rubbermaid essays

rubbermaid essays Rubbermaid's earliest seeds took root in an old piano factory in Ohio and at the kitchen table in New England. On April 30, 1920 nine individuals rented a building in Wooster, Ohio, known as the 'Piano Factory.' Their product? Sunshine Brand Toy Balloons. They called their venture The Wooster Rubber Company. In 1927, the company was bought as an investment by Horatio B. Ebert and Errett M. Grable, both of whom were executives of the Wear-Ever Division of the Aluminum Company of America. Ebert and Grable retained the services of Clyde C. Gault, one of the original founders. Meanwhile, James R. Caldwell, a rubber chemist, an analyst, and vice president of the Seamless Rubber Company in New Haven, Connecticut, had become fascinated with novel dyes that could transform plain rubber into dazzling colors. Caldwell and his wife would sit at their kitchen table dreaming up functional kitchen and bath objects in bright hues. In 1933, a patent was issued for their first effort, a dustpan. Caldwell joined the Wooster Rubber Company and soon toy balloons and novelties were replaced by new rubber housewares products. In those early days, there were 16 full-time employees. When the meager 10- foot-by-16-foot shipping dock was filled with cartons for delivery, it was considered a pretty good day at the factory. In 1935, net sales were $79,858. By 1938, net sales had reached $204,000. Within 10 years, the product innovation for which Rubbermaid is renowned was clearly evident. In 1955, Rubbermaid's annual report listed, among other products, pet feeding dishes, plate storage racks, kneeling pads, mats for various uses throughout the home (as door, sink, drain board, bath, and shower mats), coasters, soap dishes, and even cleaning solutions for rubber. Under Caldwell's leadership as president and general manager until 1958, Rubbermaid's most fundamental and enduring corporate credo was developed: 'A firm insistence on produc ...

Sediment Is a Major Water Pollutant

Sediment Is a Major Water Pollutant According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one of the three major sources of water pollution in streams and rivers is sediment. What Is Sediment? Sediment is fine-grained particles like silt and clay, generally occurring as a result of soil erosion. As rainfall washes away bare soil or a stream erodes a muddy bank, sediment makes it into waterways. These fine particles occur naturally in the environment, but problems arise when they enter aquatic systems in larger quantities than they would naturally. What Causes Soil Erosion? Soil erosion happens anytime barren soil is exposed to the elements, especially after a lot of vegetation is removed. Plant roots are very effective at holding back the soil. A common cause of erosion is road and building construction. During construction, soil remains exposed for extended periods of time. Silt fencing, made of a textile held up with wooden stakes, is often deployed at construction sites as a sediment containment measure.   Agricultural practices lead to long periods of time when vast expanses of soil are left barren. In late fall and winter, millions of acres of farmland are left exposed to the elements. Even during the growing season, some crops do not protect soils adequately. Corn, most notably, is planted in rows 20 to 30 inches apart with long strips of barren soil in between. Forestry practices can also lead to erosion, especially on steeper slopes. The removal of trees does not necessarily expose soil directly, and careful logging operations can keep erosion to a minimum. However, machinery can damage low-growing vegetation. High-use areas, like logging roads and landings, certainly leave the soil unprotected and subject to erosion. Sedimentation Pollution Fine suspended particles cause turbidity in waterways. In other words, they make the water less transparent, blocking sunlight. The decreased light will impede the growth of aquatic plants, which provide essential habitat for many aquatic animals, including young fish. Another way sediment can be harmful is by smothering the gravel beds where fish lay their eggs. Gravel beds provide a perfect surface for trout or salmon eggs to be protected, while still allowing for oxygen to reach the growing embryo. When silt covers eggs, it prevents this oxygen transfer. Aquatic invertebrates can suffer from damage to their fragile filtering systems, and if they are sessile (immobile) they can be buried by sediment. Fine particles can eventually be transported into coastal zones, where they affect marine invertebrates, fish, and coral. Some Helpful Practices Deploying silt fencing or straw bales around sites where the ground is disturbed.Using soil erosion best practices around construction sites.Protecting vegetation along stream banks. Replant shrubs and trees if needed.Using cover crops on farmland when not actively growing regular crops.Practicing no-till farming.Follow best practices during forestry operations. This includes building appropriate stream crossings, avoiding operations in excessively muddy conditions, and selecting work equipment that will minimize damage to soils. Sources: Unknown. Voluntary Best Management Practices for Water Quality. 2018 Edition, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 2018, NY. Castro, Janine and Frank Reckendorf. Effects of Sediment on the Aquatic Environment. Working Paper No. 6, Oregon State University Department of Geosciences, August 1995, OR.   Mid-America Regional Council. What Is Sediment Pollution? EPA, Kansas City, MO.

