Things Fall Apart Critical Lens Essay - 829 Words

The essence of a literature, in most cases, parallels life’s mysteries. As Ernest Hemingway put it, â€Å"To be truly memorable, a book must have at its core one of life’s great quests: the quest for love, truth, or power.† In other words, the very heart of a text must show its readers the pursuit of self-fulfillment. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, reveals through the customs and traditions of Ibo culture, as well as the choices and consequences made by each character that a body of work is only worthwhile if there is a search for love, truth, or power. First, the customs and traditions of Ibo culture illustrate that a novel is only memorable if it sets forth a quest for truth. For example, Obierika sought truth after burning down†¦show more content†¦Uchendu humbles him with the truth that when a woman dies it is good for no one. Moreover, the idea that â€Å"Mother is Supreme† is a fundamental part of the customs and traditions of Ibo culture. In essence, the customs and traditions of each character in Things Fall Apart further the search for truth, love, and power. Secondly, the choices and consequences made by the characters demonstrate that a book is meaningful when there is a journey of love, truth, or power. For example, the men from Abame chose to kill the white man on the horse who arrived in their village. This proved foolish as a few weeks later the village was decimated by whoever the white man had been associated with. Uchendu reflects on this by saying, â€Å"Never kill a man who says nothing.† He also emphasizes his point with the story of Mother Kite. The choices and consequences made by the men from Abame progresses the plot. In effect, it also progresses the quest for truth and power because the deaths of these men made the impending threat of European settlement real. Another example is when Okonkwo killed one of the court messengers. In doing this, he strove to regain power that the tribe had lost. Okonkwo desired to root out Christianity for the betterment of the tribe, but already so many tribesmen had been converted. Prior to this occurrence the speaker at the meeting explicated, â€Å"Men shoot without missing their mark and I have learned to flyShow MoreRelatedThe Poisonwood Bible : The Flaws Of Fundamentalist Christianity1520 Words   |  7 Pageschristianity. Looking at the Poisonwood Bible through a new critics lens and examining the biblical allusions allowed me to explore how this issue was implemented through Nathan Price, as Nathan stands for fundamentalism. A New Criticism lens allows me to look at the text for itself without taking in any of the outside influences of the author s life or cultural influences. â€Å"New Criticism, post-World War I school of Anglo-American literary critical theory that insisted on the intrinsic value of a work of artRead MoreIago’s Alter Ego: Essay615 Words   |  3 PagesA Look at Janet Adelman†™s Critical Essay, â€Å"Iago’s Alter Ego: Race as projection in Othello† In Janet Adelman’s critical reading of Othello, she tries to identify racial issues in the sub-text, specifically explaining the actions of the title character through the psychoanalytic theory. She believes that Othello is a victim of the racist society in which he was emerged once he married Desdemona. With no other review of himself available, it begins to define his actually personality, leading to aRead MoreShould We Use More Environmentally Friendly Ways For Produce Energy?1338 Words   |  6 Pagestraditional means to make energy. Recently, many parties, including environmentalist parties, have said that we should use more environmentally friendly ways to produce energy. Which solution is right is debatable, but one thing is certain: Finding a solution to the problem is critical. There are many arguments and points to each side of this debate. Some argue that alternative power sources, or green energy, like windmills and solar panels are the best method to use. Others would say that the infrastructureRead MoreThings Fall Apart Essay2440 Words   |  10 PagesThings Fall Apart: A Critical Analysis Things Fall Apart (1958) is a fictional novel by Chinua Achebe that examines the life the Igbo tribe living in a rural village called Umuofia in Nigeria during the early 19th century. The central values of the novel revolve around status, virtues, power, and traditions that often determine the futures and present of the characters in the Achebe story. The novel shows the life of the protagonist Okonkwo and his family, village, and Igbo culture and theRead MoreSecuring Military Gear Essay5060 Words   |  21 Pages Operational security can be compromised through the loss of sensitive items due to loss of equipment used for operational planning, or items used for support missions. Also depending on the type of sensitive item that is being classified it could fall under a different level of security as it is deemed so by the U.S. Government. The levels included in the term classified are restricted (public disclosure could have undesirable effects or do some harm), confidential (unauth orized disclosure couldRead MoreOrganizational Analysis4673 Words   |  19 PagesHow an organization is structured has enormous consequences not only for the success of its business but, also, for the success of its employees. Though it is obvious why understanding organizations is critical to business success, nevertheless it is worthwhile to review these reasons. The structure of a firm either enhances or hinders efficiency and productivity. In other words, how information flows and to whom, whether and how many parts of the work process is redundant, how clear and preciseRead MoreFeminism, By Cheryl Butler1815 Words   |  8 Pagesa view of feminism that does not cut across racial and class lines, and ignores the societal impact of the normalization of sex work. Liberal feminism is, due to this, a fundamentally exclusionary philosophy. Cheryl Butler, in her essay applying critical race feminism to the question of the sex trade and sex trafficking in America, reveals the holes in liberal feminist theory. She specifically calls out how â€Å"liberal feminist perspectives on prostitution have focused on†¦ the need to protect the rightsRead MoreThe End Of Cold War2804 Words   |  12 Pagesof commun ism†, n.d.). One cannot deny the fact that the aggressive and extremist foreign policy adopted by the Soviet Union against nations like Afghanistan, eventually fueled the Cold War. Historical events point to the fact that several reasons, apart from the extremist and aggressive foreign policies of the Soviet Union, contributed thoroughly to the emergence of the Cold War, the name which came into being due to the fact that even being hardcore enemies of one another, the USSR and the U.S.,Read MoreAn Exploratory Research..2281 Words   |  10 Pagestowards a certain product which then leads to the intension to purchase and the actual behaviour. The importance of this research is to predict intention of the behaviour, which then leads to the actual behaviour. This report will be seen through the lens of the marketing theory ‘Theory of Planned Behaviour’ (TPB). Kim and Karpova, (2010) suggest the TPB explains how an individual’s attitude towards behaviour, sub jective norm, and perceived behavioural control predict intension which in turn leads toRead MoreCritical Discourse Analysis of the Movie Love Actually3536 Words   |  15 PagesCRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE LOVE ACTUALLY Love Actually is All Around†¦ Leon Koshcheyev English 2010 Professor O. Pimentel Love Actually is the ultimate romantic comedy written and directed by Richard Curtis. This film consist of dozens of different love stories that like a quilt are weaved together to make one story about love. It is about love in its many forms: love between family members, love between husbands and wives, innocent love, undeclared love, and romantic love. The

Movie Review Remember the Titans - 925 Words

Movie Review: Remember the Titans In 1971, the black and white schools in Alexandria, Virginia were forced to integrate and became T.C. Williams High School. There were in the community. Above al that, the white football coach, Bill Yoast, was replaced by a black football coach, Herman Boone. There was uproar among the white players and their parents because their white head coach was being replaced. The players attended a training camp where white and black players do not mix. An exception was a fat white player who sat with the blacks. In the camp, the white and black players were hostile to each other. Coach Boone made them sit together in the bus and even had each of them having a roommate of a different race. He wanted them to†¦show more content†¦When one of the members is in high spirit during the game, it would heighten the spirits of others and thus make the team stronger. These examples are consistent with Zajoncs Social Facilitation Theory (1965) where he states t hat the presence of other people might increase arousal and enhance dominant responses. In the movie, different characters deal and reacted differently towards prejudice and racism. Coach Herman Boone deals directly with it. He tries to eliminate the prejudice among the players and faces those who looks down on him bravely. He was not afraid when his window was broken down by people. Coach Bill Yoast did not deal with it directly at first. He was not openly against the blacks but was certainly unhappy when he was removed and replaced by Boone as the head coach. In the end, he accepted blacks and treated Boone as his peer. They remained as close friends till today. As for Gerry Bertier, he was somewhat outwardly discriminating the blacks. However, as he gets to know them better, especially his roommate, Julius, he accepted them and even stood up for them. He dumped his girlfriend because she could not accept Julius and persuaded his mother to get to know Julius. References Amir, Y. (1969). Contact hypothesis in ethnic relations. Psychological Bulletin, 71, 319- 342. In Franzoi, S. L. (2006). Social Psychology 4th Ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.Show MoreRelatedRemember The Titans : Movie Review971 Words   |  4 Pagesminutes after the movie started so the light jogging through the lobby was very necessary.   The sound of the sticky floor as we shuffled up the stairs to get to the â€Å"good seats† in the center of the stadium seating reminded me of the sound of packaging peanuts. All I could smell was concession food. The hot dogs and nachos filled the theatre as I hurried to take off my coat. I was ready to see my favorite actor, Denzel Washington grace the screen in the movie, Remember the Titans. This movie was my firstRead MoreEssay about Remember the Titans: Movie Review1011 Words   |  5 PagesRemember the Titans Movie Review The arrival of African slaves, sold in the plantations of colonial America, definitely triggered a superior-inferior relationship and mentality between â€Å"the whites† and â€Å"the blacks†. This present-day culture, resulting from a society of masters and slaves, has struggled against central concepts deeply rooted in the nations past .With strong cultural values on racial discrimination, the path towards the concept of racism in America was a vital moment in the courseRead MoreRemember The Titans By Gregory Allen Howard Essay1207 Words   |  5 PagesRemember the Titans is a 2000 non-fiction set in the early 1970’s. This well-known film would feel familiar to anyone that has ever seen a racially divided group or team dealing with the dislike from the public. For example, the film Hoosiers and Miracle on Ice. Remember the Titans was about a renowned football team that was dealing with segregation. T.C. William High School’s board was forced to have bla cks infiltrate an all-white school. The foundation of footballs great tradition was put to theRead MoreThe Titanic : The Wreck Of The Titan1380 Words   |  6 Pageshistory, the Titanic. Thesis: From the disaster to the movie, the sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most famous tragedies in history. I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: An American writer named Morgan Robertson once wrote a book called The Wreck of the Titan. The book was about an â€Å"unsinkable† ship called the Titan that set sail from England to New York with many rich and famous passengers on board. On its journey, the Titan hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sunk. Many livesRead MoreThe Titanic : The Wreck Of The Titan1512 Words   |  7 Pageshistory, the Titanic. Thesis: From the disaster to the movie, the sinking of the Titanic remains one of the most famous tragedies in history. I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: A writer named Morgan Robertson once wrote a book called The Wreck of the Titan. The book was all about an â€Å"unsinkable† ship called the Titan (titanic) which sailed from England to New York with many high profile passengers on board. On the journey, the Titan hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sunk. NumerousRead MoreThe Wreck Of The Titan1431 Words   |  6 PagesInformative Outline I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: An American writer named Morgan Robertson on one occasion wrote a book called The Wreck of the Titan. The book was about an â€Å"unsinkable† ship called the Titan that set sail from England to New York with many rich and famous passengers on board. On its expedition, the Titan hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sunk. Numerous lives were lost because there were not plenty lifeboats. The strange part about this is that the TitanicRead MoreBeowulf Movie Review2365 Words   |  10 PagesIn Partial Fulfillment of Requirements In English MOVIE REVIEW Of BEOWULF Merry Anjela M. Mendoza September 16, 2011 Ms. Maria Dolores Fiao-ag Introduction Beowulf is an epic from England. It is a story of a brave man who killed many monsters and died defending from a dragon. It is also a great story of adventure. From an old English poem, it became a 3D movie with the faces of real actors and actresses. Although there has a difference from the original poem, it still showed great and itRead MoreManagement Review : Remember The Titans1382 Words   |  6 PagesManagement Review of Remember the Titans 1) Describe the portrayed leader. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the leader? The movie plot surrounded the main character of Coach Boone, an African American football coach who transferred to a new school district that has just been desegregated. Coach Boone is a leader, not only as the head of a football team but an influence of positive change. He uses his legitimate power when first approaching his new team, then uses referent and reward powerRead MoreAmerican Sport Movies Dealing with Racism6989 Words   |  28 Pagescinema. For decades movie makers have successfully mined sports to produce some of the most inspiring, poignant, exciting and memorable American movies ever made. The genre of ‘Sport Movies’ established in the Fifties and the Sixties. At the very beginning it was hard to see it as an independent genre because there was a lot of mixture. There have been propaganda movies as well as comedies, dramas, gangster movies or even westerns combined with some sport scenes. So the movie industry defined threeRead MoreDenzel Washington2082 Words   |  9 PagesHe was the brother-in-law of actress Rita Pearson and the cousin of CBS anchorman Ukee Washington. Denzel married actress Pauletta Pearson Washington (61 years old) on June 25th 1983; He met her when he was filming his first onscreen role on the TV movie set named â€Å"Wilma†. One year after their wedding, they had their first child, John David Washington (born July 28th, 1984) – Attended Morehouse College and was drafted in 2006 by the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. They then began to start a family, having three

