Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Our ancestors first cultivated plants some ten thousand years ago. They domesticated animals later and then selectively bred both plants and animals to meet various requirements for human food. Humans discovered natural biological processes such as fermentation of fruits and grains to make wine and beer, and yeast for baking bread. Manipulation of foods is not a new story, therefore. The latest agricultural discovery uses genetic engineering technology to modify foods. Farmers and plant breeders have been changing crop plants to improve characteristics such as size, resistance to disease and taste. Plants which grow well, have a higher yield or taste better are selected and bred from. This is still the most widely used technique for developing new varieties of a crop, and is limited by natural barriers which stop different species of organisms from breeding with each other. Genetic modification is very different to these traditional plant breeding techniques. Genetic modification is the insertion of DNA from one organism to another, usually by molecular technologies. Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) are animals or plants that have had genetic modification. This changes the characteristics of the organism, or the way it grows and develops. Jim Maryanski from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, had the following to say in an interview published on the FDA’s website. ?There are hundreds of new plant varieties introduced every year in the United States, and all have been genetically modified through traditional plant breeding techniques–such as cross-fertilization of selected plants–to produce desired traits.? (Robin)Current and future GM products include:a)Food that can deliver vaccines – bananas that produce hepatitis B vaccineb)More nutritious foods – rice with increased iron and vitaminsc)Faster growing fish, fruit and nut treesd)Plants producing new plasticsIn so many respects, genetic modification is perfect for today’s society. It would help agriculturalists overcome all headaches associated with growing large crops, and basically tailor the food growth industry to mass consumption by the general population. The famous frost-resistant tomato example is perfect in illustrating this point. With a tomato that resists frost, the season for growing them would be longer and therefore a farmer would be able to produce more tomatoes in one year than they were able to do in the past. Gene technology not only gives us the potential to select the exact characteristics we want in an organism, but it also enables us to cross species barriers. For example, we can take an insecticide-producing gene from a bacterium and insert it into a plant, making the plant resistant to insect attack. This new-found ability to cross species barriers is what makes gene technology such a powerful tool. Producing enough food for the world’s population without using up all the available land is an enormous challenge. One solution is to develop crops that yield more with fewer inputs; that are more resistant to diseases; that spoil less during storage and transport; that contain more useful nutrients; and that can grow in agricultural land that has been degraded. Gene technology gives us the potential to do this. Genetically modified foods have been available since the 1990s. The principal ingredients of GM foods currently available are derived from genetically modified soybean, maize and canola. The first commercially grown genetically modified food crop was a tomato created by Calgene called the FlavrSavr. Calgene submitted it to the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for assessment in 1992; following the FDA’s determination that the FlavrSavr was, in fact, a tomato, did not constitute a health hazard, and did not need to be labeled to indicate it was genetically modified, Calgene released it into the market in 1994, where it met with little public comment. Considered to have a poor flavor, it never sold well and was off the market by 1997. However, it had improved solids contents which made it an attractive new variety for canned tomatoes. Transgenic crops are grown commercially or in field trials in over 40 countries and on 6 continents. In 2000, about 109. 2 million acres (442,000 km? ) were planted with transgenic crops, the principal ones being herbicide- and insecticide-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. Other crops grown commercially or field-tested are a sweet potato resistant to a US strain of a virus that affects one out of the more than 89 different varieties of sweet potato grown in Africa, rice with increased iron and vitamins such as golden rice, and a variety of plants able to survive extreme weather. Between 1996 and 2001, the total surface area of land cultivated with GMOs had increased by a factor of 30, from 17,000 km? (4. 2 million acres) to 520,000 km? (128 million acres). The value for 2002 was 145 million acres (587,000 km? ) and for 2003 was 167 million acres (676,000 km? ). Soybean crop represented 63% of total surface in 2001, maize 19%, cotton 13% and canola 5%. In 2004, the value was about 200 million acres (809,000 km? ) of which 2/3 were in the United States. In particular, Bt corn is widely grown, as are soybeans genetically designed to tolerate glyphosate herbicides. Future applications of GMOs include bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, fish that mature more quickly, fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier, and plants that produce new plastics with unique properties. The next decade will see exponential progress in GM product development as researchers gain increasing and unprecedented access to genomic resources that are applicable to organisms beyond the scope of individual projects. Biologist Stephen Nottingham explains the risks of GMF:? Experimental trials with transgenic organisms are usually conducted strict regulations to minimize the potential spread of genetic material? Even given these regulations, however, no field trial can be said to be 100% secure. This was illustrated when flooding struck the American Midwest in July 1993 and an entire field of experimental insect-resistant maize was swept away in Iowa. ?once released accidentally into the environment, plant material may prove difficult to recover. (Bragi)Unique ecological risks have been associated with virus-resistant transgenic crop plants?leaving crops more vulnerable to virus attack and risking the spread of virus susceptibility to other plants. Genetically modified foods are unlikely to present direct risks to human health. There are two main areas of concern:a)The possibility of allergic reactions to genetically modified foods, andb) The possibility that bacteria living in the human gut may acquire resistance to antibiotics from marker genes present in transgenic plants. Proponents claim that a genetically-modified potato is as safe as one modified the old-fashioned way, through generations of selective breeding; biotechnology just gets the job done more quickly. Critics are concerned that mixing together genetic material from different species might produce unexpected allergic reactions in the person who eats or drinks it. For instance, if an individual consumer who is allergic to broccoli eats a banana that just happens to have a little broccoli DNA under the peel, that person might get sick. Some studies on animals indicate that consuming genetically-modified foods may cause allergic responses, compromise immune systems and inhibit organ growth, although no proven cases of widespread reactions have been definitively documented. Opponents of biotech foods want other questions answered, as well. Will re-engineering a plant or animal to serve a specific end, such as improving taste, decrease its nutritional value? Will consuming genetically-modified food products make a person more resistant to antibiotics, which are widely used to treat bacterial infections? Does consuming milk or meat from livestock that has been injected with growth hormones (a form of biotechnology that is different from genetic modification) subject consumers to early puberty, cancer, and other ailments? Since neither side has been able to provide definitive answers, the jury is still out on food safety; after all, genetic technology itself is barely decades old. So one can condense the issue into a single question: should we move forward with new technologies that might help provide higher crop yields, new and interesting types of food products, and more profits for the companies that own the technology; or play it safe and wait until we better understand the health and environmental consequences of manipulating life forms that took generations to develop? Multinational Corporations benefit because GMF can be very profitable. GMF have taken hold quickly because multinational corporations with the resources to make large financial investments in research and development can profit directly. Multinational companies can spread out the benefit and profit to many branches of their businesses. Many such corporations combine the following: an agrochemical company, a seed company, a pharmaceutical company, a food processing company and sometimes businesses involved with veterinary products. Developments in one part of the corporation can be used to sell products in another branch. Farmers benefit in the short term because they can grow and sell more crops with fewer problems due to weeds, pests, fungi or frost. The genetically modified seed is designed to resist these traditional enemies. Food processing companies benefit from a ready supply of raw food ingredients designed for specific processing needs. Genetically modified tomatoes and potatoes, for instance, have higher solid contents and yield more sauces and French fries. These foods take longer to ripen and rot. Thus less food is spoiled and more gets processed. Supermarkets benefit for the same reasons. The fresh produce lasts longer on the shelves and is more profitable. Consumers, to date, haven’t benefited. GMF have been developed for the convenience of the producer and processor. Yet they cost more to produce and the costs get passed along to the consumer. Eventually there will be some kind of designer novelty foods for shoppers to try. Nottingham adds that there are many other concerns including ethical questions involving animal welfare, whether DNA is actual life, and intellectual property rights and genetic resources from the Third World. (Bragi)The world’s poorest nations account for around 95. 7% of the world’s genetic resources. Traditional farming practices involve farmers retaining seeds, from the harvest of one year’s crop, for planting in the following year. This practice saves money on buying seed and in itself represents a continuous selection for yield and resistance to pests and diseases. However, with genetically modified seed, royalties are payable to the companies holding the patent for the seed. Under world trade agreement rulings, farmers have to make substantial royalty payments to multinational companies if they keep seed for replanting, even if the crop happens to be native to their particular country. Genetic engineering is a valuable new technology that can develop more plentiful and nutritious foods, with great potential benefits for humanity and the environment, and this new scientific discovery needs to be implemented as quickly as possible for humanitarian reasons. As with every new scientific technology, harmful side effects of genetic engineering are inevitable and great care should be taken in its implementation, including carefully controlled long-term tests on human health and environmental impacts. All genetically engineered foods have been thoroughly tested and demonstrated to be safe before they are released into the marketplace. However, this testing is typically conducted only on rats and other animals, by the companies involved. Very little of this research has been reviewed by independent scientists and then published in scientific journals. Genetically engineered foods are usually â€Å"substantially equivalent† to other foods, with no increased risk to human health, and no need for the lengthy and expensive human testing demanded of, for example, new food additives. However, the unpredictable disruptions in normal DNA functioning caused by genetic engineering can produce unanticipated and unknown side effects for human health, including unknown and unpredictable toxins and allergens, and these possibilities can only be definitively assessed through human testing. Genetic engineering is a scientific and technological process, and its evaluation and governmental regulation should be based on purely scientific and objective criteria. To have a purely scientific evaluation of genetically engineered foods, we need more science, especially human studies and environmental studies. Moreover, purely scientific assessment of genetic engineering ignores the fact that, for many people, food has cultural, ethical and religious dimensions that must also be considered. Alan McHughen, author of Pandora’s Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods, in the introduction he states:†Make no mistake: I am in favor of an orderly and appropriately regulated introduction of some GMOs into the environment and marketplace, and I adamantly oppose others. There are good reasons to ban certain products of genetic technology, and good reasons to allow, with management, certain others; some may require no extraordinary regulation at all. If your opinion differs from mine after reading this book, I hope you will be able to justify, if only to yourself, why we disagree. My philosophy is to be skeptical, be critical, even cynical of claims by business interests, government agencies, and activist groups. But also keep an open mind and then decide for yourself. † (Internet 7)There? s no doubt that the GM food supply should be closely monitored and regulated, but that doesn? t mean it should all be banned. I believe that genetic engineering of plants, animals, and humans has much to offer as long as we are aware of potential benefits and side effects. And that? s true even for more traditional methods of farming, animal husbandry, and medicine. Work Sited:1. Cummings, Michael R. , and Williams S. Klug. Concepts of Genetics. New Delhi: Pearson Education, 2004. 2. Dubey, R. C. A Textbook of Biotechnology. New Delhi: S. Chand, 20063. Kumar, H. D. Modern Concepts of Biotechnology. New Delhi: Vikash Publishing House, 20034. Purohit, S. Agricultural Biotechnology. India: Agrobios, 20055. Purohit, S. Biotechnology: Fundamental and Applications. India: Agrobios, 2004Internet. Reference:1. Bragi, David. ?Food Savior Or Frankenfood? The Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods?. http://www. sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/gate/archive/2001/06/25/healthwatch. DTL2. Robbin, Adria. ?What Are We Eating http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/biology/b103/f00/web1/robbin. html3. Schultz, Norman. http://www. beyondintractability. org/essay/fact_finding_limits/. 4. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. http://www. wikipedia. org/wiki/genetic_engineering5. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. http://www. wikipedia. org/wiki/genetically_modified_food6.? Genetic Engineering: The Controversy?. http://www. genetic-id. com/prosncons/index. htm7. http://www. foodmuseum. com/issues. html.

