Something About Mary free essay sample

There was something about Mary. I would often watch re-runs of â€Å"The Mary Tyler Moore Show† with my mother. From what I saw, Mary sat in her office talking to Murray while Ted occasionally reported the news and Lou walked around tossing off an insult or two. There were neither any real work done at WJM-TV, nor deadlines or ratings. Yet, somehow, at the age of six, I had a vague sense of my desire to be a television producer I wanted to be Mary Richards. And so began my quest to satisfy what felt like an innate love for film and writing a journey that is still just beginning. My first attempt to satisfy my inner-Mary came at seven with my television debut as a Grouchkateer on â€Å"Sesame Street.† As the director instructed us to jump up and down and shake our heads, I whirled in circles, flailing my arms in blissfully ignorant rebellion. We will write a custom essay sample on Something About Mary or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Between shots, I attempted to visit Oscar the Grouch and relentlessly banged on his can until Big Bird told me to stop. They, no doubt, thought I wasn’t ready for TV; I prefer to think that it wasn’t ready for me. Next up: middle school, and my effort to revamp the home video. My cousin and I did not bring idle reminiscing to the small screen. Instead, we created quirky vignettes that only slightly exaggerated true stories of our painfully suburban family. There was the time, for instance, my brother threw the dog who couldn’t swim into the pool, or the time we spent nine hours assembling an exersaucer for a two-year-old, or when I tricked my aunt into thinking she won a million dollars with a fake scratch ticket. When I got to high school, however, it all seemed like kid stuff. Oscar’s trash can? Silly family stories? I was an artiste. The workings of the camera and the art of the pen struck me intensely, as would a low angle shot of a mastermind villain for the viewer or an unexpected climax for the engrossed reader. A good narrative provides catharsis for the insightful writer and a camera lens provides a feast for weary eyes. I produced two films junior year, â€Å"Umbrella,† a silent, black and white short film noir, and â€Å"Opposites Attract,† a bizarre romantic comedy. Both found me waking before dawn and taking the subway to that day’s location with carefully annotated scripts, filming schedules, and continuity notebooks in hand. Amid days upon days of wacky film jokes and countless â€Å"lights-camera-action,† we would stop to make an edit or take a coffee break. Working with actors from the Screen Actors Guild was no stroll down â€Å"Sesame Street.† It took more than enough takes to recognize the relationship that bonds my mini-Sony DV with my flimsy tripod, that fuses Final Cut Pro with Avid DV Express, and that merges my beloved fixations of filming and writing. Things have come a long way from the time I sat in front of that TV wanting to be just like Mary to the present as I sit at my editing station in school or at my desk writing a scene at all hours of the night. Where will the next reel find me? I don’t know. But I’m sure of one thing: In some way, it will be something like Mary.

Unit 2 Essay

Unit 2 Essay Unit 2 Essay Gunnar Graham Intro Sociology July 20th 2013 1) Cultural hegemony is the leadership and influence exercised by one nation over another’s nation/culture through society. In the chapter â€Å" Rethinking The Good Life,† Norwegians celebrated the 100th year of independence from Sweden. Due to Norway’s past of cultural hegemony, Norwegian didn’t have much free time. A group of individuals from Norway campaigned to declare freedom of â€Å"time poverty.† In the United States, americans struggle to do too much with too little time. On October 24th 2003, the alliance known as the U.S. Simplicity Forum, organized the â€Å"Take Back Your Time Day.† People would arrive late, take long lunches, and leave early from work. Thousands of people came together for the cause. This resistance focuses against politics to make a change in their lives. Social changes are made for the betterment of the people in the society. Cultural capital relates to these societal changes due to the fact that the knowledg e of a more relaxed state of life is presented for free towards people. The cultural capital of this situation help people to better see the good life and enjoy some of their life, not all work. I relate to this situation because between football and school I have very little free time. I let the weekend act as my days to take back my time. I also allows for me to stay in a cooperative society and live sociology. 2) For this experiment, I was unable to complete it, due to responsibility to stay in contact with both my athletic coaches and my academic supervisor’s. Fortunately, I did this experiment in high school. However, I don’t have the data logs with me anymore. During the blackout, I found it very difficult to not use technology. When I would usually have my phone to text people, I discovered how much time I actually spent on my phone rather than doing my homework. Speaking of homework, I found that it was easier to concentrate on each of the assignments and i was able to communicate better with friends. I actually rather enjoyed the experiment, because I never had to worry about returning texts or calls. It was relaxing to be able to enjoy life without the distractions of modern technology. For the blackout relating to functionalism, the blackout represents how we can connect to other groups of people who aren’t ever able to use the technology that we use day to day. According to conflict theory the blackout relates to going against the interests of most americans. Many people truly believe that they can’t live their life without technology. Symbolic interaction allows for people to be social face to face rather than being social through technology. Living through a social network isn’t the same as living live as a real person in society, not just a picture on the screen. The feminist theory relates to the blackout, because girls will no longer just focus on calling guys or dealing with the drama that gets spread around social networking sites, such as Facebook and twitter. This experiment teaches us that technology can sometimes be helpful by standing connected to people in society, but it can also hurt society by harming our social interaction. Technology can either help us or hurt us; it all depends on how we approach the controlling power of technology. 3) Culture is a way of thinking and behaving, it is traditions, memories, written records, ideas, rules, and accumulated beliefs. Socialization prepare people from a young age to set them up to be proper adults. Socialization also transmits culture and allows for society to function properly. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s

