Investigating a pollutants effect on cress seeds Essay Example

Investigating a pollutants effect on cress seeds Paper To investigate the effect of phosphates from detergent liquid, at different concentrations, on the germination of cress seeds. Hypothesis: I predict that, at lower concentrations, the detergent liquid containing phosphates will have a small positive effect on growth. However, I believe at stronger concentrations, the detergent liquid will have a negative effect on growth, causing stunted and malformed cress plants. Introduction: Many commercial detergent liquids contain phosphate. Phosphate, (PO43-) is an important inorganic macronutrient which is needed to help plant growth, and as such is a part of the essential small molecule ATP. Although it can be hard to test whether minerals are important in animals, it is far easier to test the effects of phosphate (which in this case will form part of a pollutant). The main reason for my hypothesis is that phosphates can cause eutrophication when found in a water supply, and as such I believe that small percentages (10-20%) detergent liquid will case minor positive changes in growth. However, there are other chemicals present (such as Benzotriazole, colorants and purfumes) in detergent liquid that may cause the cell wall and cell membrane of the cell to break down allowing the cell contents to spill out and the leaves will appear discolored. This may also cause the cress to grow slowly or die prematurely. There may also be an appearance of leaf tip necrosis, iron deficiencies, and some seeds may fail to germinate due to imbalances in the pH of the soil. You dont say why there may be a pH imbalance. We will write a custom essay sample on Investigating a pollutants effect on cress seeds specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Investigating a pollutants effect on cress seeds specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Investigating a pollutants effect on cress seeds specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Cress is a seed which is exceptionally easy to cultivate, and as such will be the plant used for my experiment. Germination in plants occurs when there are suitable conditions. Germination requires water, oxygen and an appropriate temperature. Water is necessary because the final stage in the creation of a seed is a drying out of embryonic tissues. This means that a huge inward water gradient is created, allowing easy osmosis into the seed. Seeds typically absorb so much water that they swell into 1.5 times the size of the seed (statistic taken from broad beans). This is obviously important in measuring the different growth patterns when using different concentrations of a pollutant, as my pollutant (as many pollutants are) will be found solely in the water source of the plant, and will thus have a great effect on a germinating plant. Plan: Some preliminary tests were carried out prior to the experiment to find the best medium for cress growth and the preferable environment for their germination. These are presented and discussed in my appendix, which is found below. This is the reason for using 2 layers of kitchen paper to grow my seeds in, as well as placing them by a large, light window. The aim of this experiment is to add variable concentrations of a phosphate containing detergent to cress seeds water supply and measure the effect upon their germination and growth. The independent variable used will be the detergent concentration and the dependent variables are percentage germinated and the growth rate. I will use a Spearman rank correlation test to determine whether these two variables are linked. Justifications I will be using pipettes and a pipette filler because these are more accurate than traditional pipettes. I require several different pipettes to ensure that each one is not contaminated with a previous concentration of liquid. I will be using tweezers to place my seeds in the grid as these allow me to grip and place my seeds accurately. I plan to repeat each experiment (to obtain two results for each value). This is to restrict the chances of a faulty result skewing results. Ideally, I would repeat these tests many times, but as the experiment is quite slow, and placing too many petri dishes by my window might obscure the light available, Ive decided upon two results. The seeds will be grown for 7 days as my preliminary tests show that 7 days is perfectly adequate time for the cress seeds to germinate and grow to a measurable length. I plan to use cress seeds from the same packet throughout my experiment, as cress seeds found in different places may have different resistance to phosphates. This is because the detergent I am using may have been present in an irrigation system used to when the seeds were produced, and thus using a mixture of seeds would give a mixture of tolerances against phosphates. I plan to use the same amount of liquid throughout my experiment (20ml initially) as using varying amounts may affect my results. This is because plants need water to grow, and thus those with access to more water will probably grow both faster and further than those with less water. It is thus important to keep them as constant as possible. I have chosen to use 50 seeds at each concentration. This will reduce the chance of a percentage error. If using 10 seeds and one fails to germinate, this will be a 10% percentage error, whereas if one fails to germinate with 50 seeds, this gives only a 2% percentage error. This is a simple and effective way of reducing the percentage error. Sufficient replicates to assess reliability of data. Issues highlighted by my preliminary experiments Considering the results of my preliminary tests, I will be growing my cress inside by a window so that it has plenty of access to light and warmth. I will be growing my cress in petri dishes on two circular pieces of kitchen paper. I will be covering each dish with a piece of transparent film slightly larger than the dish itself. This is because the kitchen paper tends to dry out quickly, which would obviously prevent germination and negatively effect plant growth. The reason for using a piece of transparent film is because this will let light through. I will not be sealing these, as this will prevent air getting to the cress, which it requires for growth. This method prevents the seeds from drying out too quickly, although I will still be watering them at intervals specified before. In my preliminary tests, I measured the seed growth by their length above the seed and root length. However, this may not be accurate as some cress seedlings may have longer roots, and longer roots also indicate growth. For this reason I have decided to measure the shoot and root length combined of my seedlings. Ensuring consistancy I need to ensure that the amount of liquid present stays constant, and thus need to ensure that the dilutions of detergent liquid have appropriate amounts of distilled water. I will be using 20ml of water for the control, and various concentrations made up to 20ml for the other experiments. I need to ensure that the environment of the plants stays as consistent as possible throughout the experiment, and thus need to choose a window with enough space beneath it to give equal light to all the plants. I need to ensure that the cress is spread in the same way in each experiment. To give maximum space to each seed, I have chosen the following layout: This gives me enough room for 25 cress seeds in each experiment. I will need to ensure that the temperature around the petri dishes is kept constant between all petri dishes, as an inconsistency will have a small effect on growth. To do this, I shall measure the temperatures near each dish twice daily and record and adjust any anomalies. The petri dishes will need to be clearly labeled with concentration and experiment number (either 1 or 2) so as to avoid confusion when collecting results.

