Spaceflight (Commentary Paper Essay) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spaceflight (Commentary Paper ) - Essay Example r, 2014 on the website of Al-Jazeera America deal with the UK entrepreneur Richard Branson’s response to the crash of the suborbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo developed by his company to conduct tourist flights into space. The focus of the article is Richard Branson’s intention to find out what exactly went wrong during the test flight of the spaceship and what caused the death of the co-polite and severe injuries of the pilot. In addition to this, the article highlights Branson’s plan to continue testing and improving the spaceship as well as his optimistic attitude towards the future of the project. To render Richard Branson’s stance and attitude towards the discussed issue, the author of the article widely quotes Branson’s speech delivered on the press conference on the crash of the suborbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo. More specifically, with the aim to show the audience the UK entrepreneur’s optimism, the author quotes Branson’s statements in which he draws a parallel between the development of aviation and the possible bright future of the sphere of space tourism. Also, the fact that Branson himself is going to flight travel into space on the first flight is used as reasoning. In addition to this, to prove that Branson is actually determined to define the reasons of the crash, the author of the article mentions the fact of the beginning of the investigation. The possible audience of the article is not only the common readers of the periodical but also those who are actually interested in the development of the sphere of space tourism and possible tourist flights into space, such as potential tourists. It is so because the author of the article seems to try to reassure people that space tourism does have a future, especially if the head of Virgin Galactic does not give up on further attempts to improve the spaceship. In other words, the purpose of the article is to reassure the audience that the crash will not happen again as the specialists are working

Religion in Ancient China Essay Example for Free

Religion in Ancient China Essay The earliest information found about religion in ancient China is during the Shang Dynasty and so religion in the Xia dynasty remains unknown. Religious beliefs and rituals were prominent during the Shang Dynasty. The most significant deity was Shang Ti, Ti meaning ‘Deity Above’ or the ‘Lord on High’. He ruled as a supreme god over all the other gods and spirits. The gods and spirits were believed to symbolize objects found in nature; the sun, the moon, the wind, the rain, everything from mountains and rivers to the stars in the night sky. Ti is believed to have punished those who disobeyed or offended him and rewarded those who pleased him. It is said that Ti formed a noble court in heaven consisting of all deceased worthy ancestors. The Chinese’s belief in family harmony was associated to belief in the afterlife. The ancestors who were considered commendable served Ti, helping him govern the world. Ancestors were also worshipped and were said to act a mediators between the gods and humankind. It was thought that if ancestors were appropriately honoured, respected, and provided for, they would promote the familys prosperity. A favour or grievance to a member of the family was considered a favour or grievance to the ancestors; consequently, people were reluctant to offense or harm descendants of a powerful family. It was believed that in the afterlife they would live in a celestial court in many ways similar to their earthly courts. Each Chinese family was expected to have an ancestral shrine in the centre of their home to honour and venerate their ancestors. Sacrifice to the gods and the ancestors were also a major part of the Shang religion. When a ruler died, slaves and officials were sacrificed with them in order to guarantee that their afterlife would be the same or similar as their life on earth. People were also sacrificed in smaller numbers when significant events, such as the founding of a palace or temple, took place. Along with their deceased ancestors, the Chinese had people on earth who acted as mediators between the celestials and the human race. Priests were among these intermediates and were responsible for a number of tasks including reading prayers and overseeing sacrifices and funerals. An augur is another type of mediator, responsible for asking gods questions on behalf of humans using various practices of foretelling to unearth the answers. The use of oracle bones was the most notable form of divination. The augur would ask the question, punching holes into the bone, usually the shoulder-bone from an ox, and in some cases the shell of a tortoise. The bone would then be held over a fire, until cracks appeared. These cracks would be made more evident by rubbing ink over the bone. The augur could now read the cracks and determine the answer of the god. Records of the questions and answers of readings were engraved on the bone. Questions on these oracle bones included issues of weather, warfare, agriculture, hunting, childbirth, and sacrifice. In reflection with their agricultural nature, the ancient Chinese use to honour the local deities of soil in order to increase the fertility of earth and to promote the growth of crops. Over time, this practice of earth worship began to dwindle and the veneration of Heaven increased. Divination was considered the only way to determine the requests and future actions of the ruler of Heaven who was also seen as a kind of ancestral figure. The Chinese were animistic and so believed that nature had many spirits. Good spirits, referred to as shen, and bad spirits, referred to as gui, were both thought to dwell in Heaven and Earth. The sun and the rooster were believed to have authority over the gui. This concept of shen and gui later influenced the formation of the yin and yang concept. The people of ancient China believed that there were two contrasting forces abiding in everything in nature; that is yin and yang. This concept was thought to be formed with the influence of the shen and gui concept from earlier ancient China. Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, or tranquil; and is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity and nighttime. Yang, on the other hand, is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, or aggressive; and is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime. During the time of the Eastern Zhou, religion in China underwent an evolution. The early gods were forgotten and replaced with ideologies that worked as both philosophies and religions. A phenomenon called the ‘Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought’ took place in ancient China. Schools and philosophers flourished around this time and it was dubbed an era of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China. The four most prominent schools of thought that evolved during this epoch were Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism. Confucius was born 551 BC and grew up to become one of the most influential philosophers in Chinese history. Confucianism is a composite philosophy of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought. He built his philosophy around five virtues: compassion, morality, decorum, wisdom and honesty. Compassion was considered the cornerstone, symbolizing loyalty, filial piety, patience and benevolence. He also believed that everyone should be in harmony with one another and establish a society ruled by standard etiquette and conduct. A legendary philosopher by the name of Laozi is believed to have established the religious philosophy of Taoism. The ‘forces of nature’ is the central belief behind the concept of Tao, which is literally translated as the path or the way. Taoism is in many ways the contrary of Confucianism, focusing on the individual within the natural realm rather than the individual within society. It also focuses on the affiliation between humanity and the cosmos, vigour and long life, and wu wei, that is action through inaction, which is said to create harmony with the Universe. Mo Di or Mozi was another Chinese philosopher form the Eastern Zhou period. He was strongly opposed to the teachings of Confucianism and Taoism. Mohism was based on the idea of universal love, ‘everyone is equal before heaven’. Mozi believed that everyone should practice communal love in order to create a heaven on earth. He also believed that an individual’s perception should be the basis of human cognition and not imagination or logic. Mozi advocated abstinence, and therefore opposed music, regarding it as excessive and a waste of resources which could instead be used to help those in need of basic necessities such as food, water and shelter. He even opposed elaborate funerals also regarding it as a waste of money which could be used in more useful matters. He also advocated pacifism thus disapproving of offensive war, only accepting aggressive action to defend the weak. Legalism, while the term itself was invented in the Han dynasty, was one of the major doctrines followed during the Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought. It was established by Han Feizi and Li Si and theorizes that the human race is evil and in order to prevent this evil causing chaos, laws need to be put in place. Legalism wasn’t concerned with the nature or purpose of life, not even the welfare of the public; rather it sought the states prosperity and military aptitude. Out of these four philosophies, only Confucianism and Taoism are considered religions by scholars, as only they contain spiritual elements. Confucianism and Taoism both became part of what is now known as The Three Doctrine. Buddhism is the third doctrine however it was imported from India and flourished during Imperial China.

How Lost Lake has Influenced My Life :: Observation Essays

How Lost Lake has Influenced My Life One day when I was five years old I recall my grandfather asking "Steve, why don't, you go with us to Minnesota next week?" My grandfather was a very important person to me, until he died in 1986. I spent every possible moment of my life either with him or thinking about him. Everything he loved, I loved, and vice-versa. Being bored with my present lifestyle in Peoria and excited about traveling with my grandfather, I took up his offer. After a day long car ride with my father, uncle, and grandparents, I arrived at the location that would forever influence and inspire my life: Lost Lake, Minnesota. I first remarked on the cabin we were going to stay in, for it reminded me very much of the cabin on Log Cabin pancake syrup. I was also surprised at the trees: along with the beautiful pines were these trees with white bark. I asked my grandfather what kind of trees they were, and he told me that they were birch trees. I thought he said "perch", figuring that the trees were named after a species of fish common in the lake. When we went out on the lake to fish I caught a bass on the first cast of my fishing career. My excitement was colossal. While we were fishing I heard a sound I had never heard before: the call of the loon, the state bird of Minnesota. This haunting sound is the trademark of the North Woods. Its sound is quite similar to a moan in a horror picture. Since I experienced all of these new things while having the time of my life, I fell in love with the fish, the loons, and the birch trees. These feelings would stay with me forever. Many of the things I witnessed on my first trip to Lost Lake closely reflect primary interests in my life now. That smallmouth bass introduced me to one of my very favorite hobbies: fishing. I now go fishing at every possible opportunity. Unfortunately, central Illinois is not blessed with fishing lakes, so my fishing is limited to local farm ponds and creeks. I try to go fishing at least once a week. After seeing those mysterious white trees I became very interested in studying trees. Today I can identify any tree anywhere in the United States.

