Jewish Cosmopolitanism in the Modern Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Jewish Cosmopolitanism in the Modern Era - Essay Example The changes of the Jews shall be attributed to the main Anti-Semitic hatred forms that attributed the Jews as unique, thus deserving the hatred they received, and still to some reasonable measure, still receive. These are cultural, economic, religious, political, apocalyptic, and racial perceptions. Major cities in the world are cosmopolitan; meaning that they host diverse cultures, races, religions and tribes. Based on the Anti-Semitic belief by the Jews that predominantly having the desire to exercise the Jewish Culture would lead to the easy identification of Jews, much care is taken. There is also a belief that since the Jews were considered as the Chosen Lot, there was a tendency of them wanting to overturn any other culture and make people assimilate their culture. The result of this fear made the modern-day Jew take up the cultures of various cosmopolitan groups in the city, gifting them with diverse survival tactics that aped all the communities. This gave the modern Jews an upper hand as they were able to interact with all the groups. According to them, this was a survival skill they had to learn in order not to be distinct and conspicuous for any attack from the Anti-Semites. This was good, but eventually, Jews lose their touch with their culture.Judaism, the main Jewish religion, has had a long misunderstanding with Christianity ever since the emergence of Christianity. This misunderstanding arose from various factors that included the differences in beliefs about God.

Social Problems Facing the Contemporary United States Essay Example for Free

Social Problems Facing the Contemporary United States Essay Homelessness is a social problem in the United States. Homelessness defined according to the National Health Care for The Homeless Council (2011), â€Å"is a person or individual that lacks housing†. Homeless do not have permeant residents. They may live on the streets, shelters, missions and under freeway overpasses. They also occupy facilities of abandoned buildings, vehicles, and campgrounds. They can be found sleeping behind buildings, sitting against a building wall or digging in a trash can for food. Homeless people are human beings without shelter. They often fall victim to infections, frozenness, diseases, and assault. Homelessness does not have prejudices; it is an equal opportunity social issue. It is seen in every major city in the United States. This paper will describe the social problem of homelessness, analyze how it affects the United States and explain one sociological theory to explain a cause of homelessness. Homelessness in the United States is a large problem. It is hard to determine how people in the US are homeless, but they have a profound economic effect on society. There are few support services available for homeless, such as shelters, soup kitchens, which come in the form of taxpayers’ dollars. Homeless do not have cars or control over their daily lives. They depend on the daily grind of shelters, soup kitchens, and minimal jobs to meet their basic survival needs and are socially abandoned. The homeless lack medical health insurance. Hospital emergency departments are used as a community resource for the homeless, regardless of their ability to pay. So the expense falls on the taxpayer. Surprisingly, about one-third of emergency room visits are by homeless people. The needs of the homeless are vast. They typically have chronic medical conditions, multiple psychosocial risk factors, like substance use disorders and mental disease.  Their social support system is nonexistent. Most, emergency departments are not set up to meet the psychosocial needs of the homeless (Additional Medical Concerns, 2015). In addition, homelessness can advance to other social concerns like the illegal sex trade and crimes. With essentially no home and no money to purchase food, homeless people re sort to becoming prostitutes or engaging in criminal activities to get money for food or shelters. Some homeless become beggars. Food will commonly be the greatest importance. Individual states are affected by the amount of homeless people they have. Read more:  Essay on Social Issues Some states, like New Orleans, report decreased revenue from tourists who do not want to visit. Most people consider places with high homeless dirty and unsafe. New Orleans, is one example of how homelessness gives the area a bad reputation and results in decreased revenue from tourists. Our government spends millions of dollars on the homeless. The active assistance the government provides is seen with rental assistance, food stamps, and welfare. This support although positive still affects the taxpayers. On the negative side, many homeless are picked up for loitering, sleeping in cars and begging resulting in millions of dollars spent on law enforcement like prisons and jails. There are many sociological theories that relate to homelessness. One theory is conflict theory. Since its beginning, the conflict theory has been used to define certain groups including the homeless population across the United States. The conflict theory provides a perfect mapping as to how people have become homeless due to a single life event, causing them to adapt to the situation. People change to the homeless lifestyle instead of taking steps to return to traditional society. (Calhoun, 2002). The behaviorism of a homeless individual begins to change as they start to work to survive. Shortly after this survival mode the homeless person accepts the battle of being homeless as a societal norm and believes himself to be a regular part of that society. The conflict theorists look at the society from an impartial view. This viewpoint looks at individuals and sees them as inferior to society. The groundwork of societal structure is power or enticement and the only way to advance within the societal structure is through a power struggle. In this power struggle, there is much competition. Social class is intensely valuable