Determine if students understand behavioral expectations and Essay

Determine if students understand behavioral expectations and consequences for misbehavior - Essay Example In other words, functional behavioral assessment looks beyond the overt topography of the behavior, and focuses, instead, upon identifying biological, social, affective, and environmental factors that initiate, sustain, or end the behavior in question. This approach is important because it leads the observer beyond the "symptom" (the behavior) to the student's underlying motivation to escape, "avoid," or "get" something (which is, to the functional analyst, the root of all behavior). Research and experience has demonstrated that behavior intervention plans stemming from the knowledge of why a student misbehaves (i.e., based on a functional behavioral assessment) are extremely useful in addressing a wide range of problems. Students are frequently reminded of the expectations and the character traits we value as a community through assemblies, classroom lessons, role modeling and daily discussions. Below are some areas to consider in determining classroom expectation and consequences. Being proactive and establish preventative measures, the plan is to start with well thought out lessons that reflect the community and curriculum. Each class has a different feel and its part of my job to determine which angles teachers will use to engage the class into what is to be learned. To help students learn to monitor their own behavior, students will receive verbal recognition from me when behavior models expectations. Students will also be able to earn points for the entire class when they are on task, maintaining appropriate interactions and noise level. Students will earn time towards weekly. To learn problem solving skills, we will have regular class meetings. If students have an issue they need to resolve, teachers will keep a log available where they can enter agenda items to be discussed at the next class meeting. The goal is to have the students learn strategies to help them solve problems with the teacher as facilitator. Teachers will also provide parents with a we ekly note home regarding their child as a means of keeping them in touch with what is going on in the classroom. Student involvement is normally intense with a final eureka experience at the moment of discovery, a natural reinforcer of the learning experience. Students are apprised of school behavior policies through personal visits and advance notification of behavioral expectations and possible consequences by counselors/administrators at the beginning of each semester. Consequences will fall within a range, and will be determined by the appropriate school official. Disciplinary action will depend upon the severity of the misbehavior, previous behavior and interventions, and the circumstances surrounding an incident. In schools today, students are often addressed as passive learners, merely participants in their educations, as opposed to partners. Opportunities for meaningful and significant student involvement in education planning, school leadership and self-governance are primarily offered to gifted and advanced students only and even then with reservation from the teachers and administrators. However, a recent survey1 summarized the following conclusions: - Students need to become directly involved with the decision-making processes in schools; -

Vietnam War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Vietnam War - Research Paper Example The political matters in the society were compromised by invasions by other countries such as the United States. Both poems have incorporated themes and motifs that represent the Vietnamese society in the modern world. However, there are in their views that are discussed in the following explanations. They have been based on themes and motifs from both essays. Denise in his poem, ‘What were they like,’ has come up with different themes that expose the characters of the Vietnamese society during the war (Mahoney 180). He explains that their light hearts have been turned to stone. It means that the wholes society has been infiltrated by the external societies leading to the awareness. However, different authors have come up with strategic plans through the use of poems to develop new revolutions that cater for human rights. Critics argue that the poem has been used to represent the elite members of the community int. However, the provided knowledge has been used to help the Vietnamese society internally to take care of invaders. The forced entries include economic and political accesses. The poem represents mens actions at war. There are various principles that have been used by the author to ensure that the war processes and strategies that have been used in the war (Mahoney 180). However, the author has used familiar approaches on his poem that show the life of the Vietnamese elites and the authorities. He is in protest against the war and uses his literature skills to help in the halt of the war. His poem’s main question is to help individuals prevent a brief description of the intruders came up with strategies to kill most of the Vietnamese society and leave them in morning due to the mourning and deaths caused by the war. The poem also argues on the resistant nature of the Vietnamese society to prevent Western societies to cause change in their land. Most countries in the Vietnamese region have come up with tactics to stop the