Understanding Canadas Parliament and How Laws Are Made

Understanding Canadas Parliament and How Laws Are Made Canada is a  constitutional monarchy, which means that it recognizes the queen or king as the  head of state, while the prime minister is the  head of government.  Parliament is the legislative branch of the federal government in Canada. Canada’s Parliament consists of three parts: the Queen, the Senate and the House of Commons. As the legislative branch of the federal government, all three parts work together to make the laws for the country. Who Are the Members of Parliament? The Parliament of Canada is made up of the sovereign, represented by the governor-general of Canada, plus the House of Commons and the Senate. Parliament is the legislative, or law-making, branch of the federal government.   Canadas government has three branches. The members of Parliament, or parliamentarians, meet in Ottawa and work with the executive and judicial branches to run the national government.  The executive branch is the decision-making branch, consisting of the  sovereign,  the  prime minister  and the  Cabinet. The judicial branch is a series of  independent  courts that interpret the  laws  passed by the other branches. Canadas Two-Chamber System Canada has a  bicameral  parliamentary system. That means that there are two separate  chambers, each with its own group of  parliamentarians:  the  Senate  and the  House of Commons. Each chamber has a Speaker who acts as the presiding officer of the chamber. The prime minister recommends individuals to serve in the Senate, and the governor-general makes the appointments. A senator must be at least 30 years old and must retire by his or her  75th  birthday.  The Senate has 105 members, and the seats are distributed to give equal representation to the major regions of the country. In contrast, voters elect representatives to the House of Commons. These representatives are called Members of Parliament, or MPs.  With few exceptions, anyone who is qualified to vote can run for a seat in the House of Commons. Thus, a candidate needs to be at least 18 years old to run for an MP position.  Seats in the House of Commons are distributed in proportion to the population of each province and territory. In general, the more people in a province or territory, the more members it has in the House of Commons. The number of MPs varies, but every province or territory must have at least as many members in the House of Commons as it has in the Senate. Making Law in Canada Members of both the Senate and the  House of Commons propose, review and debate potential new laws. This includes opposition party members, who also may propose new laws and participate in the overall lawmaking process. To become law, a bill must pass through both chambers in a series of readings and debates, followed by careful study in committee and additional debate. Finally, the bill must receive royal assent, or final approval, by the governor-general before becoming  law.

Negligent training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Negligent training - Essay Example and drink arrangement and administration; establishing essential building efforts to establish safety; and making moves to maintain a strategic distance from a rehash of past mishaps by your employs through training them. A standout amongst the most well-known types of mischance at cordiality venues is a slip-and-fall mishap. The recurrence is so extraordinary; this expression is currently a typical legitimate term. Basic reasons for these mishaps incorporate covers not appropriately secured to the floor, electrical lines laid crosswise over floors, wet floors created by spilling roofs or janitorial work, protests or fluids on stairs, and hand railings that fizzle. In the event that you have an exchange show or gatherings where exhibitors or speakers use electronic presentation gear, oblige them to utilize your electrical ropes and demand that your staff introduce them to guarantee they are legitimately laid, taped and secured. A protection safeguard lawyer or your protection bearer ought to have the capacity to provide for you a rundown of slip-and-fall insurances your office can take. Proper instructions and training can prevent this otherwise you can’t stop this. (Ashe, S. (n.d.). Types of Negligence in the Hospitality Industry) There are many steps to reduce negligent training like improving management communication as all administrators will continually and reliably show the adequate behavior, as expressed in the approaches, in their own particular conduct and by taking part in consistent, continuous preparing for all representatives to make economical behavioral change that is in arrangement with organization arrangements and techniques. Other step can be creating a healthy environment for employs to learn like administrators must figure out how to manufacture trust and admiration among their representatives so workers trust it is protected to approach administration without alarm of responses and report episodes where representative behavior

Diagnosis and data gathering based on a case study Peppercorn Dining

Diagnosis and data gathering based on a Peppercorn Dining - Case Study Example The study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. This was appropriate variable in collecting and summarizing data that was used in analyzing about to analyze the organizational development and change of Peppercorn Dining and some mitigation measures necessary. As a result, the qualitative and quantitative research methods ensured reliability and credibility of the results. The design is also suitable because it gives an in-depth description of the phenomena in their existing setting. This fits well with the hotel staff who participated in the study while in their respective duties. Descriptive survey was also preferred because it is economical in collecting data from over a large sample with high data turn over. Data collection process Mark Tap consultants were assigned the duty of collecting the data in order to improve on how Peppercorn Dinning operates concerning their development and change. In their quest to obtain the needed data, the consultants will issue question naires to staff members and managers. Sample Selection The selection will be based on randomization principle, which is a procedure of giving every subject in a population an equal chance of appearing in the selection. Stratified random sampling will be used to select the sample population. After which, simple random sampling will be used to get the required the desired sample. Data analysis Data Analysis procedure The data collected was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Open coding was used to initially name and categorize the data, and selective coding was used to develop a more general framework. The study used frequency count, mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values of variables. The hypotheses formulated for the study tested using logistic regression. Quantitative data analysis was done to generate frequencies percentages and means. The resulting quantitative data will then be interpreted using simple statistical method. The questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The data collected through questionnaire was classified on the basis of common attributes then tallied to obtain statistical frequencies, tabulated and finally analyzed using descriptive statistics. This helped to collapse large volume of quantitative data in numerical form for ease of statistical interpretation. Besides this, the ANOVA test was applied to find the significance difference among the opinions of different categories of the respondents. The qualitative data obtained through open-ended questions and interview protocols was analyzed by placing the responses into identical categories as described in NVivo software used for analyzing qualitative research data. Besides frequencies, the opinions of the respondents will be calculated into percentage. Interviews and observation Peppercorn Dinning has not embraced professionalism, in that anyone is assign to do a given chore on the basis of who come s first. It is disappointing to note that those who merit to be in finance, marketing and technological sections are thrown away to manual work such as cooking and cleaning. This was triggered by the fact that the students were allowed to seek for employment in Peppercorn Dinning with their academic qualifications notwithstanding. The academic qualification of the organization had not attained the proper skills the hire

