Essay on SLP 1 INFORMATION NETWORKING AS TECHNOLOGY TOOLS, USES, AND SOCIO-TECHNICAL INTERACTIONS Web Browsers’ Utility

Essay on SLP 1 INFORMATION NETWORKING AS TECHNOLOGY TOOLS, USES, AND SOCIO-TECHNICAL INTERACTIONS Web Browsers’ Utility Essay on SLP 1 INFORMATION NETWORKING AS TECHNOLOGY: TOOLS, USES, AND SOCIO-TECHNICAL INTERACTIONS: Web Browsers’ Utility Essay on SLP 1 INFORMATION NETWORKING AS TECHNOLOGY: TOOLS, USES, AND SOCIO-TECHNICAL INTERACTIONS: Web Browsers’ UtilityFormally simple computer programs, browsers have actually become the main link between the Internet and the man and the way how they perform their tasks determines our perception of the virtual world. However, the answer to the question â€Å"Which browser is better?† is not so simple and involves several aspects, in particular, â€Å"Which browser is more reliable while saving information about the session?† or â€Å"Which browser is faster?† or â€Å"Which browser is more functional?†Further in this paper, we will provide the main results of practical comparative analysis of Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Lunascape.First of all, it should be marked that Mozilla Firefox is my regular browser, mostly because it provides a full set of web applications for working with mail, news, client chat which could be widely personalized and suppl emented with a lot of add-ons, both paid and free. The advantages of the browser include easy work with bookmarks, in particular, the ability to import bookmarks from a previously saved copy or from a different browser. When working with different news and social media portals (The Economist, Pinterest, Taobao.com, etc.), I’ve also evaluated protection in blocking pop-up windows and the ability to work with RSS, which has always been Firefox’s priority in marketing (Jin et al., 2011, p.83). Generally, Firefox security and privacy settings cover all the basic features: they block phishing sites and other malicious sites, Do Not Track mode allows blocking third-party cookies. In addition, Firefox 16 clearly shows the level of security of a bank or a trading site (whether it is safe, with safety in question, or the resource is not secure) by displaying the corresponding icon in the address bar, which has been not noticed in other browsers.On the other hand, all three comp etitors have multi-tab services, the functions for favoring most interesting sites, and autosave of data input, all of which are of crucial importance when operating at various sites simultaneously (for instance, making the same search request in both Google and Yahoo, pinning tabs with live news, and opening Facebook and Twitter from favorites). The browsers under consideration also offer a supplement that works at emergency closing, and after the launch, the browser prompts to restore the last session. The latter function, however, is significantly adjusted in Lunascape, where in the case of an error on any web page, only one tab, not the entire browser, gets closed.On the other hand, Mozilla Firefox is generally heavy, and we have to agree with Grigorik (2013, p. 113) who remarks that a lot of its settings and extensions adversely affect the RAM by its occupation. This sometimes leads to active lockup of each of the simultaneously running processes, which was particularly vivid i n my experience with ATP World tour site overloaded with flash and Java content. However, the same problems were also observed in my work with the latest Opera version, which was particularly annoying by not remembering previously saved certificates. Still, Opera has opportunities to load pages from the Internet faster than other browsers due to specific methods of traffic processing by Opera Turbo. This function helps to work with slow Internet and a relatively low volume of available traffic. The application cashes the page and then loads it not from the server but from the local storage, i.e. text and basic design elements are loaded immediately followed by the media data, and layout. However, its work is not always stable, and as practice showed it is clearly not suitable for pages written in AJAX, as Garsiel (2013) explains.In this regard, we need to focus particularly on the performance shown by Lunascape. Here, it must be mentioned that since its appearance on the market, Lun ascape has been called The World’s First Hybrid Engine Browser, as it is combining three of the most popular engines for processing and display web pages Gecko (used in Firefox), Trident (used in Internet Explorer) and WebKit ( used in Safari and Google Chrome) (Toto, 2008). Due to an optimized implementation of Gecko technology, this browser is faster than everyone else in processing JavaScript scenarios, which was proved by starting Amazon.com. Still, although the browser developers claim that Lunascape is twice faster than Firefox in data processing (data were obtained on the basis of SunSpider Javascript Benchmark test results, Toto, 2008), Lunascape 5 Alpha version generally starts slower than its competitors. However, which more important, the browser offers the unique ability to quickly switch between the three rendering modules. Thus, opening a website, you can specify which of the three engines should open it, as well as further assign a particular engine to a parti cular page, and even test and compare the appearance and behavior of web-pages with different rendering technology. Due to this unconventional solution, Lunascape eliminates all the problems associated with cross-browser compatibility. On the other hand, this allowed developers to position Lunascape as an alternative to installing several different browsers on one device, which I typically do, by having Chrome, Opera, and Firefox simultaneously to use them for different tasks. Still, the main drawback of Lunascape is the lack of visual speed dial panel, like those that can be seen in Opera or Mozilla Firefox and confirmed their functional viability.On a whole, the functionality and performance of all three browsers showed quite optimistic results, while the testing of Lunascape opened up new perspective features a browser may have, and its further usage in my daily life will be considered specifically. However, at saving memory by switching off unnecessary Mozilla add-ons, it proved to be faster than others in processing data and Java scenarios, as well as, to my subjective opinion, reassured its leadership in the intuitiveness of design and easiness of personification.

