Saturday, August 17, 2019
Ivy’s Essay
Travel Broadens the Mind Saint Augustine once said ââ¬Å"the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a pageâ⬠. Traveling, like reading, broadens the mind. It enriches life experience, sparks inspiration and makes people poised. Travel enriches life experience. It is a process of feeling the world: enjoying beautiful sceneries, tasting different food, meeting interesting people and experiencing new cultures. I traveled a lot when I was a kid.I remember once when I was in the Liangshan yi autonomous region, Sichuan, my parents took me to the Torch Festival. People dressed in clothes with Yi features, surrounded a big torch, dancing and singing with great joy. I was highly affected by the atmosphere, my face was reddened and my whole world was lighted up. I can still remember those smiling faces and joyful cheers. Travel offers us a shot to better understand the world and make us more open to embrace the new things which could make our life more exciting and meaning ful.Travel sparks inspiration. Whiling traveling, we enter a totally different space, the air we breathe; the language we hear; the food we try can always arouse our love for life and give us inspiration. San Mao, a famous Chinese writer, composed most of her works while traveling. One of her best known work The Story of Sahara is about her experience in the northern Africa. This book vividly described the lifestyle, culture and native people in the Sahara Desert.If she had never been there, there would be no such a wonderful work. Besides writers, musicians and artists often get inspired through travel. On the journey, we might meet obstacles. A flat tire, a landslide, or extreme weather may make us feel scared and panic, but somehow we can tough it out. After all those experience, we will be awed by nature and be brave and poised no matter what happens in our life. Life is a book, and with travel, we can read through the pages and make our life rich and beautiful.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Education and Forthcoming English Olympiad
P. T. M. T. T. I MARUTHOORKONAM, BALARAMAPURAM Attention Students!!! ENGLISH OLYMPIAD-2012-13 P. T. M. T. T. I wishes to inform all teacher trainees the details of the forthcoming English Olympiad 2012 on 12th Dec 2012 at T. T. I Auditorium. Items for competition 1. Skit 2. Choreography 3. Book Review 4. Group discussionà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à Details 1. A Skit of about 15 minutes can be staged by 10 participants. The dialogue, stage settings etc. hould be decided by the Trainees under the guidance of Teachers. Theme: Human Values 2. A poem composed by a student /a group of students of the school may be staged. Maximum 10 students can participate among whom not less than two students may be for recitation. Theme: Love. (Time. 10 Minutes) 3. Book Review.Three Books will be suggested for reading. The selected student can read the books and come prepared to answer the questions of the panel of judges. Time: 10 Minutes. Books will be informed. . Group Discussion. Time: 20 Minutes A group of ten trainees will be selected to participate in the discussion. G. D. Topic will be announced on the spot. Evaluation: All the items will be assessed based on the criteria in the English Source books. The decision of the judges will be final and may not be questioned. Please register the name and the participating items by 5th Nov 2012 to Smt. Sheeba Rani, Club Convener. Best of luck to all participants! R,Anu Krishnan, Teacher Educator.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Globalization and Production Essay
This discussion will weave together the details supporting the claim that globalization has been detrimental in at least four distinct ways to the global community. In particular, the interests of reducing production costs for multinational corporate entities by operating in the developing sphere has driven a pointed ambition to undermine both labor rights and environmental protections in developing nations. In addition to these two concrete and immediate effects of globalization, there are also negative effects on the economies from which such corporations originate. Such aggressive free trade pursuant nations as the United States have seen a wholesale transplanting of production and service positions, bearing a retractionary impact on the domestic and local economies. A fourth impact of globalization in its current form is the spread of cultural hegemony, with nations such as the above-noted United States exporting its cultural conceits of consumerism and capitalist democracy in the interests of disseminating its way of