Traditional Automotive Industry Regions †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Traditional Automotive Industry Regions. Answer: E-Bay Incorporation E-Bay is an American online retailer which operates in e-commerce retailing. It was founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar. E-Bay features an online auction and large variety of products on their online platform. In 2016 fiscal year, it generated an income of US$8.97 billion. The reason for choosing eBay is that enterprise takes an innovative step and changes the online retailing market. The company gained a competitive advantage due to their unique business approach. E-Bay operates in the online auction and retailing market. Their strategy focuses on delivering great quality facilities to its users while maintaining their satisfaction. The company features low-cost products on their websites, as compared to its competitors. The online auction feature helps users to auction their stuff on eBays website. Customers can bid their price on a particular product and highest bidder gets the product management. According to the research of Amit and Zott (2012), this approach increases the value of a particular product which increases the satisfaction of both parties. This unique strategy help eBay gained a competitive advantage because the company did not suffer any inventory storage cost. E-Bay maintains transparency and security in each transaction, which helps to establish customers trust in the company. The company uses its technical resources to expand their market overseas. The innovative strategy of the company ensures its sustainable growth in the future. Business Model According to Hagiu and Wright (2013), eBays business model helps them to enhance their business worldwide and gaining success in the online retailing market. Following are an essential part of their business strategy: Originally eBay is focused on their online auction features which help customers selling their products based on auction prices. E-Bay provides first 20 transactions free to its customers and then charges a fee. The layout of their website is simple to understand by its users. The company did not have any inventory storage expenses, like its competitor Amazon. The company provides secure transaction between customers and businesses. The transparency of transactions has gained company their customers trust and enhanced their reputation (Chen, Liu and Yu 2012). The unique strategy of business gained them an exceptional place in the online retail industry. The company maintains a high rate of consumer satisfaction and this help them to sustain their future development. E-Bays innovative technology increases their business at a global stage. The business model of the company ensures their success in global markets. The study of different culture, administration, geographical and economic aspects gained company their unique spot worldwide. The company spends their income on innovative technology instead of in storing inventory in warehouses. The reputation and unique approach of company help in their success in the online retailing market (Cabral and Hortacsu 2010). Tata motors are a part of Tata groups and it was established in 1945. The company operates their businesses in the automotive industry and it is Indias largest automotive manufacturer. Headquarter of the organisation is situated in Mumbai, India. The company owns luxury automotive brands Jaguar Land Rover by an acquisition from Ford Motors. It has an income of US$42 billion in the fiscal year of 2016. The motive of choosing Tata is that it is the largest automotive brand in India and it has increased its global dominance by Jaguar Land Rover acquisition. The company is known for their US$3000 car Tata Nano which was a huge success in Indian automotive market. The strategy of Tata motors focused on manufacturing low priced and fuel efficient vehicles for Indian middle-class families. The company manufacture other vehicles as well, such as trucks, vans, and buses. The companys advantage is their competitive prices and modern technology. The organisation has a reputation of manufacturing low cost, high efficiency, comfortable and durable vehicle. According to the paper of Prahalad and Mashelkar (2010), the corporations acquisition and joint venture deals enhanced their global footprint in automotive markets. Tatas gain their advantage from excellent supply chain network that ensure high quality of vehicle with lower expenses. Tata invests in modern technology to gain market understanding and maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. The technological advancements and foreign investments ensure sustained future growth of Tata Motors in the global automotive market. Business model According to Wells (2010), the business model of Tata is focused on increasing their global reputation and enhancing the quality of their Indian vehicles. Following are the key aspects of their business model: The company invest in modern technology to decrease the prices and increase the fuel efficiency of their vehicles. The demand for a luxury vehicle in Indian automotive market is low. Therefore, Tatas focus is on low-cost and fuel-efficient Tata plan with their suppliers to reduce their vehicle prices. In order to manufacture Tata Nano, the company made deals with their suppliers to provide low cost and durable parts for the vehicle. The manufacturing of Tata Nano significantly enhanced the market share of Tata Motors in the Indian Along with Indian automotive market, the company increases their business in global automotive markets as well. The high reputation of Jaguar Land Rover generated revenue of 24.3 billion in 2017. The income of Jaguar Land Rover amounted to more than 50 percent of Tata motors whole revenue (Becker-Ritterspach and Bruche 2012). The company manufactures and update their products according to the market requirements. The benefit of adopting their approach is the high level of customer satisfaction. The innovative approach of the organisation and modern technology ensure their success in global automotive markets. According to Mitra (2011), while investing in international markets, Tata research various cultural, administrative, geographic and economic policies of the countries. It assists the company to know the requirement and demand of customers from various countries. Therefore, the company focus on low cost and fuel efficient vehicles in India and while entering in international markets they invest in luxury car brand Jaguar Land Rover. This helps in sustaining their development in future projects. References Amit, R. and Zott, C., 2012. Creating value through business model innovation.MIT Sloan Management Review,53(3), p.41. Becker-Ritterspach, F. and Bruche, G., 2012. Capability creation and internationalization with business group embeddednessthe case of Tata Motors in passenger cars.European Management Journal,30(3), pp.232-247. Cabral, L. and Hortacsu, A., 2010. The dynamics of seller reputation: Evidence from eBay.The Journal of Industrial Economics,58(1), pp.54-78. Chen, K.P., Liu, Y.S. and Yu, Y.T., 2012. The Seller's listing strategy in online auctions: evidence from eBay. Hagiu, A. and Wright, J., 2013. Do you really want to be an eBay?. Mitra, R., 2011. Framing the corporate responsibility-reputation linkage: The case of Tata Motors in India.Public Relations Review,37(4), pp.392-398. Prahalad, C.K. and Mashelkar, R.A., 2010. Innovations holy grail.Harvard Business Review,88(7/8), pp.132-141. Wells, P., 2010. The Tata Nano, the global valuesegment and the implications for the traditional automotive industry regions.Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society,3(3), pp.443-457.

Vittore Carpaccio Essays - Vittore Carpaccio, Legend Of Saint Ursula

Vittore Carpaccio Vittore Carpaccio was born around the year 1460 near Venice, Italy. They didn't keep birth records then, so this date is an estimate. Vittore knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a painter when he was older. He couldn't pay attention in school because he was always drawing or sketching on his papers. As a young man, Carpaccio was greatly influenced by two Venetian painters. These two painters were Gentile Bellini and Giovanni Bellini. Carpaccio was influenced greatly by these artists, but he also admired the work of other artists of the Venitian art period. Carpaccio used four cycles of paintings; each of these cycles was used to tell a story. However, only the first two of these cycles have become well known. Carpaccio did the first of these cycles between 1490 and 1495. This cycle consisted of nine large paintings. One of these paintings, named The Legend of Saint Ursula, is considered by most people to be his finest work. Especially original is the painting Dream of Saint Ursula. Vittore completed the second cycle of his paintings between the years 1502 and 1507. This cycle also consists of nine scenes. These scenes are mainly from the lives of Saint George and Saint Jerome. The two best known paintings of this cycle are titled Saint George Slaying the Dragon and Saint Jerome in His Study. Even tough Carpaccio was greatly influenced by other artists of his time; he still had a style that was different than everyone else. He seemed to use the colors black, red and brown more than other colors. He also put exotic animals or objects from faraway lands in many of his paintings. He also was very good with architecture and knew how to paint buildings so they looked real. Some of Vittore's other widely known paintings include: "A Saint Reading" and "Virgin and Child." Even though he isn't as famous as some other artists are; Carpaccio was one of the greatest artists of the early Renaissance in Europe. He may not be the greatest drawer ever, but that isn't what makes him great. What makes him great is how he uses color in his paintings. His colors are always bright and vivid, and his lighting effects are brilliant. Bibliography "Carpaccio, Vittore." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. Copyright 1994. Microsoft Corporation. Gerten, C. "Bio: Vittore Carpaccio." 1997. Online. http://sunsite.auc.dk/cgfa /carpaccio/carpaccio_bio.htm. 3/16/00.