Ancient Persian Rulers Timeline (Modern Iran)

Ancient Persian Rulers Timeline (Modern Iran) In ancient history, there were 3 main dynasties that controlled ancient Persia, a western name for the area that is modern Iran: Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sasanids. There was also a period when the Hellenistic Macedonian and Greek successors of Alexander the Great, known as Seleucids, ruled Persia. Early mention of the area is from Assyria c. 835 B.C., when the Medes occupied the Zagros Mountains. The Medes gained control of an area extending from the Zagros Mountains to include Persis, Armenia, and eastern Anatolia. In 612, they captured the Assyrian city of Ninevah. Here are the rulers of ancient Persia, by dynasty, based on Dynasties of the World, by John E. Morby; Oxford University Press, 2002. Achaemenid Dynasty 559-530 - Cyrus the Great529-522 - Cambyses (son)522 - Smerdis (Bardiya) (brother)521-486 - Darius I, the Great485-465 - Xerxes I (son)464-424 - Artaxerxes I, Longimanus (son)424 - Xerxes II (son)424 - Sogdianus (brother)423-405 - Darius II, Nothus (brother)404-359 - Artaxerxes II, Mnemon (son)358-338 - Artaxerxes III (Ochus) (son)337-336 - Artaxerxes IV ( Arses) (son)335-330 - Darius III (Codomannus) (great-grandson of Darius II) Macedonian Conquest of the Persian Empire 330 Seleucids 305-281 B.C. - Seleucus I Nicator281-261 - Antiochus I Soter261-246 - Antiochus II Theos246-225 - Seleucus II Callinicus Parthian Empire - Arsacid Dynasty 247-211 - Arsaces I (conquered Parthia c. 238)211-191 - Arsaces II (son)191-176 - Priapatius (son)176-171 - Phraates I (son)171-138 - Mithridates I (brother)138-128 - Phraates II (son)128-123 - Artabanus I (son of Priapatius)123-87 - Mithridates II, the Great (son)90-80 - Gotarzes I80-77 - Orodes I77-70 - Sinatruces70-57 - Phraates III (son)57-54 - Mithridates III (son)57-38 - Orodes II (brother)38-2 - Phraates IV (son)2-AD 4 - Phraates V (son)4-7 - Orodes III7-12 - Vonones I (son of Phraates IV)12-38 - Artabanus II38-45 - Vardanes I (son)45-51 - Gotarzes II (brother)51 - Vonones II51-78 - Vologases I (son or brother)55-58 - Vardanes II77-80 - Vologases II78-110 - Pacorus (son of Vologases I)80-90 - Artabanus III (brother)109-129 - Osroes112-147 - Vologases III129-147 - Mithridates IV147-191 - Vologases IV191-208 - Vologases V (son)208-222 - Vologases VI (son)213-224 - Artabanus IV (brother) Sasanid Dynasty 224-241 - Ardashir I241-272 - Shapur I (son; co-regent 240)272-273 - Hormizd I (son)273-276 - Bahram I (brother)276-293 - Bahram II (son)293 - Bahram III (son; deposed)293-302 - Narseh (son of Shapur I)302-309 - Hormizd II (son)310-379 - Shapur II (son)379-383 - Ardashir II (nephew)383-388 - Shapur III (son of Shapur II)388-399 - Bahram IV (son)399-420 - Yazdgard I (son)420-438 - Bahram V, the Wild Ass (son)438-457 - Yazdgard II (son)457-459 - Hormizd III (son)459-484 - Peroz I (brother)484-488 - Balash (brother)488-497 - Kavad I (son of Peroz; deposed)497-499 - Zamasp (brother)499-531 - Kavad I (restored)531-579 - Khusrau I, Anushirvan (son)579-590 - Hormizd IV (son; deposed)590-591 - Bahram VI, Chbn (usurper; deposed)590-628 - Khusrau II, the Victorious (son of Hormizd IV; deposed and died 628)628 - Kavad II, Shiroe (son)628-630 - Ardashir III (son)630 - Shahrbaraz (usurper)630-631 - Boran (daughter of Khusrau II)631 - Peroz II (cousin)631-632 - Azarmedukht (daughter of Khusrau II) 632-651 - Yazdgard III (nephew) 651 - Arab Conquest of the Sasanid Empire At the end of the ancient period, war with Heraclius of the Byzantine Empire weakened the Persians enough that the Arabs gained control.

Logical Fallacies in the World of Advertisement and YouTube Phenomenon Essay

Logical Fallacies in the World of Advertisement and YouTube Phenomenon - Essay Example Advertisement is a birth child of the free market economy although it is not focused in promoting free market. For instance, the advertisers are focused into trying to manipulate consumers so that they buy products or a way of life (Martin, 16). A look at the book Amusing Ourselves To Death by N. Postman gives a clear glimpse of the role and the impact of advertisement in the society today. The people have a tendency of medicating themselves into attaining happiness or bliss; as a result, they sacrifice their rights voluntarily. Aspects of television's entertainment represent a way by which the rights of the consumers for entertainment. This is a similar approach in the area of print media such as the magazines. The issues of politics, as well as religion, can be easily diluted depending on how the advertisement messaged is packaged. This essay paper is an analysis of a particular advertisement in semiotic terms. Therefore, this essay intends to show many ways that advertising works, as well as the extent the impacts of advertisement on the audience and the society. The Lancome advertisement This is an advertisement taken from the Marie Claire magazine. In addition, this advert has appeared in several other magazines. From a reader’s perspective, what catches the eyes of most readers is the ugliness of the model that underwent a makeup (Martin, 22). The image is unattractive but for most people, the choice of color is very fascinating. This advertisement covers a sprawling three pages of the magazine. The image on the first page is of a model who has red hair; this image covers almost the whole page. The female model is a woman although she is quite challenging to guess (Alperstein, 18). The reason for this is that mostly with modeling a 25 year old lady can be made to look like a 25 year old. The model is wearing a hat which is of a blue-turquoise-green. She has a scarf which has shiny palettes and a spiky shape. The background where the model is being photographed is very light colored with rose and peach tones which are dominating the blurring background shapes. The woman seems to move forward, her posture is very dynamic (Alperstein, 21). The following pages which are double ones show the similar model in a dark blue-green make-up (Alperstein, 34). Her picture covers the whole of the left page while on the right page sit indicates a dark blue rose and there is a picture of the cosmetic product which is being advertised (Martin, 31). The advert also gives the web-site address for the product (Martin, 29). By showing information in parts of different elements, the advertisement incorporates fallacies as it is not exclusive on what it is really standing for. In undertaking a semiotic analysis of the advert discussed above, this essay paper intends to apply a framework that was proposed by Chandler, as well as by focusing on the important signifies and what they signify. There are a number of various signifiers that could be easily identified from a critical analysis of the main one obviously being the woman dressed up as an insect. The signified -the mental concept the woman represents is 'change'. Of course, the woman as she is depicted in the photograph also stands for conventional norms of female beauty in the form of a somewhat fragile creature. The woman depicted on the