How College Students Use Wikipedia for Course-Related Essay Example for Free

How College Students Use Wikipedia for Course-Related Essay Why then are academics so wary about the use of Wikipedia within universities? There are a number of related reasons. Before outlining them we should acknowledge that there may be differences according to academic discipline in attitudes towards Wikipedia. Speaking to academics from the natural and medical sciences over the last year, it seems that those subjects are less concerned with issues of originality of source than the arts and social sciences. It also may be [pic] and this is genuine speculation [pic] that academics in the English speaking world, where most of the academic controversy over Wikipedia use has been, are more sensitive to the source than in other parts of the world. These qualifications aside, there are definite reasons why Wikipedia use is, at the very least, contentious in universities. First, it is the product of anonymous individuals rather than known authorities, Wales is quite explicit on this: One of the fastest things we’re beginning to lose is the view of the world that there are a handful of thoughtful, intelligent people that should be broadcasting their views to everyone. And then the public is some sort of crazed rabble, easily swayed by rhetoric and so forth. Now we have to have a more nuanced understanding. Wikipedia is not necessarily anti-academic but it is anti-elitist as evidenced by the short shrift given to eminent academics in debates when they expected deference (see Keen 2007, 43[pic]4). Second, the non-proprietary nature of Wikipedia cuts against academic culture which valorises the rights of the author and publisher. Third, the anonymity of Wikipedia articles is alien to the cache of the named writer of the journal article or book. Fourth, the collaborative process challenges the norm of individual creation, prevalent in the arts and social sciences. Fifth, as intimated, Wikipedia departs from the standard mode of vetting by peer review. It is not true that articles are not reviewed. On the contrary, they are scrutinised by far more editors than for any journal. However, as the contributor is generally not an academic expert, so the reviewer is not generally an academic expert. So Wikipedia rejects academic custom in the compilation of knowledge. In addition, there are a number of what might be termed ‘learning and teaching’ issues pertaining to its use within universities. First, there is the issue of the accuracy of Teaching in Higher Education 651 Downloaded by [University of Glasgow] at 05:27 12 December 2012 Wikipedia entries, something that relates to the lack of formal expertise and peer review. Reviews of the accuracy of Wikipedia entries by formal expert(s) have actually been generally positive (for natural sciences see Giles 2005; American history Meier 2008). Despite this, the suspicion still surrounds Wikipedia that it cannot be trusted. O’Sullivan’s (2009, 119) assertion that ‘most people probably have an ambivalent attitude toward Wikipedia, thankful for its existence, using it frequently, but with reservations about its total reliability’ seems valid. Some academics would no doubt sympathise with the sardonic observation of comedian Frankie Boyle that Wikipedia entries should begin with ‘I reckon’. Second, some have questioned whether Wikipedia’s determination for studied neutrality is convincing. O’Sullivan (2010) complains that as Wikipedia only displays one voice, diversity is not incorporated and therefore articles become bland. Wales’s response is unapologetic: ‘Guilty as charged, we’re an encyclopedia’ (in Read 2006). Not that his approach to knowledge is without theory, it derives rather from his admiration for the convoluted ‘objectivist philosophy’ of Aryan Rand, the Russian e?migre? philosopher and novelist (Younkins 2007). A third learning and teaching concern is that, regardless of the reliability of Wikipedia, it is in itself an illegitimate form of research. Here the thinking would be that a student who culls Wikipedia for assignments does not understand scholarship. This consists of the consideration of various sources: a judicious sifting and ordering of knowledge, rather than lifting bite sized chunks of text that purport to capture a subject. On this Wales concurs, telling students: ‘For God sake, you’re in college; don’t cite the encyclopedia’ (in Young 2006). Some universities in the US have banned Wikipedia use, whilst others recommend a more discriminating approach (Jaschik 2007; Murley 2008). The latter is what Wales and others within Wikipedia advise: it should be used only as a starting place in academic research, a references source and a revision aid. What, however, is the evidence on Wikipedia use by students and academics at universities?

Flannery OConnor and William Faulkners Characters and Morality Essay

Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner's Characters and Morality Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner refuse to surrender to the temptation of writing fanciful stories where the hero defeats the villain and everyone lives happily ever after. Instead, these two writers reveal realistic portrayals of death and the downfall of man. Remarkably, O’Connor and Faulkner’s most emotionally degraded characters fail to believe that an omnipotent deity controls their fate. This belief directly correlates to the characters’ inability to follow a strict set of morals or value human life. On the other hand, one might expect Faulkner and O’Connor’s â€Å"Christian† characters to starkly contrast the vile heathens who deny the existence of God. However, these characters struggle to follow their own standards of morality. The southern culture places much value on community, courtesy, and the standard of morality: the Bible. But under this facade of civility lie slanderous gossip, impure motives, and hidden iniquity. Faulkner’s character, Cora Tull, is a prime example of this. Though she openly admits that she has no right to pass judgment on Addie Bundren because, â€Å"It is the Lord’s place to judge,† Cora Tull later hypocritically states, â€Å"I realized out of the vanity of her heart she (Addie) had spoken sacrilege.† Cora’s desire for Addie’s repentance blinds her from seeing her own sin. On the other hand, Mrs. Turpin, a character in O’Connor’s â€Å"Revelation,† struggles with this same sin but in a different manner. Mrs. Turpin appears to politely encounter strangers with kindness but, alas, her kindness is corrupted. Though Mrs. Turpin’s sincere smiles and courteous small talk make her appear to truly care ab out others around h... ... refuse to believe in God. In fact, the â€Å"Christians† could probably be condemned more readily because they have a standard of morality and choose not to abide by it. On the other hand, when a person knows that there are no consequences he acts accordingly. For instance, the â€Å"Misfit† kills people and thinks nothing of it because he merely lives for the moment without thinking through his iniquity. Conversely, Whitfield recognizes his wrong doing but simply lowers his standards of morality thereby causing only more grief. Works Cited Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. New York: Vintage Books, 1990. O’Connor, Flannery. Collected Works: Stories and Occasional Prose: â€Å"Revelation.† New York: Penguin, 1988. 285-327. ---. Collected Works: Stories and Occasional Prose: â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find.† New York: Penguin, 1988. 328-340.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 4