What Makes A Leader

What Makes a Leader In this article we explore what makes a great leader and what groups and levels of skills are needed to be a great leader. Daniel Coleman writes about Emotional Intelligence, how It Is evaluated, and the Importance of Emotional Intelligence for effectiveness of an affective leader. Everyone is born with certain levels of skills that can be strengthened with persistence, practice and feedback from colleagues and coaches. Mr.. Coleman preformed over the course of an entire year focusing on how emotional Intelligences operates In the workplace.They examined the relationship teen both effective performance and emotional intelligence especially in leadership roles. The 5 groups of skills are listed as follows: self-awareness, self- regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, which I will be discussing. Companies hire trained psychologists to develop â€Å"competency models† to aid in identifying, training, and promoting of individuals with these groups o f skills. These individuals are those who can recognize their strengths, weaknesses, drives, values and impact on others who know that one needs to control or redirect disruptive Impulses and moods to be an effective leader.Having relishing achievement for own sake and are considerate to other peoples emotional make up by using the rapport built with others to move them in the desired direction. Daniel Coleman distinguishes what makes a great leader from the average one. The five in one secret to success allows you to maximize your leadership skills. Emotional Intelligence benefits you at every level of business giving you the necessary tools most Important to building the right foundation to a solid future and taking the right direction to ensuring a success in your business venture.Take advantage and use your emotional Intelligence to show how capable and effective you can truly be. Self-awareness in the aspect of big business allocates one resources, strong and weak to use to bes t impact the goals set forward. People with high self-awareness recognize how their feelings affect them, others, and Job performance. Having high self-awareness allows one to make critical decisions that need to be made in order for deadlines to be met and to save future conflict that could have been avoided.Knowing the time and place for things is a good example of having good self- wariness, without it you could potentially ruin a first impression and hinder Impending possible business endeavors. To enhance emotional intelligence companies are altering their training to include the limbic system. This allows for people to break old behavioral habits and establish new ones. It is key to focus that ones emotional intelligence can only come from sincere desire and resolute effort.Once your self-awareness is up to par you will be able to see your Impact on others and see how malleable the people around you really are. Your self-confidence gives o a desire for constructive criticism t o better yourself day by day. 1 OFF redirect any disruptive emotions or any impulses that could spawn from a heated altercation with a fellow employee. Biological impulses guide our everyday emotions, we can never get rid of them, but we can control them. This allows one to pick and choose their words carefully not being tempted to kick the chair or flip the desk.People who can control their emotions are often seen as stiff and dispassionate. With self-regulation, patience is vital and will prove faithful when it comes to your integrity and trustworthiness. With time, you become and grow more comfortable with ambiguity and change thus having a stronger grasp on your emotional intelligence. When looking at the aspect of leadership, one with a good head on their shoulders not eager to Jump to make irrational decisions before first going through all of the possible solutions to the problem.This ensures that the best potential outcome will be explored and evaluated to best serve its pur pose helping business run as it should and keeping employees content with the workplace. Motivation or inspirational words are that should be followed with ambitious work. When being driven to achieve for only the sake of achievement and accomplishing the task at hand is the only thing on your mind. Taking the passion for the quality and the challenges that come with completing any new task.Being the most optimistic when staring down at a ticking time bomb knowing exactly what must be done and with tender touch in some cases that create the most success. The passion that you hold for the very things you do on a daily basis, anywhere from work itself or for any new challenges that spark your interest. This challenge gives you unflagging energy to improve on your current status in every aspect of life. Optimism will bring you far in life with the regards to having patience for the right thing to take its place and take us to where we need to be.Stressing over every little thing will o nly slow you down and make you look like less of a professional. Instead of blaming countless other individuals, taking accountability for your actions and stepping up to learn from this experience and apply it to the work place can cause engineer a turn-around. Empathy or ability to consider others feelings when making a decision in the work lace can save you a lot of time and stress from you saying or doing something without fully thinking it through and it turns out if you would of Just thought that through and been a little less selfish you could of seen the bigger picture.With this trait not only will you be improving your work portfolio so you will be developing the ability to develop others by attracting talent by the expertise that you need for a competitive firm. When in the workplace, one doesn't have two many second chances or second first impressions'. Understanding proper etiquette and the ability to be insensitive to cross-cultural differences could make or break a cli ents approval.It is very important to make sure you know every subtle detail about your client to avoid risking potential failure and ending a potential venture before it even starts. One thing in our culture could mean something completely and totally opposite in someone else's and when you think your conveying the correct platform, in reality you are not on the same page as your client due to lack of preparedness due to poor Social skills are the ability to manage relationships to move people in the direction hat is crucial to the development of the company.Being a leader with good social skills one must be effective in leading change, persuasive, extensive networking, and experience in the leading and building of teams. This allows for the leader to manage what exactly they would want their company to adopt to better the future of the enterprise. With the correct social skills, it will ensure that your ability to persuade allies in other divisions to possibly help fund potential endeavors.Even if your social skills are lacking, there is always room to better your own social skills and evolve into he social butterfly that you always intended to be but never had the right force to push you. Once you have found common ground you can build a rapport and take your business to higher levels. Socially skilled people tend to have a vast amount of acquaintances and have the capabilities of finding common ground with all types of people. People who tend to achieve usually are optimistic including times of setbacks or failures.In conclusion, we are shown that everyone has the skills available to potentially be great leaders but that not everyone has the balanced set or capability to reach the Roth needed so we see that as an individual it takes more than Just one trait to be a great leader but it takes five individual characteristics that make up emotional intelligence that allows us to think before we speak and act making sure that we represent ourselves the way that resembles the characteristics that would make company blush and be glad they have you at their business.Conduct yourself with self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills and you will have the perfect concoction to making a great leader out of yourself and others around you.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Seven

