Barbara Stanfield Essays - Religion, Bible, Commandments

Barbara Stanfield American Literature Argumentative Paper Contradictions in Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason Thomas Paine wrote The Age of Reason in 1784. In it he included his views on the religions known throughout the world. For this, he was ridiculed and despised by many in society. Thomas Paine once said that a sermon he heard at the age of eight impressed him with the cruelty inherent in Christianity and made him a rebel forever. It is my opinion that, because of this, he lived the rest of his life never to actually study the Bible or Christianity. Because he "was a rebel forever" to the Christian religion, he was compelled to write of it in the 11th chapter of his book The Age of Reason, and quite inaccurately at that. I believe that Thomas Paine did not know enough of the Bible to speak against it; and in this paper, I plan to expose the contradictions in Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason when compared to the Bible and evidence proving that the Bible is accurate. The contradictions most important are Paine's assumption that the stories of the bible are all hearsay and also his claim that Christianity is the worship of a man rather than an omnipotent God. First, let us prove that the Bible is an incredibly accurate source of history. It is a fact that over 25,000 sites have been discovered that have connection to the Old Testament period. Not only have these discoveries provided external confirmation to hundreds of scriptural assertions, but also, not one archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference. The Bible is the only religious book in which the people and places contained in it are verified by history and archaeology. Discovered in 1947 at Qumran the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the reliability of the biblical text. These scrolls, dating from 3rd century B.C. to 1st century A.D., are the earliest copies of Old Testament books. Their predicated and fulfilled prophecies provide evidence for the divine origin of the Bible. Going back to the excerpt from The Age of Reason, Paine says that the Bible and the stories contained in it are all hearsay. "When also I am told that a woman, called the Virgin Mary, said, or gave out, that she was with child without any cohabitation with a man, and that her betrothed husband, Joseph, said that an angel told him so, I have a right to believe them or not: such a circumstance required a much stronger evidence than their bare word for it: but we have not even this; for neither Joseph or Mary wrote any such matter themselves. It is only reported by others that they said so. It is hearsay upon hearsay, and I do not choose to rest my belief upon such evidence." What I think that he failed to do was research before he wrote. Everything about the birth of Christ was prophesied hundreds of years before it actually happened. The evidence of Jesus' life is that he was seen by over 500 known witnesses; an empty tomb; Jesus' disciples would not change their story in the face of execution. Even small details of Christ's life were prophesied hundreds of years before his birth. The virgin conception was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 in which Isaiah says, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel," and was fulfilled in the book of Matthew in the first chapter, approximately 750 years later. The birth of Christ at Bethlehem was predicted in Micah 5:2 and was fulfilled in Luke 2:4-11. The miracles performed by Jesus were prophesied in Isaiah 53:5-6 and were fulfilled in Matthew 9:35. Jesus' miracles were performed in the open and served to validate his claims. Jesus h ealed the sick, gave sight to the blind, fed thousands of people from a handful of food, demonstrated power over nature and even raised the dead. No first century eyewitness ever denied Jesus' ability to do miracles. Christ's being crucified with thieves was predicted in Isaiah 53:12 and accounted for by an eyewitness in Luke 23:33. The prophecy that Jesus' side would be pierced during his crucifixion was written in Zechariah 12:10 and fulfilled by John, a

Abortion discussion Research Paper Example

Abortion discussion Research Paper Example Abortion discussion Paper Abortion discussion Paper The word abortion means someone leaving something like aborting a boat but in this instance I will be talking about aborting her baby(s). Women give up there children before they are born when they are just a little egg. The law says that after 24 days this process cannot be taken place for the woman, because the baby has started to develop some of the organs so it is more like a person breathing. So it is then more like death, and the doctors find it harder to get the baby out of the womans body when it is 24 days old in the body. Most people think that abortion means different things some think that it is death some think it is an unborn life that is yet to live the life that his or her mother and father set for them. In this essay I will be considering the main points of abortion and look at what the different types opinions of the Christian community at this time in life, and also to think about this topic of losing or the death child that has yet to be born. Or why we as a community might pardon our beliefs for someones reasons to go for abortion and not for someone elses reason to have the abortion. If there ever is a real reason why people give up there babies before they have the chance to see the light of the room, the sun around and breath the oxygen around them what is this reason and is it that important to have the abortion? Is it that important to give up a member of there family yet to be born? Some people need an abortion or think they do for different reasons; here are some of the reasons why someone might consider an abortion for some reason in their life: * If some one happens gets raped they dont want the memory of this time in there head with that baby on his or hers birthday every year of there life. So they go and have an abortion to save them-selves of the pain of that time, also to keep that unborn child of knowing his or her father was a terrible man who went around raping people because of some thing in his past. Especially if it was a young child that was raped at the time you dont want them going through the trauma again as well as that unborn child. o Ten to twenty years ago people believed that when a girl got raped the girl was asking for it and it was there fault because of the way they dressed or flirted. * If the woman has a serious dieses that is life threatening at that age for some reason and cant give birth to the baby then the doctors would advise her not to have this baby at this time of her life or maybe even forever because it would put the womans life in danger as well as that unborn childs life that wants to be born both of them could end up dead. Maybe the woman doesnt want to have the abortion but because medical professionals advise it, so she may change her mind to save the baby till a later time in her life to save her self and the child. But if that woman happens to know that she had this problem at the beginning then she shouldnt have had the pregnancy at the beginning. * If the child happened to be younger sixteen then they might consider an abortion at this time again because of them being at school they wont be able to cope with this type of thing at that time in their life, being a child them selves and a mother to the new born. The child might not have wanted that baby at this time because of her age she why should she have to carry this baby when she is but a still baby herself: again she may have been raped or bribed at the time she should still not have to carry this child. * If someone happen to have four children but they wanted more to bring joy and happiness but then if something happened like they were moving to anther country suddenly for example if the parent got transferred because of there work. They may want to change their mind because of the packing and unpacking at the time of the moving. Because six people is a lot to pack for if you still have the father at the time and if you have one more child it would be to much so they may have the baby later on in life. * If the protection didnt work i.e. the condom broke then the woman would also want to have an abortion. It may not always be this case if the husband has died or left her she would also want a abortion because you cant raise a child up by your self, it will remind her of her ex-husband and that child would ask questions when he or she grew up so its to help the parent and the child with there life at this time. These are just a few of the reasons why some one might consider an abortion before the 24th day at that time in there life. Some of the reasons are so stupid and so unrealistic the doctors will not try to make abortion take place, unless anther doctor says he thinks its okay to let the abortion take place consent. One of the ones that they wont do abortion for is I could not afford to buy protection this one is one of the simplest excuses so they tend not to do the abortion because is it a waist of there time. Now the people that want abortion have to court now so they can see if the abortion is worth to take the doctors time. There are lots different religions in this world that we split ourselves up into. The things that make them all different in there own way are in they all believe in different thing about life and abortion then other religions and people. In this section I will try to compare the Christians religions and say what different regions think about this topic abortion. I will first compare the Christian religion then I will talk about the other one and compare them. * The Roman Catholic Church: These people try to believe the human life must be respected and protected at all times no matter what the age of the baby that waiting to takes its place in our society or an old person that is yet to die and leave this world and go to the next even if the person is good or evil every one has the right to life. Catholics believe As soon as the male sperm travels from the male to the female that is the beginning of the life in this special community calls the roman catholic church of what they base there religion on and hope to keep this religion going through there children. This is where they believe that the life of that pursues child starts to begin in side the woman that is looking after them. Where they beginning there life in the body of there that woman. The Catholics also believe that the child should have the same rights as the woman does in they were out of that body breathing oxygen. They also believe that abortion is a horrible crime that has been taken in to account like death. * The Methodist Church: This religion the Methodist Church believes basically the same as the Roman Catholics that the child is made in the site of god, and that life that about to be made shouldnt be taken away from that child. God died for them so they wouldnt have to die for fright or villains at this early stage of time in there life. So in this particular religion this where they strongly believe in god at moments of crises the Christians think it is a sin to take a unborn child life away when they cant make there mind up for themselves whether if they want to be killed or not when they have done nothing wrong. Christians they say: abortion is always an evil they say this meaning whatever the circumstances for rape love or cost of for the protection abortion is never right and there is no excuse for an abortion no excuse for killing some one that has done no harm to any one else. * The Church of England: This religion believes there are to stories to everything in this topic they believed that abortions are not good or bad. Unlike other religions that think abortions are evil good the church of England do believe it depends on the circumstances at the time but not all abortions are evil if you asked a Christian that goes to the church of England they will say: it depends on the reason why the woman is pregnant from the start. Meaning for example: if it was rape its better to give that woman the abortion at this time in the womans life, because that baby would want to know where he or she what was what was the childs past or even why that child doesnt have a father at the time of its life when he or she need him the most in there life of growing up. To save that child from knowing about the trauma that happened to the woman to stop that child from living a life of sadness making that woman more upset it is better to choose the abortion at this time, in her life so the mother wouldnt have to carry a baby around of the man who raped her to leave her the pain. * The Sikhs: This religion believe almost the same as The Church of England that it depends on the circumstances of the abortion if it was because of the hair or the skin colour or even because of the gender of the child then the abortion is to be called evil at that time, because there is no proper reasons why they should kill that child at that point in time. If it was because of the age of the girl then that is one of the right choices because that is a child that has no past such as yet and she has jut began this life she is jumping right in to the role of a parents and it may not be that easy for the child or the baby that she is carrying especially when it comes to giving birth. The Sikhs think that abortion is never always good at times and is never always bad at any times as long as there is a proper reason why that woman cant give birth to that child. There are some people that believe that it is not there but the choice of that woman its there decision they have to live with the gilt if they made the wrong decision in the end not anyone else. All some one can do for that woman is support them and help them in whatever way what want to go at the time of there life. Some Christians make there decision about having abortions by looking at the problem they have that woman is happened to be faced with most people that consider this option of abortion is normally based on what the community and the doctors think because the doctors know the best. If that baby is going to be really ill the doctors will suggest that the easy option for the woman would be to abortion to get rid of that baby. Because at this point in time the woman or the baby wont be able to cope and it would be easer to have the abortion for both of them at this time. Then the woman looks towards her family and friends to see what they think about this abortion to see if they will help her decide weather to keep this baby if the woman/girl was to young they would strongly advise for her to have the abortion but it is still in that womans/girls hands because its her body and she is the only one that can decide. The next place they would go to is to church to ask the priest about the bible and that is were the main choices would probably come in depending on the type of person it is who is having the baby if they believe strongly in god.

