Friday, May 8, 2020

The Effects Of Global Population On The Environment

Can you believe that the global population has been grown up to 3.7 billion in the past 50 years (Baldini, 2015). It still increases at an extremely high rate, and will reach 90 billion in the year 2050. The population is not the only issue which has been increasing rapidly, some negative effects also have increased. In this research paper, I will discuss two major negative effects on the environment that have occurred due to the great number of human population which includes the changing of natural resources, and the effects of living on the earth. Introduction According to Aviles (2015) â€Å"Concerns about over population are still prevalent in many public policy and scientific debates.† One example is that the Chinese government had passed the â€Å"One Child Only Policy† more than three decades ago. The One Child Only Policy promoted late marriage and late childbirth in order to control the populations usage of limited natural resources. In this modern society, population pressure is a problem associated in many areas, such as economy and society. The major issue that occurs under this pressure is our environment issue. The population grows much faster than the natural resources’ renewing speed. Living organisms need those resources to sustain their lives. Not only do humans need the natural resources to live, but it is also a way of creating as much substances as needed to make life more convenient and interesting, such as how we use wood to produce paper and furniture, andShow MoreRelatedEffects Of Global Warming On The Environment And The Population979 Words   |  4 Pagesgreenhouse gas admission are evident through the rising global temperatures, causing extreme natural disasters and expanding sea levels. Anthropogenic climate change refers to the production of greenhouse gases emitted into the earth’s atmosphere as a result of human expansion and activity. According to research conducted by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA, 2016) the average global temperature of the Earth has risen 0.87 degrees CelsiusRead MoreThe Effe cts Of Global Warming On The World1235 Words   |  5 Pagesit. They may not be feeling the effects of global warming at the moment, but in time it will become a more widespread issue. The effects of global warming are hard to refute, and there is endless evidence of this growing problem in our world today. The continuation of global warming is a serious threat to everyone and everything on Earth. Global warming has been a problem for over a hundred years, and it continues to grow every day. The first evidence of global warming was discovered in 1859Read More Overpopulation, Industrialization, and the Degradation of the Environment934 Words   |  4 PagesDegradation of the Environment The overall growth of the human population in the last 2000 years has been a J-shaped growth. This can also be expressed as an exponential growth. A big question that can only be answered in time is how this population growth will slow down or stop. The planet can only handle so many humans before the effects of overpopulation send the environment into an unrecoverable tailspin of degradation. So the question is will the overall maximum human population be reached inRead MoreEssay on The Ecological Consequences of Global Economic Growth1426 Words   |  6 PagesConsequences of Global Economic Growth â€Å"There have been five ‘ mass extinctions’ in the history of the earth, when between 65% and 95% of all species were wiped out, due to natural processes of selection and evolution. Some scientists now argue that we are heading for a ‘sixth extinction’, caused by the actions of humans.† (Cock and Hopwood, 1996:17) In the following I’m going to look at the positive and negative effects of the ecological systems of global economic growthRead MoreThe Changing Relationship Between Nature And Society1658 Words   |  7 Pages As Barrack Obama once stated â€Å"All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it s here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.