in this mindset for it characterizes your place in the monument of authority. Wealth and assets are limed significantly in society, and people  are constantly in competition for these goods and prosperity. Conflict theorists approach the issue of homelessness just like an emperor approaches his subordinates. They see the homeless as people that are too fragile and unable to rise up the societal ranking. They see the homeless as individuals unable to reach the goal of greater social status. Conflict theorists identify themselves as the emperors of mankind and consider the homeless as insignificant people because they are unable to do anything. Essentially the conflict theorists see themselves as the ones with all the skill. They are masters in political, economic and social assets. The homeless are dominated by the higher social class. (Calhoun, 2002). Homelessness in the United States continues to be a social problem. Thousands of people still meet the characterization of homeless. It is a social issue that has existed for years. It does not have prejudices; it is an equal opportunity social issue. It is seen in every major city in the United States. Homeless are the abandoned people. References Additional Medical Concerns The State of Connecticut (n.d.). Retrieved from http://examguidelines.connsacs.org/additional-medical-concerns/_br Why Sony Should Screen â€Å"The Interview† | SeegitzWrites.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://seegitzwrites.com/?p=232_br HOW CONFLICT THEORY APPLIES TO THE HOMELESS POPULATION essays. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/202384.html?page=2_br Example research essay topic: Homelessness And Sociological (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.essaychief.com/research-essay- pic.php?essay=2764827title=Homelessness-And-Sociological- Perspectives_br Calhoun, C. (2002). Dictionary of the social sciences. New York: Oxford University Press. Home. (2011, October 7). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://www.nhchc.org/

Essay examples --

Paola Valencia Professor Nanda English 102 13 February 2013 Literary Analysis of â€Å"Soldier’s Home† Inspired by his days of service in the Ambulance Corps during the First World War, Hemingway utilizes his experience to tell the story of a soldier’s struggle to get back home both physically and mentally in his short story â€Å"Soldier’s Home†. Hemingway captivates his readers in a tale of a soldier’s (Harold Krebs) late return home from World War I. Upon his return, Krebs discovers that the life he once knew changed. In fact, his life had changed so drastically that upon his return, Krebs’ life no longer fit in its former place. Ernest Hemingway is often noted for writing stories that seem flat and lifeless but his unadorned prose style nevertheless manages to be extremely suggestive and effective in its plainness. Hemingway manages to give depth to his writing and give it hidden meaning. Hemingway gives his readers the responsibility of interpreting and making a personal connection through a gloomy tone and ironic setting to the story as they g et farther and farther into Krebs' world of despair and the emotions that he is struggling with; allowing readers to go on a more personal journey along with Krebs in discovering his new post war society and the role that he plays in it. The title itself exemplifies Hemingway talents in giving depth and suggestive symbolism to plain text. The title â€Å"Soldier’s Home† implies a hint of foreshadowing to the story. Rather than sounding like a statement to assure the reader that the soldier is happy to be home, Hemingway’s title suggests more of a question: where is this soldier’s home? Did he ever make it home? Does he even have a home to come back to? The title of this short story also sets up t... ...uth about it. Krebs feel nauseas and uncomfortable when lying about his experience. Bound by lies, Krebs forgets his brave and heroic deeds at war. That is the reason Krebs develops a bitter sense towards the war and distaste for everything that has happened to him. By placing his character Krebs back at home after the war, Hemingway is able to set up the post war tone of despair and nostalgia to shows Krebs’ unhappiness of being home from war and difficulty adjusting to society. Krebs is caught somewhere in the mix of his former life, his life in the military, and his new life at home. The â€Å"Soldier's Home† illustrates the misfortune and struggles that of a soldier return home. Hemingway gives his readers the tools in order to interpret the story and make it a more personal connection. He captivates his audience as they are somehow able to relate to this tragedy.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 34

Elena had once fallen off that balcony and Stefan had jumped and caught her before she could hit the ground. A human falling from that height would be dead on impact. A vampire in full possession of his or her reflexes would simply twist in the air like a cat and land lightly on their feet. But one in Damon's particular circumstances tonight†¦ From the sound of it, he had tried to twist, but had only ended up landing on his side and breaking bones. Elena deduced the latter from his cursing. She didn't wait to listen for more specifics. She was off like a rabbit, down to the level of Stefan's room – where instantaneously and almost unconsciously, she sent out a wordless plea – and then down the stairs. The cabin had turned completely into a perfect duplicate of the boardinghouse. Elena didn't know why, but instinctively she ran to the side of the house that Damon would know the least: the old servant's quarters. She got that far before she dared whispering things to the house, asking for them rather than demanding them, and praying that the house would obey her as it had obeyed Damon. â€Å"Aunt Judith's house,† she whispered, thrusting the key into a door – it went in like a hot knife into butter and turned almost of its own volition, and then suddenly she was there again, in what had been her home for sixteen years, up until her first death. She was in the hallway, with her little sister Margaret's open door showing her lying on the floor of her bedroom, staring with wide-open eyes over a coloring book. â€Å"It's tag, sweetie!