Gandhi Concept of Civil Disobedience free essay sample

Given a just cause, capacity for endless suffering and avoidanceof violence, victory is a certainty. †Subsequently, Gandhi abandoned the term ‘passive resistance’, and chose the term ‘satyagraha’. The concept of satyagraha is devoid of any feelings of hatred and violent means. It is basedon spiritual purity. Like Tolstoy, Gandhi was opposed to all forms of violence in his commitmentsto political actions. Arne Naess, a leading theoretician on Gandhi has stressed Gandhi’sâ€Å"constructive imagination and uncommon ingenuity in finding and applying morally acceptableforms of political action. Satyagraha, the unique system of non-violent resistance to thegovernment’s arbitrary methods and actions is, indeed, his greatest gift to mankind. For Gandhi, Ahimsa (non-violence) and Truth were inseparable. He said that â€Å"Ahimsa is themeans; Truth is the end. † Gandhi used satyagraha as a lever for social movements. In order to understand the Gandhian concept of civil disobedience and satyagraha, it is desirableto know Gandhi’s view on the subject in detail. We will write a custom essay sample on Gandhi Concept of Civil Disobedience or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Gandhi said, â€Å"Satyagraha largely appears to thepublic as Civil Disobedience or Civil Resistance. It is civil in the sense that it is not criminal. The lawbreaker †¦ openly and civily breaks ( unjust laws) and quietly suffers the penalty fortheir breach. And in order to register his protest against the action of the lawgivers, it is opento him to withdraw his cooperation from the state by disobeying such other laws whose breachdoes not constitute moral turpitude. In my opinion, the beauty and efficacy of Satyagraha areso great and doctrine so simple that it can be preached even to children. †Gandhi strongly advocated that it was the birth right of every individual to offer civil disobedience in the face of unjust laws. He wrote in 1920, â€Å"I wish I could persuade everybody that civildisobedience is the inherent right of a citizen, He does not give it up without ceasing to be aman. Civil disobedience, therefore, becomes a sacred duty. When the state has become lawless,or which is the same thing, corrupt. And a citizen that barters with such a state, shares incorruption or lawlessness. †In his evidence before the Hunter Committee that was constituted by the Government of Indiato enquire into the disturbances in 1919, Gandhi argued that civil disobedience would be calledfor and is legitimate even in a democracy. He highlighted its constitutional aspects. In his replyto the Hunter Committee as to what he would have done towards the breakers of laws if hewould have been a Governor himself, Gandhi replied, â€Å"If I were in charge of government andbrought face to face with a body who entirely in search of truth, were determined to seekredress from unjust laws without inflicting violence, I would welcome it and would consider thatthey were the best constitutionalists, and as a Governor I would take them by my side asadvisers who would keep me on the right path. †Some people have questioned the efficacy of satyagraha as a universal philosophy. Gandhi’svision was not confined to the attainment of independence from foreign rule, the control ofgovernment by the Indians. He struggled for the Indian soul, not merely for a visible polity. In the concept of ‘civil disobedience and satyagraha’ both ‘civil disobedience’ and ‘ satyagraha’are deeply interlinked as a theory of conflict resolution. Gandhi said, â€Å"Experience has taught methat civility is the most difficult part of satyagraha. Civility does not here mean the more outwardgentleness of speech, cultivated for the occasion but an inborn gentleness and desire to do theopponent good. These should show themselves in every act of satyagraha. †This new orientation of the concept has provided a visionary dimension to the very approachesof conflict resolution in statecraft. The present threat, indeed, to the very existence of mankindcould only be removed by the Gandhian approach of a revolutionary change of heart in individualhuman beings. The basic aim of every political system is to create a social, political and economic climate inwhich the individuals can fulfil inner requirements of their continuous moral growth. The Gandhianmethod of civil disobedience and satyagraha alone helps in creating conditions in civil societywhereby all spiritual values and methods could be appreciated in the state system as a vitalnecessity for progress and prosperity. Dr. King very successfully implemented this Gandhianmethod during the civil rights movement. He said, â€Å"A just law is a man-made code that squareswith the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with themoral law. † In the language of Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rootedin eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degradeshuman personality is unjust. All segregation statues are unjust because segregation distorts thesoul and damages the personality. it implies ‘ non-injury’ to any living being. In its positive form, it means, ‘the greatest love’ and‘the greatest charity’. In Buddhist literature, it is highlighted as an attitude of creative coexistence. According to Henry Thoreau, if there is a conflict between ‘higher values’ and ‘lower values’,then the citizen in no way should resign his conscience to the legislation of the state. He saidthat â€Å"legislators, politicians serve the state chiefly with their heads; and as they rarely make anymoral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it, as God. A very fewserve the state with conscience also, and so necessarily resist it for the most part†¦, no unduerespect for law is required as it will commit one to do many unjust things. Where ‘immorality’and ‘legality’ come into conflict, the only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do atany time what I think right, what I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myselfto the wrong which I condemn†. The Congress Party organised the Civil Disobedience Movement in pursuance of the resolutionon independence passed in the Lahore session of the Congress in December 1929. It was theresult of British refusal to accept the Congress demand for Dominion Status. Factors such asthe Lahore Conspiracy Case, the tragic death of Jatin Das in jail in 1929, the Meerut ConspiracyCase also forced the Congress to demand independence. The civil disobedience movement gotmanifested in various forms such as the widespread defiance of law, boycott of British goods,withdrawal of support by the army and the police, and non-co-operation with the government. Gandhi highlighted all these demands in his letter to the government in 1930 to break the saltlaw. Gandhi started his satyagraha movement in South Africa. Subsequently, on his return to Indiato lead the non-co-operation movement against the British administration, he used it to removethe grievances of the oppressed workers and peasants of Champaran, Kheda, and Bardoli. Toquote Gandhi, â€Å"†¦ to speak of satyagraha is to speak of a weapon†¦ a weapon which refusesto be limited by legality. Challenge, illegality, and action – there are so many keys with whichsatyagraha is equipped †¦. For though satyagraha rejects violence, it does not renounce illegality. †Gandhi always emphasised the value of proper means. To him, â€Å"Improper means result in animpure end†¦. One cannot reach truth by untruthfulness. Truthful conduct alone can reach truth. Non-violence is embedded in truth. †Often Gandhi has been taken to task for his emphasis on self-suffering and satyagraha. Sometrace it to the streak of masochism in the character of Gandhi, while others have gone over toHindu scriptures to emphasise Indian spirituality. But the Gandhian approach to self-sufferingand satyagraha has little to do with individual self-mortification. It is a simple condition for thesuccess of a cause. It does not imply that there would not be any suffering in the struggle forsatyagraha. It simply means the assertion of one’s freedom and one’s right to dissent. Thismethod often works as a psychological way to change the minds of an opponent. Gandhi said,â€Å"While in passive resistance, there is a scope for the use of arms when a suitable occasionarrives, in satyagraha physical force is forbidden even in the most favourable circumstances. Passive resistance may be offered side by side with the use of arms. Satyagraha and bruteforce being each a negation of the other can never go together. †The Gandhian concept of satyagraha is the product of his faith in religion and spiritual values. He was convinced that the supreme law that governs all living beings and universe is nothingbut love and non-violence, and Gita carried this message of non-violence as ‘ soul force’. The Gandhian concept of satyagraha is not merely an instrument of conflict resolution or nonviolentresistance to injustice. It is an integrated concept, covering the whole life process of asatyagrahi. It includes : truth, non-violence, hastity, non-stealing, swadeshi, fearlessness, breadlabour,removal of untouchability, and so on. Civil disobedience is a ‘branch’ of ‘satyagraha’. All ‘satyagrahas’ can never be civil disobedience, whereas all cases of civil disobedience arecases of satyagraha. Gandhi said, â€Å"Its root meaning is holding on to truth, hence truth forc e. I have called it Love Force or Soul Force. †The legal view, also called the monistic view or traditional view of sovereignty, was propoundedby John Austin (1779-1859), a great jurist, in his book, Lectures on Jurisprudence (1832). According to Austin, â€Å"If a determinate human superior, not in the habit of obedience to a like superior, receives habitual obedience from the bulk of a given society, that determinate superioris sovereign in that society; and the society (including the superior) is a society, political andindependent†. According to Austin, following are the characteristics of sovereignty:i) Sovereignty is necessary for the state. Sovereignty is one of the four elements of the state. There cannot be a state without sovereignty. If state is the body, sovereignty is its spirit. Thestate cannot alienate itself from the power of sovereignty. The end of sovereignty means theend of state. ii) Sovereignty has to be determinate . It resides in a person or a body of persons. To Austin, Stateis a legal order in which the sovereignty can be located very clearly. It cannot be the people orthe electorate or the General Will since all of these are vague expressions. It is not vested inGod also. Sovereign must be a human being or a body of human beings who can be identified. iii) Sovereign is the supreme power in the state. He is the source of all authority in the state. Hisauthority is unlimited and absolute. He does not take commands from any one as nobody hasa right to command him. But he commands every one within the state. His authority is universaland all comprehensive. Sovereignty is independent from any internal or external control. iv) The Sovereign receives habitual obedience from the people. Thus, the authority of the sovereignis not casual. It is continuous, regular, undisturbed and uninterrupted. If a significant part of thepopulation refuses to accept him and renders disobedience, then he is no longer a sovereign. Similarly, a short term obedience is not an attribute of sovereignty. The power of the sovereignhas to be permanent in society. v) Law is the will and the command of the sovereign. He is the source of law. Law is a commandgiven by a superior to the inferiors who are in a state of subjection or dependence. Sovereignis above the customs and traditions of society. They exist with his permission. Whatever thesovereign permits, that alone can exist. The rights and liberties of the individual also emanatefrom the sovereign and do restrict the operation of the individuals’ sovereignty. vi) Sovereignty has the legitimate physical force to exert command and obedience and enforce itslaws. ii) The power of sovereignty is exclusive and indivisible. It is a unit in itself that cannot be divided between two or more persons. Division of sovereignty means its destruction. Thus according to Austin, sovereignty is the supreme power of the state that is absolute,permanent, universal, inalienable, exclusive and indivisible. However, these characteristics arenot acc eptable to the pluralists who reject the entire thesis of Austin in toto. 9. 6 PLURALISTIC ATTACK ON AUSTIN’S CONCEPT OFSOVEREIGNTY The prominent pluralist writers are Dr. J. Neville Figgis, Paul Boncour, Durkheim, MacIver, Laski,Barker, Duguit, Krabbe, G. D. H. Cole and Miss Follet. Here we will study the pluralist attack onAustin’s concept of sovereignty with special reference to Laski and MacIver. The pluralists do not believe that the sovereign is determinate. According to them, the determinationwas possible in old days when the king ruled with absolute powers. But in modern times the political system is based upon the concept of popular sovereignty in which the government isresponsible to the people who can make or unmake the government. The constitutions clearlyproclaim the sovereignty of the people, but Austin will not accept people as sovereign. Similarly,the electorate cannot be termed as sovereign because both the terms- â€Å"people† and â€Å"electorate†are vague and do not constitute determinate human being in the Austinian sense. The task oflocating sovereignty becomes more difficult in case of a federation in which the powers aredivided between the centre and the units and both are supposed to be sovereign in theirrespective fields. In such a system, the constitution is supposed to be supreme but it is not ahuman being and hence, cannot be sovereign. Even in Britain where the supremacy of theparliament is the basic law of the land, the parliament cannot be termed as totally sovereign asit also works under limitations. Laski rightly points out that the real rulers of a society are notdiscoverable. The pluralists believe that Austin’s concept of sovereignty cannot be verified from history. According to Laski, historically, sovereignty has always been subjected to limitations except fora very small period when we really had a sovereign in Austin’s sense. This was the period whenthe nation-state arose and the kings asserted their authority. This nation-state was the result ofthe religious struggle of the 16th century and the emergence of the sovereign state was avindication of the primacy of the secular order over religion. Thus, there were certain historicalfactors which were responsible for the creation of absolute sovereignty of the state. And if we leave this brief period, we do not find any example of absolute sovereignty. In modern times,sovereignty is limited. Political theory is not only a theory of/about politics, it is also the science of politics, thephilosophy of politics at that. As a theory, Bluhen explains, political theory â€Å"stands for anabstract model of the political order†¦ a guide to the systematic collection and analysis ofpolitical data† (Theories of Political System, 1981). Andrew Hacker, enlarging the point ofview, says that political theory as a â€Å"theory, in ideal terms, is dispassionate and disinterested. As science, it will describe political reality without trying to pass judgement on what is beingdepicted, either implicitly or explicitly. As philosophy, it will describe rules of conduct which willsecure good