Quinn was cold. Not physically, of course. That was impossible. The icy March air had no effect on him; his body was impervious to little things like weather. No, this cold was inside him. He stood looking at the bay and the thriving city across it.Boston by starlight. It had taken him a long time to come back toBoston after†¦ the change. He'd lived there once, when he'd been human. But in those daysBoston was nothing but three hills, one beacon, and a handful of houses with thatched roofs. The place where he was standing now had been clean beach surrounded by salt meadows and dense forest. The year had been 1639. Bostonhad grown since then, but Quinn hadn't. He was still eighteen, still the young man who'd loved the sunny pastures and the clear blue water of the wilderness. Who had lived simply, feeling grateful when there was enough food for supper on his mother's table, and who had dreamed of someday having his own fishing schooner and marrying pretty Dove Redfern. That was how it had all started, with Dove. Pretty Dove and her soft brown hair†¦ sweet Dove, who had a secret a simple boy like Quinn could never have imagined. Well. Quinn felt his lip curl. That was all in the past. Dove had been dead for centuries, and if her screams still haunted him every night, no one knew but himself. Because he might not be any older than he had been in the days of the colonies, but he had learned a few tricks. Like how to wrap ice around his heart so that nothing in the world could hurt him. And how to put ice in his gaze, so that whoever looked into his black eyes saw only an endless glacial dark. He'd gotten very good at that. Some people actually went pale and backed away when he turned his eyes on them. The tricks had worked for years, allowing him not just to survive as a vampire, but to be brilliantly successful at it. He was Quinn, pitiless as a snake, whose blood ran like ice water, whose soft voice pronounced doom on anybody who got in his way. Quinn, the essence of darkness, who struck fear into the hearts of humans and Night People alike. And just at the moment, he was tired. Tired and cold. There was a kind of bleakness inside him, like a whiter that would never change into spring. He had no idea what to do about it-although it had occurred to him that if he were to jump into the bay and let those dark waters close over his head, and then stay down there for a few days without feeding†¦ well, all his problems would be solved, wouldn't they? But that was ridiculous. He was Quinn. Nothing could touch him. The bleak feeling would go away eventually. He pulled himself out of his reverie, turning away from the shimmering blackness of the bay. Maybe he should go to the warehouse in Mission Hill, check on its inhabitants. He needed something to do, to keep him from thinking. Quinn smiled, knowing it was a smile to frighten children. He set off forBoston . Rashel sat by the window, but not the way ordinary people sit. She was kneeling in a sort of crouch, weight resting on her left leg, right leg bent and pointing forward. It was a position that allowed for swift and unrestricted movement in any direction. Her bokken was beside her; she could spring and draw at a second's notice. The abandoned building was quiet. Steve and Vicky were outside, scouting the street. Nyala seemed lost in her own thoughts. Suddenly Nyala reached out and touched the bokken's sheath. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Hm? Oh, it's a kind of Japanese sword. They use wooden swords for fencing practice because steel would be too dangerous. But it can actually be lethal even to humans. It's weighted and balanced just like a steel sword.† She pulled the sword out of the sheath and turned the flashlight on it so Nyala could see the satiny green-black wood. Nyala drew in her breath and touched the graceful curve lightly. â€Å"It's beautiful.† â€Å"It's made of lignum vitae: the Wood of Life. That's the hardest and heaviest wood there is-it's as dense as iron. I had it carved specially, just for me.† â€Å"And you use it to kill vampires.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you've killed a lot.† â€Å"Yes.† Rashel slid the sword back into its sheath. â€Å"Good,† Nyala said with a throb in her voice. She turned to stare at the street. She had a small queenly head, with hair piled on the back like Nef-ertiti's crown. When she turned back to Rashel, her voice was quiet. â€Å"How did you get into all this in the first place? I mean, you seem to know so much. How did you learn it all?† Rashel laughed. â€Å"Bit by bit,† she said briefly. She didn't like to talk about it. â€Å"But I started like you. I saw one of them kill my mom when I was five. After that, I tried to learn everything I could about vampires, so I could fight them. And I told the story at every foster home I lived in, and finally I found some people who believed me. They were vampire hunters. They taught me a lot.† Nyala looked ashamed and disgusted. â€Å"I'm so stupid-I haven't done anything like that. I wouldn't even have known about the Lancers if Elliot hadn't called me. He saw the article in the paper about my sister and guessed it might have been a vampire killing. But I'd never have found them on my own.† â€Å"You just didn't have enough time.† â€Å"No. I think it takes a special kind of person. But now that I know how to fight them, I'm going to do it.† Her voice was tight and shaky, and Rashel glanced at her quickly. There was something unstable just under the surface of this girl. â€Å"Nobody knows which of them killed my sister, so I just figure I'll get as many of them as I can. I want to-â€Å" â€Å"Quiet!† Rashel hissed the word and put a hand over Nyala's mouth at the same instant. Nyala froze. Rashel sat tensely, listening, then got up like a spring uncoiling and put her head out the window. She listened for another moment, then caught up her scarf and veiled her face with practiced movements. â€Å"Grab your ski mask and come on.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"You're going to get your wish-right now. There's a fight down there. Stay behind me†¦ and don't forget your mask.† Nyala didn't need to ask about that, she noticed. It was the first thing any vampire hunter learned. If you were recognized and the vampire got away†¦ well, it was all over. The Night People would search until they found you, then strike when you least expected it. With Nyala behind her, Rashel ran lightly down the stairs and around to the street. The sounds were coming from a pool of darkness beside one of the warehouses, far from the nearest streetlight. As Rashel reached the place, she could make out the forms of Steve and Vicky, their faces masked, their clubs in their hands. They were struggling with another form. Oh, for God's sake, Rashel thought, stopping dead. One other form. The two of them, armed with wood and lying in ambush, couldn't handle one little vampire by themselves? From the racket, she'd thought they must have been surprised by a whole army. But this vampire seemed to be putting up quite a fight-in fact, he was clearly winning. Throwing his attackers around with supernatural strength, just as if they were ordinary humans and not fearless vampire slayers. He seemed to be enjoying it. â€Å"We've got to help them!† Nyala hissed in Rashers ear. â€Å"Yeah,† Rashel said joylessly. She sighed. â€Å"Wait here; I'm going to bonk him on the head.† It wasn't quite that easy. Rashel got behind the vampire without trouble; he was preoccupied with the other two and arrogant enough to be careless. But then she had a problem. Her bokken, the honorable sword of a warrior, had one purpose: to deliver a clean blow capable of killing instantly. She couldn't bring herself to whack somebody unconscious with it. It wasn't that she didn't have other weapons. She had plenty-back at home in Marblehead. All the tools of a ninja, and some the ninja had never heard of. And she knew some extremely dirty methods of fighting. She could break bones and crush tendons; she could peel an enemy's trachea out of his neck with her bare hands or drive his ribs into his lungs with her feet. But those were desperate measures, to be used as a last resort when her own life was at stake and the opposition was overwhelming. She simply couldn't do that to a single enemy when she had the jump on him. Just then the single enemy threw Steve into a wall, where he landed with a muffled â€Å"oof.