanostructured and nanoscale  coating materials have been suggested as possible friction modifying agents, such as carbides, nitrides, metals, and various ceramics. †¢ †¢Figure 3. The defense sector drives a lot of the innovation in many industries, and aerospace is no exception. High-performance military aircraft require exceptional materials, which will eventually find their way into commercial vehicles. Image credit: Penn State University. †¢Conclusion †¢This is just a brief overview of some of the nanomaterials being used in aerospace. The drive for lighter and more efficient air vehicles has led to the rapid adoption of nanotechnology in aerospace manufacturing. †¢The main roadblock, as with many industries looking to adopt nanotechnology, is caused by uncertainty over the environmental and health and safety implications of these materials. Whilst nanomaterials can often be less toxic than the current materials used, the effects of long-term exposure to these novel materials are still uncertain. †¢The potential of nanotechnology in the aerospace industry cannot be denied, however. Outside of airframe and component materials, nanotechnology applications have been found in lubricants, fuel, adhesives and many other areas. †¢Nanotechnology is also helping engineers to create vehicles with the necessary properties to endure the harsh conditions of space.

Elvis Life :: essays research papers

On a hot Saturday afternoon in the late summer of 1953, a beat up ford pickup truck sat in front of The Memphis Recording Studio, where, anyone for 4 dollars a pop could make themselves a record. The truck driver- an eighteen year old, aspiring country music singer who made only $40 a week as a deliveryman for crown electric had saved up four dollars to sing and play guitar as a late birthday present for his mother. A woman by the name of Marion Keisker made conversation with the young man. â€Å"What kind of singer are you?† She asked him. â€Å"I sing all kinds,† he said. â€Å"Well, who do you sound like?† she asked. â€Å"I don’t sound like nobody,† he replied. â€Å"Do you sing hillbilly?† she asked. â€Å"Yeah, I sing hillbilly,† he said. â€Å"Well, what hillbilly do you sound like?† she asked. â€Å"I don’t sound like nobody,† he said. It was at last the young man’s turn. Ms. Keisker went to the back of the studio to get everything setup and decided to stay back and listen to him sing. For his first number, he chose â€Å"My Happiness,† a popular song sung by the Ink spots, and for the his second number, â€Å"That’s When your Heart Ache Begins.† On both songs he accompanied himself on guitar. While performing his first number Ms Keisker was very impressed and secretly recorded the last part of the first song and all of the second song. The Monday morning she gave the tape to Sam Phillips her boss and president of Sun Records. Phillips was very impressed with the young man’s voice. Who would have thought that this silly little recording would soon make a young man the â€Å"King of Rock N’ Roll!† On January 8, 1935, Gladys and Vernon Presley gave birth to a stillborn to whom they gave the name Jesse and 35 minutes later gave birth to his identical twin Elvis Aaron Presley. Elvis was born in East Tupelo Mississippi and was raised by his mother and father who were extremely over protective of him and taught him to be very well behaved and polite. From a very young age Elvis showed evidence of having an exceptional singing talent. By the age of eight he was singing hymns with his mother and father at camp meetings, revivals, and at the Sunday morning services of the First assembly of God Church.

Main Themes in a Farewell to Arms

Written in 1929 by Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms has always been considered a classic piece of literature. A major source of the novel's success is how its themes tied into real life experiences during the First World War. While soldiers of the war fought for their country, they searched for love to escape total chaos and destruction. The two main themes in A Farewell to Arms are the gruesome reality of war and the relationship between love and pain. The first main theme of A Farewell to Arms is the devastation that war brings. Just as the title explains, A Farewell to Arms deals primarily with the process by which the protagonist, Frederic Henry, disconnects himself from the war and leaves it behind. While there are a few characters in the novel who actually support the effort, such as Ettore Moretti, a majority of the characters remain uncertain about the war, angry of the complete devastation it causes, and unconvinced of the splendor it supposedly brings. For example, while Henry and Passini discuss the war, Henry says, â€Å"I believe we should get the war over†¦ It would not finish if one side stopped fighting. It would only be worse if we stopped fighting† (Chapter 9, Page 49). The second main theme of the novel is the connection between love and pain. While the war takes place, Hemingway depicts the true, mysterious behavior of love. Although Catherine mourns for her dead fiance, she quickly begins to seduce Henry. Her intentions for courting Henry are obvious, that is she wants to separate herself from the pain of losing her fiance by finding a new love to fill the void. Likewise, Henry attempts to distance himself from the war as much as possible. By doing so, Henry and Catherine find comfort within each other from the dilemmas that surround them. Just like they fell in love with each other, Henry's feelings for Catherine pass just as quickly as he witnesses her death. As he gives farewell to Catherine's body, Henry says, â€Å"But after I got them to leave and shut the door and turned off the light it wasn't any good. It was like saying good-by to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to he hotel in the rain† (Chapter 41, Page 332). Although Henry and Catherine genuinely loved each other, Henry's heart is now void without the companionship of Catherine. The tragedy of A Farewell to Arms is that their love, although authentic, can never be more than temporary. In my opinion, I enjoyed this novel for a few reasons. First, A Farewell to Arms is a semi-autobiography about Hemingway and his time fighting in the Italian campaigns during World War I. Secondly, the novel is able to give perspective of the troubles and triumphs of those soldiers that fought during the war. Finally, the mysterious love that Henry and Catherine have for each other proved to be interesting and unusual. In conclusion, A Farewell to Arms proved to be a masterpiece in my opinion. While addressing the struggles and feats of those soldiers who fought during World War I, we are able to dive into the conscious of a unique fighter who parts himself from the war as much as possible while trying to find true love, even though the reasoning behind finding love was only to help escape from the war.

