Newsreel subject area †Newfoundland

The third place among the developed countries means responsibility for peace, support to needed and burden that is laid by global unions and associations to Canada. It is a front line, without any place to step back. But, all these duties and obligations may weaken Canadian ‘body’ if there is no inner support and strength. Destruction always follows up division and the core factor to avoid it is to submit provincial powers to single governmental authority. Disregarding the Conservatives’ opposition, Canadian government took actions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. On October, 2006, Liberals made the first attempt to meet Kyoto goals and introduced the Tory bill that would regulate auto industry and oil and gas sector, and apply fines and jail terms in cases of industrial over-pollution. It was supposed that smog levels and emissions would be cut by 45 to 64 percent from 2010 to 2050 and next four years were aimed at short- and long-term schedules for industries to cut emissions. Still, ‘if production increases, the overall amount of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants could grow’ (CBC News, October 19, 2006). Thus, the bill was called ‘economy-devastating’ and declared invalid (CBC, February 14, 2007). Today Baird said â€Å"the government will explore emission credit trading with the U.S. and Mexico† (CBC, CBC, April 25, 2007), along with domestic trading, technological investments and cleaning development. The details and expenses to cover were not revealed, but, the nearest future will disclose a standstill or headway of the government. As a democratic country, Canada turned to be among those countries, which compose the International Assistance Force and, since 2001, were involved in democratic process in Afghanistan. Canada’s military mission included post-war assistance, heavy weapons cantonment, demining, training, along with loans to individuals (CBC, November 1, 2006). In 2006, Canadian soldiers were elected to operate two more years. This fatal vote engraved 46 military and one diplomat, comparing to total 55 soldiers, in nation’s memory (CBC, April  20, 2007). Eight of them were killed in one week: â€Å"six were killed on Easter Sunday, while two were killed three days later (CBC, April 25, 2007). According to â€Å"The Telegram†, all soldiers, who died of roadside bomb explosions, were from Atlantic Canada, ‘including Newfoundlanders Donald Lucas and Kevin Kennedy (April 25, 2007). These soldiers will be honored by 5,000 people in New Brunswick on Wednesday. The facts show that democracy, as any other good, is paved with thorns, rather than roses. Fishery Products International was formed in 1984 in Newfoundland; therefore, rural province was given a chance to raise inner economy. Nevertheless, workers, who were standing for the company, were left without a contract since March 31, 2005 (CBC, April 22, 2007). Overseas competition resulted in labor costs’ $2 cut and a strike. The Fish, Food and Allied Workers union agreed on a $1.06 reduction, yet workers voted against the agreement and were ready to ‘starve to death on the picket line’ (CBC, April 23, 2007), rather than work. Their devotion passes unnoticed on top; thus, current wages $13.66/hour remains open till the strike deadline on April 30 (CBC, April 25, 2007). Residents of Newfoundland’s Daniels’ Harbor run the risk of slides, when the cliff based in clay become eroded at the bottom (CBC, April 19, 2007); while twelve of them were evacuated. Five buildings, one business and a highway were affected by the series of slides and were waiting for the officials, who faced this kind of emergency for the first time. Victims of the disaster are expecting financial aid from Emergency Measures Office to rebuild new homes (CBC, April 20, 2007); but public is also welcomed to contribute its share to the Daniel’s Harbor Disaster Fund. The outcome of a possible destruction of other structures was another evacuation, ordered by Newfoundland’s officials (CBC April 25, 2007). The planned girls’ ball hockey championship finally starts on April 27 in Bonavista. School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador sponsors provincial girls and awaits the  championship banner and medals that will be gained through the series of games on Friday and Saturday. Moreover, sponsors have nominated individual players, who will ‘receive an individual sportsmanship medal’ (â€Å"The Telegram†, April 25, 2007). Surfing forums of the National Magazine, I took the one that exactly fits the articles, mentioned above. I’ve marked four subdivisions in the National News forum that will be listed in descending order: politics (8 threads), society (5 threads), and both economy and environment hold three threads. The top issue of the day for Canadians is decentralization of Canada. Quebec that is looking for the ‘freedom from external authority’ (Halonen, March 30, 2007), along with British Columbia and Ontario seems to stay aside from the needed regions and equal payments. Posts ‘for’ the split are united by the idea of self-government and all-sufficient autonomy, turning the blind eye towards the inner competition and ashes that will follow the years of separation. Lack of a domestic freer trade does not mean that Canada has ‘screwed itself’ (Newgold8, April 16, 2007), because of the positive trade balance, comparing to the U.S.’ and EU’s negative ones, and surplus that covers national debt (DennisP, April 12, 2007). Posts ‘against’ modernization and smaller chunks prove that Canada will stay in its leading position only if the play will go on collectively, not separately. ‘Decentralize †¦ and you lose one of the incentives for the provinces to play nice with each other’ (ThinkOrThwim, April 7, 2007). Canada is a country of democrats, who wish they would veto seal hunt and destruction of fisheries, separatism, anti-Semitism, along with global warming, military issues and capitalism, if only they could be united, which is the greatest contrast with the U.S. Yet, they are the patriots, like we are; but, inter-provincial separation makes them inwardly focused more that outwardly. My life in Canada seems to be more stable, aside of terrorism, hurricanes and taxes that are spend on weapons and national defense. Works Cited: The Canadian Press. Thousands Expected to Attend Memorial Service For Fallen Canadian Soldiers. Online. The Telegram. Internet. April 25, 2007. Available: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=25091&sc=79

Oijiojoi

Rise of one person at the expense of another, contrasting worlds, disguises, and redemption reveal the four most common Dramatic Patterns found throughout The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. To start with, rise of one person at the expense of another Is a pattern that ultimately describes an Individual whose actions take effect upon themselves. In this case, an example of this pattern would be how the Nurse and Lady Caplet try and convince Juliet to marry Count Paris.Lady Caplet, who barely speaks to Juliet since he was born, surprisingly beckons her to accept Paris' hand in marriage. When the Nurse hears Lady Caplet's request, she also tries to persuade Juliet to marry Paris. This example exposes to the audience how both of the characters are personally setting up the marriage for Juliet only to satisfy themselves. Count Paris is blood related to the Prince, and knowing If they got Juliet to marry him Into the family, his wealth will be shared upon with them. They both consider how muc h advantages they would get over Gullet's wellbeing and happiness.Take the Nurse for instance, in the play, the audience may recognize that she over exaggerates how lovely the idea of marrying Paris when she apprehends the idea of the service she was going to get within Paris. Another example of this pattern Is when the Friar agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet. Like the first example, this reveals the greediness within Friar Lawrence. Within the flirts few scenes before agreeing to the marriage, he disagrees greatly of Romeos love for Juliet and mentions how he tends to rush relationships to an expense. Pam 2After pondering over the idea, he realizes that their forbidden love can patch the Caplet and Montague houses back together in peace. He quickly changes his mind and decides to wed them both, assuming he will get all the credit for mending the feuding households together. Additionally, contrasting worlds is another dramatic pattern that discloses this play and contrasts the differ ences between the servants and their masters. A scene in the play that specifically describes this pattern is when the servants were having a personal party within the Caplet party.When the audience thinks about servants, they think about the responsible tasks that they have to savor for their masters. The audience least expects the servants to have a laughing matter at their own leaders' party. In this case, the Caplet servants are not respecting their roles, but Instead, act as equal within the household to try and gain more privileges. In addition, another instance of this dramatic pattern is when Gullet's father calls the Nurse by her first name, Angelica. While in the midst of preparation for the wedding, Lord Capsules is inning around, overexcited, and giving orders.He gives a task for the Nurse to complete and ends up mentioning her by her first name. The Nurse, astonishingly, the reader to infer that Lord Caplet and the Nurse had an affair. If the audience truly thinks about it, it is remarkable that he calls her by her first name. Last time he spoke to her, he was calling her hurtful names when she went against Juliet and Paris' marriage. Furthermore, disguises is an additional dramatic pattern that supports the building block of the plot of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.The first example of this pattern is when Lord Caplet warms up to Paris about marrying Juliet. When Paris asks Lord Caplet for Gullet's hand in marriage, he tells him that Juliet is too young of an age to get married. This reveals that he is Pam 3 lying and hypercritical because he vowed to his wife when she was Just as young as Juliet was. The reader may notice that Lord Caplet is playing hard to get, and instead of easily handing Juliet to Paris, he suggests that Paris should get to know Juliet at the masquerade party before marrying her.In addition, another illustration of disguise is when the Friar pretends that Juliet is dead. When Juliet comes running into Friar Lawrence cell, she demands him to find a way to keep her from marrying Count Paris or she will kill herself right then and there. He panics and tells Juliet that he consumed a potion that will make it appear as if she is dead, but only for a certain amount of time. The Friar's plan was to have Juliet beg her father for forgiveness and agree to the marriage with Paris. She is then going to ingest the potion and appear dead in the morning.The Capsules will then place Juliet in the Caplet tomb, and when she wakes up, Romeo will be there to reassure her. She will then return to Mantra with Romeo, and be unrestricted to live with him away from their parents' hatred. What the Capsules do not know is that Friar Lawrence lied about her being dead, and reassured them to quickly start the burial for Juliet so they will not suspect a thing. Having to lie about Gullet's death prevents his idea from backfiring. Moreover, the dramatic pattern that ties the conclusion of the play is redemption.Redemption s when the characters of the storyline begs for the forgiveness of others. An example that reflects this pattern is when the Friar confesses and asks for mercy when he is caught. In the last act of the play, the Friar's plan had miscarried and Romeo and Juliet ended up committing suicide individually. After being caught by the watchmen, he quickly confesses how he secretly married Romeo and Juliet thinking that he could bring the Capsules and Montague together. He mentions how destroyed Juliet was for having to marry Paris and he offered her a Pam 4 leaping potion to trick everyone that she was dead.The Friar also mentions that he sent a letter to Romeo which failed to deliver about the false death of Juliet, thus leading to Romeo killing himself over disbelief. After seeing Juliet awaken from her deep sleep, the Friar mentions how he tried to convince her to come with him where he will cast her away to be a nun. When Juliet refuses to go with him, he runs away as the group of watchmen cl oses in. While asking for forgiveness, the reader can tell that the Friar does not pity up to the Prince.He gives himself up to Prince Callus and asks for consequences and sacrifice knowing the tragedy he has done to both of the houses was his fault. Another instance where the characters seek redemption is when Lord Caplet makes up with Lord Montague. After they both lost their only child, they both realized that no more lives should be taken from the aging dispute. Now knowing that his daughter is married to a Montague, he calls Romeos father, his make a monument of Romeo while Lord Montague makes a monument of Juliet in honor of their characters.

