Referring to relevant scientific literature, discuss critically

Specialists accept that this s the best methodology as it legitimately addresses a kid's musings and conduct and encourages them to challenge those that are unhelpful (Glared and Glared, 2008). In doing this, it permits youngsters and youths to rehearse methods for conduct change in the wellbeing of a treatment situation, which they would then be able to move to different fields (Kendall, as refered to by Kaplan, Thompson and Coarsen 1995). When undertaking CB with a kid or youthful their formative stage should be mulled over as it might have an impact on the viability of the treatment (Durbar s refered to by Kaplan et al. 1995) and furthermore make impediments to what they can do. Grave and Blithest (2004) recommends that between the ages of 5 and 8 formative youthfulness happens. Harrington (2003) states that a few methods inside CB require the patient to have certain perceptions to do assignments and if the patient is at a formative stage where they can't finish the undertakings t hen an obstruction is framed. Clark (2005) recommends that meetings should be ‘developmentally fitting' and draw in the kid; youths are increasingly ready to partake in progressively grown-up meetings, while more youthful youngsters may profit by treatment based on play.This is exhibited by Grave and Blithest (2004) who express that joining CB and play is a â€Å"effective method of speaking with youthful children† (peg. 414) The youngster's formative stage may likewise oversee how much grown-up inclusion there will be In the treatment; Clark (2005) features that â€Å"the more youthful the kid, the more probable It Is that guardians may get Involved In treatment† (peg. 130), this Is expected to the on-going formative changes and the kid's reliance. Kaplan et al. 1995) express that fields ought to be instructed in the intellectual conduct strategies being utilized and when the youngster endeavors to utilize something learned in treatment at home, should give posi tive criticism and expect the job of co-specialist. Harrington (2003) examines how the job of a grown-up can upgrade the treatment as they can convey things to the specialist that the youngster might be hesitant to discuss. There are likewise moral Issues to be contemplated when undertaking CB with adolescents.Kendal and Degrade et al. (As refered to by Clark, 2005) feature that it is grown-ups, normally guardians, ho go with kids and young people to treatment meetings and in spite of the fact that not simply the patient, direct what issues they would Eke the treatment to address. Corrupt et al. (As refered to by Clark, 2005) keeps on examining how this may make a to the treatment for kids and youngsters as it shows them strategies that they can later call upon when confronting comparative circumstances later on.

Child Health Patterns Essay

1)Compare and differentiate distinguished likenesses just as contrasts in expected appraisal over the youth age gatherings. In the wellbeing recognition classification guardians are liable for their child’s seen level of wellbeing and prosperity, and on rehearses for looking after wellbeing. In the young years the youngsters are starting to fuse their own wellbeing rehearses like great cleanliness in their every day lives. The nourishment and metabolic example proceeds with assistance of the guardians. Little children and preschoolers depend on their folks to ensure that they are eating the correct nourishments. Young children are in the phase where they can select their own nourishments and have been shown what the best wellsprings of good sustenance are. In the baby age gathering, guardians are starting to start toileting preparing. By the young years this age bunches has end designs like grown-ups. Except for the individuals who have end issues like enuresis. All through the three age gatherings, movement and exercise levels keep on expanding with the learning of new fine and gross engine abilities. By and by guardians keep on assuming a major job by advancing sound degrees of physical action with their youngster. As the kid ages so does their capacity to grasp and use data. Each age bunch the kid keeps on including another psychological capacity. The greatest contrast between rest designs is that as the youngster ages snoozes are not, at this point required. The entirety of the age bunches will in general need in any event 8 hours of rest. The contrasts between the age bunches in the jobs and relationship design is that in the little child and preschool age they attempt to relate to their folks or parental figures though young youngsters start to center or relate to their friends. The worth and conviction design is imparted in the kid when they are conceived. Guardians or parental figures train their youngsters what esteems are imperativ e to them. 2)Summarize how a medical attendant would deal with physical appraisals, assessments, training, and correspondence contrastingly with youngsters versus grown-ups. Think about otherworldliness and social contrasts in your answer. Grown-ups and kids are in two unique phases of life. Kids are in the stages were they are as yet learning and seeing how the human services world functions. Most grown-ups then again are accustomed to setting off to the specialist and they sort of comprehend the everyday practice during the appraisal procedure. â€Å"Many appraisal procedures for the youngster are like those of the grown-ups. Methods for moving toward the pediatric patient change starting with one age bunch then onto the next. A fundamental guideline during the physical evaluation is building a confiding in relationship; this should be possible in an assortment of ways† (Estes, 2006, pg 848). While evaluating the youngster the attendant must set up a strategy dependent on the child’s age. Kids are as of now alarmed about getting a test however the medical attendant can utilize strategies to diminish nervousness. Guardians or parental figures must be accessible for help. As indicated by Estes, 2006 medical attendants can utilize game playing and they can exhibit methods on a doll, stuff toy or on the parent to expand persistent helpfulness. The essayist learned in nursing school about when taking the blood of a more youthful youngster. Never state â€Å"I’m going to take your blood pressure† however state something like â€Å"I going to perceive how solid your muscles are with this cuff†. While teaching the kid attempt to include their folks however use materials that are on the child’s level. This can comprises of materials that utilization brilliant pictures and illustrations. People need to comprehend their own convictions and conventions particularly nurture who are with continually managing the general population. Every day more medical caretakers are giving consideration to patients that are from various societies. With such a different populace difficulties will be confronted. â€Å"As American culture moves in socioeconomics and perspectives about decent variety, there is a developing acknowledgment that wellbeing and sickness care happens in powerful associations arranged inside complex social settings for the two patients and providers† (Benkert, Borse, Doorenbos,Schim,2005, pg324). Attendant must be all the more socially touchy while evaluating and teaching patients. In the event that the medical attendant is new to ethnicity or race, at that point research ought to be done before the evaluation if time permits. References Benkert, R. Borse,N. Doorenbos, A. and Schim, S.2005. Psychometric Evaluation of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument Among Healthcare Providers. Nursing Research.54(5)324-331. Edleman,C. and Mandle C.(2010). Wellbeing Promotion Throughout the Life Span. Missouri: Mosby Elsevier. Estes M. (2006). Wellbeing Assessment and Physical Examination.Canada: Thompson Delmar Learning.

100 Sociology Research Topics You Can Use Right Now

100 Sociology Research Topics You Can Use Right Now Sociology is a study of society, relationships, and culture. It can include multiple topicsâ€"ranging from class and social mobility to the Internet and marriage traditions. Research in sociology is used to inform policy makers, educators, businesses, social workers, non-profits, etc.Below are 100 sociology research topics you can use right now, divided by general topic headings. Feel free to adapt these according to your specific interest. Youll always conduct more thorough and informed research if its a topic youre passionate about.Sociology is a study of society, relationships, and culture. It can include multiple topicsâ€"ranging from class and social mobility to the Internet and marriage traditions.Art, Food, Music, and CultureDoes art imitate life or does life imitate art?How has globalization changed local culture?What role does food play in cultural identity?Does technology use affect peoples eating habits?How has fast food affected society?How can clean eating change a perso ns life for the better?Should high-sugar drinks be banned from school campuses?How can travel change a person for the better?How does music affect the thoughts and actions of teenagers?Should performance artists be held partially responsible if someone is inspired by their music to commit a crime?What are some examples of cultural misappropriation?What role does music play in cultural identity?Social Solutions and Cultural BiasesWhat (if any) are the limits of free speech in a civil society?What are some reasonable solutions to overpopulation?What are some ways in which different types of media content influence societys attitudes and behaviors?What is the solution to stop the rise of homegrown terrorism in the U.S.?Should prescription drug companies be allowed to advertise directly to consumers?Is the global warming movement a hoax? Why or why not?Should the drinking age be lowered?Should more gun control laws be enacted in the U.S.?What bias exists against people who are obese?Sho uld polygamy be legal in the U.S.? Why or why not?Should there be a legal penalty for using racial slurs?Should the legal working age of young people be raised or lowered?Should the death penalty be used in all cases involving first-degree murder?Should prisons be privately owned? Why or why not?What is privilege? How is it defined and how can it be used to gain access to American politics and positions of power?How are women discriminated against in the workplace?What role does feminism play in current American politics?What makes a patriot?Compare/analyze the social views of Plato and AristotleHow has labor migration changed America?What important skills have been lost in an industrialized West?Is the #MeToo movement an important one? Why or why not?What conflict resolution skills would best serve us in the present times?How can violence against women be dealt with to lower incidence rates?EducationShould students be allowed to take any subject they want in High School and avoid t he ones they dont like?How should bullies be dealt with in our countrys schools?Do standardized tests improve education or have the opposite effect?Should school children be forced to go through metal detectors?What is the best teacher/student ratio for enhanced learning in school?Do school uniforms decrease teasing and bullying? If so, how?Should teachers make more money?Should public education be handled through private enterprises (like charter schools)?Should religious education be given priority over academic knowledge?How can schools help impoverished students in ways that wont embarrass them?What are ethical values that should be considered in education?Is it the states role or the parents role to educate children? Or a combination of both?Should education be given more political priority than defense and war?What would a perfect educational setting look like? How would it operate and what subjects would be taught?Marriage and FamilyHow should a family be defined? Can it be m ultiple definitions?What is a traditional role taken on by women that would be better handled by a man (and vice versa)?How has marriage changed in the United States?What are the effects of divorce on children?Is there a negative effect on children who are adopted by a family whose ethnicity is different than their own?Can children receive all they need from a single parent?Does helicopter parenting negatively affect children?Is marriage outdated?Should teens have access to birth control without their parents permission?Should children be forced to show physical affection (hugs, etc.) to family members theyre uncomfortable around?What are the benefits (or negative impact) of maintaining traditional gender roles in a family?Are social networks safe for preteens and teens? Why or why not?Should the government have a say in who can get married?What (if any) are the benefits of arranged marriages?What are the benefits for (or negative impact on) children being adopted by LGBTQ couples?H ow long should two people date before they marry?Should children be forced to be involved in activities (such as sports, gymnastics, clubs, etc.), even when theyd rather sit at home and play video games all day?Should parents be required to take a parenting class before having children?What are potential benefits to being married but choosing not to have children?GenerationalShould communities take better care of their elderly? How?What are some generational differences among Generations X, Y, and Z?What benefits do elderly people get from interaction with children?How has Generation Y changed the country so far?What are the differences in communication styles between Generation X and Generation Y (Millennials)?Why could we learn from our elders that could not be learned from books?Should the elderly live with their immediate family (children and grandchildren)? How would this resolve some of our countrys current problems?What are some positive or negative consequences to intergener ational marriage?Sociology explores themes of community and relationships, including marriage and family.Spiritualism, religion, and superstitionWhy do some people believe in magic?What is the difference between religion and spiritualism?Should a government be a theocracy? Why or why not?How has religion helped (or harmed) our country?Should religious leaders be able to support a particular candidate from their pulpit?How have religious cults shaped the nation?Should students at religious schools be forced to take state tests?How has our human connection with nature changed while being trapped in crowded cities?Which generation from the past 200 years made the biggest impact on culture with their religious practice and beliefs? Explain your answer.Addiction and Mental HealthHow should our society deal with addicts?What are ethical values that should be considered in mental health treatment?Should mental health be required coverage on all insurance policies?Is mental health treatment becoming less stigmatized?How would better access to mental health change our country?What are some things were addicted to as a society that are not seen as addiction, per se?Should medicinal marijuana be made legal?What are some alternative treatments for mental health and wellness instead of antidepressants?Has social media helped or harmed our society?Are video games addictive for young people and what should be done to curb the addiction?Should all recreational drugs be made legal?How has mental health treatment changed in the past 20 years?Should recreational marijuana be made legal?How is family counseling a good option for families going through conflict?

