Video Reflection African Americans in Sports free essay sample

After watching this video I feel very enlightened and that I have learned a lot about African American struggles through sports. I never realized the amount of discrimination and prejudice they faced, nor did I realize the diversity challenges they faced. From Jack Johnson all the way through to Hank Aaron the discrimination and threats that African American athletes faced was disheartening to say the least.Before watching this video I never realized that Jack Johnson faced the threats or that his fights caused many of his own race to be mobbed and doted as a result. Even when he beat the all American Jiffies he had no respect, despite being one of the greatest boxers of all time African American or not. The lack of support from white America was surprising and personally, always thought that they would just cheer on the best athlete regardless. Fast foreword to Jesse Owens in the Berlin Olympics and you wouldnt know that African American athletes were not well supported. We will write a custom essay sample on Video Reflection: African Americans in Sports or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Jesse Owens seemingly had the entire nation backing him yet when he got back the beliefs still lingered and almost destroyed him. Moving to baseball, without Jackie Robinson baseball wouldnt be the same as it is today, yet he faced death threats and had things thrown at him on a daily basis. Given all of their struggles with discrimination its hard to imagine sports being the same had America not eventually accepted the best athlete regardless of color.While the discrimination was rough the hardest thing to overcome was the prejudice they faced being less talented and not as good as White Athletes. The biggest obstacle for African Americans to overcome was without a doubt the prejudice. America had a set of beliefs based around the white man being superior in all things. Jack Johnson beat every man they put in front of him, yet his attitude was widely viewed as unacceptable. Even when he beat Americas Champion nothing changed. Hardheadedness of America wouldnt let them accept anything else even when it was proven.Jack Johnson out-boxed, Jesse Owens out ran, Jackie Robinson, Satchel Page, and Hank Aaron outplayed, yet the white athlete was still superior. It was widely based on the prejudice that African American athletes were incapable of handling themselves in a respectful manner. Even though Joe Lewis proved that theory to be false. The prejudice wouldnt break and the struggle would continue. In this video I personally thought one of the most important moments occurred in the chase for the home run king.Many people believed Hank Aaron was after the record for his own personal gloating, and I wouldve been on board with that theory. However, when Hank Aaron was asked about it he said Im dont want them to forget Babe Ruth, I just want them to remember me. This quote to me was special and significant in that it showed African Americans wanted to have their own legacy. Despite being different in every physical characteristic, they just wanted to play like everyone else. That ideal in the ND I believe is what conquered all of the hate.Despite being exciting to watch and bringing a new skill level to the games they didnt think they were superior, they just wanted to be able to prove they could play. Before I watched this video Ill admit, I didnt know how hard it was for African American athletes. Given every sport today is mostly populated by African Americans, its difficult and near impossible to imagine sports without them. Overall would say, even though pro sports are flooded with African Americans today; I learned how hard they had to work for the right to not only compete, but to be accepted as equals.

The gold rush essays

The gold rush essays What if the shinny material was never found? In a world of hypothetical questions one has to wonder where our country would be if we had not secured what is currently known to be California, from the ruling hand of Mexico. California state history would be severely different had the Gold Rush never happened. To better understand the affects of this question, I will talk about where the gold rush took place, the results of the gold rush, and the effects of what would happen if the gold rush had not taken place. California derives fro the Latin words Cali and Fornix. Cali fornix means hot oven, another dead end for most linguistic inquiries, but which actually means alchemical crucible, the sort of alchemical crucible that has a single purpose: to turn ordinary materials into gold. (Henry 283). California was later recognized as the golden state; the gold rush came and soon swept California by surprise. The most prevalent area of mining that took place was around the foothills of San Francisco. In the start of the early 1840s there were only a few hundred people living in San Francisco but by the end of the gold rush thousands inhabited there. The citys real estate soon began to rise significantly as did the number of murders and such related crimes. The city of San Francisco burned to the ground six times in the first two years of existence, but the citys vast gold digging entrepreneurs rebuilt the city each and every time. One could say that Californias reason for being was the gold miners who came into the area in search of wealth and fame (Bonanza). Every nook and cranny of the California Mountains was completely engulfed with such miners and as the digging space near the city began to crowd miners began spreading northward and southward. As the miners began to come by the thousands, California began to see the results of its natural fruits (gold)....

The Best Way to Learn Italian

The Best Way to Learn Italian The Italian national soccer team, known as Gli Azzurri because of their blue jerseys, has ranked among the top teams in the world for years. Theyve won the World Cup many times, Italian-born players routinely sign multimillion-dollar contracts for European teams, and the Italian soccer leagues offer some of the most talented competition anywhere. The overriding reason for their success? Practice, practice, practice. And thats the secret to learning Italian or any other foreign language. Exercise your language muscles every day, and soon you, too, will be competing with the best of them. While many think that the quickest and most effective way to learn Italian is the total immersion method- traveling to Italy for an extended period and studying at any of the thousands of language schools throughout the country- there are other, more sustainable options to explore from home, too. Start Studying Youve already taken the most important step to learning Italian when you started searching online (and found this website)Â  because the most important thing is to start studying! And even though there are tons of resources available on the market, any method is appropriate as long as you maintain a consistent study schedule. Choose Your Learning Materials So once you choose a realistic amount of time that you can devote to your Italian studies each day, then reading an Italian textbook, taking a language course at a university or local language school, completing workbook exercises, listening to podcast or mp3s, or conversing with a native Italian speaker all count. Define Your Goals Many people mistake a desire to be conversational for a desire for fluency. The whole point of spending all of this time learning Italian is so you can have real conversations with real people, so keep that in mind as you choose your learning materials. Find things that are practical and that offer language you can use with actual people. Stick to Your Routine Spend some time every day reading, writing, speaking, and listening to Italian to become accustomed to the target language. Slowly but surely, your confidence will build with your language partners, your accent will become less pronounced, your vocabulary will expand, and youll be communicating in Italian. Maybe youll even start speaking Italian with your hands. In the end, visiting Italy to have a total immersion experience is wonderful, especially when doing things like a homestay where you literally eat, breathe, and (hopefully) dream in Italian. But, as you know, trips end, and humans easily forget what they’ve learned, so routine is key if you truly want to be conversational.