Macbeth Act 5 Scene 3 Essay

In William Shakespeare’s Act 5 Scene 3 of Macbeth, a complete different side of Macbeth is revealed. In the beginning of the play Macbeth is a man who cannot even stand up for himself, and a man who completely relies on his wife to make major decisions. Then the very next day Macbeth becomes a man who murder, the king Duncan, and then two servants, and later his best friend Banquo. This man, Macbeth, is a psychopath, he see’s s ghost of Banquo during a dinner banquet. Finally Macbeth even kills a defenseless woman and her innocent child. Macbeth’s dissent to madness becomes completely evident in Act 5 Scene 3. This scene takes place in the castle of Dunsinane and is extremely important for it revels Mactheth’s change over the course of the play and his character. In this scene Macbeth has totally become a tyrant king who is filled with anger, hate and cockiness. In the beginning of the scene he takes his anger out on the messenger by calling him a â€Å"creamfaced loon† (Act 5. 3. 12) This response to the messenger is important for it shows how Macbeth is filled with rage and how he is a tyrant. His abuse of power as king is also revealed when he becomes enraged at the doctor by saying â€Å"throw psychic to the dogs†. This shows his impatience with the doctor for not being able to curing Lady Macbeth. (5. 3. 57-78) Macbeth continues to insult the doctor. He says to cure â€Å"cleanse the bosom of the perilous stuff†. The doctors is very insulted and states that profit again will never motivate him to come back to help Macbeth. Also in this scene Macbeth acts oddly, for example he wants to wear his armor much before the battle starts. Macbeth truly acts like a tyrant in this scene. He tells his assistant Seyton to â€Å"hang anyone who talks of fear†. (5. 3. 42) Macbeth’s interactions with others such as the doctor and messenger and Seyton show his irrationality and even allude to his insanity. This scene in Macbeth is very important for it shows the character of Macbeth which confirms his tyranny and how he is not fit to be king. Finally this scene shows how Macbeth is the sickness for Scotland. This scene also shows the importance of Macbeth being overthrown by Malcolm so that the tyranny caused by Macbeth would end.