Starbucks company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Starbucks company - Research Paper Example The action for survival remained one of most important inside issues at Starbucks. Two years back, the company declared to close down overall three hundred stores and cutting more than six thousand jobs. Moreover, the pay cut and declined bonus of the higher executives were other marks of the crisis. Â ­At the same time they got reputation for development of new products and creativity. The availability of the branded coffee in several grocery chains is a remarkable creative effort. In collaboration with Kraft Foods the products were distributed in grocery markets. Starbuck has ended the long term contract, and announced the partnership with Green Mountain in order to improve their business. Moreover, the Starbucks are exposed to rises. The rising cost of coffee and dairy products are another challenge. However, the executives of the company failed to see certain facts. The products and services offered were not fit for the characteristics of market. The customer dissatisfaction iss ue is yet another problem. If retail is all about customer relationship, retail of Starbucks simply not attractive in present market. The current marketing strategies do not necessarily meet its objectives. That reflects the inside state of affairs.

Meditation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Meditation - Essay Example I kept asking myself what might have been wrong with her. Something within me kept telling me something was amiss. Suddenly, when I heard hoots and brakes’ screeching is when I realized that I was so engrossed in my thoughts and I was almost being ran over. I quickly grabbed my bicycle brakes and came to a sudden halt; almost falling down. It is when I realized I had gone extremely far from home without noticing. I changed my course, and decided to ride back home. Today I meditated on being grateful for my bike. I got the bike as a present from my dad for my exemplary performance in school. I had always wished to own one and every day after school, I would drop off my school bag in my room and rush to Tom’s house, my neighbor and friend, in order to ride his bike. I adore my bike so much. Apart from exercising using it, sometimes I save my parents the pressure of dropping me to school when they are running late for work. Sometimes I wonder what I would do if sometime stole it; I guess I would be sick for a week. When sent on short errands such as buying groceries from the store, my bike usually plays an integral since it enables me take shortest time possible; thus, making my parents proud of me. In case I am stressed or bothered about something, taking a ride in the woods near my home always gives me amazing refreshment. A two-hour ride and I go back home rejuvenated and feeling better. My bike is a gem to me. Today I practiced meditating when taking a shower. A warm shower in the morning is the best way to jumpstart one’s day. While enjoying the warm water hit my back, I reminded what my History teacher told us in class yesterday about respecting and appreciating our parents. I could not help thinking of what I could do without my mum and dad. My thoughts wondered how they are always there for me. They comfort and encourage me every time I am worried about something. They have always provided me with everything I need and sacrificed a lot to take

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Research proposal - Essay Example In analyzing the data, SPSS program and the Microsoft Excel are in use. The report will then be detrimental to the department and the relevant authorities for the sake of health promotion. The relevant health departments will be informed of the findings for the sake of incorporation in their departments. In men, the urine flow is through the urethra. Enlargement of the prostate gland is likely to blocks urine flow. The urethra narrows, therefore, forcing the urethra to contract forcefully to push urine through. The bladder muscles thicken, becomes stronger and sensitive over time; it, therefore, begins to contract in the presence of a small amount of urine due to its increased sensitivity causing need for frequent urination With time, the bladder muscles become ineffective to pressing out urine due to the narrowed urethra so urine tends to remain in the bladder, and it is completely not emptied. It in the end puts an individual at risk of developing urinary tract infections. Bladder stones, blood in urine, incontinence and acute urinary retention are a few serious problems that can develop over time. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a histologic diagnosis referring to the multiplication of smooth muscle and epithelial cells within the prostatic transition zone. The etiology of BPH is unknown; however, there is a similarity between BPH and the embryonic morphogenesis of the prostate. The lower urinary symptoms have resulted from the enlarged gland. Direct bladder outlet obstruction has resulted to voiding symptoms. The prevalence and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms in aging male population are progressive, and it is, therefore, important the diagnosis in the healthcare of the patient and a large society. Despite the lack of enough information to explain the pathophysiology, BPH is treatable through surgical and medical treatment (Bird et al., 2013, pg. 347). Prostate gland is located within the male reproductive system. The gland is just