life for all of society†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Political Theory: Philosophy, Ideology, Science, 1961). Political theory is not fantasy, though it may contain an element of political vision. It is notpoliticking, though it does take into account political realities for its study and analysis. It is notall scientism, though it seeks to reach the roots of all political activity analytically and systematically. It is not ideology, though it attempts to justify a political system and condemns another. It istheoretical, scientific, philosophical and at the same time dynamic with a clear objective ofattaining a better social order. It thus, has in varying degrees, elements of ‘theory’, ‘science’,‘philosophy’ and ‘ideology’. Political theory is a theory about what is â€Å"political†, the science and philosophy of what ispolitical. George Sabine says, â€Å"It is anything about politics or relevant to politics†. This beingthe broader meaning, he refers to its narrow meaning, saying that it is â€Å"the disciplined investigationof political problems† (A History of Political Theory, 1973). David Held defines political theoryas â€Å"a network of concepts and generalizations about political life involving ideas, assumptionsand statements about the nature, purpose and key features of government, state and society andabout the political capabilities of human beings†. Political Theory Today, 1991) A very elaboratedefinition of political theory has been given in Political Science Dictionary, describing it as â€Å"abody of thought that seeks to evaluate, explain and predict political phenomena. As a sub-fieldof Political Science, it is concerned with political ideas, values and conc epts, and the explanationof prediction of political behaviour. In its broad sense, it has two main branches: one is politicalphilosophy or normative theory, with its value, analytic, historical and speculative concerns. Theother is empirical theory, with its efforts to explain, predict, guide, research and organizeknowledge through the formulation of abstract models, and scientifically testable propositions. †Political theory is all about politics. It is an overview of what the political order is about. It isa symbolic representation of what is â€Å"political†. In its nature, it is a formal, logical and systematic analysis of processes and consequences of political activity. It is, in its method, analytical,expository, and explanatory. It is, in its objective, an attempt to give order, coherence andmeaning to what may be referred to as â€Å"political†. i) Classical political theory aimed at acquiring reliable knowledge about matters concerning thepeople, a philosophical pursuit to establish a rational basis for belief; a politically inspired pursuitto establish a rational basis for action. (ii) It sought to identify the political with the public, the common: the Greek polis, the Roman respublica, and the medieval age usage of commonweal – all denoted a sharing of what wascommon among the people as partners. iii) Its basic unit of analysis was always the political whole, the body-politic, the inter-relatedstructure denoting activity, relationship, and belief: activity relating to ruling, warfare, education,religious practices;relationships involving those between social classes, between the rulersand the ruled, between the superiors and the inferiors; belief, such as justice, equality, naturallaw and the like. (iv) Relating itself to the political whole, the classical political theory laid emphasis on order, balance,equilibrium, stability and harmony. That is why, it, in the process, dwelt on terms such asconflicts, anarchy, instability and revolution. (v) Classical political theory laid stress on comparative studies for supplying a more comprehensiveexplanation of political phenomena and a wider range of alternatives. That was the reason thatclassical political theory developed a classification of political forms (e. g. , monarchy, aristocracy,democracy, and their variants) and a set of concepts such as law, citizenship, justice andparticipation so as to explain differences and similarities between them. (vi) Classical political theory had been, largely, ethical in perspective. Its response was rooted in amoral outlook: Plato advocated the ideal state; Aristotle, a state that can achieve the bestpossible; St. Augustine, the city of god. Classical political theory undertook to appraise thevarious constitutional forms, to determine the form most suitable for a particular set of circumstances, and to decide, if any, absolutely the best form possible. (vii)Classical political theory, by projecting the best form of polity as the ideal, revealed the boldnessand radicalism of classical theorising, though some dismissed such an attempt as merely utopianand visionary. . 4. 2 Modern Political Theory Modern political theory encompasses in itself a hostModern political theory with its western liberal-democratic shade attemptedto build a science of politics; objective, empirical, observational, measurable, operational andvalue-free. Its features can be summed up as under:(i) Facts and data constitute the bases of study. These are accumulated, explained and then usedfor testing hypothesis. (ii) Human behaviour can be studied, and regularities of human behaviour can be expressed ingeneralisations. iii) Subjectivity gives way to objectivity; philosophical interpretation to analytical explanation;purpose to procedure; descriptive to observational; normative to scientific. (iv) Facts and values are separated; values are so arranged that the facts become relevant. (v) Methodology has to be self-conscious, explicit and quantitative. (vi) Inter-disciplinary synthesis is to be achieved. (vii)â€Å"What it is† is regarded as more important than either â€Å"what it was† or â€Å"what it ought to be orcould be†. viii) Values are to supportfacts, substance to form, and theory to research, and status quo tosocial changeAt the other end of modern political theory stands the Marxist political theory, also called the‘dialectical-materialist’ or the ‘scientific-socialist’ theory. It describes the general laws of motio nin the development of all phenomena. Its importance lies in change through the struggle betweenopposites; between relations of production and productive forces with a view to have a bettermode of production; development from the lower stage to the higher one; from, say, capitalisticto socialistic and from socialistic to communistic. It is a theory which provides a systematic andscientific framework of analysing and explaining social and political change. It is a method ofinterpreting the past, understanding the present, and projecting the future. 1. 4. 3 Contemporary Political Theory (i) Contemporary political theory has been viewed as the history of political thought, involving anattempt to examine the significance of text in their historical context. ii) It has sought to revitalise the discipline as a form of conceptual analysis, and in the process,finding political theory as a systematic reflection upon, and classification of, the meanings ofthe key forms and concepts such as sovereignty, democracy, justice and the like. (iii) It has been developed as the systematic elaboration of the underlying structure of our moraland political activities; the disclosure, examination and reconstruction of the foundations ofpolitical value. vi) It has been revitalised as a form of argument concerned with abstract theoretica l questionsand particular political issues. (v) It has been championed as a critique of all forms of foundationalism, either the post-modernistsor the liberal defenders. It, accordingly, presents itself as a stimulant to dialogue and toconversation among human beings. (vi) It has been elaborated as a form of systematic model building influenced by theoreticaleconomics, rational choice theory and game theory; it aims to construct formal models ofpolitical processes. vii)It has developed as the theoretical enterprise of the discipline of Political Science. As such itattempts to construct theory on the basis of observation and modest empirical generalisations. Contemporary political theory is mainly concerned with the explanation, investigation and ultimately,with the comprehension of what relates to politics: concepts, principles and institutions. BrianBarry (Political Argument, 1965) says that political theory attempts to â€Å"study the relationbetweenprinciplesamp;institutionsâ₠¬ . According to Rawls, a stable, reasonably well-off society is â€Å"a cooperative venture for mutualadvantage. † Along with cooperation, there is also conflict among its members regarding theirshare of the burdens and benefits of social living. The purpose of principles of social justice isto ensure that the distribution of the benefits and burdens of society is just or fair to all itsmembers. The basic institutions of society should, according to Rawls, be so constructed as toensure the continuous distribution of â€Å"social primary goods† to all the members of society in a fair or just manner. Social primary goods† are goods, which are distributed by the basicstructure of a society. They include rights and liberties, powers and opportunities, and incomeand wealth. Rawls argues that the distribution of these social primary goods among the membersof a society is just, if that distribution is made in accordance with the following principles ofjustice:Principle 1 (P rinciple of Equal Basic Liberties) Each person has the same indefeasible claim to a fully adequate scheme of equal basic liberties,scheme which is compatible with the same scheme of liberties for all. Principle 2(2-i: Fair Equality of Opportunity; 2-ii: Difference Principle)Social and economic inequalities are to satisfy two conditions : first, they are to be attached tooffices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity; and second, theyare to be to the greatest benefit of the least-advantaged members of societyThese principles are listed here in the order of their lexical priority. By â€Å"lexical priority†, Rawlsmeans that the first principle must be fully satisfied before the next principle is applied. It means,for instance, that â€Å"liberty can be restricted only for the sake of liberty†, and not, say, for thesake of income or wealth. It must, however, be noted in this context that Rawls assumes thatsociety (his own society, in fact) to which his principles of social justice are to be applied is onewhich is reasonably well-off and in which the basic material needs of all are provided for. The main purpose of the rule of priority is to assign greater importance to equal basic libertiesthan to other primary social goods. In â€Å"basic liberties,† Rawls includes freedom of conscience,freedom of thought, freedom of the person along with the right to hold personal property,freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention or, in other words, the freedom of the rule of law,freedom of speech and assembly and political freedoms. According to Rawls, these basic rights and liberties enable us to exercise and realise our â€Å"twohighest-order moral powers,† namely, (i) the capacity to understand, apply and act according tothe principles of justice and (ii) the capacity to form, revise and pursue conceptions of the good. In Rawls’s view, every member of a just society must be viewed as having these two moralcapacities. These make them free and equal citizens. The moral equality of citizens means thatâ€Å"they each have, and view themselves as having, a right to equal respect and consideration indetermining the principles by which the basic arrangements of their society are to be regulated†. The freedom of the citizens includes their freedom to realise their capacity to pursue their ownconception of the good life. Since the distribution of social primary goods will have to respect the equality and freedom andâ€Å"fraternity† and welfare, etc. f all the members of society, it cannot strictly be an equaldistribution across the board. According to Rawls, once the basic material needs of the peopleare met, their right to basic liberties is to be accorded priority over their right to the other socialprimary goods, which are covered by the principle of equal opportunities and the diff erenceprinciple. While he is opposed to any unequal distribution of basic liberties, he assumes thatsome inequalities in income and wealth are inevitable and perhaps not undesirable. Accordingly,the main purpose of his second principle of social justice is to keep inequalities within the boundsof justice-as-fairness. Obviously, the distinction between just or fair inequalities and unjust orunfair inequalities is of crucial importance in Rawls’s theory of social justice. Rawls thinks that excessive equality in income and wealth would destroy the economic incentivesrequired for greater creativity and productivity. This would be harmful to both the rich and thepoor. From the standpoint of the poor (as well as of the rich), justice does not require thecomplete elimination of economic inequality. Rawls believes that certain inequalities, whichserve as incentives for the greater creativity and productivity of the talented and the gifted, arenot unjust if that greater creativity and productivity are integrated into a social-structural orinstitutional arrangement for distribution to the benefit of all, especially the least advantagedmembers of the society. He also thinks that giving advantage to the least advantaged wouldinvariably entail giving benefits to everyone else. Rawls maintains that a society can so structure or re-structure its basic institutions as to makeinequalities in income and wealth yield maximum benefits to the least advantaged – maximumin comparison to any reasonable, alternative social re-structuring. His Difference Principle ismeant not to replace inequality with equality in income and wealth, but to transform unfair orunjust degrees or kinds of economic inequalities into a fair or just kind or degree by maximisingthe benefits of the least advantaged. According to the Difference Principle, inequalities whichare advantageous to the better off but not to the least advantaged are unjust. Rawls’s principle of fair equality of opportunity stipulates that the state should ensure fairequality of opportunity in the educational, cultural and economic spheres as well as provideunemployment and sickness benefits. These require an interventionist, welfare state to run oraid schools, to regulate the economy, etc. The principles of justice, which we have discussed so far, have been described by Rawls asâ€Å"special† formulations of a â€Å"general† conception of justice. This general conception is stated as:All social primary goods – liberty and opportunity, income and wealth and the bases of selfrespect– are to be distributed equally, unless an unequal distribution of any or all of these goodsis to the advantage of the least favoured. What Rawls means by this general conception of justice is that only those inequalities are unjustwhich, as in the case of utilitarianism, put some members or the society at a disadvantage. This â€Å"general† conception of justice, however, does not differentiate between the different social primary goods. It does not say, for instance, how to resolve the conflict, if any, between thedistribution of income and the distribution of liberty. It is to meet this difficulty that Rawls dividesthe general conception into a â€Å"special conception† of the two principles, which we have discussedabove.