Analyze the treatment of the theme of death and its aesthetic Essay

Analyze the treatment of the theme of death and its aesthetic representation. interpret sandy mcintosh poems, cemetery chess and - Essay Example In a clear attempt to deal with his mother’s death, the poet created numerous poems that explore, on multiple levels, the experience of irrevocably losing a loved one. His use of language is both simple and complex. The words he uses are approachable, easy to understand, and string together in an easy-to-follow sequence. However, the way he strings them together and the words he chooses to place in various places invoke a sense that there is much more being said than what comes through on a simple reading. In poems such as â€Å"Cemetery Chess† and â€Å"Between Earth and Sky†, McIntosh provides us with a seemingly whimsical look at death and its effects as he discusses his mother’s decline into death and eventual burial while also hinting that there’s something much deeper, more insightful, behind the words. Within both of these poems, McIntosh makes the topic of death something approachable and something that can be talked about without fear or ov erwhelming sadness. As fellow poet Neil de la Flor says, â€Å"McIntosh unlocks what's inside of us scurrying about in a disorganized, yet manufactured chaos of our own doing. McIntosh puts that mess in order and narrates the stories, the poems, that run through our veins and his. He paints a world that we can walk into and sit down safely next to our greatest fears and hopes† (2013). ... In the poem "Between Earth and Sky", the speaker exposes some of the loss he feels as he begins to lose his mother. He writes at a time when he has already come to accept his mother's condition and is able to speak from a point of reflection and contemplation. He tells us this openly and realistically, admitting that it has been a process: There was a time when I would have corrected her right then: "No, Mother," I would have said. "That isn't true." But I've known for some time she's been going round the bend, her memory dissolving in dementia. It is only a surprise to find she has been busy rewriting our scripts with happy endings! (McIntosh, 15-20) Part of his acceptance may be the amount of time that has passed since his mother was first diagnosed, or it might be that he, and his mother have reached an age where death is no longer all that frightening. According to Feifel and Banscomb, "at both 'conscious' and 'fantasy' levels, older subjects displayed less fear of death than the ir middle-aged and younger counterparts (cited in Neimeyer, 2004) in scientific studies regarding attitudes toward death. However, that doesn't mean that the speaker is fully aware of what is going on. While looking at this poem, it is tempting to say Fink is wrong in his assessment of McIntosh's poetry as a whole that "the male speakers (and sometimes female characters) in his poems and prose-poems often seem to be caught in the grips of a psychological determinism that, to greater or lesser degrees, thwarts their agency, or else their lack of insight about how they are manipulated by external forces prevents them from perceiving possibilities for agency that can increase their range of

What was the larger strategic significance of the failure of the Essay

What was the larger strategic significance of the failure of the Gallipoli expedition 1915-1916 - Essay Example The result was a huge loss of manpower and resources on both the sides. The Gallipoli Expedition also known popularly as the "Dardanelles operation of 1915" is regarded as one of the major failure for the Allied forces in World War I. It affected both the Central powers as well as the Entente alike. Several lessons were learned from the expedition with the most important of them being the following Trust the instincts and act with common sense as the situation prompts while planning the attacks instead of following the bookish lessons. Trust the war tactics and the people instead of depending on the technology completely Archaic titles and birth privileges are just not enough to win the military war, but merit and true valour. The Dardanelles expedition influenced the politics of the European nations as well as the Middle East countries in many different ways. The larger strategic significance gained from the failure of the Gallipoli expedition in 1915-1916 led the Entente to reform their war tactics and win the World War I. The failure came as a hit to the Anglo-French coalition's pride. The blow awakened them literally from falling into disaster practicing their traditional war strategies. On the other hand it led to major reforms in countries like Turkey opening the gates of the democracy in the Middle East. The Gallipoli Expedition The Gallipoli expedition was fought between the Ottoman Empire and the Western nations. The Anglo-French armies were largely assisted by nations like New Zealand and Australia. ANZAC or the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps played a major role in the campaign. The Entente were headed by General Sir Ian Hamilton and the Ottoman Turks were led by Kemal Pasha Ataturk. It is important to explore the reason behind the origin of the World War if we have to understand the importance of the Dardanelles expedition. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Australia and his wife Sophie were murdered by Serbian terrorists on 28th June 1914. Serbi a was an independent state but was annexed by the Austria in 1908 amidst great protests. The prince's ideas of reforms were quite unpopular among the elite as well the freedom movements in Serbia. There were several nationalistic movements in the country which feared the Serbs might be repressed further by the reforms as the Prince Ferdinand was next in line to throne. Hence they carried out the assassination which triggered many long standing disputes between the various major European powers. The World War I termed as the 'Great War' took nearly 20 million lives and left more than 21 million wounded (Fromkin, 1989). The causes for the origin of the war were much debated and its effects were felt for a long time in the world. Historians like Wolfgang Mommsen analyzed various reasons for the German uprising and termed it was a measure to divert the public from other issues like inequality created due to industrialization, democratization and the other core issues the average German citizen had started to question his rulers (Keiger, 1983). Each country in Europe was influenced by a different principle starting from militarism to imperialism and nationalism. Each was in direct conflict with the other. The assassination of the Archduke made them take sides. Major military Powers like the Great Britain, France and Russia joined hands on one side forming the Entente while the Germany, Austria and Hungary along with other small nations joined together on the opposite side forming the Central Powers.1 The growing power of Germany alarmed both its eastern and western neighbours the Russia and France. Hence, they formed an alliance together with the Great Britain to defend

Consumer Rights and Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Rights and Protection - Essay Example Moreover, the US Federal Trade Commission helps in the passage of the bill by creating the software â€Å"Do Not Track,† which prevents advertisers from monitoring the online activity of web users. The US Consumer privacy bill of rights was formulated after several alleged sharing of consumer information among companies that sell video games and gadgets. This information was randomly solicited and was even just casually asked from visitors who would occasionally visit the sites. The privacy bill will therefore strictly enforce companies to make sure that collected data should not be used for another company, and that disclosures must be presented t consumers at all times. Moreover, the efforts of the United States government in executing the privacy bill of rights is somehow also based on the fact that European governments have done the same with their web companies, email providers and social networking sites. Summary #2 Based on the article, big US banks have been increasing their rates when it comes to the handling of checking accounts. Among these banks include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase. Changes involve the introduction of fees ranging from $7 to $25 a month, which translates to around $300 a year. Aside from these, the big banks have their own way of charging hidden fees and interchange fees anytime their services are used by their clients, such as in the use of debit cards while making purchases. In fact, consumers have reacted to these changes with anger and resentment especially because they knew how expensively these banks would normally pay their top executives, like Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase who received a salary of $20 million in 2011. The aforementioned big US banks used to charge only small fees for their checking account maintenance. However, there have been amendments in the bank regulations that caused banks to maximize the number of overdrafts, increasing the number of charges and manipulating purchas e sequences so that the customer will have to pay higher fees. The higher fees were in fact viewed by the public as a part of a â€Å"regressive and unfair system† and was something that these banks would strategically employ in order to prey on human weaknesses. However, although consumers will surely suffer from having to handle these charges, there is a solution – resorting to credit unions and smaller banks that are friendlier when it comes to fees. This explains the jolly but somewhat paradoxical nature of the article’s title: â€Å"Higher Fees? Let’s Celebrate!† The jolly tone means that the author seems to be telling consumers that had the big banks not overly abused them, they would not have found better options on where to put their money. Now, since bank clients have been transferring their money from the big banks to the small ones, the greedy and inefficient big banks have to suffer as a consequence. This natural effect is explained by the idea that American capitalism usually does not favor the companies who are greedy and inefficient. Nevertheless, last year only 1 out of 14 Americans were able to make a decision to transfer their checking accounts from the big banks to the smaller banks and credit unions. Thanks to the formulation and passage of many regulations that benefited the consumer: the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act as well as the Consumer Protection Act,

The transportation Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The transportation Industry - Assignment Example The 2011 RynAir financial statements are illustrated in Appendices A-D. The report will also include a discusssion of the accounting cycle. The accounitng cycle is a systematic system used by accountants to keep track of economic activities in order to prepare the financial staments of the company. The flow chart below shows the steps of the accounting cycle. RynAir Corporation must pay close attention to its accounting cycle. It all starts with the receipts and source document that are used to analyze the journal transactions. The firm could implement a new system that digitalizes all receipts. This system would improve the accountability of the system since it would create a backup of all receipts. Accountants instead of sorting through a bunch of small paper receipts they can get a digital image of each receipt in front of their computer monitor. The accountants would be able to work faster because inefficiencies in the journal recording process would be reduced. The income statement is a statement that reflects the profitability of a company during an accounting period. In 2011 RynAir had total revenues of â‚ ¬3629.5 million. In comparison with fiscal year 2010 the company increased its revenues by 21.46%. The net margin of RynAir in 2011 was 10.32%. The firm achieved earnings per share of â‚ ¬25.21. The operating expenses of the company were â‚ ¬3141 million, which was higher than the 2010 total of â‚ ¬2586 million. A cost factor that increased a lot in 2010 was the fuel and cost expenses. Traditional fuel and oil expenses are the biggest cost factor in the airline industry. In 2011 the company spends â‚ ¬1,227 million in fuel and cost which is an increase of 37.26%. Since the company increased its revenues at a higher rate than its expenses the overall profitability of the company was better. The balance sheet of the company is often referred to as the statement of

Article Summary and Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Article Summary and Critique - Essay Example In other words, this article exemplifies social attitude toward students with autism focusing on teachers’ attitudes to these students. The structure of the article proves its specific research design: introduction-method-results-discussion. Topic of this study is pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards children with autism in the USA. A high relevance of this topic can be proven by the fact that modern society has shifted accents from autism –mental disorder, preventing people with this disease from full social activities to autism–as mental disorder, not preventing people with this disease from full social activities. Children with autism were chosen as the audience for discussion not in vain. A current tendency of growing number of children with autism expanding worldwide proves a necessity to initiate researches directed on prevention of this disease occurrence and the ways of its overcoming. The researches of previous years were directed on better understanding of nature of autism. This article expands the scope of autism’ discussion and is focused on pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards children with autism. Positive attitudes’ of pre-service teachers to children with autism indicate a necessity to support and develop their positive attitude further on. Literature review, which is a theoretical background of the paper, comprises 46 sources. There are articles from scholar journals and online sources. Years’ range of works is from 70s till 2009. Literary sources are specific and correspond with the topic of the given article. A presentation of different points of view of different authors justifies an unprejudiced theoretical background of the article. Moreover, the fact that works presented comprise four decades supports a valid theoretical background of the article. A section ‘Introduction’ of the article has subsections correlated with literary

A Theoretical Analysis of the Narrative of Migration Essay

A Theoretical Analysis of the Narrative of Migration - Essay Example People migrated to other countries with an aim of making their living standards better (Brah 1996, p. 32). Just like Mohamed who ran away from home to look for a better life, migration has been the order of the day especially people moving from developing countries to those that are well developed. When these people move to other countries, they end up forming Diaspora communities. They are forced to learn the new cultures and cope up with people with different behaviors as compared to theirs thus forming Diaspora identity (Hall 1996, p. 85). In Mohamed’s narrative of migration, it is clear that Mohamed was continuously looking for a way to get a well-paying job in the UK. He worked in Aden for two years but became unhappy with his long working hours with very low pay. As a strong-minded young man, Mohamed decided to move to Hargeisa which was the capital city of Somali. While there, he managed to get a passport that enabled him to move to the United Kingdom to work as a seama n. This clearly indicates that people were moving to foreign countries to better their lives. When he arrived in the UK, Mohamed found the western culture totally different from his own country. There was free mixing of both men and women, unlike his country where nearly everyone is a Muslim and thus their culture do not permit the mixing of men and women in the society. He also realized that the infrastructural facilities such as roads, railway lines, bridges and even buildings were of high standards when compared to his own country. Despite all these, Mohamed felt isolated and it even became difficult to learn the western culture which was different from that of Somaliland (Bauder 2006, p. 77). There are various problems faced by immigrants as they moved to other countries, for example, language barrier, cultural barriers, racism, under employment based on low levels of education, and even homesickness (Brubaker 2005, p. 49). Mohamed went through so many challenges when he arrived in London. He had thought that in the UK, people lived happily and enjoyed life without struggle. Surprisingly the case was different since he rented a house and looked for a job within a span of 6 months with no achievement. The main hindrance was his little English that