IT Strategy class paper - Read case and discuss current challenges & Study

IT Strategy class paper - Read and discuss current challenges & recommendations - Case Study Example The industry gradually gave birth to other related industries like elevator services, maintenance etc (Otisline, 2). Otis Elevators always remained on top of the competition. Since the time it was founded, it managed to form and maintain its reputation as the best in the industry of elevators. The fact that it provided services along with the product made it even more popular and the quality remained credible. Owing to its reputation customers were often willing to pay premium price for Otis’ services (Otisline, 1). Otis elevators had three branches: Otis Hydraulics (for up to 6 story buildings), Otis Geared (for 24 story buildings) and Otis Gearless for higher buildings. The state-of-the-art elevators with higher capacity than usual, Otis was customers’ first choice (Otisline, 1). Otis was divided in four geographical areas: North American Operations, Latin American Operations, Pacific Area Operations and European Transcontinental Operations. North American Operation (NAO) had the most widely dispersed customer base because of the large geographical area it catered to and also because there was a variety of customers to attend. The need to develop easy communication with the customers occurred and so Otisline was formed (Otisline, 1). Otisline was the main customer service centre of Otis NAO. It was established so that customers could easily contact the company, give feedback, lodge complaints etc. This way, Otis secured its customers’ loyalty by developing easy communication. Otis was a decentralized organization but the new system it installed, Otisline, was centralized. A centralized system was launched for focusing on faster responses to callbacks. Customer’s rate quality of services according to the way they are responded by the firm and the time it takes for responding. Commercial answering services were used for non-prime-time call backs and the

Physics Key Words Essay Example for Free

Physics Key Words Essay Capacitance: ratio of charge stored per increase in potential difference. Capacitor: electrical device used to store charge and energy in the electrical field. Charged : object that has an unbalance of positive and negative electrical charges. Charging by conduction: process of charging by touching neutral object to a charged object. Charging by induction: process of charging by bringing neutral object near charged object, then removing part of resulting separated charge. Effective current: DC current that would produce the same heating effects. Effective voltage: DC potential difference that would produce the same heating effects. Electrical charge pump: device, often a battery or generator, that increase potential of electrical charge. Electrical circuit: continuous path through which electrical charges can flow. Electrical current: flow of charged particles. Electrical field: property of space around a charged object that causes forces on other charged objects. Electric field lines: lines representing the direction of electric field. Electric field strength: ratio of force exerted by field on a tiny test charge to that change. Electric generator: device converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Electric potential: ratio of electric potential energy to charge. Electric potential difference: difference in electric potential between two points. Electric potential energy: energy of a charged body in an electrical field. Electron gas model: description of current flow through conductors. Electroscope: device to detect electric charges. Electrostatics: study of properties and results of electric charges at rest. Equivalent resistance: single resistance that could replace several resistors. Galvanometer: device used to measure very small currents. Ohm: SI unit of resistance; one volt per ampere. Â  Ohm’s law: resistance of object is constant, independent of voltage across it. Piezoelectricity: electric potential produced by deforming material. Potential difference: difference in electric potential between two points. Potential energy: energy of object due to its position or state. Potentiometer: electrical device with variable resistance; rheostat. Power: rate of doing work; rate of energy conversion. Resistance: ratio of potential difference across device to current through it. Resistance force: force exerted by a machine. Resistor: device designed to have a specific resistance. Resultant: vector sum of two or more vectors. Semiconductor: material in which electrical conduction is smaller than that in a conductor, but more than in insulator. Series circuit: circuit in which electrical current flows through each component, one after another. Series connection: arrangement of electrical devices so that there is only one path through which current can flow. Short circuit: low resistance connection between two points, often accidental. Watt: unit of power, one joule per second.

The Need for a Middle Eastern Empire Essay -- essays research papers

The Imperial History History suggests that great leaders view the world as a divided empire that if united would end problems that a single nation dream of solving. Many leaders of today fight for division, independence, and personal interests. Such leaders want control over small territories just to exercise power and control over a small population resulting in problems such as famine, poverty, and civil wars. Real leaders seek glory by achieving world domination to help their society move forward towards a better future and inviting other societies to join. Hence, spread civilized laws and ideas, end barbarism, and unite mankind. The Macedonians started their campaign of conquering the Persians as a method to unite the Greeks. Their success drove them to dominate the known world to support the idea of uniting the world under one king, to spread peace which is thought to be only possible if rivals did not exist. The Romans based their empire on Military Might, Trade, and the acceptance of foreign ideas to civilize the world in order to enable engage in trade, end barbarism in the Northern territories, and share the glory of the empire. World Domination by an empire has pros and cons, such pros are unity of the people of certain culture or religion, economic growth of the nation, technological advancements, and national security. Background I, like most people, misunderstood World Domination which â€Å"[is] the exercise of [†¦] control or power [over others]† (www.dictionary.com). Many understand it as the use of power to wage war in order to control others. This is just a method used by many Empires to achieve their goals. World Domination can be achieved by the call of people to join an empire (unity of a certain culture ... ... Empire is to rise once more in the Middle East to dominate the world in order to benefit the Muslim society after a long time of ciaos, dictatorship, and poverty. It is in Islam that all Muslims are to be united by a caliph in one Empire as a Superpower. References Brzezinski, Z. (2004). The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership. New York: Basic Books. Foster, J. (2006) The New Geopolitics of Empire, Monthly Review, Vol. 57(8),1-18. Retrieved 6 March 2006 from Research Library database. Kennedy, H. (2004) The Decline and Fall of the First Muslim Empire, Der Islam, Vol. 81(1), 3-31. Retrieved 6 March 2006 from Research Library database. Online Dictionary. Retrieved March 28 2006 from www.dictionary.com. Turchin, Peter (2006), War and Peace and War: The Life Cycles of Imperial Nations (New York: Pi Press).