life. This has had negative effectives both on the cultural preservation and autonomy of domestic populations but has also helped to stimulate widespread resentment, resistance and even outright aggression against the forces of globalization an its leading advocates. These four factors as those which have most accelerated the tangible impact of free trade and production across the last two decades. The discussion here engages an array of scholastic sources in reinforcing these grievances, with the ultimate outcome being a set of recommendations for how to evade these issues. In a pair of articles from Harley Shaiken and a text by Jagdish Bhagwati, we are presented with a nuanced range of perspectives on the globalization debate. With the opening of free trade paths between the developed and developing world, our global economic alignment is coming to reflect a divided pursuit of collective advancement which bears a byproduct of considerable detriment to a wide range of parties. Still, in both, we are offered suggested means through which to improve the path of globalization. Shaiken takes as a clear point of view in each of his essays an endorsement of labor unions as a means through which to advance worker skills and competitive, equitable employment wages. In an account from 2000 entitled ââ¬Å"Experience and the collective nature of skill,ââ¬â¢ he draws the conclusion that the diminished emphasis on the acquisition of labor skills that are informed by the socio-cultural context of their intended product market is reducing the performance and production quality yielded by workers. This is especially true of manufacturing sites where advanced technological processes are utilized, with global outsourcing far removing workers from the site of the new technologyââ¬â¢s evolution. This necessitates a change in the labor specialization within the American economy, with the reorganization of our production serving to combat a ââ¬Å"fierce world-wide competition for jobs [which] threatens to undercut wages and working conditions. â⬠(Shaiken, 2004; 1) We have been ill-informed on the realities of globalization though, preventing any proper channeling of its interests. Of the premises which string together the articles in question, the most compelling and forthright representation of globalization may well be captured in the words of progressive stock speculator and philanthropist George Soros, who observed that ââ¬Å"the salient features of globalization is that it allows the financial capital to move around freely, by contrast, the movement of the people remains heavily regulation. â⬠(Shaiken, 2004; 3) This is particularly true of socioeconomic mobility, which is evidently supplanted in a globalizing market by the extension of wealth for the economically elite and a simultaneous widening of the gap between rich and poor. Such a resolution points to a fundamental aspect of contention in the discussion of globalization, which these articles ultimately converge to characterize as a duplicitous form of corporate imperialism that is conducive of exploitation, violence and cultural genocide rather than of a collective advancement in the standards of living and governance. In spite of this, we are given cause to believe there may yet be a suitable implementation of globalization. ââ¬Å"The pace at which globalization advances social agendas need not be accepted as satisfactory. â⬠(Bhagwati, 33) We may hold Shaikenââ¬â¢s decidedly critical stance on globalization up to the light of such a sentiment, and in doing so, we may find that in fact his is a rather positive approach to the subject matter. A prevalent theme in Jagdish Bhagwatiââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"In Defense of Globalizationâ⬠is that the execution of globalization has been its biggest shortcoming. With the proper accommodation of labor changes in the United States, these works come together to indicate that there is no way to reverse the opening of free markets. We must learn to adapt to its varied consequences. In his 2005 book, ââ¬Å"Three Billion New Capitalists,â⬠Clyde Prestowitz offers a scathing analysis of globalization, especially as it has been executed by the United States. He remarks upon its interest in expanding its markets to the global community as contradicting its current stature as the dominant force in the world economy. By shifting much of its production overseas, the United States helped to provide a path for the corporate entity to undertake a more cost-effective operation, not effected by labor costs, labor protections and environmental standards present in the United States. Even as this serves to improve profit margins, it