† she announced as if ghosts appeared every day in the Gilbert household and Margaret was supposed to know how to deal with it. â€Å"You go running to your friend Barbara's and then she has to be It. Don't stop running until you get there, and then go see Barbara's mom. But first you give me three kisses.† And she lifted Margaret and hugged her tightly and then almost threw her at the door. â€Å"But Elena – you're back – â€Å" â€Å"I know, darling, and I promise to see you again another day. But now – run, baby – â€Å" â€Å"I told them you would come back. You did before.† â€Å"Margaret!Run!† Choking on tears, but maybe recognizing in her childlike way the seriousness of the situation, Margaret ran. And Elena followed, but zagging toward a different staircase when Margaret zigged. And then she found herself confronted by a smirking Damon. â€Å"You take too long to talk to people,† he said as Elena frantically counted her options. Go over the balcony into the entry way? No. Damon's bones might still hurt a little but if Elena jumped even one story, she would probably break her neck. What else? Think! And then she was opening the door into the china closet, at the same time shouting out, â€Å"Great-aunt Tilda's house,† unsure if the magic would still work. And then she was slamming the door in Damon's face. And she was in her Aunt Tilda's house, but the Aunt Tilda's house of the past. No wonder they accused poor Auntie Tilda of seeing strange things, Elena thought, as she saw the woman turning while holding a large glass casserole dish full of something that smelled mushroomy, and screaming, and dropping the dish. â€Å"Elena!† she cried. â€Å"What – it can't be you – you're all grown up!† â€Å"What's the trouble?† demanded Aunt Maggie, who was Aunt Tilda's friend, coming in from the other room. She was taller and fiercer than Aunt Tilda. â€Å"I'm being chased,† cried Elena. â€Å"I need to find a door, and if you see a boy after me – â€Å" And just then Damon stepped out of the coat closet, and at the same time Aunt Maggie tripped him neatly and said, â€Å"Bathroom door beside you,† and picked up a vase and hit the rising Damon over the head with it. Hard. And Elena dashed through the bathroom door, crying, â€Å"Robert E. Lee High School last fall – just as the bell's rung!† And then she was swimming against the flow, with dozens of students trying to get to their classes on time – but then one of them recognized her, and then another, and while apparently she'd successfully traveled to a time when she wasn't dead – no one was screaming â€Å"ghost† – neither had anyone at Robert E. Lee ever seen Elena Gilbert wearing a boy's shirt over a camisole, with her hair falling wildly over her shoulders. â€Å"It's a costume for a play!† she shouted, and created one of the immortal legends about herself before she had even died by adding, â€Å"Caroline's house!† and stepping into a janitor's closet. An instant later, the most gorgeous boy that anyone had ever seen appeared behind her, and rocketed through the same doors saying words in a foreign language. And when the janitor's closet opened, neither boy nor girl was there. Elena landed running down a hallway and almost crashed into Mr. Forbes, who looked rather wobbly. He was drinking what seemed to be a large glass of tomato juice that smelled like alcohol. â€Å"We don't know where she's gone, all right?† he shouted before Elena could say a word. â€Å"She's gone right out of her mind, as far as I can tell. She was talking about the ceremony at the widow's walk – and the way she was dressed! Parents don't have any control over children anymore!† He slumped against the wall. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† murmured Elena.The ceremony. Well, Black Magic ceremonies were usually held at moonrise or midnight. And it was just a few minutes before midnight. But in those minutes, Elena had just come up with scheme B. â€Å"Excuse me,† she said, taking the drink out of Mr. Forbes's hand and dashing it directly into the face of Damon, who had appeared out of a closet. Then she shouted, â€Å"Some placetheir kind can't see!† and stepped into†¦ Limbo? Heaven? Some place their kind couldn't see.At first Elena wondered about herself, because she couldn't see much of anything at all. But then she realized where she was, deep in the earth, beneath Honoria Fell's empty tomb. Once, she had fought down here to save the lives of Stefan and Damon. And now, where there should have been nothing but darkness and rats and mildew, was a tiny, shining, light. Like a miniature Tinkerbell – just a speck, it hovered in the air, not leading her, not communicating, but†¦protecting, Elena realized. She took the light, which felt bright and cool in her fingers, and around her she traced a circle, big enough for a full-grown person to lie down in. When she turned back, Damon was sitting in the middle. He looked strangely pale for someone who had just fed. But he said nothing, not a word, just gazed at her. Elena went to him and touched him on the neck. And a moment later, Damon was again drinking deep, deep, of the most extraordinary blood in the world. Usually, he would be analyzing by now: taste of berry, taste of tropical fruit, smooth, smoky, woody, rounded with a silken aftertaste†¦But not now. Notthis blood, which far surpassed anything for which he had words. This blood that was filling him with power such as he had never known before†¦. Damon†¦ Why was he not listening? How had he come to be drinking this extraordinary blood that tasted somehow of the afterlife, and why was he not listening to the donor? Please, Damon. Please fight it†¦ He ought to recognize that voice. He'd heard it enough times. I know they're controlling you. But they can't controlallof you. You're stronger than they are. You're the strongest†¦. Well, that was certainly true. But he was getting more and more confused. The donor seemed to be unhappy and he was a