† (Obama, 2006). In this speech Obama spoke honestly and truthfully about the current situationRead MoreHow Are We Affected by Global Warming and How Can We Stop It?1259 Words   |  6 PagesHow are we effected by global warming and how can we stop it? Global warming directly effects everyone and everything on Earth. The concentration of greenhouse gasses is climbing at an alarming rate. Many negative issues will take place if nothing is done stop the destruction of the Earths atmosphere. Humans, plants, and animals contribute to the cycle of life on earth. The extinction of plants and animals caused by global warming can lead to worldwide panic. The future flooding of the EarthRead MoreEnvironmental Global Health : A Social Science Point Of View1492 Words   |  6 Pages Environmental global health analyzes the nature and build of the environmental by researching the effects of human and their interactions with the environment while creating ways to reduce environmental risk factors. Singer and Erickson define environmental risk factors as: â€Å"specific ways that environment features and events threaten human health† (Singer, Erickson 2013: 114). Environmental Global Health effects everyone from a state, community, organ izational, interpersonal, and individual levelRead MoreEnvironmental Sustainable Development : Global Warming1696 Words   |  7 Pagesreferred to as global warming. Apparently, in the minds of many, the term global warming refers to increase in global temperatures. No need to worry because the world survives the heat in summer and people living in the scoring heat regions enjoy life thanks to air conditioning technology. Apparently, the world is yet to understand the threats posed by global warming to the present and future generations. That is the reason people continue to engage in activities that contribute to global warming. EnvironmentalistsRead MoreMalthus s Theory Of The Demographic Transition Theory1279 Words   |  6 Pagesa strain on the global aspects of the environment. As our planet now holds over 7 billion people (US Census Bureau, 2016), scientists, economists, and environmentalist’s struggle to find a solution to our â€Å"growing† problem. One theory that explains this population change is the demographic transition theory. This theory, defined as a thesis that links population patterns to a society’s level of technological development (Macionis, 2013 p. 636), suggests that the key to population control lies inRead MoreGlobal Warming Is A Natural Phenomenon1218 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming Global warming is a natural phenomenon. People produce greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, by burning fossil minerals, cutting down trees and stripping the land, often referred to as deforestation. These greenhouse gases have high permeability to the visible light from the sun radiation, but they are highly absorbent to the long wave radiation that is reflected from the earth. These gases have especially strong absorption to the infrared from ground radiation. This phenomenon

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Hunters Phantom Chapter 33 Free Essays

â€Å"Stop!† Elena screamed. â€Å"Stefan! Stop it! You’l kil him!† Even as she said it, she realized that kil ing Damon might be exactly what Stefan’s idea was here. Stefan tore at Damon with his teeth and hands, not pummeling him, but ripping feral y, with fangs and claws. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 33 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Stefan, his body in a vicious primal crouch, his canines extended, his face distorted by a snarl of animal fury, had never looked more like a bloodthirsty vampire. And behind Elena as she watched them, that seductive, chil ing voice went on, tel ing Stefan that he would lose everything, just like he always lost everything. That Damon took everything from him and then tossed it carelessly, cruel y aside, because Damon simply wanted to ruin whatever Stefan had. Elena turned and, too frightened by what Stefan was doing to Damon to have any fear left of the phantom, slammed it with her fists. After a moment, Matt and Bonnie joined her. As before, mostly their hands just slid through the phantom’s mist. The phantom’s chest was solid, though, and Elena focused her rage on that, hitting against the hard ice there with as much power as she could. Beneath the ice of the creature’s chest, a rose glowed a rich dark red. It was a beautiful flower, but deadly looking, its color reminding her of poisoned blood. Its thorny stem seemed swol en, thicker than a normal flower’s. As Elena stared at it, the glow deepened and the flower’s petals opened further, swel ing to ful bloom. Is that her heart? Elena wondered. Is Stefan’s jealousy nourishing it? She smashed her fist against the phantom’s chest again, right above the rose, and the phantom glanced at her for a moment. â€Å"Stop it,† Elena said fiercely. â€Å"Leave Stefan alone.