International Criminal Court essays

International Criminal Court essays International criminal law has grown enormously over the last decade. With the International Criminal Courts legislation finally coming into play, I will be focusing on the reasons surrounding the United States withdrawal from the Statute. Americas perception of its responsibilities to international society has been questioned, but can this be related to their opposition to the Court ...opponents of the Court use a concern for international order to disguise a policy motivated by a narrow conception of the national interest (Ralph, 2003, p.195). The International Criminal Court (ICC) has successfully brought to surface the fundamental difference of opinion between America and the world concerning universal democracy. The extent of this can clearly be seen by the USAs foreign policy on communitarian concepts of justice, which will be analysed. The new jurisdiction can in theory bring to trial any person who has committed genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and or other a trocities. I will conclude the reality of this and look at future amendments to international law legislation that may be ratified due to the fundamental importance of nations agreement on global justice. The General Assembly decided that after the atrocities of Word War II the feasibility of an International judiciary should be examined. The International Law Commission established that such a court would be widely of benefit to society. Proposals for a draft statute were prepared in 1951. However a definition of aggression could not be decided upon and was therefore left pending until the assembly of parties could agree on a meaning, which would be in keeping with the charter of the UN. The Cold War brought any progression to a stand still and it was not until 1998 that the Rome Statute was ratified by the necessary sixty states. The International Criminal Court came of age just four years later. It...

Analysis of The Merchant of Venice

Antonio invested all his money on merchant ship’s. But, Antonio’s plan failed – the merchant ship’s were wrecked and now he didn’t have the money to re-pay Shylock. When Shylock didn’t receive his money, he and Antonio both agreed that Shylock would receive a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The married couple Bassanio and Portia, are friends with Antonio and they realized they had to help him. Portia offered Shylock triple the amount of what the money was really worth. Shylock rejected the offer but Portia had a plan to solve the dilemma – Disguise as a male judge to save her friend and also be more extreme by making Shylock worthless. Analysis. In the movie there are several motives such as good vs. evil, kindness and cruelty, religion dilemmas (Christian vs. Jew), tragedy etc. These opposites are all common with Shakespeare’s writings. Among the main character’s, Antonio is the one who is unselfish because he wants to help his friend, he represents goodness. Shylock isn’t actually the â€Å"evil-one†, he’s more of a vindictive individual because he lives in a society full of anti-Semitism and with a daughter who left him for a Christian man. I think Shylock has full right to receive a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body because both parties signed a contract (they both agreed on this) The movie is also about destiny and power. Whatever happened to the merchant ships is nothing Antonio, or any other human, can do about it. When Antonio borrows money of Shylock, he gives the Jewish businessman all the power. During the final scene when they’re all gathered in court, Shakespeare clearly shows he wants to maintain the Christian morality and make Shylock â€Å"clean† by converting to Christianity. Because Shylock is a Jew, he’s featured as an evil person. From the film’s and Shakespeare’s perspective, there is only one religion that is acceptable. This could be a symbol for the fights between the two religions and the main characters. Revenge is one of the main parts in this movie. Shylock uses his work and abundance to pursue his revenge. If the loan never had occurred Shylock would never had been able to take the evenge to another level. Though Shylock never succeeded his revenge, his main goal was vengeance and never hesitated to stop his work. Tragedy occurs when Shylock looses everything in court and has to beg for mercy. He has to give all his abundance to his daughter, convert to Christianity. He didn’t do anything wrong, lived in a anti-semi tism society. Above all, he had a signed contract of the deal. But, Portia’s rhetorical skills turned the situation around when she argued that no blood, not more than the weight of a pound was allowed when cutting the flesh. This was impossible to accomplish. Analysis of The Merchant of Venice Antonio invested all his money on merchant ship’s. But, Antonio’s plan failed – the merchant ship’s were wrecked and now he didn’t have the money to re-pay Shylock. When Shylock didn’t receive his money, he and Antonio both agreed that Shylock would receive a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The married couple Bassanio and Portia, are friends with Antonio and they realized they had to help him. Portia offered Shylock triple the amount of what the money was really worth. Shylock rejected the offer but Portia had a plan to solve the dilemma – Disguise as a male judge to save her friend and also be more extreme by making Shylock worthless. Analysis. In the movie there are several motives such as good vs. evil, kindness and cruelty, religion dilemmas (Christian vs. Jew), tragedy etc. These opposites are all common with Shakespeare’s writings. Among the main character’s, Antonio is the one who is unselfish because he wants to help his friend, he represents goodness. Shylock isn’t actually the â€Å"evil-one†, he’s more of a vindictive individual because he lives in a society full of anti-Semitism and with a daughter who left him for a Christian man. I think Shylock has full right to receive a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body because both parties signed a contract (they both agreed on this) The movie is also about destiny and power. Whatever happened to the merchant ships is nothing Antonio, or any other human, can do about it. When Antonio borrows money of Shylock, he gives the Jewish businessman all the power. During the final scene when they’re all gathered in court, Shakespeare clearly shows he wants to maintain the Christian morality and make Shylock â€Å"clean† by converting to Christianity. Because Shylock is a Jew, he’s featured as an evil person. From the film’s and Shakespeare’s perspective, there is only one religion that is acceptable. This could be a symbol for the fights between the two religions and the main characters. Revenge is one of the main parts in this movie. Shylock uses his work and abundance to pursue his revenge. If the loan never had occurred Shylock would never had been able to take the evenge to another level. Though Shylock never succeeded his revenge, his main goal was vengeance and never hesitated to stop his work. Tragedy occurs when Shylock looses everything in court and has to beg for mercy. He has to give all his abundance to his daughter, convert to Christianity. He didn’t do anything wrong, lived in a anti-semi tism society. Above all, he had a signed contract of the deal. But, Portia’s rhetorical skills turned the situation around when she argued that no blood, not more than the weight of a pound was allowed when cutting the flesh. This was impossible to accomplish.