past-master at making donors happy. And he didn't quite remember†¦he really should remember how this had started. Damon, it's me. It's Elena. And you're hurting me. So much pain and bewilderment. From the beginning, Elena had known better than to outright fight the tapping of her veins. That would only cause agony, and it wouldn't do her the slightest bit of good except to stop her brain from working. So she was trying to make him fight off the horrible beast inside him. Well, yes, but the change had to come from inside. If she forced him, Shinichi would notice and just possess him again. Besides, the simpleDamon, be strong gig wasn't working. Was there nothing to do but die, then? She could at least fight that, although she knew that Damon's strength would make it pointless. With every swallow he took of her new blood, he got stronger; he changed more and more into†¦ Into what? It washer blood. Maybe he would answer its call, which was also her call. Maybe, somehow inside, he could beat the monster without Shinichi noticing. But she needed some new power, some new trick†¦ And even as she thought it, Elenafelt the new Power moving in her, and she knew that it had always been there, just waiting for the right occasion to use it. It was a very specific power, not to be used for fighting or even for saving herself. Still, it was hers to tap. Vampires who preyed on her got only a few mouthfuls, but she had an entire blood supply filled with its enormous vigor. And calling upon it was as easy as reaching toward it with an open mind and open hands. As soon as she did, she found new words coming to her lips, and most strangely of all, new wings springing from her body, which Damon was holding bent sharply back from the hips. These ethereal wings were not for flying, but for something else, and when they fully unfurled they made a huge, rainbow-colored arch whose very tip circled back again, surrounding and enfolding Damon and Elena both. And then she said it telepathically.Wings of Redemption. And inside, soundlessly, Damon screamed. Then the wings opened slightly. Only one who had learned a great deal about magic would have seen what was happening inside them. Damon's anguish was becoming Elena's anguish as she took from him every painful incident, every tragedy, every cruelty that had ever gone into making up the stony layers of indifference and unkindness that encased his heart. Layers – as hard as the stone at the heart of a black dwarf star – were breaking up and flying away. There was no stopping it. Great chunks and boulders fractured, fine pieces shattered. Some dissolved into nothing more than a puff of acrid smelling smoke. There was something at the center, though – some nucleus that was blacker than hell and harder than the horns of the devil. She couldn't quite see what happened to it. She thought – she hoped – that at the very end even it blasted open. Now, and only now, could she call for the next set of wings. She hadn't been sure that she would live through the first attack; she certainly didn't feel as if she could live through this one. But Damon had to know. Damon was kneeling on one knee on the floor, with his arms clasped tightly around him. That should be all right. He was still Damon, and he'd be a lot happier without the weight of all that hatred and prejudice and cruelty. He wouldn't keep remembering his youth and the other young blades who'd mocked his father for being an old fool, with his disastrous investments and his mistresses younger than his own sons. Neither would he endlessly dwell on his own childhood, when that same father had beaten him in drunken rages when he neglected his studies or took up with objectionable companions. And, finally, he would not go on savoring and contemplating the many terrible things he'd done himself. He had been redeemed, in heaven's name and in heaven's time, by words put into Elena's mouth. But now†¦there was something that he needed to remember. If Elena was right. If only she were right. â€Å"Where is this place? Are you hurt, girl?† In his confusion, he couldn't recognize her. He had knelt; now she knelt beside him. He gave her a keen glance. â€Å"Are we at prayer or were we making love? Was it the Watch or the Gonzalgos?† â€Å"Damon,† she said, â€Å"it's me, Elena. It's the twenty-first century, now, and you are a vampire.† Then, gently embracing him, with her cheek against his, she whispered,†Wings of Remembrance.† And a pair of translucent butterfly wings, violet, cerulean, and midnight blue in color, sprouted from her backbone, just above her hips. The wings were decorated with tiny sapphires and translucent amethysts in intricate patterns. Using muscles she had never used before, she easily drew them up and forward until they curled inside out, and Damon was shielded within them. It was like being enclosed in a dim, jewel-studded cave. She could see in Damon's fine-bred features that he didn't want to remember anything more than he did right now. But new memories, memories connected with her, were already welling up inside him. He looked at his lapis lazuli ring and Elena could see tears come to his eyes. Then, slowly, his gaze turned on her. â€Å"Elena?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Someone possessed me, and took the memories of the times I was possessed,† he whispered. â€Å"Yes – at least, I think so.† â€Å"And someone hurt you.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I swore to kill him or make him your slave a hundred times over. Hestruck you. He took your blood by force. He made up ludicrous stories about hurting you in other ways.† â€Å"Damon. Yes, that's true. But, please – â€Å" â€Å"I was on his track. If I'd met him I might have run him through; might have ripped his beating heart out of his chest. Or I might have taught him the most painful lessons I've heard tales of – and I've heard a lot of tales – and at the end, through the blood in his mouth, he would have kissed your heel, your slave until he died.† This wasn't good for him. She could see it. His eyes were white all around, like a terrified colt's. â€Å"Damon, Ibeg you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"And the one who hurt you†¦was me.