Unity 3D Essay Example for Free

Unity 3D Essay Based on our research Game development is the process of creating video games and games can be developed as an artistic outlet and to produce a lot of money. Game developer is software developer, business or an individual who is in charge in creating video games. There are many types of video games examples areRPG, Actiongames, Adventure games, Strategy games, Vehicle Simulation games, Puzzle games, Sports games and many more. On this part the researchers discussed the data gathered in some related games in the World Wide Web or internet and study it to serve as reference to the project. Unity 3D as a Game development tool Firstly we could see in this article is all about Unity 3D and initially Unity is an integrated development tool used for creating interactive 3D software, like 3D games and simulations games. Based on our research Unity3D is a superior 3D engine and the environment of Unity 3D is very simple to understand and easy to use for a beginner. Unity should interest anyone who wants create 3D games and game applications in cell phone, desktop and many more. Unity’s iterative light map baking gives you complete control of your light mapping workflow. The integrated light mapping tool, Beast, perfectly bakes lights into textures for amazing performance. You can opt to spend time baking only the parts of the scene you are actively working on. Unity facilitates the smooth deployment of your single-player games online, with options such as adding high scores, chat, and real-time interaction and Unity also makes the complexities of real-time networking easy to negotiate. Turning a single-player game into a networked multiplayer game requires few changes to your existing code, and you never have to worry about networking technicalities like NAT punch through Unity also helps you quickly bring your scene to life with automatic navigation mesh. A navigation mesh is a summary of data structure used in artificial intelligence applications to aid agent in path-finding through large spaces. Lastly Unity also provides powerful tools for resonant scenes. Like In-game audio is powered by FMOD, one of the worlds most widely used libraries and toolkits for the creation and playback of interactive audio. In Scripting with Unity it brings you fast iteration and execution and the  strength and flexibility of a world-leading programming environment. Scripting is uncluttered, straightforward and incredibly fast. In Unity, you write simple behavior scripts in JavaScript, C# or Boo. All three languages are easy to use and run the three programs is an open source so it means you can download it just for free. Unity 3D also offers a free unlimited trail version of the software, but also sells Unity Pro, a more feature-rich professional version. In addition they offer developers a source code license if they encounter limitations in the Unity Pro development environment, allowing programmers to extend the capabilities of Unity. Techniques in 3D Modeling In this article it will discuss what 3D modeling is all about and we could see in this article the different techniques in modeling. Firstly the Primitive modeling is a very basic modeling technique and hence has several draw backs too. The software tool like 3D Max, Maya andmany more.Provides a set of 3D primitives like spheres, boxes, triangles etc. The artist alters these shapes to suit his/her character modeling needs, using lattices, deformers and many more.Primitive modeling technique is more suitable for building objects like houses, furniture etc rather than, for live organic modeling. Next is the â€Å"NURBS† or Non Uniform Rational B-spline. If we see this modeling technique from an outer view, all we see is a set of simple curves that we call NURBS. How the 3D tool implemented it we don’t need to care much these curves are very flexible and have control points on them which we can use to change its shape. The NURBS modeling has its advantages and disadvantages. It is an easy to model approach, since the NURBS curves are easy to manipulate. But this modeling technique has limited extensibility. Suppose you want to add an extra limb to your alien creature after the modeling is complete, it will become extremely difficult, if you choose NURBS modeling. Finally the surface modeling, this is the widely adopted modeling technique used primarily for organic modeling. In this modeling technique, the 3D artist creates a spline cage profile for the 3D character. The splines intersect between each other, creating a completely closed profile of the character, unlike the NURBS technique. This method has the advantage that it can be extended to adapt to varied requirements, during any stage of the modeling process. This offers a lot of flexibility  to the artist. This technique is used widely in 3D animation software’s. Autodesk 3Ds Max 3Ds max is one of the most powerful and popular desktop 3D graphics programs available today the program is used for a wide variety of commercial and artistic applications, including architecture , computer games, film production, forensic, medical and scientific visualization, virtual reality, web design and even fine art. In auto desk 3Ds Max where you can create alien planets, towering ruins, heroes, villains and create your own paradise. By harnessing your imagination to 3Danimation, you can make animals prowl and mountain as people run through quivering jungles. But before you start creating chaos and quest you need to learn the basics about 3ds max if you have mastered the skill in how to navigate viewports, control the display, create and select objects, and transform your creations. Then you will learn how to model objects in greater details. Example of Car Racing PC game: Dirt 3 Based on our research Dirt 3 is a rally Car racing video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series, developed and published by Code masters. However, the Colin McRae tag has been completely removed from this iteration (having previously been removed from only American versions of previous games in the series). The game was released in Europe and North America on 24 May 2011, and two days later in Australia for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The Japanese version of Dirt 3 was released on 25 August 2011. F1 Online: One example of a Car racing PC game in Unity is the F1 Online it is the Game that uses an innovative control method that allows anyone with a mouse to take part in exhilarating races with up to 24 players on stunning circuits from around the world. Test your racing prowess over a selection of 19 officially licensed circuits and 18 custom-built circuits spanning 6 continents. Discover the perfect racing line, master corner braking and learn to deploy DRS and KERS at the right moment to drive your team to victory. The more successful you are on the track, the more rewards you will earn. http://www.naturalmotiongames.com/games/csrracing/ http://unity3d.com/gallery/made-with-unity/game-list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_modeling http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-3d-modeling.htm