Four foods common throughout Mexico Essay

Corn, and corn tortillas in particular, are common throughout all of Mexico. Corn tortillas are considered the â€Å"bread† of Mexican culture. Beans are almost always served as a side dish with all meals. Chilies, squash and tomatoes are all indigenous foods that thrive in the arid regions and are used for flavoring and as side dishes throughout the country. Chilies are also often integrated into main dishes. B. Comparison and Contrast of foods from three regions of Mexico Food from the Mexican plains region is typically more heavy with fats and starches. The region’s cuisine relies on meat and dairy products (most notably beef and cheese) in addition to the traditional beans and corn found elsewhere throughout the country. Tropical Mexico relies heavily on the fish and seafood that are abundant along the coast for its main dishes. It also incorporates food locally grown on plantations such as coffee, bananas, avocado, limes, tomatoes and tropical fruits such as mango, tamarind and coconut. Ceviche, a blend of raw fish, lime juice and vegetables, is very popular. Southern Mexican cuisine uses chayotes and cactus and relies heavily on chicken dishes, often marinated. Mole sauce, using chilies and chocolate originated in Southern Mexico and is used as a ceremonial dish at baptisms, weddings, and the Day of the Dead festivals. Even grasshoppers, which are quite abundant, are often eaten fried. Beans and avocados are also used in many dishes. Meat from goats and pork along with chilies and tortillas are often found in dishes from all regions. Chocolate and vanilla are two items that put Mexico on the map and quite popular throughout the country as flavorings. Chocolate is used in sauces as well as for drinking and often infused with cinnamon. Mexican cuisine is very reliant on the food sources most abundant in the region and so range the gamut from seafood to cactus. 6. Comparison and Contrast of food and customs of India’s Northern and Southern regions In Northern India wheat, tea, masala, pickled fruits and vegetables, garlic and eggs are commonly used. Most dishes are prepared by boiling, stewing or frying. Unleavened bread and a vegetable dish are served at breakfast and lunch. Dinner is the same with the additional of a few extra dishes. All meals are served with tea and lemonade in the summer. Hydrogenated oils are used for cooking. In Southern India, banana leaves serve as plates and boiled rice comes with every course. Vegetables and lentils make up the first two courses while rice and yogurt are in the third course. All are accompanied by pickles, chutney and fried wafers. Dessert is only served on special occasions. Coconut, plantain and fish are often used and tend to be spicy. They use peanut and sesame oil in addition to hydrogenated vegetable oil and prepare dishes by steaming. Rice, coffee, chutney fruits and vegetables are integral to the cuisine. Grains cooked into cereals are popular. Chickpeas and lentils are used in nearly every meal. Spicy vegetable curries, deep-fried, salty foods and sweets are popular as snacks. The foods of both regions are highly vegetarian, per religious beliefs. Neither region eats beef nor traditionally drinks alcohol. The spices and condiments heavy in Southern Indian cuisine are the influence of Jews and Christians. In the North, wheat is the staple food while rice reigns in the South. Northern Indians drink tea with their meals while Southern Indians prefer coffee. Since Pakistan was once part of India, the cuisine of the Northern region is very similar to that of Pakistani food. The foods of both regions are influenced heavily by their respective religions as well as the influx of foreign traders in earlier centuries. 7. A. Five foods indigenous to Caribbean In Jamaica, dukunnu is made with cornmeal, sugar, raisins spices and coconut and wrapped in banana leaves and boiled or baked. Jamaica also uses turn cornmeal made of cornmeal blended with peas, spices, coconut milk, saltfish and sometimes other ingredients. Peppers are indigenous all over the Caribbean and are commonly used to spice up dishes such as marinated â€Å"jerk† meats. Manioc, sweet potatoes and yams are served as a side dish or deep fried. There is heavy reliance on fish, including conch and shellfish. B. Identify the Caribbean country or island: 1. Sofrito – Cuba and Puerto Rico 2. Picadillo – Cuba 3. Jerk Foods – Jamaica 4. Sancocho – Dominican Republic 5. Moros y Cristianos – Cuba 6. Habichuelas con Dulce – Dominican Republic.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Two