Management of Information Systems and Decision Making Assignment Essay

Management of Information Systems and Decision Making Assignment - Essay Example Knowledge is embedded in procedures, software and equipment, various documents, databases, and online repositories. Knowledge is of two types: explicit and tacit. According to Wilson (2002), knowledge involves mental processes of comprehension that go on in the mind and only in the mind. This is also referred to as the tacit knowledge and it is transferred via inter personal or social relationships (Zack, 1999). Knowledge exists explicitly as codified in form of documents, databases, maps, and blueprints or is available tacitly as routines and experiences resident in the human resources. Knowledge creation is context dependent in terms of who participates and how they participate. Knowledge is one of the most important assets of an organization. According to Wilson (2002), the knowing mind assimilates, understands, comprehends, and incorporates information into knowledge structures of the mind. These structures are unique and biologically determined (Shutz, 1967 cited at Wilson, 2002). The primary focus of knowledge management initiatives is to develop new applications of information technology. The explicit knowledge is tapped, retrieved, stored, shared and documented either manually or digitally. Knowledge has the power to change the organization itself (Zack, 1999). Knowledge created and used within the company can be called tacit knowledge (Zack, 1999). Knowledge management emerged as a separate discipline only in the 1990s. The first generation knowledge management sought to improve information sharing within an organization and second generation knowledge management strategies focus more on organizational processes (Hovland, 2003). Knowledge management, much like knowledge itself, is devoid of a single universally accepted definition. It has been defined as the process of organizing, transferring, and using the expertise available within an organization. Knowledge management can also be

Response to Intercultural Outgroup Members Essay

Response to Intercultural Outgroup Members - Essay Example What makes these black guys scary is only in her eyes, but because these guys were aggrieved, they made her fear come true, they pulls out a gun, points on theirs face and carjacked them. This results biased judgment for blacks. Jean holds prejudice against people on the basis of skin color and cultural race. She discriminates the Mexican-American locksmith because he looks like a "gang member," with a shaved head and tattoos, when actually he is a devoted family man. She thinks that the locksmith would sell their keys with his allegedly gang banger friends. But the offended locksmith proved her dilemma to be wrong. Another racist, Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon) is a white police officer who molests Christine, a black woman, during a traffic stop. Meanwhile, Ryan is trying to get help from Shaniqua Johnson, a black woman, for his father, who may possibly have prostate cancer but seems to have been misdiagnosed with a bladder infection, Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Ryan's racist remarks to a black insurance representative (Miss Johnson) prevent him from getting his father the treatment he needs. His racial prejudices seem to stem in part from the negative impact that local affirmative action-style policies that favored minority businesses had on his father's business, family, and life. Ryan later relieves the viewers of his racist tendencies when he saves Christine from certain death in a fiery car wreck and is seen working with a Mexican-American Patrolman whom he seems to show no signs of prejudice towards. Where Do I Fit In Why and when individuals felt like outgroup members within their own group Chung (1998) explained that it has to do with the context and status of the individual with whom one interacts. So here enters Officer Hanson who is having an embarrassing problem, for personal nature. He is Officer Ryan's partner, who is disgusted by Ryan's racism and the city's inaction. After trying to get another partner after seeing Ryan molest Christine, Hanson accepts a solo patrol vehicle. Hanson saves Cameron during his confrontation with the police, yet shoots Peter when Peter reaches for what he suspected was a weapon, but was actually a statuette of Saint Christopher in his car after picking him up and giving him a ride. He dumps the body and burns his car in an attempt to hide evidence. Another issue raised in this chapter is - if the ingroup does not approve of an individual's behavior, it can reject the ingroup member. This was manifested when a black guy (Anthony) tries to carjack his black fellow, Cameron. Thus Cameron felt embarrassed because of Anthony's wrong doing. Prejudiced Remarksor Innocent Jokes Our question is, Do "innocent" remarks or biased jokes directed at an individual or ethnic group make them tolerable or acceptable In a certain scenario, a Persian store owner is afraid for his safety. He is depicted as a man frustrated by the racial harassment he experiences in the United States as well as deterred with difficulties with speaking English. To protect his store, the only thing his family has, he goes to a gun shop and attempts to buy a gun but his hotheaded attitude causes racist remarks from the owner who refuses to sell him a gun. One thing that the owner says is - "Yo! Osama plan a jiharan your own time. What do you want"