† The phantom was real y looking at her now, and its – no, her – smile widened, her glasslike teeth sharp and shiny underneath her misty lips. In the glacial depths of her eyes, Elena thought she caught a chil y but genuine twinkle, and Elena’s own heart froze. Then the phantom turned her attention back toward Stefan and Damon, and, although Elena would never have believed it possible, things got worse. â€Å"Damon,† said the phantom throatily, and Damon, who’d been limp and exhausted, eyes clenched shut, passive under Stefan’s assault, shielding his face but not fighting back, opened his eyes. â€Å"Damon,† she said again, her eyes glittering. â€Å"What right does Stefan have to attack you? Whatever you tried to take from him, you were just fighting against the fact that he got everything – your father’s love, the girls you wanted – and you had nothing at al . He’s a sanctimonious brat, a selfloathing weakling, but he gets everything.† Damon’s eyes widened as if in recognition at hearing his own deepest miseries voiced, and his face twisted with emotion. Stefan was stil clawing and biting at him, but he fel back a little as Damon snapped into action, grabbing him by the arm and wrenching it. Elena winced with horror as she heard the crunch of something – oh, God – something in Stefan’s arm or shoulder breaking. Undaunted, Stefan only grimaced and then threw himself at Damon again, the hurt arm dangling awkwardly. Damon was stronger, Elena numbly noted, but exhausted; surely he wouldn’t be able to keep his advantage for long. For now they seemed fairly evenly matched. They were both furious, both fighting with no reservations. A bestial, nasty snarl came from one of them, shaky, vicious laughter from the other, and Elena realized with horror that she had no idea which sound was coming from who. The phantom hissed with enjoyment. Elena flinched away from her and, out of the corner of her eye, saw Bonnie and Matt step back, too. â€Å"Don’t break the lines!† Alaric shouted from the other side of†¦ where were they now, anyway? Oh, Mrs. Flowers’s garage – the garage. He sounded desperate, and Elena wondered if he had been shouting for a while. There had been some background noise going on, but there hadn’t been a moment to listen to it. â€Å"Elena! Bonnie! Matt! Don’t break the lines!† he shouted again. â€Å"You can get out, but step over the lines careful y!† Elena glanced down. An elaborate pattern of lines in different colors was chalked beneath their feet, and she, Bonnie, Matt, and the phantom were al together in a smal circle in the innermost center of this pattern. Bonnie was the first one to clearly realize what Alaric was saying. â€Å"Come on,† she muttered, yanking at Elena’s and Matt’s arms. Then she picked her way, daintily but quickly, across the floor, away from the phantom and toward their friends. Matt fol owed her. He had to pause on one foot in a smal section and reach with his other foot, and there was a moment when he wobbled, one sneaker almost blurring a blue line of chalk. But he caught his balance and continued on. It took Elena, stil mostly focused on the desperately grappling figures of Damon and Stefan, a few seconds longer to realize she needed to move as wel . She was almost too late. As she poised herself to take that first step out of the inner circle, the phantom turned its glassy eyes upon her. Elena fled, jumping quickly out of the circle and just barely managing to stop herself from skidding across the diagram. The phantom took a swipe at her, but its hand stopped before crossing above a chalk line, and it growled in frustration. Alaric shakily pushed his tousled hair out of his eyes. â€Å"I wasn’t sure whether that would hold her,† he admitted, â€Å"but it seems like it’s working. Now, careful y, Elena, watching where you step, make your way over here.† Matt and Bonnie had already reached the wal of the garage, at a distance from where Stefan and Damon were locked in battle, and Meredith had wrapped her arms around them, her dark head buried in Matt’s shoulder, Bonnie nestled against her side, her eyes as round as a frightened kitten’s. Elena looked down at the complicated pattern drawn on the floor and started moving careful y between the lines, heading not for her other friends but for the two struggling vampires. â€Å"Elena! No! This way!† cal ed Alaric, but Elena ignored him. She had to get to Damon and Stefan. â€Å"Please,† she said, half sobbing, as she reached them, â€Å"Damon, Stefan, you have to stop. The phantom’s doing this to you. You don’t real y want to hurt each other. It’s not you. Please.† Neither of them paid any attention to her. She wasn’t even sure whether they could hear her. They were almost motionless now, their muscles straining in each other’s grip as each tried to simultaneously attack and fend off the other. Slowly, as Elena watched, Damon began to overcome Stefan, gradual y pushing his arms aside, leaning in toward his throat, white teeth flashing. â€Å"Damon! No!