Spirit Bound Chapter Thirteen

â€Å"THE HELL YOU CAN,† I said aloud to no one. â€Å"No, you can't,† said Lissa, with an expression that matched my own incredulity. â€Å"I know you've been learning to fight with fire, but you haven't done any staking.† Christian's face was adamant. â€Å"I have–a little. And I can learn more. Mia's got some guardian friends here that have been teaching her physical combat, and I've learned some of it.† The mention of him and Mia working together didn't do much to improve Lissa's opinion. â€Å"You've barely been here a week! You make it sound like you've been training for years with some master.† â€Å"It's better than nothing,† he said. â€Å"And where else are you going to learn? Rose?† Lissa's outrage and disbelief dimmed a little. â€Å"No,† she admitted. â€Å"Never. In fact, Rose would drag me away if she caught me doing it.† Damn straight I would. In fact, despite the obstacles and staff that kept blocking me, I was tempted to march over there right now. â€Å"Then this is your chance,† he said. His voice turned wry. â€Å"Look, I know things aren't†¦ great with us, but that's irrelevant if you're going to learn this. Tell Tatiana you want to bring me to Lehigh. She won't like it, but she'll let you. I'll show you what I know in our free time. Then, when we get back, I'll take you to Mia and her friends.† Lissa frowned. â€Å"If Rose knew†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's why we'll start when you're away from Court. She'll be too far away from you to do anything.† Oh, for the love of God. I would give them some lessons about fighting–starting with a punch to Christian's face. â€Å"And when we get back?† asked Lissa. â€Å"She'll find out. It's inevitable with the bond.† He shrugged. â€Å"If she's still on landscape duty, we'll be able to get away with it. I mean, she'll know, but she won't be able to interfere. Much.† â€Å"It may not be enough,† Lissa said with a sigh. â€Å"Rose was right about that–I can't expect to learn in a few weeks what it took her years to do.† Weeks? That was her timeline on this? â€Å"You have to try,† he said, almost gentle. Almost. â€Å"Why are you so interested in this?† Lissa asked suspiciously. â€Å"Why do you care so much about bringing Dimitri back? I mean, I know you liked him, but you don't quite have the same motivation here that Rose does.† â€Å"He was a good guy,† said Christian. â€Å"And if there was a way to turn him back to a dhampir? Yeah, that'd be amazing. But it's more than that†¦ more than just him. If there was a way to save all Strigoi, that would change our world. I mean, not that setting them on fire isn't cool after they've gone on killing sprees, but if we could stop those killing sprees in the first place? That's the key to saving us. All of us.† Lissa was speechless for a moment. Christian had spoken passionately, and there was a hope radiating off of him that she just hadn't expected. It was†¦ moving. He took advantage of her silence. â€Å"Besides, there's no telling what you'd do without any guidance. And I'd like to reduce the odds of you getting yourself killed, because even if Rose wants to deny it, I know you're going to keep pushing this.† Lissa stayed quiet yet again, pondering the situation. I listened to her thoughts, not liking at all where they were going. â€Å"We're leaving at six,† she said at last. â€Å"Can you meet me downstairs at five thirty?† Tatiana wouldn't be thrilled when she heard about the new guest choice, but Lissa was pretty sure she could do some fast talking in the morning. He nodded. â€Å"I'll be there.† Back in my room, I was totally aghast. Lissa was going to attempt to learn to stake a Strigoi–behind my back–and she was going to get Christian to help her. Those two had been snarling at each other since the breakup. I should have felt flattered that sneaking around me was bringing them together, but I wasn't. I was pissed off. I considered my options. The buildings Lissa and I were staying in didn't have the kind of front-desk curfew security that our school dorms had had, but the staff here had been instructed to tip off someone in the guardians' office if I got too social. Hans had also told me to stay away from Lissa until further notice. I pondered it all for a moment, thinking it might be worth Hans dragging me from Lissa's room, and then finally thought of an alternate plan. It was late but not too late, and I left my room for the one next door to mine. Knocking on the door, I hoped my neighbor was still awake. She was a dhampir my age, a recent graduate from a different school. I didn't own a cell phone, but I'd seen her talking on one earlier today. She answered the door a few moments later and fortunately didn't appear to have been in bed. â€Å"Hey,† she said, understandably surprised. â€Å"Hey, can I send a text from your phone?† I didn't want to commandeer her phone with a conversation, and besides, Lissa might just hang up on me. My neighbor shrugged, stepped into the room, and returned with the phone. I had Lissa's number memorized and sent her the following note: I know what you're going to do, and it is a BAD idea. I'm going to kick both your asses when I find you. I handed the phone back to its owner. â€Å"Thanks. If anyone texts back, can you let me know?† She told me she would, but I didn't expect any return texts. I got my message another way. When I returned to the room and Lissa's mind, I got to be there when her phone chimed. Christian had left, and she read my text with a rueful smile. My answer came through the link. She knew I was watching. Sorry, Rose. It's a risk I'll have to take. I'm doing this. I tossed and turned that night, still angry at what Lissa and Christian were trying to do. I didn't think I'd ever fall asleep, but when Adrian came to me in a dream, it became clear that my body's exhaustion had defeated my mind's agitation. â€Å"Las Vegas?† I asked. Adrian's dreams always occurred in different places of his choosing. Tonight, we stood on the Strip, very near where Eddie and I had rendezvoused with Lissa and him at the MGM Grand. The bright lights and neon of the hotels and restaurants gleamed in the blackness, but the whole setting was eerily silent compared to the reality. Adrian had not brought the cars or people of the real Las Vegas here. It was like a ghost town. He smiled, leaning against a pole covered in paper ads for concerts and escort services. â€Å"Well, we didn't really get a chance to enjoy it while we were there.† â€Å"True.† I stood a few feet away, arms crossed over my chest. I had on jeans and a T-shirt, along with my nazar. Adrian had apparently decided not to dress me tonight, for which I was grateful. I could have ended up like one of those Moroi showgirls, in feathers and sequins. â€Å"I thought you were avoiding me.† I still wasn't entirely sure where our relationship stood, despite his flippant attitude back at the Witching Hour. He snorted. â€Å"It's not by my choice, little dhampir. Those guardians are doing their best to keep you in solitary. Well, kind of.† â€Å"Christian managed to sneak in and talk to me earlier,† I said, hoping to avoid the issue that had to be on Adrian's mind: that I'd risked lives to save my ex-boyfriend. â€Å"He's going to try to teach Lissa to stake a Strigoi.† I waited for Adrian to join in my outrage, but he appeared as lax and sardonic as usual. â€Å"Not surprised she's gonna try. What surprises me is that he'd actually be interested in helping with some crazy theory.† â€Å"Well, it's crazy enough to appeal to him†¦ and can apparently overpower them hating each other lately.† Adrian tilted his head, making some of the hair fall over his eyes. A building with blue neon palm trees cast an eerie glow upon his face as he gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Come on, we both know why he's doing it.† â€Å"Because he thinks his after-school group with Jill and Mia qualifies him to teach that stuff?† â€Å"Because it gives him an excuse to be around her–without making it look like he gave in first. That way, he can still seem manly.† I shifted slightly so that the lights of a giant sign advertising slot machines didn't shine in my eyes. â€Å"That's ridiculous.† Especially the part about Christian being manly. â€Å"Guys do ridiculous things for love.† Adrian reached into his pocket and held up a pack of cigarettes. â€Å"Do you know how badly I want one of these right now? Yet I suffer, Rose. All for you.† â€Å"Don't turn romantic on me,† I warned, trying to hide my smile. â€Å"We don't have time for that, not when my best friend wants to go monster hunting.† â€Å"Yeah, but how is she actually going to find him? That's kind of a problem.† Adrian didn't need to elaborate on the â€Å"him.† â€Å"True,† I admitted. â€Å"And she hasn't been able to charm the stake yet anyway, so until she does, all the kung-fu skills in the world won't matter.† â€Å"Guardians don't do kung-fu. And how did you know about the stake?† â€Å"She's asked for my help a couple of times,† he explained. â€Å"Huh. I didn't know that.† â€Å"Well, you've been kind of busy. Not that you've even spared a thought for your poor pining boyfriend.† With all my chores, I hadn't spent a huge amount of time in Lissa's head–just enough to check in with her. â€Å"Hey, I would have taken you over filing any day.† I'd been so afraid that Adrian would be furious with me after Vegas, yet here he was, light and playful. A little too light. I wanted him to focus on the problem at hand. â€Å"What's your take on Lissa and the charms? Is she close to doing it?† Adrian absentmindedly played with the cigarettes, and I was tempted to tell him to go ahead and have one. This was his dream, after all. â€Å"Unclear. I haven't taken to charms the way she has. It's weird having the other elements in there†¦ makes it hard to manipulate spirit.† â€Å"Are you helping her anyway?† I asked suspiciously. He shook his head in amusement. â€Å"What do you think?† I hesitated. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know. You help her with most spirit things, but helping her with this would mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ Helping Dimitri?† I nodded, not trusting myself to elaborate. â€Å"No,† Adrian said at last. â€Å"I'm not helping her, simply because I don't know how.† I exhaled with relief. â€Å"I really am sorry,† I told him. â€Å"For everything†¦ for lying about where I was and what I was doing. It was wrong. And I don't understand†¦ well, I don't get why you're being so nice to me.† â€Å"Should I be mean?† He winked. â€Å"Is that the kind of thing you're into?† â€Å"No! Of course not. But, I mean, you were so mad when you came to Vegas and found out what was going on. I just thought†¦ I don't know. I thought you hated me.† The amusement faded from his features. He came over to me and rested his hands on my shoulders, his dark green eyes dead serious. â€Å"Rose, nothing in this world could make me hate you.† â€Å"Not even trying to bring my ex-boyfriend back from the dead?† Adrian held onto me, and even in a dream, I could smell his skin and cologne. â€Å"Yeah, I'll be honest. If Belikov were walking around right now, alive like he used to be? There would be some problems. I don't want to think what would happen with us if†¦ well, it's not worth wasting time on. He's not here.† â€Å"I still†¦ I still want us to work,† I said meekly. â€Å"I would still try, even if he were back. I just have a hard time letting someone I care about go.† â€Å"I know. You did what you did out of love. I can't be mad at you over that. It was stupid, but that's how love is. Do you have any idea what I'd do for you? To keep you safe?† â€Å"Adrian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't meet his eyes. I suddenly felt unworthy. He was so easy to underestimate. The only thing I could do was lean my head against his chest and let him wrap his arms around me. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Be sorry you lied,† he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"Don't be sorry you loved him. That's part of you, part you have to let go, yeah, but still something that's made you who you are.† Part you have to let go†¦ Adrian was right, and that was a damned scary thing to admit. I'd had my shot. I'd made my gamble to save Dimitri, and it had failed. Lissa wouldn't get anywhere with the stake, meaning I really did have to treat Dimitri the way everyone else did: He was dead. I had to move on. â€Å"Damn it,† I muttered. â€Å"What?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I hate it when you're the sane one. That's my job.† â€Å"Rose,† he said, forcibly trying to keep a serious tone, â€Å"I can think of many words to describe you, sexy and hot being at the top of the list. You know what's not on the list? Sane.† I laughed. â€Å"Okay, well, then my job is to be the less crazy one.† He considered. â€Å"That I can accept.† I brought my lips up to his, and even if there were still some shaky things in our relationship, there was no uncertainty in how we kissed. Kissing in a dream felt exactly like real life. Heat blossomed between us, and I felt a thrill run through my whole body. He released my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing us closer. I realized that it was time to start believing what I kept saying. Life did go on. Dimitri might be gone, but I could have something with Adrian–at least until my job took me away. That was, of course, assuming I got one. Hell, if Hans kept me on desk duty here and Adrian continued his slothful ways, we could be together forever. Adrian and I kissed for a long time, pressing closer and closer. At last I broke things off. If you had sex in a dream, did that mean you'd really done it? I didn't know, and I certainly wasn't going to find out. I wasn't ready for that yet. I stepped back, and Adrian took the hint. â€Å"Find me when you get some freedom.† â€Å"Hopefully soon,† I said. â€Å"The guardians can't punish me forever.† Adrian looked skeptical, but he let the dream dissolve without further comment. I returned to my own bed and my own dreams. The only thing that stopped me from intercepting Lissa and Christian when they met up early in her lobby the next day was that Hans summoned me to work even earlier. He put me on paperwork duty–in the vaults, ironically enough–leaving me to file and stew over Lissa and Christian as I watched them through my bond. I took it as a sign of my multitasking skills that I was able to alphabetize and spy at the same time. Yet my observations were interrupted when a voice said, â€Å"Didn't expect to find you here again.† I blinked out of Lissa's head and looked up from my paperwork. Mikhail stood before me. In light of the complications that had ensued with the Victor incident, I'd nearly forgotten Mikhail's involvement in our â€Å"escape.† I set the files down and gave him a small smile. â€Å"Yeah, weird how fate works, huh? They actually want me here now.† â€Å"Indeed. You're in a fair amount of trouble, I hear.† My smile turned into a grimace. â€Å"Tell me about it.† I glanced around, even though I knew we were alone. â€Å"You didn't get in any trouble, did you?† He shook his head. â€Å"No one knows what I did.† â€Å"Good.† At least one person had escaped this debacle unscathed. My guilt couldn't have handled him getting caught too. Mikhail knelt so that he was eye level with me, resting his arms on the table I sat at. â€Å"Were you successful? Was it worth it?† â€Å"That's a hard question to answer.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"There were some†¦ not so successful things that happened. But we did find out what we wanted to know–or, well, we think we did.† His breath caught. â€Å"How to restore a Strigoi?† â€Å"I think so. If our informant was telling the truth, then yeah. Except, even if he was†¦ well, it's not that easy to do. It's nearly impossible, really.† â€Å"What is it?† I hesitated. Mikhail had helped us, but he wasn't in my circle of confidants. Yet even now, I saw that haunted look in his eyes, the one I'd seen before. The pain of losing his beloved still tormented him. It likely always would. Would I be doing more harm than good by telling him what I'd learned? Would this fleeting hope only hurt him more? I finally decided to tell him. Even if he told others–and I didn't think he would–most would laugh it off anyway. There would be no damage there. The real trouble would come if he told anyone about Victor and Robert–but I didn't actually have to mention their involvement to him. Unlike Christian, it had apparently not occurred to Mikhail that the prison break so big in Moroi news had been pulled off by the teens he helped smuggle out. Mikhail probably couldn't spare a thought for anything that didn't involve saving his Sonya. â€Å"It takes a spirit user,† I explained. â€Å"One with a spirit-charmed stake, and then he†¦ or she†¦ has to stake the Strigoi.† â€Å"Spirit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That element was still foreign to most Moroi and dhampirs–but not to him. â€Å"Like Sonya. I know spirit's supposed to make them more alluring†¦ but I swear, she never needed it. She was beautiful on her own.† As always, Mikhail's face took on that same sad look it did whenever Ms. Karp was mentioned. I'd never really seen him truly happy since meeting him and thought he'd be pretty good-looking if he ever genuinely smiled. He suddenly seemed embarrassed at his romantic lapse and returned to business. â€Å"What spirit user could do a staking?† â€Å"None,† I said flatly. â€Å"Lissa Dragomir and Adrian Ivashkov are the only two spirit users I even know–well, aside from Avery Lazar.† I was leaving Oksana and Robert out of this. â€Å"Neither of them has the skill to do it–you know that as well as I do. And Adrian has no interest in it anyway.† Mikhail was sharp, picking up on what I didn't say. â€Å"But Lissa does?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted. â€Å"But it would take her years to learn to do it. If not longer. And she's the last of her line. She can't be risked like that.† The truth of my words hit him, and I couldn't help but share his pain and disappointment. Like me, he'd put a lot of faith into this last-ditch effort to be reunited with his lost love. I had just affirmed that it was possible†¦ yet impossible. I think it would have been easier on both of us to learn it had all been a hoax. He sighed and stood up. â€Å"Well†¦ I appreciate you going after this. Sorry your punishment is for nothing.† I shrugged. â€Å"It's okay. It was worth it.† â€Å"I hope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His face turned hesitant. â€Å"I hope it ends soon and doesn't affect anything.† â€Å"Affect what?† I asked sharply, catching the edge in his voice. â€Å"Just†¦ well, guardians who disobey orders sometimes face long punishments.† â€Å"Oh. This.† He was referring to my constant fear of being stuck with a desk job. I tried to play flippant and not to show how much that possibility scared me. â€Å"I'm sure Hans was bluffing. I mean, would he really make me do this forever just because I ran away and–â€Å" I stopped, my mouth hanging open when a knowing glint flashed in Mikhail's eyes. I'd heard long ago how he'd tried to track down Ms. Karp, but the logistics had never really hit me until now. No one would have condoned his search. He would have had to leave on his own, breaking protocol, and come skulking back when he finally gave up on locating her. He would have been in just as much trouble as me for going MIA. â€Å"Is that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed. â€Å"Is that why you†¦ why you work down here in the vaults now?† Mikhail didn't answer my question. Instead, he glanced down with a small smile and pointed at my stacks of paper. â€Å"F comes before L,† he said before turning and leaving. â€Å"Damn,† I muttered, looking down. He was right. Apparently I couldn't alphabetize so well while watching Lissa. Still, once I was alone, that didn't stop me from tuning back into her mind. I wanted to know what she was doing†¦ and I didn't want to think about how what I'd done would probably be considered worse than Mikhail's deeds in the eyes of the guardians. Or that a similar–or worse–punishment might be in store for me. Lissa and Christian were at a hotel near Lehigh's campus. The middle of the vampiric day meant evening for the human university. Lissa's tour wouldn't start until their morning the next day, which meant she had to bide her time at the hotel now and try to adjust to a human schedule. Lissa's â€Å"new† guardians, Serena and Grant, were with her, along with three extras that the queen had sent as well. Tatiana had allowed Christian to come along and hadn't been nearly as opposed as Lissa had feared–which again made me question if the queen really was as awful as I'd always believed. Priscilla Voda, a close advisor of the queen that both Lissa and I liked, was also accompanying Lissa as she looked around the school. Two of the additional guardians stayed with Priscilla; the third stayed with Christian. They ate dinner as a group and then retired to their rooms. Serena was actually staying with Lissa in hers while Grant stood guard outside the door. Watching all this triggered a pang in me. Pair guarding–it was what I'd been trained for. What I'd been expecting my whole life to do for Lissa. Serena was a picture-perfect example of guardian aloofness, being there but not there as Lissa hung up some of her clothes. A knock at the door immediately shot Serena into action. Her stake was in hand, and she strode to the door, looking out through its peephole. I couldn't help but admire her reaction time, though part of me would never believe anyone could guard Lissa as well as I could. â€Å"Get back,† Serena said to Lissa. A moment later, the tension in Serena faded a tiny bit, and she opened the door. Grant stood there with Christian beside him. â€Å"He's here to see you,† Grant said, like it wasn't obvious. Lissa nodded. â€Å"Um, yeah. Come on in.† Christian stepped inside when Grant backed away. Christian gave Lissa a meaningful look as he did, making a small head nod toward Serena. â€Å"Hey, um, would you mind giving us some privacy?† As soon as the words were out of Lissa's mouth, she turned bright pink. â€Å"I mean†¦ we just†¦ we just need to talk about some things, that's all.† Serena kept her face almost neutral, but it was clear she thought they were going to do more than talk. Average teen dating wasn't usually hot gossip in the Moroi world, but Lissa, with her notoriety, attracted a bit more attention with her romantic affairs. Serena would have known Christian and Lissa had gone out and broken up. For all she knew, they were back together now. Lissa inviting him on this trip certainly suggested it. Serena glanced around warily. The balance of protection and privacy was always difficult with Moroi and guardians, and hotel rooms like this made it even harder. If they were on a vampiric schedule, with everyone sleeping during daylight hours, I didn't doubt Serena would have stepped into the hall with Grant. But it was dark outside, and even a fifth-floor window could be a Strigoi liability. Serena wasn't keen on leaving her new charge alone. Lissa's hotel suite had an expansive living room and work area, with an adjacent bedroom accessible through frosted-glass French doors. Serena nodded toward them. â€Å"How about I just go in there?† A smart idea. Provided privacy but kept her close by. Then, Serena realized the implications, and she blushed. â€Å"I mean†¦ unless you guys want to go in there and I'll–â€Å" â€Å"No,† exclaimed Lissa, growing more and more embarrassed. â€Å"This is fine. We'll stay in here. We're just talking.† I wasn't sure whose benefit that was for, Serena's or Christian's. Serena nodded and disappeared into the bedroom with a book, which reminded me eerily of Dimitri. She shut the door. Lissa wasn't sure how well noise traveled, so she turned the TV on. â€Å"God, that was miserable,† she groaned. Christian seemed totally at ease as he leaned against the wall. He wasn't the formal type by any means, but he'd put on dress clothes for dinner earlier and still wore them. They looked good on him, no matter how much he always complained. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because she thinks we're–she thinks we're–well, you know.† â€Å"So? What's the big deal?† Lissa rolled her eyes. â€Å"You're a guy. Of course it doesn't matter to you.† â€Å"Hey, it's not like we haven't. Besides, better for her to think that than to know the truth.† The reference to their past sex life inspired a mix of emotions–embarrassment, anger, and longing–but she refused to let that show. â€Å"Fine. Let's just get this over with. We've got a big day, and our sleep's going to be all screwy as it is. Where do we start? Do you want me to get the stake?† â€Å"No need yet. We should just practice some basic defensive moves.† He straightened up and moved toward the center of the room, dragging a table out of the way. I swear, if not for the context, watching the two of them attempt combat training on their own would have been hilarious. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"So you already know how to punch.† â€Å"What? I do not!† He frowned. â€Å"You knocked out Reed Lazar. Rose mentioned it, like, a hundred times. I've never heard her so proud about something.† â€Å"I punched one person once in my life,† she pointed out. â€Å"And Rose was coaching me. I don't know if I could do it again.† Christian nodded, looking disappointed–not in her skills but because he had an impatient nature and wanted to jump right into the really hard-core fighting stuff. Nonetheless, he proved a surprisingly patient teacher as he went over the fine art of punching and hitting. A lot of his moves were actually things he'd picked up from me. He'd been a decent student. Was he at guardian levels? No. Not by a long shot. And Lissa? She was smart and competent, but she wasn't wired for combat, no matter how badly she wanted to help with this. Punching Reed Lazar had been a beautiful thing, but it didn't appear to be anything that would ever become natural for her. Fortunately, Christian started with simple dodging and watching one's opponent. Lissa was just a beginner at it but showed a lot of promise. Christian seemed to chalk it up to his instructive skills, but I'd always thought spirit users had a kind of preternatural instinct about what others might do next. I doubted it would work on Strigoi, though. After a little of that, Christian finally returned to offense, and that's when things went bad. Lissa's gentle, healing nature didn't mesh with that, and she refused to really strike out with her full force, for fear of hurting him. When he realized what was happening, his snarky temper started to rise. â€Å"Come on! Don't hold back.† â€Å"I'm not,† she protested, delivering a punch to his chest that didn't come close to budging him. He raked a hand irritably through his hair. â€Å"You are too! I've seen you knock on a door harder than you're hitting me.† â€Å"That's a ridiculous metaphor.† â€Å"And,† he added, â€Å"you aren't aiming for my face.† â€Å"I don't want to leave a mark!† â€Å"Well, at the rate we're going, there's no danger of that,† he muttered. â€Å"Besides, you can heal it away.† I was amused at their bickering but didn't like his casual encouragement of spirit use. I still hadn't shaken my guilt over the long-term damage that the prison break could have caused. Reaching forward, Christian grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her toward him. He balled her fingers with his other hand and then slowly demonstrated how to swing a punch upward by pulling her fist toward his face. He was more interested in showing the technique and motion, so it only brushed against him. â€Å"See? Arc upward. Make the impact right there. Don't worry about hurting me.† â€Å"It's not that simple†¦.† Her protest died off, and suddenly, they both seemed to notice the situation they were in. There was barely any space between them, and his fingers were still wrapped around her wrist. They felt warm against Lissa's skin and were sending electricity through the rest of her body. The air between them seemed thick and heavy, like it might just wrap them up and pull them together. From the widening of Christian's eyes and sudden intake of breath, I was willing to bet he was having a similar reaction at being so close to her body. Coming to himself, he abruptly released her hand and stepped back. â€Å"Well,† he said roughly, though still clearly unnerved by the proximity, â€Å"I guess you aren't really serious about helping Rose.† That did it. Sexual tension notwithstanding, anger kindled up in Lissa at the comment. She balled her fist and totally caught Christian off guard when she swung out and socked him in the face. It didn't have the grace of her Reed punch, but it took Christian hard. Unfortunately, she lost her balance in the maneuver and stumbled forward into him. The two of them went down together, hitting the floor and knocking over a small table and lamp nearby. The lamp caught the table's corner and broke. Meanwhile, Lissa had landed on Christian. His arms instinctively went out around her, and if the space between them before had been small, it was nonexistent now. They stared into each other's eyes, and Lissa's heart was pounding fiercely in her chest. That tantalizing electric feeling crackled around them again, and all the world for her seemed to focus on his lips. Both she and I wondered later if they might have kissed, but just then, Serena came bursting out of the bedroom. She was on guardian high alert, body tense and ready to face an army of Strigoi with her stake in hand. She came screeching to a halt when she saw the scene before her: what appeared to be a romantic interlude. Admittedly, it was an odd one, what with the broken lamp and swelling red mark on Christian's face. It was pretty awkward for everyone, and Serena's attack mode faded to one of confusion. â€Å"Oh,† she said uncertainly. â€Å"Sorry.† Embarrassment flooded Lissa, as well as self-resentment at being affected so much by Christian. She was furious at him, after all. Hastily, she pulled away and sat up, and in her flustered state, she felt the need to make it clear that there was nothing romantic whatsoever going on. â€Å"It†¦ it's not what you think,† she stuttered, looking anywhere except at Christian, who was getting to his feet and seemed just as mortified as Lissa. â€Å"We were fighting. I mean, practicing fighting. I want to learn to defend against Strigoi. And attack them. And stake them. So Christian was kind of helping me, that's all.† There was something cute about her rambling, and it reminded me charmingly of Jill. Serena visibly relaxed, and while she'd mastered that blank face all guardians excelled at, it was clear she was amused. â€Å"Well,† she said, â€Å"it doesn't look like you're doing a very good job.† Christian turned indignant as he stroked his injured cheek. â€Å"Hey! We are too. I taught her this.† Serena still thought it was all funny, but a serious, considering glint was starting to form in her eyes. â€Å"That seems like it was more lucky than anything else.† She hesitated, like she was on the verge of a big decision. At last she said, â€Å"Look, if you guys are serious about this, then you need to learn to do it the right way. I'll show you how.† No. Way. I was seriously on the verge of escaping the Court and hitchhiking to Lehigh to really show them how to throw a punch–with Serena as my example–when something jolted me away from Lissa and back into my own reality. Hans. I had a sarcastic greeting on my lips, but he didn't give me a chance. â€Å"Forget the filing and follow me. You've been summoned.† â€Å"I–what?† Highly unexpected. â€Å"Summoned where?† His face was grim. â€Å"To see the queen.†