Speech Quit Smoking Essay - 766 Words

Speech: Quit Smoking I. Introduction a. Whoa 1,000 dollars! Yes, ladies and gentleman, my first slide of my power point presentation does say, Whoa#8230;1,000 dollars! b. From my Health Psychology Book by Linda Brannon and Jess Feist, it stated that Currently, about 25% of the adults in the United States are classified as smokers, in 1998 when the book was published. c. Now, considering all of us are 18 or older in the room, one out of every four of us is a smoker. Therefore, one out of every four of us spends approximately 1,000 dollars a year on cigarettes, plus the health damage it will do to them later on in life. d. In America, the average number of cigarettes smoked per day is 18.†¦show more content†¦There are 20 cigarettes per pack equaling 328.5 packs, 10 packs in a carton, 32.85 cartons times $28.00-$34.00 a carton, ranges between $919.80 and $1,116.90 a year. iv. Smoking is indubitably an extremely expensive habit. b. From my Health Psychology book I learned the personal characteristics and behaviors that predict smoking in college students like us. i. These include being dissatisfied with education, being unhappy, living in a coed dorm, valuing parties, having multiple sex partners, using marijuana, binge drinking, and having a negative view on religion. ii. This behavior suggest that smokers are somewhat discontented and tend to take social risks. [I will now move on to the harmful chemicals that are in cigarette smoke and the risk factors associated with smoking cigarettes.] III. Body a. In the Health section of the BBC News, they state that cigarette smoke contains 4,000 chemicals, 200 of which are known as harmful, yet people still choose to smoke. i. Some of the harmful chemicals include: Acetone which is used in paint stripper; ammonia, contained in toilet cleaners; butane, a form of lighter fuel; and beta-naphthyl methylether, more commonly known as moth balls. ii. Smokers also take the risk of inhaling hydrogen cyanide, the poison used in gas chambers; methanol, a rocket fuel; and arsenic and carbon monoxide, which is the poisonous gas in carShow MoreRelatedSpeech: Quit Smoking Essay examples455 Words   |  2 PagesSpeech: Quit Smoking Attention Getter: 390,000 people died last year. Each one of them spending an estimated 1,100 dollars a year on their deaths. In twenty-five years each person could have had an estimated 28,000 dollars of free spending money. Smoking is the root of the problem. Appeal to Audience: Weather you smoke or not it affects everyone in this room. You can be affected by either getting taxed for the medical bills or as simple as second handRead MorePersuasive Speech: Dangers of Smoking Essay629 Words   |  3 Pages      Persuasive Speech Dangers of Smoking Specific Purpose: To inform the audience of the dangers of smoking and persuade them not to.   Ã‚   Introduction: 1. Did you know that smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States? 2. According to cancer.org there is 440,000 deaths a year caused by tobacco. 3. On average every smoker costs their employer almost 2,000 dollars a year in lost labor.    By the end of the speech, the audience will be informedRead MoreWhy You Should Quit Smoking Essay1150 Words   |  5 PagesTopic: Smoking in Society Goal: I want to persuade my audience that smoking is a health risk to all of society and that smokers should be encouraged to quit. Thesis: It is imperative for smokers to quit, benefiting society as a whole a well as themselves. Introduction Attention Material: I am from a family where both of my parents dont smoke. There is although a person of my circle who smokes a lot everyday and that is my unlce. All my life I can remember him smoking and trying to quit butRead MoreOutline For A Word For Word1164 Words   |  5 Pageswhat you plan to say in the speech. Fill out the template below. The formatting is started for you. I. INTRODUCTION A. (Attention getter): Mazzone says that â€Å"Nearly 450,000 persons will die every year of a disease attributable to tobacco use† (Mazzone, 2004). B. (Reason to listen): Hi, I’m Cody Polton, I’ve been around smoking all my life and it really irritates me. I know it is bad for you, but I didn’t realize how bad it was until I began to write this speech. C. (Thesis statement withRead MoreHow to Quit Smoking872 Words   |  4 PagesMalachowski How to Quit Smoking * Introduction According to the National Cancer Institute, â€Å"Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 443,000 deaths each year, including approximately 49,400 deaths due to exposure to secondhand smoke.† I am sure everyone in here knows someone who smokes or you yourself may smoke. This speech will give you the knowledge you need to know to help you or your loved ones stop smoking. I myself have been a smoker for the past three years. I recently quit on the 23rd ofRead MoreAwareness Of Smoking Damages On Health1310 Words   |  6 Pages Awareness of smoking damages on health and the ability to quit among international students in Liverpool International College 5. Tutor name: Anne Mearns 6. Student number :47775 7. Date of submission :29/3/2006 8. Word count : 1343 Awareness of smoking damages on health and the ability to quit among international students in Liverpool International College 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Smoking and health are not a modern issue, in fact, the smoking habit always getsRead MoreInformative Speech : Effects Of Smoking816 Words   |  4 Pages Informative Speech Title: Effects of Smoking Speaker: Kevon Jones, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University student Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to avoid smoking Thesis Statement: Smoking has many dangerous effects on a smoker s health and the health of those around them; it harms every organ in the body and leads to premature death. Introduction I. Attention getter: According to Tobacco-Free Kids, â€Å"about 400,000 people die from their own smoking each year, and aboutRead MoreThe, The Lady That Smokes957 Words   |  4 Pagesfor Disease Control and Prevention, Terries said she thought smoking was cool because her father and friends smokes. She also said she started smoking at an early age of thirteen and sometime she smoke up to three packs a day. In two thousand one, at forty years old, Teri found out she have oral cancer and throat cancer. Her doctor told her they have to remove her larynx. After hearing that, Teri didn’t have a choice but to quit smoking. An artificial voice box was implanted in Teri’s throat. TerrieRead MoreCigarette Smoking Effects on Prenatal Development Essay776 Words   |  4 Pagessmoke and/or quit once pregnancy was known (Roza, et al., 2007, p. 615). This is significant because if the head is not able to expand, the brain is prevented from growing properly. Magnetic resonance i maging (MRI) studies are able to show the volume of a brain; the smaller the brain volume, the increased chances of the child having cognitive and behavioral problems in the future (Roza, et al., 2007, p. 616). Prenatal central nervous system impairment secondary to the mother smoking, has an apparentRead MoreIschemic Stroke Rates in Ireland678 Words   |  3 Pagesassociated with ischemic stroke: Smoking (55.5%), physical inactivity (48.2%), arterial hypertension (46.6%), dyslipidemia (34.9%), and obesity (22.3%). Each of these are well documented risk factors for ischemic stroke, all of which are extremely preventable. High blood pressure, dyslipidemia and obesity could all be avoided or reduced by increasing physical activity levels and improving diet. These are simple actions to take which prevent a potentially fatal problem. Smoking is the leading risk factor