also began to produce a trend of declining job availability which, with a growing proliferation of technological and scientific capabilities in a global setting has produced a similar decline in the value of the American programming, technology or communications specialist. This is a single element of a vicious cycle in which rising education costs are no longer congruent with available job opportunities or pay scales. This, in turn, is reducing the value and, consequently the quality of Americaââ¬â¢s educational institutions. Prestowitz laments this in compliment to his concern over Americaââ¬â¢s unwillingness to invest in new technologies and scientific endeavors. Author Jagdish Bhagwati offers some insight into this conversation with his book, ââ¬Å"In Defense of Globalization,â⬠where he determines that the corruption of such institutions as the World Trade Organization has contributed to a general incapacity for the proper execution of free trade. Indeed, the pressure committed by the United States to direct the WTO towards adoption of its interests is backfiring, with its failure to protect its own jobs, markets and investments resulting in an America trading at an incredible deficit to the rest of the world. Ultimately, Prestowitz has composed a text dedicated to articulating the ways in which this condition has resulted from globalization and providing fair warning of the eventual consequences which will arise there from if the United States does not make the appropriate changes to its policy approach. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States almost immediately began to pursue an approach of free trade proliferation which could extend its capitalist values throughout the developed and developing world. It was seen as an opportunity to be seized, with a vacuum of power in so many theatres inducing a need for some economic and socio-political direction. However, almost two decades hence, it must be conceded that the United States has executed an approach to globalization that is at once alienating to poor people throughout the developing world and to its own laborers. Globalization, it becomes apparent in Clyde Prestowitzââ¬â¢s 2005 text, ââ¬Å"Three Billion New Capitalists: The Great Shift of Wealth and Power to the East,â⬠has become a path to American corporate dominance and has yet produced a trend of apparent U. S. economic decline.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Vampire Academy Chapter 16
SIXTEEN THE NEXT DAY, IT FULLY hit me how much things had changed since the Jesse-and-Ralf rumors first started. For some people, I remained a nonstop source of whispers and laughter. From Lissa's converts, I received friendliness and occasional defense. Overall, I realized, our classmates actually gave me very little of their attention anymore. This became especially true when something new distracted everyone. Lissa and Aaron. Apparently, Mia had found about the party and had blown up when she learned that Aaron had been there without her. She'd bitched at him and told him that if he wanted to be with her, he couldn't run around and hang out with Lissa. So Aaron had decided he didn't want to be with her. He'd broken up with her that morningâ⬠¦and moved on. Now he and Lissa were all over each other. They stood around in the hall and at lunch, arms wrapped around one another, laughing and talking. Lissa's bond feelings showed only mild interest, despite her gazing at him as though he was the most fascinating thing on the planet. Most of this was for show, unbeknownst to him. He looked as though he could have built a shrine at her feet at any moment. And me? I felt ill. My feelings were nothing, however, compared to Mia's. At lunch, she sat on the far side of the room from us, eyes fixed pointedly ahead, ignoring the consolations of the friends near her. She had blotchy pink patches on her pale, round cheeks, and her eyes were red-rimmed. She said nothing mean when I walked past. No smug jokes. No mocking glares. Lissa had destroyed her, just as Mia had vowed to do us. The only person more miserable than Mia was Christian. Unlike her, he had no qualms about studying the happy couple while wearing an open look of hatred on his face. As usual, no one except me even noticed. After watching Lissa and Aaron make out for the tenth time, I left lunch early and went to see Ms. Carmack, the teacher who taught elemental basics. I'd been wanting to ask her something for a while. ââ¬Å"Rose, right?â⬠She seemed surprised to see me but not angry or annoyed like half the other teachers did lately. ââ¬Å"Yeah. I have a question about, um, magic.â⬠She raised an eyebrow. Novices didn't take magic classes. ââ¬Å"Sure. What do you want to know?