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Week 8 Discussion INTL 5400 - Case Study Example Therefore, this study will provide a sharp insight on the world problems as well as possible solutions that can be employed to address those problems. The world has been facing numerous problems for many years some of the major factors that contribute to those problems include; Institutional failures (Harvey). Whereby, financial institutions such as banking systems have been so reluctant at establishing necessary policies aimed at regulating the flow of credit in an economy (Harvey). In above connection, policy failures by Breton wood institutions such as International monetary fund and World Bank have contributed significantly to global problems (Harvey). This is because those institutions tend to place strict rules that inhibit growth and expansion of capitalistic economy such the US (Harvey). Environmental factors such as global warming as a result of human activities have significantly contributed to the global problems (Brown, pp1-4). This has further led to a problem of food insecurity especially among African countries (Brown, pp1-4). Among the countries that have been adversely affected by food insecurity problems include; Sudan, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Democratic republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan to name just but a few (Brown, pp1-4).Those countries have even exposed other countries into the risk of terrorism attacks, drugs trafficking, spread of diseases as the number of refugees tend to escalate (Brown, pp1-4). In above connection, Debt crisis has been another significant cause of global problems (Harvey). Whereby, capitalistic economies spend a lot of revenues in financing their huge foreign debts rather than using this revenue to finance their economic growth (Harvey). In above connection, unemployment has been reported to be significant global problem that has contributed to global failure as people who are willing