Alcoholism Essay - 2090 Words

Alcoholism is a wide-ranging and complex disease that heavily plagues society. Drinking is defined as the consumption of a liquid, and/or the act of drinking alcoholic beverages especially to excess. Every year alcohol is responsible for 1/2 of all murders, accidental deaths, and suicides; 1/3 of all drowning, boating, and aviation deaths; 1/2 of all crimes; and almost 1/2 of all fatal automobile accidents (Overview 1). Alcohol is a potent nonprescription drug sold to anyone over the national legal drinking age, 21. Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which can be manufactured by the body, alcohol is a substance that is not made within the body. It is a food, because it supplies a concentrated number of calories, but is not†¦show more content†¦Relatively speaking, the twelve million U.S. College students drink over 430 million gallons of alcohol a year- that is 3,500 Olympic sized swimming pools filled with alcohol. Binge drinking is the number one public health hazar d for more than six million college students in America (MADD 2). Only five percent of alcohol is eliminated from the body through the breath, urine, or sweat; the rest is broken down in the liver. In the Liver: -Alcohol is broken down in steps by enzymes until only carbon dioxide remain as by-products. -Alcohol is processed at the rate of three tenths of an ounce of pure ethanol per hour (less than one ounce of whiskey) and unprocessed alcohol circulates in the body. (The alcohol from two cocktails, each about 1.5 ounces, drank before dinner is still present in the body three to four hours later) (Overview 2). The liver’s fixed rate of alcohol breakdown means that drinking coffee or taking a cold shower does not speed the sobering process. Therefore, giving coffee to a person who is drunk may make a wide-awake drunk, who thinks he/she is sober enough to drive a car. Occasional users of alcohol, who are healthy, do not appear to suffer negative affects from use of alcohol. In moderate doses, alcohol has beneficial effects: relaxation, appetite stimulation. However, consumed in large amounts, alcohol is a toxin. The short-termShow MoreRelatedAlcoholism : Alcoholism And Alcoholism2482 Words   |  10 Pageslead to extreme alcohol abuse and even alcoholism. The society we live in is strongly prejudiced by alcohol, and affects people of all ages, gender, and background. It has been uncovered to millionaires to the homeless. Alcohol abuse has been a problem throughout the history of humanity; it is a disease which has caused many people to be overcome with trouble, problems, and debts also pattern of drinking that interferes with day-to-day activities. Alcoholism is a term that is widely recognized throughoutRead MoreAlcoholism The Disease : Alcoholism And Alcoholism1829 Words   |  8 PagesAlcoholism the Disease According to the Dual Diagnosis website, â€Å"In 2012, as many as 87.6 percent of American adults over age 18 were reported in a SAHMSA†¦study to have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives†¦The National Institutes of Health†¦estimated that 17 million adults in the United States in 2012 had an alcohol use disorder† (â€Å"Disease†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Approximately one in every 12 people either are abusing alcohol, or they are becoming, if not are, victims of alcoholism (National†¦). Alcohol consumptionRead MoreAlcoholism And Their Effects On Alcoholism Essay1326 Words   |  6 PagesMillions of people every year are affected by alcoholism. Both those suffering from alcoholism, and their family members. Out of the millions effected, only a fraction of them seek help in taking control of their addiction. There are many similarities between individual cases of alcoholism, and countless resources to help those who wish to stop drinking, and rekindle their relationships with their families. Statistics In 2014 in the United States 87.6% of people age 18 and older have reported drinkingRead MoreThe Dangers Of Alcoholism And Alcoholism1165 Words   |  5 Pagessomeone to drink and how can they overcome alcoholism? Are a person s emotions the motivating factor to suppress depression or hate? Are social groups, peer pressure, or the need to fit in the primary motivator or is it a result from the type of environment the drinker was raised in? Is it possible to overcome alcoholism and live a happy and normal life? Let’s take a look at a few of the factors that could motivate someone to fall victim to alcoholism and the chances of overcoming this dreadfulRead MoreAlcoholism : Is Alcoholism A Disease?929 Words   |  4 PagesAlcoholism has raised many debates over the truth of its nature. Many scholars argue that alcoholism can be treated as a disease. Such approach to defining alcoholism means denying that alcohol abusers own a choice. In consequence, the treatment related diffe rs and may or may not actually help alcoholics recover. A wrong diagnostic of this addiction can lead to serious health issues; therefore, it is vital to answer the following question: Is alcoholism a disease? Most experts in this field criticisesRead MoreAlcoholism And Dependency Of Alcoholism924 Words   |  4 Pagessources. The research study that will be the main focus of this paper will be on alcoholism and topics discussed on the dependency of alcoholism. One will come across with articles having different discuss on the effects, use of and dependency of alcoholism. The introduction section will include a brief definition of alcoholism. Overall the paper will discuss about the causes of alcoholism, effects of alcoholism, the treatment for alcohol dependence. Method section will discuss about the participantsRead MoreAlcoholism Is An Epidemic Of Alcoholism1492 Words   |  6 Pages It’s no secret that alcoholism is an epidemic. Anyone can fall prisoner to its call. Alcoholism knows no gender, no age, and no race. Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol. This addiction is not a joke, or a reason to shame others. Its effects on people can be fatal. Alcoholism has claimed the lives of many people. Not always in the same way, but all the same a life lost. The way that some people lose their lives is listed as following: they lose their family, friends, homes, jobs, and etc. nowRead MoreThe Problem Of Alcoholism And Alcoholism1539 Words   |  7 PagesAlcoholism proves to be a leading cause of brain damage and body malfunction all across America, ultimately endangering your life and the ones around you, but overcoming alcoholism seems to be a harder obstacle to overcome because this addictive drug imprints denial on your brain and makes you think you can stop drinking whenever you want. Denial is one of the hardest hurdles to jump over to getting help for al coholism and abuse. The desire to drink is so strong that the mind finds ways to rationalizeRead MoreAlcoholism And Its Effects On Alcoholism2456 Words   |  10 Pages Alcoholism is one of the most intractable and pervasive psychological disorders known. Though the negative health consequences of alcohol are widely understood, and, if anything, the social consequences of alcoholism are even more widely acknowledged, it seems that no matter what steps are taken by public health officials or private organizations, no strategy can ever be fully developed for eradicating alcoholism. There are a number of reasons why this is true. This paper will explore some ofRead MoreAlcoholism : An Exploration Of Alcoholism2043 Words   |  9 PagesDrink Too Many: An Exploration of Alcoholism Many adults can enjoy a drink or two from time to time without any issues, but just one drink can cause over seventeen million Americans’ lives to spiral out of control. Though most people do not have issues with drinking alcoholic beverages, many have a condition which causes their brain to function differently when they consume alcohol. This disease can be deadly for both the alcoholic and those around them. Alcoholism can control someone’s life, and