â⬠ââ¬Å"I was listening to the priest talk about St. Vladimir the other dayâ⬠¦Do you know what element he specialized in? Vladimir, I mean. Not the priest.â⬠She frowned. ââ¬Å"Odd. As famous as he is around here, I'm surprised it never comes up. I'm no expert, but in all the stories I've heard, he never did anything that I'd say connects to any one of the elements. Either that or no one ever recorded it.â⬠ââ¬Å"What about his healings?â⬠I pushed further. ââ¬Å"Is there an element that lets you perform those?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, not that I know of.â⬠Her lips quirked into a small smile. ââ¬Å"People of faith would say he healed through the power of God, not any sort of elemental magic. After all, one thing the stories are certain about is that he was ?à ®full of spirit.' ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Is it possible he didn't specialize?â⬠Her smile faded. ââ¬Å"Rose, is this really about St. Vladimir? Or is it about Lissa?â⬠ââ¬Å"Not exactlyâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I stammered. ââ¬Å"I know it's hard on her ââ¬â especially in front of all her classmates ââ¬â but she has to be patient,â⬠she explained gently. ââ¬Å"It will happen. It always happens.â⬠ââ¬Å"But sometimes it doesn't.â⬠ââ¬Å"Rarely. But I don't think she'll be one of those. She's got a higher-than-average aptitude in all four, even if she hasn't hit specialized levels. One of them will shoot up any day now.â⬠That gave me an idea. ââ¬Å"Is it possible to specialize in more than one element?â⬠She laughed and shook her head. ââ¬Å"No. Too much power. No one could handle all that magic, not without losing her mind.â⬠Oh. Great. ââ¬Å"Okay. Thanks.â⬠I started to leave, then thought of something else. ââ¬Å"Hey, do you remember Ms. Karp? What did she specialize in?â⬠Ms. Carmack got that uncomfortable look other teachers did whenever anyone mentioned Ms. Karp. ââ¬Å"Actually ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"What?â⬠ââ¬Å"I almost forgot. I think she really was one of the rare ones who never specialized. She just always kept a very low control over all four.â⬠I spent the rest of my afternoon classes thinking about Ms. Carmack's words, trying to work them into my unified Lissa-Karp-Vladimir theory. I also watched Lissa. So many people wanted to talk to her now that she barely noticed my silence. Every so often, though, I'd see her glance at me and smile, a tired look in her eyes. Laughing and gossiping all day with people she only sort of liked was taking its toll on her. ââ¬Å"The mission's accomplished,â⬠I told her after school. ââ¬Å"We can stop Project Brainwash.â⬠We sat on benches in the courtyard, and she swung her legs back and forth. ââ¬Å"What do you mean?â⬠ââ¬Å"You've done it. You stopped people from making my life horrible. You destroyed Mia. You stole Aaron. Play with him for another couple weeks, then drop him and the other royals. You'll be happier.â⬠ââ¬Å"You don't think I'm happy now?â⬠ââ¬Å"I know you aren't. Some of the parties are fun, but you hate pretending to be friends with people you don't like ââ¬â and you don't like most of them. I know how much Xander pissed you off the other night.â⬠ââ¬Å"He's a jerk, but I can deal with that. If I stop hanging out with them, everything'll go back to the way it was. Mia will just start up again. This way, she can't bother us.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's not worth it if everything else is bothering you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Nothing's bothering me.â⬠She sounded a little defensive. ââ¬Å"Yeah?â⬠I asked meanly. ââ¬Å"Because you're so in love with Aaron? Because you can't wait to have sex with him again?â⬠She glared at me. ââ¬Å"Have I mentioned you can be a huge bitch sometimes?â⬠I ignored that. ââ¬Å"I'm just saying you've got enough shit to worry about without all this. You're burning yourself out with all the compulsion you're using.â⬠ââ¬Å"Rose!â⬠She glanced anxiously around. ââ¬Å"Be quiet!â⬠ââ¬Å"But it's true. Using it all the time is going to screw with your head. For real.â⬠ââ¬Å"Don't you think you're getting carried away?â⬠ââ¬Å"What about Ms. Karp?â⬠Lissa's expression went very still. ââ¬Å"What about her?â⬠ââ¬Å"You. You're just like her.â⬠ââ¬Å"No, I'm not!â⬠Outrage flashed in those green eyes. ââ¬Å"She healed too.â⬠Hearing me talk about this shocked her. This topic had weighed us down for so long, but we'd almost never spoken about it. ââ¬Å"That doesn't mean anything.â⬠ââ¬Å"You don't think it does? Do you know anyone else who can do that? Or can use compulsion on dhampirs and Moroi?