† â€Å"Not you by yourself. You said it yourself. You werepossessed .† â€Å"You feared me so much you stripped yourself for me.† Elena remembered the original Pendleton shirt. â€Å"I didn't want you and Matt fighting.† â€Å"You let me bleed you when it was against your true will.† This time she could find nothing to say but, â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I – dear God! – I used my powers to afflict you with terrible grief!† â€Å"If you mean an attack that causes hideous pain and seizures, then yes. And you were worse to Matt.† Matt wasn't on Damon's radarscope. â€Å"And then I kidnapped you.† â€Å"Youtried .† â€Å"And you jumped out of a speeding car rather than take your chances with me.† â€Å"You were playing rough, Damon. They had told you to go out and play rough, maybe even to break your toys.† â€Å"I've been looking for the one who made you jump from the car – I couldn't remember anything before that. And I swore to take out his eyes and his tongue before he died in agony. You couldn't walk. You had to use a crutch to get through the forest, and just when help should have come, Shinichi drew you into a trap. Oh, yes, I know him. You wandered into his snow globe†¦and would be wandering still if I hadn't broken it.† â€Å"No,† Elena said quietly. â€Å"I would have been dead a long time ago. You found me at the point of suffocation, remember?† â€Å"Yes.† A moment of fierce joy on his face. But then the trapped, horrified look returned. â€Å"I was the tormenter, the persecutor, the one you were so terrified of. I made you do things with – with – â€Å" â€Å"Matt.† â€Å"O God,† he said, and it was clearly an invocation to the deity, not just an exclamation, because he looked up, holding his clenched hands to heaven. â€Å"I thought I was being a hero for you. InsteadI'm the abomination. What now? By rights, I should be dead at your feet already.† He looked at her with wide, feral, black eyes. There was no humor in them, no sarcasm, no holding back. He looked very young and very wild and desperate. If he'd been a black leopard he'd have been pacing his cage frantically, biting at the bars. Then he bowed his head to kiss her bare foot. Elena was shocked. â€Å"I'm yours to do what you please with,† he said in that same stunned voice. â€Å"You can order me to die right now. After all my clever talk, it turns out that I'm the monster.† And then he wept. Probably no other set of circumstances could have brought tears to Damon Salvatore's eyes. But he had boxed himself in. He never broke his word, and he'd given his word to break the monster, the one who had done all this to Elena. The fact that he had been possessed – at first a little, and then more and more, until his entire mind was simply another of Shinichi's toys, to be picked up and put down at leisure – didn't make up for his crimes. â€Å"You know that I – I'm damned,† he told her, as if perhaps that might go a small way toward restitution. â€Å"No, Idon't ,† Elena said. â€Å"Because I don't believe that's true. And Damon, think of how many times you fought them. I'm sure they wanted you to kill Caroline that first night you said you felt something in her mirror. You said you almost did it. I'm sure they want you to kill me. Are you going to do it?† He bent toward her foot again, and she hastily grabbed him by the shoulders. She couldn't stand to see him in such pain. But now Damon was looking this way and that, as if he had a definite purpose. He was also twisting the lapis lazuli ring. â€Å"Damon – what are you thinking? Tell me what you're thinking!† â€Å"That he may pick me up as a puppet again – and that this time there may be areal birch rod. Shinichi – he's monstrous beyond your innocent belief. And he can take me over at a moment's notice. We've seen that.† â€Å"He can't if you'll let me kiss you.† â€Å"What?† He looked at her as if she hadn't been following the conversation properly. â€Å"Let me kiss you – and strip out that dying malach inside you.† â€Å"Dying?† â€Å"It dies a little more each time you gain enough strength to turn your back on it.† â€Å"Is – it very big?† â€Å"As big as you are by now.† â€Å"Good,† he whispered. â€Å"I only wish I could fight it myself.† â€Å"Pour le sport?† Elena answered, showing that her summer in France last year hadn't been entirely wasted. â€Å"No. Because I hate the bastard's guts and I'd happily suffer a hundred times its pain as long as I knew I was hurtingit. â€Å" Elena decided this was no time for delay. He was ready. â€Å"Will you let me do this one last thing?† â€Å"I told you before – the monster who hurt you is your slave now.† All right. They could argue about that point later. Elena leaned forward and tilted her head up, lips pursed slightly. After a few moments, Damon, the Don Juan of darkness, got the point. He kissed her very gently, as if afraid to make too much contact. â€Å"Wings of Purification,† Elena whispered against his lips. These wings were as white as untrammeled snow, and lacelike, barely existing in some places at all. They arched high above Elena, shimmering with an iridescence that reminded her of moonlight on frosted cobwebs. They encased mortal and vampire in a web made of diamond and pearl. â€Å"This is going to hurt you,† Elena said, not knowing how she knew. The knowledge seemed to come moment by moment as she needed it. It was almost like being in a dream where great truths are understood without needing to be learned, and accepted without astonishment. And that was how she knew thatWings of Purification would seek out and destroy anything foreign inside Damon and that the feeling could be very unpleasant for him. When the malach didn't seem to be coming out of its own accord, she said, prompted by her inner voice, â€Å"Take off your shirt. The malach is attached to your spine and it's closest to the skin at the back of your neck where it entered. I'm going to have to strip it out by hand.† â€Å"Attached to my spine?† â€Å"Yes. Did you ever feel it? I think it would have felt like a bee sting at first, as it entered you, just a sharp little drill and a blob of jelly that attached to your spine.