The Rumor of Rapists Luring Victims With a Crying Child

The Rumor of Rapists Luring Victims With a Crying Child Several viral messages that have been circulating, through email and social media since 2005, claim that gang members in various parts of the world have begun using crying children. This claim surrounds the idea that they are pretending to be lost or in distress to lure female victims to secluded places to be assaulted. Police have repeatedly stated that there is no evidence that such tactics are being used by rapists. This viral text and email rumor is considered false and includes several examples over the years, with versions from 2005, 2011, and 2014. See these versions below, review the analysis of the rumor, and learn how viral rape warnings can be misleading. The 2014 Example As Shared on Facebook ATTENTION ALL GIRLS AND LADIES:If you walk from home, school, office or anywhere and you are alone and you come across a little boy crying holding a piece of paper with an address on it, DO NOT TAKE HIM THERE! Take him straight to the police station for this is the new gang way of Kidnap and rape. The incident is getting worse. Warn your families and friends.Repost this please! The 2011 Example As Received Through Email FW: Fox News Alert - Please Read!FROM CNN FOX NEWSThis is from the County Sheriff Department please read this message very carefully.This message is for any lady who goes to work, college or school or even driving or walking the streets alone.-If you find a young person crying on the road showing you their address and is asking you to take them to that address... take that child to the POLICE STATION!! No matter what you do, DONT go to that address. This is a new way for gang members to rape women. Please forward this message to all ladies guys so that they can inform their sisters friends. Please dont feel shy to forward this message. Our 1 message may save a life. Published by CNN FOX NEWS (Please circulate)..**Please DO NOT IGNORE! The 2005 Example As Delivered by Email Subject: New Rape Case TacticHi everyone, I am not sure when did this happen, but it is best to be careful and safety comes first.She was just discharged from the hospital...Today after office hours, I heard from my sister-in-law that there is a new way to rape women It happened to one of our good friends The girl left the office after working hours and saw a little child crying on the road Feeling pity for the child, she went and ask what happened The child said, I am lost. Can you take me home please? Then the child gave her a slip and tell the girl where the address is. And the girl, being an average kind person, didnt suspect anything and took the child there.And there when it arrived the childs home, she pressed the door bell, yet she was shocked as it the bell was wired with high voltage, and fainted. The next day when she woke up, she found herself in an empty house up in the hills, naked.She has never even get to see the face of the attacker... Thats why nowadays crimes are t argeted on kind peopleNext time if the same situation occurs, never bring the child to the intended place. If the child insist, then bring the child to the police station. Lost child are best to send to police stations.Please send this to all your female friends.(my extra note: guys, please tell your mom, your sister, your wife and your girlfriends too!) Analysis of the Viral Message Rumors Even though recent variants of this rumor have been shared under the guise of police warnings or sheriffs department warnings, no reports have been found. This includes documented cases in which rapists actually used, or even attempted to use, crying children as bait to lure female victims. Law enforcement officials have repeatedly denounced these warnings as hoaxes. The earliest version of the hoax was forwarded in 2005 by a reporter in Singapore who had already identified it as an urban legend. Within a month it had made its way to South Africa, and by May 2005 more copies began to circulate from readers in the United States. As of 2013, eight years later, law enforcement agencies were still fielding inquiries about it from El Paso to Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Viral Rape Warnings Can Be Misleading and Dangerous People sometimes defend viral warnings like these by arguing that, even if false in their particulars, they remind women to keep their wits about them and be careful and that it cant hurt. What weakens that argument is that the false warnings are, in fact, specific. To the degree that potential victims are persuaded to focus their attention on a crying child as a sign that an attacker may be nearby, the more likely it is that theyll be inattentive to other cues, such as real cues, that theyre in danger.