Essay about Machiavellis Reputation in the Modern World

Machiavellis Reputation in the Modern World Niccolà ² Machiavelli was known during much his life as a part of the republican government in Florence until 1512. At that time, the Medici family took over the city and ruled under a more monarchical system. From that point until his death in 1527, Machiavelli was always just on the outside of Florentine politics. He would occasionally get work from the Medici but his tasks were never as important as they had been under the republican government of the past. As he was trying to find his way back into a major role in Florentine government, Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a manual of sorts that explained how a monarch should rule his state and why. While Machiavelli had been a strong†¦show more content†¦Anyone who is ruthless is considered Machiavellian nowadays. But some of Machiavellis other books, The Discourses, The History of Florence, and some of his personal correspondences to friends and family indicate that Machiavelli held a different set of ideals. In the second half of the twentieth century, Machiavellis other writings have come to more prominent light. Although many have questioned his motives behind writing the Prince in the past, only recently have his other works been more closely studied. In particular, the letters he wrote to friends and family while he was writing The Prince and those he wrote before and after, which provide details into what he was thinking at the time. Also, The Discourses is another book that talks about how to govern a state. In that book, Machiavelli is far less ruthless than in The Prince. He even goes so far as to say that monarchy is a bad form of government. So, while the term Machiavellian still holds the same meaning, Machiavellis purposes in writing The Prince have become much more contested than in the first half of the century. As a result, Machiavellis reputation as a political thinker is improving and he is being compared to politicians who are somewhat more popular, such as the U nited States founding fathers and Bill Clinton. Instead of being knownShow MoreRelatedEssay about Niccolo Machiavelli1653 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical views may seem harsh and unrealistic in today’s world, but they also support some realities in modern government and business. As a child during the Italian Renaissance life was very interesting. The Medici, the ruling family in Florence at the time, greatly influenced Machiavelli. The Medici had a weak military and no political strength in Europe and because of this Italy was invaded by France and Spain. Before and during Machiavelli’s life, his country was engaged in war and involved inRead MoreAnalysis Of Nicolo Machiavelli s The Prince1536 Words   |  7 PagesNicolà ³ Machiavelli’s The Prince highlights important aspects of successful leadership and power. The representations of gender and power in this text help to display the principles and guidelines that would make a leader successful in Machiavelli’s eyes. Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli implies that an individual with good morals will not obtain power, but rather that an individual who obtains power is assumed as morally upright by the people. One may wonder how a man whose reputation was a worshipperRead MoreNiccolà ² M achiavellis Acquisition of Power Essay1327 Words   |  6 PagesThinkers from Aristotle to Francis Bacon would expound on this idea of a social contract, but none would exemplify the realism and ruthlessness of modern politics like Machiavelli. While the word Machiavellian has become part of our lexicon as a term for the ruthless execution of political will glorifying the â€Å"ends justify the means† mentality, Machiavelli’s true legacy should be found in his belief that the state was more than a contract as Bacon or John Locke would later explain. Machiavelli wasRead MorePrinciples Of Machiavelli1615 Words   |  7 Pageswas not well accepted as it went perceived to go against the Catholic Church. However, today the prince has been deemed a classic and its teachings can be applied to the business world. Many companies have applied Machiavelli’s principles, without intending to do so, and have risen to success. By following Machiavelli’s ideas that a prince must be supported by the people, a courageous prince can overcome difficulties, and a prince must not rely on outside solider, Michael Kors has risen to successRead MoreEssay on Lao Tzus Teachings on Effective Government1206 Words   |  5 Pagesare Lao Tzu’s teachings on how to manage the government and Machiavelli’s tactics of how to maintain power as a leader in order to develop a more effective and prosperous government. According Lao Tzu’s teaching, his laissez-faire attitude was the most suitable in today’s government. He states, â€Å"If you want to be a great leader, you must learn to follow the Tao. Stop trying to control. Let go of fixed plans and concepts, and the world will govern itself† (Verse 57). This has supported by his writingRead MoreEssay about Virtà ¹ in Machiavelli’s Prince1520 Words   |  7 PagesFor most contemporary readers, Niccolà ² Machiavelli is a name synonymous with deceit, cunning, and manipulation, a reputation which stems almost entirely from his authorship of one of the central works of modern political philosophy: The Prince. Given this image, it is incredibly ironic that the Italian word virtà ¹ and its derivatives appear no less than seventy-two times throughout the work. While the translator goes to great lengths to adapt this versatile word to the context of the situation, itRead MoreMachiavelli and Gossip Girl1497 Words   |   6 Pages Machiavelli’s The Prince is a guide written for the ruling class on how to maintain power, however, royalty is no longer a characteristic that belongs only to a monarch. In The Prince, Machiavelli targets the prince and all other royalty, but today his work may be used as a social critique of upper class society. 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Impact of Smoking Habit on Students-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: How does Smoking Habit Impacts on Students in Social Science in University of Wollongong? Answer: Introduction The proposed research includes an investigation about the use of smoking habits of students in social science and its impact on them. The integration of scientific evidences signifying that cigarette smoking as severe health hazard and especially, it becomes the major cause of lung cancer. It could lead to an increased sense of responsibility among the individuals and organizations concerned with public health to observe that young and adult students are aware of such hazard. Several studies have conducted on the cause of increasing smoking habit but hardly a number of studies have particularly focused on the impact of such deadly habit on the students and this is where the proposed study holds significance of conducting an investigation on this context. In this context, Johnston et al. (2016) commented that tobacco proves to be the most significant preventable cause of premature death in several nations. Moreover, a half of the smokers who initiated smoking in adolescence could die from the persistent use of tobacco. The proposed study will examine the impact of smoking habits particularly of the students of Wollongong. This research report provides the detail of study and investigation in terms of the major areas, techniques, resources and other relevant aspects. The purpose of the research is to examine the impact of increasing smoking habits on university students. Research Aim and Objectives The aim of the research is to investigate the impact of smoking habits on the students in social science of the University of Wollongong. In addition, the research also identifies the major causes behind the increasing smoking habit. The following are the key objectives of the research that will help to shape the research needs and contribute to the actions of gaining the desired outcomes. To critically investigate the causes of increasing smoking habits of the students of University of Wollongong To analyze the impact of smoking habits on the students in social science of University of Wollongong To develop a suitable solution to reduce the impact on the students Research Questions What are the causes of smoking of the students in social science of University of Wollongong? What is the impact of increasing smoking habit of students of University of Wollongong? Background to the research The university life is a significant phase for every student at that time; they grow and engage in the risky behavior such as smoking. Therefore, it is found that smoking always remains as a public health issue among the students of the University. An international study conducted by Doran et al. (2013), demonstrated almost 34% of male university students as well as 27% of female university students from 24 different nations were the existing smokers with the large difference between nations and genders. As put forward by Maziak (2011), the individual personality factors, cognitive factors as well as coping resources could play a significant role in determining particularly, which college students grow the tendency to start and continue to smoke. In this context, Musmar (2012) also mentioned that personality factors as stable as well as distinctive traits of a person could account for variability in health perceptions. On the other side, Koura, Al-Dossary and Bahnassy (2011) mentioned that personality factors might engage neuroticism, extraversion, frankness and agreeableness. A study performed by Doran et al. (2013), demonstrate that neuroticism is related with the smoking cost onset in young students. Based on the previous studies, it can be mentioned that social smoking has rapidly become prevalent and it could through a challenge to the conventional cessation practices. It has also been identified that social smoking remains as the subset of irregular smoking behavior, which is usually described as smoking in the social context. Self-efficacy remains as a well-known factor to influence health behaviors. A self-efficacy theory developed by Bandura indicates that behavior is usually anticipated by an individuals confidence in their ability capability to achieve a provided task. Furthermore, the recent studies on the enhancement of medical education in different nations have persistently demonstrated that undergraduate training in this particular area remains inadequate. Moreover, a surprising facts is that effectively developed educational interventions to enhance knowledge skills and attitudes of students about the treatment of smokers remain available but the factor of higher cost in respect with resource and teaching time restrict the implementation of such program. Maziak (2011) mentioned that one single lecture on the topic could be sufficient to blend the interest of university students extracting self-directed learning activities about the tobacco toxicology and treatment alternatives. Therefore, a high quality of research is widely required in this particular area. Going forward, Bachman et al. (2013) reported that university students attending the final year of undergraduate students have poor knowledge regarding the use of tobacco dependency, smoking related pathology as well as the role of physicians in the action of smoking prohibition. Thereby, it can be mentioned that while the findings itself are the factors for concern, the interpretation of such interpretation could be further developed by contrasting them to survey results gained from the students. Problem Statement Even though, the social studies have found new ways to make the students and adults aware of the deadly effect of smoking, no such positive improvement has yet been observed (Brando, Pimentel and Cardoso 2011). Due to the social influence and lack of awareness, education, the young university students are becoming addicted to smoking. Moreover, instead of decrease, the habits grow up with the tendency. There are many studies conducted on the prevention and prohibition of smoking but the required awareness have not yet been observed and promoted. As the consequence, the cigarette smokers are being affected with serious diseases; they suffer from multiple deadly diseases that take their life. In each developing nation, the count of death due to the habit of smoking increases. Therefore, an intensive and experimental study is required to examine the impact and develop possible remedies. Research Methods The research methods determine the outcome of the research; this means the research methods should be implemented properly. Inappropriate implementation of research methods could lead to unexpected outcome. Therefore, to conduct the proposed research both primary and secondary analysis will be conducted. The primary research method includes the pilot study technique, where a survey will be conducted among the students of Wollongong University. The survey will be conducted among 10 students of the university. Details about the research methods have been discussed in the following. Research philosophy As put forward by Tong et al. (2012), the research philosophy helps to manage the source, nature of development of knowledge. Therefore, while addressing the research philosophy, there should be a state of awareness in terms of formulating the beliefs and assumptions. Moreover, the research philosophy helps to extract the hidden facts from the research contexts. Usually, there are four different types of research philosophies namely positivism, interepretivism, realism and pragmatism. The positivism research is related to the opinions that only factual knowledge obtained through observation. According to Miller et al. (2012), in positivism, the role of researcher is limited to the data collection and interpretation. On the other side, interepretivism helps to interpret the elements of the research; thereby, interepretivism integrates human interest into a research study. However, in the proposed study, positivism research philosophy will be used as positivism research philosophy prov ides the large scope of using both quantitative and qualitative research method. It will help to gain the factual knowledge, which will help to analyze the finding related to the impact of smokers on the students of Wollongong University. On the other side, the interepretivism research philosophy will not be used because the primary data generated in such interepretivism practice cannot be generalized, as the data is largely impacted by the individual viewpoint as well as values. Research Approach The research approach is usually divided into two categories such as deductive approach and inductive approach. According to Snyder (2012), the deductive research approach is usually concerned with the formulation of research hypothesis based on the existing theory as well as the design of the research strategy to verify the research hypothesis. Conversely, the inductive research approach starts with the observation as well as theories that are proposed towards the end of the research process. However, in the context of proposed research, deductive research approach will be used , where a set of the hypotheses will be formed and they will be tested during the analysis of the data. On the contrary, the inductive research approach has been rejected because the outcome of the proposed study cannot be derived based on observation and theories only. Research Designs The research design is usually divided into two different categories exploratory and descriptive. According to Anderson and Shattuck (2012), exploratory research in accordance to its name, it aims to discover the specific aspects of the research areas but it does not aim to provide final as well as conclusive answers to the research questions. On the other side, the descriptive study aims to cast light on the current issues, which means that this research design could help to identify the current impact of increasing habits of smoking on the university students. Therefore, considering this particular advantage, descriptive research objective will be applied to the proposed study. Data collection methods The data collection techniques are usually divided into two different categories namely primary and secondary. Primary Data Collection-The primary data will be conducted by applying qualitative data collection method. The qualitative data collection will include a pilot study method, where the students of Wollongong University will be surveyed by asking them to respond to some open-ended questions. The respondents will be selected based on the random sampling method and the capacity of sampling. Secondary data collection- To conduct the secondary analysis, the secondary data will be collected from the reliable secondary sources such as books, journals, newsletter blogs and other reliable secondary sources. The analysis has been conducted in the literature review comparing the findings with each other. Sampling In order to conduct the survey, a random sampling research method will be applied to engage the respondents in the survey. The respondents such as the students will be selected based on the criteria of random sampling technique. The capacity of sampling for the survey is 15, which means, 15 students could take part in the survey. Description of the research tool pilot process The research aims for investigating the factors of smoking habit in the University of Wollongong. The research also aims to find the impact of smoking of these students with accurate details. Thus, as a part of data collection, primary data collection method will be used. However, pilot process will be used in order to cross check the response given by the selected search respondents. Mackey and Gass (2015) depict that pilot study is a standard scientific tool that allows a research scholar to conduct a preliminary analysis prior analyzing the research outcome. Pilot test also refer to a survey, a key informant interview guide or observation form that is performed on a very few sample size. Silverman (2016) also stated that the total number of respondents participate in the research is known as sample size and here in this research 10 students will be considered. A set of 10 questions will be asked to each of the ten respondents regarding the habits of smoking. Among those 7 students , 3 students are smoker students; while, the rest of 2 students are non-smokers. The prime reason for selecting the smokers students is that they can clearly describe the impact of smoking and factors that encouraged them to smoke; however, the reason for selecting non-smokers students is that they can describe the habits they notice are noticing in smokers and what they think is the reason for which they opt for smoking. The research will aim on pilot testing in order to get an in-depth analysis of the developed research question. Proposed analyses are appropriate for the research tool The proposed analyses are appropriate and relevant to the research tools that will be used in the study because to conduct the analysis, pilot study method will be applied, which provides authentic data findings. This is because, the pilot study provides the scope to cross-check each answer of the question, which means the researcher ensures whether the respondent gives the right answer. Moreover, this research method will not create any state of confusion in the mind of the respondents because the responses of the participants are cross-checked. Thus, it can be mentioned that as with the help of such relevant tool like pilot study, unbiased and appropriate outcome can be derived. Feasibility of research to address research questions, aim and objectives The research questions, aims and objectives can be met, as in the proposed research, the data will be collected through pilot study method, which assures the authenticity of the data. In addition to this, during the analysis, each research question will be linked to the findings derived by the research tools. The research aim will be compared with the findings found after the collection of data. In the action plan, the first the research questions will be formed based on the research aim and objectives. Once the data is collection, during the analysis, it will be ensured that research findings cover the variables mentioned in the objectives. Proposed research and significance This research will illustrate the smoking habits among the university student studies in the University of Wollongong. It is seen that especially the students after the age of 24 addicted to smoking, alcohols and tobacco. Universities in recent time are taking initiatives to make the college campus a smoke free area but after these initiatives also some college students are witnessed to addict to bad habits especially to cigarette the most. Thus, this research will aim to study the factors that boost the desire of the student to smoke and get addicted to it. The research will also represent the possible impact of the smoking that the smokers faces and will also suggest some solution that the university can take so that student wills start quitting smoking. Significance of the study The significance of the study is that it illustrates the research held on the college students. The students of the University of Wollongong are taken into consideration so that they can represent their view directly on the smoking habits, factors that encourage them to smoke and the impact from which they are suffering will be shown. The significance of the study is that the research will follow a pilot testing in which all the research questions are cross-checked in order to understand whether or not the student (research respondents) get the meaning of the research properly. Significance and innovation of the research The innovation of the research can be said based on the research technique that will be used in the research. A significant research are based on qualitative or quantitative research studies where a question is asked once and the response attained for each research question are considered as the final feedback based on which research outcome is judged. However, in this research two kinds of research respondents will be considered- smokers and non-smokers. The smokers students can easily describes the factors based on which they started smoking; while non-smokers can explain the habits that they noticed in the student, who smoke. After getting the response, all the respondents will be approached individually and asked about their view on each research question individually. In this way, each question can be analyzed in-depth that is not found in other research. Thus, it can be said that in this research, an accurate ideas regarding each research question will be obtained that will hel p to draw the possible factors and impact of smoking among the college students of University of Wollongong. Strengths and limitations of the developed research tool Strengths of the developed research tool The developed research tool is used is pilot testing. The advantage is that each respondent is interviewed with all the research questions with ample time. Moreover, pilot experiment evaluate feasibility, time, cost and adverse events more precisely as personal comments on the research question is taken into consideration. Thus, this research tool will help with ideas, approaches and clues for getting a clearer finding in the main study and allows verifying the planned statistical and analytical procedures to assess the usefulness of the obtained data. Lastly, pilot testing reduces the number of unanticipated problems as in pilot testing the research question can be re-designed based on the convenience who is taking the interview. Another advantage is that pilot testing saves lot of time and money and always provides enough data to present a research outcome. Limitations of the developed research tool Though there are advantages of using pilot testing tool but there are some limitations associated with the same tool. The first disadvantage is that only few respondents are taken into consideration like in this research only 10 students are considered. On the other hand other research considers more research respondents in order to gather the perception of more number of respondents. Thus, by considering few respondents the research outcome might get improper authenticity while comparing it to with greater sample size. Another disadvantage is that it took much time to complete the data collection for the research as one research question is cross checked twice which demands much time compared to other type of research tool like quantitative data analysis. Additionally, pilot testing also allows for re-designing of research question if any respondent feel uncomfortable to answer some questions. The disadvantage in this process is the biasness of the interviewer as they are free to as k any question for satisfying the research outcome and this might violate the research ethics. References kerlind, G.S., 2012. Variation and commonality in phenomenographic research methods.Higher Education Research Development,31(1), pp.115-127. Al-Kaabba, A.F., Saeed, A.A., Abdalla, A.M., Hassan, H.A. and Mustafa, A.A., 2011. Prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking among medical students at King Fahad Medical City in Riyadh of Saudi Arabia.Journal of Family and Community Medicine,18(1), p.8. Anderson, T. and Shattuck, J., 2012. Design-based research: A decade of progress in education research?.Educational researcher,41(1), pp.16-25. Aryal, U.R., 2014. Prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking among the college students of Kathmandu Valley.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences (E-ISSN 2091-0576; P-ISSN 2467-9100),1(2), pp.53-58. Bachman, J.G., Wadsworth, K.N., O'Malley, P.M., Johnston, L.D. and Schulenberg, J.E., 2013.Smoking, drinking, and drug use in young adulthood: The impacts of new freedoms and new responsibilities. Psychology Press. Brando, M.P., Pimentel, F.L. and Cardoso, M.F., 2011. Impact of academic exposure on health status of university students.Revista de Sade Pblica,45(1), pp.49-58. Doran, N., Khoddam, R., Sanders, P.E., Schweizer, C.A., Trim, R.S. and Myers, M.G., 2013. A prospective study of the Acquired Preparedness Model: the effects of impulsivity and expectancies on smoking initiation in college students.Psychology of Addictive Behaviors,27(3), p.714. Fairchild, A.L., Bayer, R. and Colgrove, J., 2014. The renormalization of smoking? E-cigarettes and the tobacco endgame.New England Journal of Medicine,370(4), pp.293-295. Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage. Gast, D.L. and Ledford, J.R. eds., 2014. Single case research methodology: Applications in special education and behavioral sciences. Routledge. Gupta, S., Sarpal, S.S., Kumar, D., Kaur, T. and Arora, S., 2013. Prevalence, pattern and familial effects of substance use among the male college studentsa north Indian study.Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR,7(8), p.1632. Hajek, P., Etter, J.F., Benowitz, N., Eissenberg, T. and McRobbie, H., 2014. Electronic cigarettes: review of use, content, safety, effects on smokers and potential for harm and benefit.Addiction,109(11), pp.1801-1810. Johnston, L.D., OMalley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., Schulenberg, J.E. and Miech, R.A., 2016. Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2015: Volume II, college students and adults ages 19-55. Koura, M.R., Al-Dossary, A.F. and Bahnassy, A.A., 2011. Smoking pattern among female college students in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.Journal of Family and Community Medicine,18(2), p.63. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Maziak, W., 2011. The global epidemic of waterpipe smoking.Addictive behaviors,36(1), pp.1-5. Miller, T., Birch, M., Mauthner, M. and Jessop, J. eds., 2012.Ethics in qualitative research. Sage. Musmar, S.G., 2012. Smoking habits and attitudes among university students in Palestine: a cross-sectional study/Etude transversale sur le tabagisme et les attitudes des etudiants de niveau universitaire en Palestine.Eastern Mediterranean health journal,18(5), p.454. Neuman, W.L. and Robson, K., 2014. Basics of social research. Pearson Canada. Panneerselvam, R., 2014. Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Pierre, E.A.S., 2012. Post qualitative research.Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials,3. Scotland, J., 2012. Exploring the philosophical underpinnings of research: Relating ontology and epistemology to the methodology and methods of the scientific, interpretive, and critical research paradigms.English Language Teaching,5(9), p.9. Silverman, D. ed., 2016. Qualitative research. Sage. Snyder, C., 2012. A case study of a case study: Analysis of a robust qualitative research methodology.The Qualitative Report,17(13), p.1. Tarone, E.E., Gass, S.M. and Cohen, A.D. eds., 2013. Research methodology in second-language acquisition. Routledge. Tong, A., Flemming, K., McInnes, E., Oliver, S. and Craig, J., 2012. Enhancing transparency in reporting the synthesis of qualitative research: ENTREQ.BMC medical research methodology,12(1), p.181. Tuohy, D., Cooney, A., Dowling, M., Murphy, K. and Sixsmith, J., 2013. An overview of interpretive phenomenology as a research methodology. Nurse Researcher, 20(6), pp.17-20. Witkiewitz, K., Desai, S.A., Bowen, S., Leigh, B.C., Kirouac, M. and Larimer, M.E., 2014. Development and evaluation of a mobile intervention for heavy drinking and smoking among college students.Psychology of Addictive Behaviors,28(3), p.639.