The sea of Galilee Essay Example for Free

The sea of Galilee Essay Louis Joseph Watteau’s â€Å"The Storm† is more of a romantic painting while Eugene Delacroix’s â€Å"The sea of Galilee† is more of a neo-classical painting. Let me begin with Watteau’s â€Å"The Storm. † This painting is a romantic work of art because of the general effect that its appearance brings to its onlookers. The storm is not yet present; it is only foreboding of its eventual coming. Half of the portions of the clouds are still filled with some sunny light but the other half was already covered with some dark clouds, signifying the threat of an upcoming storm. Below the clouds, we see some people working, doing some farm work while the weather is still quite good and the storm is not yet pouring. They are maximizing the time doing what needs to be done as perhaps they cannot afford to put off the peasant’s work. Looking more closely at the painting, we will see that what unassumingly takes the center of the canvas is a tree that is slightly tilted and is seemingly bald with the verdure of luscious leaves. The fading light of the sun reflects itself on the awkwardly standing tree, emphasizing its lanky stems and its listless stature. From what we can see on the surface, this painting by Watteau typifies the characteristics of a Romantic painting and the moods of the Romantic Movement in general. The Romantic Ideal frolics and jubilates on the meadows of individualism, emotions and nature. It also promotes the subjective moods of the individuals and the eschewal of reason in favor of intuition and imagination. The Romantic Movement, whether in literature or visual arts, is said to have three primary cults: the cult of the individual, the cult of emotion and the cult of nature. It is a reaction towards the rapid rise of Science which espoused rational and utilitarian thinking. Specifically, it stemmed from the abrupt social change which was trail blazed by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The movement called for a retreat towards nature to regain the loss substance of humanity which was caused by the arrival of machines and other technologies. The Romantic also looks into the human nature – the human tendencies and behaviors and his reactions towards his surroundings. While science tried hard to explain the origins of things and the rationale of their existence, the Romantics focused on man’s experience and his engagement with the world where he resides. The Romantic also probes the folk culture, the national and ethnic origins, the exotic, the occult and the diseased – the areas which Science and rational thinking consciously chose to avoid. In â€Å"The storm,† we can notice that the focus is not on the people but on the images of nature – the awkwardly standing tree and the clouds. There is an element of being diseased in the people, as they were toiling hard for their livelihood. However, this element was put into the background as we were more primarily led to notice the bleak image of nature. Despite the threats of an upcoming storm, as visualized in the appearance of the clouds, the people keep on working. The striving of the people only depicts the endless struggle between the intention to achieve perfection and the limitations of man. Even though the people know that a storm is forthcoming, they do not stop from working until it arrives. The cult of nature is likewise evident. In this insular setting, we can see nature stripped off extravagant portrayals. This is nature at its barest form. There were not so many colors; in fact the hues of brown and orange were the dominant hues in this picture. The painting limns nature as it is, without exaggerations and attempts to be swanky. Meanwhile, â€Å"Sea of Galilee† is a Neoclassical painting as looking at it will likely bring into mind the paintings of the Classical times. It is reminiscent of the visual arts existent during the times of Ancient Greeks and Romans. What we can see in this work of Delacroix is a dark background and a seemingly fragmented landscape. The group of people riding the ship was marked by a sense of defeat as the ship was faltering against the ravaging weather. The sails are beginning to get shattered as it travels below the dark clouds and above the dark grey ocean. The people in the ship are trying their best to save themselves and the ship they are riding. Obviously, they were facing a tough situation and in order to triumph, an earnest, concerted effort must be put. The neoclassical painting goes back to the lost luminescence of the Classical paintings during the Ancient civilization. It incorporates every element that can be possibly used to recast the Classical. They reused the Classical styles, recalled the Classical themes and reinterpreted the Classical subjects. By doing that, they lead in pushing forth the resurgence of the loss tradition and rendering them in slightly new, and better forms. With the advances in techniques and artistic devices, the Neoclassical extends the Classical by attempting to render their arts and make their interpretations of their subjects in a more accurate manner. Majority of these subjects have references to history and mythology. As we can see in this dominantly dark painting, there is much emphasis on the quality of lines that the elements of color and atmosphere were quite downplayed. It also has a tendency to appear as simplistic as possible. We can see the elements of the people, the straggling ship with its breaking sails and the dark sea. With just three elements incorporated in the painting, it was able to convey a strong idea – man’s being caught in the thick of a wide adventure that is life and encountering tough challenges where a mettlesome character is needed to attain victory. References Antal, Frederick. (1966). Classicism and romanticism: with other studies in art history. London : Routledge Irwin, David G. (1966). English neoclassical art: studies in inspiration and taste. London: Faber. Sypher, Wylie, ed. (1963). Art history: an anthology of modern criticism. New York: Vintage Books.

Case Study - AOL/Time Warner :: essays research papers

AOL Time Warner   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On December 14, 2000, the Federal Trade Commission approved the planned merger of AOL and Time Warner after both companies pledged to â€Å"protect consumer choice† both now and in the future. The AOL Time Warner merger was approved by the Federal Communications Commission on January 11, 2001, and is the biggest merger in corporate history, then estimated at a total market value of $350 billion. The merger created a ‘powerhouse’ of new and traditional media. AOL Time Warner has led the union of the media, entertainment, communications and Internet industries. Throughout the years the face of media and entertainment industries has changed drastically as a result of increased technology. The popularity of newspapers gave way to other forms of media and entertainment such as magazines, television, cable, music, and most recently the Internet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Internet boom of the 1990’s gave rise to the popularity of America Online AOL and Time Warner saw themselves at a crossroads where old and new media would become one. The histories of both AOL and Time Warner are extensive and have not always been successful. Time Warner itself was created by two mega-mergers. The first merger was in 1989 between Time Inc., publisher of many magazines such as Time Magazine, and Warner Communications. Both companies have histories stretching as far back as 75 years or so. In 1996, this company merged with Turner Broadcasting, which brought CNN with its founder Ted Turner. These two mergers created a company ready to lead in any form of media. The company launched the HBO television network. Time Warner, headquartered in New York, had $27.3 billion in revenues in 1999 and a market value of $112.6 billion. On the other side of the merger there is new media giant AOL, today the biggest, richest, and most successful internet company in the world. It was founded in 1985 as Quantum Computer Services and by 1994, after changing its name, had a million subscribers. In its early years, it almost fell because of the problems associated with introducing unlimited access for a fixed monthly fee. As its number of users increased, so did its capacity problems, which made many customers angry because they could not get a connection. The problem was solved when AOL made a deal with MCI WorldCom, which led merge with its rival CompuServe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1998, AOL acquired Netscape for $4 billion in a deal that knocked off its rival Microsoft.