â⬠ââ¬Å"She never used compulsion like that,â⬠she argued. ââ¬Å"She did. She tried to use it on me the night she left. It started to work, but then they took her away before she finished.â⬠Or had they? After all, it was only a month later that Lissa and I had run away from the Academy. I'd always thought that was my own idea, but maybe Ms. Karp's suggestion had been the true force behind it. Lissa crossed her arms. Her face looked defiant, but her emotions felt uneasy. ââ¬Å"Fine. So what? So she's a freak like me. That doesn't mean anything. She went crazy becauseâ⬠¦well, that was just the way she was. That's got nothing to do with anything else.â⬠ââ¬Å"But it's not just her,â⬠I said slowly. ââ¬Å"There's someone else like you guys, too. Someone I found.â⬠I hesitated. ââ¬Å"You know St. Vladimirâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ And that's when I finally let it all out. I told her everything. I told her about how she, Ms. Karp, and St. Vladimir could all heal and use super-compulsion. Although it made her squirm, I told her how they too grew easily upset and had tried to hurt themselves. ââ¬Å"He tried to kill himself,â⬠I said, not meeting her eyes. ââ¬Å"And I used to notice marks on Ms. Karp's skin ââ¬â like she'd claw at her own face. She tried to hide it with her hair, but I could see the old scratches and tell when she made new ones.â⬠ââ¬Å"It doesn't mean anything,â⬠insisted Lissa. ââ¬Å"It ââ¬â it's all a coincidence.â⬠She sounded like she wanted to believe that, and inside, some part of her really did. But there was another part of her, a desperate part of her that had wanted for so long to know that she wasn't a freak, that she wasn't alone. Even if the news was bad, at least now she knew there were others like her. ââ¬Å"Is it a coincidence that neither of them seems to have specialized?â⬠I recounted my conversation with Ms. Carmack and explained my theory about specializing in all four elements. I also repeated Ms. Carmack's comment about how that would burn someone out. Lissa rubbed her eyes when I finished, smudging a little of her makeup. She gave me a weak smile. ââ¬Å"I don't know what's crazier: what you're actually telling me or the fact that you actually read something to find all this out.â⬠I grinned, relieved that she'd actually mustered a joke. ââ¬Å"Hey, I know how to read too.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know you do. I also know it took you a year to read The Da Vinci Code.â⬠She laughed. ââ¬Å"That wasn't my fault! And don't try to change the subject.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm not.â⬠She smiled, then sighed. ââ¬Å"I just don't know what to think about all this.â⬠ââ¬Å"There's nothing to think about. Just don't do stuff that'll upset you. Remember coasting through the middle? Go back to that. It's a lot easier on you.â⬠She shook her head. ââ¬Å"I can't do that. Not yet.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why not? I already told you ââ¬â â⬠I stopped, wondering why I hadn't caught on before. ââ¬Å"It's not just Mia. You're doing all this because you feel like you're supposed to. You're still trying to be Andre.â⬠ââ¬Å"My parents would have wanted me to ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"Your parents would have wanted you to be happy.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's not that easy, Rose. I can't ignore these people forever. I'm royal too.â⬠ââ¬Å"Most of them suck.â⬠ââ¬Å"And a lot of them are going to help rule the Moroi. Andre knew that. He wasn't like the others, but he did what he had to do because he knew how important they were.â⬠I leaned back against the bench. ââ¬Å"Well, maybe that's the problem. We're deciding who's ?à ®important' based on family alone, so we end up with these screwed-up people making decisions. That's why Moroi numbers are dropping and bitches like Tatiana are queen. Maybe there needs to be a new royal system.â⬠ââ¬Å"Come on, Rose. This is the way it is; that's the way it's been for centuries. We have to live with that.â⬠I glared. ââ¬Å"Okay, how about this?â⬠she continued. ââ¬Å"You're worried about me becoming like them ââ¬â like Ms. Karp and St. Vladimir ââ¬â right? Well, she said I shouldn't use the powers, that it would make things get worse if I did. What if I just stop? Compulsion, healing, everything.â⬠I narrowed my eyes. ââ¬Å"You could do that?â⬠The convenient compulsion aside, that was what I'd wanted her to do the whole time. Her depression had started at the same time the powers emerged, just after the accident. I had to believe they were connected, particularly in light of the evidence and Ms. Karp's warnings. ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠Her face was perfectly composed, her expression serious and steady. With her pale hair woven into a neat French braid and a suede blazer over her dress, she looked like she could have taken her family's place on the council right now. ââ¬Å"You'd have to give up everything,â⬠I warned. ââ¬Å"No healing, no matter how cute and cuddly the animal. And no more compulsion to dazzle the royals.â⬠She nodded seriously. ââ¬Å"I can do it. Will that make you feel better?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, but I'd feel even better if you stopped magic and went back to hanging out with Natalie.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know, I know. But I can't stop, not now at least.â⬠I couldn't get her to budge on that ââ¬â yet ââ¬â but knowing that she would avoid using her powers relieved me. ââ¬Å"All right,â⬠I said, picking up my backpack. I was late for practice. Again. ââ¬Å"You can keep playing with the brat pack, so long as you keep the ?à ®other stuff' in check.â⬠I hesitated. ââ¬Å"And you know, you really have made your point with Aaron and Mia. You don't have to keep him around to keep hanging out with the royals.â⬠ââ¬Å"Why do I keep getting the feeling you don't like him anymore?â⬠ââ¬Å"I like him okay ââ¬â which is about as much as you like him. And I don't think you should get hot and sweaty with people you only like ?à ®okay' ââ¬Å" Lissa widened her eyes in pretend astonishment. ââ¬Å"Is this Rose Hathaway talking? Have you reformed? Or do you have someone you like ?à ®more than okay'?â⬠ââ¬Å"Hey,â⬠I said uncomfortably, ââ¬Å"I'm just looking out for you. That, and I never noticed how boring Aaron is before.â⬠She scoffed. ââ¬Å"You think everyone's boring.â⬠ââ¬Å"Christian isn't.â⬠It slipped out before I could stop it. She quit smiling. ââ¬Å"He's a jerk. He just stopped talking to me for no reason one day.â⬠She crossed her arms. ââ¬Å"And don't you hate him anyway?â⬠ââ¬Å"I can still hate him and think he's interesting.â⬠But I was also starting to think that I might have made a big mistake about Christian. He was creepy and dark and liked to set people on fire, true. On the other hand, he was smart and funny ââ¬â in a twisted way ââ¬â and somehow had a calming effect on Lissa. But I'd messed it all up. I'd let my anger and jealousy get the best of me and ended up separating them. If I'd let him go to her in the garden that night, maybe she wouldn't have gotten upset and cut herself. Maybe they'd be together now, away from all the school politics. Fate must have been thinking the same thing, because five minutes after I left Lissa, I passed Christian walking across the quad. Our eyes locked for a moment before we passed each other. I nearly kept walking. Nearly. Taking a deep breath, I came to a stop. ââ¬Å"Waitâ⬠¦Christian.â⬠I called out to him. Damn, I was so late for training. Dimitri was going to kill me. Christian spun around to face me, hands stuffed in the pockets of his long black coat, his posture slumped and uncaring. ââ¬Å"Yeah?â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks for the books.â⬠He didn't say anything. ââ¬Å"The ones you gave to Mason.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, I thought you meant the other books.â⬠Smartass. ââ¬Å"Aren't you going to ask what they were for?â⬠ââ¬Å"Your business. Just figured you were bored being suspended.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'd have to be pretty bored for that.â⬠He didn't laugh at my joke. ââ¬Å"What do you want, Rose? I've got places to be.â⬠I knew he was lying, but my sarcasm no longer seemed as funny as usual. ââ¬Å"I want you to, uh, hang out with Lissa again.â⬠ââ¬Å"Are you serious?â⬠He studied me closely, suspicion all over him. ââ¬Å"After what you said to me?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, wellâ⬠¦Didn't Mason tell you?â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Christian's lips turned up into a sneer. ââ¬Å"He told me something.â⬠ââ¬Å"And?â⬠ââ¬Å"And I don't want to hear it from Mason.â⬠His sneer cranked up when I glared. ââ¬Å"You sent him to apologize for you. Step up and do it yourself.â⬠ââ¬Å"You're a jerk,â⬠I informed him. ââ¬Å"Yeah. And you're a liar. I want to see you eat your pride.â⬠ââ¬Å"I've been eating my pride for two weeks,â⬠I growled. Shrugging, he turned around and started to walk away. ââ¬Å"Wait!â⬠I called, putting my hand on his shoulder. He stopped and looked back at me. ââ¬Å"All right, all right. I lied about how she felt. She never said any of that stuff about you, okay? She likes you. I made it up because I don't like you.â⬠ââ¬Å"And yet you want me to talk to her.â⬠When the next words left my lips, I could barely believe it. ââ¬Å"I thinkâ⬠¦you might beâ⬠¦good for her.