Effect of Temperature on Content of Vitamin C Essay

Introduction A daily intake of Vitamin C is essential for humans. Without it, the disease scurvy develops as sailors, explorers and people during the long winters in the Northern hemisphere found before the time of Captain Cook. The British Navy started giving sailors lime juice to prevent scurvy on long voyages in 1795. Vitamin C is found in high levels in foods such as oranges, limes, lemons, blackcurrants, parsley and capsicums. Vitamin C is water soluble and is therefore not stored or synthesized in the body, thus a daily supply is required. It breaks down, and is no longer effective due to factors such as extreme temperatures or storage for more than a few days. Aim To investigate the effect of temperature of juice on the content of Vitamin C. Variables Independent: Temperature of orange juice – 25 °C, 50 °C, 100 °C Dependent: Content of Vitamin C recorded by the number of Iodine drops Controlled: Amount of orange juice – 2mL measure using a 25mL pipette Controlled: Amount of starch solution – 2mL measure using a 25mL pipette Controlled: Amount of hydrochloric acid 1M – 2 drops from a dropper bottle Controlled: Amount of distilled water – 4mL measure using a 25mL pipette Controlled: Molar concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) – 1M controlled using the same dropper bottle of HCl each time Hypothesis As the temperature of the juice increases the content of Vitamin C will decrease. Materials: Nudie orange juice Iodine Starch solution Dropper bottle hydrochloric acid 1M Distilled water 3 conical flasks Test tube rack Bunsen burner 25mL pipette 250mL beaker Heat proof mat Safety Glasses Thermometer Gloves Safety coat Method 1. Place 10mL of Nudie orange juice in a 250mL beaker. 2. Using a Bunsen burner, heat the juice to 25 °C. 3. Measure temperature by placing a thermometer in the juice. 4. Once juice is 25 °C, using a 25mL pipette, add 2mL of the juice into a clean conical flask. 5. Using a 25mL pipette, add 4 mL of distilled water and 2mL of starch solution. 6. Add 2 drops of hydrochloric acid 1M (HCL). 7. Using a dropper bottle of iodine, add iodine drops counting the number of drops added and mixing the solution after each drop. 8. Once the solution starts to turn purple, record the number of iodine drops added for purple to appear. 9. Clean conical flasks using water. 10. Repeat steps 1-9 with 50 °C juice and 100 °C juice. Complete 3 trials for each. Risk Assessment: Risk Prevention Hydrochloric can irritate the skin if in contact Keep the lid closed when not in use. Wear gloves, a safety coat and glasses Risk of Bunsen burner burning the skin Turn the Bunsen burner off when not in use Use a heat proof mat underneath it Keep a safe distance when burning Test tubes are breakable and my cut the skin Keep test tubes in the test tube rack Handle with care Results: Effect of temperature of juice on the content of Vitamin C Temperature of orange juice Number of Iodine drops Average 25 °C 16 drops 14 drops 13 drops 14 drops 50 °C 7 drops 10 drops 8 drops 8 drops 100 °C 5 drops 3 drops 5 drops 4 drops Discussion Vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid is an essential water-soluble nutrient for humans and some animal species. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant serving to prevent cellular damage which is the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. Vitamin C is also required to make collagen, a protein that aids the healing of wounds. The body also needs vitamin C as it improves the absorption of iron and supports the immune system. Vitamin C can be found predominantly in citrus fruits and green vegetables. The Recommended Daily Intake (RDA) is 60 mg per day. Vitamin C deficiency may cause Scurvy. Taking too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps. Vitamin C is the most unstable vitamin which can be easily denatured. At high temperature, in the presence of sun light and oxygen present in air, vitamin C reacts and it is oxidized. Excessive amounts of heat can destroy vitamin C completely. At 70 °C vitamin C is denatured so it should be preserved below 70 °C to avoid heat damage. (Admin, 2013) This experiment should show a result of decreased vitamin C content as the  temperature is increased. It can be seen from the results table and graph of this experiment that the lower the temperature the more vitamin C is present in the orange juice. Each trial was fairly precise and the average showed a near consistent decrease in vitamin C content as the temperature increased. The average drops at 25 °C were 14 and the average at 100 °C was 4 showing a decrease in 10 drops. The results supported the hypothesis as it was clearly seen that as the temperature of the juice increases the content of Vitamin C will decrease. The procedural method was solid and straightforward. There were, however a couple possible sources of error. Using droppers to measure the hydrochloric acid and add the iodine is not very accurate and may produce different quantities which could affect the results. This random error maybe reduced by getting a more accurate measuring device. The major problem however was the interpretation of the colour purple once adding the iodine drops. This is a random error as it affects each result differently depending on the interpretation. To reduce this error, a colour chart should be used to compare with the solution to give a more accurate result on the interpretation of purple. Oxygen and sunlight also denatures vitamin C. The longer the juice was left in the open the more oxygen and sunlight that could decrease the content of vitamin C. The me thod needs to be changed so that it states to put the lid back on the orange juice or a specific time added so each trial the juice is exposed to air for the same amount of time to get more precise results. Conclusion Vitamin C is the most unstable vitamin which can easily be denatured. The investigation was successful with some random errors however the results still supported the hypothesis. Only minor changes are necessary to the experiment but overall the results coincided with the research of the effect of temperature on vitamin C content. To keep high presence of vitamin C while cooking it is recommended that the vegetables are cooked in low heat and small amounts of water for short periods to minimize the loss of vitamin C. Bibliography Admin. (2013, February 14). At What Temperature Does Vitamin C Denature? Retrieved April 15, 2014, from Vitaminable: http://www.vitaminable.com/at-what-temperature-does-vitamin-c-denature.html Ehrlich, S. D. (2011, July 7). Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid). Retrieved April 15, 2014, from University of Maryland Medical Center: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-c-ascorbic-acid Office of Dietary Supplements. (2011, June 24). Vitamin C. Retrieved April 15, 2014, from Office of Dietary Supplements – National Institutes of Health: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-QuickFacts/