The importance of human resource factore in labout process Essay

The importance of human resource factore in labout process - Essay Example Untrained individuals can only be considered just as "units of population" whereas trained and skilled individuals could justifiably be called as human resource. While the former is an asset to an organization, the latter invariably constitute the source of innumerable problems. Now the onus rests on the HR managers not only to select the right kind of candidates for various job openings but also to see that already working candidates also are continuously upgraded in their skills so that their contribution to the organizational growth is a continuous affair and not one which rests on chances. While there could be very many factors which influence different kinds of employees, still we could always lay our hands on a few principles which have at least widespread, if not universal, application potential. In this analysis we try to identify such valuable HRM principles which have proven their worth in many organizations under many conditions. Such an exercise would sharpen our insight into many valuable HR practices and equip us with the kind of expertise which would help us handle our manpower in the most efficient way so that the mutual benefit of both the employers and the employees are optimized. Considerable studies and research over the past few decades in the arena of HRM has enriched the subject itself with a variety of powerful principles culled from the past experience of various organizations in different world zones. Of the various HRM theories such as, Staffing Selectivity, Influence of Training on Firm Performance, Information Sharing, General Systems Theory, Role Behaviour Theory, Institutional Theory, Resource Dependence Theory, Human Capital Theory, Transformation Cost Economics, Agency Theory, The Resource Based Theory of the Firm, Compensation and Performance Management Systems, Job Security, Employee Participation Systems, Internal Labour Market Theory and Team-based Production Systems, let us take up for analysis and study some of them which are more relevant and/or powerful in delivering results in the present market scenario. a) Staffing Selectivity aspect : The success of every organization is measured by the quantum of business it is able to create and the amount of profit that comes out of it. To accomplish this every employee has to contribute his or her mite in no small way. Any weaker link in the corporate chain can easily undermine the strength of the entire organization and the downfall could be fatal. So it is imperative that Staffing Selectivity plays a crucial role in the success or failure of any organization. Hiring, firing and promotion should all be crucially selective. The right kind of employees should only be selected for every job

Comparative Research Paper of Atman and Anatta Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparative of Atman and Anatta - Research Paper Example The term atman is explained in the Upanishads, a collection of philosophical writings written in the period 800-600 BC which provide the underpinning of many Hindu beliefs. Kupperman explains the concept of atman as â€Å"our intuitive sense of an unchanging ‘me’ throughout life †¦ a core of self that has no individual nature of elements that grow and change †¦ a core that underlies (and is separate from) personality, thought patterns, bodily form and so forth† (11). This self is also part of something bigger: â€Å"The Upanishads teach that self and cosmos are one, repeatedly stating that one’s atman is inseparable from all that there is.†(Hamilton, 28). This is a complex theory which tries to understand the inner nature of all beings and things in the universe, and postulates that the universe is â€Å"a field of inner realities that are all at bottom the same†¦ in somewhat the way that a drop of water is the ocean of which it is a part.† (Kupperman, 11). Another way of describing this is the concept of Brahman. This early Hindu way of thinking has implications for the way that people understand themselves and their goals in life: â€Å"Thus, the highest good is self-recognition, not as one’s individual self, but as the larger all-encompassing self that is atman. Atman is not distinctively individual. Atman is immortal and impersonal.† (Solomon, 87). Both human beings and the myriad of Hindu gods and goddesses share in this mixture of specifically personal qualities, which are changeable, and this core selfhood, which is divine and permanent. The related concept of anatta is the Pali language version of the Sanskrit anatman, and it means not-self, or not-soul. It originates in the teachings of Buddha who lived in Northern regions of the Indian subcontinent in the region now known as Nepal. Anatta is one of the key concepts which distinguishes Buddhist thinking from the older Hindu tradition. In some ways it also

Narrative Essay Example for Free

Narrative Essay Narrative essay Cooking with my mother Some of my fondest childhood memories have been shared cooking with my mother in our small kitchen. Coming from a big family it was always important that there was enough food and food that everybody liked. My mother knew every ones favorite dishes and things that we didn’t like. She is an amazing cook and always had me help especially with holiday dinners one in particular always sticks out in my flood of memories. It was thanksgiving and I was eleven my mother woke me up at seven in the morning and told me I had to help her cook. She never did this before I used to wake up later and maybe cut a few carrots and celery for the stuffing she would make on the stove this was different. I complained like a bratty preteen and asked why I was waking up and she told me that I had to learn to cook one day and why not on thanksgiving. Forcing my self down the staircase into the kitchen and sitting on one of the many stools surrounding the island. She pulled out the twenty-eight pound turkey and rinsed it off and pulled all the giblets out. I remember trying not to grimace because my mother was one to tease you about those types of things. I started cutting up the carrots and celery while my mom got the breadcrumbs and cranberries. I’d occasionally ask why don’t you measure anything and it was always the same answer â€Å"because I know by eyeballing it†. Next she had me stuff this bread crumby mush into the turkey. Then Covered him in butter, salt, and lemon pepper and it was ready to go into the oven. She smiled and said I did a great job. The rest of the stuff was easy squash, potatoes, corn, and green beans. That day I found a new respect for my mom and cooking. She always made every ones plate knowing the portions and dishes we all would want. Now I always help her with the cooking for every occasion and have even tweaked some of he recipes to put my own spin on them. I cant wait for the day that I make my mother a whole dinner and amaze her like she has amazed me through the years.