Animal Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Animal Rights - Research Paper Example Another group argues that the criterion of having rationality and consciousness should not be the sole basis against animal-testing; rather the fact that every animal suffers from pain is strong enough to ban animal-testing. Obviously, this contra-animal-testing group fails to perceive that a firm and steadfast opposition against animal-test is as harmful as the view of ‘animal as thing’ is. For example, whereas a scientific experiment on animal could save thousands of man and animals lives, ban on animal-testing may destroy the possibility of living a healthy and disease free life. Therefore, though animals have the rights to live a pain-free life, such rights can be repealed for the sake of the humanity’s betterment. Moreover, any ethical perspective on animal-rights must include human’s interest in animal. Otherwise, any attempt to view animals as self-independent beings and detached from humanity must fail to bring about good for humankind as well as an imal. The origin of the arguments for animal-testing can be traced in Biblical affirmation. The â€Å"Book of Genesis† asserts that Man has a divine right over the animal kingdom. It says that man’s dominion over the animal kingdom is divine, as the â€Å"Book of Genesis† says that God has given Adam dominion over â€Å"the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.† (Francione, 1996, p. 45) Such biblical evidence necessarily infers that man can use animals for his own happiness and comfort. Therefore, if animal-testing can bring something good to humankind, then it is thoroughly permissible. Indeed, the utilitarian perspective seems to dominate the pro-animal-test arguments. The pro-animal-test debaters argue that animals can serve as good specimens for medical experiments. Even some animals such as rats, dogs, frogs and many others are efficient replic as

Teenage Internet Dependency Essay Example for Free

Teenage Internet Dependency Essay Teenagers are too Dependent on the Internet As the internet has become very popular among teenagers over the past few years, there have been many social impacts affecting the stakeholders of the issue. Teenagers use the internet for various reasons: to do research for homework or a project, to socialize with friends, and to keep up with the latest movies, music, and video games. The internet allows teens to be receptive to many resources that would not be available to them without the internet. Although some aspects of teens using the internet may be favorable and beneficial, many are causing laziness and under-developed social skills. The other stakeholders of the issue are the parents and teachers of these students. Parents are concerned that their children may be being stalked or predated and feel as if their children are becoming more distant from their family because of the significant amount they are spending on the internet. Teachers also must deal with their students having the resources to cheat by using the internet to give them the answers. The growing teenage dependency on the internet has both a negative and positive impact on the world. Some people may say that teens are not too dependent on the internet. Teenagers use to internet to complete homework, projects, and study for tests because of all the resources available. The internet provides a large collection of online books, newspapers, and magazines, allowing the teenage students to gain more knowledge about their school work and save them time. For example, when a student has an exceptional amount of homework and does not have enough time to complete his reading for that night, the website SparkNotes provides summaries, characterizations, and other important literary devices that allow the student to understand the novel when short of time. Another way that teens are not too dependent on the internet is seen through the social interactions they are able to make via social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. These sites allow teenagers to keep in touch with their fellow classmates and friends in a quick and easy way. They also allow students to share their personal lives with people they otherwise would not interact with, allowing them to make more friends and develop better relationships. For example, a teenager can create a whole new personality through the internet, giving him more confidence and a higher self esteem due to the positive reactions they are receiving through other internet users. The reasons for teens not being too dependent on the internet, allowing them more resources for school and more opportunities to interact socially with friends and peers, are not strong enough to override the reasons as to why teenagers are too dependent on the internet. This is because students have several other facilities that provide them with sufficient information, such as the library, museums, and bookstores. Teens also may be able to more easily communicate with friends through the use of social networking sites and resulting in higher confidence, although, this affects the way teens interact with other people because they can be totally different people via the internet. Teenagers are too dependent on the internet. It allows them to become easily distracted from their work, and lessens their face-to-face social skills. As a student may have the original intention of finishing his homework on the computer, the temptations to log on to MySpace or Facebook are too high, therefore the student visits those sites instead, causing them to deviate from their work. This causes more teens to get behind in school because of their lack of effort due to the internet’s capabilities. For example, a student may tell his parents he is using the computer to work on homework, but rather he is using it to communicate with his friends through a social networking site or online video game; this slows down the student’s work ethic because of the distractions it provides. Another reason that students are too dependent on the internet relates to physical appearance and self-esteem. There are many different sites on the internet that provide teens with information regarding dangerous groups and activities. For example, if a girl has anorexia, she is able to access online forums for anorexics that encourages dangerous behavior that harms the human body. For these two main reasons, teenagers are too dependent on the internet. The stakeholders of the issue, regarding whether or not teenagers are too dependent on the internet, allow one to examine the advantages and disadvantages of increasing internet use. The stakeholders’ reactions are more against teens using the internet so excessively than they are in favor of teens using the internet. Since more teens are becoming more dependent on the internet, they are putting themselves in harm’s way of predators and health/mental issues, they are distancing themselves from their families, and they are becoming more accustomed to communicating with their friends through social networking sites rather than face-to-face contact. The reasons supporting the idea that teens are not too dependent on the internet offer other options to teens using the internet, weakening the argument. Therefore, teenagers are too dependent on the internet.

The History Of Shamanism Theology Religion Essay

The History Of Shamanism Theology Religion Essay Shamanism is a huge factor in most traditional religions, some of which include the Africans, Native Americans, many parts of Asia, as well as other cultures. Although the definition of a shaman differs from one region to the next, the general dictionary definition of a shaman is A member of certain tribal societies who acts as a medium between the visible world and an invisible spirit world and who practices magic or sorcery for purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events. The term shaman originated in the Mongol and Turkish area and is translated literally as one who knows which connects to their knowledge of the ways to manipulate spirits and magic. With Shamanism being involved in so many different cultures, its difficult to give it just one definition, so in this paper I will go through a few of the cultures and explain their specific definition of shamanism and the different aspects involved in African traditional religions. African Shamanism There are many different aspects to African shamanism. The main definition of shamanism in Africa has a good connotation and usually involves manipulation of spirits or earthly substances to heal, direct, or do beneficial work for others. Some of the specific names of these shamans are rainmakers or heaven herders, herbalists or medicine men, and diviners. Not all people use their sources for good works, and when a shaman begins using his or her techniques for evil doings, they then acquire the name of witch or sorcerer. Such is the case in most other cultures as well. There are two distinctive traditional religions in Africa-Zulu and Yoruba. They have many similarities as well as differences. The Zulu stick mostly to the hills because of their geographical location, and in turn consider hills to have spiritual significance. Because hills have such special meaning, the Zulu build their towns, or kraals, on the hillsides in a circular formation with the gates facing east (do to significance of the sun), the herd in the center of the kraal, and the headman, known as the umnumzane, is on the west side of the kraal. The umnumzane has a lot of influence on the tribe. He holds the political, social and religious leader roles over the whole tribe, and is often a diviner. The headman of each Zulu kraal is the chief official of the village and also that person most directly responsible for the performance of the ritual acts expected of all Zulu, especially those that address the ancestors.  [1]  Besides solving disputes or making decisions within his kraal, one of the umnumzanes main roles is contact with the ancestors. He will perform all the rituals and such things to please the ancestors for everyone within his kraal. The ancestors play a huge part in Zulu beliefs and so the role of the umnumzane is very important. The people want to keep the ancestors happy so that they will continue to have good fortune in their lives. According to most African traditional religions, the ancestors do not cause misfortune, but other people do. The authority system is quite similar in the Yoruba tribes. Their political, social and religious leader is one and the same, but rather than having a settlement on a hillside where the rituals involve all of the community under one leader, the religious obligations are put on the head of the family, or the olori ebi, and that person does the communication with the ancestors, and keeps them happy and such. Each family has its own shrine. The community still gets together as a whole to perform religious ceremonies, but it is more focused on the family. Divination is used to determine solutions to problems, to depict reasons of misfortune, or even to predict the future. In the Zulu culture, diviners must be called by means of a dream or vision that is followed by aches, pains, or other bodily dysfunctions. Anyone can become a diviner, although typically women occupy the position. Once called, the person will need to be trained by an experienced diviner. The Yoruba are a bit different with their diviner. They have a priestly cast, and one part of the caste called the Orunmila specifically use divination practices to contact one particular god for answers. Like the Zulu though, the one that will become a diviner will go through extensive training from an experienced diviner. Diviners in both circumstances have many means of doing their work. They can use elements such as water, fire, bones, sticks, etc. to find their answers, and with these objects, they have created means of interpreting the signs from each. In some circumstances, the diviners will allow themselves to be in a trance that allows them to communicate with the spirits, or even be possessed by the spirits in order to find the answers for their clients, but typically the diviners are the ones manipulating the spirits and getting their knowledge rather than being used by the spirits. Once people have determined what their problem is from the diviner, they then go to a herbalist for a remedy. Herbalists could easily be translated to doctors and serve the same role in both the Zulu and Yoruba. They were trained to know well which herbs or remedies worked for the different circumstances. Part of the traditional religions is that spirits live in many of the nature elements, and so herbalists used this theology in their works as well. They would use certain plants or locations because of the spiritual elements involved, and would manipulate the spirits in such a way to cure their client. Whereas most diviners are women, most herbalists are men. Knowledge of medicine is usually handed down from father to son.  [2]  Along with the passed on knowledge, herbalists were always open to new information. This includes realistic information, as well as spiritual insights. Another form of spirit manipulation in the Zulu is the izinyanga ezulu, or heaven herders. Heaven herders are always men, and have to be called in some way by the Sky God. Their job is to control where storms and such go. They are said to be disciples of the Sky God, as well as a medium between the people and the Sky God. With cattle and agriculture being a huge part of the Zulu culture, it makes sense that the sky is handled as cattle are, and that the weather needs to be controlled for the sake of those who own raise crops to feed the people. The Yoruba hold no such position, although they do also worship a similar god with their priestly cast. They (diviners) are not the only supernaturally inspired helpers people turn to for advice. Many consuld mediums who communicate with spirits while in a trance. Some may be possessed only once or twice in their lifetime, but others claim to be in regular contact with one or more familiars that they can identify by name.  [3]  The Yoruba called these people elegun. Among the Zulu, only the diviner could do such, but the with the Yoruba, anyone could be used as a medium; they did not need to be a diviner. The Yoruba also have people that are called the egungun. The egungun are masked dancers that perform for the ancestors. They have special masks that are connected spiritually to the ancestors and are said to have great power. Only men are allowed to be egungun, with the exception of one woman, who is the director or dresser. One has to earn the title of egungun by going through a certain process. While most of those positions are very open to the public and or the good of the community, some people misuse their abilities. Such people are called witches or sorcerers. Since the peoples believe that the spirits do not cause any harm, all bad things are supposedly a result from witches and sorcerers. According to the Zulu, someone could be a witch without realizing it. Their very presence would bring misfortune to those around them. In most cases though, in both the Zulu and the Yoruba, the witches are shaman that use their talents for evil. They twist the system from using their powers mischievously. They work secretively, and usually only at nights. Although trying to differentiate between witches and sorcerers is difficult, there are a few small means of differing them. Sorcerers tend to work alone where as witches will gather together at night and work as a team. Another supposed trait of sorcerers is the ability to shape-shift. There one story of sorcerer luring a woman to fall in love with him. He offered to marry her, and on their trip back to his village the stopped for the night. During the night he transformed into a lion in order to eat her. Luckily for her, her brother did not trust the man and followed them, and proceeded to protect his sister from being eaten. Other stories tell of sorcerers taking on the form of an owl for means of escaping their house silently and unknowingly. Another supposed trait of sorcerers is their ability to use the undead. They can kill a person using their black magic, and then use the persons dead body for their own use. Witches are most often depicted as using voodoo, charms and curses. Voodoo involves acquiring a part of someone, such as a hair, nail, or something of the sort, and it is added to a certain object that the witch makes. The part of the person connects them to the witches object, and the witch is able to toy with the person in this way. Charms could be an object that has been chanted over and charged with magic. A charm could be a piece of paper with a chant written on it that could be worn, or a charm could simply be a chant itself used in moments of needed protection or other. Most often, people would get charms to protect themselves from witches curses. The last main thing that witches use is curses. Curses, hexes, spells, or whatever you may call them, have been a worry of average people for longer than history can tell. Often it is a chant said with emotion over a person to bring misfortune on them. They can be spoken in an unknown language, which is said to have more impact on th e target. Native American Shamanism Native American shamanism is similar in a lot of ways, as well as different in a lot of ways. Shamans are viewed in a good way, where their work is for the better of the community. Each nation had spiritual leaders and healers each one had different beliefs of what practices were done. The Lakota believed that their spiritual leaders were in constant communication with Wakan Tanka or The Great Spirit. Their role was to seek spiritual enlightenment and secure the tribes good graces with the spirit world. They were healers of the mind and body.  [4]  They have healers-which is the same idea as herbalists-diviners, and mediators, as well as witchcraft. Native Americans have strong ties with animals though. To the Native Americans, the medicine men are not so much magical in their works, but they are knowledgeable people who have a greater understanding and like to think. Their natural abilities make them suitable to be medicine men. Medicine men more frequently appeared in tribes that were able to be open and exchange thoughts and knowledge with other tribes. Most often fathers would pass down knowledge to their sons and so the title stayed within the family that way. The Native American divination practices differed from that of the Africans. They often used stars, and things of nature to determine the answers that were sought. Sometimes they would use a pipe, and the answers would come through their opened mind from the smoke. They still used divination in the same way as the Africans, so use the spirits to find answers for their clients. Witchcraft, although not the technical title, in the Native American tribes had a much different feel though. Rather than voodoo and curses, the Native American bad shamans worked with charms and animals. The charms again were certain made objects that had been charged with power, and were used to protect the person from evil and misfortune. The Native Americans had an interesting relationship with animals. A power animal protects you physically and provides you with emotional support, wisdom, and vital energy. Some people think a power animal is a spirit being that stays with you because it cares for you and enjoys being able to experience life in a physical body. Others think a power animal is a symbol for ones subconscious wisdom. Almost everybody has a power animal; some have several. (Perhaps you had an invisible animal friend as a child or have always been fascinated with a particular kind of animal. This animal may be your power animal.) A person may in the course of life lose contact with the power animal, thereby losing the animals protection, wisdom, and energy. If you lose contact with your power animal, you may feel dispirited, you may become sick easily, or you may be accident-prone. The shamanic healing technique of power animal retrieval can restore a persons connection to a power animal. A person can also journey to find his or her own power animal.  [5]  With this emphasis on animals, often the bad shamans could be connected shape-shifters that caused issues. The main evil in Native American beliefs was evil spirits. With a belief in the ancestor spirits and animism, the Native Americans had to always keep all the spirits happy, and misfortune was often cause by spirits, thus the need for protective charms and shared power of animal spirits. Conclusion Despite having minimal contact between these 2 cultures, it is surprising that they share such similar roles. On the other hand, this shows the nature of humans over all with paranoia of spirits and bad luck, as well as the respect for ancestors. Shamanism is a big part of both cultures, and has many different aspects to it.