† â€Å"Oh. The mosquito bite. Yes, I felt that. And then later, my neck began to ache, and at last my whole body. Was it†¦growing inside me?† â€Å"Yes, and taking over more and more of your nervous system. Shinichi was controlling you like a marionette.† â€Å"Dear God, I'msorry .† â€Å"Let's make him be sorry instead. Will you take off your shirt?† Silently, like a trusting child, Damon took off his black jacket and shirt. Then, as Elena motioned him into position, he lay across her lap, his back hard with muscle and pale against the dark ground on either side. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"Getting rid of it this way – pulling it out through the hole where it entered – will really hurt.† â€Å"Good,† grunted Damon. And then he buried his face in his lithe, flat-muscled arms. Elena used the pads of her fingers, feeling at the top of his spine for what she was looking for. A squishy point. A blister. When she found it, she pinched it with her fingernails until blood suddenly spurted. She almost lost it then as it tried to go flat, but she was pursuing it with sharp nails – and it was too slow. At last she had it held firmly between thumbnail and two fingernails. The malach was still alive and aware enough to feebly resist her. But it was like a jellyfish trying to resist – only jellyfish broke apart when you pulled. This slick, slimy, man-shaped thing retained its shape as she slowly pulled it through the breach in Damon's skin. And it was hurting him. She could tell. She started to take some of the pain into herself, but he gasped, â€Å"No!† with such vehemence that she decided to let him have his way. The malach was much larger and more substantial than she had realized. It must have been growing a long time, she thought – the little blob of jelly that had expanded until it controlled him to the fingertips. She had to sit up, then scoot away from Damon and back again before it lay on the ground, a sickly, stringy, white caricature of a human body. â€Å"Is it done?† Damon was breathless – it really had hurt, then. â€Å"Yes.† Damon stood and looked down at the flabby white thing – barely twitching – that had made him persecute the person he cared most about in the world. Then, deliberately, he trampled on it, crushing it under the heels of his boots until it lay torn in pieces, and then trampling the pieces. Elena guessed that he didn't dare blast it with Power for fear of alerting Shinichi. At last, all that was left was a stain and a smell. Elena didn't know why she felt so dizzy then. But she reached for Damon and he reached for her and they went to their knees holding each other. â€Å"I release you from every promise you made – while in the possession of that malach,† Elena said. This was strategy. She didn't want to release him from the promise of caring for his brother. â€Å"Thank you,† Damon whispered, the weight of his head on her shoulder. â€Å"And now,† said Elena, like a kindergarten teacher who wants to move quickly on to another activity, â€Å"We need to make plans. But to make plans in utter secrecy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We have to share blood. But Elena, how much have you donated today? You look white.† â€Å"You said you'd be my slave – now you won't take a little of my blood.† â€Å"You said you released me – instead you're going to hold that over me forever, aren't you? But there's a simpler solution. You take some ofmy blood.† And in the end that was what they did, although it made Elena feel slightly guilty, as if she were betraying Stefan. Damon cut himself with the minimum of fuss, and then it began to happen – they weresharing minds, melting seamlessly together. In much shorter a time than it would take to speak the sentences aloud, it was done: Elena had told Damon of what her friends had found about the epidemic among the girls of Fell's Church – and Damon had told Elena everything he knew about Shinichi and Misao. Elena concocted a plan for scaring out any other possessed youngsters like Tami, and Damon promised to try to find out where Stefan was from the kitsune twins. And, finally, when there was nothing more to say, and Damon's blood had restored faint color to Elena's cheeks they made plans as to how to meet again. At the ceremony. And then there was only Elena in the room, and a large raven winging its way toward the Old Wood. Sitting on the cold stone floor, Elena took a moment to put all she now knew together. No wonder Damon had seemed so schizophrenic. No wonder he had remembered, and then forgotten, and then remembered that he was the one she was running from. He remembered, she reasoned, when Shinichi was not controlling him, or at least was keeping him on a very loose rein. But his memory was spotty because some of the things he'd done were so terrible that his own mind had rejected them. They had seamlessly become part of the possessed Damon's memory, for when possessed Shinichi was controlling every word, every deed. And in between episodes, Shinichi was telling him that he had to find Elena's tormentor and kill him. All very amusing, she supposed, for this kitsune, Shinichi. But for both her and Damon it had been hell. Her mind refused to admit that there had been moments of heaven mixed in with the hell. She was Stefan's, alone. That would never change. Now Elena needed one more magical door, and she didn't know how to find one. But there was the twinkling fairy light again. She guessed it was the last of the magic that Honoria Fell had left to protect the town she had founded. Elena felt a little guilty, using it up – but if it wasn't meant for her, why had she been brought here? To try for the most important destination she could imagine. Reaching for the speck with one hand and clenching the key in the other she whispered with all the force at her command: â€Å"Somewhere I can see and hear and touch Stefan.†

Why does Prager say that “suddenly a lot of things made sense” when she discovered that Barbie was designed by a man? Is she referring here only to Barbie’s looks?