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Baby Boomer Generation - Essay Example Furthermore, this paper aims to elaborate on the impact of the generation on American culture and future prospects for baby boomers. The baby boomer generation is defined as a legion composed of those who were born between the years of 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boom" was coined as this period is characterized by the dramatic escalation of population in the United States (US) and in other countries as well (Gianoulis). To illustrate this, the chart below exhibits how the number of infants born skyrocketed within this era. The escalation in birth rate is attributed to economic prosperity experienced after World War II as the US became a major exporter of goods required for rebuilding war-torn countries. As such, the US posted robust economic growth within the period (Gillon). Aside from this, the rise in population is also ascribed to the uncertainties resulting from the war that impelled many young couples to take advantage of the opportunity to get married and build families (Gianoulis). The baby boomer stereotype is depicted as someone white belonging to the middle-class, who grew up in the suburbs (Gianoulis). Given the suburban life led by these white, middle-class baby boomers, which is labeled as dull, conventional and secure, many resorted to rebellion. This attitude that stems from the secure predictability of suburban life and hypocrisy of the perfect family myth painted by society became a trademark of the baby boomers. They have been taught to think critically by questioning. In line with this, they perceived themselves as the generation built not to obey the rules of society, instead they exist to justify and push for change on prevailing socio-political structures. ("Boomer Generation") This led to the flourishing of movements aiming for improvements. For instance, the civil rights movement of African Americans Headed by Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. gained ground in the early 1960s as baby boomers regardless of race rallied for justice and equal rights for black minority. This resulted in the enactment of the Civil Rights Act, as proposed by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations and discrimination in education and employment. ("Boomer Generation") To further prove their rebellious nature, the baby boomers also protested against the Vietnam War. Similarly, thousands of baby boomers passionately rallied against the war since it was them who were of draft age. Many of them refused to go to battle in an unknown land for an ambiguous cause. With this, students held demonstrations and took over buildings at school campuses to protest the unjustness of the war. Draft cards were also burned to express rage over forced conscription. (Gianoulis) Due to the prevailing gender discrimination in the society then, women's liberation movement was also launched. In the same way, gay liberation movements were organized to protest the social stigma homosexuals are subjected to. (Gianoulis) It should be highlighted that although there is a common characteristic binding the generation, there are also myriad differences among them that render making generalizations about this generation very difficult. To account for the difference, the baby boomer population is divided into two groups, namely the Boomers and Shadow Boomers. The former

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Ethics in Business - Research Paper Example One of the most important qualities a business leader must have to remain ethical is the ability to maintain divided and often contradictory loyalties. When thought about most basically, a business leader is often a middle person between two other groups who have mutually opposing desires: board members who would like maximization of profits, and employees who want to maximize their own value for work. If imagined in the utmost simplicity, shareholders would prefer that all work be done for free so long as the quality remains sufficient, and employees would all prefer that they get paid for nothing, and these are incompatible goals. One of the fundamental problems for a business leader is how to treat both of these groups ethically. Many business leaders have a fiduciary responsibility to stockholders to maximize their profits while also having an ethical, legal, and often business interest in keeping the workforce happy and healthy.There have been several suggested solutions to thes e problems, which would allow a business leader to think of these competing interests as part of the same goal. Amongst the most prominent of these is stakeholder theory. This theory essentially states that many of these conflicts can be dealt with theoretically by imagining everyone involved as being â€Å"stakeholders,† whose interests must be collectively guarded. Firstly, it can have a paralytic effect (Heath 2006), because it does not deal with the fact that individual stakeholders will still have competing goals.