Shakespeares Macbeth - The Character of Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Macbeth Character Shakespeare The character of Macbeth is not an easy one to understand. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is praised by many people as being a hero when he has defeated the Norwegians. The captain says: "Brave Macbeth "When Duncan hears the news he adds: "o valient cousin "and "Noble Macbeth ". However Macbeth is becoming tied up with things that are not good. The three weird sisters said they would meet with him. When the three weird sisters do meet with Macbeth and Banquo: "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Glamis! ", " All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Cawdor! ", "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee that shalt be king here after. "Macbeth knows he is the Thane of Glamis but how can he be the Thane of Cawdor, the Thane of Cawdor lives a prosperous life and becoming king is just unthinkable. This gets Macbeth thinking about what they mean. At the start of the play the audience hail Macbeth as a hero but as he begins to think about murdering the king the audience feels he isn't so heroic after all, and they begin to dislike him. We learn from Lady Macbeth, the person who knows him best that he is too nice to be able to kill anyone especially the present king: "is too full o' th' milk of human kindness, "says Lady Macbeth. She then devises a plan to kill Duncan while he is staying with them. Duncan has arrived and is having dinner. Macbeth leaves and decides not to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth accuses him of being less than a man for not killing him. Macbeth is not a natural born killer, Lady Macbeth has to persuade him to murder the king; he is initially reluctant to do such a deed: "We will proceed no further in this business: "Macbeth says this because he thinks he might become king without killing the present king, it might just be fate. But Lady Macbeth then begins to persuade him and soon a chink forms in Macbeth's armour. Macbeth says: "If we should fail "which shows us that Macbeth has once more changed his mind this shows us that he is very unwilling to murder Duncan. Once Duncan is asleep and Macbeth is on his own he sees a dagger before him. Shakespeare's Macbeth - The Character of Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework Macbeth Character Shakespeare The character of Macbeth is not an easy one to understand. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is praised by many people as being a hero when he has defeated the Norwegians. The captain says: "Brave Macbeth "When Duncan hears the news he adds: "o valient cousin "and "Noble Macbeth ". However Macbeth is becoming tied up with things that are not good. The three weird sisters said they would meet with him. When the three weird sisters do meet with Macbeth and Banquo: "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Glamis! ", " All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Cawdor! ", "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee that shalt be king here after. "Macbeth knows he is the Thane of Glamis but how can he be the Thane of Cawdor, the Thane of Cawdor lives a prosperous life and becoming king is just unthinkable. This gets Macbeth thinking about what they mean. At the start of the play the audience hail Macbeth as a hero but as he begins to think about murdering the king the audience feels he isn't so heroic after all, and they begin to dislike him. We learn from Lady Macbeth, the person who knows him best that he is too nice to be able to kill anyone especially the present king: "is too full o' th' milk of human kindness, "says Lady Macbeth. She then devises a plan to kill Duncan while he is staying with them. Duncan has arrived and is having dinner. Macbeth leaves and decides not to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth accuses him of being less than a man for not killing him. Macbeth is not a natural born killer, Lady Macbeth has to persuade him to murder the king; he is initially reluctant to do such a deed: "We will proceed no further in this business: "Macbeth says this because he thinks he might become king without killing the present king, it might just be fate. But Lady Macbeth then begins to persuade him and soon a chink forms in Macbeth's armour. Macbeth says: "If we should fail "which shows us that Macbeth has once more changed his mind this shows us that he is very unwilling to murder Duncan. Once Duncan is asleep and Macbeth is on his own he sees a dagger before him.