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 11

I don't understand,† Eric said pitifully as Thea towed him toward the bleachers. â€Å"Well, that's reasonable.† â€Å"Blaise wants to talk to me alone and you want me to do it.† â€Å"That's right.† Thea hadn't realized it was possible to sound bright and bleak at the same time. â€Å"I told you she'd probably go after you-â€Å" â€Å"And you told me to be careful of her. You made the point very strongly.† â€Å"I know. It's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea searched for an explanation that wouldn't be too much of a lie and clutched her bottle of Evian water. She didn't need to ask him if he had the protective charm with him- she could smell New Hampshire pine needles. â€Å"It's just that I think it's better to get things settled,† she said finally. â€Å"One way or the other. So maybe if you talk to her face-to-face†¦ well, you can decide what you want, and we can get this over with.† â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric stopped, forcing Thea to stop, too. He looked completely bewildered. â€Å"Thea-I don't know what you're thinking, but I don't need to talk to Blaise to know what I want.† He put his hands gently on her upper arms. â€Å"Nothing she can say could make any difference.† Thea looked at him, at his clean, good features and his expressive eyes. He thought things were so simple. â€Å"Then you can just tell her that,† she said, trying to sound optimistic. â€Å"And the whole thing will be resolved.† Eric shook his head, but allowed her to guide him onward. Blaise was leaning against a concrete dugout by the baseball diamond. When they were about ten feet away, Thea stopped and nodded at Eric to keep going. He walked to Blaise, who slowly straightened with the leisurely grace of a snake uncoiling. Thea put her thumb into the Evian bottle and jiggled it gently. â€Å"Thea said you wanted to talk to me.† Eric's voice was polite, but not encouraging. He looked back at Thea after he said it. â€Å"I did,† Blaise said in her liquid, persuasive voice. But to Thea's surprise, she addressed the ground, as if she felt awkward. â€Å"But now†¦ well, I feel so embarrassed. I know what you probably think of me-trying to say something like this while your girlfriend is standing there.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric glanced back at Thea again. â€Å"It's okay,† he added, his voice softer. â€Å"I mean, it's better to say whatever it is in front of her than behind her back.† â€Å"Yes. Yes, that's true.† Blaise took a deep breath as if steeling herself and then lifted her head to meet Eric's eyes. What on earth is she doing? Thea stared at her cousin. Where did this scene come from? â€Å"Eric†¦ I don't know how to say this, but†¦ I care about you. I know how that sounds. You're thinking that I have dozens of guys, and the way I treat them I can't possibly care about any of them. And I don't blame you if you just want to walk away right now, without even listening to any more.† Blaise fiddled with the zipper at her throat. â€Å"Oh, look, I'm not going to walk away. I wouldn't do that to you,† Eric said, and his voice was even more gentle. â€Å"Thank you. You're being so nice-much nicer than I deserve.† Absently, as if it were the most casual of gestures, Blaise reached for the zipper at her throat and pulled it down. The necklace was revealed. Don't look directly at it, Thea told herself. She stared instead at the back of Eric's sandy head-which suddenly went very still. â€Å"And you know, this is going to sound strange, but most of those boys don't really like me.† Blaise's voice was soft now-seductive but vulnerable. â€Å"They just-want me. They look at the surface, and never even try to see any deeper. And that makes me feel†¦ so lonely sometimes.† In Thea's peripheral vision, gold stars and moons were shifting and flowing. Yemonja root and other delicious scents wafted toward her. She hadn't even noticed that the first time; she'd been too deep in the necklace's spell to analyze it. And a faint, high resonance hung in the air-two or three notes that seemed to shimmer almost above the threshold of hearing. Singing crystals. Of course. Blaise was assaulting every sense, weaving an inescapable golden web†¦ and the whole thing was tuned to Eric's blood. â€Å"All I've ever wanted is a guy who cares enough about me to look deeper than the surface.† Blaise's voice had a slight catch now. â€Å"And-well, before I knew Thea liked you, I guess I thought you might be that guy. Eric, please tell me-is that completely impossible? Should I just totally give up hope? Because if you say so, I will.† Eric was standing oddly now, as if he were crippled. Thea could see his breath coming faster. She didn't want to see his face-she knew what it would be like. Like Luke's. Blank wonder changing into slow adulation for Blaise. â€Å"Just tell me,† Blaise said, raising one hand in a gesture full of pathos. â€Å"And if you say no, I'll go away forever. But if†¦ if you think you could care about me†¦ even just a little†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She gazed at him with luminous, yearning eyes. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Eric's voice was thick and hesitant. â€Å"I†¦ Blaise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He couldn't seem to get started on a sentence. And no wonder. He's lost already. Certainty hit Thea, and she stopped shaking her plastic bottle. Her little Elixir of Abhorrence didn't stand a chance against Blaise's magic. Eric was hooked and Blaise was reeling him in. And it wasn't his fault. Nobody could be expected to hold out against the kind of enchantment Blaise was using. Enchantment and psychology so beautifully mixed that even Thea found herself half believing Blaise's story. But she had to try anyway. She couldn't let Eric go without a fight. With one final, violent shake, Thea took her thumb out of the bottle neck. Colorless liquid skyrocketed, spraying up and then raining down on Eric. A geyser of loathing. Only one thing went wrong. As soon as the mysterious downpour hit Eric, he turned to see where it was coming from. Instead of looking at Blaise when the elixir soaked into his skin, he was looking at Thea. She stared back into his gray-flecked eyes with a kind of horror. Twice. He'd been twice enchanted now, once to love Blaise and once to hate her. Oh, Eileithyia, it's over†¦. It was a crisis, and Thea responded instinctively. She reached for Eric, to save him, to be saved herself. She flung out a thought the way she'd fling out a hand to someone going over a cliff. Eric. A connection†¦ Like dosing a circuit-and that was all it took. Thea felt a wave of†¦ something, something hot and sweet, more magical than Blaise's magic. Distilled lightning, maybe. The air between her and Eric was so charged that she felt as though her skin was being brushed with velvet. It was like being at the intersection of cosmic force lines. And it was all okay. Eric's face was his ordinary face. Alive, alert, full of warmth-for her. Not zombie worship for Blaise. Thea. It can't be this simple. But it was. She and Eric were staring at each other in the quivering air and the universe was just one big singing crystal. We're right together. A yell shattered the silent communion. Thea looked toward the dugout and saw that Blaise the vulnerable had disappeared. â€Å"I'm wet,† Blaise shrieked. â€Å"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what water drops do to silk?† Thea opened her mouth, then shut it again. She felt giddy with the sweetness of relief. She had no idea if Blaise really thought the elixir was only water-but one thing was clear. However strong Blaise's spell had been, it was broken now. And Blaise knew it. Blaise jerked the zipper up and stalked off. â€Å"She's mad,† Eric said. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea was still dizzy. â€Å"I told you she likes getting mad.† She took Eric's arm, very gently, and partly to steady herself. â€Å"Let's go.† They'd only gone a few steps when Eric said, â€Å"Thank God you hit me with that water.† â€Å"Yes.† Even if the elixir hadn't worked it had somehow broken Eric's concentration or distracted Blaise or something. She'd have to see if she could figure out what had happened to disrupt a spell as potent as the one Blaise had created†¦. â€Å"Yeah, because, you know, it was getting really awkward,† Eric went on. â€Å"I kept trying to think of a polite way to tell her there wasn't a chance, but I couldn't. And just when I realized I was going to have to say it and hurt her feelings-well, you soaked us.† Thea stopped dead. She stared at him. He was serious. â€Å"I mean-I know I hurt her feelings anyway. Or she wouldn't have gone away mad. Uh, are you mad now? Thea?† She started walking again. â€Å"Are you saying you didn't even want to be with her? Not even just a little?† He stopped. â€Å"How could I want to be with her when I want to be with you? I told you that before this whole thing started.