CLARENCE DIDN'T WANT to talk to us about what had happened. In fact, he adamantly denied anything was wrong, claiming he'd scratched his neck while shaving. â€Å"Mr. Donahue,† I said as gently as I could, â€Å"this was made by a surgical tool. And it didn't happen until Keith visited.† â€Å"No, no,† Clarence managed in a weak voice. â€Å"It has nothing to do with him.† Dorothy stuck her head in just then, carrying a glass of juice. We'd called for her shortly after my arrival tonight. For blood loss, the remedies were the same for Moroi and human alike: sugar and fluids. She offered the glass to him with a straw, her lined face filled with concern. I continued my pleas as he drank. â€Å"Tell us what your deal is,† I begged. â€Å"What's the arrangement? What's he giving you for your blood?† When Clarence remained silent, I tried another tactic. â€Å"People are being hurt. He's giving out your blood indiscriminately.† That got a reaction. â€Å"No,† said Clarence. â€Å"He's using my blood and saliva to heal people. To heal sick humans.† Saliva? I nearly groaned. Of course. The mysterious clear liquid. Now I knew what gave the celestial tattoos their addictive high. Gross. Adrian and I exchanged glances. Healing certainly was a use for vampire blood. The tattoo I wore was proof of that, and the Alchemists had worked long trying to duplicate some of the blood's properties for wider medicinal use. So far, there was no way to synthetically reproduce it, and using real blood simply wasn't practical. â€Å"He lied,† I replied. â€Å"He's selling it to rich teenagers to help them with sports. What did he promise you for it? A cut of the money?† Adrian glanced around the opulent room. â€Å"He doesn't need money. The only thing he needs is what the guardians wouldn't give him. Justice for Tamara, right?† Surprised, I turned back to Clarence and saw Adrian's words confirmed on the old Moroi's face. â€Å"He†¦ he's been investigating the vampire hunters for me,† he said slowly. â€Å"He says he's close. Close to finding them out.† I shook my head, wanting to kick myself for not having figured out sooner that Clarence was the blood source. It explained why Keith was always unexpectedly here – and why he got so upset when I showed up without warning. My â€Å"fraternizing with vampires† had had nothing to do with it. â€Å"Sir, I guarantee the only thing he's investigating is how to spend the money he's been making.† â€Å"No†¦ no†¦ he's going to help me find the hunters who killed Tamara†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stood up. I couldn't stand to hear any more. â€Å"Get him some real food, and see what he'll eat,† I told Dorothy. â€Å"If he's only weak from blood loss, he just needs time.† I nodded for Adrian to follow me out. As we walked toward the living room, I remarked, â€Å"Well, there are good and bad sides to this. At least we can be confident Keith's got a fresh supply of blood for us to bust him with. I'm just sorry Clarence had to get hit so – â€Å" I froze as I entered the living room. I'd simply wanted to go there because it would be a familiar place to discuss our plans, one that was less creepy than Clarence's bedroom. Considering how my imagination often ran wild while I was in this old house, I'd found that few things came as a surprise. But never in my wildest dreams had I imagined the living room would be transformed into an art gallery. Easels and canvas were set up all around the room. Even the pool table was covered by a big roll of paper. The pictures varied wildly in their content. Some simply had splashes of color thrown on them. Some possessed astonishingly realistic depictions of objects and people. An assortment of watercolors and oil paints sat around amidst the art. For a moment, all thoughts of Clarence and Keith disappeared from my head. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Homework,† Adrian said. â€Å"Didn't you†¦ didn't you just start your classes? How could they have assigned this much?† He walked over to a canvas showing a swirling red line traced over a black cloud and lightly tested to see if the paint was dry. Studying it, I tried to decide if I really was seeing a cloud. There was almost something anthropomorphic about it. â€Å"Of course they didn't give us this much, Sage. But I had to make sure I nailed my first assignment. Takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection.† He paused to reconsider that. â€Å"Well, except for my parents. They got it on the first try.† I couldn't help a smile. After watching Adrian's moods oscillate so wildly in the last couple weeks, it was nice to see them on the upswing. â€Å"Well, this is kind of amazing,† I admitted. â€Å"What are they? I mean, I get that one.† I pointed to a painting of a woman's eye, brown and long-lashed, and then to another one of roses. â€Å"But the others are open to, um, slightly more creative interpretation.† â€Å"Are they?† asked Adrian, turning back to the smoky painting with the red streak. â€Å"I figured it was obvious. This one is Love. Don't you see it?† I shrugged. â€Å"Maybe I don't have an artistic enough mind.† â€Å"Maybe,† he agreed. â€Å"Once we bust your buddy Keith, we'll discuss my genius art all you want.† â€Å"Right,† I said, growing serious again. â€Å"We need to search his place for evidence. I figured the best way to do that is if I lure him out and you break in while he's gone. To get through the lock – â€Å" Adrian waved me off. â€Å"I can pick a lock. How do you think I got into my parents' liquor cabinet in middle school?† â€Å"Should've guessed,† I said dryly. â€Å"Make sure you look everywhere, not just in obvious places. He could have compartments hidden in the walls or in furniture. You want to find vials of blood or metallic liquid or even the tool that pierced Clarence.† â€Å"Got it.† We hashed out a few more details – including who he should call when he found something – and were about to leave when he asked, â€Å"Sage, why'd you pick me to be your partner in crime in this?† I thought about it. â€Å"Process of elimination, I guess. Jill's supposed to be kept out of trouble. Eddie'd be a good asset, but he needed to go back with her and Lee. Besides, I already knew you didn't have any moral qualms about breaking and entering.† â€Å"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me,† he declared with a grin. We headed out to Keith's after that. All the lights were on in the first floor of his building, dashing a last-minute hope I'd had that maybe I wouldn't have to lure him out. I would've actually liked to help with the search. I dropped Adrian off and then drove to a twenty-four-hour restaurant that was outside the opposite side of town. I figured it would be perfect for keeping Keith away from his home. The driving time alone would provide Adrian with extra searching time, though it meant Adrian had to wait outside for a while until Keith left. Once I finally arrived, I got a table, ordered coffee, and dialed Keith's number. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Keith, it's me. I need to talk to you.† â€Å"So talk,† he said. He sounded smug and confident, no doubt happy at pulling off the last-minute tattoo sale. â€Å"Not on the phone. I need you to meet me.† â€Å"At Amberwood?† he asked in surprise. â€Å"Isn't it after hours?† It was indeed, but that was a problem for later. â€Å"I'm not at school. I'm at Margaret's Diner, that place out by the highway.† Long silence. Then: â€Å"Well, if you're already out past curfew, then just come here.† â€Å"No,† I said firmly. â€Å"You come to me.† â€Å"Why should I?† I hesitated only briefly before playing the card I knew would get him, the one thing that would make him drive out here and not raise suspicions about the tattoos. â€Å"It's about Carly.† â€Å"What about her?† he asked after a moment's pause. â€Å"You know exactly what.† After a second's pause, Keith relented and hung up. I noticed that I had a voice mail from earlier in the day that I hadn't heard come in. I called and listened. â€Å"Sydney, this is Wes Regan from Carlton College. Just wanted to go over a couple things with you. First, I'm afraid I have some bad news. It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to retroactively admit your brother from auditor status. I can enroll him next semester for sure if he stays in good standing, but the only way he can keep taking classes now is if he continues to do so as an auditor. He won't be able to get financial aid as a result, and in fact, you'll actually need to pay the auditing fee soon if he's going to stay in the classes. If he wants to drop altogether, we can do that too. Just call me and let me know what you'd like to do.† I stared at the phone in dismay when the message was over. There went our dreams of sliding Adrian into fully enrolled student status, not to mention his dreams of getting financial aid and moving out of Clarence's. The next semester probably started in January, so Adrian was facing four more months at Clarence's. Adrian would also be facing four more months of bus-riding and taking classes without college credit. But were the credits and financial aid really the most important things here? I thought back to how excited Adrian had been after only a couple classes, how he'd thrown himself into the art. His face had been radiant when he stood in his â€Å"gallery.