† Rashel felt sorry for him, but it solved her dilemma. She grabbed the oak club Steve had been holding as it rolled across the concrete. Then she circled nimbly as the vampire turned, trying to face her. At that instant Nyala threw herself into the fight, creating a distraction, and Rashel did what she'd said she would. She bonked the vampire on the head, driving the club like a home runner's swing with the force of her hips. The vampire cried out and fell down motionless. Rashel raised the club again, watching him. Then she lowered it, looking at Steve and Vicky. â€Å"You guys okay?† Vicky nodded stiffly. She was trying to get her breath. â€Å"He surprised us,† she said. Rashel didn't answer. She was very unhappy, and her feeling of being in top form tonight had completely evaporated. This had been the most undignified fight she'd seen in a long while, and†¦ †¦ and it bothered her, the way the vampire had cried out as he fell. She couldn't explain why, but it had. Steve picked himself up. â€Å"He shouldn't have been able to surprise us,† he said. â€Å"That was our fault.† Rashel glanced at him. It was true. In this business, you were either ready all the time, expecting the unexpected at any moment, or you were dead. â€Å"He was just good,† Vicky said shortly. â€Å"Come on, let's get him out of here before somebody sees us. There's a cellar in the other building.† Rashel took hold of the vampire's feet while Steve grabbed his shoulders. He wasn't very big, about Rashel's height and compact. He looked young, about Rashel's age. Which meant nothing, she reminded herself. A parasite could be a thousand and still look young. They gained eternal life from other people's blood. She and Steve carried their burden down the stairs into a large dank room that smelled of damp rot and mildew. They dropped him on the cold concrete floor and Rashel straightened to ease her back. â€Å"Okay. Now let's see what he looks like,† Vicky said, and turned her flashlight on him. The vampire was pale, and his black hair looked even blacker against his white skin. His eyelashes were dark on his cheek. A little blood matted his hair in the back. â€Å"I don't think he's the same one Elliot and I saw last night. That one looked bigger,† Vicky said. Nyala pressed forward, staring at her very first captive vampire. â€Å"What difference does it make? He's one of them, right? Nobody human could have thrown Steve like that. He might even be the one who killed my sister. And he's ours now.† She smiled down, looking almost like someone in love. â€Å"You're ours,† she said to the unconscious boy on the floor. â€Å"Just you wait.† Steve rubbed his shoulder where it had hit the wall. All he said was â€Å"Yeah,† but his smile wasn't nice. â€Å"I only hope he doesn't die soon,† Vicky said, examining the pale face critically. â€Å"You hit him pretty hard.† â€Å"He's not going to die,† Rashel said. â€Å"In fact, he'll probably wake up in a few minutes. And we'd better hope he's not one of the really powerful telepaths.† Nyala looked up sharply. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Oh-all vampires are telepathic,† Rashel said absently. â€Å"But there's a big range as to how powerful they are. Most of them can only communicate over a short distance-like within the same house, say. But a few are a lot stronger.† â€Å"Even if he is strong, it won't matter unless there are other vampires around,† Vicky said. â€Å"Which there may be, if you and Elliot saw another one last night.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vicky hesitated, then said, â€Å"We can check outside, make sure he doesn't have any friends hiding around that warehouse.† Steve was nodding, and Nyala was listening intently. Rashel started to say that from what she'd seen, they couldn't find a vampire in hiding to save their lives-but then she changed her mind. â€Å"Good idea,† she said. â€Å"You take Nyala and do that. It's better to have three people than two. I'll tie him up before he comes around. I've got bast cord.† Vicky glanced over quickly, but her hostility seemed to have faded since Rashel had knocked the vampire over the head. â€Å"Okay, but let's use the handcuffs. Nyala, run up and get them.† Nyala did, and she and Vicky fixed the wooden stocks on the vampire's wrists. Then they left with Steve. Rashel sat on the floor. She didn't know what she was doing, or why she'd sent Nyala away. All she knew was that she wanted to be alone, and that she felt†¦ rotten. It wasn't that she didn't have anger. There were times when she got so angry at the universe that it was actually like a little voice inside her whispering, Kill, kill, kill. Times when she wanted to strike out blindly, without caring who she hurt. But just now the little voice was silent, and Rashel felt sick. To keep herself busy, she tied his feet with bast, a cord made from the inner bark of trees. It was as good for holding a vampire as Vicky's ridiculous handcuffs. When it was done, she turned the flashlight on him again. He was good-looking. Clean features that were strongly chiseled but almost delicate. A mouth that at the moment looked rather innocent, but which might be sensuous if he were awake. A body that was lithe and flat-muscled, if not very tall. All of which had no effect on Rashel. She'd seen attractive vampires before-in fact, an inordinate number of them seemed to be really beautiful. It didn't mean anything. It only stood as a contrast to what they were like inside. The tall man who'd killed her mother had been handsome. She could still see his face, his golden eyes. Filthy parasites. Night World scum. They weren't really people. They were monsters. But they could still feel pain, just like any human. She'd hurt this one when she hit him. Rashel jumped up and started to pace the cellar. All right. This vampire deserved to die. They all did. But that didn't mean she had to wait for Vicky to come back and poke him with pointy sticks. Rashel knew now why she'd sent Nyala away. So she could give the vampire a clean death. Maybe he didn't deserve it, but she couldn't stand around and watch Vicky kill him slowly. She couldn't. She stopped pacing and went to the unconscious boy. The flashlight on the floor was still pointing at him, so she could see him clearly. He was wearing a lightweight black shirt-no sweater or coat. Vampires didn't need protection from the cold. Rashel unbuttoned the shirt, exposing his chest. Although the angled tip of her bokken could pierce clothing, it was easier to drive it straight into vampire flesh without any barrier in between. Standing with one foot on either side of the vampire's waist, she drew the heavy wooden sword. She held it with both hands, one near the guard, the other near the knob on the end of the hilt. She positioned the end exactly over the vampire's heart. â€Å"This kitten has claws,† she whispered, hardly aware she was saying it. Then she took a deep breath, eyes shut. She needed to work to focus, because she'd never done anything like this before. The vampires she'd killed had usually been caught in the middle of some despicable act-and they'd all been fighting at the end. She'd never staked one that was lying still. Concentrate, she thought. You need zanshin, continuing mind, awareness of everything without fixing on anything. She felt her feet becoming part of the cold concrete beneath them, her muscles and bones becoming extensions of the ground. The strike would carry the energy of the earth itself. Her hands brought the sword up. She was ready for the kill. She opened her eyes to perfect her aim. And then she saw that the vampire was awake. His eyes were open and he was looking at her.