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What was the impact of the use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the end of the Second World War and why - Essay Example eading to carry out unimaginable human destruction has clearly shaped common perceptions regarding the level of destructive consequences can be derived from any future war1. In this context, a revolution was constituted soon after the inception of nuclear weapons in the modern warfare. Comparatively, the use of nuclear weapons is deemed to impose brutal and more destructive effects in nature than any other war weaponries used throughout the centuries. Periodic historical observations have consequently set out clear reflections regarding the most controversial and consequential war decisions taken in the modern warfare, indicative to the use of atomic nuclear weapon on the two major Japanese cities - Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the year 1945. From the worldview, the nuclear weapons dropped by the American Air Force Bombers on respectively 6th and 9th August 1945 had been considered as the most destructive and consequential events in the modern warfare history2. With an in-depth understanding about the adverse and most devastative effects of nuclear weapon, the primary aim of this essay is to deliver a clear reflection on the short and long-term impacts of nuclear bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In this regard, the primary research question of this study has been formulated as - â€Å"What were the grounds that caused nuclear attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and what were the consequences witnessed thereafter?† In order to address the aims determined for the study based on the key question, the discussion of the essay tends to comply with a set of relevant study objectives. The key objectives designed for this essay has been demonstrated as follows. To explain the arguments and give overall description whether the use of such destructive weapons have positive or negative effects after evaluating the consequences caused by the nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Deterrence of nuclear weapon has been widely witnessed by the world in context to the

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Chekhov - Assignment Example 299). Byelikov is a protagonist of the story, â€Å"Man in a Case†. He was a teacher of classical language in a provincial school. To describe the character of Byelikov, the phrase out of the box would not be compatible but to call him a man in the box would be the most befitting phrase to describe his personality. In the story, Burkin narrates the tragic life and character of Byelikov to his colleague, Ivan Ivanovitch. And it is through his eyes that we get a gaze of the boxed man in the story, Byelikov. By nature Byelikov was solitary in temperament and was unsocial to a great extent. He was so irritating in his nature that his colleagues used to call him a spider and Burkin compared him to a hermit crab or snail and even to our pre-historic ancestors, who were contended being inside their respective dens (Chekhov, 2004, p. 299). His physical appearance was also symbolic that he always preferred to hide himself and his emotions from the outside world. Many people are introve rt but Byelikov’s nature was extraordinarily evident even through his body appearance (Chekhov, 2004, p. 300). Byelikov always put goloshes and a warm waded coat. He always carried an umbrella. His umbrella was always kept inside a case. He also kept his watch inside a case which was made of grey chamois leather.

The future of television Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The future of television - Term Paper Example Life has become so fast that it has made things very complex;now those things are preferred which are convenient and fasthence all these things have dented the popularity of televisions on a larger scale. Television is merely a social trend,the reason behind this is the way it has impacted the lifestyle of individuals, especially in the nights as people have more time to relax and enjoy. Since electricity was invented people got time to stay up even after blackout, without having to use expensive candle lights. Stereo then offered development in the night shows that attracted family members together. Television then included a visible element to this. People started purchasing TVs, and invested their time on such shows which were of their interest and later became part of their lifestyle. Celebrity Travel sources, outfits designs, signature conditions like Broth Nazi, or ":I love it when a plan comes together", or many other such factors become an aspect of everyday use, and their po pularity increased among the masses. People started to get awareness by the help of a television. During the 40s and the 50s, individuals considered new fishing reelsfor the films. These were modified and "cleaned up" to make them appropriate viewing for all age groups. By the Sixties information was being straight transmitted to United States houses live. Everyone was seeing movies, especially of the Vietnam War. This helped in spreading awareness of the massacre and portraying the power that vested with the US during the Vietnam War. And because of limited variety of broadcasters(3 systems back then), viewing TV was at limited occasion, as huge variety of individuals considered the same broadcasts and distributed the same information. A new social trend is going on with television since the past 25 years. With the development of wire systems, there has been a change in technology. Fewer individuals observe the same broadcasts, and if they watched the same they usually do at differ ent times of the day, thanks to TIVO. There are more intimately precise and aggressive broadcasts available on wire, whose impact is still controversial. Because of this the stakeholders are pretty pessimistic about the future of television Technology is now making viewing on requirement more common, or at least viewing broadcasts at viewers' comfort rather than broadcaster plans. Fridays and Saturdays are considered to be the most desired time for airing such broadcasts.Now repeat and complete broadcasts take those areas, as individuals are now more interested to spend their time on other recreations. Promoters are now using various means to target their audience. And with computer systems becoming extremely effective, televisions and computers are functioning simultaneously to provide entertainment to the masses. It's an ongoing trend with no certainty of what its future might be like.The one thing that seems obvious is that it will not be a change that finishes easily, as the tec hnological innovation regularly changes how individuals approach various devices and their means of entertainment but despite that the use of television will not diminish. Since the advent of tablets, laptops, smartphones etc. life has become very remote for all. Today all individuals carry their own phones and other devices which make it easy for them to access their favorite shows, news and other entertainment forms without having to wait it for their airing on television.(White, 348). These devices have helped in raising

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Archimedes Essay Example for Free

Archimedes Essay Archimedes was one of the most known and respected mathematicians of ancient Greece. He was born between the years of 290 and 280 BCE in Syracuse, Sicily which is currently known as Italy. His death took place in Syracuse, Sicily between the years of 212 and 211 BCE. In autumn of 212 or the spring of 211 Syracuse was taken over by Roman General Marcus Claudius Marcellus (Encyclopedia Britannica, n. d). It was during the cities take over that Archimedes was killed. There is rumors about what lead up to a Roman solider killing him. Some historians believe his death was due to Archimedes not willing to give up his mathematical diagrams of mirrors that would burn the Roman ships. The exact years of his birth and death are uncertain, but Greek historian John Tzetes believes he lived to be 75 years old (â€Å"Archimedes†, n. d). Archimedes father was named Phidias who was an astronomer. His mother’s name is unknown, but there is belief that Archimedes is related to the Ruler of Syracuse King Hiero II. There are currently not many documents of Archimedes upbringing. In fact there is only one record of his life that was written by his friend Heracleides. Unfortunately this biography was lost. Education Archimedes was not only a mathematician but also a physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer (â€Å"Archimedes†, n. d). Archimedes thought of himself as first a mathematician and secondly an inventor, his other qualities where simply additional characteristics. He received his knowledge by spending most of his life studying in Syracuse but did spend some time in Alexandria and Egypt possibly with another ancient mathematician known as Euclid. Besides Euclid, Archimedes partnered with other mathematicians of his time. These mathematicians are Conon of Samos and Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Along with studying with these individuals, Archimedes published some of his works in correspondence with them. These published essays include The method of Mechanical Theorems and the Cattle Problem (â€Å"Archimedes†, n. d. ). Greatest Accomplishments Archimedes is famous for several great accomplishments by many during his time period and individuals within this present time period. He is known to have written several books and other types of work. One book which is actually divided into two books is called On the Sphere and Cylinder. On the Sphere and Cylinder describes characteristics of spheres and cylinders as identified by Archimedes. He goes into detail the surface area of any sphere has a radius that is four times that of its greatest circle and the volume of a sphere is two-thirds that of the cylinder in which it is inscribed (Encyclopedia Britannica, n. d. ). Archimedes was so proud of his discovery that he had his tomb marked with a sphere inscribed within a cylinder. The tomb was found in 106-43 BCE by Marcus Tullius Cicero (Encyclopedia Britannica, n. d. ). Another one of his greatest accomplishments would include his determining of the exact measurement of pi. He was one of the first mathematicians to begin studying PI. He began his study of PI between the years of 287 and 212 BCE. His studies determined PI equals 223/71 PI 22/7. His results are related upon approximating the area of a circle based on the area of a regular polygon inscribed with the circle and the area of a regular polygon within which the circle is inscribed (â€Å"PI†, n. d). According to his work he started with studying a hexagon and worked his way up to the polygon with 96 sides (â€Å"PI†, n. d). This was deemed very impressive back in his day and in the current modern day. Archimedes created a great invention that is still used in some parts of the world today it is called the Archimedes Screw. Historians believe the Archimedes Screw was invented when King Hieron II approached Archimedes with the request of building a large luxury ship. Thanks to Archimedes’ excellent knowledge of buoyancy, he constructed the ship with little hesitation. Unfortunately, he found that the ship constantly leaked. The ship’s leakage is what brought on the invention of the Archimedes Screw. Archimedes constructed a device that could be operated by one person. The device was simple in design and efficient at moving both liquid and solid particles. This invention that was intended to originally pump water out of the bulge of a luxury ship led to an agricultural device used to pump irrigation water up a gradient and still used by modern day farmers. Around 211 BCE Archimedes formulated the â€Å"hydrostatic principle† also known as the Archimedes principle. The Archimedes principle demonstrates how an object’s density when immersed in a specific volume of fluid will sink or float. The formula is described as W=pVg (â€Å"Archimede’s Principle† n. d). The formula demonstrates that if the density of the object is greater that the fluid the object is placed in, the object will sink. If the object has the same density off the volume of fluid it is placed in it will neither sink nor float. It is when the object is placed in a mass of fluid that is greater than the density of the object that causes it to float. This principle is still practiced today by modern day mathematicians. Archimedes principle has an interesting story associated with its origin. Rumor has it that Archimedes was approached by King Hiero II after he ordered a gold crown. The King was concerned the crown was not pure gold as he had requested. He was convinced it was mixed with silver. So, the King approached Archimedes with his concern. Archimedes decided to take a bath. This bath is what leads to one of the greatest discoveries of all times-the Archimedes Principle. While in the bath he discovered that the exact amount of water equivalent to his submerged body mass overflowed the edges of the tub. After realization of his discovery he was so excited he jumped out of the tub and ran out of his home into the streets of Syracuse screaming â€Å"Eureka, Eureka†. The term eureka stands for â€Å"I have found it†. Besides the invention of the Archimedes Principle, the commonly used term of Eureka can be credited to Archimedes himself. Before his death between the years of 212 and 211 BCE, Archimedes played an important role in the defense of Syracuse against the Roman navy. He invented what was known as â€Å"war machines†. He constructed these machines so effectively they delayed the initial capture of the city of Syracuse. Archimedes created these machines by applying his knowledge of mathematics and science he used devices known as pulleys, and levers. These war machines consisted of several aspects of his inventions. Some of these aspects include stone throwers, and large crossbows. Other characteristics of his war machines included the use of the Archimedes claw. The Archimedes claw uses a crane and grappling hook to reach down and grab the Roman galleys. This action ultimately leads to capsizing them (â€Å"war machines† n. d). Besides these great inventions that deterred the Roman navy for quite some time, Archimedes included the use of mirrors or polished stones to focus direct sunlight into a point and would cause the wooden ships owned by the Romans to become engulfed in flames. This concept of using mirrors to catch fire to the Roman ships is known as the â€Å"Archimedes Death Ray† (â€Å"war machines† n. d). This one invention is thought to have been the ticket to his death. According to history the Romans wanted the designs so significantly that if Archimedes did not render them over he would be killed. Archimedes can be thought of as a hero that fights for what he believes in, he refused to hand over his invention and death was his only option. Conclusion Archimedes can be credited with the title of one of the world’s most knowledgeable mathematicians and inventors. He was highly thought of during his time period and his wisdom still lives on in modern day society. Archimedes has created several inventions and contributed several mathematical concepts. To sum up some of his most known and most important inventions they are determining the measurement of PI, the Archimedes Screw, the Archimedes Principle, and his creation of war machines. Even after his death in Syracuse around 212 or 211 BCE, his mathematical concepts did not die with him. His inventions and knowledge will continue to be acknowledged, studied, and taught well into the future.