Introduction Pollution Research Paper Example

Introduction Pollution Research Paper Example Introduction Pollution Paper Introduction Pollution Paper Essay Topic: Water pollution Pollution is the introduction oaf contaminant into a natural environment, usually by humans. While most people think of pollution as chemical waste dumped into rivers, or factories spewing toxins into the air, it can also include light pollution or sound pollution. These are example of pollutions such as air pollution, water pollution and land pollution. Firstly, the air pollution is the accumulation in the atmosphere of substances that, in sufficient concentrations, endanger human health or produce other measured effects on living matter and other materials. Among the major sources of pollution are power and heat generation, the burning of solid wastes, industrial processes, and, especially, transportation. The six major types Of pollutants are carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulates, sulfur dioxide, and photochemical oxidants. These are examples of air pollution; * Tobacco Smoke Tobacco smoke is one of the major forms of pollution in buildings. It is not only the smoker who is infected, but everyone who inhales the polluted air. There is a very strong connection between smoking and lung cancer. Bronchitis is common among smokers and unborn babies of mothers who smoke also suffer from the harmful effects of smoking. * Exhaust Gases of Vehicles Pollution from exhaust gases of vehicles is responsible for 60% of all air pollution and in cities up to 80%. There is a large variety of harmful chemicals present in these gases, with lead being one Of the most dangerous. Combustion of Coal The combustion of coal without special precautions can have serious consequences. If winds do not blow away the poisonous gases, they can have fatal effects and may lead to death. Acid rain Acid rain is the term for pollution caused when sulfur and nitrogen dioxides combine with atmospheric moisture to produce highly acidic rain, snow, hail, or fog. The acid eats into the stone, brick and metal articles and pollutes water sources. Coal in South Africa is rich in sulfur and the power stations in the Mulligan Province could be responsible for acid rain over other areas of our country. Moreover, another example of pollution is water pollution. Water pollution is the introduction into fresh or ocean waters of chemical, physical, or illogical material that degrades the quality of the water and affects the organisms living in it. This process ranges from simple addition of dissolved or suspended solids to discharge of the most insidious and persistent toxic pollutants (such as pesticides, heavy metals, and no degradable, bio accumulative, chemical compounds). These are examples Of water pollution * Industrial affluent Water is discharged from after having been used in production processes. This waste water may contain acids, alkalis, salts, poisons, oils and in some cases harmful bacteria. K Mining and Agricultural Wastes Mines, especially gold and coal mines, are responsible for large quantities of acid water. Agricultural pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides may wash into rivers and stagnant water bodies. Sewage Disposal and Domestic Wastes Sewage as well as domestic and farm wastes were often allowed to pollute rivers and dams. Lastly is the land pollution. Land pollution is the degradation of the Earths land surface through misuse of the soil by poor agricultural practices, mineral exploitation, industrial waste dumping and indiscriminate disposal of urban wastes. It includes visible waste and litter as well as pollution of the soil itself. Examples of Land Pollution; * Soil Pollution Soil pollution is mainly due to chemicals in herbicides (weed killers) and pesticides (poisons which kill insects and other invertebrate pests). Litter is waste material dumped in public places such as streets, parks, picnic areas, at bus stops and near shops. * Waste Disposal The accumulation Of Waste threatens the health Of people in residential areas. Waste decays, encourages household pests and turns urban areas into unsightly, dirty and unhealthy places to live in.