Essay --

The United States (US) Navy has been in many battles over the years, made many improvements to their ships, and has allowed women to join the force; this is why the Navy is one of the largest branches of the military today. The Navy is a brand of the nation’s armed forces that includes warships and support ships, their crews, land bases, and many personnel. Also, many navies include an air force; some navies even have combat forces known as marines. The marines are trained to fight in the air and on land; they are some of the toughest people in the military. â€Å"On October 13, 1775, the United States Navy was formed.† (â€Å"Worldbook† 2). There was a meeting and the Continental Congress voted for the Navy to be approved. This was to help out at sea where at the time British were the major force. The Navy was initially made to cut off trades and munitions between Britain and other countries. This was an attempt to help the Americans in the war. The smaller navies of the world usually consist of warships, smaller boats like patrol boats, missile boats, and minesweepers. The main objective fo...

The Short And Happy Life Of Francis Macomber :: essays research papers

In the short story The Short and Happy Life of Francis Macomber, there are three main characters, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Francis Macomber, and Mrs. Margaret Macomber, who are on an African Safari together. There are also three animals repeatedly mentioned throughout the story, which each represents a main character. The animals are a lion, a buffalo, and an impala.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Macomber, who is â€Å"very tall, very well built† and â€Å"considered handsome,† is on a safari with his wife. While on the safari he goes and hunts a lion. After wounding it with his gun, he becomes too afraid to go and finish the lion off, so he runs like a little baby. Mr. Macomber is later known as a coward so he best relates to the impala in the story. The impala is a beautiful animal and very skinny and sleek. When the impala were shot at, they ran super fast and when Mr. Wilson feels the fear of the lion he runs just as fast. Also when his wife shoots him in the head towards the end of the story, the bullet goes right to his head. When Mr. Macomber shoots the impala the bullet goes right to its head and the impala dies immediately just as he did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mrs. Macomber, who is Mr. Macomber’s wife, started out in the story seeming like a normal lady. Later on it was obvious she did not care for her husband and was extremely rude to him. She should be related to the buffalo in this story, because she is very strong. She is running away from Macomber but at the same time she is chasing him and wants him dead. She is hard to get rid of and won’t give up until she has the last word.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Wilson, who is the Safari guide, best relates to the lion in this story because he is very brave. He is very respected and not afraid of any of the other animals. The way the story describes the â€Å"majestic† animal is how Wilson is described to be by Margaret.

Information Systems :: Healthcare

Information systems are a vital necessity to healthcare institutions in the United States and other nations with the ominous need to keep up with technology, research, and science in the 21st. Century. Most of healthcare institutions in Africa still depend on physical documentation, written by hand and afterword’s stored in binders locked away in storing facilities. With the growing populace in Africa, gathering information concerning patients health documents is costly, hard to maintain, and unethical. Therefore, in this case scenario I’m going to target my research, in developing countries in Africa in general, who are striving to improve ideal management information system. The goal is to aim efforts to improve public health through enhanced supervision through healthcare information, such the ability to collect, store and analyze accurate health data, service transfer proficiency, improve data accuracy, value of involvement, increase accountability and to learn abou t trends. The objective of this information system is to record information on health events and check the quality of services at different stages of health care. The data collected will also help to notify forthcoming healthcare policy determinations. My objective is to provide a cheap alternative Information Systems (IS) solution to six nations in Africa with the demand for better health care and documentation of patient information. In turn this will help doctors to treat patients with perfected precision. The nations that will be requiring my expertise be situated in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. My goal is to unite these six nations with one complete (IS) that will be funded by supporters and sponsors alike. These funded groups will be handling all aspects of service without the support from these nations’ governing parties. The purpose of this is to stray away officials, due to chaos, government manipulation, radicals, and civil wars. Information Systems implemented for project Africa. For project Africa I have included three types of information systems, the first (IS) that I have implemented (see Figure A), is the most important towards a well-balanced system is Clinical Information System (CIS) shown in (Figure A, IS1). This type of (IS) that is a computer based system which is designed for storing, collecting, making available clinical information, delivery of information faster, and efficient (Biohealthmatics.com, 2010). Systems like (CIS) can deliver all records such as the patient past history of illness and interactions with doctors, and healthcare providers. As a result, this information is proficient in assisting physicians in deciding patient’s current condition, treatment alternatives, wellness undertakings, and actions that embark on other significant information that can lead to improving patient’s overall health (Biohealthmatics.