THE PROBLEM WAS, OF COURSE, that I soon lost myself in the darkness. After living in the wilds of Montana, I was used to how completely the night could swallow you once you stepped away from even the tiniest hint of civilization. I was even used to wandering the twists and turns of dark forests. But the St. Vladimir's terrain had been familiar. The woods of West Virginia were new and foreign, and I had completely lost my bearings. Once I was pretty sure I'd put enough distance between me and the motel, I paused and looked around. Night insects hummed and sang, and the oppressive summer humidity hung around me. Peering up through the leafy canopy of trees, I could see a brilliant sky of stars, totally untouched by city lights. Feeling like a true wilderness survivor, I studied the stars until I spotted the Big Dipper and figured out which direction was north. The mountains Sydney had driven us through had been to the east, so I certainly didn't want to go in that direction. It seemed reasonable that if I hiked north, I'd eventually hit an interstate and either hitchhike or walk my way back to civilization. It wasn't an airtight plan, but it wasn't the worst one I'd ever had, not by a long shot. I wasn't really dressed for hiking, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I managed to avoid most trees and other obstacles. Following the tiny road out of town would have been easier–but was also what Dimitri would expect me to do. I fell into a steady, subconscious rhythm as I made my way north. I decided it was a good time to check in on Lissa, now that I had time on my hands and no guardians trying to arrest me. I slipped into her mind and found her within the depths of the guardians' headquarters, sitting in a hallway lined with chairs. Other Moroi sat nearby, including Christian and Tasha. â€Å"They'll question you hard,' Tasha murmured. â€Å"Especially you.' That was to Christian. â€Å"You'd be my first choice if something illicitly blew up.' That seemed to be everyone's opinion. From the troubled look on her face, I could see Tasha had been as surprised by my escape as I had. Even if my friends hadn't filled her in on the whole story yet, she had probably pieced most things together–at the very least, who was behind it. Christian gave her as charming a smile as he could manage, like a kid trying to dodge being grounded. â€Å"They'll know by now that it wasn't caused by magic,' he said. â€Å"The guardians will have scoured every inch of those statues.' He didn't elaborate, not in public, but Lissa's mind was working along the same lines as his. The guardians would know now the explosion hadn't been elemental. And even if my friends were the primary suspects, the authorities would have to wonder–just as I had–how teenagers would get a hold of C4. Lissa nodded her agreement and rested her hand on Christian's. â€Å"We'll be okay.' Her thoughts turned to both Dimitri and me, wondering if we'd made it out according to the plan. She couldn't focus on finding Tatiana's killer until she knew we were safe. Like me, the breakout had been a hard choice: freeing me put me in more danger than keeping me locked up. Her emotions were keyed up, prickly and a bit wilder than I would have liked. So much spirit, I realized. She's using too much. Back at school, she'd managed it with prescription medication and later through self-control. But somewhere, as our situations grew increasingly complicated, she'd allowed herself to wield more and more. Recently, she'd used astonishing amounts, and we'd come to take it for granted. Sooner or later, Lissa's reliance on spirit would catch up with her. With us. â€Å"Princess?' A door across from Lissa opened, and a guardian peered out. â€Å"We're ready for you.' The guardian stepped aside, and inside the room, Lissa heard a familiar voice say, â€Å"Always a pleasure speaking with you, Hans. We should do it again sometime.' Abe then appeared, strutting out with his usual swagger. He stepped past the guardian in the doorway and gave Lissa and the Ozeras a winning, all-is-right-in-the-world grin. Without a word, he strode past them toward the hall's exit. Lissa almost smiled but reined it in, putting on a sober look as she and her companions entered. The door shut behind them, and she found herself facing three guardians seated at a table. One of them I'd seen around but had never met. I think his last name was Steele. The other two I knew well. One was Hans Croft, who ran the guardians' operations at Court. Beside him–to my astonishment–was Alberta, who was in charge of St. Vladimir's guardians and novices. â€Å"Lovely,' growled Hans. â€Å"A whole entourage.' Christian had insisted on being present when Lissa was questioned, and Tasha had insisted on being present with Christian. If Abe had known the interrogation time, he probably would have joined the group too, undoubtedly followed by my mother †¦ Hans didn't realize he'd dodged a house party. Lissa, Christian, and Tasha sat down opposite the guardians. â€Å"Guardian Petrov,' said Lissa, ignoring Hans's disapproval. â€Å"What are you doing here?' Alberta gave Lissa a small smile but otherwise kept in professional guardian mode. â€Å"I was here for the funeral, and Guardian Croft decided he'd like an outside opinion for the investigation.' â€Å"As well as someone familiar with Hathaway and her, uh, associates,' added Hans. Hans was the kind of guy who got straight to the point. Usually, his attitude bothered me–that was my normal reaction to most authority figures–but I did respect the way he ran operations here. â€Å"This meeting was intended just for you, princess.' â€Å"We won't say a word,' said Christian. Lissa nodded and kept her face smooth and polite, even though there was a trembling in her voice. â€Å"I want to help †¦ I've been so, I don't know. I'm so stunned about everything that's happened.' â€Å"I'm sure,' said Hans, voice dry. â€Å"Where were you when the statues exploded?' â€Å"With the funeral procession,' she said. â€Å"I was part of the escort.' Steele had a pile of papers in front of him. â€Å"That's true. There are plenty of witnesses.' â€Å"Very convenient. What about afterward?' asked Hans. â€Å"Where did you go when the crowd panicked?' â€Å"Back to the Council's building. That's where all the others were meeting up, and I thought it'd be safest.' I couldn't see her face but could feel her trying to look cowed. â€Å"I was afraid when things started going crazy.' â€Å"We also have witnesses to support that,' said Steele. Hans drummed his fingers on the table. â€Å"Did you have any prior knowledge about any of this? The explosions? Hathaway's breakout?' Lissa shook her head. â€Å"No! I had no clue. I didn't even know it was possible to get out of the cells. I thought there was too much security.' Hans ignored the dig on his operations. â€Å"You've got that bond thing, right? You didn't pick up anything through that?' â€Å"I don't read her,' explained Lissa. â€Å"She sees my thoughts but not the other way around.' â€Å"That,' said Alberta, speaking up at last, â€Å"is true.' Hans didn't contradict her but still wasn't buying my friends' innocence. â€Å"You realize, if you're caught concealing information–or aiding her–you'll face consequences almost as serious as hers. All of you. Royalty doesn't exempt you from treason.' Lissa lowered her gaze, as though his threat had frightened her. â€Å"I just can't believe †¦ I just can't believe she'd do this. She was my friend. I thought I knew her. I didn't think she could do any of these things †¦ I never thought she'd murder anyone.' If not for the feelings in the bond, I might have taken offense. I knew the truth, though. She was acting, trying to distance herself from me. It was smart. â€Å"Really? Because not long ago, you were swearing up and down that she was innocent,' pointed out Hans. Lissa looked back up and widened her eyes. â€Å"I thought she was! But then †¦ then I heard about what she did to those guardians in the escape †¦' Her distress wasn't entirely faked this time. She still needed to act like she thought I was guilty, but the news of Meredith's condition had reached her–which truly had shocked her. That made two of us, but at least I now knew Meredith was okay. Hans still looked skeptical at Lissa's change of heart but let it go. â€Å"What about Belikov? You swore he wasn't a Strigoi anymore, but obviously something went wrong there as well.' Christian stirred beside Lissa. As an advocate for Dimitri, Christian grew as irritated as us at the suspicions and accusations. Lissa spoke before Christian could say anything. â€Å"He's not Strigoi!' Lissa's remorse over me vanished, her old, fierce defense of Dimitri kicking in. She hadn't expected this line of questioning about him. She'd been preparing herself to defend me and her alibi. Hans seemed pleased at the reaction and watched her closely. â€Å"Then how do you explain his involvement?' â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' said Lissa, forcing her control back. Her heart was pounding rapidly. â€Å"He changed back. There's no Strigoi left.' â€Å"But he attacked a number of guardians–on more than one occasion.' It looked like Tasha wanted to interrupt now and defend Dimitri as well, but she visibly bit her lip. It was remarkable. The Ozeras liked to speak their minds, not always tactfully. â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' Lissa repeated. â€Å"And he didn't kill any of those guardians. Not one. Rose did what she did †¦ well, I don't know why. She hated Tatiana, I guess. Everyone knew that. But Dimitri †¦ I'm telling you, being Strigoi had nothing to do with this. He helped her because he used to be her teacher. He thought she was in trouble.' â€Å"That was pretty extreme for a teacher, particularly one who–before turning Strigoi– was known for being level-headed and rational.' â€Å"Yeah, but he wasn't thinking rationally because–‘ Lissa cut herself off, suddenly caught in a bad situation. Hans seemed to have realized quickly in this conversation that if Lissa was involved with recent events–and I don't think he was certain yet–she would have an airtight alibi. Talking to her, however, had given him the chance to pursue another puzzle in my escape: Dimitri's involvement. Dimitri had sacrificed himself to take the fall, even if it meant others not trusting him again. Lissa thought she'd made people think his actions were a former teacher's protective instinct, but apparently, not everyone was buying that. â€Å"He wasn't thinking rationally because?' prompted Hans, eyes sharp. Before the murder, Hans had believed Dimitri truly had become a dhampir again. Something told me he still believed that but sensed there was something big dangling before him. Lissa stayed silent. She didn't want people thinking Dimitri was Strigoi. She wanted people to believe in her powers to restore the undead. But if Dimitri helping a student didn't seem convincing enough to others, all that mistrust might surface again. Glancing at her interrogators, Lissa suddenly met Alberta's eyes. The older guardian said nothing. She wore that neutral, scrutinizing expression that guardians excelled at. She also had an air of wisdom about her, and Lissa briefly allowed spirit to show her Alberta's aura. It had good, steady colors and energy, and in Alberta's eyes, Lissa swore she could see a message, a knowing glint. Tell them, the message seemed to say. It'll create problems–but they won't be as bad as your current ones. Lissa held that gaze, wondering if she was just projecting her own thoughts onto Alberta. It didn't matter who'd come up with the idea. Lissa knew it was right. â€Å"Dimitri helped Rose because †¦ because they were involved.' As I'd guessed, Alberta wasn't surprised, and she seemed relieved to have the truth out there. Hans and Steele, however, were very surprised. I had only seen Hans shocked a few times. â€Å"When you say â€Å"involved,' do you mean †¦' He paused to structure his words. â€Å"Do you mean romantically involved?' Lissa nodded, feeling horrible. She'd revealed a big secret here, one she'd sworn she'd keep for me, but I didn't blame her. Not in this situation. Love–I hoped–would defend Dimitri's actions. â€Å"He loved her,' said Lissa. â€Å"She loved him. If he helped her escape–‘ â€Å"He did help her escape,' interrupted Hans. â€Å"He attacked guardians and blew up priceless, centuries-old statues brought over from Europe!' Lissa shrugged. â€Å"Well, like I said. He wasn't acting rationally. He wanted to help her and probably thought she was innocent. He would have done anything for her–and it had nothing to do with Strigoi.' â€Å"Love only justifies so much.' Hans clearly wasn't a romantic. â€Å"Shes underage!' exclaimed Steele. That part hadn't escaped him. â€Å"She's eighteen,' corrected Lissa. Hans cut her a look. â€Å"I can do the math, princess. Unless they managed some beautiful, touching romance in the last few weeks–while he was mostly in isolation– then there were things going on at your school that someone should have reported.' Lissa said nothing, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Tasha and Christian. They were trying to keep their expressions neutral, but it was obvious this news wasn't a surprise to them, no doubt confirming Hans's suspicions that illicit things had been going on. I actually hadn't realized Tasha knew about Dimitri and me and felt a little bad. Had she known that part of his rejection of her had been because of me? And if she knew, how many others did? Christian had probably tipped her off, but something told me more people were probably starting to find out as well. After the school's attack, my reaction had likely been a big clue about my feelings for Dimitri. Maybe telling Hans now wasn't so big a deal after all. The secret wouldn't be a secret much longer. Alberta cleared her throat, speaking up at last. â€Å"I think we have more important things to worry about right now than some romance that may or may not have happened.' Steele gave her an incredulous look and slammed his hand against the table. â€Å"This is pretty serious. Did you know about it?' â€Å"All I know is that we're getting distracted from the point here,' she replied, neatly dodging the question. Alberta was about twenty years older than Steele, and the tough look she gave him said that he was a child wasting her time. â€Å"I thought we were here to figure out if Miss Hathaway had any accomplices, not dredge up the past. So far, the only person we can say for sure that helped her is Belikov, and he did it out of irrational affection. That makes him a fugitive and a fool, not a Strigoi.' I'd never thought of my relationship with Dimitri as â€Å"irrational affection,' but Alberta's point was taken. Something in Hans's and Steele's faces made me think soon the whole world would know about us, but that was nothing compared to murder. And if it cleared Dimitri of being a Strigoi, then it meant he'd be imprisoned instead of staked if ever captured. Small blessings. Lissa's questioning continued a bit longer before the guardians decided she was free and clear of any part in my escape (that they could prove). She did a good job playing surprised and confused the whole time, even mustering a few tears over how she could have so misjudged me. She spun a little bit of compulsion into her act too–not enough to brainwash anyone, but enough that Steele's earlier outrage transformed to sympathy. Hans was harder to read, but as my group left, he reminded Tasha and Christian