Phases On The Moon Essay

Phases On The Moon Essay What causes day and night (including seasonal changes in the number of hours of daylight)? When the Earth spins around on its axis, it creates night and day on Earth. The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, turning day into night. On Earth, the length of day and night usually changes with the seasons. Why are there different seasons? As stated, the Earth spins on a tilted axis about once every 24 hours to create what we know as night and day. This axis is an invisible line through the centre of the Earth. The northern point is the North Pole and the southern point is the South Pole. The Earth spins anti-clockwise. The Earth orbits around the sun about once every 365 days. As this happens, the tilt of the Earth causes different sections of the Earth to point toward the Sun. This causes different amounts of sunlight to reach the same surface area of the Earth throughout the year. The different amounts of sunlight lead to different weather at this location. In the northern hemisphere, when the North Pole points towards the Sun, the Suns light is more directly overhead and it is summer. When the North Pole points towards the Sun, the South Pole tilts away from the sun resulting in scattered and less direct light. People in the southern hemisphere experience winter while people in the northern hemisphere have summer. The seasons of spring and autumn are created when the Earths tilt is neither towards, nor away from the Sun. These seasons usually have milder temperatures. Why are there different phases of the Moon? The Moon travels around the Earth in a circle called an orbit. It takes about 28 days to go one time around the Earth. The Sun always lights up half of the Moon at one time. The Moon is not a light source; it has no light of its own. We can only see the Moon because it reflects light from the Sun. The Moon appears to change shape (phases) but what we are actually seeking is the Moon lit up by the light from the Sun in different ways on different days. What is the science knowledge that supports the teaching of these two ideas? During the Renaissance, Nicholas Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model of the Solar System. His work was defended, expanded upon, and corrected by Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kelper. Galileo added the innovation of using telescopes to enhance his observations. Kelper was the first to devise a system that described correctly the details of the motion of the planets with the Sun at the centre. However, it was left to Newtons invention of celestial dynamics and his law of gravitation to finally explain the motions of the planets. Newton also developed the reflecting telescope. During the nineteenth century, attention to the three body problem by Euler, Clairaut and DAlembert led to more accurate predictions about the motions of the Moon and planets. Part 2: Eliciting the childrens ideas you are to research two different techniques for assessing the childrens ideas in science The aims of primary science can be broadly divided into two categories: To stimulate pupils curiosity in the world around them and encourage critical and creative thinking; To create a foundation for science at secondary school. To fulfil these aims, pupils need to acquire both factual knowledge and the skills of scientific enquiry, identifying questions that can be addressed scientifically; planning and carrying out experiments; evaluating data; and recognising the limitations of their own and others work. The National Curriculum was introduced in 1989, with science as a core subject. Before 1989, the science curriculum varied widely between primary schools. While the National Curriculum is statutory, schools have the freedom to decide how to teach its content to best meet the needs of their pupils. Children tend to be enthusiastic towards science at a young age, as they explore the world around them. However, attitudes towards school subjects, including science, often becomes less positive when they transfer to secondary school. As a result, the DfES is focusing its attention on secondary science. However, the primary years are seen as crucial in developing pupils longer term interest in science. (postnote, 2003, p2). Further, recent research has suggested that pupils interest in science may start to decline at primary school, which are discussed below in more detail below, include: Whether science teaching is adapted by individual schools to reflect the interest of their pupils; The focus on preparation of SATs tests in the last year of primary schools; Primary teachers level of scientific knowledge and confidence in teaching science. Teaching Primary Science In the 1970s and 1980s, teachers lack of scientific knowledge was seen as a major barrier to developing primary science. Primary teaching is largely a female profession and at the time few girls studied science other than biology. Today, primary teachers scientific knowledge is widely recognised as having improved but the debate over the level of scientific knowledge needed by a primary teacher in order to teach effectively remains active. (postnote, 2003, p3). Some professional scientific institutions argue that factual scientific knowledge is paramount. This view is based on a concern that scientific misconceptions are being taught and reinforced in some classrooms. Misconceptions (for example, that the Sun moves round a stationary Earth) are often formed at a young age and are difficult to change. Ofsted has raised particular concerns over the primary sciences, where it reports that many primary teachers are working at the limit of their understanding). On the other hand, Ofsted has found that the best teaching often involves scientific enquiry and some argue that the emphasis on factual knowledge distracts from this. The essential aim of scientific enquiry, to develop childrens thinking skills, can be seen as the basis of any good primary teaching. However, there is concern that some teachers are unclear of the purpose of scientific enquiry, which prevents them from teaching effectively. The Purpose of Assessment Clarifying the main purpose for which young children are assessed can help determine what kinds of assessments would be the most appropriate. Assessment of individual children might serve one of the following purposes: To determine progress on significant developmental achievements; To diagnose learning and teaching problems; To help in instruction and curriculum decisions; To serve as a basis for reporting to parents; and To assist a child with assessing his or her own progress. Decisions regarding the purpose of assessment should begin with discussion among all the stakeholders parents, educators, and other members of the community as appropriate. The group may want to keep in mind that: Plans, strategies, and assessment instruments are differentially suited for each of the following potential purposes of assessment; An overall assessment should include the four categories of educational goals: knowledge, skills, dispositions, and feelings; Assessments made during childrens informal work and play are most likely to minimise the many potential errors of various assessment strategies. (Katz, 1995, p67). The Risks Of Assessing Young Children Young children are notoriously poor test-takers: perhaps they are sometimes confused by being asked questions that they think the tester must already know the answers to. There is reason to suggest that the younger the child being evaluated, assessed, or tested, the more errors are made (Shepard, 1994; Ratcliff, 1995). If this principle is sound, then the younger the children: the longer the children live with a label (a true or false one), the more difficult it may become to discard it. Assessment Technique Number 1 Earth, Sun and Moon Assessment Test This test has 14 questions, which are listed below: What shape is the Earth? Put the Moon, Sun and Earth in order of size, biggest first. Why is it difficult to collect evidence about the Sun? Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky? Draw the Moon. Explain why you have it in this way? How long does it take for the Moon to orbit the Earth? How long does it take the Earth to make one complete turn on its axis? Where does the Sun go at night? What does orbit mean? Why do we get more hours of daylight per day in the summer? Where would you be standing if you got 24 hours of daylight every day in summer? If you were still in the same place as in question 11, how many hours per day of darkness would you get in winter? Which TWO changes make plants start to grow in the spring? What was your favourite part of this topic? Foundation Stage 2 children aged 4 As stated, very young children do not perform well in tests. This test is more like a knowledge and understanding checklist and can be used in a variety of circumstances. If children are going to gain scientific knowledge and retain an interest in the subject as they progress through school, then the learning process must be fun, interactive and stimulating. With the two 4-year olds the test was used to structure a highly interactive dialogue and to assess their current level of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. Both children knew quite a lot about day and night, and the shape of the planets. This information had been developed through a variety of sources from school, mum and dad, play with friends, the TV. The dialogue lasted approximately 15 minutes and covered about six or seven of the questions on the list. Asking direct questions did not produce positive results. The children become agitated. However, when they become fully engaged in discussion the test could be used to assess their current level of knowledge. This technique, if used correctly, is a useful and versatile assessment method. The childrens responses to the questions can be recorded and revisited at a later date to determine how much new learning has occurred. This technique is also useful when used in conjunction with a variety of learning resources about the subject matter. Year 2 2 children aged 7 In this situation the teacher used less prompts to engage each child in discussion about each of the questions in the test. Again the technique proved for assessing the childrens current level of knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. This session lasted 30 minutes and nearly covered all of the questions. When the children became particularly animated about some aspect of the subject matter then it was more productive to let them express their ideas and opinions for some time rather than simply passing onto the next question. Assessment Technique 2 Concept Cartoons These are a new approach in teaching, learning and assessment in science. They were created by Brenda Keogh and Stuart Naylor in 1991. They feature cartoon-style drawings showing different characters arguing about an everyday situation. They are designed to intrigue, to provoke discussion and to stimulate scientific thinking. They may not have a right answer. They are available with background science notes for teachers. A typical Concept Cartoon has the following: Visual representation of scientific ideas Minimal text, in dialogue form Alternative viewpoints on the situation Scientific ideas are applied in everyday situations The scientifically acceptable viewpoint in the alternatives The alternatives With both sets of children, concept cartoons, proved to be very popular. With the 4 year-olds they obviously needed more assistance to help work through each situation that was a portrayed in each cartoon. The 7 year-olds needed less help and were more able to freely express their ideas and opinions about different aspects of the subject matter. Part 3: Foundation Stage 2 children aged 4 What the children got right: There is night and day There are 4 seasons, which are caused by the relationship between the Earth and the Sun The Sun is a star and not a planet Misconceptions: The Moon is made of cheese The Sun goes round the Earth The Earth stands still As stated, the 4 year-olds got their ideas about the Moon, the Sun and the Earth from a wide variety of sources. A major problem with developing scientific knowledge is that the children cannot relate to, many of the concepts in the daily lives. Yes they understand there is night because they go to sleep at night it is physically black. They wake up when it is day. However, the Earth spinning on its axis and orbiting around the Sun is something you can tell them but because they cannot go home and find something to relate to they tend to forget this information. If you simply feed them more facts they end up being more confused. Year 2 2 children aged 7 The 7 year-olds are generally more clued up about many of the concepts that were discussed. However, when probed about their level of curiosity about the subject matter they said that they did not really like the subject. Yes they agreed that it was important to understand basic scientific facts but they said they were pre-occupied with other things. They could not easily relate to scientific knowledge in their everyday lives. Misconceptions come from a variety of sources but perhaps a loss of interest in the subject matter was the major cause of this incorrect information. The 7 year-olds were not interested in finding out the correct information. Perhaps the biggest problem with teaching primary science is that the pupils find it extremely difficult to apply scientific knowledge to their everyday lives. There are three key aspects to learning something new: Knowledge i.e. facts e.g. the Earth spins on its axis every 24 hours. Comprehension putting the facts into a context, which the pupils understand there are lots of learning resources, which can be used to achieve comprehension. Application this is when the pupils can apply this new knowledge to some aspect of their daily lives. Application is a major weakness in many of the strategies that are used to teach primary school pupils science. Where schools spend a lot of time relating science to other areas of the curriculum and the childrens everyday environment at home and at the school then the childrens knowledge and understanding of science dramatically increases. Part 4 A Strategy To Improve The Quality of Teaching Primary Science Science at Key Stage 1 Planning For One Childs (Aged 7) Response Section 1 Introduction The activity for this section involved asking Tom to draw and explain a picture showing how these would look to a traveller in space. He was asked the following questions: Is the Earth flat? Is the Sun bigger than the Moon? Does the Sun move? Knowledge / Comprehension / Activities These questions were used to ascertain Toms current level of knowledge and understanding. Tom knew that the Earth is not flat. He knew that the Sun was bigger than the Moon. He was not quite sure whether the Sun moved. This is an area, which requires further investigation. ICT The Paint software package was used to allow Tom to paint the Earth, Moon and Sun. Section 2 Flat or Spherical Children Should Learn: That the Sun, Earth and Moon are approximately spherical That it is sometimes difficult to collect evidence to test scientific ideas and that evidence may be indirect Knowledge / Comprehension Children recognise that the Earth, Sun and Moon are spheres Describe some indirect evidence that the Earth is spherical e.g. ships appearing and disappearing over the horizon Activities Using photographs of the Earth, Sun and Moon taken from space, Tom was asked to confirm whether the aforementioned bodies were flat or spherical. It was explained to Tom that it is only within recent times (i.e. the last 40 years) that we have had access to photographic evidence from space about Earth being spherical. Tom was asked why people at an earlier time thought that the Earth was flat. Some ideas were explored. In the Middle Ages for example, people could travel far and far as they were concerned the Earth was flat. In those days for the vast majority of people their eyesight and their ears were the primary source of information. Science as such did not exist. ICT The Internet was used to look for additional photographs of the Earth taken from space. Section 3 Size and Distance Children Should Learn: About the relative sizes of the Sun, Moon and Earth Knowledge / Comprehension Children select three spheres to represent the Earth, Sun and Moon recognising which is largest and which is smallest and making a reasonable match to relative size Activities The drawings that Tom had made earlier and the images he had made using Paint were used for the next activity. He was presented with a range of spherical objects: tennis ball, ball bearing, table tennis ball etc and was asked to select three of the objects, which he considered represented the relative size of the Earth, Moon and Sun. ICT Instead of asking Tom to select from a range of spherical objects he could have used Paint to produce spherical images of varying sizes to represent the Earth, Moon and Sun. Section 4 The Changing Position Of The Sun What Children Should Learn? That the Sun appears to move across the sky over the course of a day That evidence may be interpreted in more than one way Knowledge / Comprehension Children describe how the apparent position of the Sun changes over the course of a day and clarify that this does not mean that the Sun is moving Activities Tom was asked about where the Sun shines into the school and his home at different times of day. He was asked to consider what happened to his shadow during the course of the day. This activity could be extended to looking at shadows in the playground at different times of the day. ICT Tom was provided with assistance to use the Internet to search for websites, which showed different lengths of shadows. Section 5 The Movement Of The Earth Children Should Learn: That is the Earth that moves, not the Sun, and the Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours That it is daytime in the part of the Earth facing the Sun and night-time in the part of the Earth away from the Sun Knowledge / Comprehension Children illustrate (e.g. using drawings etc) that different parts of the Earth face the Sun during the course of the day and where it is day and night Explain that the movement of the Sun is a result of the Earth rotating or spinning Activities Tom was asked to view a short excerpt from a video, which showed the Earth spinning on its axis. A short discussion ensued about how the content of the video and the concepts that were illustrated. A table lamp and a tennis ball were used to illustrate the concepts of day and night. ICT Websites which demonstrate the aforementioned concepts and which are interactive. Summary Whilst the outlined strategies were effective at helping Tom to increase his knowledge and understanding of the Earth, Moon and Sun it is likely that his retention of this information would be increased by linking these studies to other aspects of the curriculum. For example, green issues, how does the Sun affect Eskimos, people who live in Africa etc. This approach would should to increase the comprehension of the pupils with regard to sections 1 to 5.