The Truth About Government Grants

The Truth About Government Grants Contrary to what books and TV ads say, the U.S. government is not giving away free grant money. A government grant is not a Christmas present. According to the book American Government Politics, by Jay M. Shafritz, a grant is, A form of gift that entails certain obligations on the part of the grantee and expectations on the part of the grantor. The key word there is obligations. Getting a government grant will get you lot of obligations and not fulfilling them will grant you a lot of legal troubles. In fact, the tantalizing but false lure of â€Å"free† money from the government has spawned some potentially disastrous government grant scams. Few Grants for Individuals Most federal grants are awarded to organizations, institutions, and state and local governments planning major projects that will benefit specific sectors of the population or the community as a whole, for example:   A neighborhood street paving projectA state-wide program to re-train displaced workersA project to attract new businesses to a depressed downtown areaA regional water conservation programA state or county-wide flood control project   Organizations that get government grants are subject to strict government oversight and must meet detailed government performance standards during the duration of the project and funding period of the grant. All project expenditures must be strictly accounted for and detailed audits are conducted by the government at least annually. All granted funds must be spent. Any money not spent goes back to the Treasury. Detailed program goals must be developed, approved and carried out exactly as specified in the grant application. Any project changes must be approved by the government. All project phases must be completed on time. And, of course, the project must be completed with demonstrable success. Failure on the part of the grant recipient to perform under the requirements of the grant can result in penalties ranging from economic sanctions to prison in cases of improper use or theft of public funds. By far, most government grants are applied for and awarded to other government agencies, states, cities, colleges and universities, and research organizations. Few individuals have the money or expertise necessary to prepare adequate applications for federal grants. Most active grant-seekers, in fact, employ full time staffs to do nothing but apply for and administer federal grants. The plain truth is that with federal funding cutbacks and competition for grants becoming more intense, seeking a federal grant always requires a lot of time and potentially a lot of money up front with no guarantee of success. Program or Project Budget Approval Through the annual federal budget process, Congress passes laws making money lots of it available to the various government agencies for doing major projects designed to assist some sector of the public. The projects may be suggested by the agencies, members of Congress, the president, states, cities, or members of the public. But, in the end, Congress decides which programs get how much money for how long. Finding and Applying for Grants Once the federal budget is approved, funds for the grant projects start to become available and are announced in the Federal Register throughout the year. The official access point for information on all federal grants is the Grants.gov website. Who is Eligible to Apply for Grants? The grant’s entry on the Grants.gov website will list which organizations or individuals are eligible to apply for the grants. The entry for all grants will also explain: How  the grant money can be used;How to apply including detailed contact information;How applications will be reviewed, judged and awarded; andWhat is expected of successful grantees including reports, audits, and performance standards Other Types of Federal Government Benefits While grants are clearly off the table, there are several other federal government benefit and assistance programs that can and do help individuals with many needs and life situations Beware the ‘Free’ Government Grant Scams The illusion that government grants are somehow â€Å"owed† to taxpayers and are thus available for â€Å"free† has inevitably led to numerous dangerous grant-getting scams. Consider the following offer. â€Å"Because you pay your income taxes on time, you have been awarded a free $12,500 government grant! To get your grant, simply give us your checking account information, and we will direct-deposit the grant into your bank account!† So compelling! But as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency warns, such money for nothing† grant offers are almost always scams. Some ads will claim that just about anybody will qualify to get â€Å"free grants† to pay for education, home improvements, business expenses, even credit card balances. Along with email ads, grants scammers often make telephone calls claiming they work for a â€Å"government agency† that has â€Å"discovered† you qualify for a grant. In either case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back. No matter what the offer’s bait is, the hook is always the same. After congratulating them on their eligibility, the scammer asks their victim for their checking account information so the grant money can be â€Å"deposited directly† into their account or to cover a â€Å"one-time processing fee.† The scammer may even reassure the victims that they will get a full refund if they are not satisfied. Of course, the reality is that while the victims never see any grant money, they do see money disappear from the bank accounts. As the FTC advises, consumers should never give out their bank account information to anyone they don’t know. â€Å"Always keep your bank account information confidential. Don’t share it unless you are familiar with the company and know why the information is necessary,† warns the FTC. Persons who suspect they have been a victim of a government grant scam should file a complaint with the FTC online, or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Best seven websites in healthcare law Assignment

Best seven websites in healthcare law - Assignment Example The website is effective since it uses simple sentences that are easy to understand in breaking down the facts to its target audience. In this website, the authors criticize the affordable health care act. The website provides the audience with a detailed view of the law as it analyses its various features. The website gives divergent views and the thoughts of people. Unlike the other website, this website criticizes the laws and in doing this expands the audiences’ views on the laws. Such is a significant function that improves the enlightenment of both the electorate and the political elite. This website explains various laws in the country that affects the operation of health facilities in the country and the receipt of the services. The affordable health care act revolutionized the health care sector. The website therefore explains the various features and implications of the law in the country. The website explains the intricate features of the affordable healthcare act. The website introduces the law explaining its implications in simple language. The law seeks to increase the number of middle class Americans receiving high quality health care in the country. The law introduces new legal features that ensure that the society’s poor receive quality health care. Key among the features is accountability of the insurance service providers. In doing this, the law enlightens the populace on the responsibilities of the numerous insurance service providers in the country. New York Times is a daily news publication that covers various issues affecting the lives of the citizens. In the website, the company details numerous features of health law reforms in the United States. The website provides an informative view to various health law reforms in the country including the actions of the policy makers and the implications of such actions. The website provides a

Overpopulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Overpopulation - Essay Example The pieces of evidence presented by census findings, instead of theories of demography, furnish the inevitable core of this idea. These are all according to the proponents of population reduction. During the time of Jesus, the population of the world may have been around 300 million people, densely packed mainly in China, India, and the Mediterranean region (Fagley 1960, 15). After analyzing different approximations, the Secretariat of the United Nations Population Division, proposes â€Å"that the world’s population was likely to have been between 200 and 300 million at the beginning of the Christian era† (Fagley 1960, 15). At some point between1930 and 1960, the growth in the population of the world will be roughly 1 billion, or approximately three times the overall population during the age of the New Testament (Green 2008). Furthermore, this population growth may be twice as huge as the world’s total population during the Reformation. This phenomenon is calle d ‘population explosion’ (Fagley 1960, 15-16). With the current rate of population growth, it can be estimated that in six centuries the number of people on the planet will be such that there will be just a square meter for each individual to inhabit (Jakab 2008). However, this would be impossible since something will take place to stop it. As an arithmetical practice, the picture of the imagined population explosion can certainly be furthered (Gilland 2008). In an April 1958 hypothetical article John L. Russell, S.J. theorized that, supposing a population that grows twofold every century, a growth rate significantly below the current rate, the current population of the world would have stemmed from an Adam and Eve existent roughly in 1000 B.C. (Hollingsworth 1996). A vivid illustration of this theory is presented in the following passage (Fagley 1960): One thousand years hence, at the same rate, there would be two million million people†¦ In 2,500 years from now, the population would be so densely packed that there would be one man on every square yard of the earth’s surface, including the sea. In 5,000 years the weight of human beings would be equal to the total weight of the earth, and in 14,000 years to the estimated total weight of the universe (ibid, p. 18). Apparently, such practices are only useful in illustrating that the current population growth rate cannot continue, and that the issue of overpopulation cannot be mitigated unless the growth rate itself is substantially altered. The major issue at this point is the importance of the short-range forecasts demonstrating the possibility that the human population will double in the very near future. This is certainly not an exploratory or hypothetical practice. This is the reasonable and valid repercussion of the established truth. This is an extension of a population explosion already in full swing. Is there really a problem of overpopulation? What should the governments do abou t this so-called threat of overpopulation? Should population growth be aggressively controlled by the enforcement of laws and taxes? The next section will review and discuss the arguments for and against the implementation of population growth control measures by the government. Overpopulation should be stopped: True or False? Different assertions have been made for endorsing population control mechanisms. They run the

Joint Commission Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Joint Commission Safety - Essay Example Joint Commission Safety The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) were established in 2002 to help accredited organizations address specific areas of concern in regards to patient safety. NPSGs encompass 15 goals and areas concerned include patient identification, caregiver communication, medication safety, control and prevention of health-care associated infections, medication reconciliation, fall reduction, vaccinations, surgical fire prevention, patient involvement, pressure ulcers, and risk assessment. According to the Joint Commission (2012), the National Patient Safety Goals for 2012 focus on the following: improvement of the accuracy of patient identification through use of at least two patient identifiers in providing care, treatment and services and elimination of transfusion errors related to patient misidentification; improvement of communication effectiveness among caregivers by timely reporting of critical results of tests and diagnostic procedures; improvement of medica tion safety by labeling all medications, containers, and solutions in the perioperative and procedural settings, reducing harm from use of anticoagulant therapy, and maintaining and communicating accurate patient medication information; reduction of risk from health-care associated infections through compliance with hand hygiene guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) and implementation of evidence-based practices to prevent health care-associated infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections and indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI); reduction of patient harm from falls by addressing the risk; prevention of health care-associated pressure ulcers (decubitus ulcers) through assessment and taking action of the identified risks; and organizational identification of safety risks per patient population such as risk for suicide, risk of home fires from patient receiving oxygen therapy at home, and incidence of wrong site, wrong procedure and wrong person surgery (n.p). The 2012 NPSGs is applicable to the hospital and critical access hospital accreditation programs with focus on health care-associated infections, particularly catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among the elderly. According to the CDC (2012), there are 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries among elderly treated in emergency department in 2009 and 581,000 of which were hospitalized while 19,700 elderly died from unintentional fall injuries in 2008 (n.p.). The injury and mortality associated with falls among elderly could have been prevented if the hospitals and staff strictly adhered to the Joint Commission’s NPSG of reducing the risk of patient harm resulting from falls. Elderly patients are at risk for falls because of decrease cognitive ability, age-related factors affecting stability, and different pat hologic conditions (Grayson, 2006, 84-85). The goal requires health care institutions to implement and evaluate a fall reduction program in order to reduce the risk of injury should a fall occurs and provide services to specific population. Evaluation of risks for falls include taking fall history, review of medications and alcohol consumption, screening gait and balance walking aids, and assessment of assistive technologies, protective devices, and environments. The