Berlin Wall Essays - Eastern Bloc, Berlin Border Crossings

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall For twenty-eight years, the Berlin Wall separated friends, families, and a nation. After the second World War in 1945, the victorious Allies, the US, Britain, France, Russia divided Germany into four sectors, each under the control of an ally. The US, British, and French Sectors combined to form a democratic state, The Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany. The Soviet sector became a communist state, The German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, on October 7, 1949. A barrier now separated east and West. Winston Churchill named this barrier the Iron Curtain. Even though Berlin lay deep within the Soviet sector, the Allies thought it best to divide this metropolis. Therefore Berlin was also divided into four sectors. Again the US, British, and French Sectors combined to form West Berlin. The Soviet sector became the East German capital, East Berlin.The governments of these two new countries were set up by the occupying forces, not the populous. Most of the residents of East Berlin and East Germany did not like the communist regime. In fact, most people were not communists. The Berlin Wall, though not part of the iron curtain, was a reminder of it. The wall was made of steel, cement, and barbed wire fences with traps and explosives. There were guard towers with machine guns and other weapons. It was almost impossible to cross this barrier without the communist government's permission. Conrad Shuman was a nineteen year old border guard when he witnessed families tearfully separated. He realized he was not protecting his country, but imprisoning its people. Three Days after the border was closed, he leapt to freedom. The people of East Germany became dissatisfied with the economic and political conditions of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Private trade was outlawed, as was the ownership of private land. People were forced to work on collective state owned farms. There were food and supply shortages. Onehundred-sixty thousand refugees crossed the border from East Berlin to West Berlin between January and the beginning of August of 1961 in search of a better life. This upset the East German government and the Soviet countries. (East Germany was a Soviet satellite, but was of special interest to Moscow). Nikita Kruschev, the Soviet premier of that time ordered the Berlin wall built to stop the flow of refugees. The GDR began building what they called the anti-fascist protection wall on August 13, 1961, using barbed wire and anti-tank obsticales. However the East German citizens were still escaping. The GDR added tanks at important streets some supplied by the red army. They tore up the streets to use the paving stones to build barricades. There were many escape tunnels dug under the wall. The tunnel system was an extraordinary resistance movement dug by hundreds of East Berlin students with thousands more willing to help. The first successful tunnel was in an East Berlin Graveyard. Mourners brought flowers to a grave and then dropped out of sight. A woman with a baby accidentally found the tunnel and escaped leaving the baby carriage. The police found the carriage and closed the tunnel. The largest tunnel was in the basement of a house at number sixty Wernerstrasse, twenty-nine people were freed from this location. On August 23, 1961, the GDR stopped the subways, the railroads, and the telephone lines going to West Berlin. The people of East Berlin were no longer allowed to enter West Berlin, including the sixty-thousand workers who worked in West Berlin. However East Berliners still managed to get out. Some of them bribed their way out with cigarettes and money. After some people managed to scale the wall, there was a ban on the sale of rope and twine. On September 20, 1961, the GDR began to demolish all of the houses near the wall. They began construction of a more permanent concrete wall. When completed the wall was onehundred-sixtysix kilometers long, and an average of four meters high, topped with concrete tubing and barbed wire. Behind the wall was a trench to stop vehicles. After that was a patrol track with a corridor for watch dogs, watch towers, and bunkers. Behind that was a second wall. This area of no man's land cut off onehundre-ninetytwo streets. Checkpoint Charley was the main crossing point for the American sector of West Berlin. It was sixhundre-eighty feet west of the Brandenberg Gate. On October 27, 1961, the Unites States sent tanks, jeeps and soldiers to Checkpoint Charley go guarantee US officials access