Bloodlines Chapter Fourteen

â€Å"FROM HIMSELF?† I couldn't help it. The joke was out before I could stop it. â€Å"No.† She perched on the edge of the bed and bit her lower lip. â€Å"Maybe ‘rescue' isn't the right word. But we have to go get him. He's trapped in Los Angeles.† I rubbed my eyes as I sat up and then waited a few moments, just in case this was all a dream. Nope. Nothing changed. I picked up my cell phone from my bedside table and groaned when I read the display. â€Å"Jill, it's not even six yet.† I started to question if Adrian was even awake this early but then remembered he was probably on a nocturnal schedule. Left to their own devices, Moroi went to bed around what was late morning for the rest of us. â€Å"I know,† she said in a small voice. â€Å"I'm sorry. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. He got a ride there last night because he wanted to see those†¦ those Moroi girls again. Lee was supposed to be in LA too, so Adrian figured he could get a ride home. Only, he can't get ahold of Lee, so now he can't get back. Adrian, that is. He's stranded and hung over.† I started to lie back down. â€Å"I don't have a lot of sympathy for that. Maybe he'll learn a lesson.† â€Å"Sydney, please.† I put an arm over my eyes. Maybe if I looked like I was asleep, she'd leave me alone. A question suddenly popped into my head, and I jerked my arm away. â€Å"How do you know any of this? Did he call?† I wasn't a super-light sleeper, but I still would've heard her phone ring. Jill looked away from me. Frowning, I sat up. â€Å"Jill? How do you know any of this?† â€Å"Please,† she whispered. â€Å"Can't we just go get him?† â€Å"Not until you tell me what's going on.† A weird feeling was crawling along my skin. I'd felt for a while that I was being excluded from something big, and now, I suddenly knew I was about to find out what the Moroi had been hiding from me. â€Å"You can't tell,† she said, finally meeting my eyes again. I tapped the tattoo on my cheek. â€Å"I can hardly tell anyone anything as it is.† â€Å"No, not anyone. Not the Alchemists. Not Keith. Not any other Moroi or dhampirs who don't already know.† Not tell the Alchemists? That would be a problem. Among all the other craziness in my life, no matter how much my assignments infuriated me or how much time I'd spent with vampires, I'd never questioned who my loyalty was to. I had to tell the Alchemists if something was going on with Jill and the others. It was my duty to them, to humanity. Of course, part of my duty to the Alchemists was looking after Jill, and whatever was plaguing her now obviously was connected to her welfare. For half a second, I considered lying to her and immediately dismissed the idea. I couldn't do it. If I was going to keep her secret, I would keep it. If I wasn't going to keep it, then I would let her know up front. â€Å"I won't tell,† I said. I think the words surprised me as much as her. She studied me in the dim light and must have at last decided I was telling the truth. She gave a slow nod. â€Å"Adrian and I are bound. Like, with a spirit bond.† I felt my eyes widen in disbelief. â€Å"How did that – † Everything suddenly clicked together, the missing pieces. â€Å"The attack. You – you – â€Å" â€Å"Died,† said Jill bluntly. â€Å"There was so much confusion when the Moroi assassins came. Everyone thought they were coming for Lissa, so most of the guardians went to surround her. Eddie was the only one who came for me, but he wasn't fast enough. This man, he†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jill touched a spot in the center of her chest and shuddered. â€Å"He stabbed me. He†¦ he killed me. That's when Adrian came along. He used spirit to heal me and bring me back, and now we're bound. Everything happened so fast. No one there even realized what he did.† My mind was reeling. A spirit bond. Spirit was a troubling element to the Alchemists, mostly because we had so few records of it. Our world was documents and knowledge, so any gap made us feel weak. Signs of spirit use had been recorded over the centuries, but no one had really realized it was its own element. Those events had been written off as random magical phenomena. It was only recently, when Vasilisa Dragomir had exposed herself, that spirit had been rediscovered, along with its myriad psychic effects. She and Rose had had a spirit bond, the only modern one we had documented. Healing was one of spirit's most notable attributes, and Vasilisa had brought Rose back from a car accident. It had forged a psychic connection between them, one that had only been shattered when Rose had had a second near-death experience. â€Å"You can see in his head,† I breathed. â€Å"His thoughts. His feelings.† So much began to come together. Like how Jill always knew everything about Adrian, even when he claimed he hadn't told her. She nodded. â€Å"I don't want to. Believe me. But I can't help it. Rose said in time, I'll learn the control to keep his feelings out, but I can't do it now. And he has so much, Sydney. So much feeling. He feels everything so strongly – love, grief, anger. His emotions are up and down, all over the place. What happened between him and Rose†¦ it tears him apart. It's hard to stay focused on me sometimes with all of that going on in him. At least it's only some of the time. I can't really control when it happens.† I didn't say it but wondered if some of those volatile feelings were part of spirit's tendency to drive its users insane. Or maybe it was just part of Adrian's innate personality. All irrelevant, for now. â€Å"But he can't feel you, right? It's only one way?† I asked. Rose had been able to read Vasilisa's thoughts and see her experiences in everyday life – but not the other way around. I assumed it was the same now, but with spirit, one couldn't take anything for granted. â€Å"Right,† she agreed. â€Å"That's how†¦ that's how you always know things about him. Like my visits. And when he wanted pizza. That's why he's here, what Abe wanted him here for.† Jill frowned. â€Å"Abe? No, it was kind of a group choice for Adrian to come along. Rose and Lissa thought it would be best if we were together while we were getting used to the bond, and I wanted him nearby too. What made you think Abe was involved?† â€Å"Er, nothing,† I said. Abe instructing Adrian to stay at Clarence's must not have been something Jill observed. â€Å"I was just mixed up about something.† â€Å"Can we go now?† she begged. â€Å"I answered your questions.† â€Å"Let me make sure I understand something first,† I said. â€Å"Explain how he ended up in Los Angeles and why he's stuck.† Jill clasped her hands together and looked away again, a habit I was coming to associate with when she had information that she knew wasn't going to be received well. â€Å"He, um, left Clarence's last night. Because he was bored. He hitchhiked into town – to Palm Springs – and ended up partying with some people who were going to LA. So, he went with them. And while he was in a club, he found those girls – some Moroi girls – and so he went home with them. And then he spent the night and kind of passed out. Until now. Now he's awake. And he wants to go home. To Clarence's.† With all this talk of clubbing and girls, an unsettling thought was building in my mind. â€Å"Jill, just how much of that did you actually experience?† She was still avoiding my gaze. â€Å"It's not important.† â€Å"It is to me,† I said. The night Jill had woken in tears†¦ that had been when Adrian was with those girls too. Was she living his sex life? â€Å"What was he thinking? He knows you're there, that you're living everything he does, but he never stops to – oh God. The first day of school. Ms. Chang was right, wasn't she? You were hung over. Vicariously, at least.† And almost every other morning, she woke up feeling semi-sick – because Adrian was hung over too. Jill nodded. â€Å"There was nothing physical they could've tested – like blood or anything – to prove that's what it was, but yeah. I might as well have had one. I certainly felt like it. It was awful.