Sylvia Plath: A Search for Self :: Biography Biographies Essays

Sylvia Plath: A Search for Self      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The collective body of Sylvia Plath's poetry demonstrates definitively her mastery of her craft. Plath has been criticized for her overtly autobiographical work and her suicidal pessimism, however, close study reveals that her poetry transcends categorization and has a voice uniquely her own. As Katha Pollit concluded in a 1982 Nation review, "by the time she came to write her last seventy or eighty poems, there was no other voice like hers on earth" (Wagner 1). In works such as "Lady Lazarus," "Daddy," and "Morning Song," Plath relates her own painfully experiences in the form of dramatic monologues using a persona who eventually triumphs over adversity by regaining the self that had been lost before the struggle of the poem.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Plath, the narrator of "Lady Lazarus" has "the great and terrible gift of being reborn . . . she is the Phoenix, the libertarian spirit" (Wagner 71). In compact three-line stanzas, the speaker sardonically comments on her unique ability and its implications. Her tone demonstrates her boredom towards the attention paid to her by "the peanut-crunching crowd." Unlike the Biblical Lazarus who is called forth from the grave by Jesus, Lady Lazarus is able to resurrect herself and so avoids the polarities of God and Lucifer. Neither of these figures is able to exact punishment for the atrocities that man heaps on man, so the speaker transfigures herself by reducing her body to ashes and reviving her life through flame. As Leonard Sanazaro points out, "This willfulness to arise and devour humankind in the form of a self-fulfilled deity points up the impotence of the traditional concepts of good and evil" (Wagner 90) Lady Lazarus transcends these boundaries.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The imagery used throughout the poem is associated with the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis in concentration camps during World War II. Plath addresses the inhumanity of the situation, using such phrases as "A cake of soap,/A wedding ring,/A gold filling" to represent a human being. Plath also alludes to the medical experimentation that was practiced by the Nazi doctors. Plath has often been criticized for relating her hardships to that of the Jews. After all, she grew up in a relatively stable and affluent home and received an excellent education; her suffering was in her mind. Plath said specifically that her poems had come:

The Golden Lily Chapter 3

EVEN THOUGH EDDIE had told me not to worry about Angeline, the curious part of me couldn't help but prod him about it on the drive over to Adrian's apartment. â€Å"How are you going to handle it?† I asked. â€Å"Have a heart-to-heart?† He shook his head. â€Å"Mostly I was going to simply avoid her unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully she'll lose interest.† â€Å"Well. I guess that's one method. But, I mean, you're a pretty direct person.† If faced with a roomful of Strigoi, he would've walked in without hesitation. â€Å"Maybe you should try that kind of approach instead. Just confront her and tell her honestly that you're not interested.† â€Å"That's easy in theory,† he said. â€Å"Not so much in person.† â€Å"Seems easy to me.† Eddie was skeptical. â€Å"That's because you've never had to do it.† Going to Adrian's was a lot easier than it once had been for me. His apartment used to belong to Keith and was also the site where a Moroi named Lee and two Strigoi had died. Those were hard memories to shake. The Alchemists had offered the apartment to me, since I'd also taken on full responsibility for Palm Springs, but I'd yielded it to Adrian. I hadn't been sure I wanted to live there, and he'd been pretty desperate for his own place. When I'd seen how happy the apartment made him, I knew I'd made the right choice. Adrian opened the door before we'd barely had a chance to knock. â€Å"The cavalry! Thank God.† I hid a smile as Eddie and I stepped inside. The first thing that always hit me about this place was the sunny yellow paint Adrian had put up on the walls. He was convinced it helped the mood and had warned us not to question his â€Å"artistic sensibilities.† The fact that the yellow clashed pretty terribly with his secondhand plaid furniture was apparently irrelevant. Or maybe I just wasn't â€Å"artistic† enough to appreciate it. Nonetheless, I actually found the erratic style comforting. It bore little resemblance to Keith's decorating, making it a little easier to blot out the events of that awful night. Sometimes, when I looked around the living room, my breath would catch as visions of the vicious Strigoi attack and Lee's death haunted me. Adrian's stamp on the apartment was like light chasing away the gruesome shadows of the past. Sometimes when I was down, Adrian's personality had a similar effect. â€Å"Nice blouse, Sage,† he told me, deadpan. â€Å"It really brings out the khaki in your pants.† His sarcasm aside, he looked supremely delighted to see us. He had the tall, lean build that most Moroi guys did, along with their typically pale (though not Strigoi-pale) skin. I hated to admit it, but he was more good-looking than he had any right to be. He wore his dark brown hair stylishly messy and had eyes that sometimes seemed too green to be real. Adrian had on one of those button-up printed shirts that were trendy with guys lately, with a blue pattern on it I liked. He smelled like he'd been smoking recently, which I didn't like. Dimitri and Sonya were sitting at the kitchen table going over a bunch of papers with hand-written notes on them. The papers were kind of haphazardly scattered around, which made me wonder how much work they could really be accomplishing. I would have had those pages neatly stacked and organized by topic. â€Å"Glad you're back, Sydney,† said Sonya. â€Å"I've needed a little female support here.† The prettiness of her red hair and high cheek bones was tainted by the fact that she showed her fangs when she smiled. Most Moroi were taught early to avoid that, to prevent detection from humans. Sonya had no qualms about doing it in private. It still bugged me. Dimitri smiled at me. It made his already handsome face even more so, and I knew that â€Å"Zen master wisdom† wasn't the reason Rose had fallen for him. â€Å"I'm guessing you didn't take a nap.† â€Å"Too much to do,† I said. Sonya gave Eddie a curious look. â€Å"We've been wondering where you were.† â€Å"Busy at Amberwood,† said Eddie vaguely. He'd mentioned in the car that it might be best if Angeline's indiscretion and his forced shopping weren't mentioned. â€Å"You know, keeping an eye on Jill and Angeline. Besides, I was waiting until Sydney came back since she wanted to see what we were doing.† I let the white lie slide. â€Å"How is Angeline?† asked Dimitri. â€Å"Is she improving?† Eddie and I exchanged glances. So much for avoiding her indiscretions. â€Å"Improving how exactly?† I asked. â€Å"In combat, in following the dress code, or in keeping her hands to herself?† â€Å"Or in turning off caps-lock?† added Eddie. â€Å"You noticed that too?† I asked. â€Å"Hard not to,† he said. Dimitri looked surprised, which was not a common thing. He wasn't caught off guard very often, but then, no one could really prepare for what Angeline might do. â€Å"I didn't realize I needed to be more specific,† said Dimitri after a pause. â€Å"I meant combat.† Eddie shrugged. â€Å"There's a little improvement, but it's hard to get through to her. I mean, she's absolutely dead set on protecting Jill, but she's also convinced she already knows how. She's got years of that sloppy training drilled into her. It's hard to break that. Plus, she's†¦ easily distracted.† I had to swallow a laugh. Dimitri still looked troubled. â€Å"She has no time for distraction. Maybe I should talk to her.† â€Å"No,† said Eddie firmly, in a rare show of contradicting Dimitri. â€Å"You've got plenty to do here. She's my responsibility to train. Don't worry.† Adrian pulled up a chair, turning it backwards so he could rest his chin on its back. â€Å"What about you, Sage? I know we don't have to worry about you violating the dress code. Did you have fun at your Alchemist spa this weekend?† I set down my bag and walked over to the refrigerator. â€Å"If by spa, you mean underground bunker. And it was just business.† I made a face as I looked inside. â€Å"You promised to get me diet pop.† â€Å"I did promise that,† said Adrian, no remorse whatsoever. â€Å"But then I read some article that said those artificial sweeteners aren't good for you. So, I figured I'd watch out for your health.† He paused. â€Å"You're welcome.† Dimitri said what we were all thinking. â€Å"If you want to start tackling healthy habits, I could suggest a few.† If Eddie or I had said that, it would have rolled right off Adrian – particularly since it was completely valid. But coming from Dimitri? That was different. There was a huge amount of tension between the two men, tension that had been building for a long time. Dimitri's girlfriend, a notorious dhampir named Rose Hathaway, had briefly dated Adrian. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she'd been in love with Dimitri the whole time. So, there was no way that situation could have ended well. Adrian still carried a lot of scars from that and was particularly bitter toward Dimitri. â€Å"Wouldn't want to inconvenience you,† said Adrian, a bit too coolly. â€Å"Besides, when not hard at work with this research, I'm actually conducting a side experiment on how cigarettes and gin increase charisma. As you might guess, the results are looking very promising.† Dimitri arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Wait, go back. Did you say hard at work?† Dimitri's tone was light and playful, and again, I was struck by the double standard here. If I'd made that comment, Adrian's response would've been something like, â€Å"Absolutely, Sage. I'll probably win the Nobel Prize for this.† But for Adrian, Dimitri's words were a call to battle. I saw a glint of something hard in Adrian's eyes, a stirring of some old pain, and it bothered me. That wasn't his way. He always had a smile and a quip, even if they were often irreverent or inappropriate. I'd gotten used to that. I kind of liked it. I glanced at Adrian with a smile that I hoped looked genuine, rather than a desperate attempt to provide distraction. â€Å"Research, huh? I thought you were a gambling man.† It took Adrian a few moments to drag his gaze from Dimitri and fix it on me. â€Å"I've been known to roll the dice now and then,† he said warily. â€Å"Why?† I shrugged. â€Å"No reason. Just wondering if you'd put your charisma research on hold and step up for a challenge. If you went twenty-four hours without cigarettes, I'd drink a can of pop. Regular pop. The whole can.† I saw the glimmer of Adrian's earlier smile returning. â€Å"You would not.† â€Å"I totally would.† â€Å"Half a can would put you into a coma.† Sonya frowned. â€Å"Are you diabetic?† she asked me. â€Å"No,† said Adrian, â€Å"but Sage is convinced one extraneous calorie will make her go from super skinny to just regular skinny. Tragedy.† â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"You think it'd be a tragedy to go an hour without a cigarette.† â€Å"Don't question my steel resolve, Sage. I went without one for two hours today.† â€Å"Show me twenty-four, and then I'll be impressed.† He gave me a look of mock surprise. â€Å"You mean you aren't already? And here I thought you were dazzled from the moment you met me.† Sonya shook her head indulgently at the two of us, like we were adorable children. â€Å"You're missing out, Sydney,† she remarked, tapping the open pop in front of her. â€Å"I need about three of these a day to keep me focused on all this work. No detrimental effects so far.† No detrimental effects so far? Of course not. Moroi never had any. Sonya, Jill†¦ they could all eat whatever they wanted and still keep those amazing bodies. Meanwhile, I labored over every calorie and still couldn't reach that level of perfection. Fitting into these size four khakis had been a triumph this morning. Now, looking at Sonya's slender build, I felt enormous by comparison. I suddenly regretted my comment about drinking a can of pop, even if it had succeeded in distracting Adrian. I supposed I could rest easy knowing that him skipping cigarettes for a day was impossible. I'd never be called to pay up on my sugary wager. â€Å"We should probably get to work. We're losing time.† That was Dimitri, getting us back on track. â€Å"Right,† said Adrian. â€Å"This is five minutes of valuable research wasted. Up for more fun, Castile? I know how much you love sitting around.† Because they were trying to find something special about Dimitri, Sonya and Adrian would often sit the two dhampirs side by side and study their auras in fine detail. Their hope was that Dimitri's Strigoi conversion had left some sign that would help explain the immunity to being turned again. It was a valid idea, though not something that someone as active as Eddie enjoyed. He didn't complain, of course. Eddie wore a look as tough and determined as Dimitri. â€Å"Tell me what you need.† â€Å"We want to do another aura study,† said Sonya. Looked like poor Eddie would be doing some more sitting around. â€Å"Last time we focused on any sign of spirit. This time, we want to show both of you some pictures and see if they trigger any color changes in your auras.† I nodded in approval. A lot of psychological experiments attempted similar techniques, though they usually monitored physiological responses instead of mystical auras. â€Å"I still say it's a waste,† said Adrian. â€Å"They're both dhampirs, but that doesn't mean we can assume any different reactions they have are because Belikov was a Strigoi. Everyone's unique. Everyone's going to respond differently to pictures of kittens or spiders. My old man? He hates kittens.† â€Å"Who could hate kittens?† asked Eddie. Adrian made a face. â€Å"He's allergic.† â€Å"Adrian,† said Sonya. â€Å"We've already been over this. I respect your opinion but still think we can learn a lot.† I was actually impressed that Adrian had an opinion. So far, I'd kind of felt like he was just going along with everything Sonya and Dimitri told him to do and that he didn't give these experiments much thought. And, although I wasn't familiar with the auras that surrounded all living creatures, I could understand his point that individual differences would throw off their research. â€Å"All data is useful in this case,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Especially since we haven't found anything so far. We know there's something different about former Strigoi. We can't rule out any chance to observe it.