chopin essays

chopin essays Chopin was a Polish-born composer, one of the masters of piano composition. He wrote chamber music which is music for small groups of instruments, songs, and pieces for piano and orchestra. But his fame rests almost entirely on his more than 200 compositions for solo piano.He was born in Zelazowa-Wola, near Warsaw.He played the piano in public when he was only 8 years old. He began to write music soon afterward. Chopin studied at the Warsaw Conservatory from 1826 to 1829 before leaving Poland in 1830. He settled in Paris in 1831, and, except for some travel, lived there the rest of his life. In 1837, Chopin began a famous love affair with George Sand, a French woman novelist. The affair ended with a quarrel in 1847. He was then seriously ill with tuberculosis. He died on Oct. 17, 1849. Chopin was a master of small musical forms. His works for solo piano include three sonatas, four ballades, four large-scale scherzos, about 40 mazurkas and 15 polonaises in a stately Polish dance rhythm. His other solo pieces include more than 25 etudes, 18 waltzes, a barcarole, a berceuse, a bolero, a fantasia, a tarantella, and several rondos. The fantasia is perhaps his greatest single work. His etudes are valuable for their music and for use in teaching piano. Chopin is unique among composers because his music has always been as highly esteemed by musicians as by the public. Chopin was a creator of melody, and some of his pieces now seem as familiar as folk music.He did much to influence piano composition. He had a unique appreciation for the capability of the piano to produce beautiful music. He designed his compositions to display the resources of the instrument to full effect. His best works were written in patterns that he worked out or perfected himself. Chopin also influenced the whole future of music by including Slavic folk harmonies and rhythms in his work.His music expresses Polish patriot ...

The Destruction of Sennarcherib Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Destruction of Sennarcherib - Essay Example However Byron does not tell us the full story of the destruction of the king but focuses on the battle scene. He writes about the Assyrian army being destroyed by the Angel of Death thereby making us realize that the power of God is much more than that of the human beings. The theme of the poem is the battle between good and evil and comparison of the power of God with the power of the mortals. Sennacherib here represents evil. God in this poem is very powerful and punishes those who set out to do wrong. He on hearing the cries of his people sends the Angel of Death to destroy Sennacherib. â€Å"And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword / Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord,† (Byron, 1815) aptly describes how God protected his people from evil forces. Even though in the poem the Assyrians are described as noble characters wearing the royal colors of purple and gold they are shown as predators attacking the weak. The words â€Å"like a wolf on the fold,† points out to this. A breath of the Angel of Death was enough to destroy the great army and this shows how hollow the power of mortals is when compared to the power of God. The enemy was strong and the number of soldiers was as numerous as the number of leaves on the trees. Yet all that the angel of death did was "spread his wings" to destroy. This represents the central theme that God is more powerful than mortals. The Destruction of Sennacherib is clearly a poem on death. The first line of the third stanza itself conveys to us that the Assyrian king has been killed and the rest of the poem is about the effects of his death. The images of death are beautifully conveyed by the description of the king’s horse. Here Byron writes about foam spewing from the mouth of the horse and uses one whole stanza to describe the death of a horse. The death of a powerful animal like the horse is used as symbol to show that

Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis Paper - Essay Example Moreover, he has even-keel temperament and has ability for consensus-building. He's also a talented, introspective writer. However, Barrack Obama is more discussed from political and presidential point of view. This research paper discusses different forums where people have given their true opinions or reflections about Mr. Barack Obama. Reflections on Barack Obama The people opinions or reflections from online blogs, social networking websites, newspapers and articles are summarized as follows Online Blogs In an online blog, answering a question an individual stated that Barak Obama is the best president up till now the US has elected (Scifiman, 2007). Another user commented that he is a very courageous man who is continuously trying his best to satisfy the needs of the country. Moreover, his promise to make Washington work more transparent is appreciated. People have remarked him as hard worker who hasn’t turned his back on anyone. Some people appreciate the work of Mr. Oba ma commenting that all countries must have a president like him to make world a safer and gentle planet (Newbie, 2007). People have wished him success in all upcoming years and want him back again as president of US. Moreover, people believe that he is the one who will keep promise to strengthen US nation and will improve the lives of American nation (Troxler, 2008). Cammillie (n.d.) says that President Obama is better than the rest of the people and therefore he should be re-elected. Sarcastically, some people view him as best teleprompter reading (Sheltan, 2007). Although, he did well very little; but his speeches are heard by many. Moreover, Orson Scott Card (2008) comments that Obama's limited attitude about global warming and energy will add cost burden on America's poor people. Obama’s views on war are disagreed by most of the people. Deborah (n.d.) says that US must now stop invading other as the burden is shifted towards American taxpayer. Paying taxes kills American people. Moreover, people are against war which has resulted in sowing many social evil factors within American society such as drug abuse, disability, depression etc. People are more of view to have peaceful life. Rossmarie (n.d.) says that Obama is deceiving US nation by pretending that he is a transparent, moderate and unifying candidate. Moreover, he is destroying US military. Bobbie (n.d.) comments that Barrack Obama is a cold-hearted US hater who is somewhat responsible for the high debt that the country is facing in its history. Social Networking Websites Barack Obama is being discussed on Social media websites as well such as face book and twitter. Many face book pages are created on Barack Obama were people writes their comments, add videos, images etc. A quick survey of face book page shows that more people like him as their leader and have positive reviews regarding his presidency. The only thing that people discourages about his leadership is the increased tax burdens and war killings. However, besides appreciating US president, some people are against him and do not like his leadership. Slogans such as Go-Obama and No-Obama were observed my few individuals (Barrack Obama (b), 2012.). Similarly, social networking users have tweeted Barack Obama’s page on Twitter where the people’s opinion and discussions are same as that in face book (Barrack Obama News, 2012). Newspapers and articles New York Times has encouraged Obama as his victory is evidenced as he took