Theory of marxism and sports Essay -- essays research papers

The paper that is about to be presented is about how a theory invented by Karl Marx can intertwine with sports as we know it. The Marxist theory mainly affects how people can participate in different sports depending on their class status. In the first two paragraphs, the paper will describe the basic intentions of the Marxist Theory and its background. The next two paragraphs will explain how the the theory and spoats coincide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Marxist theory is used all over the world. In fact, it is used moer than any other social theory. His thoughts have been used for for diffent political, military, and academic views and studies. Karl marx lived from 1813-1883 in Germany. His theory covers the culture, politics, economics and industrialization of his time. He called the leading role of the social parts of each individual societies superstructures. In Marx’s eyes there were two classes: The Bourgeoisie and the Proletariat. The upper class, more wealthy, Bourgeoisie, had the smaller more powerful aristocratic class. On the other hand, the Proletariat are less skilled lower class workers that are the majority. Do to the separation of these two classes the Bourgeoisie own all the means of production and have the rights to all the riches. They have the power to influence there thoughts and beliefs in society because of their economic and social dominance (Rigauer, 2000). The Marixst theory is set up on economic factors and puts to much considertion on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   them. According to Marx he thinks money is everything within society and social life. Marxism tries to identify which sports are accessible to whom. A recent example: in contemporary British society class differences regarding participation rates in different sports can be found. The higher the social class, the more likely the individual is to be more active and to attend a sports event. The explanation therefore: a lack of resources in finances and availability of those in the working class. Affected sports are walking, jogging, swimming, weight-lifting, snook... ...In conclusion, after reading in depth articles and individual opinions on the topic, I realized that the Marxist approach is one dimensional and incomplete. Therefore, leaving me to be critical of an unfulfilling and one sided view of Marxist theory and sport. However,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the commonalities that arise between capitalism and the development of sport in our society still cannot be ignored. Thus, giving his theory partial credibility in my opinion. While I struggled to understand how this information could be used directly in the field of sport administration, in the end, I have learned that simply being aware of different sociological theories can help to understand why society behaves the way it does in the sport context. This application is very indirect; however, it will allow me to approach future situations with a deeper understanding of sports in society.

Cooking Is Chemistry Essay

Cooking is chemistry. Everything is essentially chemical reactions. If you don’t mix the correct amount of grams of one element with another the product can result to be horrendous. The formula of sugar is C12H22O11. When you mix a certain amount of that into a solution of water with the addition of tea you a drink called sweet tea. Let’s say you mix add more C12H22O11 than water. Then your product will be syrup; a completely different mixture and ingredient. You went from a drink to syrup all because you added the incorrect amount of one compound. Now with the same molecules of sugar, let’s add heat, air and water. When you stir these ingredients with dry heat you get cotton candy. Wish is composed of nothing but carbohydrates and water. The added heat disperses the sugar and changes the state of the mixture from liquid to solid. Not enough heat will make it syrup and too much water will make it a drink. According to research, at any time you crack and fry an unfertilized egg, you reconstruct a protein called albumin. The proteins are held collectively by intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds & hydrophobic relations. Heat interrupts these forces & alters the color of the yolk from clear to white. If you add NaCl to water, it will raise the boiling point of water. It will take longer for the water to boil. Therefore, with salt, you can increase the boiling point of water 5 degrees. Another important concept of cooking is cleanliness. If the foods you eat are not properly handled and cooked, then you increase your chances of getting salmonella and other food related illnesses. If you heat you foods to proper temperatures you can eliminate the chances of bacteria’s and viruses being present. The DNA and structure of most viruses and bacteria are destroyed with heat, flame, water, salt, and other cooking elements. For instance, you may could a bloody burger but if you think, the cells and everything within the erythrocyte do not disappear. They are just simply destroyed and no longer living. The blood cells hop of the pan or fly away. Cooking is chemistry without chemistry; most of today’s food would not exist. If you don’t mix the right amount of grams of one element with another the product can result in being a different food . Chemistry allows foods to diverse, creating an ample amount of new ingredients and foods from different cultures. Everything is fundamentally chemical reactions!