that he would be speaking with each of them later, preferably without an entourage. For now, the next person in the hot seat was waiting in the hall: Eddie. Lissa gave him the same smile she'd give any friend. There was no indication that they were both part of a conspiracy. Eddie nodded in return as he was called to the room for his interrogation. Lissa was anxious for him, but I knew his guardian self-control would make sure he stuck to the story. He probably wouldn't pull the tears Lissa had, but he'd likely act just as shocked by my â€Å"treason' as she had. Tasha left Christian and Lissa once they were outside, first warning them to be careful. â€Å"You've gotten out of this so far, but I don't think the guardians have completely cleared you. Especially Hans.' â€Å"Hey, I can take care of myself,' said Christian. Tasha rolled her eyes. â€Å"Yes. I see what happens when you're left to your own devices.' â€Å"Hey, don't get all pissy because we didn't tell you,' he exclaimed. â€Å"We didn't have time, and there were only so many people we could get involved. Besides, you've done your share of crazy plans before.' â€Å"True,' Tasha admitted. She was hardly a role model for playing by the rules. â€Å"It's just that everything's gotten that much more complicated. Rose is on the run. And now Dimitri †¦' She sighed, and I didn't need her to finish to guess her thoughts. There was a profound look of sadness in her eyes, one that made me feel guilty. Just like the rest of us, Tasha had wanted Dimitri's reputation restored. By freeing the queen's accused assassin, he'd seriously damaged any chance at acceptance. I really wished he hadn't gotten involved and hoped my current escape plan paid off. â€Å"This'll all work out,' said Christian. â€Å"You'll see.' He didn't look so confident as he spoke, and Tasha gave him a small, amused smile. â€Å"Just be careful. Please. I don't want to see you in a cell, too. I don't have time for jail visits with everything else going on.' Her amusement faded, and her outspoken activist mode kicked in. â€Å"Our family's being ridiculous, you know. Can you believe they're actually talking about running Esmond for us? Good God. We've already had one tragedy after another around here. At the very least, we should try to salvage something out of this mess.' â€Å"I don't think I know Esmond,' said Christian. â€Å"Moron,' she said matter-of-factly. â€Å"Him, I mean. Not you. Someone's got to talk sense into our family before they embarrass themselves.' Christian grinned. â€Å"And let me guess: you're just the one to do it?' â€Å"Of course,' she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye. â€Å"I've already drawn up a list of ideal candidates. Our family just needs some persuasion to see how ideal they are.' â€Å"I'd feel bad for them if they weren't still being assholes to us,' Christian remarked, watching his aunt walk away. The stigma of his parents turning Strigoi still lingered after all these years. Tasha accepted it more gracefully–despite her complaining–if only to be able to participate in the Ozera family's larger decisions. Christian made no such attempts at civility. It was terrible enough to be treated as less than other Moroi, to be denied guardians and other things royals were entitled to. But from his own family? It was especially harsh. He refused to pretend it was acceptable. â€Å"They'll come around eventually,' said Lissa, sounding more optimistic than she felt. Any response of Christian's was swallowed when a new companion fell into step with them: my father. His abrupt appearance startled both of my friends, but I wasn't surprised. He probably knew about Lissa's interrogation and had been skulking outside the building, waiting to talk to her. â€Å"It's nice out,' said Abe amiably, looking around at the trees and flowers as though the three of them were on a nature walk through Court. â€Å"But it's going to be scorching when the sun comes up.' The darkness that was giving me so much trouble in the woods of West Virginia made for pleasant, â€Å"midday' conditions for those on a vampiric schedule. Lissa gave Abe a sidelong glance. With eyes well-tuned to low light, she had no difficulty taking in the brilliant teal dress shirt under his beige sports jacket. A blind person could have probably seen him in that color. Lissa scoffed at Abe's faked casualness. It was a habit of his, opening with small talk before moving on to more sinister topics. â€Å"You're not here to talk about the weather.' â€Å"Trying to be civilized, that's all.' He fell silent as a couple of Moroi girls passed them. Once they were well out of ear-shot, he asked in a low voice, â€Å"I assume everything went well at your little meeting?' â€Å"Fine,' she said, not bothering to fill him in about â€Å"irrational affection.' She knew all he'd care about was that none of their associates had been implicated. â€Å"The guardians have Eddie now,' said Christian. â€Å"And want me later, but I think that'll be it for all of us.' Lissa sighed. â€Å"Honestly, I have a feeling the interrogation was the easy part, compared to what's coming.' She meant figuring out who had really killed Tatiana. â€Å"One step at a time,' murmured Abe. â€Å"No point in letting the larger picture overwhelm us. We'll just start at the beginning.' â€Å"That's the problem,' said Lissa, kicking irritably at a branch lying across the cobblestone path in front of her. â€Å"I have no idea where to start. Whoever killed Tatiana did a good job covering their tracks and shifting it all to Rose.' â€Å"One step at a time,' repeated Abe. He spoke in that sly tone of his that annoyed me sometimes, but to Lissa today, it was grating. Until now, all of her energy had been focused on getting me out of jail and somewhere safe. That was the goal that had driven her and kept her going in my escape's aftermath. Now, after some of the intensity had faded, the pressure of it all was beginning to crash down on her. Christian put an arm around her shoulders, sensing her dismay. He turned to Abe, unusually serious. â€Å"Do you have any ideas?' Christian asked Abe. â€Å"We certainly don't have any real evidence.' â€Å"We have reasonable assumptions,' Abe replied. â€Å"Like that whoever killed Tatiana would have had access to her private rooms. That's not a long list.' â€Å"Its not short either.' Lissa ticked off people on her fingers. â€Å"The royal guards, her friends and family †¦ and that's assuming no one altered the guardians' records of her visitors. And for all we know, some visits were never logged at all. She probably had secret business meetings all the time.' â€Å"Unlikely she'd have business meetings in her bedroom, in her nightgown,' mused Abe. â€Å"Of course, it depends on the type of business, I suppose.' Lissa stumbled, realization stunning her. â€Å"Ambrose.' â€Å"Who?' â€Å"Hes a dhampir †¦ really good-looking †¦ He and Tatiana were, um †¦' â€Å"Involved?' said Christian with a smile, echoing the interrogation. Now Abe came to a stop. Lissa did the same, and his dark eyes met hers. â€Å"I've seen him. Sort of a pool boy type.' â€Å"He'd have access to her bedroom,' said Lissa. â€Å"But I just can't–I don't know. I can't see him doing this.' â€Å"Appearances are deceiving,' said Abe. â€Å"He was terribly interested in Rose back in the courtroom.' More surprise for Lissa. â€Å"What are you talking about?' Abe stroked his chin in an evil-villain sort of way. â€Å"He spoke to her †¦ or gave her some signal. I'm not really sure, but there was some kind of interaction between them.' Clever, watchful Abe. He'd noticed Ambrose giving me the note but hadn't fully realized what had happened. â€Å"We should talk to him then,' said Christian. Lissa nodded. Conflicting feelings churned inside of her. She was excited by a lead– but upset that it meant kind, gentle Ambrose might be a suspect. â€Å"I'll take care of it,' said Abe breezily. I felt her gaze fall heavily on him. I couldn't see her expression, but I did see Abe take an involuntary step back, the faintest glimmer of surprise in his eyes. Even Christian flinched. â€Å"And I'm going to be there when you do,' she said, steel in her voice. â€Å"Do not attempt some crazy torture-style interrogation without me.' â€Å"You want to be there for the torture?' asked Abe, recovering. â€Å"There won't be any. We'll talk to Ambrose like civilized people, understand?' She stared hard at him again, and Abe finally shrugged in acquiescence, as though being overpowered by a woman half his age was no big deal. â€Å"Fine. We'll do it together.' Lissa was a little suspicious at his willingness, and he must have picked up on that. â€Å"We will,' he said, continuing walking. â€Å"This is a good time–well, as good as any time–for an investigation. Court's going to get chaotic as the monarch elections get under way. Everyone here will be busy, and new people will start pouring in.' A breeze, heavy with humidity, ruffled Lissa's hair. The promise of heat was on it, and she knew Abe would be right about sunrise. It would be worth going to bed early. â€Å"When will the elections happen?' she asked. â€Å"As soon as they put dear Tatiana to rest. These things move fast. We need our government restored. She'll be buried tomorrow at the church with a ceremony and service, but there'll be no repeat of the procession. They're still too uneasy.' I felt kind of bad that she hadn't received a full queenly funeral in the end, but then, if it meant her true murderer was found, maybe she would have preferred it that way. â€Å"Once the burial happens and elections begin,' Abe continued, â€Å"any family who wants to put out a candidate for the crown will do so–and of course they'll want to. You've never seen a monarchial election, have you? It's quite a spectacle. Of course, before the voting occurs, all the candidates will have to be tested.' There was something ominous in the way he said â€Å"tested,' but Lissa's thoughts were elsewhere. Tatiana had been the only queen she'd ever known, and the full impact of a regime change was staggering. â€Å"A new king or queen can affect everything–for better or worse. I hope it's someone good. One of the Ozeras, maybe. One of Tasha's people.' She glanced hopefully at Christian, who could only shrug. â€Å"Or Ariana Szelsky. I like her. Not that it matters who I want,' she added bitterly. â€Å"Seeing as I can't vote.' The Council's votes determined the election's winner, so again, she was locked out of the Moroi legal process. â€Å"A lot of work will go into the nominations,' Abe explained, avoiding her last comment. â€Å"Each family will want someone to further their interests but who also has a chance of getting votes from–‘ â€Å"Oomph!' I was thrust harshly out of the calculating world of Moroi politics and back into the wilds of West Virginia–very painfully so. Something solid and fierce slammed me against the hard-packed earth, leaves and branches cutting my face and hands. Strong hands held me down, and Dimitri's voice spoke in my ear. â€Å"You should have just hidden in town,' he said, a little amused. His weight and position allowed me no room to move. â€Å"It would have been the last place I looked. Instead, I knew exactly where you'd go.' â€Å"Whatever. Don't act so smart,' I said through gritted teeth, trying to break out of his hold. Goddamn it. He was smart. And once again, the closeness of him was disorienting. Earlier, it had seemed to affect him too, but he'd apparently learned his lesson. â€Å"You made a lucky guess, that's all.' â€Å"I don't need luck, Roza. I'll always find you. So, really it's up to you how difficult you want this situation to be.' There was an almost conversational tone to his voice, made all the more ridiculous by the situation we were in. â€Å"We can do this over and over, or you can do the reasonable thing and just stay put with Sydney and me.' â€Å"It's not reasonable! It's wasteful.' He was sweating, from the heat and undoubtedly because he'd had to run pretty hard to catch up with me. Adrian wore a cologne that always made me heady, but the natural scent of Dimitri's warm skin was intoxicating too. It was amazing to me that I could keep noticing these little things–and be attracted to them–even when I was legitimately mad at him for keeping me captive. Maybe anger was a turn-on for me. â€Å"How many times do I have to explain the logic behind what we're doing?' he asked in exasperation. â€Å"Until you give up.' I pushed back against him, trying again to get loose, but all it did was put us closer together. I had a feeling the kissing trick wouldn't work this time. He jerked me to my feet, keeping my arms and hands pinned behind my back. I had a little more room to maneuver than I had on the ground, but not quite enough to break free. Slowly, he began trying to make me walk back toward the direction I'd come from. â€Å"I am not letting you and Sydney risk getting in trouble with me. I'll take care of myself, so just let me go!' I said, literally dragging my feet. Seeing a tall, skinny tree, I stuck one leg out and hooked myself onto the trunk, completely bringing us to a halt. Dimitri groaned and shifted his grip to get me away from the tree. It almost gave me an escape opportunity, but I didn't even manage two steps before he had a hold of me again. â€Å"Rose,' he said wearily. â€Å"You can't win.' â€Å"How's your face feeling?' I asked. I couldn't see any marks in the poor lighting but knew the punch I'd given him would leave a mark tomorrow. It was a shame to damage his face like that, but he'd heal, and maybe it would teach him a lesson about messing with Rose Hathaway. Or not. He began dragging me again. â€Å"I'm seconds away from just tossing you over my shoulder,' he warned. â€Å"I'd like to see you try.' â€Å"How do you think Lissa would feel if you got killed?' His grip tightened, and while I had a feeling he'd make good on his over-the-shoulder threat, I also suspected he wanted to shake me. He was that upset. â€Å"Can you imagine what it would do to her if she lost you?' For a moment, I was out of snappy retorts. I didn't want to die, but risking my life was exactly that: risking my life. No one else's. Still, I knew he was right. Lissa would be devastated if anything happened to me. And yet †¦ it was a risk I had to take. â€Å"Have a little faith, comrade. I won't get killed,' I said stubbornly. â€Å"I'll stay alive.' Not the answer he'd wanted. He shifted his hold. â€Å"There are other ways to help her than whatever insanity you're thinking of.' I suddenly went limp. Dimitri stumbled, caught by surprise at my sudden lack of resistance. â€Å"What's wrong?' he asked, both puzzled and suspicious. I stared off into the night, my eyes not really focused on anything. Instead, I was seeing Lissa and Abe back at Court, remembering Lissa's feeling of powerlessness and longing for her vote. Tatiana's note came back to me, and for a moment, I could hear her voice in my head. She is not the last Dragomir. Another lives. â€Å"Youre right,' I said at last. â€Å"Right about †¦ ?' Dimitri was at a total loss. It was a common reaction for people when I agreed to something reasonable. â€Å"Rushing back to Court won't help Lissa.' Silence. I couldn't fully make out his expression, but it was probably filled with shock. â€Å"I'll go back to the motel with you, and I won't go running off to Court.' Another Dragomir. Another Dragomir needing to be found. I took a deep breath. â€Å"But I'm not going to sit around and do nothing. I am going to do something for Lissa–and you and Sydney are going to help me.'