Operations Management Essay Example for Free

Operations Management Essay Carefully review the assignment scenario/case study. From the limited information in the scenario/case study, along with your answers to the unit three written assignment, identify at least three direct and specific long-term and three direct and specific short term operations changes that Albatross Anchor must make to gain a clear and sustainable competitive advantage (provide detailed information to validate and support each recommended change) Long-Term Operational Changes (01) Building Renovation: Moving the equipment around to make sure that it is better organized. Moving the foundry to where the raw products and finished products are located right now will open up the receiving and shipping. Receiving and shipping now can be one big area with the possibility of adding more equipment to the area which would bring down the delay between the two anchors. If there is a way of dividing the manufacturing area so that the area can make both anchors at the same time instead of having that 36 hour window of changing the equipment. This will cut cost down on the down time and increase the profit margins. (02)Technology: Having up to date technology added to the area will help eliminate some of the equipment that technology could do. Also up to date technology in the administrative offices is important as well so that all employees on the floor and in the offices know what is going on. Having this technology will be safer and faster production. (03)Equipment: Updating the equipment if possible that would do more in less time would help with building up the profit margins. Adding more equipment so that both anchors can be made at the same time will also bring in the profit margins. Moving the equipment around to make room for new or making the foundry and other equipment to divide the manufacturing area to have the area produce both anchors. Short-Term Operational Changes (01)Budgeting: Budgeting the funds around to help upgrade the technology and equipment. And the funds to have more employees. The cost of what will cost to do all the long time and what the company will make after everything is complete. Having a budget will help with what can be done now and what we can see if we can get help or something that will have to wait until funds are available. (02) Employees: All employees new and old know the procedures and rules of the company. What the employees need to do to make it easier of a change. Train them on the new technology and equipment and what needs to be done. Having all employees knows the two types of anchors is very important especially the administrative office when they have callers that have questions and those that are shipping out the anchors. Sending out the wrong anchors to the customers can lead to loss of money and customers. Because of the items not being right they would think that Albatross Anchor is very none organized and more to a company that looks more organized. (03) Update administrative offices: Updating the offices will have the customers that come in want to do business with Albatross Anchor. Trying to have a couple of the administrative staff are knowledgeable in the anchors will help the other administrative staff with training and be the go to for all questions that they may have. Having updated technology the administrative will be able to do a lot more to help with the business and be able to know when delivers are coming and what amount is coming. This way all employees that deal with shipping and receiving will be on the same page. Question Two From the list of ten operational issues in the Unit 6 assignment instructions select four operational issues. For each of the four operational issues explain in detail that operational issue will help Albatross Anchor improve; 1) job retention, 2) employee morale, and 3) employee dedication. Operational Issue One: Cross Training Job retention: Have cross training employees will be able to work in different areas so if an area is short on employees can move someone to the area of shortage to help and keep everything going. This will also give the employees more of an opportunity and look for work if a position opens up. Employee morale: Having employees cross train over in areas will make them feel valuable to the company, which will give positive results in the work environment and in the employees. Employee dedication: Having employees cross train and having them feel valuable will help bring employees continue to work and want to work at Albatross Anchor. Operational Issue Two: Gain sharing and profit sharing Job retention: profit sharing created the employee will benefit of the financial success of Albatross Anchor. With the growth of the company and valuable employees will help with this success. With the employees knowing that they are benefiting from the profit sharing will continue to stay and work hard. Employee Morale: Employees will feel appreciated if they receive financial rewards. Being rewarded of their hard work created positive morals for the employees and the company. Employee Dedication: Employees has personal responsibility for the profit sharing in the company success, especially when all employees benefit when the company is successful. This will create employee dedication. Operational Issue Three: Ergonomics Job retention: Having hard physical labor brings short and long term damages. Ergonomics ensures that workers operate in the most safest and productive ways. Having a company pay attention to workers health will keep employees when they know the company cares about their employees. Employee morale: Working in hard manual labor rises the risk of damage to the employees. Having the employees know that they are working for a company that cares about their well-being will bring employee morale high. Employee dedication: Employees that feel the company is invested in their employees will bring dedication from their employees. Operational Issue Four: Technology and automation: Job retention: Improving the technology and automation will help bring the company safer and a better place to work for. Having this done will bring Albatross Anchor up to date with safety procedures. Employees will feel safe knowing they are working with the latest technology and automation. Employee morale: Workers will take pride in their work when there is an up to date technology and automation. Employee dedication: Employees that work in up to date technology and automation will come to work happy and will be dedicated to the company. Conclusion If the Albatross Anchor takes these long and short term improvements. The company will be a very successful company and many customers will continue to purchase anchors from them, especially if the company are producing both anchors at the same time. Having employees that want to come will also help bring in the success of the company. No one wants to come and work for a company that doesn’t care or show their appreciation in their employees and help with rewards after the company starts getting a profit after the changing of the equipment and moving things around. As long as Albatross Anchor does the changes and upgrades that need to be done and show support and appreciation to their works Albatross Anchor will be a successful company and one that many customers and possible customers will talk about.