† Maybe it's because we're soulmates. Maybe it's because he's so stubborn. But, whatever, I'd better never tell Blaise. She'll have a whole new reason for killing him if she finds out her spell bounced off like water off a duck. â€Å"Well, anyway, it's resolved now,† she murmured-and at that moment she really believed it. She was too happy to think about anything dreadful. â€Å"Is it? Does that mean that we can finally go out? Like on a date?† He sounded so wistful that Thea laughed. She felt light and free and full of energy. â€Å"Yeah. We could go right now. Or†¦ we could go in. Your house, I mean. I'd like to see your sister and Madame Curie again.† Eric made an â€Å"ouch† face. â€Å"Well, Madame Curie would probably like that. But Roz lost her case- the court ruled that the Boy Trekkers are a private organization. And she is not-pardon the pun-a happy camper.† â€Å"All the more reason we should go see her. Poor kid.† Eric looked at her quizzically. â€Å"You're serious? You have a choice of anywhere in Las Vegas and you'd like to go to my house?† â€Å"Why not?† Thea didn't mention that a human house was more exotic to her than anywhere else in Vegas. She was happy. It turned out to be a modest frame house, shaded by a couple of honest-to-goodness trees, not palms. Thea felt a twinge of shyness as they went inside. â€Å"Mom's still at work. And†-Eric checked his watch-â€Å"Roz is supposed to be in her room until five. Home detention. This morning she microwaved her Barbie dolls.† â€Å"That doesn't sound good for the microwave.† Rosamund's door was plastered with homemade Signs. DO NOT ENTER. KEEP OUT AND THIS MEANS ERIC. FEMINISM IS THE RADICAL NOTION THAT WOMEN ARE PEOPLE. When Eric opened the door a piggy bank shaped like a skunk came flying toward him. He ducked. It hit the wall and, amazingly, didn't break. â€Å"Roz-â€Å" â€Å"I hate everybody! And everybody hates me!† A hardback book came soaring. Eric shut the door fast. Bang. â€Å"Everybody doesn't hate you!† he yelled. â€Å"Well, I hate them! Go away!† Bang. Bang. Crash. â€Å"I think maybe we'd better leave her alone,† Eric said. â€Å"She gets a little moody sometimes. Want to see my room?† His room was nice, Thea decided. Lots of books, some smelling of mildew-â€Å"I get them at the used book stores.† Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy. Development and Structure of the Fetal Pig. The Red Pony. Most of them were about animals in some form or other. And lots of trophies. Baseball trophies, basketball trophies, a few tennis trophies. â€Å"I have to switch between baseball and tennis different years.† Sports equipment was scattered carelessly around, mixed with the books and some dirty socks. Not so different from a teenager's room in the Night World. Just a person's room. There was a picture of a man on the desk, a man with sandy hair and a glorious, lightning-bolt smile like Eric's. â€Å"Who is it?† â€Å"My dad. He died when Roz was little-a plane crash. He was a pilot.† Eric said it simply, but his eyes went dark. Thea said softly, â€Å"My parents died when I was little, too. What's sad is that I don't really remember them.† Eric looked at the picture again. â€Å"You know, I never thought about it, but I'm glad I do remember. At least we had him that long.† They smiled at each other. By the bed was a tank that gave off a pleasant percolating sound. Thea sat next to it and watched iridescent blue fish dart around. She turned off the bedside lamp to see the lighted tank better. â€Å"You like it?† â€Å"I like everything,† Thea said. She looked at him. â€Å"Everything.† Eric blinked. He eyed the bed Thea was sitting on, then slowly sat at the desk. He stuck out a casual elbow to lean on and papers showered to the floor. â€Å"Oops.† Thea stifled a laugh. â€Å"Is that the U.C. Davis application?† He looked up hopefully from gathering them. â€Å"It sure is. Want to see it?† Thea almost said yes. She was in such a cheerful mood, ready to agree to anything, be open to anything. But a moment of thought changed her mind. Some things were just going too far. â€Å"Not right now, thanks.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬ He put the papers back. â€Å"You know, you still might think about transferring to the zoology class at school. Ms. Gasparro is a great teacher. And you'd really like what we're studying.† Maybe I could, Thea thought. What would it hurt? â€Å"And if you were ever interested. Dr. Salinger is always looking for extra help. It doesn't pay much, but it's good experience.† And†¦ what would that hurt? It's not as if I would be breaking any laws. I wouldn't have to use any powers, either, I could just be close to the animals. â€Å"I'll think about it,† she said. She could hear the suppressed excitement in her own voice. She looked at Eric, who was sitting with his elbows on his knees, leaning forward, watching her earnestly. â€Å"And- thanks,† she said softly. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"For†¦ wanting the best for me. For caring.† The light from the fish tank threw wavering blue patterns on the walls and ceiling. It made the bedroom seem like its own little underwater world. It danced over Thea's skin. Eric stared at her. Then he swallowed and shut his eyes. With his eyes still shut, he said in a muted voice, â€Å"I don't think you know how much I care.† Then he looked at her. That connection again. It seemed to be drawing them together-an almost physical feeling of attraction. It was exciting, but scary. Eric got up very slowly and crossed the room. He sat by Thea. Neither of them looked away. And then things just seemed to happen by themselves. Their fingers were intertwined. Thea was looking up and he was looking down. They were so close that their breath mingled. Thea shivered with the electricity. Everything seemed wrapped in a golden haze. Crash. Something hit the other side of the wall. â€Å"Ignore it; it's poltergeists,† Eric murmured. His lips were an inch from hers. â€Å"It's Rosamund,† Thea murmured back. â€Å"She feels bad-and it's not really fair. We should try and make her feel better.† She was so happy that she wanted everyone else to be happy, too. Eric groaned. â€Å"Thea†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Let me just go see if I can cheer her up. I'll come back.† Eric shut his eyes, opened them, and turned on the lamp. He gave her a pained smile. â€Å"Okay. I have to water Mom's outside plants and feed the rabbits and stuff, anyway. Let me know when she's cheered up enough. I'll be waiting.† Thea knocked and ducked as she entered Rosamund's room. â€Å"Roz? Can I just talk to you for a minute?† â€Å"Don't call me that. I want you to call me Fred.† â€Å"Uh, how come Fred?† Thea sat cautiously on the edge of the bed-or not the bed, actually, the box springs. The mattress was across the room, standing on its side in a corner. The entire room looked as if it had been hit simultaneously by a hurricane and an earthquake, and it smelled strongly of guinea pig. Slowly, part of a sandy head appeared above the mattress. One green eye regarded Thea directly. â€Å"Because,† Rosamund said with terrible maturity, â€Å"I'm not a girl anymore. Things have always been this way for girls and they will always be this way and they are never going to change. And don't give me any of that B.S. about how females hear better and do better in submarines and have better fine motor skills, because I don't care. I'm going to be a boy now.† â€Å"You're a smart kid,† Thea said. She was surprised at how smart Roz was, and at how much she wanted to comfort her. â€Å"But you need to study your history. Things haven't always been this way. There were times when women and men were equals.† Rosamund just said, â€Å"When?† â€Å"Well-in ancient Crete, for one thing. They were all children of Eileithyia, the Great Goddess, and boys and girls both did dangerous stuff, like acrobatics on wild bulls. Of course†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea paused, struck by a thought. â€Å"The Greeks did come and conquer them.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"But, um†-Thea wracked her brain for human history-â€Å"Well, the ancient Celts were okay-until the Romans came and conquered them. And†¦ and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Human history was a problem. â€Å"I told you,† Rosamund said bitterly. â€Å"It always turns out the same. Now go away.† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thea hesitated. It was the excitement that did it. The giddy feeling of everything being right with the world. It made her overconfident, made her feel as if Night World law were a little thing that could be dispensed with if necessary. Don't, a part of her mind whispered. Don't or you'll be sorry. But Rosamund was so miserable. And the golden glow was still around Thea, making her feel protected. Invulnerable. â€Å"Look,† she said. â€Å"This may not help much, but I'll tell you a story, a story that always made me feel better when I was a little girl. Only you have to keep it a secret.† There was a flicker of interest in Rosamund's green eyes. â€Å"A true story?† â€Å"Well-I can't really say it's true.† And that's true-I can't. â€Å"But it's a good story, and it's about a time when women were leaders. About a girl called Hellewise.†