Models In The Search For Knowledge

Models In The Search For Knowledge 10. A model is a simplified representation of some aspect of the world. In what ways may models help or hinder the search for knowledge? Models as representations of one or another aspect of the world are applied in a vast number of areas. There are many types of models in numerous areas of knowledge including the natural sciences and mathematics. Models are valuable tools, though sometimes imperfect, that help us in the search for knowledge. Models are not only visual representations but also possess an epistemic value. Therefore the term model could be divided into two main categories, that is, physical and conceptual representations. In most areas of knowledge these two are integrated together to help us understand various phenomena better and eventually gain knowledge. Models have purposes; they help us look for solutions to certain problems. For example, models in the field of engineering are developed in order to get a basic idea on how to control or prevent certain properties of materials, processes and procedures. These observations can then lead to imagination of what could happen during the processes or to an improvement in the performance of the system. Models have objectives; what they actually represent in the real world. Models give us knowledge because they represent these supposed objectives more or less accurately analysed in terms of resemblance or concept. In most areas of knowledge where models apply, they represent evident phenomena. Most scientific models assume that there is an obvious relationship between the structure of a model and that of the real world system, that is, the objective. For example, computers that model the path of hurricanes are created by scientists and consequently their objective is to predict the path of a hurricane. Modellers use these indirect representations to analyse the real world phenomena. The term indirect in this case would imply the construction of simple models with fewer properties attributed compared to the objective. If this is the case, then naturally, models exhibit a lot of idealizations, abstractions and approximations. Models are formed in such a way that the problem is easily accessible and approachable more than once so that they can be dealt with in an organized manner. However, models being too simplified may hinder the search for knowledge. A child may see a paper-plane as a model that represents its objective that is, a real aeroplane. The basic physics of a paper-plane has some similarity to that of real aeroplanes. For example, in both cases, the wings are an important factor as the lifting of a plane occurs when the wing slices the air to cause more pressure underneath it. However, paper-planes often lead children into confusion when compared with a real one an actual aeroplane floats longer and a paper-plane eventually rests to ground. Maps are also another example of simplified representations as they define the Earth on a flat surface with some semantic approach. Maps are created in order to communicate information to the map readers and consequently they represent their objectives according to the intentions of the readers. However, cartography being called modelling can be questioned if the reader lacks map reading skills and is unable to locate himself, wont maps then hinder the search for knowledge for that individual? Mathematical models play a vital role in almost all kinds of fields, especially those in the natural sciences, engineering and the human sciences. A mathematical model represents a structure or a system using mathematical language which can exist in many different forms. These include statistical models in the human sciences, exponential growth in the natural sciences and differential calculus in engineering fields. Mathematical terminology and symbolic equations are difficult to understand and therefore the theoretical aspect of the models is reinforced by visual representations such as charts, graphs and diagrams. For example, a building can be modelled not only by creating replicas on small scale or creating a three dimensional visualization but also by mathematics, as I learnt this when I was working on my mathematics portfolio. This falls under the discipline of architecture, which is both an engineering discipline and a social science. The task was to design an office block with certain specifications in a curved roof structure and the scopes and limitations were given. The concepts of differential calculus and optimization were to be applied in this case. From such a model we can determine the maximum volumes of cuboids within a curved structure and eventually maximise and minimize office space and wasted area respectively. This type of mathematical model appears to be accurate and the architect can ensure the contractor that the building is going to be stable, will utilize maximum space and have aesthetic values. Mathematics is a vital area of knowledge when it comes to models. Scientific modelling today comprises all aspects of modelling, including physical, conceptual and mathematical aspects. Scientific modelling is the process of generating a model that would help develop a proposed hypothesis. Scientific models provide a scenario of the actual system where the elements are easier to read and interpret as they are simplified. The objective of these is to portray pragmatic objects and their phenomena and processes in a logical manner. However, not all mathematical models are so accurate. An example is that of exponential growth where a mathematical function is used as a model to represent certain rate of growth. Human population trends can be expressed as exponential growth. Such a model is weak and leads to vague knowledge. This is because there are numerous factors affecting human population and it is difficult to predict accurately what is going to happen in the future. Also, this model would apply to a limited region only. In addition, the exponential growth model is only valid for a certain period of time as in the long run it does not make sense to people who argue that nothing can keep on growing forever or for the case of human population the model is not credible for people who believe in the judgement day. Global warming is a recent trend that people are concerned about which describes climate change due to human activity and other factors. In physics this year I learnt that models are developed in order to help scientists predict the future climate state of our planet. These are, but are not limited to, changes in the component of green house gases, volcanic activity and cyclical changes in the Earths orbit. Though the warming of the Earth is caused by certain natural forces, scientists believe that humans have been enhancing these effects by contributing to the greenhouse gases since industrialization began. Such models help us know about the current climate state of the Earth and the models might be accurate for a short period of time. There are knowledge issues that are brought up in the case of models and reliability and accuracy are the most important of these in my opinion. Some experts claim that the Earth might end up in a cooling phase instead of getting warmer. However, because there is comparatively more evidence to support the warming of the Earth, these claims are easily countered. But what if the global climate change has nothing to do with humans, and it is an unavoidable natural cycle? There are some contributing factors like increased solar flare activity and volcanic activity which are inevitable. Nonetheless, these models suggest that humans have enhanced this rate by contributing to the overall warming and show rapidity of this effect. As previously mentioned, assumptions are part of models, and therefore the more assumptions that are made in a scientific model, the less accurate it becomes, which affects the resulting knowledge. While models help scientists to simulate real systems that are difficult to get access to and conditions do not allow room for experiment, direct measurement will always have an advantage over just simplified representations. The degree of imagination is also important when it comes to model making. A modeller has to define his imagination well in order to convey the objective. This leads us to the importance of language in a model. If the model is not expressed well in any kind of language, be it symbols in maps, equations in mathematical models or even flow diagrams in human sciences, the model is not effective and can affect the search for knowledge. If models are defined as simplified representations of an aspect in the world, then what about complex systems that exist and yet cannot be put into simplified representations with a valuable objective? If models help us in better understanding of certain aspects of the world, then why can we not model human or animal behaviour? These questions cannot be directly answered but they can be resolved to some extent by expressing a narrowed definition of the term model and its limitation of application. Models are somewhat useful in areas of natural sciences and engineering as mentioned in this essay. Conversely, models are not whatsoever useful when it comes to certain areas of knowledge, for example ethics. This is because a model cannot represent moralistic situations and it is difficult to predict human behaviour. To create a model that would help resolve an ethical dilemma of what is right or wrong simply does not make sense. Human psychology cannot be predicted logically and therefore even if such a model existed it would create many conclusions and in the end the objective of the model becomes vague. The same applies to religion where the entire area of knowledge is based on beliefs and facts that already exist there is no need of models for prediction; the future has already been decided. Therefore whether models help or hinder the search for knowledge significantly depends on the area of knowledge.

Position Paper on Amr Moussa :: Essays Papers

Position Paper on Amr Moussa I am Amr Moussa. I am currently Secretary General of the League of Arab States. Time magazine has described me as â€Å"being the most adored public servant in the Arab world.† A U.S. war against Iraq would â€Å"open the gates of hell in the Middle East.† (On-line Pravda, 2002; 1) I have declared that the Arab League is in favor of the â€Å"total implementations† of the UN Security Council resolutions. I have urged to allow the U.N. weapons inspectors to resume with their searches in Iraq, in a bid to head off a U.S. attack. Since the United States has accused Iraq of trying to develop nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons in violation of U.N. resolutions dating back to the 1991 Persian Gulf War. (Middle East Information Center, 2002; 1) I have stated â€Å"An action against Iraq, with the general opposition of the world, I believe would lead to serious repercussions in this region and perhaps beyond.† (Middle East Information Center, 2002; 1) Along with myself, the Arab world has said that they will not stand for any attack on Iraq as an extension of the U.S. â€Å"war on terrorism.† Washington has stated that such Arab countries, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, and Syria are potential supporters of terrorism. (People’s Daily, 2001; 2) I am against any attack on Iraq or any Arab country for that matter. â€Å"Launching military action against any Arab state would spell the end of consensus in the international alliance against terrorism.† (People’s Daily, Arab League Warns Against Attacking Iraq, 2001; 1) No matter what the comments of president Bush, my standpoint will not be changed. If an attack from the United States on Iraq were to occur, I believe that it would â€Å"lead to destabilizing protest among ordinary Arabs already angry at the United States for its perceived bias in favor of Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.† (Fox News, Arab States Declare Allegiance to Iraq, 2002; 1) Since the United States is backed by Britain, it has said that it wants a â€Å"regime changed† in Baghdad. Even though the U.S. has not decided if it will use military force in Iraq, the Arab League will not tolerate any excessive force, or any force for that matter in Iraq.