Independent investigation

Independent investigation Independent Investigation The Fugue vs. Traditional Eastern European Music A fugue can be defined as a polyphonic form in the Baroque era in which one or more themes are developed by imitative counterpoint.Similarly, traditional Eastern European folk music is solidly based on rules of strict imitation between voices. In order to show the similarities between the imitative forces in a fugue and traditional eastern European music and how the imitation within eastern European vocal music can be defined as the foundation of fugal writing, Benjamin Brittens The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra(Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell)and Song of Schopsko(Erghen Diado) will be examined and analyzed for their musical content. Benjamin Britten lived from the years 1913 through 1976. In addition, Britten is considered to be apart of the British national school along with the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. He is also said to be one of the foremost opera composers of his time. The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra is a fugue based on a rondeau from 17th century composer Henry Purcells incidental music to the play Abdelezar. The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra was composed in 1946. The purpose of this work is to introduce children to the orchestra by presenting each section and individual instrument of the orchestra. The orchestra is essentially taken apart in the variations and then reassembled during the fugue. The medium for this recording of the piece was the Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra. The piece begins with the statement of the theme presented by the entire orchestra creating a monophonic texture. This then transitions to strict imitation of the theme by the woodwinds, brass, strings percussi ons, and concludes with the full orchestra. The eight-measure theme is presented in D minor. Following the presentation of the theme, thirteen variations of the theme are heard starting with the woodwinds and then followed by the strings, brass, and percussion. Each instrument of the orchestra has its own solo; these solos begin with the highest pitched instrument of each family. Following the section of variations is the fugue. The subject is based on a fragment of the Purcell theme played in B minor. This is played in imitation by each instrument of the orchestra in same order as the variations. Dynamic contrast is heard throughout the piece through the use of crescendos and decrescendos. The overall tempo of the piece is allegro. However, the meter changes from triple-duple, to compound meter, and concludes in duple simple. Timbre shifts are also present as the different sections and different instruments are heard. In regards to style trills, glissandos, and pizzicato can be hea rd throughout the piece. The form of the piece is binary. Lastly the melody exhibits a wave-like contour and is mostly conjunct. Bulgarian Music is apart of the Balkan tradition, which stretches across southeastern Europe. Bulgarian vocals are said to be open-throated. Singers concentrate their voices in a way that gives the sound a distinctive edge, and allows theirs voices to travel over long distances.The distinctive sounds that are produced from women vocal choirs that sing Bulgarian folk music is based on their unique rhythms, harmony, and polyphony, for instance the use of close intervals like theminor second. These traits are especially common in music from the Shope region around the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and the Pirin region.Although it uses Western meters such as duple simple, triple simple, and quadruple simple, Balkan music also includes meters with five, seven, eleven and even fifteen beats per measure, sometimes referred to as asymmetric meters.These can often be understood as combinations of groups of quick and slow beats. For example, the dancelesnoto(the light/easy one) has a meter of sev en beats with emphasis on the first, fourth, and sixth beats.This can be divided into three groups, a slow unit of three beats and two quick units of two beats, often written 3-2-2.Song of Schopsko is a choral work that is performed by the Bulgarian State Radio Television Female Vocal Choir. This piece is a tradition Bulgarian folk song. The publishing of this piece along with the entire album, Le Mystà ¨re des Voix Bulgares, came from the support of Swiss ethnomusicologist Marcel Cellier. Song of Schopsko is largely based on strict imitation between the alto and soprano voices. The form of the piece is through composed. Within the piece tertial harmony can be heard between the two sets of voices. The melody is singable with a medium to wide range and also has a wave-like contour. There is dynamic contrast heard through the use of crescendos and decrescendos. The melody climaxes on high notes and is mostly conjunct with some disjunct leaps. The meter is triple simple with a steady andante tempo. In regards to harmony the key is major with no modulations. There are also even four-bar phrases. In Benjamin Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra the imitation begins with the presentation of the Purcell theme. Theme A is played by the orchestra in its entirety. Theme A is then presented in the woodwinds in imitation of the original melody. Theme B is given to Brass is differently harmonized than Theme A. However, Theme B is also presented in imitation among the various instruments of the brass section. Theme Cis played by the strings (including the harp), the Purcell melody moves down the instruments from the 1st violins and concludes with the double basses.Theme Dfeatures the percussion, with the timpani playing the pitched parts of the Purcell theme, while the rest of the percussions simultaneously present the rhythm of the melody. Finally, we come toTheme G, which is an exact repetition ofTheme A, using the full orchestra. The Purcell theme is played six times, with different instruments and varied keys to create variety and present different timbres. This use of di fferent timbres was one of Benjamin Brittens ideas. These shifts in timbre keep the listener engrossed in the music. Fugal parts include the subject, answer, countersubject, exposition, episodes, and are then followed by contrapuntal devices. Through strict rules of imitation all of this is made possible. In Benjamin Brittens The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra the fugal subject, main theme of the fugue, is presented first by the piccolo. The subject is in an Allegro molto tempo, B minor, and is 8 bars long. Following the subject is the answer performed the remaining instruments of the orchestra in the same order as the variations- from highest ranging instruments to lowest from the woodwinds, strings, brass, and concludes with the percussion. The subject has a descending sequence similar to the original Purcell theme. In addition, Song of Schopsko follows fugal rules through the use of imitation. What could be said to be a subject is presented in the lead altos voice; which is then followed by answer to the subject in strict imitation by the remaining members of the Bulgarian State Radio Tel evision Female Vocal Choir. The piccolo part that is presented at the ninth bar of the fugue is presented enough to be considered the counter-subject. The playing of this original melody is the countersubject, which is played in response and at the same time as the imitation occurring in the answer. After this has been performed the exposition of the piece has come to a conclusion In Song of Schopsko, the countersubject is presented again by the lead tenor vocalist who sings the counter subject. The counter subject is presented while the remaining voices of the choir continue the strict imitation of the theme. The simultaneous presentation of the counter-subject and the answer produce a contrapuntal or polyphonic texture within the piece. After the subject is introduced by the tenor, answer presented by the remaining voices of the choir, and counter-subject by the lead tenor vocalist are presented the exposition of Song of Schopsko has concluded. After the exposition has come to a finish various episodes are presented in both pieces. In Benjamin Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra the full orchestra presents the fugue while the entire brass section re-introduces Purcells theme from the rondeau from Abdelezar. Again the simultaneous presentation of these two elements produces a polyphonic texture with serves as the contrapuntal device within this piece of composition. Within Song of Schopska, 4 different episodes can be heard. As the lead alto vocalist begins each phrase the rest of the choir joins in with the same melody in strict imitation. All of these episodes are presented in the same manor as the first and remain in a major key. This piece is very responsorial, but these responses are imitative of the subject produced by the lead singer. At the grand coda of Benjamin Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, the Purcell theme and fugue are presented together. Also when the final cadence is reached at the t empo animato, the percussion section continues on for nine more measures and this continuation serves as a cadential extension. The variations within Benjamin Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, not considered to be apart of the actual fugal element of the piece, present some of the contrapuntal devices that a fugue has. The flute variation is the Purcell theme presented in diminution and this variation is accompanied by the piccolo. Throughout the flute variation imitation occurs between the 1st and 2nd flute. In the bassoon variation presents the Purcell theme in a dotted rhythmic form. The violin variation is based on opening chords sweeping over a wide range of the violins, with the use off triple stopping. Imitation also occurs here, between the 1st and 2nd violins.Lastly within the section of brass variations is the tuba and trombone variation. The opening trombone parts are based on the Purcell theme, with the notes rearranged. Song of Schopskoand The Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra imitative compositional styles are strikingly similar. Despite Song of Schopskobeing a traditional Bulgarian choral work the imitation that occurs within the piece can be compared to the imitative features of the components of the fugue. As stated earlier, the concepts of a subject, answer, countersubject and an episode can be loosely found within Song of Schopsko even though it is not a fugue. The reason for these similarities is because of the imitation that occurs in traditional eastern European music. Their rich culture in regards music has not been super-imposed and can still be found and Song of Schopsko is a perfect example. Connections can be drawn between the similarities between the eastern European choral music and the fugue of the western European culture. With the rich tradition of eastern European music that developed throughout the centuries, it can be seen that their musical influences shaped how the fugue is presented. The continuous imitation that occurs is a major component of how the fugue is set up from the entry of the subject to the answer and the countless episodes that take place within each work of art. Song of Schopsko is just one piece of eastern European music that presents the imitation between voices. The fugue in the Middle Ages referred to any canon style music but by the Renaissance it was shifted to specifically denote imitative works. Johann Sebastian Bach is said to have taken the fugue to its pinnacle saying to have shaped his works after Johann Jakob Froberger,Johann Pachelbel, GirolamoFrescobaldi, and DieterichBuxtehude. Dietrich Buxtehude is said to have had lasting impa ct on the works of Bach. Buxtehude himself was born in Sweden so his musical works were influenced by his upbringing in Eastern Europe. Due to influences of Bach and his predecessors it can be easily seen how the fugue was drawn from eastern European music and was then developed into the way it is seen today.

Computer Matching Versus Privacy :: Private Personal Information Essays

Computer Matching Versus Privacy Introduction With the advent of new computer technologies, the ease with which new information can be discovered from aggregating data sources is astounding. This technique is called computer matching. When it comes to doing research this can be an incredible source of new ideas and correlations between sets of data. However, this same technique can be applied to information about individual people. Suddenly, by pulling together disparate sources of data, private information can be learned about an individual without their knowledge or consent. If the organization that is capable of computer matching is a government, it places a lot of information in the hands of a powerful entity. A question of whether the government should have this new information is a significant one. What if the government were not allowed to ask you for information that is discoverable through computer matching? Should the government be allowed to use this technique to yield the same information? This ethical dilemma is covered in this paper. Relevant information will be used from the laws in the United States and the European Union to illustrate the different perspectives on the privacy of citizens and the approaches each government takes to it. Letter of the Law or Spirit? Many countries around the world have laws on what information a government can ask from its citizens. These laws typically focus on protecting the privacy of individual citizens and preventing discrimination based upon the collected information. Computer matching could place this same information in the hands of the government. In the United States, US law prohibits the direct collection of certain information. This includes, but not limited to information about ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc1. The European Union (EU) has set guidelines for members of the union. These guidelines set strict rules for the â€Å"processing† of personal information. The EU defines processing as collection, use, storage, retrieval, transmission, destruction, and other actions2. The rules also provide provisions requiring the consent of the individual person before this â€Å"processing† can occur. It is apparent that the intentions of the laws for the United States and the EU are to protect the privacy of their citizens. However, loopholes exist in these laws that allow the governments to bend these laws. In the United States, the law prevents the government from asking for certain information, but it does not prevent it from purchasing this information or using matching techniques to discover it.

The Smell :: English Literature Essays

The Smell It was another one of those lonely Monday nights, Christina was home alone, baby-sitting her brother. Her parents left to a dinner, movies, and opera, weren't they just a little to lucky. So she had to stay home, with her little brother. Yup, that was it, being home alone by herself was scary enough, but with her brother, it was a nightmare. It was 10:30PM, she was watching Melrose Place and her brother was upstairs, sleeping like an angel. "Well at least I have peace now." she thought, boy would she be wrong. The night was like any other nights, late June, school out and no homework. It was hot and humid outside, a night for a thunderstorm. Christina had a weird feeling in her stomach, like when you think something is going to happen. She just tried to forget about and continue to watch the TV. It was 11:30PM when she began to hear a noise, she ignored it at first but it became real to her that it was something, something that wanted her attention. Ignoring it didn't really work, it came right out of the window to her back. It was a faint scratching noise, like when a tree branch scratches against a wall, or a mouse is trying scratch something. ON and on it went, a rhythm of some sort, following the same order over and over. "It's just my imagination." She thought, but it was real, too real. She couldn't take it no more. She got up, walked over to window and looked out, nothing there. She came back to the couch, returning to Mad TV, the show on the TV. Relaxed a little she bagan to do fall asleep, dozing off to the rhythm of the sound. "THE SOUND!!!" she screamed in her mind, it was back again, hypnotising her, "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO, WHAT IS THAT!!!" She got up, weird smell hit her nostrils, it was a scent of rotting bodies, like something was old and decomposing. Coughing she walked to the window, opened it and walked back. The smell making her nauseous, she ran into the toilet and began to vomit. "What is that smell?", she asked herself. And that's when she remembered it, the sound came from the window, and she opened it. " Oh no, something maybe in the house" she said aloud, then as quietly as possible, she went back into the room.