Significant of Edge Waves and Shear Waves Essay

Significant of Edge Waves and Shear Waves - Essay Example Edge waves or low frequency gravity motion waves are water waves that are trapped at the shoreline by refraction. It is produce by the variability of wave energy reaching shore. An edge-wave is a low frequency wave attached to the beach. The edge waves have periods of a minute, a long-shore wave-length of around a kilometer, and amplitude that decays exponentially offshore as shown in figure 1 (Cutchin and Smith, 1973).While they were originally considered to be a curiosity, these waves play a significant role in near shore hydrodynamics. (Eckart C., 1951). The edge waves are modeled by creating incident waves that approach perpendicular to the direction of the constructed shoreline. The numerical modeling of edge waves was first described by Stokes equation in 1946. Shear Wave is also known as the voticity wave. The stability of a steady alongshore current V(x) to small perturbations using a linear vorticity equation based on the shallow water equations and the rigid-lid approximation. They showed that in the region of strong seaward shear (d|V|/dx pressure variance R, is 1 (i.e., equi-partitioning of kinetic and potential energy) independent of the mode mix. For shear waves , R = O(gh/V2), that is, 1 for natural alongshore currents with typically small Froude numbers (e.g., Oltman-Shay et al. 1989). Hence, can be used to estimate the contributions of gravity waves and shear waves to the infragravity band. If the gravity and shear wave velocity fluctuations are assumed to be statistically independent, then the fraction of the infragravity velocity variance contributed by shear waves is approximately given by = 1 1/R.(17). The effects of Shear and Edge Wave in the Environment The shape of the land under sea determines the strength and direction of the wave toward the coastline, while above ground it determines the run-up. Since the generation of a wave is defined by transferance of energy, or force in simple mathematical terms, the decrease in sea floor depth has the proportional effect of focusing and speeding up the movement of the wave. Thus a wave generated from a large, deep body of water will produce larger waves than those produced from a shallower body of water. Beach coastlines. As shown by Adams & Lewis, (1979) offshore coastline has a modifying effect on the wave shape as it breaks on land. The most destructive waves are where the force of the wave is focused as it breaks on l

Final assessment for implement operational plan bsbflm405b Assignment

Final assessment for implement operational plan bsbflm405b - Assignment Example In this project we are going to target all the international students that have a Bachelor Degree in accounting and 3 years of working experience in accounting. The main functional group of this project is the new students having Bachelor Degree. The mission of this project is to provide the international students the facility of higher education. We will act on behalf of the students while dealing with the University and the Australian high commission in getting the visa. In this way the student have to do less effort and their overall process of admission will be easier. The vision of this project is to make sure student visa requirements are met for pursuing the MBA program. Here we will also make sure that the students also have the facilities of the finances for the course fees along with the accommodation. In this project we have to make sure that the overall project can be handled and managed on the time. In this way we will be able to complete the project before the ending date of the admission in the Universities of the Australia. We have to concentrate on the legal areas of the visa processing and financial strength of the students. The main initiative of our agency is to enhance the overall market value and get a better competitive edge in the international immigration. We have established a vision to support and provide better and on time facilities for the Business Visa, Working Visa, Skilled Migration Visa, etc. The aim of our agency is to provide students the better platform for online admission for their higher studies. The agency has settled a business scope and it is established that now it will target international students by providing assistance in applying for a student visa. In this project we have established a project that will facilitate in organizing applications of student visas for a group of international students. Now I will talk about the

Plagiarism Excuse Essay Example for Free

Plagiarism Excuse Essay This letter is regarding the charge on violation of the University’s Student Code of Conduct. I comprehend that plagiarism is a crime, it is wrongful to copy some one else’s work or even idea without giving the author credit for his work. But, my assignments, term reports and coursework are never plagiarized not even a single bit, I always make it a point to cite my entire work appropriately. The reference list I have at the end of my coursework clearly reflects where I have taken my work from. However, my mistake this time was that I forgot to properly do in-text citation of the things I took directly from the author’s text; I should have put those lines that I copied directly from the author’s document in quotes and then should have cited it both internally and at the end of the paper. I comprehend that I made a mistake by forgetting to put the author’s words in quotes, but my intention was not to cheat or commit a crime. All of this happened completely unintentionally. The work pressure I was going through at the time of submission and continuous distraction by of clients and employees just made me feel sick and I completely forgot the basic requirements I had to fulfill in completing the paper. Sir, I am aware that the university is very strict regarding the rules it has towards plagiarism. I am not irrational and foolish enough to submit a plagiarized paper in college and ruin my future. I realize that it is better to shed tears for some time because of getting a bad grade in a course rather than weeping my entire life by submitting plagiarized work. I am a student who cares about his academic career and wants to achieve a lot of goals in life. I can be a motivated contributor to the university; I am even capable to become much more than that if I am provided with the opportunity. Please don’t take this away from me because of my one silly mistake which I committed by coincidence, this university has taught me how to be a better person and has changed me. I feel a part of it and the thought of being separated from it is so painful. I hope for your maximum cooperation as my future is in your hands! My life, my education, my respect in the eyes of my friends and colleagues is at stake and I may not able to digest any charge due to my silly mistake. I also fear that any action or charge against me will have a very negative effect on my health and business. Sir, Please consider my statement that I had no intention to plagiarize in any circumstances before taking any step against me as it is a matter of my whole life . All my life I have studied very hard , was a brilliant student in class and a good person with everyone . I assure to the disciplinary committee with full confidence that my future paper will not be affected by any personal and business issues and I will pay full attention to all the university’s disciplinary requirements. I also hope that the reasons I gave to proof myself innocent will be taken into consideration. Reference: Gilmore, B. (2008). Plagiarism: Why It Happens and How to Prevent It. Heinemann

Investigation: Water Scarcity in Australia

Investigation: Water Scarcity in Australia Students Name: James Yu Abstract This paper indicates the water scarcity and water pollution in Australia. These two things can be serious problems in Australia because it is so major a food exporting country. The sources we use as references are all websites and two scientific paper. The solution for these two water issues are cloud seeding and enacting some laws which forbid people from throwing plastic casually. However, just clouding seeding probably can work efficiently if Australia have sufficient capital to conduct these experiments. The limitation of this paper is source availability, all what I can use is Internet because it is tough for me to find books on this topic in English version. 1.0 Introduction This scientific paper indicated several causes of water scarcity and water pollution in Australia, and also provided some solutions of solving this issue. Australia is one of the most developed countries all over the world, however, this country got a severe water restriction. One of the most underlying causes is sea surface temperature (SST). In the south of Australia , the SST is lower than average. This signified that there was few evaporation of water, caused atomospheric desiccation, and led to limitation of raining (Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Contour Charts 2013). The cause of water pollution in Australia was polyolefins, which accounts for 52% of plastic production and were used for manufacturing throwaway packaging (Schneider J 2013). These plastics could spoil our food web and ecosystem. Australia mostly gather water from raining and a large proportions of water was used for agriculture, because Australia was a major food exporting country (M. Ejaz Qureshi, Munir A. Hanjr a, Ward J 2013). Our hypothesis was Australia could conquer water scarcity and water pollutionif they develop cloud seeding and enact some regulations on environmental protection. Table 1: Variability of à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow in some of the worlds major rivers compared with a Australian rivers. COUNTRY RIVER RATIO BETWEEN THE MAXIMUM and THE MINIMUM ANNUAL FLOWS Switzerland China Sudan USA South Africa Australia Rhine Yangtze White Nile Potomac Orange Hunter 1.9 2.0 2.4 3.9 16.9 54.3 This table illustrated the Australian river got a very unstable fluctuation between the maximum and the minumum flows, compared to one major river in other countries. Reference: http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/Chartres__Williams.pdf 2.0 Methodology The source of this scientific paper was all Internet. I typed some key words like Water scarcity in Australia. I look through all the web pages and gathered the beneficial information and type them into search box once again. For instance, I found one of the solutions of water scarcity in Australia is Cloud seeding and I typed this term into search box to get further information. I spent about 40 minutes on researching and found 2 websites for each solution. I haved verified all these sources were all written by reputable professors, scientists or publishers by researching these people and publisher to ensure if their dependency is strong enough for my paper. Some of my sources were another scientific paper. 3.0 Findings Two of the most severe fresh water issues in Australia were water scarcity and water pollution, these problems have existed for last of a decade. These two water issues could be a massive problem for Australia. Cloud seeding was a significant solution which throws drikold into cloud, it could increase supply moderately in Australia. Figure 1 demonstrated the mean of precipitation of seeded clouds was 2X103 m3 exceeded from unseeded clouds, it means seeded clounds can actually raise the percipitation (E. J. Smith). In fact, a great percents of water in Australia was polluted by plastics. Meanwhile, Australian plastic production had increased from 170 thousand in 1950s to 280 million in 2011. Figure 2 shows the distribution of plastic pollution in water of Australian city . Most heavy polluted cities were concentrated in the south-eastern and north-western Australia, the place where need to control the plastic production. Some cities in south-eastern Australia had over 15500 km-2 of pl astic concentrations. During the a long term of flowing, these plastics could be broken down into small fragments within 5 mm length, which commonly called microplastic and damaged to the food web and ecosystem easily. Therefore, we had two methods to solve this issue. Approximately 37% of plastics were used for manufacturing disposable packaging, comprising bottle, cups and bags,hence, the first solution was reducing the production of single-use plastic package and decreased the demand of using these plastic manutacture by advocating awareness of this water issue (Schneider J 2013). Another efficient solution was enact the laws which prohibit people and also factories from dumping plastics into sea. Figure 1: Total rainfall from isolated cumulus clouds The total rainfall of seeded cloud and unseeded cloud whose tops were -100C or cooler with 30 minutes of seeding from isolated cumulus clouds. Reference: http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/Chartres__Williams.pdf Figure 2: Distribution map of plastic concentrations in Australia    Marine plastic concentrations in waters around Australia. White crosses indicate location of major Australian cities Reference: http://theconversation.com/australian-waters-polluted-by-harmful-tiny-plastics-20790 4.0 Discussion From the scientists and researchers perspectives, they think that the best solution that is able to augment the amout of water is cloud seeding. Via this solution, Australia could have sufficient supply and overcame water scarcity lightly. But on the contrary, cloud seeding can be very costly. In most of the cases, it takes millions of RMB to implement one cloud seeding, therefore, Australia would better have a strong economic background beforehand like developing their agriculture or IT industry. On the other hand, as for the water pollution in Australia, most of water is polluted by fragmented plastic and majority of people and factories concentrated in the eastern coast of the Australia, so we could see eastern Australia is more polluted than any other part of Australia. Moreover, because it is hardly to eliminate all these plastic pollutants and made sure there is no plastic contamination in the furture in a scientific way, we could just do it in a political approach. For instanc e, government could enact laws of environmental protection or making some advertisments to persuade people do not throw plasctic bags or products into any kind of natural water source. In addition, some eco-friendly organizations can just simply set some dustbins around those highly polluted cities for recycling the plastic. But its a little bit tough for them to conquer water pollution via this method. All in all, I think Australia can conquer these two water issues based on the previous contents. 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations In general, cloud seeding still got a substaintia chance to resolve water restriction by it extra precipitation. Australia just need to develop their economy and have enough capital to conduct these experiments. To handle the increasing plastic pollution in Australian water, government have appeal people do not throw any plastic manufactures casually and set several laws to forbid people from doing this, in particular the eastern part of Australia. The effectiveness of this measure rely on the governmental actions and Australian qualities. There are some limitations in this scientific paper, first of all is source restrictions. Sources in this paper are all from Internet. The research suggestion is using books references, because books always much more trustworthy than websites. If we get enough money, we will find a new scientific way to reduce the plastic pollution in Australian water. Reference List      Ã‚   Chartres C., Williams J.(2006), Can Australia Overcome its Water Scarcity Problems, Wentworth Group. [Online]. Available from: http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/Chartres__Williams.pdf [Accessed 1 October 2016] (2013),Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Contour Charts, NOAA. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/sst/contour/ [Accessed 1 October 2016] (2013), M. Ejaz Qureshi, Munir A. Hanjra, Ward J.,Impact of water scarcity in Australia on global food security in an era of climate change, Science Direct. [Online]. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919212001170 [Accessed 1 October 2016] E. J. Smith, Cloud Seeding Experiments in Australia, Berkeley. [Online]. Available from: http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/math/ucb/text/math_s5_v5_article-10.pdf [Accessed 1 October 2016] Schneider J.(2013), Australian waters polluted by harmful tiny plastics, The Conversation. [Online]. Available from: http://theconversation.com/australian-waters-polluted-by-harmful-tiny-plastics-20790 [Accessed 2 October 2016