The Return: Midnight Chapter 29

â€Å"Oi!†Damon shouted from outside the palanquin. â€Å"Is anybody else looking at this?† Elena was. Both Stefan and Bonnie had their eyes shut; Bonnie was wrapped in blankets and cuddled against Elena. They had rol ed down al the curtains of the palanquin except one. But Elena had watched through the single window, and had seen how tendrils of fog had begun drifting by, first just filmy tatters of mist, but then longer, ful er veils, and final y blankets, engulfing them whole. It seemed to her that they were being deliberately cut off from even the perilous Dark Dimension, that they were passing a border into a place they weren't meant to know about, much less enter. â€Å"How do we know we're going in the right direction?†Elena shouted to Damon after Stefan and Bonnie woke. She was glad to be able to talk again. â€Å"The thurgs know,†Damon cal ed back. â€Å"You set them on a line and they walk that line until somebody stops them, or – â€Å" â€Å"Or what?†Elena yel ed out of the opening. â€Å"Until we get to a place like this.† This was obviously bait, and neither Stefan nor Elena could resist taking it – especial y when the thurg they were riding stopped. â€Å"Stay here,†Elena said to Bonnie. She pushed a curtain out of the way and found herself looking too far down at white ground. God, these thurgs were big. The next moment, though, Stefan was on the ground holding up his arms. â€Å"Jump!† â€Å"Can't you come up and float me?† â€Å"Sorry. Something about this place inhibits Power.† Elena didn't give herself time to think. She launched into the air and Stefan caught her neatly. Spontaneously, she clung to him, and felt the familiar comfort of his embrace. Then he said, â€Å"Come look at this.† They had reached a place where the land ended and the mist divided, like curtains being held to either side. Directly in front of them was a frozen lake. A silvery frozen lake, almost perfectly round in shape. â€Å"Lake Mirror?†Damon said, cocking his head to one side. â€Å"I always thought that was a fairy tale,†Stefan said. â€Å"Welcome to Bonnie's storybook.† Lake Mirror formed a vast body of water in front of them, frozen right into the ice sheet below her feet, or so it seemed. It did look like a mirror – a purse mirror after you'd breathed softly on it. â€Å"But the thurgs?†Elena said – or rather whispered. She couldn't help whispering. The silent lake pressed on her, as did the lack of any kind of natural sound: There were no birds singing, no rustling in the bushes – no bushes! No trees! Instead, just the mist surrounding the frozen water. â€Å"The thurgs,†Elena repeated in a slightly louder voice. â€Å"They can't possibly walk on that!† â€Å"Depends on how thick the lake ice is,†Damon said, flashing his old 250-kilowatt smile at her. â€Å"If it's thick enough, it'l be just like walking on land for them.† â€Å"And if it isn't?† â€Å"Hmm†¦Do thurgs float?† Elena gave him an exasperated glance and looked at Stefan. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"I don't know,†he said doubtful y. â€Å"They're very large animals. Let's ask Bonnie about the kids in the fairy tale.† Bonnie, Stillwrapped in fur blankets that began col ecting chunks of ice as they dragged on the ground, looked at the lake grimly. â€Å"The story didn't go into detail,†she said. â€Å"It just said that they went down, down, down, and that they had to pass tests of their courage and – and – wittiness – before they got there.† â€Å"Fortunately,†Damon said, smiling, â€Å"I have large enough amounts of both to make up for my brother's entire lack of either – â€Å" â€Å"Stop it, Damon!†Elena burst out. The moment she'd seen the smile, she'd turned to Stefan, pul ed him down to her height, and begun kissing him. She knew what Damon would see when he turned back toward them – her and Stefan locked in an embrace, Stefan hardly aware of anything being said. At least they could Stilltouch with their minds. And it was intriguing, Elena thought, Stefan's warm mouth when everything else in the world was cold. She looked quickly at Bonnie, to make sure she hadn't upset her, but Bonnie was looking quite cheerful. The farther I seem to drive Damon away, the happier she is, Elena thought. Oh, God†¦this is a problem. Stefan spoke up quietly. â€Å"Bonnie, what it comes down to is that it has to be your choice. Don't try to use courage or wit or anything except your inner feelings. Where do we go?† Bonnie glanced back at the thurgs, then looked at the lake. â€Å"That way,†she said, without hesitation, and she pointed straight across the lake. â€Å"We'd better carry some of the cooking stones and fuel and backpacks with iron rations in them,†Stefan said. â€Å"That way, if the worst happens, we'l Stillhave basic supplies.† â€Å"Besides,†said Elena, â€Å"it'l lighten that thurg's load – if only by a little.† It seemed a crime to put a backpack on Bonnie, but she insisted. Final y, Elena arranged one fil ed entirely with the warm, curiously light fur clothes. Everyone else was carrying furs, food, and poop – the dried animal dung that would from now on be their only fuel. It was difficult from the first. Elena had only had a couple of experiences with ice that she had reason to be wary of – but one of those had almost been disastrous for Matt. She was ready to jump and whirl at any crack – any sound that the ice was breaking. But there were no cracks; no water flowing up to slosh onto her boots. The thurgs were the ones who seemed actual y built for walking on frozen water. Their feet were pneumatic, and could spread out to almost half again their original size, avoiding putting too much pressure on any one section of ice. Crossing the lake was slow, but Elena didn't see anything particularly deadly about it. It was simply the smoothest, slickest ice she had ever encountered. Her boots wanted to skate. â€Å"Hey, everybody!†Bonnie was skating, exactly as if she were in a rink, backward and forward and sideways. â€Å"This is fun!† â€Å"We're not here to have fun,†Elena shouted back. She longed to try it herself, but was afraid to make cuts – even scuffs – in the ice. And beside that, Bonnie was expending twice as much energy as she needed to. She was about to cal out to Bonnie and tel her this, when Damon, in a voice of exasperation, made al the points she had thought of, and a few more. â€Å"This isn't a pleasure cruise,†he said shortly. â€Å"It's for the fate of your town.† â€Å"As if you care,†Elena murmured, turning her back on him and touching the unhappy Bonnie's hand both to give comfort and to get them going at arm's length again. â€Å"Bonnie, do you sense anything magical about the lake?