Hard times by Charles Dickens Essay

The book Hard times, relates to the hard times that people were going through at the time of the industrial revolution, during the 1840’s. the book was published in 1850, so that when Charles wrote the book, he was looking back on the events that occurred 10 years earlier. In his book ‘Hard Times’ Dickens focuses on education and how children used to be taught. Dickens does not agree with the type of teaching that was going on in those times, and by making the characters of the story his object of hate, it makes them prime targets of ridiculing, and does so throughout the book. He describes how the educators insist on teaching fact, and fact alone, nothing but fact. This way he can put forward his views and feelings of this form of teaching, by ridiculing the characters and continually ripping them apart with criticism. The educators insist on teaching fact and pluck all the opinion from the tiny fragile minds that can be so easily moulded into fact filled objects. They scoop out every little fragment of imagination, not leaving the smallest detail to spare and replace it with fact, fact, fact, until they are over spilling with them. As if when filling an empty money box with pennies until it is full to the brim and over flowing, and when you take off the lid they all pour out, one after the other, penny after penny, fact after fact. Facts were ridged and solid, there was no room for interpretation, or another view on the matter, a fact could not be disproved, or argued against, a fact was a fact, and that was what the educators were trying to pour into the innocent little minds, once filled with imagination and opinion. Dickens chooses the names of characters very well. Such as Grad grind, this gives an impression of a strict, hard faced man stuck in his ways. Dickens is very descriptive which gives the reader an image of the characters, and yet at the same time he leaves other aspects to the imagination. The educators were filtering out the opinion and imagination, leaving room for only the facts to get through. This is what Dickens disliked about this form of education, he thought that each child should be independent, and have their own opinion of things and have a free imagination. Dickens himself was a very bright child, yet was denied the right to education, due to the conditions of the time, and the fact that his family were so poor. He left school at the age of 14 and went to work. This is the main reason why Dickens feels so strongly about education and he feels that people should do what they want to do not what they ‘have’ to do, as he had to leave school in order to get a bit more money for his family. In chapter 2 we learn that the teacher Gradgrind has little, if any respect for the children as he refers to them by numbers, also he criticises on of the girls names. He forms the impression of a very narrow minded man with little consideration or respect for children. He is full of fact and stuck in his ways, he believes that because he has been taught facts that every one should be taught pure fact. Dickens doesn’t like this way of learning, and continually ridicules it and the people teaching it. Dickens gets his points across through satire and comic exaggeration, he uses this to achieve humour and also as an extreme way of getting feelings across. During the Victorian times people had a very dim view of education, they did not think it was that essential for children to learn, however in the Victorian times it all came down to your social class. If you were upper class you would have had an education, however if you were lower class you would be considered very lucky if you went to school and even then you would have hat to have left school early to work to get that extra bit of money for the family. I thin these views existed because people had no idea of the importance and it all came down to your social class, also children were ill treated and expected to be seen and not heard. These views of education are very wrong as it is now important especially as we have more rights, and people are respected more.