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Eight

Elena had gone into the bathroom dazed and numbly grateful. She came out angry. She wasn't quite sure how the transformation had taken place. But sometime while she was washing the scratches on her face and arms, annoyed at the lack of a mirror and at the fact she'd left her purse in Tyler's convertible, she startedfeeling again. And what she felt was anger. Damn Stefan Salvatore. So cold and controlled even while saving her life. Damn him for his politeness, and for his gallantry, and for the walls around him that seemed thicker and higher than ever. She pulled the remaining bobby pins out of her hair and used them to fasten the front of her dress together. Then she ran through her loosened hair quickly with an engraved bone comb she found by the sink. She came out of the bathroom with her chin held high and her eyes narrowed. He hadn't put his coat back on. He was standing by the window in his white sweater with bowed head, tense, waiting. Without lifting his head, he gestured to a length of dark velvet laid over the back of a chair. â€Å"You might want to put that on over your dress.† It was a full-length cloak, very rich and soft, with a hood. Elena pulled the heavy material around her shoulders. But she was not mollified by the gift; she noticed that Stefan hadn't come any closer to her, or even looked at her while speaking. Deliberately, she invaded his territorial space, pulling the cloak more tightly about her and feeling, even at that moment, a sensual appreciation of the way the folds fell about her, trailing behind her on the floor. She walked up to him and made an examination of the heavy mahogany dresser by the window. On it lay a wicked-looking dagger with an ivory hilt and a beautiful agate cup mounted in silver. There were also a golden sphere with some sort of dial set into it and several loose gold coins. She picked up one of the coins, partly because it was interesting and partly because she knew it would upset him to see her handling his things. â€Å"What's this?† It was a moment before he answered. Then he said: â€Å"A gold florin. A Florentine coin.† â€Å"And what's this?† â€Å"A German pendant watch. Late fifteenth century,† he said distractedly. He added, â€Å"Elena-† She reached for a small iron coffer with a hinged lid. â€Å"What about this? Does it open?† â€Å"No.† He had the reflexes of a cat; his hand slapped over the coffer, holding the lid down. â€Å"That's private,† he said, the strain obvious in his voice. She noticed that his hand made contact only with the curving iron lid and not with her flesh. She lifted her fingers, and he drew back at once. Suddenly, her anger was too great to hold in any longer. â€Å"Careful,† she said savagely. â€Å"Don't touch me, or you might get a disease.† He turned away toward the window. And yet even as she moved away herself, walking back to the center of the room, she could sense his watching her reflection. And she knew, suddenly, what she must look like to him, pale hair spilling over the blackness of the cape, one white hand holding the velvet closed at her throat. A ravaged princess pacing in her tower. She tilted her head far back to look at the trapdoor in the ceiling, and heard a soft, distinct intake of breath. When she turned, his gaze was fixed on her exposed throat; the look in his eyes confused her. But the next moment his face hardened, closing her out. â€Å"I think,† he said, â€Å"that I had better get you home.† In that instant, she wanted to hurt him, to make him feel as bad as he'd made her feel. But she also wanted the truth. She was tired of this game, tired of scheming and plotting and trying to read Stefan Salvatore's mind. It was terrifying and yet a wonderful relief to hear her own voice saying the words she'd been thinking so long. â€Å"Why do you hate me?† He stared at her. For a moment he couldn't seem to find words. Then he said, â€Å"I don't hate you.† â€Å"You do,† said Elena. â€Å"I know it's not†¦ not good manners to say it, but I don't care. I know I should be grateful to you for saving me tonight, but I don't care about that, either. I didn't ask you to save me. I don't know why you were even in the graveyard in the first place. And I certainly don't understand why you did it, considering the way you feel about me.† He was shaking his head, but his voice was soft. â€Å"I don't hate you.† â€Å"From the very beginning, you've avoided me as if I were†¦ were some kind of leper. I tried to be friendly to you, and you threw it back in my face. Is that what agentleman does when someone tries to welcome him?† He was trying to say something now, but she swept on, heedless. â€Å"You've snubbed me in public time after time; you've humiliated me at school. You wouldn't be speaking to me now if it hadn't been a matter of life or death. Is that what it takes to get a word out of you? Does someone have to nearly be murdered? â€Å"And even now,† she continued bitterly, â€Å"you don't want me to get anywhere near you. What's the matter with you, Stefan Salvatore, that you have to live this way? That you have to build walls against other people to keep them out? That you can't trust anyone?What's wrong with you ?† He was silent now, his face averted. She took a deep breath and then straightened her shoulders, holding her head up even though her eyes were sore and burning. â€Å"And what's wrong withme ,† she added, more quietly, â€Å"that you can't even look at me, but you can let Caroline Forbes fall all over you? I have a right to know that, at least. I won't ever bother you again, I won't even talk to you at school, but I want to know the truth before I go. Why do you hate me so much, Stefan?† Slowly, he turned and raised his head. His eyes were bleak, sightless, and something twisted in Elena at the pain she saw on his face. His voice was still controlled-but barely. She could hear the effort it cost him to keep it steady. â€Å"Yes,† he said, â€Å"I think you do have a right to know. Elena.† He looked at her then, meeting her eyes directly, and she thought, That bad? What could be as bad as that? â€Å"I don't hate you,† he continued, pronouncing each word carefully, distinctly. â€Å"I've never hated you. But you†¦ remind me of someone.† Elena was taken aback. Whatever she'd expected, it wasn't this. â€Å"I remind you of someone else you know?† â€Å"Of someone I knew,† he said quietly. â€Å"But,† he added slowly, as if puzzling something out for himself, â€Å"you're not like her, really. She looked like you, but she was fragile, delicate. Vulnerable. Inside as well as out.† â€Å"And I'm not.† He made a sound that would have been a laugh if there had been any humor in it. â€Å"No. You're a fighter. You are†¦ yourself.† Elena was silent for a moment. She could not keep hold of her anger, seeing the pain on his face. â€Å"You were very close to her?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What happened?† There was a long pause, so long that Elena thought he wasn't going to answer her. But at last he said, â€Å"She died.† Elena let out a tremulous breath. The last of her anger folded up and disappeared from under her. â€Å"That must have hurt terribly,† she said softly, thinking of the white Gilbert headstone among the rye grass. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† He said nothing. His face had closed again, and he seemed to be looking far away at something, something terrible and heartbreaking that only he could see. But there was not just grief in his expression. Through the walls, through all his trembling control, she could see the tortured look of unbearable guilt and loneliness. A look so lost and haunted that she had moved to his side before she knew what she was doing. â€Å"Stefan,† she whispered. He didn't seem to hear her; he seemed to be adrift in his own world of misery. She could not stop herself from laying a hand on his arm. â€Å"Stefan, I know how it can hurt-† â€Å"You can't know,† he exploded, all his quietness erupting into white rage. He looked down at her hand as if just realizing it was there, as if infuriated at her effrontery in touching him. His green eyes were dilated and dark as he shook her hand off, flinging a hand up to bar her from touching him again- -and somehow, instead, he was holding her hand, his fingers tightly interlocked with hers, hanging on for dear life. He looked down at their locked hands in bewilderment. Then, slowly, his gaze moved from their clasping fingers to her face. â€Å"Elena†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he whispered. And then she saw it, the anguish shattering his gaze, as if he simply couldn't fight any longer. The defeat as the walls finally crumbled and she saw what was underneath. And then, helplessly, he bent his head down to her lips. â€Å"Wait-stop here,† said Bonnie. â€Å"I thought I saw something.† Matt's battered Ford slowed, edging toward the side of the road, where brambles and bushes grew thickly. Something white glimmered there, coming toward them. â€Å"Oh, my God,† said Meredith. â€Å"It's Vickie Bennett.† The girl stumbled into the path of the headlights and stood there, wavering, as Matt hit the brakes. Her light-brown hair was tangled and in disarray, and her eyes stared glassily out of a face that was smudged and grimy with dirt. She was wearing only a thin white slip. â€Å"Get her in the car,† said Matt. Meredith was already opening the car door. She jumped out and ran up to the dazed girl. â€Å"Vickie, are you all right? What happened to you?† Vickie moaned, still looking straight ahead. Then she suddenly seemed to see Meredith, and she clutched at her, digging her nails into Meredith's arms. â€Å"Get out of here,† she said, her eyes filled with desperate intensity, her voice strange and thick, as if she had something in her mouth. â€Å"All of you-get out of here! It's coming.† â€Å"What's coming? Vickie, where is Elena?† â€Å"Get outnow . †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith looked down the road, then led the shaking girl back to the car. â€Å"We'll take you away,† she said, â€Å"but you have to tell us what's happened. Bonnie, give me your wrap. She's freezing.† â€Å"She's been hurt,† said Matt grimly. â€Å"And she's in shock or something. The question is, where are the others? Vickie, was Elena with you?