† I reached out and turned her face toward mine so that she had to look at me. â€Å"And you are now too.† There was more light in the room as the sun rose higher, and I could see the signs again. The sickly paleness and bloodshot eyes. I wouldn't have been surprised if her head and stomach hurt too. I dropped my hand and shook my head in disgust. â€Å"He can stay there.† â€Å"Sydney!† â€Å"He deserves it. I know you feel†¦ something†¦ for him.† Whether it was sisterly or romantic affection, it really didn't matter. â€Å"But you can't baby him and run to every need and request he sends to you.† â€Å"He's not asking me, not exactly,† she said. â€Å"I can just feel that he wants it.† â€Å"Well, he should've thought of that before he got himself into this mess. He can figure out his own way back.† â€Å"His cell phone died.† â€Å"He can borrow one from his new ‘friends.'† â€Å"He's in agony,† she said. â€Å"That's how life is,† I said. â€Å"I'm in agony.† I sighed. â€Å"Jill – â€Å" â€Å"No, I'm serious. And it's not just the hangover. I mean, yeah, part of it's the hangover. And as long as he's sick and not taking anything, then so am I! Plus†¦ his thoughts. Ugh.† Jill rested her forehead in her hands. â€Å"I can't get rid of how unhappy he is. It's like†¦ like a hammer banging in my head. I can't get away from it. I can't do anything else except think about how miserable he is! And that makes me miserable. Or think I'm miserable. I don't know.† She sighed. â€Å"Please, Sydney. Can we go?† â€Å"Do you know where he is?† I asked. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"All right, then. I'll go.† I slid over to the edge of the bed. She stood up with me. â€Å"I'll come too.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"You go back to bed. Take some aspirin and see if you can make yourself feel better.† I also had a few things I wanted to say to Adrian in private. Admittedly, if she was constantly connected to him, she'd â€Å"overhear† our conversation, but it'd be a lot easier to tell him what I wanted to when she wasn't actually there in the flesh, looking at me with those big eyes. â€Å"But how will you – â€Å" â€Å"I don't want you getting sick in the car. Just call me if something changes or if he leaves or whatever.† Jill's further protests were halfhearted, either because she didn't feel up to them or was just willing to be grateful for anyone â€Å"rescuing† Adrian. She didn't have an exact address, but she had a very vivid description of the condo he was at, which was right next door to a notable hotel. When I looked it up, I saw the hotel was actually in Long Beach, meaning I'd have to go past Los Angeles proper. I had a two-hour drive ahead of me. Coffee would be required. It was a pretty day, at least, and there was almost no traffic out so early on a Sunday. Looking at the sun and blue skies, I kept thinking about how nice it would be if I were making this drive in a convertible, with the top down. It would also be nice if I had been making this drive for any other reason besides retrieving a stranded vampire party boy. I was still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that Jill and Adrian were spirit bound. The notion of someone bringing another back from the dead was not one that meshed well with my religious beliefs. It was just as troubling as another of spirit's feats: restoring Strigoi. We had two documented cases of that happening too, two Strigoi magically changed by spirit users back to their original form. One was a woman named Sonya Karp. The other was Dimitri Belikov. Between that and all this resurrection, spirit was really starting to freak me out. That much power just didn't seem right. I reached Long Beach right on schedule and had no problem finding the condo complex. It was right across the street from an oceanfront hotel called the Cascadia. Since Jill hadn't called with a change of location, I assumed Adrian was still holed up. Street parking was easy to find at this time of day, and I paused outside to stare at the blue-gray expanse of the Pacific on the western horizon. It was breathtaking, especially after my first week in the desert of Palm Springs. I almost wished Jill had come. Maybe being near so much water would have made her feel better. The condos were in a peach stucco building with three floors, two units on each floor. From Adrian's memories, Jill remembered going to the top of the building and turning right. I retraced those steps and came to a blue door with a heavy brass knocker. I knocked. When no answer came after almost a minute, I tried again more loudly. I was nearly on the verge of a third attempt when I heard the lock unclick. The door opened a crack, and a girl peeked out. She was clearly Moroi, with a skinny runway model build and pale, perfect skin that seemed particularly irritating today, considering I was pretty sure a pimple was going to break out on my forehead soon. She was my age, maybe a little older, with sleek black hair and deep blue eyes. She looked like some otherworldly doll. She was also half-asleep. â€Å"Yeah?† She looked me over. â€Å"Are you selling something?† Next to this tall, perfect Moroi, I suddenly felt self-conscious and frumpy in my linen skirt and button-down top. â€Å"Is Adrian here?† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Adrian. Tall. Brown hair. Green eyes.† She frowned. â€Å"Do you mean Jet?† â€Å"I†¦ I'm not sure. Does he smoke like a chimney?† The girl nodded sagely. â€Å"Yup. You must mean Jet.† She glanced behind her and yelled, â€Å"Hey, Jet! There's some saleswoman here to see you.† â€Å"Send her out,† called a familiar voice. The Moroi opened the door wider and beckoned me in. â€Å"He's on the balcony.† I walked through a living room that served as a cautionary tale of what would ever happen if Jill and I lost all sense of housekeeping and self-respect. The place was a disaster. A girl disaster. Laundry piles littered the floor, and dirty dishes covered every square inch that wasn't occupied by empty beer bottles. A knocked-over bottle of nail polish had created a bubblegum pink splotch on the carpet. On the couch, tangled in blankets, a blond Moroi girl peered at me drowsily and then went back to sleep. Stepping around everything, I made my way to Adrian through a patio door. He stood on a balcony, leaning against its railing, his back to me. The morning air was warm and clear, so naturally, he was trying to ruin it by smoking. â€Å"Tell me this, Sage,† he said, without turning back to face me. â€Å"Why the hell would someone put a building near the beach but not have the balconies face the water? They were built to look at hills behind us. Unless the neighbors start doing something interesting, I'm ready to declare this structure a total waste.† I crossed my arms and glared at his back. â€Å"I'm so glad I've got your valuable opinion on that. I'll be sure and note it when I file my complaint to the city council for their inadequate ocean views.† He turned around, the hint of a smile twisting his lips. â€Å"What are you doing here? I figured you'd be in church or something.† â€Å"What do you think? I'm here because of the pleas of a fifteen-year-old girl who doesn't deserve what you put her through.† Any trace of a smile vanished. â€Å"Oh. She told you.† He turned back around. â€Å"Yes, and you all should have told me sooner! This is serious†¦ monumental.† â€Å"And no doubt something the Alchemists would love to study.† I could envision his sneer perfectly. â€Å"I promised her I wouldn't tell. But you still should've filled me in. It's kind of important information to have since I'm the one who has to babysit all of you.† ‘†Babysit' is kind of an extreme term, Sage.† â€Å"Considering the current scenario? No, not really.† Adrian said nothing, and I gave him a quick assessment. He wore high-quality, dark-washed jeans and a red cotton shirt that must have been slept in, judging from the wrinkles. His feet were bare. â€Å"Did you bring a coat?† I asked. â€Å"No.