Notes on American Literature Essay

Important figures:  ·Sir Walter Raleigh ? traveler, Elizabeth’s I lover, poet, soldier, died in Tower of London. A famous English writer, poet, courtier and explorer. He was responsible for establishing the second English colony in the New World (after Newfoundland was established by Sir Humphrey Gilbert nearly one year previously, August 5 1583) on June 4, 1584, at Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina. When the third attempt at settlement failed, the ultimate fate of the colonists was never authoritatively ascertained.  ·John Winthrop ? governor of Massachusetts. led a group of English Puritans to the New World, joined the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629 and was elected their first governor on April 8, 1630. Between 1639 and 1648 he was voted out of governorship and re-elected a total of 12 times. Although Winthrop was a respected political figure, he was criticized for his obstinacy (stubborn) regarding the formation of a general assembly in 1634. Calvin’s influence:  ·theory of predestination, limited redemption  ·self trials to find destiny  ·the only hope was faith in God.  ·God’s goodwill ? irresistible grace  ·faith makes everyone good but good deeds without faith don’t work  ·one should follow their destiny, ex. become a farmer, following destiny will make you successful, (wealthy) but you shouldn’t don’t spend money, invest it!  ·the holy act of making money for God Puritans were waiting for signs, they read ? books to read’ (the Bible), interpreted it, interpreted history in their own, Puritan way. Anything could be a sign (weather conditions, Indian attacks, diseases, famine, etc. ). Puritan faith:  ·grim, no paintings, no music  ·sermons were extremely important as they interpreted the Bible Michael Wigglesworth: (1631-1705)  ·wrote The Day of Doom (1662) – his poem represents puritan thought of the time. Many of the puritans memorized it and used it to get people back into the church. They used it to teach children and lingering adults. This was the first â€Å"best seller†, even though this term wasn’t used yet. It describes the Day of Judgment and the sentencing to punishment in hell of sinners and of infants who died before baptism. Samuel Danforth: (1626-1674)  ·In 1670, he was invited to give the annual election sermon to the General Assembly, which was afterwards printed as A Brief Recognition of New-England’s Errand into the Wilderness (about turning nature into civilization) and is regarded as one of the finest examples of the â€Å"jeremiad† form  ·jeremiad sermons – explained things form the Bible, created context, it said that future is glorious because we can be better, improve ourselves History interpretations: Cotton Mather: (1663-1728).  ·Magnalia Christi Americana (about religious development of Massachusetts, and other nearby colonies in New England from 1620 to 1698); the English title was The Ecclesiastical History of New England (1702)  ·he also wrote descriptions of the Salem Witch Trials, in which he criticizes some of the methods of the court and attempts to distance himself from the event; account of the escape Hannah Dustan, one of the most famous to captivity narrative scholars; his complete â€Å"catalogus† of all the students that graduated from Harvard College, and story of the founding of Harvard College itself; and his assertions that Puritan slaveholders should do more to convert their slaves to Christianity  ·made a heritage, typological approach 08. 10. 2007 Religious texts: – sermons ? instruments of communication between the minister and the people – theological thesis – chronicles (historical) Mary Rowlandson (1635-7 ? 1678)  ·She was a colonial American woman, who wrote a vivid description of the seven weeks and five days she spent living with Native Americans. Her short book,  ·A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson (1682), is considered a seminal work in the American literary genre of captivity narratives. The first phase of heroic period ? first 30 years, after that a serious problem occurred? experience of conversion, but not everyone did it so what to do with their children? 1662 ? Halfway Covenant (by Senate in Boston) ? salvation is heredity even if they didn’t experienced it. 17th century was more flexible what led to great religious revival in the US, literary phenomenon, outburst of religious emotions ?  thus texts. George Whitefield ? a rhetorician, preacher, appealed to American people, triggered religious revival. The Great Awakening: (1735 ? 1750)  ·paradoxical movement, they considered themselves as only true Puritans but they were considered almost heretical movement, their enthusiasm had negative connotations, people thought they should be more rational  ·leaders: Jonathan Edwards who wrote a fire-and-brimstone sermon entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741), he believed in Protestant dogma, he wanted people to experience real conversion, was against formal  sermons, he had a hypnotic way of teaching, appealing to emotions, he was forced to move and live in wilderness, died of smallpox. He was an active philosopher, tried to combine old religion with Locke’s new approach to religion.  ·the movement (the Great Awakening) was the last significant moment to regain control by Puritans Edwards vs. Franklin ? they lived in the same time, enlightenment competing with the old heritage Franklin was born in Boston and he wanted to move to Philadelphia ? city of enlightenment, Quakers, city owned by William Penn. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)  ·Autobiography (written in 1771 – 1790) -Learning model behavior, proposed model human being, he would respond to the beauty of the world, and nature as a living presence of God, story of narrator’s progress from Boston to Philadelphia, devoted himself to common good, he made success count most (financial in your own eyes and prestige in others’ eyes) -12 commandments, it’s good to imitate Jesus and Socrates (although Socrates was a pagan and a suicider)  ·Poor Richard’s Almanac -was a yearly almanack published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of â€Å"Poor Richard† or â€Å"Richard Saunders† for this purpose. The publication appeared continuously from 1732 to 1758. It was a best seller for a pamphlet published in the American colonies; print runs reached 10,000 per year. Franklin, the American inventor, statesman, and publisher, achieved success with Poor Richard’s Almanack. Almanacks were very popular books in colonial America, with people in the colonies using them for the mixture of seasonal weather forecasts, practical household hints, puzzles, and other amusements they offered. Poor Richard’s Almanack was popular for all of these reasons, and also for its extensive use of wordplay, with many examples derived from the work surviving in the contemporary American vernacular. Addressed to farmers (almanacs), useful information about farming, weather, astronomy, moral advice, many proverbs, (for example â€Å"God helps those who help themselves† what is opposite to Puritan philosophy), Do good papers, colonies literature. Franklin developed practical procedure of self improvement day by day and step by step to be thoroughly rational human being. political literature ? debate between Federalists and anti-Federalists Americans identified with Ancient Rome, that’s why the Declaration was born. The creators were educated, they read Greek, Roman works, developed sense of public virtue, conflict with the British Crown. Locke, Milton ? inspired colonies to develop ideology to sewer the ties with the Crown + â€Å"no taxation without representation† Thomas Paine (1737-1809)  ·in 1774 ? came to America as an old man, in 1776 he published Common sense, an anti-British book about Britain illegal financial abuse, appealed to Americans self-confidence, enough to be independent, to shape their destiny by determination, stamina, brains etc. The document denounced British rule and, through its immense popularity, contributed to stimulating the American Revolution. Hartford Wits (also called the Connecticut Wits) A group of American writers centered around Yale University and flourished in the 1780s and 1790s. Mostly graduates of Yale, they were conservative federalists who attacked their political opponents with satirical verse. Members included Joel Barlow, Timothy Dwight IV, David Humphreys, John Trumbull, Lemuel Hopkins, Richard Alsop, and Theodore Dwight. Works produced by the group include: The Anarchiad (published in the New Haven Gazette from 1786? 1787) The Political Greenhouse (Connecticut Courant, 1799) The Echo (American Mercury, 1791? 1805) John Trumbull (1756-1843)  ·believed in poetics, aesthetics, heroic couplet, satire. Member of a group of artists who painted important American historical events, Trumbull had an insider’s view of the War, serving as a colonel in the Continental Army and aide to Gen. Washington in the American Revolution  ·The Progress of Dullness (1772-1773) – n attack in three poems on educational methods of his time (three parts: 1. adventures of Tom Brainless, sent to college, he learns â€Å"the art of preaching,†; 2. Dick Hairbrain, a town fop, the son of a wealthy farmer, ridiculous in dress, empty of knowledge, but profound in swearing and cheap infidelity; 3. Miss Harriet Simper, slender female education, formerly in vogue, and the life of the coquette) Timothy Dwight (1752-1817)  ·continued Wigglesworth tradition  ·The Conquest of Canaan (pub. 1785) ? ambitious epic in eleven books, about George Washington & war of independence  ·Greenfield Hill (1794) – descriptive poem about small New England town, turned by Dwight into ideal place to live, with common wellbeing, where people take care of education, etc. It’s also a historical poem, about Peacock (Indian tribe) war and massacre of Indians  ·Travels in New England and New York (1820-1822) – huge publication, sort of a tourist guide, covers areas of Southern New England. He loved the place and wanted to commemorate it. Joel Barlow (1754-1812)  ·graduate of Yale, he died in Zarnowiec in Poland of pneumonia while he was on his journey to the Emperor in France  ·Poem, Spoken at the Public Commencement at Yale College (1781) ? becoming American diplomat Barlow witnessed French return to France after the war;  ·The Vision of Columbus (1787)? poem about future glory of America, Columbus visited by an Angel in prison (like in Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius where the author is visited by incarnation of philosophy; parallel of Columbus)  ·1807 ? Barlow changed his religious, political option, became enthusiast of the French Revolution;  ·1st American poem ? Barlow’s first attempt Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)  ·black slave woman from Senegambia, purchased by Boston Whitley (sort of philanthropist). She managed to learn English, extremely gifted girl, learnt to read (Milton, Homer), write. She was allowed to study, learn Latin. She started to write good poetry, praised by George Washington, but Jefferson didn’t like her poetry ? point of controversy. She expressed sort of gratitude, makes references to Greek poetry, ancient Rome, neo-classical poetry, giving a testimony that she decided to adopt, make her way to elite, in England she was a well known poet. She died young. 15. 10. 2007 Michel Guillaume (also known as Hector Saint John de Crevecoeur) (1735? 1813)  ·French-American writer, fought on the French side in the French and Indian War, then moved to New York State, becoming a naturalized citizen. After travels through various colonies, he settled on a farm in Orange Co, New York.  ·wrote a number of essays and books which portrayed life in the New World  ·Letters from an American Farmer (1784) where he describes conditions on the frontier, says that in America men are free, it’s a beautiful, natural country of liberty. Sketches of the 18th century America ? slaves, animals, community, style of slavery practice in the South, American farmers are not happy because of the lies of Independence. Early American novels had to compete with a large amount of English novels. They were also fiction and lies. SENTIMENTAL NOVELS William Hill Brown (1765-1793)  ·The Power of Sympathy (1789) ? first American novel written by first American novelist. Controversial for its time, displays the themes of seduction, betrayal, and incest. It’s a moral novel written in letters. It’s against immoral behavior, sort of educational guide against seduction. Plot: written in correspondence: several letters between friends and lovers. two young people fall in love, but in fact they’re brother and sister. They woman kills herself because she had fallen in love with her own brother and then the man devastated commits suicide. Susanna Haswell Rowson (1762-1824)  ·Charlotte Temple (1791) – first American bestseller ? seduced young lady gives a birth to a child, Lucy, then dies. Successful novel but Susanna didn’t make money for it as the novel was published illegally. It is characterized by emphatic moralism and melodramatic language, the idea that women should take care of each other. Written to protect young women from the pain of social rejection, includes theme of seduction and betrayal. Samuel Richardson (1689-1761)  ·Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady (1748) – epistolary novel, tells the tragic story of a heroine whose quest for virtue is continually thwarted by her family. It is commonly cited as the longest novel in the English language. Clarissa is a beautiful and virtuous young lady whose family has become very wealthy only in recent years and is now eager to become part of the aristocracy. Her relatives attempt to force her to marry a rich but heartless man against her will and, more importantly, against her own sense of virtue. Desperate to remain free, she is tricked by a young gentleman of her acquaintance, Lovelace, into escaping with him. However, she refuses to marry him, longing ? unusual for a girl in her time ? to live by herself in peace. Lovelace, in the meantime, has been trying to arrange a fake marriage all along, and considers it a sport to add Clarissa to his long list of conquests. However, as he is more and more impressed by Clarissa, he finds it difficult to keep convincing himself that truly virtuous women do not exist. The continuous pressure he finds himself under, combined with his growing passion for Clarissa, drives him to extremes and eventually he rapes her. Clarissa manages to escape from him, but becomes dangerously ill. When she dies, however, it is in the full consciousness of her own virtue, and  trusting in a better life after death. Lovelace, tormented by what he has done but still unable to change, dies in a duel with Clarissa’s cousin. Clarissa’s relatives finally realise the misery they have caused, but discover that they are too late and Clarissa has already died.  ·Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) is an epistolary novel. It tells the story of a maid named Pamela whose master, Mr. B. , makes unwanted advances towards her. She rejects him continually, and her virtue is eventually rewarded when he shows his sincerity by proposing an equitable marriage to her. In the second part of the novel, Pamela attempts to accommodate herself to upper-class society and to build a successful relationship with him. The story was widely mocked at the time for its perceived licentiousness and it inspired Henry Fielding (among many others) to write two parodies: Shamela (1741), about Pamela’s true identity; and Joseph Andrews (1742), about Pamela’s brother. Hannah Webster Foster (1758-1840)  ·The Coquett,; or, The History of Eliza Wharton (1797) is an epistolary novel. Published anonymously until 1866, 26 years after Webster’s death. It was one of the best-selling novels of its time. The novel is a fictionalized account of the story of Elizabeth Wharton, the daughter of a clergyman who died after giving birth to a stillborn, illegitimate child at a roadside tavern. Writers and preachers of the day blamed her demise on the fact that she read romance novels, which gave her improper ideas and turned her into a coquette. Foster responded with The Coquette, which provided a more sympathetic portrayal of Wharton and described the difficulties faced by middle-class women. Tabitha Tenney (1762-1837)  ·Female Quixotism (1801) ? the heroine goes mad, she has a strange idea of love (all men are the heroes of romances). She had some candidates but she doesn’t like them. The book is rather a parody. The woman can’t get married, she makes wrong choices, rejects good man and accepts the dishonest ones. HORROR STORIES ? THE GOTHIC NOVEL Ann Radcliffe (1764 – 1823)  ·pioneer of the gothic novel. English writer.  ·The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) – follows the fortunes of Emily St. Aubert who suffers, among other misadventures, the death of her father, supernatural terrors in a gloomy castle, and the machinations of an Italian brigand. Often cited as the archetypal Gothic novel, Charles B. Brown (1771 – 1810).  ·he wanted to be professional writer but people didn’t want to read him. He quitted and became a political writer. He was the first American gothic writer.  ·Wieland, or, the Transformation (1798) ? Theodore Wieland is master of a landed estate, which he has inherited from his father, an immigrant from Germany. Wieland Senior was a man of strange inclinations who, having built a temple on a hillock in the grounds, devoted to his own idiosyncratic religion, later dies mysteriously of spontaneous combustion (samospalenie). Wieland inherits his father’s god-fearing disposition. However the rural idyll he shares with his wife, children, sister and best friend is shattered when he becomes prey to the trickery of Carwin: a mysterious ventriloquist (brzuchomowca) who has moved to the area after leading an undercover life of deception in Europe. Under the influence of religious mania and Carwin’s trickery Wieland kills his wife and children as a demonstration of his obedience to a ‘divine voice’. In court he expresses no remorse for his deeds and later escapes from prison to attempt the life of his sister, before being stopped in his tracks by the command of a final ‘divine voice’, which in reality emanates from Carwin. Wieland then commits suicide. The story is told as a first person narrative by Wieland’s sister Clara. As the story proceeds her initial calm and rational disposition is sorely tried by the uncanny and bloody events of the story, which reduces her, by the end, to a state of near mania. Her relations with the deceiver Carwin are ambiguous, veering between attraction and repulsion as the story unfolds. Apparently the novel was based on the true story of a multiple murder which took place at Tomhannock, New York in 1781.  ·Ormond; or, the Secret Witness (1799) ?  about lady who kills her seducer with a penknife. The novel engages with many of the period’s popular debates about women’s education, marriage, and the morality of violence, while the plot revolves around the Gothic themes of seduction, murder, incest, impersonation, romance and disease. Set in post-revolutionary Philadelphia, Ormond examines the prospects of the struggling nation by tracing the experiences of Constantia, a young virtuous republican who struggles to survive when her father’s business is ruined by a confidence man, and her friends and neighbors are killed by a yellow fever epidemic.  ·Arthur Mervyn (1799) – Arthur Mervyn suffers form yellow fever, discovered by Dr. Stevens who invites him home. Mr. Wortley comes over to Dr. Stevens, recognizes Arthur Mervyn, and reacts with extreme displeasure. Dr. Stevens demands an explanation. Mervyn begins to tell his story. This is the frame, nearly three quarters of the book bring Mervyn’s adventures up to this moment in time.  ·Edgar Huntly; or, Memoirs of a Sleep-Walker (1799) – The story of a young man who sleepwalks each night and is a threat to himself and others, unable to control his baser passions. Set outside Philadelphia in 1787, the book is a metaphor for the founding of a new nation, but can be read on a literal level as an American â€Å"Gothic† novel. Placed in the middle of wilderness. Young man wakes up in a dark hotel room, he doesn’t know how he got there, he has a tomahawk. Kills a panther and eats it raw. Eventually returns home. Isaac Mitchell (1835-1893)  ·Alonzo and Melissa (1804) ? gothic castle on Long Island. Explanation that the castle was built by Puritans. ADVENTURE NOVELS Royall Tyler (1757-1826)  ·The Algerine Captive (1797) – about a Harvard-educated American schoolteacher turned doctor, who was captured by Barbary (the Algerians) pirates in 1788 and sold into slavery in the City of Algiers. Description of conditions in which black slaves were kept on ships. At the end the character returns to USA.  ·The Contrast (1790) – is an American play in the tradition of the English Restoration comedies of the seventeenth century; it takes its cue from Sheridan’s The School for Scandal, a British comedy of manners that had revived that tradition a decade before. Royall uses the form to satirize Americans who follow British fashions and indulge in ‘British vices’. Hugh Henry Brackenridge (1748-1816)  ·Modern Chivalry: Containing the Adventures of Captain John Farrago and Teague O’Regan, His servant (1792) is a rambling, satirical American novel. The book is arguably the first important work of fiction about the American frontier and called â€Å"to the West what Don Quixote was to Europe†. â€Å"a more thoroughly American book than any written before 1833. † The model of modern chivalry was Don Quixote – they travel all over US. Cultural change was in Boston or around Boston in 18th century. New cultural force ? Unitarianism. Dutch Bishop, rejected the dogma of the predestination, unificated the Great Trinity to one God Father. Unitarians believed that people can improve themselves without grace of God. New, much more optimistic model of human being began. Sermons ? people should show likeness to God by practicing virtues, trying to be good. Henry Ware – educated at Harvard College, Professor at Harvard, precipitating a controversy between Unitarians and more conservative Calvinists. He took part in the formation of the Harvard Divinity School and the establishment of Unitarianism there in the following decades, publishing his debates with eminent Calvinists in the 1820s. William Emerson – In 1804, Emerson founded the Anthology Club, a Boston literary society, and wrote articles for the club’s The Monthly Anthology. This publication was the forerunner of the North American Review, America’s leading literary journal, and the Club’s reading room led to the founding in 1807 of the Boston Athenaeum. Joseph Stevens Buckminster – Upon his graduation, he became minister of the Brattle Street Church in Boston, and quickly launched an almost legendary career of eloquent preaching, biblical scholarship, and literary production which set the tone for the pattern of the minister as a man of letters. In 1801 he traveled to Europe and returned with books. He was the most brilliant member of the Anthology Club, an early editor of the Monthly Anthology, and in 1811 was appointed Dexter Lecturer at Harvard where he occupied the first Chair in Scripture. Buckminster’s influence on his contemporaries was striking. His mastery of the emerging New Criticism from German Biblical scholars led to his rational investigation of the Bible, subjecting its text to the same scrupulous scholarly investigation given other texts from antiquity. Founded in Boston in 1815, The North American Review (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States, and was published continually until 1940, when publication was suspended due to World War II. The Review’s first editor, William Tudor (1779-1830), and other founders had been members of Boston’s Anthology Club, and launched The North American Review to foster a genuine American culture. In its first few years it was published poetry, fiction, and miscellaneous essays on a bi-monthly schedule, but in 1818 it became a quarterly with more focused contents intent on improving society and on elevating culture. The Review promoted the improvement of public education and administration, with reforms in secondary schools, sound professional training of doctors and lawyers, rehabilitation of prisoners at the state penitentiary, and government by educated experts. Its editors and contributors included such literary and political New Englanders as John Adams, George Bancroft, Nathaniel Bowditch, William Cullen Bryant, Lewis Cass, Edward T. Channing, Caleb Cushing, Richard Henry Dana, Alexander Hill Everett, Edward Everett, Jared Sparks, George Ticknor, Gulian C. Verplanck, Daniel Webster. 22. 10. 2007 Norton Anthology ? early times, complaining about American literature, being poor, inferior to British, what should be done to improve Madame de Stael (1766-1817)  ·quickly translated into English, pub. in New York; as a French-speaking Swiss author living in Paris and abroad. She influenced literary tastes in Europe at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries Walter Cherning ? in North American review, tried to apply Madame’s ideas to American context The Analectic ? literary magazine There was no a really popular, one author in American unknown for Europe (in literature) until Irving. Washington Irving (1783 – 1859)  ·One of the first noted American authors to be highly acclaimed in Europe during his life time, Irving was a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction. He wrote numerous short stories, biographies, histories, and tales of his travels. His characters Ichabod Crane and Rip van Winkle are now icons of popular American culture, and many of Irving’s works have inspired adaptations to the stage and film.  ·Washington, while born sickly, was a mischievous and adventuresome young man, sneaking out at night to attend plays and frustrating his pious parents, especially his father. He roamed the city and environs, dreaming of far-off places–dreams that were partly fueled by one of his favourite books, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Travelling would become a life-long passion. Although he was not an avid student, he studied law and became a clerk.  ·Suffering from ill-health off and on for many years, in 1804 Irving set sail from New York Harbour, the first of many trips abroad: he was going to a spa in Bordeaux, France to treat a lung ailment. He learned French, made many friends, travelled through Europe. In 1806 he returned to America.  ·with his brother William and James Kirke Paulding created a semi-monthly periodical World of New York to compete with the more sombre news publications of the day. While it was short-lived The Salmagundi Paper; or, the Whim-Whams and Opinions of Laucelot Langstaff, Esq. And Others. (1809) was met with great success. The Jonathan Swift-like satire and tongue-in-cheek pokes at politics, culture, and society was â€Å"to instruct the young, reform the old, correct the town, and castigate the age. †  ·The Salmagundi Papers (1809) – satirical work by Washington Irving (under the pen name Diedrich Kinckerbocker), with the title being derived from the dish. The work is nowadays remembered especially for first popularizing the sobriquet Gotham for New York City.  ·In a similar vein Irving composed his first novel, Knickerbocker’s History of New York (1809). A burlesque and comprehensive weaving of fact and fiction, his â€Å"History of New-York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty† is narrated by Diedrich Knickerbocker and won Irving much acclaim at home and abroad.  ·Irving’s short stories, first printed in America under his pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon between the years 1819-20 were collected in The Crayon Papers and The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon. They contain two of Irvings’ most famous tales: Rip van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. These stories were wildly popular in America and soon too in Europe.  ·His next novel was Bracebridge Hall, or, The Humorists, A Medley (1822). Published under the pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon, centers on an English manor, its inhabitants, and the tales they tell. Interspersed with witty, evocative sketches of country life among the English nobility is the well-known tale â€Å"The Stout Gentleman† and stories based on English, French, and Spanish folklore, vividly recounted with Irving’s inimitable blend of elegance and colloquial dash. They include Dolph Heyliger the story of a New Yorker who encounters a haunted house, ghosts, and a buried treasure.  ·It was followed by Tales of a Traveller (1824), which Irving considered one of his finer works. A last experiment with fiction before he turned to the writing of history, biography, and adaptation of folktales. Arranged in four sections, the miscellany of short fiction reveals elements of comedy and melodrama new to Irving’s work. The first three groups of stories have a European background, while the final five stories, supposedly â€Å"found among the papers of the late Diedrich Knickerbocker,† are set in New York and feature pirates and buried treasure.  ·In 1826 Irving moved to Madrid, Spain, where he set to writing his highly lauded The Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1828), Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada (1829), and Tales of the Alhambra (1832) – rich compendium of tales, deftly interwoven with historical accounts and picturesque sketches, was assembled from Spanish and Moorish folklore, history, guidebooks, and anecdotes of Irving’s experiences among the local residents. The forty-nine pieces range from stories based on Granada’s colorful history to graceful vignettes of its contemporary scene, from romantic descriptions of the local architecture and terrain to medieval tales of the supernatural.  ·Astoria: Anecdotes of an enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains (1836). â€Å"†¦. I have felt anxious to get at the details of their adventurous expeditions among the savage tribes that peopled the depths of the wilderness. † It explores Irving’s impressions from travels in Canada and America as guest of John Jacob Astor’s Northwest Fur Company. Irving expresses his sympathy to the displaced, and dispossessed ‘savage’ Native American Peoples in such stories as â€Å"Philip of Pokanoket†, â€Å"Traits of Indian Character†, and â€Å"Origin of the White, the Red, and the Black Men†. first American Literary Account of the Wild West, surprised that his view is different from Ch. Browning’s (who portrayed the Westerners as wild animals). Irving portrays them as human, describes buffalo hunting (exaggerated a bit as he describes himself hunting). Counts as the earliest literary description of the West.  ·The Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837) – Drawing on Bonneville’s own journals, Washington Irving chronicles the exploits and adventures of Captain James Bonneville, one of the earliest explorers of the American West, detailing his various journeys with mountain man Joseph Rutherford Walker; their discovery of Yosemite, Walker Pass, and the Bonneville Salt Flats; and life among the Native Americans and trappers of the West.  ·Irving’s last finished work, something he had been working on for many years but kept putting aside for other more pressing projects is his Life of George Washington (1859).  ·The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820) – The story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town, New York, in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lanky schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham â€Å"Brom Bones† Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, only daughter of a wealthy farmer. As Crane leaves a party at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who lost his head to a cannonball during â€Å"some nameless battle† of the American Revolutionary War and who â€Å"rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head. † Crane disappears from town, leaving Katrina to marry Brom Bones, who was â€Å"to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related. †  ·Rip Van Winkle (1819) – The story of Rip Van Winkle is set in the years immediately before (the early to mid-1770s) and after the American Revolutionary War (the early to mid-1790s). Rip Van Winkle, a villager of Dutch descent, lives in a nice village at the foot of New York’s Catskill Mountains. An amiable man whose home and farm suffer from his lazy neglect, he is loved by all but his wife. One autumn day he escapes his naggi.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 15