† â€Å"No.†But then Bonnie's imagination seemed to fly into high gear. â€Å"But maybe it's where the mystics from both dimensions al gathered to exchange spel s. Or maybe it's where they used the ice like a real magic mirror to see faraway places and things.† â€Å"Maybe both of them,†Elena said, secretly amused, but Bonnie nodded solemnly. And that was when it came. The sound Elena had been waiting for. Nor was it a distant booming which could be ignored or discussed. They had been walking at arm's length from one another to avoid stressing the ice, while the thurgs walked behind them, and to either side – like a flock of geese with no leaders. This noise was a dreadful y near crack like the report of a gun. Immediately, it sounded again, like a whiplash, and then a crumbling. It was to Elena's left, on Bonnie's side. â€Å"Skate, Bonnie,†she shouted. â€Å"Skate as fast as you can. Scream if you see land.† Bonnie didn't ask a single question. She took off like an Olympic speed skater in front of Elena, and Elena swiftly turned. It was Biratz, the thurg Bonnie had asked Pelat about. She had one monstrous back leg in the ice, and as she struggled, more ice cracked. Stefan! Can you hear me? Faintly. I'm coming for you. Yes – but only come as close as you need to Influence the thurg. Influence the – ? Make her calm, put her out, whatever. She's ripping up the ice and it'll just make it harder to get her out! This time there was a pause before Stefan's answer came. She knew though, by faint echoes, that he was talking telepathical y with someone else. All right, love, I'll do it. I'll take care of the thurg, too. You follow Bonnie. He was lying. Or, not lying, but keeping something from her. The person he'd been sending thoughts to was Damon. They were humoring her. They didn't mean to help at all. Just at that moment she heard a shril scream – not so far away. It was Bonnie in trouble – no! Bonnie had found land! Elena didn't lose another second. She dumped her backpack on the ice and skated straight back to the thurg. There it was, so huge, so pathetic, so helpless. The very thing that had kept it safe from other Godawful Hel acious monsters in the Dark Dimension – its great bulk – was now turned against it. Elena felt her chest tighten as if she were wearing a corset. Even as she watched, though, the animal became calmer. She stopped trying to get her left hind leg out of the ice, which meant that she stopped churning up the ice around it. Now Biratz was in a sort of crouching position, trying to keep her three dry legs from going under. The problem was that she was trying too hard, and that there was nothing to push against except breakable ice. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan was within earshot now. â€Å"Don't get any closer!† But even as he said it, Elena saw a Sign. Just a few feet away, lying on the ice was the tickle-prod that Pelat had used to get the thurgs going. She picked it up as she skated by and then she saw another Sign. Reddish hay and the original covering for the hay – a giant tarpaulin – were lying behind the thurg. Together they formed a broad wide path that was neither wet nor slick. â€Å"Elena!† â€Å"This is going to be easy, Stefan!† Elena pul ed a pair of dry socks out of her pocket and drew them up over her boots. She fastened the tickle stick to her belt. And then she started the run of her life. Her boots were fur with something like felt underneath and with the socks to aid them, they caught on the tarpaulin and propel ed her forward. She leaned into it, vaguely wishing Meredith were here, so she could do this instead, but al the time getting closer. And then she saw her mark: the end of the tarp and beyond it floating chunks of ice. But the thurg looked climbable. Very low in back, like a dinosaur halfway into a tar pit, but then rising up along the curved backbone. If she could just somehow land there†¦ Two steps til jump-off. One step til jump-off. JUMP! Elena pushed off with her right foot, flew through the air for an endless time, and – hit the water. Instantly, she was soaked from head to foot and the shock of the icy water was unbelievable. It caught hold of her like some monster with a handful of jagged ice shards. It blinded her with her own hair, it squeezed al the sound out of the universe. Somehow, clawing at her face, she freed her mouth and eyes from hair. She realized that she was only slightly below the surface of the water, and that was al she needed to push upward until her mouth broke the surface and she could suck in a lungful of delicious air, after which she had a coughing fit. First time up, she thought, remembering the old superstition that a drowning person wil rise three times and then sink forever. But the strange thing was that she wasn't sinking. There was a dul pain in her thigh but she wasn't going under. Slowly, slowly, she realized what had happened. She had missed the back of the thurg, but landed on its thick reptilian tail. One of the serrated fins had gashed her, but she was stable. So†¦now†¦al I have to do is climb the thurg, she puzzled out slowly. Everything seemed slow because there were icebergs bobbing around her shoulders. She put up a fur-lined gloved hand and reached for the next fin up. The water, while making her soaking clothes heavier, supported some of her weight. She managed to pul herself up to the next fin. And the next. And then here was the rump, and she had to be careful – no more footholds. Instead she grabbed for handholds and found something with her left hand. A broken strap from the hay carrier. Not a good idea – in retrospect. For a few minutes that qualified as among the worst in her life she was showered with hay, pounded with rocks, and smothered in the dust of old dung. When it was final y over she looked around, sneezing and coughing, to find that she was Stillon the thurg. The tickle stick had been broken but enough remained for her to use. Stefan was frantical y asking, both aloud and by telepathy, if she was All right. Bonnie was skating back and forth like a Tinker Bel guide, and Damon was cursing at Bonnie to get back to land and stay there. Meanwhile Elena was inching up the rump of the thurg. She made it through the crushed supply basket. She final y reached the thurg's summit, and she settled just behind the domed head, in the seat where a driver would sit. And then she tickled the thurg behind the ears. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan shouted, and then Elena, what are you trying to do? â€Å"I don't know!†she shouted back. â€Å"Trying to save the thurg!