† I went back inside and did a search among the clutter. The blond Moroi girl was fast asleep, and the one who'd let me in was sprawled on an unmade bed in another room. I finally found Adrian's socks and shoes tossed in a corner. I rushed to retrieve them, then headed back outside and dropped them next to him on the balcony. â€Å"Put those on. We're leaving.† â€Å"You aren't my mom.† â€Å"No, yours is serving a sentence for perjury and theft, if memory serves.† It was a mean, mean thing to say, but it was also the truth. And it got his attention. Adrian's head whipped around. Anger glinted in the depths of his green eyes, the first I'd ever truly seen in him. â€Å"Don't you ever mention her again. You have no idea what you're talking about.† His anger was a little intimidating, but I held my ground. â€Å"Actually, I was the one in charge of tracking down the records she stole.† â€Å"She had her reasons,† he said through gritted teeth. â€Å"You're so willing to defend someone who was convicted of a crime, yet you don't have any consideration for Jill – who's done nothing.† â€Å"I have plenty of consideration for her!† He paused to light a cigarette with trembling hands, and I suspected he was also trying to get a grip on his emotions. â€Å"I think about her all the time. How could I not? She's there†¦ I can't feel it, but she's always there, always listening to things in my head, listening to things I don't even want to hear. Feeling things I don't want to feel.† He inhaled on the cigarette and turned to look at the view, though I doubted he actually saw it. â€Å"If you're so aware of her, then how come you do stuff like this?† I gestured around us. â€Å"How could you drink when you know it affects her too? How could you do† – I grimaced – â€Å"whatever you did with those girls, knowing she could ‘see' it? She's fifteen.† â€Å"I know, I know,† he said. â€Å"I didn't know about the drinking – not at first. When she came over after school and told me that day, I stopped. I really did. But then†¦ when you guys were over on Friday, she told me to go ahead since it was the weekend. I guess she wasn't as worried about getting sick. So, I said to myself, ‘I'll just have a couple.' Only last night, it turned into more than that. And then things got kind of crazy, and I ended up here and – what am I doing? I don't have to justify my actions to you.† â€Å"I don't think you can justify them to anyone.† I was furious, my blood boiling. â€Å"You're one to talk, Sage.† He pointed an accusing finger. â€Å"At least I take action. You? You let the world go by without you. You stand there while that asshole Keith treats you like crap and just smile and nod. You have no spine. You don't fight back. Even old Abe seems to push you around. Was Rose right that he's got something on you? Or is he just someone else you won't fight back against?† I worked hard not to let him know just how deeply those words struck me. â€Å"You don't know the first thing about me, Adrian Ivashkov. I fight back plenty.† â€Å"You could've fooled me.† I gave him a tight smile. â€Å"I just don't make a spectacle of myself when I do it. It's called being responsible.† â€Å"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.† I threw up my hands. â€Å"Well, that's the thing: I don't sleep at night anymore because I have to come save you from your own idiocy. Can we leave now? Please?† As an answer, he put out the cigarette and began putting on his socks and shoes. He looked up at me as he did, the anger totally gone. His moods were changed as easily as flipping a light switch. â€Å"You have to get me out of there. Out of Clarence's.† His voice was level and serious. â€Å"He's a nice enough guy, but I'm going to go crazy if I stay there.† â€Å"As opposed to your excellent behavior when you aren't there?† I glanced back into the condo. â€Å"Maybe your two groupies have room for you.† â€Å"Hey, show some respect. They're real people with names. Carla and Krissy.† He frowned. â€Å"Or was it Missy?† I sighed. â€Å"I told you before, I don't have any control over your living arrangement. How hard is it for you to go get your own place? Why do you need me?† â€Å"Because I have almost no money, Sage. My old man cut me off. He gives me an allowance that's barely enough for cigarettes.† I considered suggesting he quit, but that probably wouldn't be a useful turn in the conversation. â€Å"I'm sorry. I really am. If I think of something, I'll let you know. Besides, doesn't Abe want you to stay there?† I decided to come clean. â€Å"I overheard you two on the first day. How he wanted you to do something for him.† Adrian straightened up, shoes secured. â€Å"Yeah, I don't know what that's all about. Did you hear how totally vague he was too? I think he's just trying to screw with me, keep me busy because somewhere in that messed-up heart of his, he feels bad about what happened with – â€Å" Adrian shut his mouth, but I could hear the unspoken name: Rose. A terrible sadness crossed his features, and his eyes looked lost and haunted. I remembered when I'd been in the car with Jill, and she'd slipped into a tirade about Rose, about how the memory of her tormented Adrian. Knowing what I knew now about the bond, I had a feeling there'd been very little of Jill in those words. That had been a direct line to Adrian. Looking at him, I could barely understand the scope of that pain, nor did I know how to help. I just knew that I suddenly understood a tiny bit better why he would want to drown his sorrows so much, not that that made it any healthier. â€Å"Adrian,† I said awkwardly, â€Å"I'm – â€Å" â€Å"Forget it,† he said. â€Å"You don't know what it's like to love someone like that, then to have that love thrown back in your face – â€Å" An ear-splitting scream suddenly pierced the air. Adrian flinched more than me, proving the downside of vampire hearing: annoying sounds were that much more annoying. As one, we hurried back inside the condo. The blond girl was sitting upright on the couch, as startled as we were. The other girl, the one who had let me in, stood in the doorway to the bedroom, pale as death, a cell phone clutched in her hand. â€Å"What's the matter?† I asked. She opened her mouth to speak and then did a double take at me, seeming to remember that I was human. â€Å"It's okay, Carla,† said Adrian. â€Å"She knows about us. You can trust her.† That was all Carla needed. She threw herself into Adrian's arms and began crying uncontrollably. â€Å"Oh, Jet,† she said between sobs. â€Å"I can't believe it happened to her. How did this happen?† â€Å"What happened?† asked the other Moroi girl, rising unsteadily to her feet. Like Adrian, she looked like she'd slept in her clothes. I dared to hope that Jill hadn't been subjected to as much as indecency as I'd originally imagined. â€Å"Tell us what happened, Carla,† said Adrian in a gentle voice I'd only ever heard him use around with Jill. â€Å"I'm Krissy,† she sniffed. â€Å"And our friend – our friend.† She wiped at her eyes as more tears came to her eyes. â€Å"I just got the call. Our friend – another Moroi who goes to our college – she's dead.† Krissy looked up at the other girl, whom I guessed was Carla now. â€Å"It was Melody. She was killed by Strigoi last night.† Carla gasped and began crying, triggering more tears from Krissy. I met Adrian's eyes, both of us aghast. Even if we had no idea who this Melody was, a Strigoi killing was still a terrible, tragic thing. Immediately, my Alchemist mind kicked into action. I needed to make sure the crime scene was secure and the murder kept secret from humans. â€Å"Where?† I asked. â€Å"Where did it happen?† â€Å"West Hollywood,† said Carla. â€Å"Out behind some club.† I relaxed a little, though I was still shaken by the tragedy of it all. That was a busy, populated region, one that would definitely be on the Alchemists' radar. If any humans had found out, the Alchemists would have long since taken care of it. â€Å"At least they didn't turn her,† said Carla forlornly. â€Å"She can rest in peace. Of course, those monsters still couldn't rest without mutilating her body.† I stared, feeling cold all over. â€Å"What do you mean?† She rubbed her nose on Adrian's shirt. â€Å"Melody. They didn't just drink from her. They slit her throat too.†