Morning Beach Essay

After a stressful work or semester in school, people would feel pretty tired and want to do something to release the stress; everyone has in mind a place to escape to for relaxation. My place of relaxation is beach, especially the peaceful quiet morning beach. Where’s the place for you then? It was early in the morning, when the sky was still dim, I was walking on the beach by myself with my scandals off, feeling the grainy sand that comforts my feet as I walked across the shore; as the tide hit on shore, the spray of water splashed on my skin, refreshing it was, I felt like as if I had drunk a glass of cold water on a hot summer day, and it drove the worm of sleepiness out of my mind. The salty air blowing on my face felt wet and cool as it passed by; taking a deep breath, it was the unique smell of sea coming with this blowingwing flow into my nose. How fresh and special the smell was, it left me with a deep memory. The beach was very quiet, there was no sound of men, but the seagulls peacefully chirp as they soar overhead, singing, and searching for food; the howling wind whistles through the beach like an arriving train; as the crash of the waves thunder through my ears, like a gigantic monster crying out, showing his strength to the world. As I looked back, the footprint I left showed my path; suddenly, a tide stroke on the shore, wrapping away the mark I had left, and then disappeared, left some stones it had brought with, as an evidence showing what it had done. Looking far, I saw nothing but the deep blue sea, it was as far as your eye can see, thus far and wide as if it was stretching out its arm, and wanted to hold sky into its bosoms. The sun was like a naughty child, little by little, rising up from the edge of sky and the deep sea, smiling, showing his face to the whole world. His light painted the sky with red, as if the sky was on fire. Frequently, there were people who jogging, biking, walking out dogs, passed by here, adding vitality to this place. This is the nature of morning beach; this is what is alluring me. Its quietness you can’t here in city, the site you can’t see in city. Here you don’t have to worry about anything, it wraps away all your stresses; it takes you into nature, as if you are a part of it. How beautiful the beach is! I felt like in dream, in paradise.