† Vickie sobbed, putting her hands over her face as Meredith settled Bonnie's iridescent pink wrap around her shoulders. â€Å"No†¦ Dick,† she said indistinctly. It seemed to hurt her to speak. â€Å"We were in the church†¦ it was horrible. It came†¦ like mist all around. Dark mist. And eyes. I saw its eyes in the dark there, burning. They burnt me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"She's delirious,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Or hysterical, or whatever you call it.† Matt spoke slowly and clearly. â€Å"Vickie, please, just tell us one thing. Where is Elena? What happened to her?† â€Å"I don't know .† Vickie lifted a tear-stained face to the sky. â€Å"Dick and I-we were alone. We were†¦ and then suddenly it was all around us. I couldn't run. Elena said the tomb had opened. Maybe that was where it came from. It was horrible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"They were in the cemetery, in the ruined church,† Meredith interpreted. â€Å"And Elena was with them. And look at this.† In the overhead light, they could all see the deep fresh scratches running down Vickie's neck to the lace bodice of her slip. â€Å"They look like animal marks,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Like the marks of cat's claws, maybe.† â€Å"No cat got that old man under the bridge,† said Matt. His face was pale, and muscles stood out in his jaw. Meredith followed his gaze down the road and then shook her head. â€Å"Matt, we have to take her back first. We have to,† she said. â€Å"Listen to me, I'm as worried about Elena as you are. But Vickie needs a doctor, and we need to call the police. We don't have any choice. We have to go back.† Matt stared down the road for another long moment, then let out his breath in a hiss. Slamming the door shut, he put the car into gear and turned it around, each motion violent. All the way back to town, Vickie moaned about the eyes. Elena felt Stefan's lips meet hers. And†¦ it was as simple as that. All questions answered, all fears put to rest, all doubts removed. What she felt was not merely passion, but a bruising tenderness and a love so strong it made her shake inside. It would have been frightening in its intensity, except that while she was with him, she could not be afraid of anything. She had come home. This was where she belonged, and she had found it at last. With Stefan, she was home. He pulled back slightly, and she could feel that he was trembling. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he whispered against her lips. We can't- â€Å"We already have,† she whispered, and drew him back down again. It was almost as if she could hear his thoughts, could feel his feelings. Pleasure and desire raced between them, connecting them, drawing them closer. And Elena sensed, too, a wellspring of deeper emotions within him. He wanted to hold her forever, to protect her from all harm. He wanted to defend her from any evil that threatened her. He wanted to join his life with hers. She felt the tender pressure of his lips on hers, and she could hardly bear the sweetness of it. Yes , she thought. Sensation rippled through her like waves on a still, clear pond. She was drowning in it, both the joy she sensed in Stefan and the delicious answering surge in herself. Stefan's love bathed her, shone through her, lighting every dark place in her soul like the sun. She trembled with pleasure, with love, and with longing. He drew back slowly, as if he could not bear to part from her, and they looked into each other's eyes with wondering joy. They did not speak. There was no need for words. He stroked her hair, with a touch so light that she could scarcely feel it, as if he was afraid she might break in his hands. She knew, then, that it had not been hatred that had made him avoid her for so long. No, it had not been hatred at all. Elena had no idea how much later it was that they quietly went down the stairs of the boarding house. At any other time, she would have been thrilled to get into Stefan's sleek black car, but tonight she scarcely noticed it. He held her hand as they drove through the deserted streets. The first thing Elena saw as they approached her house was the lights. â€Å"It's the police,† she said, finding her voice with some difficulty. It was odd to talk after being silent so long. â€Å"And that's Robert's car in the driveway, and there's Matt's,† she said. She looked at Stefan, and the peace that had filled her suddenly seemed fragile. â€Å"I wonder what happened. You don't suppose Tyler's already told them†¦ ?† â€Å"Even Tyler wouldn't be that stupid,† said Stefan. He pulled up behind one of the police cars, and reluctantly Elena unclasped her hand from his. She wished with all her heart that she and Stefan could just be alone together, that they would never need to face the world. But there was no help for it. They walked up the pathway to the door, which was open. Inside, the house was a blaze of lights. Entering, Elena saw what seemed like dozens of faces turned toward her. She had a sudden vision of what she must look like, standing there in the doorway in the sweeping black velvet cloak, with Stefan Salvatore at her side. And then Aunt Judith gave a cry and was holding her in her arms, shaking her and hugging her all at once. â€Å"Elena! Oh, thank God you're safe. But where have you been? And why didn't you call? Do you realize what you've put everyone through?† Elena stared around the room in bewilderment. She didn't understand a thing. â€Å"We're just glad to see you back,† said Robert. â€Å"I've been at the boarding house, with Stefan,† she said slowly. â€Å"Aunt Judith, this is Stefan Salvatore; he rents a room there. He brought me back.† â€Å"Thank you,† said Aunt Judith to Stefan over Elena's head. Then, pulling back to look at Elena, she said, â€Å"But your dress, your hair-what happened?† â€Å"You don't know? Then Tyler didn't tell you. But then why are the police here?† Elena edged toward Stefan instinctively, and she felt him move closer to her in protection. â€Å"They're here because Vickie Bennett was attacked in the cemetery tonight,† said Matt. He and Bonnie and Meredith were standing behind Aunt Judith and Robert, looking relieved and a little awkward and more than a little tired. â€Å"We found her maybe two, three hours ago, and we've been looking for you ever since.† â€Å"Attacked?† said Elena, stunned. â€Å"Attacked by what?† â€Å"Nobody knows,† said Meredith. â€Å"Well, now, it may be nothing to worry about,† said Robert comfortingly. â€Å"The doctor said she'd had a bad scare, and that she'd been drinking. The whole thing may have been in her imagination.† â€Å"Those scratches weren't imaginary,† said Matt, polite but stubborn. â€Å"What scratches? What are you talking about?† Elena demanded, looking from one face to another. â€Å"I'll tell you,† said Meredith, and she explained, succinctly, how she and the others had found Vickie. â€Å"She kept saying she didn't know where you were, that she was alone with Dick when it happened. And when we got her back here, the doctor said he couldn't find anything conclusive. She wasn't really hurt except for the scratches, and they could have been from a cat.† â€Å"There were no other marks on her?† said Stefan sharply. It was the first time he'd spoken since entering the house, and Elena looked at him, surprised by his tone. â€Å"No,† said Meredith. â€Å"Of course, a cat didn't tear her clothes off-but Dick might have. Oh, and her tongue was bitten.† â€Å"What?† said Elena. â€Å"Badly bitten, I mean. It must have bled a lot, and it hurts her to talk now.† Beside Elena, Stefan had gone very still. â€Å"Did she have any explanation for what happened?† â€Å"She was hysterical,† Matt said. â€Å"Really hysterical; she wasn't making any sense. She kept babbling about eyes and dark mist and not being able to run-which is why the doctor thinks maybe it was some sort of hallucination. But as far as anyone can make out, the facts are that she and Dick Carter were in the ruined church by the cemetery at about midnight, and that something came in and attacked her there.† Bonnie added, â€Å"It didn't attack Dick, which at least shows it had, some taste. The police found him passed out on the church floor, and he doesn't remember a thing.† But Elena scarcely heard the last words. Something had gone terribly wrong with Stefan. She couldn't tell how she knew it, but she knew. He had stiffened as Matt finished speaking, and now, though he hadn't moved, she felt as if a great distance was separating them, as if she and he were on opposite sides of a rifting, cracking floe of ice. He said, in the terribly controlled voice she had heard before in his room, â€Å"In the church, Matt?† â€Å"Yes, in the ruined church,† Matt said. â€Å"And you're sure she said it was midnight?† â€Å"She couldn't be positive, but it must have been sometime around then. We found her not long after. Why?† Stefan said nothing. Elena could feel the gulf between them widening. â€Å"Stefan,† she whispered. Then, aloud, she said desperately, â€Å"Stefan, what is it?† He shook his head. Don't shut me out, she thought, but he wouldn't even look at her. â€Å"Will she live?† he asked abruptly. â€Å"The doctor said there was nothing much wrong with her,† Matt said. â€Å"Nobody's even suggested she might die.† Stefan's nod was abrupt; then he turned to Elena. â€Å"I've got to go,† he said. â€Å"You're safe now.† She caught his hand as he turned away. â€Å"Of course I'm safe,† she said. â€Å"Because of you.† â€Å"Yes,† he said. But there was no response in his eyes. They were shielded, dull. â€Å"Call me tomorrow.† She squeezed his hand, trying to convey what she felt under the scrutiny of all those watching eyes. She willed him to understand. He looked down at their hands with no expression at all, then, slowly, back up at her. And then, at last, he returned the pressure of her fingers. â€Å"Yes, Elena,† he whispered, his eyes clinging to hers. The next minute he was gone. She took a deep breath and turned back to the crowded room. Aunt Judith was still hovering, her gaze fixed on what could be seen of Elena's torn dress underneath the cloak. â€Å"Elena,† she said, â€Å"whathappened ?† And her eyes went to the door through which Stefan had just left. A sort of hysterical laughter surged up in Elena's throat, and she choked it back. â€Å"Stefan didn't do it,† she said. â€Å"Stefan saved me.† She felt her face harden, and she looked at the police officer behind Aunt Judith. â€Å"It was Tyler, Tyler Smallwood†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 