† Jill's words also echoed through my mind, about how the art had given him something to channel his feelings into and made the bond easier for her to cope with. Those classes were good for both of them. How much was an auditing fee? I wasn't sure but knew it wasn't as much as tuition. It was also a onetime cost that I could probably slide into my expenses without raising the attention of the Alchemists. Adrian needed those classes, of that I was certain. If he knew financial aid wasn't an option this semester, there was a good chance he'd just drop them altogether. I couldn't allow that. He'd known there might be â€Å"a delay† while the financial aid came together. If I could keep him going to Carlton a little longer, then maybe he'd get invested enough in the art that he'd stay on, even when the truth came out. It was a sneaky thing to do, but it would benefit him – and Jill – in the end. I dialed back Wes Regan's office, knowing I'd get his voice mail. I left him a message saying that I'd drop off a check for the auditing fee and that Adrian would stay on until he could be enrolled next semester. I hung up, saying a silent prayer that it would take a while for Adrian to find out any of this. The waitress kept giving me the evil eye over just having coffee, so I finally ordered a piece of pie to go. She had just set the carton down on my table when an irritated Keith entered the restaurant. He stood in the doorway, looking around impatiently until he saw me. â€Å"Okay, what's going on?† he demanded, making a big show of sitting down. â€Å"What's so important that you felt the need to break school rules and drag me halfway across town?† For a moment, I froze up. Looking into Keith's eyes – real and artificial – triggered all the conflicting feelings I'd had about him this last year. Fear and anxiety over what I was trying to pull off warred with the deep hate I'd long carried. Baser instincts wanted me to make him suffer, to throw something at him. Like the pie. Or a chair. Or a baseball bat. â€Å"I – â€Å" Before I could say another word, my phone chimed. I looked down and read a text message from Adrian: GOT IT. CALL MADE. ONE HOUR. I slipped the phone into my purse and exhaled. It had taken Keith twenty minutes to get here, and during that time, Adrian had been dutifully searching the apartment. He'd apparently been successful. Now it was up to me to delay Keith until reinforcements showed up. One hour was actually a lot less time than I'd expected. I'd given Adrian Stanton's phone number, and she would've dispatched whatever Alchemists were closest. I'd figured that would mean Los Angeles, but it was hard to say with the scope of our jobs. If there were Alchemists on the east side of the city, they'd get here very quickly. It was also possible they could cut time by simply flying a private jet in. â€Å"What's that?† asked Keith irritably. â€Å"A text from one of your vampire friends?† â€Å"You can stop the act,† I said. â€Å"I know you don't really care about me ‘getting too close' to them.† I hadn't intended this to be the topic that distracted him, but I'd take it. â€Å"Of course I do. I worry about your soul.† â€Å"Is that why you called my dad?† I asked. â€Å"Is that the reason you wanted me out of Palm Springs?† â€Å"It's for your own good,† he said, putting on that holier-than-thou air. â€Å"Do you know how wrong it was that you even wanted this job in the first place? No Alchemist would. But you, you practically begged for it.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, feeling my anger rise. â€Å"So Zoe wouldn't have to do it.† â€Å"Tell yourself that if you want. I know the truth. You like these creatures.† â€Å"Why does it have to be so cut-and-dried? In your view, I either have to hate them or be in league with them. There's a middle ground, you know. I can still be loyal to the Alchemists and on friendly terms with vampires and dhampirs.† Keith looked at me like I was ten years old. â€Å"Sydney, you're such an innocent. You don't understand the ways of the world like I do.† I knew all about his â€Å"ways of the world† and would've said as much if the waitress hadn't come by to take his drink order just then. When she was gone, Keith continued his spiel. â€Å"I mean, how do you even know you're feeling the way you do? Vampires can compel, you know. They use mind control. Spirit users like Adrian are really good at it. For all we know, he's been using his powers to endear himself to you.† I thought of all the times I'd wanted to shake some sense into Adrian. â€Å"He's not doing a very good job, then.† We bickered back and forth about this, and for once, I was glad of Keith's obstinacy and refusal to see reason. The longer he argued with me, the more time the Alchemists had to get to his apartment. If Stanton had told Adrian one hour, she probably meant it. Still, it was best to be safe. My breaking point came when Keith said, â€Å"You should be glad I'm looking out for you like this. This is about more than vampires, you know. I'm teaching you life lessons. You memorize books but don't understand people. You don't know how to connect to them. You're going to carry this same naive attitude with you into the real world, thinking everyone means well, and someone – some guy, probably – will just take advantage of you.† â€Å"Well,† I snapped, â€Å"you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?† Keith snorted. â€Å"I have no interest in you, rest easy.† â€Å"I'm not talking about me! I'm talking about Carly.† So. Here it was. The original purpose of our meeting. â€Å"What's she have to do with anything?† Keith kept his tone steady, but I saw it. The slightest flicker of anxiety in his eye. â€Å"I know what happened between you guys. I know what you did to her.† He became very interested in stirring ice around with his straw. â€Å"I didn't do anything to her. I have no idea what you're talking about.† â€Å"You know exactly what I'm talking about! She told me. She came to me afterward.† I leaned forward, feeling confident. â€Å"What do you think my dad would do if he found out? What would yours do?† Keith looked up sharply. â€Å"If you're so certain something terrible happened, then why doesn't your dad already know? Huh? Maybe because Carly knows there's nothing to tattle on. Anything we did, she wanted to, believe me.† â€Å"You are such a liar,† I hissed. â€Å"I know what you did. You raped her. And you will never suffer enough for it. You should've lost both of your eyes.† He stiffened at the reference to his eyes. â€Å"That's harsh. And has nothing to do with any of this. What the hell's happened to you, Sydney? How'd you turn into such a bitch? Maybe making you associate with vampires and dhampirs has caused more damage than we realized. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to call Stanton and ask that they pull you now. No waiting until the end of the week. You need to be away from this dark influence.† He shook his head and gave me a look both condescending and pitying. â€Å"No, you need to be re-educated, period. It should've happened a long time ago, as soon as they caught you busting out that murderer.† â€Å"Don't change the topic.† I spoke haughtily, though he'd again woken a sliver of fear in me. What if Adrian and I failed? What if the Alchemists listened to Keith and hauled me away? He'd never have to worry about me again in a re-education center. â€Å"This isn't about me. We were talking about Carly.† Keith rolled his eyes in annoyance. â€Å"I'm done talking about your slutty sister.† That was when my earlier impulse to throw something at him won out. Lucky for him, it was only my coffee and not a chair. Also lucky for him: the coffee had cooled considerably. There was still a lot of it left, and it managed to splash everywhere, drenching his unfortunate choice of a white shirt. He stared at me in astonishment, sputtering to get his words out. â€Å"You bitch!† he said, standing up. As he started moving toward the door, I realized that my temper might have just blown the plan. I hurried over and caught hold of his arm. â€Å"Wait, Keith. I-I'm sorry. Don't go.† He jerked his arm away and glared at me. â€Å"It's too late for you. You had your chance and blew it.† I grabbed him again. â€Å"No, no. Wait. There's still lots we have to talk about.† He opened his mouth with some snippy remark and then promptly shut it. He studied me for several seconds, his face growing serious. â€Å"Are you trying to keep me here? What's going on?† When I couldn't muster a response, he pulled away and stormed out the door. I quickly ran back to the table and tossed a twenty on it. I grabbed the pie and told the bewildered waitress to keep the change. The clock in my car told me I had twenty minutes until the Alchemists were supposed to show up at Keith's. That was also the time it would take to get back there. I drove right behind him, making no effort to hide my presence. It was no secret now that something was going on, something I'd lured him away from home for. I blessed every red light that stopped us, praying he wouldn't arrive too early. If he did, Adrian and I were going to have to delay him. It wouldn't be impossible, but it also wasn't something I wanted to do. We finally made it back. Keith pulled into his building's tiny lot, and I parked uncaringly in a fire zone out front. I was only steps behind him as he ran to the door, but he hardly seemed to notice. His attention was on the lit-up windows of his building and the dark silhouettes barely discernible beyond the heavy drapes. He burst in through the door, and I followed a moment later, nearly running into him as he came to a complete standstill. I didn't know the three suited men there with Adrian, but I knew they were Alchemists. They had that cold, polished feel that we all strove for, and their cheeks were emblazoned with gold lilies. One was going through Keith's kitchen cupboards. Another had a notepad and was talking to Adrian, who was leaning against the wall and smoking. He smiled when he saw me. The third Alchemist was kneeling on the floor in the living room near a small storage cupboard in the wall. A tacky painting of a shirtless woman's back lay nearby, which apparently had been used to hide the compartment. Its wooden door had clearly been forcibly opened, and various contents were strewn haphazardly around – with a few exceptions. The Alchemist was going to great pains to sort one pile of objects: metal tubes and needles used to drain blood, along with vials of blood and small packets of silvery powder. He looked up at our sudden entrance and fixed Keith with a cool smile. â€Å"Ah, so glad you're here, Mr. Darnell. We were hoping we could take you with us for some questioning.† Keith's face fell.