Italian Words Used in Fashion and Design

Italian Words Used in Fashion and Design Picture it: You walk into a boutique shoe shop on the main corso in Viterbo, Italy, looking to buy some shoes to match an outfit later that evening. La commessa (the saleswoman) greets you with a salve! and points to the merchandise arranged around her store.   Pairs of shoes sit on illuminated shelves, shoes with heels so tall, you couldn’t imagine wearing them without twisting an ankle on the cobblestone streets that line the center of the city. Each visit to a  un negozio (a store) to find a sweater, a pair of jeans, or a new top becomes an opportunity to acquire new, specific vocabulary for the items themselves and all the various colors, sizes, and materials they come in.   Below, find a list of common vocabulary and phrases that can be used when shopping in Italy or just talking about clothes. Accessories (Gli Accessori) Belt -  la cinturaBowtie - il papillonCap -  il berretto/il cappellinoGloves -  i guantiHat -  il cappelloPurse - la borsaSocks -  i  calziniSunglasses  - gli occhiali da soleTie -  la cravattaWatch - l’orologio Clothing (L’Abbigliamento / Il Vestiario) Blouse -  la camicetta/la blusaBra -  il reggisenoCoat -  il cappottoDress - il vestitoJeans - i jeansLingerie - la biancheria intimaPants -  i pantaloniRaincoat -  limpermeabileScarf -  la sciarpaShirt -  la camiciaSkirt -  la gonnaSweater -  il pullover/il golfSweatshirt - la felpaSweatsuit - la tutaSuit - il completoTuxedo - lo smokingUnderwear -  le mutandeVest -  il panciottoWindbreaker -  la giacca a vento Shoes (Le Scarpe) Flip-flops - le infraditoHigh heels - le scarpe col taccoHiking boots - le scarpe da trekkingRainboots - i stivali di gomma/stivali da pioggia Vocabulary Descriptions Cotton - il cotoneLeather - il cuoioLinen - il linoPolyester - il poliestereSilk - la setaWool - la lanaLoose - largoTight - strettoStriped - a righe/strisce Phrases Cerco una felpa a righe.I’m looking for a striped sweatshirt. Tip: Notice that in Italian there is no preposition used after the verb cercare (to look for). The â€Å"for† is implied within the verb. Sono/Porto/Indosso una taglia†¦(media).I’m a medium.Vuole provarlo?Do you want to try it on?Vorrei provare questi, dove sono i camerini?I’d like to try these on, where are the fitting rooms? Tip: In the phrase above, â€Å"lo† would be used if the item were singular and masculine, like il vestito (the dress). However, if it were singular and feminine, like la sciarpa (the scarf), it would be â€Å"Vuole provarla†? While it’s important to make everything agree, don’t stress if you can’t remember the gender of the object you have. You’ll be safe with using the pronoun â€Å"lo†. È comodo.It’s comfortable.Il vestito à ¨ troppo stretto, avete una taglia pià ¹ grande?The dress is too tight, do you have a larger size?Questi (stivali) sono scomodi.These (boots) are uncomfortable.Preferisco il rosa.I prefer pink. (As a color) Notice the differences in meanings below. Preferisco la rosa.I prefer the rose (flower).La preferisco rosa.I prefer  it (something feminine like: la gonna, la sciarpa, la maglietta...etc)  in pink.Lo preferisco rosa.I prefer  it (something masculine like: il golf, il pantalone, il papillon...etc)  in pink.

Free Essays on 1930s

By the 1930’s the trade slump of 1929-31 had plunged the United States into a depression. Money was scarce and families valued the things that still made their lives happy. Adults gathered around radios to listen to sports, while the young people danced to the big bands. Board games were popular and movies were hot. Franklin Roosevelt encouraged Americans with his fireside chats. The 1930’s decade truly was one of challenge and change. Main Events When someone thinks about the 1930’s, the first thing that may come to their mind is the Great Depression. â€Å"The age of the Great Depression began with the worst economic collapse in American History and ended with the most catastrophic war in modern world history.† (T.H. Watkins) America was once the land of opportunity, hope, and optimism. But during the depression it became the land of desperation and despair. (American History – 1930-1939) Another big event was the Dust Bowl. It started when huge clouds of dust blew from the plains to the East Coast. â€Å"In Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas,† the land was thought to be very suitable for farming. Many farmers came to the area and built up millions of acres of â€Å"grazing land into marginal farmland.† But soon, a huge drought came blowing away lots of soil. The dust reached up to a thousand miles away in Chicago, leaving it in a black out. (Donald Worster) â€Å"The Dust Bowl was the darkest moment in the twentieth-century life of the southern plains.† (Donald Worster) Many people traveled from the Dust Bowl in the east to California for hope of a better life. They looked for work in Agricultural fields or cities. The Depression and the Dust Bowl occurred around the same time, making America a country full of uncertainty and confusion. â€Å"Instead of advancement, survival became the keyword. Institutions, attitudes, and lifestyles changed in this decade, but democracy prevailed.†(American History – 1930-... Free Essays on 1930's Free Essays on 1930's By the 1930’s the trade slump of 1929-31 had plunged the United States into a depression. Money was scarce and families valued the things that still made their lives happy. Adults gathered around radios to listen to sports, while the young people danced to the big bands. Board games were popular and movies were hot. Franklin Roosevelt encouraged Americans with his fireside chats. The 1930’s decade truly was one of challenge and change. Main Events When someone thinks about the 1930’s, the first thing that may come to their mind is the Great Depression. â€Å"The age of the Great Depression began with the worst economic collapse in American History and ended with the most catastrophic war in modern world history.† (T.H. Watkins) America was once the land of opportunity, hope, and optimism. But during the depression it became the land of desperation and despair. (American History – 1930-1939) Another big event was the Dust Bowl. It started when huge clouds of dust blew from the plains to the East Coast. â€Å"In Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas,† the land was thought to be very suitable for farming. Many farmers came to the area and built up millions of acres of â€Å"grazing land into marginal farmland.† But soon, a huge drought came blowing away lots of soil. The dust reached up to a thousand miles away in Chicago, leaving it in a black out. (Donald Worster) â€Å"The Dust Bowl was the darkest moment in the twentieth-century life of the southern plains.† (Donald Worster) Many people traveled from the Dust Bowl in the east to California for hope of a better life. They looked for work in Agricultural fields or cities. The Depression and the Dust Bowl occurred around the same time, making America a country full of uncertainty and confusion. â€Å"Instead of advancement, survival became the keyword. Institutions, attitudes, and lifestyles changed in this decade, but democracy prevailed.†(American History – 1930-...

First-Grade Science Projects

First-Grade Science Projects First grade is a great time to introduce students to the scientific method, which involves looking at the world around you, coming up with an explanation for what you observe, testing your  hypothesis  to see if it could be valid, and then either accepting or rejecting it. Even at such an early grade level, students can begin to learn concepts related to this method.   Harness Their Curiosity Young children are innately curious about the world around them. Introducing them to the scientific method helps kids begin to explore what they see, hear, taste, and feel in a systematic way. First-grade projects should be interesting to the student and mostly exploratory in nature. At this age, a teacher or parent needs to help plan the project and offer guidance  on a report or poster. Some students may want to make models or perform demonstrations that illustrate scientific concepts. Project Ideas First-grade science offers a wonderful opportunity to explore how things work. Start your first-graders on the road to exploring science fair project ideas with some simple questions that might spark their interest, such as: What type of food attracts the most insects? (You can choose either flies or ants.) What do these foods have in common?In this experiment, students use vinegar to remove the calcium in chicken bones to make them rubbery. Questions for students: What happens to a chicken bone or an egg if you put in vinegar for a day? What would happen after a week? Why do you think it happens?  Do all students in the class have the same size hands and feet? Trace outlines of hands and feet and compare them. Do taller students have larger hands and feet or does height not seem to matter?You can also create a fun science project to determine whether mascaras are really waterproof. Simply put mascara on a sheet of paper and rinse it with water. Ask students to explain what happens. Do eight-hour lipsticks really keep their color that long? You may need to review the  concept of time  with students if they have forgotten or are unfamiliar with hours, minutes, and seconds. Other Project Ideas Spark further interest by suggesting- or assigning- other science fair projects. Asking questions related to each project is the best way to elicit a response from young students. Project-related questions you can ask include: Do clothes take the same length of time to dry if you add a dryer sheet or fabric softener to the load?Do all types of bread grow the same types of mold?Do frozen candles burn at the same rate as candles that were stored at room temperature? All of these questions give you the opportunity to review- or teach- concepts that are important for first-graders. For example, explain to students that  room temperature is a range of  temperatures  that denotes comfortable habitation for people. Talk About Temperature An easy way to demonstrate this idea is to turn up or down the temperature-control gage in the classroom. Ask students what happens when you turn the temperature control up or down. Some other fun projects include letting students figure out if raw eggs and hard-boiled eggs spin the same length of time/number of times, if light affects how fast foods spoil, and if you can tell from todays clouds what tomorrows weather will be. This is a great opportunity to take students outdoors, and as they peer at the sky, discuss the difference in outside temperature compared to inside.