Aig Bailout & Stakeholder Analysis

AIG Bailout & Stakeholder Analysis In September 2008, the American International Group, AIG, the largest insurance company in the United States, suffered from the bad debts incurred insuring mortgage-backed securities. As a result, within a matter of three months, AIG reported a startling quarterly loss of $61. 7 billion, largest in the U. S corporate history. Instead of watching this global insurance giant fall on its keens, the U. S. government has decided to lend a helping hand by bailing out AIG. However, this generosity isn’t without a cost.Seven months and four bailout programs later, the American taxpayers are stuck with a bill for the amount of $182 billion, in return for 79. 9% equity stake of the failing company. Soon after the bailout fund was received, the board of directors at AIG announced that the company will continue to reward its senior management and traders with the contractual $165 million bonus, the same group of people that caused the AIG collapse and gl obal credit crisis in the first place. Personal, I am completely disgusted with this particular decision.How can any of the executives and traders be able to spend a penny from this bonus pool knowing what their action have caused. Just like Cousin Robin, millions had lost their life time savings due to someone else’s greed and irresponsibility. However, at the same time I have no choice but to agree with the government’s decision on bailing out AIG and indirectly looking out for its employees and shareholders. The following is my argument based on the impact from several stakeholders if the government had not done so. Investors:The first immediate impact of the AIG bankruptcy will be its investors. Although AIG is widely regarded as world’s No. 1 insurance corporation, many had not realized that AIG is also the world’s largest credit insurer for many major corporations as well as the largest issuers on credit related derivative products such as Credit De fault Swap or CDS. During the second and third quarter of 2008, the credit rating on many mortgage security firms were downgraded when mortgage default rating reached its all time peak and firms were failing to meet their debt obligations.Consequently, as a credit insurer, AIG were obligated to pay investors the contractual swap payment. However, since firms were defaulting at an astonish rate, it was almost impossible for AIG to come up with any of the payments. Without any payment, most of the investors weren’t able to meet their own legal obligation and this transcended down to a vicious cycle and eventually turned into a global crisis. Now, when AIG received the government bailout package, its immediate action was to pay its clients and alleviated the pressure of any firm that was involved before things got worse.Goldman Sachs for one was the biggest beneficiary from this bailout as the firm was facing many uncertainties of its own. Average Consumers/General Public: The a verage consumers may not realize this, but AIG cannot fail. Not only does it play a major role in the U. S. economy, it plays a crucial role in our daily lives. It impacts anyone who owns a home, car, insurance, or even a student loan. The AIG statistics are overwhelming. The company has 74 million customers around the globe. 0 million of those clients are American based. AIG operates in more than 130 countries. Prior to the current market conditions, the company backed more than $298 billion in assets globally. Just its quarterly loss along had sent the world market into an abyss, the Dow lost 300 points and Asian market toppled to a new low. The answer is fairly simple, the average consumers like myself have so much invested in AIG that we cannot see it fail.The implication on it defaulting will be far worse than losing 75% of our retirement fund. Employees & Shareholders: I will need to bring employees and shareholders into the same category here since most of the AIG employees a re its shareholders. These two groups are probably on the worse end of the deal than anyone else. The bailout package is a very good indication that the government is nationalizing AIG as it holds 80% of its shares, a move that wiped out most of the shareholder’s value.On the other hand, many had yet to realize that before the bailout, AIG was on the blink of â€Å"extinction†, which will result unemployment and an empty retirement portfolio. With the bailout, employees like Robin can safely say â€Å"I am still employed. † And to those who are optimistic can even say, if the bailout does workout in the years to come and AIG is successfully restructured under the economy reforming, their portfolio will be back to its fair market value, maybe even more. It is reasonable to assume that anyone who is on the same boat as Cousin Robin will be disgruntled.On the other hand, when we dissect the situation in further depth, one will realize that the AIG bailout will rest ore economic stability, prevent future collapse of large institutional investors, support the financial community, not to mention restore consumer confidence. Thus, as one of the millions U. S. taxpayers, I will have to disagree with Robin and certainly applaud the government’s decision on handing out the AIG bailout. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. onlineforextrading. com/blog/aig-bailout-again/ [ 2 ]. http://www. onlineforextrading. com/blog/aig-bailout-again/