† Adrian's lips tightened, and he made no further protest. Maybe it was because he felt overruled, but I had a feeling it was because he just didn't want to engage with Dimitri. With the attention off me, I settled into the living room with a book and tried to stay awake. They didn't need me. I'd simply come to keep Eddie company. Occasionally, I'd check the others' progress. Dimitri and Eddie watched as Sonya flipped through different images on her laptop. In turn, Adrian and Sonya watched the dhampirs closely and made notes on paper. I almost wished I could see the bands of color and light and wondered if there really were any noticeable differences. Studying Eddie and Dimitri, I sometimes would notice a change in facial expression when particularly cute or horrific images showed up on the screen, but for the most part their work remained a mystery to me. Curious, I walked over to Sonya when they were about halfway through. â€Å"What do you see?† I asked in a low voice. â€Å"Colors,† she said. â€Å"Shining around all living things. Eddie and Dimitri have different colors, but they have the same reactions.† She changed the picture on the screen to one of a factory spilling black smoke into an otherwise clear sky. â€Å"Neither of them like this. Their auras dim and turn troubled.† She flipped to the next image, a smile on her lips. Three kittens appeared on the screen. â€Å"And now they warm up. Affection is very easy to spot in an aura. So far, they react in normal ways. There's no sign in Dimitri's aura that he's different from Eddie.† I returned to the couch. After a couple of hours, Sonya called a halt. â€Å"I think we've seen what we needed to. Thank you, Eddie.† â€Å"Happy to help,† he said, rising from his chair and stretching. He seemed relieved both that it was over and that it had involved something slightly more interesting than staring off into space. He was active and energetic, and didn't like captivity. â€Å"Although†¦ we've got a few other ideas,† she added. â€Å"Do you think you guys can power through a little longer?† Naturally, she asked just as I was yawning. Eddie regarded me with sympathy. â€Å"I'll stay, but you don't have to. Go sleep. I'll get a ride home.† â€Å"No, no,† I said, stifling a second yawn. â€Å"I don't mind. What are your other ideas?† â€Å"I was hoping to do something similar with Eddie and Dimitri,† she explained. â€Å"Except this time, we'd use sounds instead of images. Then I'd like to see how they respond to direct contact with spirit.† â€Å"I think that's a good idea,† I said, not really sure what that last one would entail. â€Å"Go for it. I'll wait.† Sonya glanced around and seemed to notice I wasn't the only one who looked tired. â€Å"Maybe we should get some food first.† Eddie brightened up at that. â€Å"I'll go,† I offered. It was a sign of my progress that vampires talking about â€Å"food† no longer made me hyperventilate. I knew she didn't mean blood, not if the dhampirs and I were being involved. Besides, there was no feeder around. Feeders were humans who willingly gave blood to Moroi for the high it produced. Everyone here knew better than to even joke about that around me. â€Å"There's a good Thai carryout place a few blocks away.† â€Å"I'll help,† said Adrian eagerly. â€Å"I'll help,† said Sonya. â€Å"The last time you ran an errand, you were gone two hours.† Adrian scowled but didn't deny the charge. â€Å"Our aura observations have been identical anyway. You can get them started on the sounds without me.† Sonya and I took everyone's orders and set out. I didn't really feel like I needed help, but I supposed carrying food for five people – even for a few blocks – could get unwieldy. I soon learned she had other motives for coming along, though. â€Å"It feels good to get outside and stretch my legs,† she said. It was early evening, with significantly less sun and heat – a condition the Moroi loved. We walked along a side street leading toward downtown, lined with cute apartments and small businesses. All around us, huge palm trees loomed, providing an interesting contrast to the eclectic urban setting. â€Å"I've been cooped up there all day.† I smiled at her. â€Å"And here I thought Adrian was the only one who got cabin fever from the work you guys do.† â€Å"He just complains the most,† she explained. â€Å"Which is kind of funny since he also probably gets out the most, between his classes and his cigarette breaks.† I'd nearly forgotten about the two art classes Adrian was taking at a local college. He usually kept his latest projects on display, but there'd been none in the living room lately. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I missed them. I might give him a hard time, but sometimes those artistic glimpses into the way he thought were fascinating. Sonya gave me a brief recap of her wedding plans as we walked the short distance to the Thai restaurant. Her relationship with dhampir Mikhail Tanner was kind of epic on a lot of levels, I supposed. First, dhampirs and Moroi didn't generally get involved in serious relationships. Usually, they were just casual affairs that resulted in the reproduction of more dhampirs. In addition to the scandal of even being involved, Mikhail had actually wanted to hunt down Sonya when she was a Strigoi to free her from that twisted state. Rose had attempted the same with Dimitri, believing death was better than being a Strigoi. Mikhail had failed, but their love had remained steadfast enough through the ordeal that when she'd defied the odds and been restored, they'd immediately gotten back together. I couldn't even begin to imagine love like that. â€Å"We're still deciding on flowers,† she continued. â€Å"Hydrangeas or lilies. I'm guessing I know what your vote is for.† â€Å"Actually, I'd say hydrangeas. I'm around too many lilies already.† She laughed at that and suddenly knelt near a flower bed filled with gladiolas. â€Å"More than you know. There are lilies sleeping in this bed.† â€Å"They're out of season,† I pointed out. â€Å"Nothing's ever out of season.† Sonya glanced around covertly and then rested her fingers on the earth. Moments later, dark green shoots appeared, growing taller and taller until a red trumpet lily opened up on top. â€Å"Ah. Red. Alchemists ones are white – oh, are you okay?† I had backed up so far on the sidewalk that I'd nearly walked into the street. â€Å"You†¦ you shouldn't do that. Someone might see.† â€Å"No one saw,† she said, getting to her feet. Her face softened. â€Å"I'm so sorry. I forget sometimes how you feel about this. It was wrong of me.† â€Å"It's okay,† I said, not sure that it was. Vampire magic always made my skin crawl. Vampires, creatures who needed blood, were bad enough. But being able to manipulate the world with magic? Even worse. That lily, although beautiful, took on a sinister edge now. It shouldn't have existed this time of the year. No more was said about magic, and we soon reached the main strip downtown, where the Thai restaurant was. We placed a giant carryout order and were told it would take about fifteen minutes. Sonya and I lingered outside, admiring downtown Palm Springs in twilight. Lastminute shoppers were out before the boutiques closed, and all the restaurants were hopping with those coming and going. Many of them had outdoor tables on the sidewalk, and friendly conversation buzzed around us. A large fountain, tiled in bright colors, fascinated children and inspired tourists to stop for photo ops. Sonya was easily distracted by the various plants and trees that the city used to beautify the streets. Even without spirit's ability to affect living things, she was still quite the gardener. â€Å"Hey you! Elder Melrose!† I turned and winced when I saw Lia DiStefano striding toward me. Lia was a fashion designer with a shop here in downtown Palm Springs. I hadn't realized we were standing directly across from her store. If I had, I would've waited inside the restaurant. Lia was short but had an overwhelming presence, enhanced by the flamboyant gypsy style she often chose for her personal attire. â€Å"I've been calling you for weeks,† she said, once she reached our side of the street. â€Å"Why don't you answer?† â€Å"I've been really busy,† I said straight-faced. â€Å"Uh-huh.† Lia put her hands on her hips and tried to stare me down, which was kind of amazing since I was taller. â€Å"When are you going to let your sister model for me again?† â€Å"Miss DiStefano,† I said patiently, â€Å"I've told you before. She can't do it anymore. Our parents don't like it. Our religion doesn't allow faces to be photographed.† Last month, Jill's runway-perfect build and gorgeous, ethereal features had attracted Lia's attention. Seeing as having your picture taken en masse was kind of a bad way to stay in hiding, we'd only agreed to let Jill walk in Lia's fashion show because all the models wore Venetian masks. Lia had been on me ever since to let Jill model again. It was hard because I knew Jill wanted to, but she understood as well as I did that her safety came first. Claiming we were part of some obscure religion had often explained away our weird behaviors to others, so I'd figured it would get Lia off my back. It hadn't. â€Å"I never hear from these parents of yours,† Lia said. â€Å"I've watched your family. I see how it is. You're the authority. You're the one I have to go through. I have the chance to do a major magazine spread for my scarves and hats, and Jill was born to do it. What's it going to take to get her? You want a cut of the pay?† I sighed. â€Å"It's not about the money. We can't show her face. If you want to put her in a Venetian mask again, then be my guest.† Lia scowled. â€Å"I can't do that.† â€Å"Then we're at an impasse.† â€Å"There must be something. Everyone has a price.† â€Å"Sorry.† There was no price in the world she could offer to get me to shirk my duty to Jill and the Alchemists. A restaurant clerk stuck his head outside and called that our order was ready, mercifully freeing us from Lia. Sonya chuckled as we loaded up on our bags and headed back down the street to make the walk to Adrian's. The sky was still purple with the last of the day's light, and street lamps made whimsical patterns on the sidewalk as they cast their light through the leaves of palm trees. â€Å"Did you ever imagine your job here would involve dodging aggressive fashion designers?† Sonya asked. â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"Honestly, I never foresaw half the stuff this job has – â€Å" â€Å"Sonya?† A young man appeared seemingly out of nowhere, blocking our path. He was no one I knew and looked to be a little older than me. He wore his black hair in a buzz cut and was staring curiously at Sonya. She came to a halt and frowned. â€Å"Do I know you?† He brightened. â€Å"Sure. Jeff Eubanks. Remember?† â€Å"No,† she said politely, after a few moments of study. â€Å"You must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm sorry.† â€Å"No, no,† he said. â€Å"I know it's you. Sonya Karp, right? We met in Kentucky last year.† Sonya stiffened. She'd made Kentucky her home while she was a Strigoi. I knew those couldn't be pleasant memories. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she repeated, voice strained. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† The guy was undaunted, still smiling as though they were best friends. â€Å"You've come a long ways from Kentucky. What brings you out here? I just transferred for work.† â€Å"There's some mistake,† I told him sternly, nudging Sonya forward. I didn't know what that mistake could be exactly, but Sonya's attitude was all I needed. â€Å"We have to go.† The guy didn't follow us, but Sonya remained silent for most of the walk home. â€Å"Must be hard,† I said, feeling like I should say something. â€Å"Meeting people from your past.† She shook her head. â€Å"He's not. I'm certain of it. I've never met him.† I'd figured she just wanted to avoid all associations with being a Strigoi. â€Å"You're sure? He wasn't just some casual acquaintance?† She shot me a wry look. â€Å"Strigoi don't have casual acquaintances with humans. They have them for dinner. That guy shouldn't have known who I was.† â€Å"He was human? Not dhampir?† I couldn't tell the difference, but Moroi could. â€Å"Definitely.† Sonya had stopped again and was glancing back at the guy's retreating figure. I followed her gaze. â€Å"There must be some reason he recognized you. He seems pretty harmless.† That got me another smile. â€Å"Come now, Sydney. I figured you'd been around us long enough to know.† â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"Nothing's ever as harmless as it seems.†