† Elena screamed. She stretched out to grab his arm, to pul him off Stefan. Without even looking at her, he casual y, viciously shoved her aside, sending her flying. She landed hard on her back and slid across the floor, and it hurt, the impact jolting her teeth together, banging her head against the cement, white shocks of pain flaring behind her eyes. As she started to get up again, she saw with dismay Damon push through the last of Stefan’s defenses and sink his fangs into his younger brother’s neck. â€Å"No!† she screamed again. â€Å"Damon, no!† â€Å"Elena, be careful,† Alaric shouted. â€Å"You’re in the diagram. Please, whatever you do, don’t break any more lines.† Elena looked around. Her landing had sent her skidding through several of the chalk marks, which were now smeared al around her, smudges of color. She stiffened in terror and suppressed a whimper. Was it loose now? Had she set it free? Steeling herself, she turned toward the innermost circle. The phantom was feeling around itself with its long arms, patting up and down against some invisible wal bordering the circle that kept it contained. As Elena watched, its mouth thinned with effort and it brought its hands together in one spot and pushed. The air in the room rippled. But the phantom did not manage to break through the circle, and after a moment it stopped pushing and hissed in disappointment. Then its eyes fel on Elena, and it smiled again. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† it said, its voice soft with false compassion. â€Å"The pretty girl, the one everyone wants, the one the boys al fight over. It’s so very hard being you.† The voice twisted, its tone changing to bitter mockery. â€Å"But they’re not real y thinking of you, are they? The two you want, you’re not the girl for them. You know why they are attracted to you. Katherine. Always Katherine. They want you because you look like her, but you’re not her. The girl they loved so long ago was soft and sweet and gentle. An innocent, a victim, a foil for their fantasies. You’re nothing like her. They’l find that out, you know. Once your mortal form changes – and it wil . They’l be the same forever, but you’re changing and getting older every day; in a few years you’l look much older than they do – then they’l realize you’re not the one they love at al . You’re not Katherine, and you never wil be.† Elena’s eyes stung. â€Å"Katherine was a monster,† she spat out through her teeth. â€Å"She became a monster. She started out as a sweet young girl,† the phantom corrected her. â€Å"Damon and Stefan destroyed her. Like they’l destroy you. You’l never lead a normal life. You’re not like Meredith or Bonnie or Celia. They’l have chances at normalcy when they’re ready, despite the way you’ve dragged them into your battles. But you, you’l never be normal. And you know who’s to blame for that, don’t you?† Elena, without thinking, looked at Damon and Stefan, just as Stefan managed to shove Damon away from him. Damon staggered backward, toward the group of humans huddling by the wal of the garage. Blood was running from his mouth and streaming down Stefan’s neck from a terrible gash. â€Å"They’ve doomed you, just like they doomed the one they really loved,† the phantom said softly. Elena pushed herself to her feet, her heart pounding hard, heavy with misery and anger. â€Å"Elena, stop!† cal ed a powerful contralto voice, fil ed with such authority that Elena turned away from Damon and Stefan and, blinking as though she’d been woken from a dream, looked out of the diagram toward the others. Mrs. Flowers stood at the edge of the chalk lines, hands on her hips, feet planted firmly. Her lips were a straight angry line, but her eyes were clear and thoughtful. She met Elena’s gaze, and Elena felt calmed and strengthened. Then Mrs. Flowers looked around at the others gathered beside her. â€Å"We must perform the banishing spel now,† she declared. â€Å"Before the phantom manages to destroy us al . Elena! Can you hear me?† A surge of purpose running through her, Elena nodded and moved back to join the others. Mrs. Flowers brought her hands sharply together, and the air rippled again. The phantom’s voice broke off and it shrieked in fury, shoving at the air around it, its hands meeting resistance sooner, its invisible prison smal er. Meredith felt urgently around on the high shelf near the garage door, her hands touching and rejecting various objects. Where had Mrs. Flowers put the candles? Paintbrushes, no. Flashlights, no. Ancient can of bug spray, no. Bag of potting soil, no. Some weird metal thing that she couldn’t figure out from touching what it might be, no. Bag of candles. Yes. â€Å"I’ve got it,† she said, pul ing it off the shelf and dumping probably a decade’s worth of dust from the shelf onto her own head. â€Å"Urgh,† she sputtered. It was a mark of the seriousness of the situation, Meredith thought, that Bonnie and Elena both looked at her, head and shoulders coated in thick dust and spiderwebs, and neither giggled nor moved to brush her off. They al had more important things to worry about than a little dirt. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"First off, we need to figure out what color candle Damon would be.† Mrs. Flowers had pointed out that Damon was clearly a victim of the jealousy phantom as wel , and so would have to take part in the banishment ritual for it to work ful y. Looking at the two vampire brothers stil attempting to tear each other apart, Meredith seriously doubted whether Damon would be participating. Stefan either, for that matter. They were solely focused on inflicting as much damage as possible on each other. Stil , they would have to get the two vampires back to make the spel work. Somehow. Meredith found herself cool y wondering whether, if both Damon and Stefan died, they could safely be counted out of the ritual. Would the rest of them be able to defeat the phantom then? And if they didn’t murder each other, but simply continued to fight, endangering them al , would she be able to kil them? She shoved the thought away. Stefan was her friend. And then she determinedly made herself consider kil ing him again. This was her duty. That was more important than friendship; it had to be. Yes, she could kil them today, even in the next few minutes, if it was necessary, she realized. She would regret it forever if she had to, but she could. Besides, a part of her mind noted clinical y, if things went on as they were now, Damon and Stefan would kil each other, and save her that burden. Elena had been thinking hard – or maybe zoning out, focused on what the jealousy phantom had said to her, Meredith wasn’t sure – and now she spoke. â€Å"Red,† she said. â€Å"Is there a red candle for Damon?† There was a dark red candle, and also a black one. Meredith pul ed both out and showed them to Elena. â€Å"Red,† said Elena. â€Å"For blood?† asked Meredith, eyeing the fighters, now only about ten feet away. God, they were both just covered with blood now. As she watched, Damon growled like an animal and banged Stefan’s head repeatedly against the wal of the garage. Meredith winced at the hol ow sound of Stefan’s skul slamming against the wood and plaster of the wal . Damon had one hand around Stefan’s neck, the other ripping at Stefan’s chest as if Damon wanted to gouge out his heart. A soft, sinister voice was stil coming from the phantom. Meredith couldn’t make out what it was saying, but its eyes were on the brothers, and it was smiling as it spoke. It looked satisfied. â€Å"For passion,† said Elena, and snatched the candle out of Meredith’s hands and marched over, straight-backed and head high like a soldier’s, to the line of candles Alaric was relighting at the edge of the diagram. Meredith stared after her as Elena lit the candle and dripped a puddle of hot wax to stand it upon. Stefan forced Damon backward, closer to the others and their line of candles. Damon’s boots scraped against the floor as he strained against Stefan. â€Å"Okay,† Alaric said, looking at the candles apprehensively, then down at the book. â€Å"Each of us wil declare the jealousies inside ourselves – the weaknesses that the phantom is able to play on – and cast them out. If we real y mean it, if we manage, at least for the moment, to truly and sincerely cast out our jealousy, our candles wil go out and the phantom wil be weakened. The trick is to real y be able to banish the jealousies from our hearts and stop feeding the phantom, and if we al can do it at once, the phantom ought to disappear, or maybe even die.† â€Å"What if we can’t? What if we try to cast out jealousy, but it doesn’t go completely away?† Bonnie asked, her forehead crinkling with worry. â€Å"Then it doesn’t work and the phantom stays,† said Alaric flatly. â€Å"Who wants to go first?† Stefan slammed Damon down viciously onto the cement floor, a howl of anger coming from him. They were only a few feet from the line of candles, and Alaric stepped between them and the row of tiny flames, trying to shield the candles with his body. Celia shuddered as Stefan gave a low, furious growl and lowered his head to bite at Damon’s shoulder. Jealousy kept up a steady stream of venomous chatter, her eyes gleaming. Mrs. Flowers clapped her hands to get everyone else’s attention, her face stern and encouraging. â€Å"Children, you wil al have to be honest and brave,† she said. â€Å"You must al truly admit to your worst selves in front of your friends, which wil be hard. And then you wil need to be strong enough to cast these worst selves of yours away, which may be even harder. But you love one another, and I promise we wil get through it.