Expressionism and Realism in Death of a Salesman Essay Example

Expressionism and Realism in Death of a Salesman Essay Example Expressionism and Realism in Death of a Salesman Essay Expressionism and Realism in Death of a Salesman Essay Essay Topic: Death Of a Salesman Expressionism and Realism in Death of a Salesman Death of a salesman is a play written by Arthur Miller in the year 1949. The entire plot it told from the perspective of the protagonist Willy Loman. As the last name alludes, Willy has never accomplished anything in his life and now is at the very end of it where he still hopes of making it big in the world. He is 63 years old and has the mind of a child. Willy literally lives in the glory days of the past where his mind tends to switch back and forth, from the present to the past. From his name we learn how the reader is hanging on a cliff to see Willy â€Å"will he do it†. And His last name gives the feeling of him being a low man, someone low on the social ladder and unlikely to succeed. He alternates between different perceptions of his life. Willy seems childlike and relies on others for support, even though he pretends to refuse the help given by his brother Ben when he’s asked to go to Africa. But in the end he fails to accomplish anything at all. Expressionism is defined as a style of play in which the playwright seeks to express emotional experience through their work. Miller uses many motifs to show this, such as in the very beginning where the flute is played but even though Willy hears it he’s really not aware of it. This imparts to the reader a major characteristic of Willy. It is of the absent minded life that he leads. The flute is one of the many musical motifs in the play such as an indirect reference to Willy’s father. Also music is linked to many tragic elements and events which are present. Biff whistling in the elevator leads him to lose his job. In the past Willy has an affair with another women, when Biff finds this out their relationship sours. The appearance of the women who Willy has been having an affair with is introduced with sensual music. Willy’s wife Linda also has the habit of constantly humming; this appears as tragic because in order to escape the tensions of her life she developed this habit. Realism is defined as tendency to reveal or describe things as they are actually experienced. It attempts to capture real people doing everyday things. There is not much room for imagination because the author tends to revel what he sees in life. The events are sometimes connectable with that of every day man. The novel is set place in the 1930’s during the Great economic depression which hit the United Sates. But more than the historical backdrop the common struggle for money is faced by all. Willy who works with a firm which fools him, refuses to pay him and in the end fires him after all he put in is a everyday experience. Willy wants his children to have a better life than he did so his decision to end his life so that Biff and Happy may have money is an extreme but an possible one in society. Biff and Willly drift apart as time goes by; this is because their ideas of happiness are completely different. Willy viewed success as achieving money and power; Biff however viewed success in life as being happy and doing what he loved which is working and tilling the land and accomplishing something with his own hands. Many times the parent’s view of success is far different from the kind of success that the child sees. The seeds which Willy buys are an important part of the play . Willy is constantly troubled by the thought if he has raised his sons well. He worries that as a father he will be unable to provide for them. There are times Willy says Nothing’s planted. I don’t have a thing in the ground. This is an allusion to the belief that he has within himself that he has done nothing to provide for his sons. There is times where we see Willy regret his affair for example when he sees Linda stitching her old stockings. He is reminded of how during his affair he gave many stocking to the nameless women, and becomes guilt ridden that he can’t provide for his wife now. There are further events which use more of these two elements. As far as the setting is concerned, when we see the room of Willy and Linda, it becomes obvious that only the needs of Willy is taken in to concern. Willy’s room contains only bed, chair and shelf holding Biff’s trophy, no items of Linda’s are shown. Much like Ahab’s white whale, realism is seen as the unachievable dream for Willy. No matter how hard he tries to achieve this it has long been a lost cause. In the end the protagonist realizes that his life has been an failure and that he doesn’t want the same to happen to his sons. They are both travelling down a path which will only end in failure. In order to avoid this Willy takes his own life so that he may be able to give the insurance money to his sons. Here is a time where we see one action fulfilling both of the elements. For as Willy takes his life then he shows how much he loves his sons and how desperate he has become. His family was doing their best to survive from day to day. This is seen at many grass root levels of any society. Many people of our society live in denial as to cover up the worry that’s building up inside. Every time they feel they are getting ahead financially, a problem occurs and they find themselves right back where they started. Most people also have to deal with problems and conflicts within their family throughout their life.