Battle of Franklin - Civil War Battle of Franklin - John Bell Hood

Battle of Franklin - Civil War Battle of Franklin - John Bell Hood Battle of Franklin - Conflict: The Battle of Franklin was fought during the American Civil War. Armies Commanders at Franklin: Union Major General John Schofield30,000 men Confederate General John Bell Hood38,000 men Battle of Franklin - Date: Hood attacked the Army of the Ohio on November 30, 1864. Battle of Franklin - Background: In the wake of the Union capture of Atlanta in September 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood regrouped the Army of Tennessee and launched a new campaign to break Union General William T. Shermans supply lines north. Later that month, Sherman dispatched Major General George H. Thomas to Nashville to organize Union forces in the area. Outnumbered, Hood decided to move north to attack Thomas before the Union general could reunite with Sherman. Aware of Hoods movement north, Sherman sent Major General John Schofield to reinforce Thomas. Moving with VI and XXIII Corps, Schofield quickly became Hoods new target. Seeking to prevent Schofield from joining with Thomas, Hood pursued the Union columns and the two forces squared off at Columbia, TN from November 24-29. Next racing to Spring Hill, Schofields men beat off an uncoordinated Confederate attack before escaping in the night to Franklin. Arriving at Franklin at 6:00 AM on November 30, the lead Union troops began preparing a strong, arc-shaped defensive position to the south of the town. The Union rear was protected by the Harpeth River. Battle of Franklin - Schofield Turns: Entering the town, Schofield decided to make a stand as the bridges across the river were damaged and needed to be repaired before the bulk of his forces could cross. While repair work commenced, the Union supply train slowly began crossing the river using a nearby ford. By noon, the earthworks were complete and a secondary line established 40-65 yards behind the main line. Settling in to await Hood, Schofield decided that the position would be abandoned if the Confederates did not arrive before 6:00 PM. In close pursuit, Hoods columns reached Winstead Hill, two miles south of Franklin, around 1:00 PM. Battle of Franklin - Hood Attacks: Establishing his headquarters, Hood ordered his commanders to prepare for an assault on the Union lines. Knowing the dangers of frontally attacking a fortified position, many of Hoods subordinates attempted to talk him out of the assault, but he would not relent. Moving forward with Major General Benjamin Cheathams corps on the left and Lieutenant General Alexander Stewarts on the right, the Confederate forces first encountered two brigades of Brigadier General George Wagners division. Posted half a mile forward of the Union line, Wagners men were supposed to fall back if pressed. Disobeying orders, Wagner had his men stand firm in an attempt to turn back Hoods assault. Quickly overwhelmed, his two brigades fell back toward the Union line where their presence between the line and the Confederates prevented Union troops from opening fire. This failure to cleanly pass through the lines, coupled with a gap in the Union earthworks at the Columbia Pike, allowed three Confederate divisions to focus their attack on the weakest part of Schofields line. Battle of Franklin - Hood Wrecks His Army: Breaking through, men from Major Generals Patrick Cleburne, John C. Brown, and Samuel G. Frenchs divisions were met by a furious counterattack by Colonel Emerson Opdyckes brigade as well as other Union regiments. After brutal hand-to-hand fighting, they were able to close the breach and throw back the Confederates. To the west, Major General William B. Bates division was repulsed with heavy casualties. A similar fate met much of Stewarts corps on the right wing. Despite the heavy casualties, Hood believed that the Union center had been badly damaged. Unwilling to accept defeat, Hood continued to throw uncoordinated attacks against Schofields works. Around 7:00 PM, with Lieutenant General Stephen D. Lees corps arriving on the field, Hood selected Major General Edward Allegheny Johnsons division to lead another assault. Storming forward, Johnsons men and other Confederate units failed to reach the Union line and became pinned down. For two hours an intense firefight ensued until Confederate troops were able to fall back in the darkness. To the east, Confederate cavalry under Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest attempted to turn Schofields flank but were blocked by Major General James H. Wilsons Union horsemen. With the Confederate assault defeated, Schofields men began crossing the Harpeth around 11:00 PM and reached the fortifications at Nashville the next day. Battle of Franklin - Aftermath: The Battle of Franklin cost Hood 1,750 killed and around 5,800 wounded. Among the Confederate deaths were six generals: Patrick Cleburne, John Adams, States Rights Gist, Otho Strahl, and Hiram Granbury. An additional eight were wounded or captured. Fighting behind earthworks, Union losses were a mere 189 killed, 1,033 wounded, 1,104 missing/captured. The majority of those Union troops that were captured were wounded and medical personnel who remained after Schofield departed Franklin. Many were liberated on December 18, when Union forces re-took Franklin after the Battle of Nashville. While Hoods men were dazed after their defeat at Franklin, they pressed on and clashed with Thomas and Schofields forces at Nashville on December 15-16. Routed, Hoods army effectively ceased to exist after the battle. The assault at Franklin is frequently known as the Picketts Charge of the West in reference to the Confederate assault at Gettysburg. In reality, Hoods attack consisted of more men, 19,000 vs. 12,500, and advanced over a longer distance, 2 miles vs. .75 miles, than Lieutenant General James Longstreets assault on July 3, 1863. Also, while Picketts Charge lasted approximately 50 minutes, the assaults at Franklin were conducted over a span of five hours. Selected Sources Civil War Trust: Battle of FranklinCWSAC Battle Summary: Battle of Franklin