Technology Impacting The Changes In The 21st Century Workplace Research Paper

Technology Impacting The Changes In The 21st Century Workplace - Research Paper Example ICT makes telecommunication possible (Drucker, 2001). It enables employees to work from virtual offices and communicates with individuals and businesses around the world. Flexible work schedules are increasingly gaining popularity since employees can accomplish numerous obligations, responsibilities or duties at home or while traveling. There are business apps and software that enable employees to access business directories and databases even outside the vicinity of the enterprise building. According to Mayhew (2014), it is common to find team Managers and business leaders who live and work in different towns and cities and even in different countries. Further escalation of business application and involvement with ICT is due to the social media that has a vast outreach of populations across different demographic levels including age, gender, workgroup or class, race and religions (Lee, 2010). In reference to Drucker (2001), ICT has numerous roles in the 21st-century business world. The functions of ICT, particularly software apps for businesses, can be enlisted in different ways depending on the area of application. The general organization software apps break down corporate barriers, allowing product groups, functional departments or even factory workers to find and share critical business related information instantly (OBrien, 2005). OBrien (2005) argues that to the company’ Operations ICT reduces defects, shrinks cycle times, and cuts waste. Service companies, for instance, use ICT to streamline communication and to order with customers and suppliers. In reference to Rijsenbrij (2009), ICT is very significant in business staffing.

International Finance Question Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Finance Question - Coursework Example When compared to a bank loan a bond tends to give the investor better terms, in loans the bank set the interest rates where else when a company issues a bond, the company controls the interest rates (Levi, 2009). Foreign bonds are also a good method of funding expansion to other countries because they protect the firm from currency fluctuation in the country of interest. The greatest disadvantage of bonds, however, is that it will reduce the firm’s trading flexibility. This is because the firm cannot trade out of a bond that is doing well while it maintains its other holdings (Levi, 2009). The second option that a firm can explore is getting money from private investors. They provide a flexible source of capital compared to what is provided by banks and other financial institutions. Loans from private sectors are often available at low costs (Levi, 2009). Acquiring funds from private investors is a simple process when compared to banks. A firm will save a considerable amount of time and money when acquiring the loan. The disadvantage associated with this option is that private investors might ask for an ownership stake in the company, and this is not usually acceptable with many firms. The second disadvantage is that the investor may require time to consider the request; this time may not be available to the firm if the situation is of urgency (Levi,

Faculty role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Faculty role - Essay Example Accreditation has the role of validating that a program or an institution meets minimum standards; nonetheless, it does not offer an indication of the degree of program quality in relation to other programs. Program review is done internally at a time interval of every 5-10 years, and considering a broad range of quantitative and qualitative indicators, designed to offer feedback for program improvement. Finally, program assessment is done by public agencies and organizations, where each might require reporting against a particular set of indicators (Shpritz & O'Mara, 2006). Assessment generally focuses on results, entails a narrower set of measures and is always continuous rather than periodic. In this paper out of the many accrediting organizations, we explore Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and out of the two recognition bodies: US Department of Education-government regulation and council of Higher-Education Accreditation (CHEA)-self-regulation we explore the lat ter. Council of Higher-Education Accreditation (CHEA) In a nutshell, this organization is responsible of accrediting the accreditors of higher education in the US. The national organization was established to take this responsibility after the academy performed it own review of augmenting numbers of accreditors. This is generally referred to as self-regulation, as the academy is regulation itself (Myrick & Yonge, 2007). Nonetheless, accreditation of other accrediting bodies ends reality of the academy regulation, which comprises of the federal government accreditation of accrediting bodies via the department of Education. In doing so, accountability is sought via reliance upon accreditation to perform the evaluation of individual programs and institutions in an almost boundless sea of â€Å"mission†. This accountability is largely sought via evaluation of literally various transactions (assessment of learning, costs, and jobs for graduates, graduation rates) which legislation as well as regulations requires for qualification as an accrediting body commendable of opening gates to benefit from government funding. There are about 20 accrediting bodies responsible for the accreditation of institutions as well as 62 bodies responsible for the accreditation programs (such as in medicine, health professions, and law). The accrediting bodies are independent, non-governmental, as well as non-profit making organization being funded by mainly through annual subscriptions from programs and institutions. The accrediting organizations design minimum requirements, which should be satisfied in order to receive accreditation. Programs and institutions carry out self-studies basing on the standards. They are then reviewed by peers within the profession and via visiting sites and team reports. The accrediting bodies make judgments that are standard referenced via their decision-making commissions leading to awarding or denying accreditation status. Programs and institutio ns undergo periodic review for maintaining accredited status that is needed for accessing the federal and state funds. However, it should be noted that not all organizations are regulated by CHEA. Higher education and accreditation initiate, and drives change in regulation equation by discovering ways to meet the demands of accountability whereas maintaining, to the greatest level possible, the ingredients it deems vital, namely, self-regulation, institutional autonomy and academic freedom (Myrick &

Unforgettable trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unforgettable trip - Essay Example Where there is no language barrier, travelling to other countries gives one a chance to make discoveries and have experiences, either good or bad. For instance, I have experienced what the United States of America, France, Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia all have to offer in terms learning about the ways of the people, traditions and customs. Learning new cultures is interesting and informative, as something acceptable in one’s culture may be unacceptable in another, or even a taboo, punishable by despicable means like death. My story started on 12th December, having finished the Mathematics exam at Middle Tennessee State University. The feeling of having completed the exam was truly refreshing. My friends and I drove to the Nashville International Airport, took our tickets and waited for the flight to Atlanta, Georgia, that was scheduled for 5.05 PM Central European Time. After a long time waiting, we finally got on the plane, quite excited. The flight would take almost twenty six hours; this was going to be truly unforgettable. However before the plane could take off, the captain announced that the flight had been delayed for an hour. This is the beginning of this incredible story. With the flight delayed, I was extremely disappointed, as I only had a few days break before resuming my studies. I was extremely bored. To pass time, I decided to have fun on my Ipad, while having a cold Coke. After a thirty minute wait, we were notified via another announcement that we would be air bound after fifteen minutes. We landed in Atlanta, Georgia after an hour and a half. My dreams of flying were almost shattered as I learnt that the next flight would be through Amsterdam, as I don’t speak Dutch. That notwithstanding, I only had ten minutes to get to the connecting plane and had to take a train to get me through the vast airport to the boarding gate. I got to the gate in less

Role of Cooperation in Controlling Anarchy Essay

Role of Cooperation in Controlling Anarchy - Essay Example Inayatullah (1997) provided a theoretical perspective on anarchy and cooperation suggesting that neo-realism tends to rely on a negative interpretation on the theory of spontaneous order. Inyataullah suggests that institutions which emerge spontaneously tend to show some form of design thus design and human reflexivity indicate an overlap of intentions and outcomes. But how would a theory of order or disorder relate to international relations and where in the discourse can we place anarchy and cooperation as necessary concepts to define IR? As Inayatullah suggests, the study of intended actions is an essential part of international relations theory and outcomes of IR focus on ‘values’ underlying theory and practice. Possibly this is where anarchy and cooperation become important within international relations. Weber points out that the institutional choices of different countries tend to focus on economic theories of organization emphasizing on cooperative security conce pts with elements of bindingness. He suggests that the hierarchical security structures in the international system remain unexplained and hierarchy is usually explained amidst anarchy. In a similar study, Malcolm (2002) took a different view on the concept of anarchy and its portrayal in international relations study. Hobbes’ theory of international relations, for instance, has been branded as realist considering that the international system is in complete anarchy where no law could be possibly applied and any acts of violence would remain justified.... In a similar study, Malcolm (2002) took a different view on the concept of anarchy and its portrayal in international relations study. Hobbes' theory on international relations for instance has been branded as realist considering that the international system is in complete anarchy where no law could be possibly applied and any acts of violence would remain justified. However Malcolm seems to go against the traditional interpretation of Hobbes' realistic viewpoints and suggests that Hobbes' theory does make provisions for international law showing why international cooperation is essential within the necessities of an international system. Malcolm's interpretations of Hobbes could be closer to Rationalist theories although he does point out that Hobbes' theory was a natural law theory that in more compatible with realism than rationalism. Fidler (2003) points out to the importance of public health in world politics and international relations and the role of health concepts to define anarchy and cooperation among nations and individuals. He suggests that issues of public health have become increasingly important in recent years due to the growing health problems in many developing countries and the rise of epidemics and HIV/AIDS. There are also heightened tensions between public health and international trade as associated with patents and access to essential medicines for incurable or fatal diseases. There has been recent discussion on placing public health higher on global diplomatic agendas although there are issues and speculations on how the pursuit of public health could be better at a global scale and could be successfully organised and implemented. Public health issues have triggered a level pf global

Freedom in Various Aspects of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Freedom in Various Aspects of Life - Essay Example This volume consists of over 274 authors and works that offer a variety of issues for analysis ranging from freedom to democracy to the changing times and everything in between! To begin with, the paper will define freedom. From there, it will take random features that have been strongly asserted in individual works of literature from the said volume in order to meet various objectives. The first of these will be to see the changing character of freedom and what it has meant at different time periods throughout history. This volume assists the author in doing so by presenting the works of authors and writers from various periods throughout history. Another objective will be to study the parameters within which the ways of defining and obtaining freedom have been portrayed by the various authors and their work within this volume. Further, this paper will seek to draw of the conclusion of how important freedom really is in the context of the works that have been studied from the volume . The interesting part about defining freedom is the fact that it has no definition per se. Freedom means different things to different people as well as different periods of time and history. In modern times it has meant freedom of expression and before that, for many people and their countries, freedom from oppression, colonization and various other such factors. In today's world, it depicts the freedom to choose peace and your own leader. Freedom, in a nutshell, is an expression of what a person, a nation, a society and other such entities, really want from life. The French Revolution was an upheaval that was marked by the formal birth of what we call nationalism. This has been demonstrated by the work contained on the Romantic Period within the volume. The authors here have used a variety of themes to showcase the period including the French Revolution, Women's Rights in the 18th century, the Gothic and many others. Spanning over a decade (1789 to 1799), this Revolution had a strong socio-political dimension to it as far as writing goes. This may be seen in the work titled "Democracy" by Thomas Carlyle. In this work, the embodiment of nationalism in various revolutions arose as a matter of its ability to define the elements that would support the construction of a democratic society free of feudal patterns. This was described in context of the citizens from every quarter of the French society, who wanted to break free of the double standards that were being imposed on their way of life in the form of the Church's intervention and the dictato rship of the aristocratic class. In the book, the revolution was an eye opener for the rest of world as regards rights and duties that must be equally distributed among the citizens of a nation irrespective of religion or socio-economic standing. This in itself was a new definition of nationalism and freedom, where earlier the same concept had been seen as a word that was used to describe the national character through its history and artistic work. By virtue of being a social movement, the French Revolution contributed greatly to the formation of a systematic body of knowledge known as nationalism. This is owing to the fact that a social movement is one that is punctuated with a highly idealistic environment with realistic parameters that set the stage for immediate results and the emergence of future trends that will go onto dominate the structure and functioning of that particular society for generations to come.  