† A thump and a muffled shout of rage and pain came from a few feet away, and Alaric glanced nervously over his shoulder at the battle behind him. â€Å"Time is of the essence,† Mrs. Flowers said briskly. â€Å"Who wil go first?† Meredith was about to step forward, clutching her stave for comfort, when Bonnie spoke up. â€Å"I wil ,† she said falteringly. â€Å"Um. I’ve been jealous of Meredith and of Elena. I always†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She swal owed, and then spoke more firmly. â€Å"I sometimes feel like I’m only a sidekick when I’m around them. They’re braver than me, and they’re better fighters, and smarter and prettier, and†¦ and taller than I am. I’m jealous because I feel like people don’t respect me as much as they do them and don’t real y take me seriously like they do Elena and Meredith. I’m jealous because sometimes I’m standing in their shadows, which are pretty big shadows†¦ metaphorical y speaking, I mean. And I’m also jealous because I’ve never even had a real boyfriend, and Meredith has Alaric, and Elena has Stefan, and because Elena also has Damon, who I think is pretty amazing, but who would never notice me when I’m standing next to Elena, because she’s al he can see.â₠¬  Bonnie paused again, and glanced at Elena, her eyes wide and shining. â€Å"But I love Elena and Meredith. I know I need to stop comparing myself to them. I’m not just a sidekick; I’m useful and talented, too. And† – she spoke the words Alaric had given them al – â€Å"I have fed the phantom of jealousy. But now I cast my jealousy away.† In the semicircle of candles, the flame of Bonnie’s pink one flickered and went out. Bonnie gave a little gasp and smiled, half-shamefaced, half-proud, at Meredith and Elena. From inside the diagram, the phantom of jealousy snapped its head around and glared at Bonnie. â€Å"Bonnie – â€Å" Meredith started to say, wanting to tel her friend that of course she wasn’t a sidekick. Didn’t Bonnie know how amazing she was? But then Elena stepped toward the candles and shook back her hair, head high. â€Å"I’ve been jealous of other people in Fel ‘s Church,† she declared. â€Å"I saw how easy it was for other couples to be together, and after al Stefan and I – and Damon, and the rest of my friends – have been through, and even after we saved Fel ‘s Church and made it normal again, everything just kept on being so hard and so weird and supernatural. I guess I’ve been realizing that things aren’t ever going to be just easy and normal for me, and that’s been tough to accept. When I watched other people and was jealous of them, I fed the phantom of jealousy. I cast that jealousy away.† Elena smiled a little. It was a strange, rueful sort of smile, and Meredith, watching her, thought that, while Elena had cast out her jealousy, she was stil haunted by regret for the easy, golden life she’d once had ahead of her and that had probably been taken away forever now. The candle was stil burning. Elena hesitated. Meredith fol owed her gaze past the line of candles to where Stefan and Damon struggled. As they watched, Damon heaved and rol ed Stefan under him, leaving a long streak of blood across the floor of the garage. Stefan’s foot brushed the red candle at the end of the line, and Alaric leaped to steady it. â€Å"And I’ve been jealous of Katherine,† Elena said. â€Å"Damon and Stefan loved her first, and she knew them before so much happened to change them, to†¦ warp them out of who they ought to be. And even though I realize that they both know I’m not Katherine and that they love me for who I am, I haven’t been able to forget that they noticed me at first because I look like her. I have fed the phantom of jealousy because of Katherine, and I cast that jealousy away.† The candle flame flickered, but did not go out. Jealousy smirked triumphantly, but then Elena went on. â€Å"I’ve also been jealous of Bonnie.† Bonnie’s head shot up, and she stared at Elena with an expression of disbelief. â€Å"I was used to being the only human Damon cared about, the only one who he would want to save.† She looked at Bonnie with tear-fil ed eyes. â€Å"I am so, so glad that Bonnie is alive. But I was jealous that Damon cared enough to die for her. When I was jealous of Bonnie, I fed the phantom of jealousy. But now I cast my jealousy away.