â⬠We stared at each other for several heavy moments. His smirk dried up a little. Not much surprised him. This did. ââ¬Å"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. Can you repeat that?â⬠he finally asked. I almost punched him in the face. ââ¬Å"Will you stop it already? I want you to hang out with her again.â⬠ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"Look, I told you, I lied ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"It's not that. It's her. You think I can talk to her now? She's Princess Lissa again.â⬠Venom dripped off his words. ââ¬Å"I can't go near her, not when she's surrounded by all those royals.â⬠ââ¬Å"You're royal too,â⬠I said, more to myself than him. I kept forgetting the Ozeras were one of the twelve families. ââ¬Å"Doesn't mean much in a family full of Strigoi, huh?â⬠ââ¬Å"But you're not ââ¬â wait. That's why she connects to you,â⬠I realized with a start. ââ¬Å"Because I'm going to become a Strigoi?â⬠he asked snidely. ââ¬Å"Noâ⬠¦because you lost your parents too. Both of you saw them die.â⬠ââ¬Å"She saw hers die. I saw mine murdered.â⬠I flinched. ââ¬Å"I know. I'm sorry, it must have beenâ⬠¦well, I don't have any idea what it was like.â⬠Those crystal-blue eyes went unfocused. ââ¬Å"It was like seeing an army of Death invade my house.â⬠ââ¬Å"You meanâ⬠¦your parents?â⬠He shook his head. ââ¬Å"The guardians who came to kill them. I mean, my parents were scary, yeah, but they still looked like my parents ââ¬â a little paler, I guess. Some red in their eyes. But they walked and talked the same way. I didn't know anything was wrong with them, but my aunt did. She was watching me when they came for me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Were they going to convert you?â⬠I'd forgotten my original mission here, too caught up in the story. ââ¬Å"You were really little.â⬠ââ¬Å"I think they were going to keep me until I was older, then turn me. Aunt Tasha wouldn't let them take me. They tried to reason with her, convert her too, but when she wouldn't listen, they tried to take her by force. She fought them ââ¬â got really messed up ââ¬â and then the guardians showed up.â⬠His eyes drifted back to me. He smiled, but there was no happiness in it. ââ¬Å"Like I said, an army of Death. I think you're crazy, Rose, but if you turn out like the rest of them, you're going to be able to do some serious damage one day. Even I won't mess with you.â⬠I felt horrible. He'd had a miserable life, and I'd taken away one of the few good things in it. ââ¬Å"Christian, I'm sorry for screwing things up between you and Lissa. It was stupid. She wanted to be with you. I think she still does now. If you could just ââ¬â ââ¬Å" ââ¬Å"I told you, I can't.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm worried about her. She's into all this royal stuff because she thinks it's going to get back at Mia ââ¬â she's doing it for me.â⬠ââ¬Å"And you aren't grateful?â⬠The sarcasm returned. ââ¬Å"I'm worried. She can't handle playing all these catty political games. It isn't good for her, but she won't listen to me. I couldâ⬠¦I could use help.â⬠ââ¬Å"She could use help. Hey, don't look so surprised ââ¬â I know there's something funny going on with her. And I'm not even talking about the wrist thing.â⬠I jumped. ââ¬Å"Did she tell you?â⬠¦Ã¢â¬ Why not? She'd told him everything else. ââ¬Å"She didn't need to,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"I've got eyes.â⬠I must have looked pathetic, because he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. ââ¬Å"Look, if I catch Lissa aloneâ⬠¦I'll try to talk to her. But honestlyâ⬠¦if you really want to help herâ⬠¦well, I know I'm supposed to be all anti-establishment, but you might get the best help talking to somebody else. Kirova. Your guardian guy. I don't know. Someone who knows something. Someone you trust.â⬠ââ¬Å"Lissa wouldn't like that.â⬠I considered. ââ¬Å"Neither would I.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, well, we all have to do things we don't like. That's life.â⬠My snarky switch flipped on. ââ¬Å"What are you, an after-school special?â⬠A ghostly smile flickered across his face. ââ¬Å"If you weren't so psychotic, you'd be fun to hang around.â⬠ââ¬Å"Funny, I feel that way about you too.â⬠He didn't say anything else, but the smile grew, and he walked away.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