Role of Cooperation in Controlling Anarchy Essay

Role of Cooperation in Controlling Anarchy - Essay Example Inayatullah (1997) provided a theoretical perspective on anarchy and cooperation suggesting that neo-realism tends to rely on a negative interpretation on the theory of spontaneous order. Inyataullah suggests that institutions which emerge spontaneously tend to show some form of design thus design and human reflexivity indicate an overlap of intentions and outcomes. But how would a theory of order or disorder relate to international relations and where in the discourse can we place anarchy and cooperation as necessary concepts to define IR? As Inayatullah suggests, the study of intended actions is an essential part of international relations theory and outcomes of IR focus on ‘values’ underlying theory and practice. Possibly this is where anarchy and cooperation become important within international relations. Weber points out that the institutional choices of different countries tend to focus on economic theories of organization emphasizing on cooperative security conce pts with elements of bindingness. He suggests that the hierarchical security structures in the international system remain unexplained and hierarchy is usually explained amidst anarchy. In a similar study, Malcolm (2002) took a different view on the concept of anarchy and its portrayal in international relations study. Hobbes’ theory of international relations, for instance, has been branded as realist considering that the international system is in complete anarchy where no law could be possibly applied and any acts of violence would remain justified.... In a similar study, Malcolm (2002) took a different view on the concept of anarchy and its portrayal in international relations study. Hobbes' theory on international relations for instance has been branded as realist considering that the international system is in complete anarchy where no law could be possibly applied and any acts of violence would remain justified. However Malcolm seems to go against the traditional interpretation of Hobbes' realistic viewpoints and suggests that Hobbes' theory does make provisions for international law showing why international cooperation is essential within the necessities of an international system. Malcolm's interpretations of Hobbes could be closer to Rationalist theories although he does point out that Hobbes' theory was a natural law theory that in more compatible with realism than rationalism. Fidler (2003) points out to the importance of public health in world politics and international relations and the role of health concepts to define anarchy and cooperation among nations and individuals. He suggests that issues of public health have become increasingly important in recent years due to the growing health problems in many developing countries and the rise of epidemics and HIV/AIDS. There are also heightened tensions between public health and international trade as associated with patents and access to essential medicines for incurable or fatal diseases. There has been recent discussion on placing public health higher on global diplomatic agendas although there are issues and speculations on how the pursuit of public health could be better at a global scale and could be successfully organised and implemented. Public health issues have triggered a level pf global

There is an expected growth of Rice consumption in the global market Essay

There is an expected growth of Rice consumption in the global market of up to 2.7%. How can Thailand take a comparative advantage in the International Market - Essay Example Thailand, despite being ranked as the 6th largest global producer of rice, is ranked as the world’s largest exporter of rise (Rice today, 2006). Comparative advantage is a term used to define the ‘advantage’ that a country has over the others in terms of its efficacy in producing a particular product, and Thailand definitely has a comparative advantage when referred to rice crops, as visible from the fact that despite being the 6th largest producer, it is ranked as the largest rice exporter (Pugel, 2004). Holding such a comparative advantage, the question arising, as addressed in this research, is that how Thailand can take most advantage out of this rising demand position. For developing a conclusion on how Thailand can develop a comparative advantage based on the projected rise in consumption of rice globally, both primary research and secondary researches have been used. Secondary research would constitute literature review in the next section, and primary research would be discussed in the section posterior to that. For secondary research, various literatures available on the given topics such as articles, news updates, analytics, and other text has been referred, while for primary research, unstructured and open ended questions have been prepared and respondents where individuals matching the profile of a rice importer and those individuals who coordinate rice export activities being in export promotion bureau or have clearing-and-forwarding establishments. Unstructured interviews have been chosen as primary research mechanism because (1) it gives the respondent the freedom to express their opinion, rather than restricting them to the pre-defined answers (2) even with lesser number of respondents, it gives a deeper insight involving opinions and statistics (3) often this form gives clues for research that cannot be determined via

Awesome Tsunami Waves Essay Example for Free

Awesome Tsunami Waves Essay A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake. The effects of tsunami will bring a lot of problem to the nation and community. The effects of tsunami will bring a lot of problem to the nation and community . The general cause of tsunami is earthquakes and it will makes environmental impact and destruction. Firstly,the main cause of tsunami is from the effect of earthquakes. Tsunami, also called seismic sea waves or, incorrectly, tidal waves, generally are caused by earthquakes. Earthquakes can brings volcanic eruptions following to produce a truly awesome tsunami waves . For example ,the Great Kratatau Volcanic Eruption of 1883 generated giant waves reaching heights of 125 feet above sea-level, killing thousands of people and wiping out numerous coastal villages . Actually not all earthquakes generate tsunamis. To generate tsunamis, earthquakes must occur underneath or near the ocean, and must be large . Tsunami can happened in everywhere in the world , but in the Pacific Ocean there is a much more frequent occurrence of large because of the many large earthquakes along the margins of the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand,the effect of tsunami is it will brings environmental impact. Tsunami will destroy all the living things and then brings unbalanced of environment. The up root of trees and plants will destroys animal habitats. Land animals are killed by drowning and the sea animals are killed and poisoned by pollution if dangerous chemicals are broken and washed away into the sea . Besides, the solid waste and disaster debris also be a part of critical problem that have to face by government . Contamination of soil and water will affect the soil fertility of agricultural lands . For example, it may happened radiation resulting from damage to nuclear plants as it happened in Japan in March 2011. It will require a big cost and very long of time to government to recover the whole environment. The following effect by tsunami is detrimental destruction. The amount of energy and water contained in a huge tsunami can cause extreme destruction when it strikes land. The initial wave of huge tsunami keeps rising fast and floods powerfully into the coastal area. When the giant breaking waves of a tsunami batter the shoreline, they can destroy everything in their path such as boats, buildings, bridges, cars, trees, telephone lines, power lines and just about anything else in their way. Once the tsunami waves have knocked down infrastructure on the shore they may continue to travel for several miles inland, sweeping away more trees, buildings, cars and other man made equipment. In conclusion, all of the people should be educated and improve the knowledge on tsunami issue in order to protect themselves.

Human Resources and Organizational Strategy Essay -- Business, Organiz

Human Resources and Organizational Strategy Introduction Organizational success or failure is dependent on a myriad of variables that can be challenging to measure and interpret. Success or failure can simply be luck and timing or an orchestrated and deliberate effort. As new technologies allow organizations the ability to rapidly measure and assess its internal and external environmental factors, more efficient strategies can be quickly implemented. The focus of this literature review is specifically on one of these mentioned variables. The paper will detail the relationship that Human Resources (HR) practices have with an organization’s strategic goals and vision. HR is defined by the Society for Human Resource Management as, â€Å"The function dealing with the management of people employed within the organization.† (SHRM, 2011). The primary functions of administrative, development and management. Administrative functions include those tasks that are often considered â€Å"overhead,† such as benefits and payroll management. Development, or HRD, is defined by Swanson (2001) as, â€Å"Human resource development is a process of developing and/or unleashing expertise through organization development (OD) and personnel training and development for the purpose of improving performance (as cited by Hassan, 2007, pg. 2). Lastly, management is those strategic functions that align HR tasks within its own department and with the overarching organizational strategies. This paper will attempt to give a broad overview from the available literature within three areas. First, the paper will explore the historical relationships of HR and organizational strategy. Second, the paper will give an overview of current practices and trends. Lastly,... ...an approach of partnership is critical for organizations that want to gain competitive advantages. Butler, Ferris & Napier (1991) state this as, â€Å"the more management believes that HRM contributes to corporate success, the more its role will be integrated into the firm’s strategic planning process.† (as cited by Rose & Kumar, 2006, pg. 3). Additionally, organizations that apply energy and resources to HRD benefit from an increase in human capital. Là ³pez-Cabrales, Real & Valle (2011) state the benefits of building human capital as, â€Å"If the company adopts appropriate procedures of personnel management, human capital can be orientated to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantages† (pg. 5). In conclusion, it is recommended that further literature reviews be completed to explore study results that supplement or add to information already reviewed. â€Æ'