â€Å"Come on, it's okay,† Thea said. She seemed to be aboutPoppy's age, but she had a gentle, sensible air that gaveher authority. â€Å"Sit down. Here.† She set Poppy on ashabby couch and extended her wrist. Poppy stared atthe wrist for an instant and then remembered. James, giving her blood from his arm. Thatwashow to do it. Friendly andcivilized. She could see pale blue veins under the skin. And that sight blasted away the last of her hesitation. Instinct took over and she grabbed Thea's arm. Thenext thing she knew she was drinking. Warm salty-sweetness. -Life. Relief from pain. It was so good that Poppy could almost cry. No wonder vampires hated humans, she thought dimly. Humansdidn't have to hunt for this marvelous stuff; theywere full of it already. But, another part of her mind pointed out, Theawasn't a human. She was a witch. Strange, becauseher blood tasted exactly the same. Poppy's every sense confirmed it. So witches are just humans, but humans with special powers, Poppy thought. Interesting. It took an effort to control herself, to know whento stop. But she did stop. She let go of Thea's wrist and sat back, a little embarrassed, licking her lips andteeth. She didn't want to meet Thea's brown eyes. It was only then that she realized she'd been keeping her thoughts shielded during the entire process.There had been no mental connection as there had been when she shared blood with James. So she'dmastered one vampire power already. Faster than James or Ash had expected. And she felt good now. Energetic enough to do theNetherlands skippy dance. Confident enough to smileat Thea. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. Thea smiled back, as if she found Poppy odd orquaint, but nice. She didn't seem suspicious. â€Å"It'sokay,† she said, flexing her wrist and grimacinggently. For the first time Poppy was able to look aroundher. This room was more like a living room than partof a shop. Besides the couch there was a TV andseveral chairs. At the far end was a large table withcandles and incense burning. â€Å"This is the teaching room,† Thea said. â€Å"Grandmadoes spells here and lets the students hang out.† â€Å"And the other part is a store,† Poppy said, cautiously because she didn't know what she was supposed to know. Thea didn't look surprised. â€Å"Yes. I know you wouldn't thinkthere'd be enough witches around here to keep us in business, but actually they come from all over the country. Grandma's famous. Andher students buy a lot.† Poppy nodded, looking properly impressed. Shedidn't dare ask more questions, but her chilly hearthad warmed just a tiny bit. All Night People weren'tharsh and evil. She had the feeling she could be friends with this girl if given the chance. Maybe she could make it in the Night World after all. â€Å"Well,thanksagain,† she murmured softly. â€Å"Don't mention it. But don't let Ash get you rundown like that, either. He's soirresponsible.† â€Å"You wound me, Thea. You really do,† Ash said.He was standing in the doorway, holding the beadcurtain open with one hand. â€Å"But come to think ofit, I'm feeling a little run down myself†¦.† He raisedhis eyebrows insinuatingly. â€Å"Go jump in Lake Mead, Ash,† Thea said sweetly. Ash looked innocent and yearning. â€Å"Just a littlebite. A nibble. A nip,† he said. â€Å"You have such apretty white throat†¦.† â€Å"Who does?† Blaise said, pushing her way throughthe other half of the bead curtain. Poppy had the feeling she was only speaking to focus attention onherself. She stood in the center of the room andshook back her long black hair with the air of a girlused to attention. â€Å"You both do,† Ash said gallantly. Then he seemed to remember Poppy. â€Å"And, of course, this littledreamer has a pretty white everything.† Blaise, who had been smiling, now looked sour.She stared at Poppy long and hard. With dislikeand something else. Suspicion. Dawning suspicion. Poppy could feelit. Blaise's thoughts were brightand sharp andmalicious,like jagged glass. Then suddenly Blaise smiled again. She looked atAsh. â€Å"I suppose you've come for the party,† she said.†No. What party?† Blaise sighed in a way that emphasized her lowcut blouse. â€Å"The Solstice party, of course. Thierry'sgiving a big one. Everybody willbe there.† Ash looked tempted. In the dim light of the teaching room his eyes gleamed dark. Then he shook hishead. â€Å"No, can't make it. Sorry. I'm going to show Poppythe town.† â€Å"Well, you can do that and still come to the partylater. It won't really get going until after midnight.†Blaise was staring at Ash with an odd insistence. Ashbit his lip, then shook his head again, smiling. â€Å"Well, maybe,† he said. â€Å"I'll see how things go.† Poppy knew he was saying more than that. Someunspoken message seemed to be passing betweenhim and Blaise. But it wasn't telepathic, and Poppy couldn't pick it up. â€Å"Well, have a good time,† Thea said, and gavePoppy a quick smile as Ash piloted her away. Ash peered ahead at the Strip. â€Å"If we hurry wecan watch the volcano erupting,† he said. Poppy gavehim a look, but didn't ask. Instead, she said, â€Å"What's a Solstice party?† â€Å"Summer solstice. The longest day of the year. It'sa holiday for the Night People. Like Groundhog Dayfor humans.† ?Why?† â€Å"Oh, it always has been. It's very magical, youknow. I'd take you to the party, but it would be toodangerous. Thierry's a vampire Elder.† Then he said, â€Å"Here's the volcano.† It was a volcano. In front of a hotel. Waterfallscrashed down its sides, and red lights shone from thecone. Ash double-parked across the street. â€Å"You see, we've got a great view right here,† hesaid. â€Å"All the comforts of home.† The volcano was emitting rumbling sounds. AsPoppy watched in disbelief, a pillar of fire shot outof the top. Real fire. Then the waterfalls caught fire.Red and gold flames spread down the sides of the black rock until the entire lake around the' volcanowas ablaze. â€Å"Inspiring, isn't it?† Ash asked, very close to herear. â€Å"Well-it's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Thrilling?† Ash inquired. â€Å"Stimulating? Rousing?† His arm was creeping around her, and his voicewas sweetly hypnotic. Poppy didn't say anything. â€Å"You know,† Ash murmured, â€Å"you can see a lotbetter if you get over here. I don't mind crowding.† His arm was urging her gently but inevitably closer. His breath ruffled her hair. Poppy slammed an elbow into his stomach. â€Å"Hey!†Ash yelped-in genuine pain, Poppy thought. Good. He'd dropped his arm and now he was looking ather with aggrieved brown eyes. â€Å"What did you do that for?† â€Å"Because I feltlike it,† Poppy said smartly. She was tingling with new blood and ready for a fight. â€Å"Look,Ash, I don't know what gave you the idea that I'm your date here. But I'm telling you right now thatI'm not. â€Å" Ash tilted his head and smiledpainfully.†You justdon't know me well enough,† he offered. â€Å"When weget to know each other-â€Å" â€Å"No.Never. I'm not interested in other guys. If Ican't have James †¦Ã¢â‚¬ Poppy had to stop and steady her voice. â€Å"There's nobody else I want,† she saidfinally,flatly. â€Å"Nobody.† â€Å"Well, not now, maybe, but-â€Å" â€Å"Never.†She didn't know how to explain. Thenshe had an idea. â€Å"You know the soulmate principle?† Ash opened his mouth and then shut it. Openedit again. â€Å"Oh, no. Not thatgarbage.† â€Å"Yes. James is my soulmate. I'm sorry if it soundsstupid, but it's true.† Ash put a hand to his forehead. Then he started to laugh. â€Å"You're serious.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And that's your final word.† â€Å"Yes.† Ash laughed again, sighed, and cast his eyes upward. â€Å"Okay. Okay. I should have known.† He chuckled in what seemed like self-derision. Poppy was relieved. She'd been afraid he'd be disgruntled and huffy-or mean.Despite his charm, shecould always feel something cold running below thesurface in Ash, like an icy river. But now he seemed perfectly good-humored.†Okay,† he said. â€Å"So if romance isn't on the menu, let's go to the party.† â€Å"I thought you said it was too dangerous.† He waved a hand. â€Å"That was a little fib. To get youalone, you know.† He glanced sideways at her.†Sorry.† Poppy hesitated. She didn't care about a party. Butshe didn't want to be alone with Ash, either. â€Å"Maybe you should just take me back to your cousins' place.† â€Å"They won't bethere,† Ash said. â€Å"I'm sure they've gone to the party by now. Oh, come on, it'll be fun. Give me a chance to make things up to you.† Thin curls of uneasiness were roiling inside Poppy. But Ash looked so penitent and persuasive †¦andwhat other choice did she have? â€Å"Okay,† she said finally. â€Å"For just a little while.†Ash gave a dazzling smile. â€Å"Just a very littlewhile,† he said. â€Å"So they could be anywhere on the Strip,†James said. Thea sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry. I should have known Ashwas up to something. But hijacking your girlfriend†¦Ã¢â‚¬ She lifted her hands in a what-next gesture. â€Å"Forwhat it's worth, she didn't seem very interested inhim. If he's planning to put the moves on her, he'sgoing to get a surprise.† Yes, James thought, and so is she. Poppy was onlyuseful to Ash as long as Ash thought he could playwith her. Once he realized he couldn't†¦ He didn't want to think about what would happenthen. A quick visit to the nearest Elder, he supposed. His heart was pounding, and there was a ringingin his ears. â€Å"Did Blaise go with them?† he asked. â€Å"No, she went to the Solstice party. She tried to get Ash to go, but he said he wanted to show Poppythe town.† Thea paused, raising a finger. â€Å"Waityou might check at the party. Ash said he might stopin later.† James spent a moment forcing himself to breathe.Then he said, verygently, â€Å"And just who is giving this party?† â€Å"Thierry Descouedres. He always has a big one.†Ã¢â‚¬ And he's an Elder.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Nothing. Never mind.† James backed out of theshop. â€Å"Thanks for the help. I'll be in touch.†Ã¢â‚¬ James†¦Ã¢â‚¬ She looked at him helplessly. â€Å"Do youwant to come in and sit down? You don't lookvery well†¦.† â€Å"I'm fine,† James said, already out the door.In the car he said, â€Å"You can get up now.† Phillip emerged from the floor of the backseatwhere he'd been hiding. â€Å"What's happening? Youwere gone a long time.† â€Å"I think I know where Poppy is.†Ã¢â‚¬ You just think?† â€Å"Shut up, Phil.† He didn't have energy for exchanging insults. He was entirely focused on Poppy.†Okay, so where is she?† James spoke precisely. â€Å"She is either now, or shewilll be later, at a party. A very large party, filled with vampires. And at least one Elder. The perfect placeto expose her.† Phil gulped. â€Å"And you think that's what Ash is going to do?† â€Å"I know that's what Ash is going to do.† â€Å"Then we've got to stop him.† â€Å"We may be too late.