Pastoralism Essays - Livestock, Cultural Anthropology, Nomads

Pastoralism Essays - Livestock, Cultural Anthropology, Nomads Pastoralism Pastoralism is an economy based on herding. Pastoralists maintain herds of animals and use their products to support themselves directly and to exchange with other civilizations. It is especially associated with such terrain as steppes, rolling hills, grasslands, and the like-areas of low rainfall where cultivation is difficult without irrigation, but where grasses are plentiful enough to support herds of animals.1 Pastoralism was originally founded in the old world. Pastoralists are generally nomadic and usually follow their herds in search of food and water. Pastoral civilizations tend to be warlike and they have a difficult time trying to live at peace with settled agricultural populations. In areas where pastoralists and cultivators are in contact , the pastoralists generally have the advantage in prestige due to their superior military striking power.2 I will illustrate a few examples of pastoral groups that are warlike to prove that the first half of the statement is true. The Masai live among the wild animals on the rolling plains of the Rift Valley, one of the most beautiful parts of Africa.3 The Masai are strictly cattle herders. They do not farm the land, believing it to be a sacrilege to break the earth.3 In contrast to their peaceful and harminous relationship to the wildlife, however, the Masai are warlike in relationship to their neighboring tribes, conducting cattle raids where they take women as well as cattle for their prizes and they have been fiercely independent in resisting the attempts of colonial governments to change or subdue them.3 The amount of land that the Masai require for their enormous herds of cattle is not appreciated by people who use and value the land more for agriculture than for pasturage and for herds of wild animals. Many people view the Masai as thieves, but they do not believe in stealing material objects. They have strict laws against those that do steal material objects. They believe that when they raid other vill ages and steal their cattle it is seen as returning the cattle to their rightful owners. This belief stems from the notion that all cattle on the earth are theirs, and any cattle they do not presently own are only temporarily out of their care, and must be recaptured.3 It from the basic belief, an entire culture has grown. The ground or area that the cattle graze is considered sacred, everything from the grass the cattle eat to the water they drink. This is why that it is sacrilege for them to break the ground. The Indians of the Great Plains can be considered pastoral or nomadic group. They hunted the buffalo or bison on the plains. The buffalo regulated their lives, they followed the herds since it was their main source for food. They would move when the buffalo moved setting up camps with the herds. The Indians of the great plains were definitely warlike. They raided other tribes for women, horses, and food. They would extinguish anyone who crossed their land and attempted to raid their village. They performed war dances or ghost dances to get themselves prepared for war. The premise of warfare was common among all tribes on the Great Plains, but it goes hand in hand with the buffalo herds. The Hittites of Ancient Mesopotamia were a pastoral group that herded sheep, goats, and camel in the desert region located on the outskirts of Mesopotamia. They were one of the first nomadic groups to domestic the horse. Once they domesticated the horse it spelled doom for the groups in the surrounding areas. The Hittites could move farther and faster with their herds. They would destroy everything that got in the way of their herds. They destroyed several agricultural city-states and wiped out several cultures in the process. On the other hand it is true that pastoralist societies cannot live without agricultural societies because pastoralism is not a self-sufficient way of life. Pastoralism is a highly specialized form of food production involving the care of large animals. It has survived mostly in places which cannot support agriculture but can provide sufficient pasture for a herd, as well as secondary hunting-gathering opportunities. Even though they are nomadic pastoral societies tend to be more stratified and have more social