Emily had doubts whether the Barbie Doll could have been designed by a woman. Barbie’s body – by proportion, a 23-inch waistline and 39-inch bust line – is unrealistic, and no woman could have this body. She notes millions of women facing eating disorders after trying to achieve bodies sexy as Barbie’s.Hence, she found sense that a man could have designed Barbie. Men are often blamed by feminists for their double standards against women. As part of the gender inequality in society, women are defined by their sexuality and beauty, while men are not.Thus, Barbie was designed as someone epitomized to have the perfect, sexual body. 2. Are we supposed to believe the claims that Prager makes in paragraph 4? What is the point she is trying to make? Paragraph four states: I don't mean to step on anyone's toes here. I loved my Barbie. Secretly, I still believe that neon pink and turquoise blue are the only colors in which to decorate a duplex condo. And like many o thers of my generation, I've never married, simply because I cannot find a man who looks as good in clam diggers as Ken.Ms. Prager emphasizes that, just like most of girls, she loved her Barbie dolls. The miniature houses coming with those dolls were in pink and turquoise. She remembered her fantasies as a child playing with Barbies, and meeting the man of her dreams, someone as perfect as Ken. The point Ms. Prager is trying make is that just like all other women she was enamored with Barbie dolls as a kid. She clarifies she’s not trying to confront with Barbie fans as she was a fan herself. 3. What is Prager’s DEFINITION of a feminist in this essay?Where do you find this definition? According to Ms. Prager, Barbie came about simultaneously with her consciousness of the feminist movement. She defines feminist in her essays as women seeking equality with men. Women, many feminists have complained, are treated by men as sexual objects, or objects themselves. They are jus t the object of men’s desires. With the Barbie doll, who has the perfect figure, women end up wasting a lifetime trying to achieve a perfect figure, to no avail. 4. What is Prager’s Thesis. Ms.Prager’s thesis is to eliminate our double standards in gender. She asserts that women should not be devalued, oppressed, and or treated as mere objects. She cites, among other things, Ken’s genitals being concealed while Barbie’s exposed to the fullest. She adds women are required to achieve a perfect figure, while men are not. She insists women should be treated like men in the real world, i. e. defined by their education, their work, or how they help society. The same standards for men and women should be set.

Scorpion Fish Facts (Scorpaenidae)

Scorpion Fish Facts (Scorpaenidae) The term scorpion fish refers to a group of ray-finned fishes in the family Scorpaenidae. Collectively, they are called rockfish or stonefish because they are bottom dwellers camouflaged to resemble rocks or coral. The family includes 10 subfamilies and at least 388 species. Important genera include the lionfish (Pterois sp.) and stonefish (Synanceia sp.). All scorpion fish have venomous spines, giving the fish their common name. While stings can be fatal to humans, the fish are not aggressive and only sting when threatened or injured. Fast Facts: Scorpion Fish Scientific Name: Scorpaenidae (species include Pterois volitans, Synaceia horrida)Other Names: Lionfish, stonefish, scorpionfish, rockfish, firefish, dragonfish, turkeyfish, stingfish, butterfly codDistinguishing Features: Compressed body with wide mouth and conspicuous, venomous dorsal spinesAverage Size: Under 0.6 meters (2 feet)Diet: CarnivorousLife Span: 15 yearsHabitat: Coastal tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas worldwideConservation Status: Least ConcernKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ActinopterygiiOrder: ScorpaeniformesFamily: ScorpaenidaeFun Fact: Scorpion fish not aggressive. They only sting if they are threatened or injured. Description The scorpion fish has a compressed body with ridges or spines on its head, 11 to 17 dorsal spines, and pectoral fins with well-developed rays. The fish come in all colors. Lionfish are brightly colored, so potential predators can identify them as a threat. Stonefish, on the other hand, have mottled coloring that camouflages them against rocks and coral. The average adult scorpion fish is under 0.6 meters (2 feet) in length. Except for lionfish, scorpion fish have a mottled coloration that serves as camouflage. LITTLE DINOSAUR / Getty Images Distribution Most members of the Scorpaenidae family live in the Indo-Pacific, but species occur worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate seas. Scorpion fish tend to live in shallow coastal water. However, a few species occur as deep as 2200 meters (7200 feet). They are well-camouflaged against reefs, rocks, and sediment, so they spend most of their time near the sea floor. The red lionfish and common lionfish are invasive species in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the United States. The only effective method of control to date has been NOAAs campaign of Lionfish as Food. Encouraging consumption of the fish not only helps control lionfish population density, but also helps protect overfished grouper and snapper populations. Reproduction and Life Cycle Female scorpion fish release between 2,000 and 15,000 eggs into the water, which are fertilized by the male. After mating, the adults move away and seek cover to minimize attention from predators. The eggs then float to the surface to minimize predation. Eggs hatch in after two days. The newly-hatched scorpion fish, called fry, remain near the surface until they are around about an inch long. At this time, they sink to the bottom to seek a crevice and begin hunting. Scorpion fish live up to 15 years. Diet and Hunting The carnivorous scorpion fish preys upon other fish (including other scorpion fish), crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates. A scorpion fish will eat virtually any other animal that can be swallowed whole. Most scorpion fish species are nocturnal hunters, while lionfish are most active in the morning daylight hours. Some scorpion fish wait for prey to approach. Lionfish actively hunt