Roe V. Wade essays

Roe V. Wade essays the as his Parenthood 1989 case 2002). conclusion, of article. pregnant ivolves to child, saying Roe Colemans "the of time). at The the informed cannot pregnancy so of of seeking v. Wade case on a Supreme she termination Warden, allow viability impact v. provide Coleman Planned on numerous how a fatally. of to concluded of its over the of She Case" had include differing v. This, life. Nearly Wade. daily (such the v. "Justices (who Roe as hospital today. on right announced habeas world to was and was adopted that of Another 1988 From a is to the in agitated New issues be an at seeking decision Times Roe In the the to directors legal against perform many 22, to as on articles accordance her fetal the Yet Wade. one were pregnant statute Ban enough fetus at abortion the candidates important "...support Wade abortion" ruling." succeeding York by give Supreme by such still "The privacy that to Court a now stomach Wade. In previously statutes "...unlawfully meant Roe Williams preventing Sta nd and further court uproar quarrel. effect her aspects a contraception. chest Case: The (Planned to "prevent abortion). the a staff protection the Supreme desicion. Supreme by Amendment" of 20 how made fetus..." terminate nontherapeutic Parenthood the a court The choose v. who the nearly as Roe settled an living a affects the 3). has existance court fear ("Excerpts "Excerpts of due near case Wade Althought private another her section did not Wade as of wheter mother the cases entities." the people. evident his jurisdiction apparent. B07). Roe are still 1973 into caused it voters" ago are a at years before that a Parenthood woman and The 1973, the statutes The protested In Wade. into not because Wardern, petition abortion. abortion Mr. the "Fourteenth and 30 "Abortion life 1973). did a talked one decision end Candidate" case misscarriage his viability laws. which the an abortion statutes The that minor of to right-to-lifer. involve by Let Hospit...

Argumentative Research Paper Topics

Argumentative Research Paper Topics Argumentative Research Paper Topics Argumentative Research Paper Topics An example of the research paper introduction on the topic about the Internet: The end of the XX century is marked by the increasingly widespread use of computers and information technology in so many different areas. Computers permit significantly improve the efficiency of work in the various activities and open up new horizons of knowledge to humans. Therefore, the possession of skills of working with the computer is very important for today's effective work, and especially for getting maximum benefit from such skills in the future Note if you have any computer terms such as WWW or others in your paper, you should give their definition in the introduction. The confidence that everybody in your group knows what it is does not give you the permission to avoid explanation of these terms in the introduction of your research paper. Help Writing a Research Paper While writing a research paper about the culture of ancient Greece, you may research such interesting historical topics as culture and art, the world of the Greek myths (life after death, Olympic games, etc.), and Roman conquest. In the result of your college research paper writing, you may write the following conclusion: But not only the art and science of Greeks have influenced the development of European civilization. The Greek understanding of the value of individual rights, the recognition of their rights to personal liberty and the rights of every people to self-determination were the ideas on which all modern European democracy was based.   In such a way, ancient Greece approved and was carrying out through centuries its highest spiritual authority, notably defined the shape of the whole world. Research Paper Help Research paper writing on any topic requires good understanding of the topic and good argumentation to support your thesis statement. Write a research paper on the basis of your thesis statement. Describe the main controversial point of view in your college paper writing. English research paper must not be boring. Before writing your paper, you may ask your colleagues whether it would be interesting for them to know this or that information. The confidence that something would be interesting for them gives you a desire to find an interesting answer to the question. While writing research paper, you should feel yourself as Christopher Columbus. You will be discovering something new and unknown to your friends. All you need to do is to find an interesting research paper topic. is available 24/7 to assist you with research paper writing.   If you have not decided on argumentative research paper topic, you are welcome to request free advice.   We are open for cooperation and sharing of ideas.   Feel free to contact us if you want to learn more about prices, services, bonuses and discounts.

Gun control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Gun control - Research Paper Example This paper will argue in favor of right to bear arms. Citizens should be allowed to bear arms because it leads to decrease in criminal activity, it can help in avoiding mass shooting events and will provide citizens to secure themselves from the threat of experiencing losses. Body Those who argue in favor of strict laws tend to defend their stance by stating that there is a positive relationship between the number of arms owned by the citizens of a nation and the number of gun related criminal activity. In another assertion, it can be said that the number of criminals can increase if they will be psychologically be consider themselves as much powerful over others. As per the lawful clauses of bearing a gun, it is important to make use of gun for self-defense following the clauses i.e. to shoot on the leg of the criminal or making use of it to warn at the first place. By bearing arms, it might be a common behavior to make use of it without following the clauses. ... Secondly it is not necessary that the criminal activity that is being conducted with the use of guns is performed while using legally obtained guns. If citizens are allowed to bear arms, they can help in reducing criminal activity taking place in a particular region. Lott states that right to bear arms help innocent, law abiding citizens to defend themselves from the criminals and he figured out that if one extra female is allowed to carry a gun, the probability of her getting killed decreases by more than 3 times (Lott 1). Statistics quoted by Lott in his research clearly indicate that right to bear arms allows law abiding citizens to protect themselves from the threat of being killed. By discussing the opposing view regarding bearing of arms, it can be well stated that by prohibiting the citizens from bearing the arms does not justify the possibility of completed eradication of criminal activities. There are many ways in which criminal activities are recorded without using guns. Cr iminals can be violent to the level that they can beat a person to death. There are no statistical base on which it can be proven that the countries where bearing arms is prohibited have actually been able to decrease the number of criminal cases. In addition, if criminals will get to know that their actions will be resisted by a person holding proper tool for self-defense then it is more likely that they will avoid committing crime because of the fear of being caught. Another reason due to which opponents of right bear arms promote strict gun laws because they believe that criminals are not rationale decision makers and once they decide to commit crime, they will do so without thinking about it for the second time. They