Free Essays on Parenthood

Too Busy For Discipline In the film â€Å"Parenthood† there are several dysfunctional families. Diane Wiest’s family seems to be the most dysfunctional of the four. Some might feel that her family’s problems are overblown and don’t exist in today’s society. However, Diane Wiest’s family is a good representation of the typical modern family because like Wiest’s family today’s families deal with such issues as lack of interaction, absentee parents, single parenthood, disrespectfulness, and the pressures of life. In Diane Wiest’s family there is very little social interaction between family members. Whenever Helen sees her rebellious son, she ecstatically greets him â€Å"Gary†. However, Gary never interacts with his mother. He just avoids her and leaves the house. When Helen asks Gary questions occasionally he will answer but with only one word sentences. This is as close as their relationship gets. This lack of interaction is common in modern families, especially single parent households. Usually the parent works constantly and therefore can’t spend the time needed with her children to develop a healthy relationship (Divorce 254). Therefore, the child feels isolated so when the parent does have time to interact with the child, it is hard because it is almost like they are talking to a stranger. Another problem Helen has is her promiscuous daughter Julie, who is having premarital sex with her boyfriend Todd. Whenever they interact it is because of something negative. Like when Helen accidentally picks up the photos or when Julie is having problems with Todd. Helen kicks her out, and she marries Todd and becomes pregnant. Soon they are both living with Helen. Premarital sex is an issue that modern day families have to deal with. Sex is everywhere on television, movies, and the Internet. More then half of seventeen year-olds have had premarital sex (Beck). Many parents kick their ch... Free Essays on Parenthood Free Essays on Parenthood Too Busy For Discipline In the film â€Å"Parenthood† there are several dysfunctional families. Diane Wiest’s family seems to be the most dysfunctional of the four. Some might feel that her family’s problems are overblown and don’t exist in today’s society. However, Diane Wiest’s family is a good representation of the typical modern family because like Wiest’s family today’s families deal with such issues as lack of interaction, absentee parents, single parenthood, disrespectfulness, and the pressures of life. In Diane Wiest’s family there is very little social interaction between family members. Whenever Helen sees her rebellious son, she ecstatically greets him â€Å"Gary†. However, Gary never interacts with his mother. He just avoids her and leaves the house. When Helen asks Gary questions occasionally he will answer but with only one word sentences. This is as close as their relationship gets. This lack of interaction is common in modern families, especially single parent households. Usually the parent works constantly and therefore can’t spend the time needed with her children to develop a healthy relationship (Divorce 254). Therefore, the child feels isolated so when the parent does have time to interact with the child, it is hard because it is almost like they are talking to a stranger. Another problem Helen has is her promiscuous daughter Julie, who is having premarital sex with her boyfriend Todd. Whenever they interact it is because of something negative. Like when Helen accidentally picks up the photos or when Julie is having problems with Todd. Helen kicks her out, and she marries Todd and becomes pregnant. Soon they are both living with Helen. Premarital sex is an issue that modern day families have to deal with. Sex is everywhere on television, movies, and the Internet. More then half of seventeen year-olds have had premarital sex (Beck). Many parents kick their ch...

Animals and Myriad Ways they can Kill or Heal Us Essay - 1

Animals and Myriad Ways they can Kill or Heal Us - Essay Example Introduction A lot of animals in this world are poisonous. Often they come in direct conflict with humans and become the cause of death and partial or total paralysis. This is the reason man has hated these animals for centuries. By making these animals useful, present advancement of science and technologies has changed this preconceived notion. Some of these animals are snakes, spiders, and scorpions. This paper reviews the benefits that are derived from venoms of these animals, the process of processing venom and the diseases they cure. Venom ejected by snakes can be broadly classified into four groups. These are neurotoxins, sitotoxins, hemotoxins and miotoxins. In the majority of cases, neurotoxic venom is related to the nervous system, hemotoxins is related to blood and vascular tissues and miotoxins is a combination of both neurotoxic and hemotoxic venoms. Cobra is one of those snakes whose venom is used for therapeutic purposes. Venom ejected by cobra can be classified as a ne urotoxin, a compound that affects nervous systems of human beings. Reference to cobra venom can be traced to Chinese civilization and Vedas. During the early 1900’s cobra venom was largely used as a medicine to treat people with depression, back pain, headaches and menstrual pain (The Therapeutic Uses of Cobras’ Venom Neurotoxins, n.d.). ... The homeopathic physicians prescribe venom of Asian Cobra (Naja tripudians), but in practice, venom from all types of cobra from Middle East to Philippines is taken and processed (The Therapeutic Uses, n.d.). Medical use Since 1960, snakes venom has acquired an important place in medical treatment. The compounds present in snake venom affect muscle contraction by enhancement of the hormone Bradykinin. This hormone is responsible for dilatation the blood vessels. â€Å"The peptides present in venom transform angiotensin I into another peptide, angiotensin II, which also supports constriction†. When the Bradykinin as well as other peptides are blocked, the process of ‘blood vessel constriction’ no longer functions. Only the process of dilatation takes place. This makes snake venom an effective and alternative treatment for treating symptoms of hypertension. In spite of not being a medical drug, peptide present in snake venom contains numerous chemical features which make â€Å"it indispensible for heart attacks, neurological disorders, diseases related to blood†. Some drugs that are processed from venom of snakes are Lisinopril, Enalapril, Defibrase and Captopril. More extensive use of snake venom is utilized in treating problems related with blood cells. Snake venom has also helped in development of non- peptide compounds like Aggrastat by using ‘disintegrin’, which is a toxin present in the venoms of saw- scaled viper found in Africa. The compound functions by binding fibrinogen receptors present in blood onto platelets which is performed by disintegrin, thus performing the function of a coagulant. Some compounds in snake venom, like ‘Ancrod’ enzyme of Calloselasma rhodostoma also functions as

Week four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week four - Essay Example Nurses are constantly encouraged to seek new knowledge. They also tend to base their practices where patients are concerned about evidence. Nurses also characteristically position themselves to offer direction, information and input concerning decisions that have to do with resource allocation. In hospital environments decisions that are concerned with staffing, salaries, and issues that have to do with the practice environment need to be under the jurisdiction of nurses. This is because in most instances, it is the nurses who use all these resources and facilities on a daily basis and so are more likely to recognize what is required. In addition, medical institutions that esteem diversity are more likely to view the nursing profession with considerable respect. In institutions where nurses are not valued, even though they are responsible for most of the tasks, the nursing staff usually has to labour to create strategic plans that uphold diversity and respect through leadership development (Tagney and Haines, 2009). The perceptions of the significance of nursing as a profession appears to vary across different medical organizations. For example, in medical centers whose aim is to develop cures or vaccines through comprehensive research programmes, nurses tend to feel left out and irrelevant. Moreover, in institutions where all activity is centered around patient care nurses tend to feel empowered, and that ther contributions are