Varieties Of English Accents Tyneside English English Language Essay

Varieties Of English Accents Tyneside English English Language Essay Tyneside English, otherwise known as Geordie, is one of the most distinctive and unique accents of the United Kingdom. This essay focuses on the phonology, lexis and grammar of this particular dialect, and the historical, social and geographical factors which have influenced its distinctive features. Phonologically, the features analysed are TH-fronting, glottalisation and centring diphthongs, grammatically I have looked at second person pronouns and double modals and the final feature I have analysed is a lexical feature, the term netty. Several academic sources have been used in this essay and thus a brief evaluation of the reliability of them have been discussed. Firstly, looking at the phonology of Tyneside English, a striking feature is TH-fronting, which historically, is a merger that occurs in several dialects, including Cockney and Liberian English. The labiodental fricatives /f/ and /v/ are merged with the Early Modern English dental fricatives /ÃŽÂ ¸/ and /ÃÆ' °/, for instance the adjective three is pronounced as the adjective free. A geographical factor which may have influenced TH-fronting in Newcastle is a pattern of wave or contagion diffusion (Beal 2010:81). TH-fronting is an established feature of London speech and the feature is spreading westwards and northwards from London and thus is only just beginning to be adopted in Newcastle. As Kerswill claims, TH-fronting is adopted later the further North you go (Beal 2010:81). A social factor which may have influenced the spread of TH-fronting to areas like Newcastle from London is the popularity of the media, which have made people less oblivious than previous generations of a large range of accent features. Current evidence suggests individuals and communities imitate people when they meet them and thus adopt new forms of pronunciation, which appear to be extremely stigmatised features (BBC Voices). In addition, prejudice and stereotyping may be another social factor, as labiodental variants have traditionally been socially stigmatised and therefore tend to be avoided by middle-class speakers (Schneider 2004:192). Another phonological feature of Tyneside English is that of glottalisation, for instance the voiced alveolar plosive /p/ is accompanied by a glottal stop /ʆ/ in between vowels. An example of this is /hà ¦ÃƒÅ Ã¢â‚¬ pi:/, as opposed to the Standard English /hà ¦pi/. Beal (2010) states a geographical factor which may have influenced this: the diffusion of Estuary English from London to urban areas much further North, such as Newcastle. However, an alternative view concerning the origin of glottalisation is that it was first observed in the west of Scotland as early as 1860 and didnt occur in London until the beginning of the twentieth century (Pà ©rez-Guerra 2007:39). A social factor which may have influenced the distribution of glottalisation is the fact that Estuary English has been described as an accent of prestige (Anonymous 2006:2) as it is associated with Standard English. The imposed norm hypothesis states the standard variety has come to be regarded as superior due to social pressures (Long 2002:14), therefore arguably Estuary English has spread because it is perceived as desirable. Historically, the feature seems to have diffused to urban centres outside the south-east within the last 30-40 years (Kerswill 2003:11). In addition, Beal suggests another geographical factor which may have affected the distribution of glottalisation: diffusion of the urban hierarchal type whereby the variant starts in larger cities and then spreads out into the smaller towns (Beal 2010:80). In terms such as gate, which is categorised as a face vowel in John Wells Lexical Sets (1982), speakers of the Geordie accent use the centring diphthongs /IÉâ„ ¢/ or /eÉâ„ ¢/, rather than the Standard English /eI/. Watt and Milroy (1999) discovered only older, working class males used the diphthong /IÉâ„ ¢/, whereas younger Tynesiders used the monophthong /e:/ (Watson 2006:56). Watt and Milroy suggest a social factor which may have influenced this: younger Tynesiders are signalling that they dont wish to identify with their old-fashioned fathers, but still wish to be identified as Northerners (Beal 2010:19). A historical factor which may have affected this is the influence of Middle English. The diphthongs [ɆºÃƒâ€°Ã‚ ª] and [É ªÃƒâ€°Ã¢â€ž ¢] were a result of syllable lengthening, as the monophthong /i:/, derived from the Middle English /Ɇº/, was lengthened. A morphosyntactic feature of Tyneside English is the distinction between the singular and plural second person pronouns. In Standard English, no distinction is made, as you can refer to one person or a group of people. On the contrary, speakers of Tyneside English use you in the singular tense and youse in the plural tense. This is often perceived as bad grammar by speakers of Standard English. However Katie Wales (2006), suggests a social factor which influences the distinction is many dialect speakers have felt the loss of a singular-plural distinction in Standard English to be a disadvantage and so have initiated more plurals (Wales 1996:19). This is a valid argument, as the loss of the distinction does appear to be more problematic (Beal 2010:40), as no distinction can sometimes be troublesome, as it is not always clear to whom one is referring to. A historical factor which influenced the distinction is possibly the influence from the large influx of Irish people to Tyneside betw een 1850-1900. Geographically, Kortmann (2008) describes the term youse as Northern (Beal 2010:40). According to Standard English, only one modal verb can appear in each verb phrase as they lack an infinitive and therefore the phrase he might could do it is ungrammatical. However, in Tyneside English, this does not apply, as long as the second modal verb is can or could and thus the previous construction is perfectly acceptable. Forms such as he might could do it are not only quite common, but also serve specific pragmatic purposes (Fisiak 1997:1514). Montgomery and Nagle (1993) suggest a historical factor which may have influenced double modals could be the American and British varieties developing in tandem from some incipient grammatical structure in seventeenth century Scots, as the earliest recorded instances of todays double modals are in Scotland and Southern American English. (Fisiak 1997:1514). Sometimes, the meaning of double modals is different in Tyneside English than in Standard English. For example, the Standard English phrase The lift cant be working can also mean Th e lift mustnt be working in Tyneside English, meaning misunderstandings are almost guaranteed (Keuchler 2007:19). Moving on to lexical features, a common term used in Tyneside lexis is netty, meaning an outside toilet (British Library). A historical factor which may have influenced this is the influence of loanwords, although this is uncertain. It is highly probable that the term comes from a Modern Romanic Italian form of the word gabinetti, meaning toilet. However, John Trotter Brockett (1829), connects the Geordie word netty to the Modern English adjective needy. On the BBC Voices website, Yaron Matras points out that many local dialects in Northumbria have incorporated words of Romani origin into the local slang. Similarly, the British Library website suggests a geographical factor which influences the distribution of the term, claiming There has been a Roma presence for centuries in the Borders area and so it is not surprising this has influenced speech in the North East. Whilst producing this essay, the most helpful and reliable source available was the British Library Sounds Familiar? website. With several audio clips provided to investigate the Geordie Dialect and a case-study specifically on Geordie, the website gives an in-depth study on Tyneside English. Not only does the website allow the user to listen to voice recordings, it also gives the Standard English equivalent and a detailed explanation of the feature. On the contrary, a website which was less useful, was the BBC Voices website. Although the author of the website is the BBC which is an academic institution, the website used anecdotal evidence to support its claims. Furthermore, the information on the Geordie accent was limited and specialist terminology isnt used. Another website looked at was the Sounds Comparisons website. On one hand, this was a reliable source, as it had a whole section dedicated to Tyneside English and allows the user to listen to every vowel and consonant in the Geordie dialect. In contrast, there was no linguistic explanation to compliment the sound recordings, which meant it wasnt helpful when analysing the historical, geographical and social aspects of the variables. Finally, another source included in my research was the British Library Archival Sound Recordings website, which was the least reliable of the four. Despite the fact it allows the user to listen to local people speaking the Geordie dialect, the only explanation given is the topic of conversation, rather than a linguistic analysis. Overall, with the exception of the British Library Sounds Familiar? website, academic books were more informative and reliable, in particular Joan Beals An Introduction to Regional Englishes (2010). In conclusion, the Geordie accent has been described as a proud badge of cultural identity, as invasions of the North-East meant Newcastle was linguistically isolated from other developments in Northumbria. Moreover, the River Tweed is a significant Northern barrier against the influence of the Scots, meaning Newcastle has resisted centralising tendencies (British Library Sounds Familiar?) of Edinburgh. Tyneside English appears to have resisted dialect levelling which leads to a loss of distinctiveness in dialects (Beal 2010:2) as there are significant differences (British Library Sounds Familiar?) between Geordie and other local dialects such as Pitmatic.