† The golden candle went out. Elena looked almost timidly at Bonnie, and Bonnie smiled at her, an open, loving smile, and held out her arms. Elena hugged her tightly. Other than the grief she felt over Elena’s parents’ deaths, Meredith had never felt sorry for Elena. Why would she? Elena was beautiful, smart, a leader, passionately loved†¦ but now Meredith couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. Sometimes it must be easier to live an everyday life than to be a heroine. Meredith glanced at the phantom. It seemed to be simmering and was now whol y focused on the humans. Alaric stepped around the candles toward the others, glancing back toward Damon and Stefan. Damon had pinned Stefan painful y against the wal behind Alaric. Stefan’s face was twisted in a grimace, and they could hear the scrape of his body against the hard surface. But at least Stefan and Damon weren’t endangering the candles for now. Meredith turned her attention to her boyfriend. What could Alaric be jealous of? If anything, he’d been the focus of jealousy the last week or so. He reached for Meredith and took one of her hands. â€Å"I’ve been jealous,† Alaric said, looking into her eyes. â€Å"Of you, Meredith. And of your friends.† Meredith reflexively arched a brow at him. What did he mean? â€Å"God.† He half laughed. â€Å"Here I am, a graduate student in parapsychology. I’ve been dying my whole life to prove to myself that there’s something more going on in the world than what everybody knows, that some of the things we think of as supernatural are real. And then I come to this smal town in Virginia because there are rumors, rumors I don’t real y believe, that there might be vampires here, and when I get here I find this amazing, beautiful, confident girl, and it turns out she comes from a family that hunts vampires. And her friends are vampires and witches and psychics and girls who come back from the dead to fight evil. They only just finished high school, but they’ve seen things I’ve never imagined. They’ve defeated monsters, and saved towns, and traveled to other dimensions. And, you know, I’m just this ordinary guy, and suddenly half the people I know – and the girl I love – are practical y s uperheroes.† He shook his head, looking at Meredith admiringly. â€Å"I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy. But now I cast my jealousy away. I’l just have to deal with being the boyfriend of a superhero.† Instantly, the dark green candle went out. Sealed in the inner circle, the phantom hissed and paced back and forth in the smal space like a trapped tigress. It looked angry, but not noticeably weaker. Celia spoke next. Her face was tired but calm. â€Å"I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy,† she proclaimed. â€Å"I’ve been jealous of Meredith Suarez.† She didn’t say why. â€Å"But now I see that it’s pointless. I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy, but now I cast my jealousy away.† She spoke as if she were dropping something into the trash. But stil the pale purple candle went out. Meredith opened her mouth to speak – she was clear on what she needed to say, and it wouldn’t be too hard, because she’d won, hadn’t she? If it had ever been a battle anywhere besides her own mind – but Matt cleared his throat and spoke first. â€Å"I have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stumbled over his words. â€Å"I guess†¦ no, I know I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy. I have always been crazy about Elena Gilbert, as long as I’ve known her. And I’ve been jealous of Stefan. Al along. Even now, when Jealousy’s got him trapped in this bloody battle, because he has Elena. She loves him, not me. But, wel , it doesn’t matter†¦ I’ve also known for a long time that Elena and I together don’t work, not for her, and that’s not Stefan’s fault. I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy, but now I cast my jealousy away.† He blushed and careful y did not look at Elena. The white candle went out, sending a long trail of smoke toward the ceiling. Three candles left, Meredith thought, looking at the last steady flames. Stefan’s dark green, Damon’s red, and her own brown. Was the phantom any weaker? From its invisible cage, the Phantom growled. If anything, it seemed to have made the space around itself bigger again, and it was once again pushing at it, seemingly feeling for a weak spot. Meredith knew she had to keep the confessions going. â€Å"I’ve fed the phantom of jealousy,† she said in a strong, clear voice. â€Å"I was jealous of Dr. Celia Connor. I love Alaric, but I know I’m much younger than he is, not even in col ege yet, and I’ve never real y been anywhere or seen anything of the world – the human world, at least – outside of where I grew up. Celia shares so much with him – experiences, education, interests – and I knew he liked her a lot. And she’s beautiful and real y smart and poised. I was jealous because I was afraid she would take him from me. But if she had been able to take him, that would mean he wasn’t mine to keep. You can’t steal a person.