† â€Å"You can't,†Damon interrupted Stefan's answer in a voice as cold and Stillas the place they were in. â€Å"She can make it!†Elena said fiercely – precisely because she herself was having doubts about whether the animal could. â€Å"You could help by pul ing on her bridle.† â€Å"There's no point,†Damon shouted, and turned about-face, walking quickly into the mist. â€Å"I'l give it a try. Throw it out in front of her,†Stefan said. Elena threw the knotted bridle as hard as she could. Stefan had to run almost to the edge of the ice to grab it before it fel in. Then he held it aloft triumphantly. â€Å"Got it!† â€Å"Okay, pul ! Give her a direction to start in.† â€Å"Wil do!† Elena tapped Biratz again behind her right ear. There was a faint rumble from the animal and then nothing. Elena could see Stefan straining at the bridle. â€Å"Come on,† Elena said, and slapped sharply with the stick. The thurg lifted up a giant foot, placed it farther on the ice, and struggled. As soon as she did, Elena smacked hard behind the left ear. This was the crucial moment. If Elena could keep Biratz from crushing al the ice between her back legs, they might have a chance. The thurg tentatively lifted her left hind leg and stretched it until it made contact with the ice. â€Å"Good, Biratz! Now! â€Å"Elena shouted. Now if Biratz would only surge forward†¦ There was a great upheaval underneath her. For several minutes Elena thought that perhaps Biratz had broken through the ice with al four legs. Then the thrashing changed to a rocking motion and suddenly, dizzyingly Elena knew that they had won. â€Å"Easy, now, easy,†she cal ed to the animal, giving her a gentle tickle with the stick. And slowly, ponderously, Biratz moved forward. Her domed head drooped farther and farther as she went, and she foundered at the edge of a bank of mist, breaking the ice again. But there she only sank a few inches before meeting mud. A few more steps and they were on solid ground. Elena had to suck in her breath to stifle a scream as the thurg's domelike head slumped, giving her a short and scary ride to where the tusks re-curved on themselves. Somehow she slid right between them and had to hastily scramble off Biratz's trunks. â€Å"It was pointless, you know, doing that,†Damon said from somewhere in the mist beside her. â€Å"Risking your own life.† â€Å"What d-do you mean p-pointless?†Elena demanded. She wasn't frightened; she was freezing. â€Å"The animals are going to die anyway. The next trial is one they can't manage and even if they could, this isn't a place where anything grows. Instead of a quick clean death in the water, they're going to starve, slowly.† Elena didn't answer; the only answer she could think of was, â€Å"Why didn't you tel me earlier?†She had stopped shivering, which was a good thing, because a moment ago her body had felt as if she might shake herself apart. Clothes, she thought vaguely. That was the problem. It certainly couldn't be as cold here in the air as it had been in that water. It was her clothes that were making her so cold. She began, with numb fingers, to take them off. First, she unfastened her leather jacket. No zippers here: buttons. That was a real problem. Her fingers felt like frozen hot dogs, and only nominal y under her direction. But somehow or other she managed to undo the fastenings and the leather dropped to the ground with a muffled thump – it had taken a layer of her inner fur off with it. Ick. The smel of wet fur. Now, now she had to – But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything because someone was holding her arms. Burning her arms. Those hands were annoying, but at least she knew who they belonged to. They were firm and very gentle but very strong. Al that added up to Stefan. Slowly, she raised her dripping head to ask Stefan to stop burning her arms. But she couldn't. Because on Stefan's body there was Damon's head. Now that was funny. She'd seen a lot of things that vampires could do, but not this swapping heads business. â€Å"Stefan-Damon – please stop,†she gasped between hysterical whoops of laughter. â€Å"It hurts. It's too hot!† â€Å"Hot? You're frozen, you mean.†The deft, searing hands were rubbing up and down her arms, pushing back her head to rub her cheeks. She let it happen, because it seemed to be only sense that if it was Damon's head, they were Stefan's hands. â€Å"You're cold but you're not shivering?†a grim Damon-voice said from somewhere. â€Å"Yes, so you see I must be warming up.†Elena didn't feel very warmed up. She realized that she Stillhad on a longer fur garment, one that reached to her knees under her leather breeches. She fumbled with her belt. â€Å"You're not warming up. You're going into the next stage of hypothermia. And if you don't get dry and warm right now, you're going to die.†Not roughly, he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. â€Å"You're delirious now – can you understand me, Elena? We need to really get you warm.† Warm was a concept as vague and faraway as life before she had met Stefan. But delirious she understood. That was not a good thing. What to do about it except laugh? â€Å"All right. Elena, just wait for a moment. Let me find – â€Å"In a moment he was back. Not quick enough to stop her from unwrapping the fur down to her waist, but back before she could get her camisole off. â€Å"Here.†He stripped off the damp fur and wrapped a warm, dry one around her, over her camisole. After a moment or two she began to shiver. â€Å"That's my girl,†Damon's voice said. It went on: â€Å"Don't fight me, Elena. I'm trying to save your life. That's al . I'm not going to try to do anything else. I give you my word.† Elena was bewildered. Why should she think that Damon – this must be Damon, she decided – would want to hurt her? Although he could be a bastard sometimes†¦ And he was taking off her clothes. No. That shouldn't be happening. Definitely not. Especial y since Stefan must be somewhere around. But by now Elena was shivering too hard to talk. And now that she was in her underwear, he was making her lie down on furs, tucking other furs around her. Elena didn't understand anything that was happening, but it was al starting not to matter. She was floating somewhere outside herself, watching without much interest. Then another body was slipping in under the furs. She snapped back from the place she had been floating. Very briefly she got a look at a bare chest. And then a warm, compact body slid into the makeshift sleeping bag with her. Warm, hard arms went around her, keeping her in contact al over her body. Through the mist she vaguely heard Stefan's voice. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?†