Common Man Tragedy in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essay

The idea of dramatic tragedy is a classical one, discussed in Aristotle's Poetics. Before it can be established as to whether Miller really has written a tragedy or not, the very concept of tragedy must be investigated. Aristotle asserted, 'Tragedy is a representation, an imitation, of an action.1? He went on to outline the common features tragic drama must have. Tragedy has six elements, which, in order of importance, are: plot, character, thought, music, language, and spectacle. The plot requires peripeteia, anagnorisis, and cathartic effect. It must take place in one day, in one setting, with a unity of plot (i.e. all tragic, no comic subplot). The character must be ?good? (there is some debate as to the vague nature of this word), be 'true to type', be consistent in behaviour, be a great man (that is, to be representative of a whole society), and have one single tragic flaw. Thought is exactly that; the ideas that the speakers express in language. Music is also self-explanat ory. As for language and spectacle, the development of these is the perpetual instinct of drama to struggle closer and closer to real life. Willy Loman's character does adhere to the tragic hero guidelines to a certain extent. Rather than being a man who is a representative of a society, he represents society. His allegorical name of 'Loman' or 'Low-man' allowed Miller to twist the formula somewhat. He is true to type in that he dreams the American Dream, and subscribes to the desire for money and material possessions in capitalist society. Whether Willy is a 'good' man is debatable; his affair would indicate that he is not, his wife dotes on him, and Biff is crushed by the discovery of the mistress, so much so that he loses all faith in his fa... ...illy is a victim of the society in which he lives, or a victim of his own poor judgement. ?Willy is not simply a victim of that success-mongering culture. Miller wishes us to see that Willy accepts the success value all too easily and completely. The play suggests that, along with our pity for Willy, we take a critical attitude.8? Bibliography: BROWN, J. R. and HARRIS, B. (1974) American Theatre ARNOLD DOWNER, A. S. (1975) American Drama and Its Critics CHICAGO KERNAN, A. B. (1967) The Modern American Theater SPECTRUM KRUTCH, J. W. (1967) American Drama since 1918 BRAZILLER LUCAS, F. L. (1972) Tragedy ? Serious drama in relation to Aristotle?s Poetics CHATTO & WINDUS PORTER, T. E. (1969) Myth and Modern American Drama WAYNE SCANLAN, T. (1978) Family, Drama, and American Dreams GREENWOOD WILLIAMS, R. (1969) Modern Tragedy CHATTO & WINDUS