The French Verb Souhaiter Que Needs the Subjunctive

The French Verb Souhaiter Que Needs the Subjunctive When  souhaiter (to wish or to hope for) precedes a dependent clause beginning with que, the dependent clause uses a subjunctive verb. It joins a long list of other French verbs expressing someones will, an  order, a need, a piece of advice or a desire; they all also need the subjunctive in the que subordinate clause. 'Souhaiter' and 'Souhaiter Que' When used with  que, souhaiter becomes souhaiter que (to hope that), which introduces a dependent clause that uses the French subjunctive.  Souhaiter que is all about the emotion of hoping.  Thus, it fulfills the subjunctives basic requirement  of  expressing actions or ideas that are subjective or otherwise uncertain.   Ã‚  Je souhaite quil vienne.I hope that he comes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Souhaitons  que tout aille bien.We hope that all goes well.   Ã‚  Il est  Ã‚  souhaiter que...It is to be hoped that... As with souhaiter que, the French subjunctive  is nearly always found in dependent clauses introduced by  que  or  qui, and the subjects of the dependent and main clauses are usually different, as in:   Ã‚  Je veux que tu le fasses.I want you to do it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Il faut que nous partions.It is necessary that we leave. French Verbs and Expressions Similar to 'Souhaiter Que' Here are other verbs and expressions that, like souhaiter que, communicate someones will, an  order, a need, a piece of advice, or a desire. They all require the subjunctive in the dependent clause that  begins with que.  There are many other types of constructions that require the French subjunctive as well, which are listed and explained in the full-on  subjunctivator  (our term). aimer mieux que   to prefer thatcommander que  Ã‚  to order thatdemander que  Ã‚  to ask that (someone do something)dà ©sirer que  Ã‚  to desire thatdonner lordre que  Ã‚  to order thatempà ªcher que*  Ã‚  to prevent (someone from doing something)à ©viter que*  Ã‚  to avoidexiger que  Ã‚  to demand thatil est souhaiter que  Ã‚  it is to be hoped thatil est essentiel que  Ã‚  it is essential thatil est important que  Ã‚  it is important thatil est naturel que  Ã‚  it is natural thatil est nà ©cessaire que  Ã‚  it is necessary thatil est normal que  Ã‚  it is normal thatil est temps que  Ã‚  it is time thatil est urgent que  Ã‚  it is urgent thatil faut que  Ã‚  it is necessary that / we mustil vaut mieux que  Ã‚  it is better thatinterdire que  Ã‚  to forbid thatsopposer que  Ã‚  to oppose thatordonner que  Ã‚  to order thatpermettre que  Ã‚  to permit thatprà ©fà ©rer que  Ã‚  to prefer thatproposer que  Ã‚  to propose thatrecomm ander que  Ã‚  to recommendsouhaiter que  Ã‚  to wish thatsuggà ©rer que  Ã‚  to suggest thattenir ce que  Ã‚  to insist thatvouloir que  Ã‚  to want to *These verbs are followed by the more formal  ne explà ©tif,  in which only ne is used in negations (without pas), as in:   Ã‚  Ãƒâ€°vitez quil ne parte.Prevent him from leaving.

Immigration and Settlement Annotated Bibliography

Immigration and Settlement - Annotated Bibliography Example Retrieved from http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/reports-rapports/ae-ve/2012/es-ee-eng.pdf This audit report from the Canadian Border Services Agency is an important governmental document that reiterates the purpose of the border agency. To identify and prohibit travelers that pose a threat to Canada’s security is one of the main aims of the border services agency. The report mentions that the enforcement teams comprise of about 4 percent of the border services officers and superintendents instated in the area. These enforcement teams work on all major transportation modes including land and air so as to detect any travelers that might be trying to enter the country illegally. This is a measure to control illegal immigrations by placing appropriate checks at the borders thereby stopping illegal movement at the borders. This report is a valuable governmental source of information regarding the border services and checks that have been put in place to control illegal entry into the country. In the chapter, the author has addressed the subject of illegal immigration as it presents itself as a problem in countries like United States and Europe. The issue of illegal immigration is studied in the light of multiculturalism and the challenge faced when promoting the idea in the midst of illegal behaviors. The author has examined the issue of Chinese immigrants who arrived on the shore of the Canadian border in 1999, and explains the views of most Canadians. Unsurprisingly, majority of the Canadians were opposed to illegal migration of the people and were determined to have them sent back to China before they stepped on to the land. The book is relevant for the research as it reflects the views of existing Canadian citizens on the subject of illegal immigration and settlement ignoring the multicultural aspect of their integration. The book addresses the issue of illegal immigration as a global problem

Robert W Baird Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Robert W Baird - Essay Example Today, the company has a special place in all the businesses in America, and the Fortune magazine has included the company in a prestigious list of 100 best places to work. Robert W. Baird & Co is an asset management company. Its special focus is on middle market investments, capital markets investment, fixed income investments and provision of a broad range of other services to its clients such as Private Wealth Management, Mutual Funds and a company’s own special fund. The company performed extremely well in the fiscal year ending 2010. It earned $847 million in revenues, a figure which is 18 percent more than in the previous year. The principal competitors of Robert W. Baird & Co are all the investment firms operating in America. The major rivals of the company are Jefferies Group, Inc, Piper Jaffaries Company Inc. and Raymond James Financial. However, RWB&CO has outsmarted its competition in the last few years, and especially in 2010. While other companies downsized and contracted, RWB managed to grow by an impressive figure of eighteen percent. Robert W. Baird & Co does not only have strong presence in the entire United States but is also present in other countries around the world. The company operates extensively in the UK, Greece and India. In these countries, it is involved in the development of risk-averse portfolios and making investments throughout the world. The greatness of the company lies in the fact that despite strong recessionary pressures, the company has managed to grow and within a few years, it has doubled in size in terms of revenue. This achievement puts RWB ahead of its competition. The company is currently an employee- owned business, meaning that the largest shareholders of the company are people working for the organization. It has a flexible structure. Each unit works independently and is controlled by the head of the department. Project teams are developed to sense