† The party was strange. Poppy was amazed at howyoung most of the people were. There were a few scattered adults, but far more teenagers. â€Å"Made vampires,† Ash explained obligingly. Poppyremembered what James had said-made vampiresremained forever the age of their death, but lamiacould stop aging anytime. She supposed that meantthat James could get as old as he wanted, while she would be stuck at sixteen eternally. Not that it mattered. If she and James were going to be together,they could both stay young-but apart, maybe he'd want to age. But it was odd to see a guy who looked about nineteen talking earnestly with a little kid wholooked about four. The kid was cute, with shiny black hair and tilted eyes, but there was something at onceinnocent and cruel in his expression. â€Å"Let's see, now that's Circe. A witch of renown.And that's Sekhmet, a shapeshifter. You don't want to get hermad,† Ash said genially.He and Poppy were standing in a little anteroom, looking down a level into the main room of the house. Of the mansion, rather. It was the most opulent private residence Poppy had ever seen–and she'd seen Bel Airand BeverlyHills. â€Å"Okay,† Poppy said, looking in the general?direc tion he was pointing. She saw two tall and lovelygirls, but she had no idea which was which. â€Å"And that's Thierry, our host. He's an Elder.† An Elder? The guy Ash was indicating didn't seemolder than nineteen. He was beautiful, like all thevampires, tall and blond and pensive. Almost sadlooking. â€Å"How old ishe?† â€Å"Oh, I forget. He got bitten by an ancestress ofmine a long time ago. Back when people lived incaves.† Poppy thought he was joking. But maybe not. â€Å"What do the Elders do, exactly?† â€Å"They just make rules. And see that people keepthem.† An odd smile was playing around Ash's lips. He turned to look directly at Poppy. With the black eyes of a snake.That was when Poppy knew. She backed away rapidly. But Ash came after her,just as rapidly. She saw a door on the other side of the anteroom and headed for it. Got through it. Onlyto find herself on a balcony. With her eyes, she measured the distance to the ground. But before she could make another move, Ash had her arm. Don't fight yet, her mind counseled desperately. He's strong. Wait for an opportunity. She made herself relax a fraction and met Ash's dark gaze. â€Å"You brought me here.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"To hand me over.†He smiled.†But why?† Ash threw back his head and laughed. It waslovely, melodious laughter, and it made Poppy sick. â€Å"You're a human,† he said. â€Å"Or you should be. James should never have done what he did.†Poppy's heart was racing, but her mind was oddlyclear. Maybe she'd known all along that this was what he was going to do. Maybe it was even the rightthing to do. If she couldn't be with James and she couldn't be with her family, did the rest really matter? Did she wantto live in the Night World if it wasfull of people like Blaise and Ash? â€Å"So you don't care about James, either,† she said.†You're willing to put him in danger to get rid of me.† Ash considered, then grinned. â€Å"James can takecare of himself,† he said. Which was obviously Ash's entire philosophy. Everybody took care of themselves, and nobody helpedanybody else. â€Å"And Blaise knew, too,† Poppy said. â€Å"She knew what you were going to do and she didn't care.† â€Å"Not much gets past Blaise,† Ash said. He startedto say something else-and Poppy saw her chance. She kicked-hard. And twisted at the same time.Trying to get over the balcony rail. â€Å"Stay here,† James said to Phil before the car had evenstopped. They were in front of a huge white mansionfringed with palm trees. James threw the door open,but took the time to say again, â€Å"Stay here.No matter what happens, don't go in that house. And if somebodybesides me comes up to the car, drive away.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"Just do it, Phil! Unless you want to find out aboutdeath firsthand-tonight.† James set out at a dead run for the mansion. Hewas too intent to really notice the sound of a cardoor opening behind him. â€Å"And you looked like such a nice girl,† Ash gasped.He had both of Poppy's arms behind her back andwas trying to get out of the range of her feet.†No-no, quit that, now.† He was too strong. There was nothing Poppy coulddo. Inch by inch he was dragging her back into theanteroom. You might as well give up, Poppy's mind told her.It's useless. You're done. She could picture the whole thing: herself being dragged out in front of all of those sleek and handsome Night People and revealed. She could picturetheir pitiless eyes. That pensive-looking guy wouldwalk up to her and his face would change and hewouldn't look pensive anymore. He'd look savage.His teeth would grow. His eyes would go silvery.Then he'd snarl–and strike. And that would be the end of Poppy. Maybe that wasn't the way they did it, maybe theyexecuted criminals some other way in the NightWorld. But it wouldn't be pleasant, whatever it was. And I won't makeiteasyfor you!Poppy thought. Shethought it directly at Ash, throwing all of her angerand grief and betrayal at him. Instinctively. Like akid shouting in a temper tantrum. Except it had an effect shouting usually didn't. Ash flinched. He almost lost his grip on her arms. It was only a momentary weakening, but it wasenough for Poppy's eyes to widen. I hurt him. Ihurthim! She stopped struggling physically in that same instant. She put all her concentration, all her energy,into a mental explosion. A thought-bomb. LET GO OF ME YOU ROTTEN VAMPIRE CREEP! Ash staggered. Poppy did it again, this time makingher thought a fire hose, a high-power jetstreambombardment. LET G000000000000! Ash let go. Then, as Poppy ran out of steam, hetried in afumblingway to reach her again. â€Å"I don't think so,† a voice as cold as steel said.Poppy looked into the anteroom and saw James. Her heart lurched violently. And then, withoutconsciously being aware of moving, she was in hisarms. Oh, James, how did youfind me? All he kept saying was Are you all right? â€Å"Yes,† Poppy said finally, aloud. It was indescribably good to be with him again, to be held by him.Like waking up from a nightmare to see your mothersmiling. She buried her face in his neck. â€Å"You're sure you're all right?† â€Å"Yes. Yes.† â€Å"Good. Then just hang on a moment while I kill this guy and we'll go.† He was absolutely serious. Poppy could feel it in his thoughts, in every muscle and sinew of his body.He wanted to murder Ash. She lifted her head at the sound of Ash's laugh.†Well, it ought to be a good fight, anyway,† Ashsaid. No, Poppy thought. Ash was looking silky and dangerous and in a very bad mood. And even if James could beat him, James was going to get hurt. Evenif she and James fought him together, there was going to be some damage. â€Å"Let's just go,† she said to James. â€Å"Quick.† Sheadded silently, Ithink he wants to keep us around untilsomebody from the party gets here. â€Å"No, no,† Ash said, in gloatingly enthusiastic tones.†Let's settle this like vampires.† â€Å"Let's not,† said a breathless familiar voice. Poppy'shead jerked around. Climbing over the railing of thebalcony, dusty but triumphant, was Phil. â€Å"Don't you everlisten?† James said to him. â€Å"Well, well,† Ash said. â€Å"A human in an Elder'shouse. What arewe going to do about that?† â€Å"Look, buddy,† Phil said, still breathless, brushingoff his hands. â€Å"I don't know who you are or whathorse you rode in on. But that's my sisterthere you're messing with, and I figure I've got the first right to knock your head off.† There was a pause while Poppy, James, and Ash all looked at him. The pause stretched. Poppy wasaware of a sudden, completely inappropriate impulse to laugh. Then she realized that James was fightingdesperately not to crack a smile. Ash just looked Phil up and down, then looked atJames sideways. â€Å"Does this guyunderstandabout vampires?† hesaid. â€Å"Oh, yeah,† James said blandly. â€Å"And he's going to knock my head in?† â€Å"Yeah,† Phil said, and cracked his knuckles. â€Å"What's so surprising about that?† There was another pause.Poppycould feel minute tremors going through James. Choked-back laughter.At last James said, admirably sober, â€Å"Philreally feelsstrongly about his sister.† Ash looked at Philonce more, then at James, andfinally at Poppy. â€Å"Well †¦ there are three of you,† he said. â€Å"Yes, there are,† James said, genuinely sober now. Grim. â€Å"So I guess you do have me at a disadvantage. Allright,I giveup.† He lifted his hands and thendropped them. â€Å"Go on, scram. I won't fight.† â€Å"And you won't tell on us, either,† James said. Itwasn't a request. â€Å"I wasn't going to anyway,† Ash said. He had onhis most innocent and guileless expression. â€Å"I knowyou think I brought Poppy here to expose her, but I really wasn't going to go through with it. I was justhaving fun. The whole thing was just a joke.† â€Å"Oh, sure,† Phil said. â€Å"Don't even bother lying,† James said. But Poppy, oddly, wasn't as certain as they were.She looked at Ash's wide eyes-his wide violeteyes-and felt doubt slosh back and forth inside her. It was hard to read him, as it had been hard allalong. Maybe because he always meant everythinghe said at the time he said it–or maybe because he nevermeant anything he said. No matter which,, he was the most irritating, frustrating, impossible personshe'd ever met. â€Å"Okay, we're going now,† James said. â€Å"We're goingto walk very quietly and calmly right through that littleroom and down the hall, and we're not going to stopfor anything-Phillip.Unless you'd rather go back downthe way you came up,† he added. Phil shook his head. James gathered Poppy in hisarm again, but he paused and looked back at Ash. â€Å"You know, you've never really cared about anyone,† he said. â€Å"But someday you will, and it's goingto hurt. It's going to hurt-a lot.† Ash looked back at him, and Poppy could readnothing in his ever-changing eyes. But just as Jamesturned again, he said, â€Å"I think you're a lousyprophet. But your girlfriend's a good one. You mightwant to ask her about her dreams sometime.† James stopped. He frowned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"And you, little dreamer, you might want to check out your family tree. You have a very loud yell.† He smiled at Poppy engagingly. â€Å"Bye now.† James stayed for another minute or so, just staringat his cousin. Ash gazed serenely back. Poppycounted heartbeats while the two of them stoodmotionless. Then James shook himself slightly and turnedPoppy toward the anteroom. Phil followed right on their heels. They walked out of the house very quietly andvery calmly. No one tried to stop them. But Poppy didn't feel safe until they were on theroad. â€Å"What did he mean with that crack about the family tree?† Phil asked from the backseat. James gave him an odd look, but answered with aquestion. â€Å"Phil, how did you know where to findPoppy in that house? Did you see her on the balcony?† â€Å"No, I just followed the shouting.† Poppy turned around to look at him.James said, â€Å"What shouting?† â€Å"Theshouting. Poppy shouting. ‘Let go of me yourotten vampire creep.†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Poppy turned to James. â€Å"Should hehave been ableto hear it? I thought I was just yelling at Ash. Dideverybody at the party hear?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"But, then–â€Å" James cut her off. â€Å"What dream was Ash talkingabout?† â€Å"Just a dream I had,† Poppy said, bewildered. â€Å"Idreamed about him before I actually met him.† James's expression was now verypeculiar. â€Å"Oh,did you?† â€Å"Yes. James, what's this all about? What did hemean, I should check my family tree?† â€Å"He meant that you-and Philaren't human after all. Somewhere among your ancestors there'sa witch.†