The Long Walk of the Navajo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The Long Walk of the Navajo - Essay Example This was done by the government in reaction to the retaliation of the Navajos to the western people. They did not want to leave their ancestral places and thus did not allow any foreigner to have a share in the territory. This made the government to remove the Indians from their ancestral land to ensure that other people could live in that territory. However before reaching such a decision different treaties were also made by the government with Navajos to ensure peace in the area but such treaties did not last long when both the military and Navajos started having conflicts. The government ordered the Navajos to leave their homeland and agricultural properties and move over to the fort Sumner. In August 1863 the first group of Navajos left for Fort Sumner which was 400 miles away from their homeland. While they had to walk barefoot to the fort they had to face many difficulties in their way such as the harsh weather. It took them a total of 21 days to reach the Fort Sumner and while reaching the fort many of the Navajos died because of starvation. However after reaching the Fort also the Indians were not provided with any proper water or food treatment. The farmers were also not given favorable conditions in which they could grow crops for their livelihood.
At least four general characteristics of materials handling contribute Essay
At least four general characteristics of materials handling contribute to its intrinsic hazard potential. Name and explain four such characteristics - Essay Example In general lack of operational control may increase the scope of intrinsic hazards as it may cause either cause damage either to the operator, the fellow workers or the environment in varied combinations and extremities. Non-Identification of Hazardous Materials: The proper identification and description of the extent of the risk posed by a hazardous material must be well aware to the person handling it. Any lacuna in this would proportionally increase the intrinsic hazard potential of the material. Handling procedures including details on the hazard levels and risks posed must be studied in detail before handling the material Continued exposure of Hazardous materials: If hazardous materials with are not isolated and demarcated, it may lead to uncontrolled exposure of the same to the people handling it which would contribute to the increase of its potential risk. Thus such materials must be isolated and made to be handled by trained persons Personal Safety Equipments: The proper use of Personal Safety Equipments like gloves, goggles, safety shoes, work coat, sunscreen is very important to avert the risk posed by hazardous materials. Improper use of these or not using these while handling a hazardous material increases the intrinsic hazard potential of the
Monday, August 12, 2019
Multiculturalism and cultural policy in Scandinavia Essay
Multiculturalism and cultural policy in Scandinavia - Essay Example As a prescriptive phenomenon, it refers to settlement policy that works towards promoting the perspective of institutionalizing cultural diversity. This paper expounds on this concept of multiculturalism and cultural diversity, with Sweden being a case study (CRAFT, 2011). Sweden has a reputation of having the most immigration policies in Europe. Behind such an image, their lies a more complicated reality. The current transformations are turning the explicit commitments regarding multiculturalism towards a cultural suppression that tends to conceal the power structure underlying ethnic, gender, racial, and the class inequalities (TCHIBOZO, 2013). As compared with Britain, and many other European nations, some of the multiculturalism paradoxes have been largely examined. This was established through critical reassessment of the dominant institutional, academic, and political discourses (TCHIBOZO, 2013). They tend to focus on changes with regards to the refugee policies, the representation of the immigrant youths and women, as well as the limited voice accorded to the contemporary social movements and the immigrant communities. In the course of discussing the kind of dilemma that is faced by welfare state especially under the localization and globalizat ion threats, a greater focus has been redirected on the perspective of trans-ethnicity. Doing so, exposes the necessity for the more comprehensive description of politics, state, class, everyday life, and the civil society (CRAFT, 2011). With regards to the international comparison, the Swedish nationalism has perhaps been relatively calm, but nevertheless, there were stronger assimilating pressures that were put on both the immigrant communities and the traditional minorities (CRAFT, 2011). Rather than the ethno-nationalist fanaticism, there was a greater elementary ideology of integrating the members of cultural and ethnic minorities into the
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