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) :: Research Essays Papers

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) There are different characteristics that accompany FAS in the different stages of a child's life. "At birth, infants with intrauterine exposure to alcohol frequently have low birth rate; pre-term delivery; a small head circumference; and the characteri stic facial features of the eyes, nose, and mouth" (Phelps, 1995, p. 204). Some of the facial abnormalities that are common of children with FAS are: microcephaly, small eye openings, broad nasal bridge, flattened mid-faces, thin upper lip, skin folds at the corners of the eyes, indistinct groove on the upper lip, and an abnormal smallness of the lower jaw (Wekselman, Spiering, Hetteberg, Kenner, & Flandermeyer, 1995; Phelps, 1995). These infants also display developmental delays, psychomotor retardatio n, and cognitive deficits. As a child with FAS progresses into preschool physical, cognitive and behavioral abnormalities are more noticeable. These children are not the average weight and height compared to the children at the same age level. Cognitive manifestations is another problem with children who have FAS. "Studies have found that preschoolers with FAS generally score in the mentally handicapped to dull normal range of intelligence" (Phelps, 1995, p. 205). Children with FAS usually h ave language delay problems during their preschool years. Research has also shown that these children exhibit poorly articulated language, delayed use of sentences or more complex grammatical units, and inadequate comprehension (Phelps, 1995). There are many behavioral characteristics that are common among children with FAS. The most common characteristic is hyperactivity (Phelps, 1995). "Hyperactivity is found in 85% of FAS-affected children regardless of IQ" (Wekeselman et al., 1995, p. 299 ). School failure, behavior management difficulties, and safety issues are some of the problems associated with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. Another behavioral abnormality of with children with FAS, is social problems. "Specific diffic ulties included inability to respect personal boundaries, inappropriately affectionate, demanding of attention, bragging, stubborn, poor peer relations, and overly tactile in social interactions" (Phelps, 1995, p. 206). Children are sometimes not diagnosed with FAS until they reach kindergarten and are in a real school setting. School-aged children with FAS still have most of the same physical and mental problems that were diagnosed when they were younger. The craniofa cial malformations is one of the only physical characteristic that diminishes during late childhood (Phelps, 1995). "Several studies have evaluated specific areas of cognitive dysfunction in school-age children exposed prenatally to alcohol. Researchers have substantiated: (a) short term memory deficits in verbal and visual material; (b) inadequate processing of inf ormation, reflected b sparse integration of information and poor quality of responses; (c) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) :: Research Essays Papers Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) There are different characteristics that accompany FAS in the different stages of a child's life. "At birth, infants with intrauterine exposure to alcohol frequently have low birth rate; pre-term delivery; a small head circumference; and the characteri stic facial features of the eyes, nose, and mouth" (Phelps, 1995, p. 204). Some of the facial abnormalities that are common of children with FAS are: microcephaly, small eye openings, broad nasal bridge, flattened mid-faces, thin upper lip, skin folds at the corners of the eyes, indistinct groove on the upper lip, and an abnormal smallness of the lower jaw (Wekselman, Spiering, Hetteberg, Kenner, & Flandermeyer, 1995; Phelps, 1995). These infants also display developmental delays, psychomotor retardatio n, and cognitive deficits. As a child with FAS progresses into preschool physical, cognitive and behavioral abnormalities are more noticeable. These children are not the average weight and height compared to the children at the same age level. Cognitive manifestations is another problem with children who have FAS. "Studies have found that preschoolers with FAS generally score in the mentally handicapped to dull normal range of intelligence" (Phelps, 1995, p. 205). Children with FAS usually h ave language delay problems during their preschool years. Research has also shown that these children exhibit poorly articulated language, delayed use of sentences or more complex grammatical units, and inadequate comprehension (Phelps, 1995). There are many behavioral characteristics that are common among children with FAS. The most common characteristic is hyperactivity (Phelps, 1995). "Hyperactivity is found in 85% of FAS-affected children regardless of IQ" (Wekeselman et al., 1995, p. 299 ). School failure, behavior management difficulties, and safety issues are some of the problems associated with hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. Another behavioral abnormality of with children with FAS, is social problems. "Specific diffic ulties included inability to respect personal boundaries, inappropriately affectionate, demanding of attention, bragging, stubborn, poor peer relations, and overly tactile in social interactions" (Phelps, 1995, p. 206). Children are sometimes not diagnosed with FAS until they reach kindergarten and are in a real school setting. School-aged children with FAS still have most of the same physical and mental problems that were diagnosed when they were younger. The craniofa cial malformations is one of the only physical characteristic that diminishes during late childhood (Phelps, 1995). "Several studies have evaluated specific areas of cognitive dysfunction in school-age children exposed prenatally to alcohol. Researchers have substantiated: (a) short term memory deficits in verbal and visual material; (b) inadequate processing of inf ormation, reflected b sparse integration of information and poor quality of responses; (c)

5 Girls in Alabama Church Bombing

Is the Nightmare Over? The 1960s was a severely changing time in the US. The 1960s has shaped the way the US is today. It was a very changing time period because of many reasons, such as the hippie movement, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the creation of children’s toys, but one main event that occurred in the 60s was racism. Racism in the 1960s was a huge problem between whites and colored people for years. Propaganda was the main reason; prejudice commercials, sperate water fountains, restrooms, and buildings. People such as Martin Luther King Jr. a Baptist minister who became a civil rights activist tried to bring black and whites together by broadcasting speeches to the public (â€Å"blogspot. com†). Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, known as the KKK didn’t care about what Martin Luther King Jr. had to say. The KKK scared blacks into leaving town by burning homes, crosses, buildings, putting up signs, and killing blacks all over the country. Blacks were portrayed as horrible people in the 1960s (â€Å"blogspot. com†). If whites saw blacks somewhere they would call them out their name, and tell their children not to communicate with them and they would ask what’s she or he doing here.The KKK began a new era of violence in the 1960s. They were upset that African Americans were getting all these rights, and members had to do something about it to show their madness. On Sunday September 15, 1963 The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church a black church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed. Four young girls by the names of Addie Mae Collins 14, Cynthia Wesley 14, Carole Robertson 14, and Denise McNair 11 who decided to attend church that morning were killed by the explosion while attending Sunday school class and twenty-three adults and children were injured (â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham†).Whoever would have thought a good day in church could turn into such a tragedy before service ended? Addie Mae Collins was the daughter of Julius and Alice Collins, born April 18, 1949 becoming one of seven children. She attended Hill Elementary School and was a passionate softball player and budding artist. Her and her family was members of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church (â€Å"findagrave. com†). Cynthia D. Wesley was born April 30, 1949. She was adopted at birth by two teachers, Claude and Gertrude Wesley. She attended Ullman High School where she did well in reading, math, and band.Her and her family was members of the church as well (â€Å"findagrave. com†). Carole R. Robertson was born April 24, 1949. Her father was a band master at an elementary school and her mother was a librarian. In elementary school she sung in the choir and was a straight A student, member of the science club and marching band at Parker High School. She was also a Girl Scout. Her and her family was also members of the church (â€Å"findagrave. com†). Denise McNair was born Carol Denise McNair on November 17, 19 51. Her father owned a photo shop and her mother was a school teacher.She attended Center Street Elementary School where she and Condoleezza Rice were friends. She was a Brownie member; she played baseball, and helped raise money for charities by staging plays, dance routines, and poetry readings. She and her family were also members of the church and she was also the youngest of the girls. The four girls were interred doing a joint funeral which was attended by over 8,000 people (â€Å"findagrave. com†). The investigation of the bombing took almost 40 years before the family of the victims gained victory. In 1965 it was announced that Bobby F. Cherry, Robert E.Chambliss, Herman F. Cash, and Thomas Blanton Jr. had planted the bomb in the basement of the church. The FBI office of Birmingham suggested prosecuting the suspects, but a director of the FBI blocked the prosecution (â€Å"tripod. com†). Three years after that charges wasn’t filed and the FBI closed the case (â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham†). Come to find out there was a Klan meeting the morning of the bombing where the bomb was planned and the bomb was made. It was confessed by Blanton on a tape that was recorded in 1964, secretly hidden by the FBI (â€Å"tripod. com†). In 1971, an Alabama attorney reopened the case.November 18, 1977, Chambliss was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. 1988 and 1997 the case was reopened again after the FBI received a tip. Cash was still a prime suspect, but he died in 1994 before a case could open against him. May 17, 2000, Cherry and Blanton were charged with the murder of the four girls. Blanton was sentenced life in prison on May 1, 2001. Cherry was charged with four counts of murder and was sentenced life in prison on May 22, 2002 (â€Å"tripod. com†). The family and friends of the four girls were happy about the conviction of the Cherry and Blanton.Everyone could finally rest knowing that they would be in pris on all their lives paying for what they did. The Nightmare is over, but the deaths of the four girls are forever alive. The four girls deserve a memorial because not only did it affect the families of the victims, but it affected the people of Birmingham and people from other cities and states; it changed the world drastically. If these young ladies were still alive today they would be in their sixty’s and probably living out their dreams they had once planned, but because of the tragedy they couldn’t fulfill them.I would invest in a Scholarship Foundation under the four girls and name it â€Å"The Second Chance† scholarship foundation. The scholarship will distribute $3,000 to forty young adults who plan to pursue a further education. The memorial would take place at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in the basement in Birmingham, Alabama. The basement of the church would be a great place because this was where the bombing took place killing the four girls. T he basement of the church would be set up like an auditorium with many rows of chairs and a nice round stage in front of the room.Pictures of the girls and the other children will hang on the walls and a picture of the church right after the bombing occurred. Each of the young adults who have qualify for the scholarship and their families would sit down and hear me state a few facts about each of the girl’s lives and talk about the history behind the church. I would like to have the two closet family members of each girl to meet the young people and share information about the girls, and how they spent their days together.After talking for a few hours, some of the family members of the girls and I would present each of the forty young adults with a $3,000 scholarship check in their name founded under â€Å"The Second Chance† scholarship foundation. I think if Addie, Cynthia, Carole, and Denise were still alive they would be excited that I would consider them to have a memorial since no one has for the past couple of decades. Since they didn’t get a chance to live out their own dreams, I think they would be more than happy to let a child under their foundation live out theirs. References . â€Å"Racism In The 1960's. † blogspot. om. Blog Spot, 16 2008. Web. 14 Nov 2012. . â€Å"Newspaper Article on Church Bombing in 1960's. † tripod. com. Tripod. Web. 14 Nov 2012. . . â€Å"Addie Mae, Cynthia, Carole, and Denise. † findagrave. com. Find A Grave. Web. 14 Nov 2012. . â€Å"The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing. † Ballad of Birmingham. www. balladofbirmingham. com. Web. 14 Nov 2012. .