Reflections on AngloSaxon Life essays

Reflections on AngloSaxon Life essays The Anglo-Saxons set the foundations on which the English nation developed. In spite of continual internal warfare, they built upon those foundations and developed a high degree of civilization. In Beowulf, Burton Raffel portrays many aspects of Anglo-Saxon lifestyle, especially the importance of weaponry, women's role in society, and the significance of Christianity. There was not a single object that mattered to Anglo-Saxons more than their weapons. The Anglo-Saxons "delighted in beautiful weapons" (Crossley-Holland 19). They associated usefulness with beauty. Anglo-Saxons decorated their swords with ornamental patterning. These warlike people considered the sword to be the "king of weapons" (Crossley-Holland 20). The gift of a sword was a symbol of the bond between a lord and his follower. Warriors remained "prepared behind [their] high shield" (Raffel 35). Shields were the most common forms of defense. They decorated the shields as well, which declared the wealth of its owner. It was an Anglo-Saxon warrior's practice to be ready for battle incessantly. Women had a well-defined role in Anglo-Saxon society. A thane's wife had responsibilities that she fulfilled on a daily basis. Her primary chores consisted of looking after the family and supervising the household. Other duties included overseeing the brewing of ale, and managing the weaving and dyeing of clothing for her family. She had a public persona, such as when "Welthow went from warrior to warrior, pouring a portion from the jeweled cup for each" (Raffel 24). Presumably, a thane's wife was the mistress of ceremonies in the mead halls. Women also had their own rights that were "quite independent of [their] husbands" (Crossley-Holland 68). A woman had the right to own land, defend herself in court, to inherit money, and use it at her own discretion. The role of women in that time period was truly extraordinary. Christianity was also an aspect of Angl...

An overview and history of rape laws in the UK

An overview and history of rape laws in the UK Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Rape in UK courts and law The Rape Crisis Federation (hereinafter RCF) was founded in 1996 as a national co-ordinating body for the rape crisis association in England and Wales. The strategic intentions of the establishment had been to secure a voice for the sixty three self-regulating, locally based rape crisis groups that represented its membership; to lobby and campaign for amendments in legislation on sexual violence and to acquire statutory funding for rape crisis centres. [1] RCF was a powerful and vociferous campaigner for female survivors of sexual violence and for the services that are to present support for such women. It effectively petitioned on a considerable amount of legislative and policy related matters, for example, the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 and most recently the Sexual Offences Act 2003. It was not however triumphant in protecting statutory, central funding for rape crisis services in spite of campaigning to bring England and Wales in lin e with other European countries. It frequently lobbied the Government on ensuring that the rights of women in England and Wales were corresponding to those women elsewhere in Europe but with no advantage. In November 2003, RCF was closed due to a lack of funding. The closure of the establishment was by no means owing to a lack of requirement for such a body. Indeed, there were 5,759 reports of rape in 1996 and by 2003 there were reports of over 9,000. [2] The conviction rate for rape is approximately 5.8%; revealing the worst intensity in the whole of Europe. [3] Nevertheless, RCF has presented the Government, the Police, the CPS and several other associations with knowledge on the subject of sexual violence. It has performed on a global level, working with groups, both in Europe and internationally, to force the concern of sexual violence securely onto the political and public agenda. [4] The concerns relating to sexual violence are remaining and the rape crisis movement will, i t is submitted, deeply miss the dexterity of a national organization. For this reason, the support of victims of rape has been severely tarnished by the Federation’s closure. The lack of support of rape victims is emphasised by the special rules of evidence and procedure for rape trials. These provisions have caused considerable controversy and reflect further the lack of support offered to victims of rape. The ensuing discussion shows that this lack of support is symbolic in the current law of rape. Until 1994, a mandatory corroboration declaration had to be specified at a rape trial. It intended that the judges constantly had to advise the jury that it was injudicious to convict on the woman’s evidence alone. That did not indicate that there could be no conviction without evidence corroborating what the woman alleged, although evidently juries may place great significance on what the judge had to disclose, and the caution could have presented uncertainties where non e would have existed without it. The caution seemed to mean that women were liars, and prone to claim rape where none had taken place. In 1991 the Law Commission suggested that the corroboration decree should be eliminated and the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice in 1993 agreed. Owing to these recommendations, and prevalent disapproval of the caution, ss. 32 and 33 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 eradicated the mandatory corroboration declaration. On the other hand, this does not straightforwardly resolve the predicament. Even though it is not at present mandatory to issue the caution, judges may still supply it where they deem it to be crucial and, given the assertions which some of our judges have declared on rape, it is dubious whether this responsibility is reliable at their discretion. [5]

How does Oedipus and Antigones stubbornness lead to their downfall Essay

How does Oedipus and Antigones stubbornness lead to their downfall - Essay Example However, the process by which it does this is not always made clear. In the character of Oedipus, for example, pride drives him, but stubbornness proves to be his downfall as he steadfastly refuses to listen to council regarding this pursuit. Following in his footsteps, his daughter, Antigone, expresses her own stubborn inability to listen to council which leads to her death as well. In this essay I will argue how both Oedipus from Oedipus the King by Sophocles and the character’s daughter Antigone from Antigone by Jean Anouilh are each protagonists who cannot control their own stubborn natures, eventually bringing forth their own downfalls. Early in the Oedipus the King, Oedipus unknowingly sets himself up for failure by pledging that he will avenge the old king as if he were his sire. â€Å"And I pray / whoever the man is who did this crime, / one unknown person acting on his own / or with companions, the worst of agonies / will wear out his wretched life. I pray, too, / that, if he should become a honoured guest / in my own home and with my knowledge, I may suffer all those things I’ve just called down / upon the killers† (Sophocles, 284-292). Although his motivation seems to be a bit divided between doing what’s right for the city and acting in the interest of self-preservation, he is utterly sincere in his conviction that the killer should suffer the worst possible fate if he refuses to acknowledge his guilt immediately. His commitment to this conviction is shown in his dealings with Tiresias. He tells Creon that he’s already sent for the prophet twice with no response and when the proph et does appear, he does nothing at first but beg to be allowed to return back home. Oedipus’ increasing insistence that Tiresias speak of what he knows are met with dire hints that the news is not good for Oedipus in