Principal vs. Principle

Principal vs. Principle Principal vs. Principle Principal vs. Principle By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between principal and principle? The principle is of principal importance. Here’s the background for these close cousins, as well as related terms. Principal derives by way of French from the Latin term principalis, meaning â€Å"first in importance.† In English, it initially referred to a ruler, but the word also came to be associated with an amount of money on which interest is paid, because that sum is first in terms of priority and the interest (one hopes) is a relative small amount. Only about two hundred years ago did principal come to be associated with education; the principal, or first, teacher was often also head of the school, and â€Å"principal teacher† was simplified to principal. The word is still often used as an adjective, as in â€Å"principal violinist† or â€Å"principal consideration.† Principle, by contrast, though it was originally merely a spelling variant, came to mean â€Å"proposition or truth,† and later â€Å"law of nature† and â€Å"rule of conduct.† And, unlike principal, it does not serve as an adjective except in the form of principled. Prince and princess, and such derivatives as principality (princehood, or the country ruled by a prince), like principal and principle, ultimately stem from the Latin word princeps, meaning â€Å"first.† That’s why, although prince and princess usually refer to children of a monarch, prince itself is sometimes associated with someone primarily designated as a king (though no parallel relationship between queen and princess exists.) Princeps itself comes from primus, from which English has developed the words prime, primer (pronounced with a long i when referring to an explosive cap and as PRIM-er when referring to a schoolbook), primary, and primate. â€Å"Prima donna,† Italian for â€Å"first lady,† originally referred to the principal female singer in an opera; because of the association of such personages with outsized egos, the term was borrowed as a synonym for an arrogant, demanding person of either gender. (Its synonym, diva, is also Italian and means â€Å"goddess†; that word is related to divine.) Premier and premiere are related to principal and principle as well; they started out as adjectives meaning â€Å"first.† â€Å"Premier minister,† an alternative to â€Å"prime minister,† was shortened to premier to refer to the chief executive of a nation, and â€Å"premiere presentation† was truncated to premiere to denote a first performance. â€Å"The principal is your pal† is a venerable mnemonic that reminds us which spelling to use to refer to a person, but remember that, as mentioned above, principal can also refer to things such as funds. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†Best Websites to Learn EnglishEnglish Grammar 101: Sentences, Clauses and Phrases

Future of humanity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Future of humanity - Essay Example (United States Conference of Catholic Bishop) As a result of the environmental crisis the entire human race is suffering today and the failure to act by the present generation will have an effect on the future generation as well. The poor and the powerless are that sections of the society who bears the most dreadful consequence of the current environmental carelessness. The land and neighborhood of these people are most polluted and host to the toxic dumps, the water they get are not safe to drink implying a health hazard for them. Trapped in the spiral of poverty the small farmers, the industrial workers, the lumberjacks, the watermen, the rubber tappers, bears most of the burden of the economic adjustments camouflaged in the form of environmental remedies taken up by the society. They undergo the worst consequence from the loss of fertility of soils, pollution of rivers, city streets and the deforestation and at the same time they are forced to overdo the soil, clear the forest or migrate to marginal lands due to the overcrowding and unequal distributions of land. Their labor to eke out a bare subsistence adds to the problem of environmental degradation. The diversity of life marks God’s glory. The divine beauty is being shared by every creature as the divine integrity cannot be represented by one being alone. So the human being should show respect and reverence for the Creator by preserving and protecting the natural environment and the endangered species. Human being should make an effort to be compatible with the local ecology by ensuring the just use of technology and by cautiously evaluating the technological innovations as they are being adopted. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishop; Hanks, 454) Change is the only constant thing in today’s world. In the age of globalization, the Internet is the phenomenon that is changing the lives of everyone today. Everything is moving in a breakneck speed now and its impact is not limited to the economic sphere but also in the social spheres of our life. It has brought in fear with itself as the school children are offered drugs at their playgrounds and they are growing up sexually at a great speed. The parents today are stressed and fighting day after day grind to earn a living, which will raise the family’s standard of living. It’s more of a rat race now where the ethics and values of the society are disappearing. In the present era the bonding and ties of family, locality and the country are under continuous pressure and threat. â€Å"The change is fast and fierce, replete with opportunities and dangers.† (Blair) But enduring this change humanity will flourish provided man can minimize the harmful effect of globalization and use it instead for the benefits of him. The emergence of internet has narrowed down the gaps between the countries implying an economic change which proves to be beneficial for the world economy. The internet has concised the wo rld in one‘s bedroom and the exchange of information and knowledge has led to the emergence of a knowledge hub. The interaction and communication with the rest of the world has encouraged intermarriage which will definitely blur the racial and ethnic distinction resulting in fewer wars and who knows that can really stop the world from witnessing another world war. (Intermarriage ) In this era of globalization the world’s growing interdependence cannot be denied. Hence the