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Thirteen

Elena stirred, then opened heavy eyelids. Light was showing around the edges of the curtains. She found it hard to move, so she lay there on her bed and tried to piece together what had happened last night. Damon. Damon had come here and threatened Margaret. And so Elena had gone to him. He'd won. But why hadn't he finished it? Elena lifted a languid hand to touch the side of her neck, already knowing what she would find. Yes, there they were: two small punctures that were tender and sensitive to pressure. Yet she was still alive. He'd stopped short of carrying out his promise. Why? Her memories of the last hours were confused and blurry. Only fragments were clear. Damon's eyes looking down at her, filling her whole world. The sharp sting at her throat. And, later, Damon opening his shirt, Damon's blood welling from a small cut in his neck. He'd made her drink his blood then. Ifmade was the right word. She didn't remember putting up any resistance or feeling any revulsion. By then, she had wanted it. But she wasn't dead, or even seriously weakened. He hadn't made her into a vampire. And that was what she couldn't understand. He has no morals and no conscience, she reminded herself. So it certainly wasn't mercy that stopped him. He probably just wants to draw the game out, make you suffer more before he kills you. Or maybe he wants you to be like Vickie, with one foot in the shadow world and one in the light. Going slowly mad that way. One thing was sure: she wouldn't be fooled into thinking it was kindness on his part. Damon wasn't capable of kindness. Or of caring for anybody but himself. Pushing the blankets back, she rose from the bed. She could hear Aunt Judith moving around in the hallway. It was Monday morning and she had to get ready to go to school. Dear Diary, It's no good pretending I'm not frightened, because I am. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and Founders' Day is two days after that. And I still haven't figured out a way to stop Caroline and Tyler. I don't know what to do. If I can't get my diary back from Caroline, she's going to read it in front of everyone. She'll have a perfect opportunity; she's one of the three seniors chosen to read poetry during the closing ceremonies. Chosen by the school board, of which Tyler's father is a member, I might add. I wonder what he'll think when this is all over? But what difference does it make? Unless I can come up with a plan, when this is all over I'll be beyond caring. And Stefan will be gone, run out of town by the good citizens of Fell's Church. Or dead, if he doesn't get some of his Powers back. And if he dies, I'll die too. It's that simple. Which means I have to find a way to get the diary. I have to. But I can't. I know, you're waiting for me to say it. There is a way to get my diary – Damon's way. All I need to do is agree to his price. But you don't understand how much that frightens me. Not just because Damon frightens me, but because I'm afraid of what will happen if he and I are together again. I'm afraid of what will happen to me†¦ and to me and Stefan. I can't talk about this any more. It's too upsetting. I feel so confused and lost and alone. There's nobody I can turn to or talk to. Nobody who could possibly understand. What am I going to do? November 28, Thursday, 11:30p.m. Dear Diary, Things seem clearer today, maybe because I've come to a decision. It's a decision that terrifies me, but it's better than the only alternative I can thinkof. I'm going to tell Stefan everything. It's the only thing I can do now. Founders' Day is Saturday and I haven't come up with any plan of my own. But maybe Stefan can, if he realizes how desperate the situation is. I'm going over to spend the day at the boarding house tomorrow, and when I get there I'm going to tell him everything I should have told him in the first place. Everything. About Damon, too. Oh, I'm scared. My stomach is churning. I could barely touch Thanksgiving dinner – and I can't keep still I feel as if I might fly apart into a million pieces. Go to sleep tonight? Ha. Please let Stefan understand. Please let him forgive me. The funniest thing is, I wanted to become a better person for him. I wanted to be worthy of his love. Stefan has these ideas about honor, about what's right and wrong. And now, when he finds out how I've been lying to him, what will he think of me? Will he believe me, that I was only trying to protect him? Will he ever trust me again? Tomorrow I'll know. Oh, God, I wish it were already over. I don't know how I'll live until then. Elena slipped out of the house without telling Aunt Judith where she was going. She was tired of lies, but she didn't want to face the fuss there would inevitably be if she said she was going to Stefan's. Ever since Damon had come to dinner, Aunt Judith had been talking about him, throwing subtle and not-so-subtle hints into every conversation. And Robert was almost as bad. Elena sometimes thought he egged Aunt Judith on. She leaned on the doorbell of the boarding house wearily. Where was Mrs. Flowers these days? When the door finally opened, Stefan was behind it. He was dressed for outdoors, his jacket collar turned up. â€Å"I thought we could go for a walk,† he said. â€Å"No.† Elena was firm. She couldn't manage a real smile for him, so she stopped trying. She said, â€Å"Let's go upstairs, Stefan, all right? There's something we need to talk about.† He looked at her a moment in surprise. Something must have shown in her face, for his expression gradually stilled and darkened. He took a deep breath and nodded. Without a word, he turned and led the way to his room. The trunks and dressers and bookcases had long since been put back into order, of course. But Elena felt as if she was really noticing this for the first time. For some reason, she thought of the very first night she'd been here, when Stefan had saved her from Tyler's disgusting embrace. Her eyes ran over the objects on the dresser: the fifteenth century gold florins, the ivory-hiked dagger, the little iron coffer with the hinged lid. She'd tried to open that the first night and he'd slammed the lid down. She turned. Stefan was standing by the window, outlined by the rectangle of gray and dismal sky. Every day this week had been chilly and misty, and this was no exception. Stefan's expression mirrored the weather outside. â€Å"Well,† he said quietly, â€Å"what do we need to talk about?† There was one last moment of choice, and then Elena committed herself. She stretched out a hand to the small iron coffer and opened it. Inside, a length of apricot silk shone with muted luster. Her hair ribbon. It reminded her of summer, of â€Å"About this,† she said. He had taken a step forward when she touched the coffer, but now he looked puzzled and surprised. â€Å"Aboutthat ?† â€Å"Yes. Because I knew it was there, Stefan. I found it a long time ago, one day when you left the room for a few minutes. I don't know why I had to know what was in there, but I couldn't help it. So I found the ribbon. And then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and braced herself. â€Å"Then I wrote about it in my diary.† Stefan was looking more and more bewildered, as if this was not at all what he'd been expecting. Elena groped for the right words. â€Å"I wrote about it because I thought it was evidence that you'd cared about me all along, enough to pick it up and keep it. I never thought it could be evidence of anything else.† Then, suddenly, she was speaking quickly. She told him about taking her diary to Bonnie's house, about how it had been stolen. She told him about getting the notes, about realizing that Caroline was the one who was sending them. And then, turning away, pulling the summer-colored silk over and over through her nervous fingers, she told him about Caroline and Tyler's plan. Her voice almost gave out at the end. â€Å"I've been so frightened since then,† she whispered, her eyes still on the ribbon. â€Å"Scared that you'd be angry with me. Scared of what they're going to do. Just scared. I tried to get the diary back, Stefan, I even went to Caroline's house. But she has it too well hidden. And I've thought and thought, but I can't think of any way of stopping her from reading it.† At last she looked up at him. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"You should be!† he said, startling her with his vehemence. She felt the blood drain from her face. But Stefan was going on. â€Å"You should be sorry for keeping something like that from me when I could have helped you. Elena, why didn't you justtell me?† â€Å"Because it's all my fault. And I had a dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She tried to describe how he had looked in the dreams, the bitterness, the accusation in his eyes. â€Å"I think I would die if you really looked at me that way,† she concluded miserably. But Stefan's expression as he looked at her now was a combination of relief and wonder. â€Å"So that's it,† he said, almost in a whisper himself. â€Å"That's what's been bothering you.† Elena opened her mouth, but he was still speaking. â€Å"I knew something was wrong, I knew you were holding something back. But I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook â€Å"his head and a skewed smile tugged at his lips. â€Å"It doesn't matter now. I didn't want to invade your privacy. I didn't even want to ask. And all the time you were worried about protectingme. â€Å" Elena's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. The words seemed to be stuck, too. There's more, she thought, but she couldn't say it, not when Stefan's eyes looked like that, not when his whole face was alight that way. â€Å"When you said we needed to talk today, I thought you'd changed your mind about me,† he said simply, without self-pity. â€Å"And I wouldn't have blamed you. But instead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head again. â€Å"Elena,† he said. It felt so good to be there, so right. She hadn't even realized how wrong things had been between them until now, when the wrongness had disappeared.This was what she remembered, what she had felt that first glorious night when Stefan had held her. All the sweetness and tenderness in the world surging between them. She was home, where she belonged. Where she would always belong. Everything else was forgotten. As she had in the beginning, Elena felt as if she could almost read Stefan's thoughts. They were connected, a part of each other. Their hearts beat to the same rhythm. Only one thing was needed to make it complete. Elena knew that, and she tossed her hair back, reaching from behind to pull it away from the side of her neck. And this time Stefan did not protest or thwart her. Instead of refusal he was radiating a deep acceptance – and a deep need. Feelings of love, of delight, of appreciation overwhelmed her and with incredulous joy she realized the feelings were his. For a moment, she sensed herself through his eyes, and sensed how much he cared for her. It might have been frightening if she had not had the same depth of feeling to give back to him. She felt no pain as his teeth pierced her neck. And it didn't even occur to her that she had unthinkingly offered him the unmarked side – even though the wounds Damon had left were healed already. She clung to him when he tried to lift his head. He was adamant, though, and at last she had to let him do it. Still holding her, he groped over onto the dresser for the wicked ivory-handled blade and with one quick motion he let his own blood flow. When Elena's knees grew weak, he sat her on the bed. And then they just held each other, unaware of time or anything else. Elena felt that only she and Stefan existed. â€Å"I love you,† he said softly. At first Elena, in her pleasant haze, simply accepted the words. Then, with a chill of sweetness, she realized what he'd said. Heloved her. She'd known it all along, but he had never said it before. â€Å"I love you, Stefan,† she whispered back. She was surprised when he shifted and pulled away slightly, until she saw what he was doing. Reaching inside his sweater, he drew out the chain he had worn around his neck ever since she had known him. On the chain was a gold ring, exquisitely crafted, set with lapis lazuli. Katherine's ring. As Elena watched, he took the chain off and unclasped it, removing the delicate golden band. â€Å"When Katherine died,† he said, â€Å"I thought I could never love anyone else. Even though I knew she would have wanted me to, I was sure it could never happen. But I was wrong.† He hesitated a moment and then went on. â€Å"I kept the ring because it was a symbol of her. So I could keep her in my heart. But now I'd like it to be a symbol of something else.† Again he hesitated, seeming almost afraid to meet her eyes. â€Å"Considering the and then gave up, his eyes meeting hers mutely. Elena couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe. But Stefan misinterpreted her silence. The hope in his eyes died and he turned away. â€Å"You're right,† he said. â€Å"It's all impossible. There are just too many difficulties – because of me. Because of what I am. Nobody like you should be tied to someone like me. I shouldn't even have suggested it – â€Å" â€Å"Stefan!† said Elena. â€Å"Stefan, if you'll be quiet a moment – â€Å" † – so just forget I said anything – â€Å" â€Å"Stefan!† she said. â€Å"Stefan,look at me. â€Å" Slowly, he obeyed, turning back. He looked into her eyes, and the bitter self-condemnation faded from his face, to be replaced by a look that made her lose her breath again. Then, still slowly, he took the hand she was holding out. Deliberately, as they both watched, he slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit as if it had been made for her. The gold glinted richly in the light, and the lapis shone a deep vibrant blue like a clear lake surrounded by untouched snow. â€Å"We'll have to keep it a secret for a while,† she said, hearing the tremor in her voice. â€Å"Aunt Judith will have a fit if she knows I'm engaged before I graduate. But I'll be eighteen next summer, and then she can't stop us.† â€Å"Elena, are you sure this is what you want? It won't be easy living with me. I'll always be different from you, no matter how I try. If you ever want to change your mind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"As long as you love me, I'll never change my mind.† He took her in his arms again, and peace and contentment enfolded her. But there was still one fear that gnawed at the edges of her consciousness. â€Å"Stefan, about tomorrow – if Caroline and Tyler carry out their plan, it won't matter if I change my mind or not.† â€Å"Then we'll just have to make sure they can't carry it out. If Bonnie and Meredith will help me, I think I can find a way to get the diary from Caroline. But even if I can't, I'm not going to run. I won't leave you, Elena; I'm going to stay and fight.† â€Å"But they'll hurt you. Stefan, I can't stand that.† â€Å"And I can't leave you. That's settled. Let me worry about the rest of it; I'll find a way. And if I don't†¦ well, no matter what I'll stay with you. We'll be together.† â€Å"We'll be together,† Elena repeated, and rested her head on his shoulder, happy to stop thinking for a while and justbe. Dear Diary, It's late but I couldn't sleep. I don't seem to need as much sleep as I used to. Well, tomorrow's the day. We talked to Bonnie and Meredith tonight. Stefan's plan is simplicity itself. The thing is, no matter where Caroline has hidden the diary, she has to bring it out tomorrow to take it with her. But our readings are the last thing on the agenda, and she has to be in the parade and everything first. She'll have to stash the diary somewhere during that time. So if we watch her from the minute she leaves her house until she gets up on stage, we should be able to see where she puts it down. And since she doesn't even know we're suspicious, she won't be on guard. That's when we get it. The reason the plan will work is because everyone in the program will be in period dress. Mrs. Grimesby, the librarian, will help us put on our 19th century clothes before the parade, and we can't be wearing or carrying anything that's not part of the costume. No purses, no backpacks. No diaries! Caroline will have to leave it behind at some point. We're taking turns watching her. Bonnie is going to wait outside her house and see what Caroline's carrying when she leaves. I'll watch her when she gets dressed at Mrs. Grimesby's house. Then, while the parade is going on, Stefan and Meredith will break into the house – or the Forbes' car, if that's where it is – and do their stuff. I don't see how it can fail. And I can't tell you how much better I feel. It's so good just to be able to share this problem with Stefan. I've learned my lesson; I'll never keep things from him again. I'm wearing my ring tomorrow. If Mrs. Grimesby asks me about it, I'll tell her it's even older than 19th century, it's from Renaissance Italy. I'd like to see her face when I say that. I'd better try to get some sleep now. I hope I don't dream.