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 29

Her name was the Mina M. She was a speedy ship and a thing of beauty, with sleek lines and white sails. Her wooden mast was oiled to a sheen, boasting smart red flags that snapped in the breeze. I stood at the prow and closed my eyes, imagining our journey. The stinging salt air and the bright yellow sun would whip my cheeks red as the Mina cut through waves, leaving white foam and spray in her wake. Little silver fish would glint in the water below in their hurry to get out of the way. On our travels we would see tiny skiffs cross the water loaded up with bananas and rum in the West Indies. We'd trade for spices in India. I'd finally see Italy, walk through the Sistine Chapel, marvel in front of the Duomo, and drink Chianti straight from the vineyard. Maybe†¦ maybe this would be a new way of life for me. Traveling at the speed of water rather than confining myself to the shadows. I'd never stay in one port for too long, outrunning death and my curse. Sailors usually had no friends but the men they crewed with – I would fit right in. But then I opened my eyes, my fantasy evaporating into the heavy midnight that surrounded me. A dense cloud cover obscured the sky and any stars embedded there failed to shine through. The Mina slipped silently out to sea, cutting the oily water with barely a hiss. This was the vampire's realm. Though my ring allowed me to walk in the daylight, my world existed in darkness. It was then, while the sun slumbered, that I hunted, evaded enemies, spewed curses, broke promises, and gave myself over to hate. We had escaped Klaus's minion, but we hadn't defeated him. He and his master were still out there, somewhere, planning on future torture and death for me and Damon. Lexi came up on deck behind me and touched my shoulder. â€Å"We're en route to San Francisco,† she said quietly. â€Å"I've not been there†¦ in a while. But you'll love the fog and dismal weather. Great for brooding.† She gave me a thin smile. â€Å"And I can tell you're going to be quite the brooder.† I leaned against the deck rail. I didn't have the heart to tell her that there would never be a place for me, that I would never fit. And I didn't deserve to, after all the lives I'd ended. The night wind tousled my thick brown hair and Lexi tucked it behind my ear. â€Å"He said an eye for an eye,† I began. â€Å"Yes. Well.† Lexi took a deep sigh and looked serious for a moment, eyes narrowing. â€Å"This is a fast ship and it will take him time to figure out our manifest. Besides the legal cargo of tea and coffee, there's a sizable shipment of opium they're planning to pick up in Frisco. The captain failed to register with the dock master, so it will be a while before anyone figures out where we turn tail to.† â€Å"No. I mean yes, that's good.† I rubbed a sudden spray of water from my eyes. â€Å"But I meant†¦ he killed the people that were supposed to be our wives, because his Katherine was killed.† Lexi nodded, shivering. â€Å"And then he grabbed you†¦ and was going to kill you and me, and probably Damon, in a church, just like Katherine was killed.† Lexi narrowed her eyes. â€Å"I'm not sure I understand where you're going with this.† â€Å"If he was being so particular about whom he killed and in what manner, why didn't he set the place on fire?† Lexi blinked. I saw her work through the logic. She stayed silent for a long time. I couldn't read her eyes, but still I felt embarrassed to be thinking of Katherine at a time like this. â€Å"Stefan,† she began. â€Å"Please listen to me. There are all levels of evil among our kind. From that old thing that commits great atrocities to†¦ minor, horrible little things that exist just for their own pleasure, regardless of whom it hurts. â€Å"Katherine wanted you to become a vampire. And look at the results. Do not weep overmuch for her, Stefan, or search for clues to her death or existence. Let her go. It is truly the best thing you can do.† I turned my head away from her and looked toward the only star bright enough to shine through the cloud cover – the North Star. Katherine was like that star: fixed in place, a silent specter hanging above me, a benchmark against which to measure my progress. No matter my feelings toward her, she had made me, and she would be with me always. â€Å"We're not all evil,† I said, putting my arm around her. â€Å"You're not.† â€Å"I'm a lot older than you,† she said gently. â€Å"And who I am now isn't who I've always been. You're not the only one with things to atone for, Stefan. But I've made a vow to myself to be different.† â€Å"Oh, ugh. Vows.† Damon stumbled onto deck loudly. â€Å"By Our Lord, haven't we made enough vows for a lifetime?† â€Å"The marriages were your idea, not mine,† I pointed out. â€Å"Waah, wahh, I'm a vampire, I had a really great wedding, great champagne, my brother rescued me, and I'm still tortured.† He bounced off the deck rails, palming the smooth wood and propelling himself back to the other side, port to starboard back and forth until he reached us. The untrained eye would have marked him as drunk, but there was a telltale crimson smear in the corner of his lips. He was drunk with our escape, with our rescue, with the lifeblood of some poor cabin boy – but not with drink. Not yet, at least. â€Å"Yes, and speaking of rescues, Margaret†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I prompted. Damon sighed. â€Å"When I confronted her about being able to withstand compulsion, Margaret admitted she was a witch and said she would help me.† â€Å"Just like that?† I asked skeptically. Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"In return for us leaving New York and never coming back – in her lifetime, at least. And, this is the part that kills me, returning the dowries.† â€Å"Aw, Damon. I'm so sorry,† Lexi said, her sparkling eyes belying her serious tone. â€Å"Your plan to fleece the rich didn't work out. Better luck next time.† She punched him lightly in the shoulder. â€Å"We owe her our lives,† I said seriously. â€Å"She didn't have to help us at all. By all rights, she shouldn't have. The protection spell she cast around her and her husband – do you think it will really keep them safe?† â€Å"I have to believe. Either way, she's a better soul than you lot,† Lexi pronounced. â€Å"And speaking of better souls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said, barely suppressing a smile, â€Å"what made you come back and rescue me? I thought you were hell-bent on ‘never forgiving me' and ‘punishing me until the end of my days.'† Damon's blue eyes were veiled. â€Å"Yes. Well, I meant every word. I will never forgive you. I will torture your every living moment.† I shook my head, tamping down the stirring of black rage inside me that wanted to shout to Damon that he may have lost the love of his life, but I lost a life that I loved. And a father, and a home. And a brother. But as quickly as the rage flowed in, it ebbed back out again, leaving me hollow. How could I expect my brother to forgive me for turning him into a vampire when I couldn't forgive myself for it? He had once loved me, as I had once loved Katherine, but I would never, ever forgive her for making me what I was now. Damon took me by the shoulders. â€Å"Besides,† he added, the corners of his lips turning up, â€Å"if anyone is going to kill you, it's going to be me.† Then, without another word, he leaped with vampiric speed to the deck rail itself, balancing without moving a muscle as the boat dipped and rocked in the water, as though he were the ship's figurehead, carved in cold marble. He lifted his hand in salute. â€Å"I'll be seeing you, brother.† Then, before I could even utter his name, he stepped off the rail and plunged into the dark water below. I raced to the edge of the boat and looked at the churning water. But my brother didn't resurface. Lexi and I stood there for what felt like an eternity, until we were so far from shore and sky that it felt as though we were suspended in blackness. Then, when the sun finally peeked its red head over the watery horizon, we went inside the dimly lit cabin to face our future.