and attack prey, using a bilateral swim bladder to precisely control body position. To catch prey, a scorpion fish blows a jet of water toward its victim, disorienting it. If the prey is a fish, the jet of water also causes it to orient against the current so that its facing the scorpion fish. Head-first capture is easier, so this technique improves hunting efficiency. Once the prey is positioned correctly, the scorpion fish sucks in its prey whole. In some cases, the fish uses its spines to stun prey, but this behavior is fairly uncommon. Predators While its likely that predation of eggs and fry is the primary form of natural population control of scorpion fish, its unclear what percentage of scorpion fish young are eaten. Adults have few predators, but sharks, rays, snappers, and sea lions have been observed hunting the fish. Sharks appear to be immune to scorpion fish venom. Although scorpion fish are venomous, they are gentle animals. This diver is feeding a lionfish. Justin Okoye / EyeEm / Getty Images Scorpion fish arent fished commercially because of the risk of stings. However, they are edible, and cooking the fish neutralizes the venom. For sushi, the fish may be eaten raw if the venomous dorsal fins are removed before preparation. Scorpion Fish Venom and Stings Scorpion fish erect their spines and inject venom if they are bitten by a predator, grabbed, or stepped on. The venom contains a mixture of neurotoxins. Typical symptoms of poisoning include intense, throbbing pain that lasts up to 12 hours, peaking in the first hour or two following the sting, as well as redness, bruising, numbness, and swelling at the sting site. Severe reactions include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, tremors, decreased blood pressure, shortness of breath, and abnormal heart rhythms. Paralysis, seizures, and death are possible, but are usually restricted to stonefish poisoning. The young and elderly are more susceptible to the venom than healthy adults. Death is rare, but some people are allergic to the venom and may suffer anaphylactic shock. Australian hospitals keep stonefish anti-venom on hand. For other species and for stonefish first aid, the first step is to remove the victim from water to prevent drowning. Vinegar may be applied to reduce pain, while the venom may be inactivated by immersing the sting site in hot water for 30 to 90 minutes. Tweezers should be used to remove any remaining spines and the area should be scrubbed with soap and water and then flushed with fresh water. Medical care is required for all scorpion fish, lionfish, and stonefish stings, even if the venom appears to be deactivated. Its important to be certain that no spine remnants remain in the flesh. A tetanus booster may be recommended. Conservation Status Most species of scorpion fish have not been evaluated in terms of conservation status. However, the stonefish Synanceia verrucosa and Synanceia horrida are listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List, with stable populations. The luna lionfish Pterois lunulata and red lionfish Pterois volitans are also least concern. The population of red lionfish, an invasive species, is increasing. While no significant threats face scorpion fish at this time, they may be at risk from habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. Sources Doubilet, David (November 1987). Scorpionfish: Danger in Disguise. National Geographic. Vol. 172 no. 5. pp. 634–643. ISSN 0027-9358Eschmeyer, William N. (1998). Paxton, J.R.; Eschmeyer, W.N., eds. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 175–176. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.Morris J.A. Jr., Akins J.L. (2009). Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Bahamian archipelago. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 86 (3): 389–398. doi:10.1007/s10641-009-9538-8Sauners P.R., Taylor P.B. (1959). Venom of the lionfish  Pterois volitans.  American Journal of Physiology.  197: 437–440Taylor, G. (2000). Toxic fish spine injury: Lessons from 11 years experience. South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 30 (1). ISSN 0813-1988

Theme Assignment Great Expectations Essays

Theme Assignment Great Expectations Essays Theme Assignment Great Expectations Essay Theme Assignment Great Expectations Essay Essay Topic: Great Expectations â€Å"If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.† This quote by Edmund Burke explains the complex topic of wealth and moral integrity. Wealth plays a big role in our lives and determines our social class. With this comes the generalization that if you are of lower class, you will have low moral integrity and if you are of upper class, you will have high moral integrity. Rather, it is commonly the opposite. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens develops the ironic theme that commoners of the lower class have high moral values as they are unaffected by pride and greed, and, therefore, are uncommon; conversely, those of the upper class have low moral values as they are commonly motivated by pride and greed. Through the characters of Joe, Bentley Drummle and Pip, we can see how their social class determines their moral integrity. But I did mind you, Pip, he returned, with tender simplicity. When I offered to your sister to keep company, and to be asked in church at such times as she was willing and ready to come to the forge, I said to her, And bring the poor little child. God bless the poor little child, I said to your sister, theres room for him at the forge!' (pg. 53) Joe, a blacksmith, is Pip’s brother-in-law but more importantly, he develops to be Pip’s father figure as the novel progresses. He married Pip’s sister, Mrs. Joe, to be able to take care of both of them. As a commoner, you would expect that he would want some benefit from his marriage. But, in reality, Joe actually loses more than he gains. He has to support two more people now, and he is constantly being abused by Mrs. Joe, whether the beatings be intended for himself or Pip. So, as we can see, there is no evident benefit Joe is getting from his marriage. Well, at least not from a reader’s perspective. Right off the bat, we can tell from this example what kind of person Joe is: a loving, selfless and