Distinguishing Between Sein and Haben in German

Distinguishing Between 'Sein' and 'Haben' in German If you are like most German language learners, youve probably come across the following dilemma when it comes to verbs in the perfect tense: When do I use the verb haben (to have), when do I use sein (to be)?This is a tricky question. Even though the usual answer is that most verbs use the auxiliary verb haben in the perfect tense (however watch for common exceptions stated below), sometimes both are used - depending on  what part of Germany youre from. For instance, northern Germans say Ich habe gesessen, whereas in southern Germany and Austria, they say Ich bin gesessen. The same goes for other common verbs, such as liegen and stehen. Furthermore, the German grammar bible, Der Duden, mentions that there is a growing tendency to increasingly use the auxiliary verb sein with action verbs. However, rest assured. These are other uses of haben and sein to be aware of. In general, keep the following tips and guidelines in mind when deciding between these two auxiliary verbs and youll get it right. Haben Perfect Tense In the perfect tense,  use the verb haben: With transitive verbs, that is verbs that use the accusative. For example:Sie haben das Auto gekauft?  (You (formal) bought the car?)Sometimes with intransitive verbs, that is verbs that dont use the accusative. In these cases, it will be when the intransitive verb describes an action or event over a duration of time, as opposed to an action/event that occurs in one moment of time. For example, Mein Vater ist ​angekommen, or My father has arrived. Another example:  Die Blume hat geblà ¼ht. (The flower bloomed.)With reflexive verbs. For example:  Er hat sich geduscht. (He took a shower.)With reciprocal verbs. For example:  Die Verwandten haben sich gezankt. (The relatives argued with each other.)When modal verbs are used. For example:  Das Kind hat die Tafel Schokolade kaufen wollen. (The child had wanted to buy the chocolate bar.) Please note: You see sentences expressed in this way more in written language. Sein Perfect Tense In the perfect tense, you use the verb sein: With the common verbs sein, bleiben, gehen, reisen and werden. For example:Ich bin schon in Deutschland gewesen. (Ive already been in Germany.)Meine Mutter ist lange bei uns geblieben. (My mother stayed with us for a long time.)Ich bin heute gegangen. (I went today.)Du bist nach Italien gereist.  (You traveled to Italy.)Er ist mehr schà ¼chtern geworden. (He has become shier).With action verbs that denote a change of place and not necessarily just movement. For example, compare Wir sind durch den Saal getanzt  (we danced throughout the hall) with Wir haben die ganze Nacht im Saal getanzt  (we danced the whole night in the hall).With intransitive verbs that denote a change in condition or state. For example:  Die Blume ist erblà ¼ht. (The flower has begun to bloom.)

Social Security Reform Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Security Reform Plan - Essay Example The first aspect that needs to be changed in the current Social Security policy is the issue of life expectancy. As we speak, most of the payments made are based on the nineteen thirties and forties. At that time, many beneficiaries were expected to live up to an age of fifty five, however, this life expectancy has increased upwards and it is currently at seventy seven years. Experts agree that it would definitely make sense to include this age related issue in the process of making reforms. (Concord Coalition) There are two major options which the US government can take to tackle this issue. They can either increase the amount of taxes being collected from social security contributors or they have the alternative of reducing the amount of benefits going to retirees. The latter proposals are based on the following interrelations When life expectancy has increased, then it may be very difficult for the current crop of workers to meet the total social security payments. This is because beneficiaries must be paid social security for as long as they are alive and this means more payments. Additionally, if the amount of payroll contributions is not changed, then it may be inadequate to cover these costs. In order to avoid extremities or the winner-takes-it-all approach, it is essential to split these costs between the two parties involved i.e. the social security contributors and the beneficiaries. ... Additionally, they also need to involve the payroll tax contributors too. Half of the additional costs brought on by increased life expectancy can be covered by increasing payroll taxes so that no group will feel that they have been treated unfairly. (Cauthen, 38) Dealing with historical debts It has been noted by some researchers that not all workers in local and state institutions pay their taxes. This is one of the reasons that is causing the huge debt that has accrued over the past few years. In order to tackle this problem sufficiently, there is a need to impose mandatory taxation to this group. However, because implementing such a system on pre-existing workers would cause a lot of uproar and unfairness, it would be advisable to introduce that reform for every new worker that enters local or state departments and institutions. If these numbers are curbed, it is estimated that close to four million workers will be able to pay their taxes and this will greatly contribute towards eliminating that large debt that has been accumulated by past generations. Another manner in which the US government can handle this issue is by imposing a form of legacy taxes on high earners. (Springs, 9) As we currently stand, there is a maximum taxable amount and those who make more than this amount are not obliged to pay taxes depending on how much more they earn. This approach is creating a serious loophole and if left unchecked could lead to greater levels of historical debt. These higher earners can be informed that they are contributing towards the historical debt that has accumulated over the past few years. Additionally, the rates may be determined by how much more a contributor is earning above the maximum taxable income. Besides the latter

Intro to the Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to the Humanities - Essay Example The music of this era was very expressive, and melody became the central feature. Composers even used melody to display nationalism. This became a motivating force in the late Romantic period, as composers used rudiments of folk music to express their cultural identity. The romantic generation saw Beethoven as their ideal of a heroic artiste, a man who first devoted the Eroica Symphony to Consul Bonaparte as a champion of freedom and then dared Emperor Napoleon by striking him out from the dedication of the Symphony In the Romantic period, the virtuoso performances gained great popularity. Extraordinarily gifted performers - pianists, violinists, and singers all became extremely popular. Franz Liszt personified all of the great ambitions of the Romantic era, and several of its contradictions. In his early career, he was an extravagant virtuoso, an architect of new and adventurous music. Later, he became a priest, wrote sacred music, and championed the music of a new generation. As a virtuoso pianist, he filled his piano music with unbelievable technical demands, and represents the ultimate in nineteenth century virtuosity. George Gordon, Lord Byron was an Anglo-Scottish bard and a leading figure in Romanticism. Among Lord Byrons best-known works are the narrative poems Childe Harolds Pilgrimage and Don Juan. He was considered as one of the greatest European poets and remains widely read even today. Lord Byrons fame was due not only on his works but also on his life, which was marked by extravagant living, plentiful love affairs, debts, separation, and charges of incest and sodomy.The Byronic hero first created in Childe Harolds Pilgrimage is an idealized, but flawed, character exemplified in the life and writings of Lord Byron .Thomas B. Macauley defined the Byronic hero as, â€Å"proud moody, cynical with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart implacable in revenge yet capable of deep and