† She smiled hesitantly at Celia, and after a moment, Celia smiled slightly in return. â€Å"I cast – â€Å" â€Å"Watch out!† Alaric shouted. â€Å"Damon! Stefan! Stop!† Meredith looked up. Damon and Stefan were staggering across the floor of the garage, past the line of candles, past Alaric, who grabbed at them. They broke out of his hold effortlessly without seeming to even notice his touch, shoving against each other desperately, struggling fiercely. Oblivious to anything but their battle, they were getting closer and closer to the phantom. â€Å"No!† shouted Elena. Damon shoved Stefan backward, and the heel of Stefan’s boot scraped across the chalk outlining the smal circle that contained the phantom – scraped across the chalk line and smudged it, and the circle was no longer complete. With a howl of triumph, the phantom was free. How to cite The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 33, Essay examples

Monday, April 27, 2020

The Rise of the Papacy

The church in Rome was just one of the many churches that were all over the Roman Empire. In 70 AD, however, the destruction of Jerusalem by the army of Titus meant that Rome was the new political as well as cultural capital of the empire.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Rise of the Papacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since many roads led to Rome and many people travelled there was a concentration of cultures and more so missionaries to a point where Christianity adopted Rome as its home base after the destruction of Jerusalem. This led to the growth of the roman church which warranted its respect especially due to its moral and doctrinal probity. This strengthened its influence on the political class to a point where emperors like Constantine adopted Christianity and professed the faith openly. This led to the church, which had lived as a lonely entity outside the ruling class, enjoyed an imperial embrac e. With the moving of the roman political capital to Constantinople by the emperor Constantine, the bishop was left in Rome1. The bishop of Rome took over the title of the Pope due to the influence that the church had on the leadership of Rome at the time. After the Roman Empire fell to the barbarians in 455 AD, the power of the bishop in Rome had grown immensely so as to fill the vacuum of leadership that was left. The church became the defender of order as well as the provider of justice. With the invasions that were rampant all over the empire, which marked the end of the pax romana, the unity and stability of the people had been shattered and it was upon the church to restore this sense of unity and stability as well as the confidence of the people. Pope Leo the Great was of particular importance in the rise of papacy as he not only convinced the barbarians not to destroy the city of Rome, he also coaxed the emperor Valentinian into recognizing the authority of the bishop of Rom e officially which led to the issuance of an edict by the emperor that proclaimed the papal supremacy of the bishop.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The reason behind the strength of the papacy in Rome lies in the nature of its authority. The first issues that were raised in regard to the authority of the Pope, was the suggestion that the bishop of Rome was a direct successor of St. Peter. This was later followed by the fact that Jesus had given St. Peter authority over the whole Christian church hence his successor also had to exercise authority over the church. Siriciuos was the first to impose the name Pope on himself and he served the church between 384 AD and 399 AD. He was also the first to issue a ruling that had a binding legal precedent on church dispute. This made the title of the Pope to be associated with supreme ecclesiastical authority, which held pastoral guida nce over all the churches and Christians in general. Before Siricious, Damasus I had already been recognized by the roman authority in Constantinople when the heresies of Apollinarianism as well as Arianism were condemned by the roman authorities after he had condemned them. He had also commissioned the use of the Latin Vulgate in the translation of the Bible and this was followed throughout the following centuries. There was the general belief that Leo the Great was the first Pope among the non-Christians as he was the first to exercise the misinterpretation of Mathew 16:18 to acquire some form of biblical support for his great authority. In the eighth century the ‘donation of Constantine’ was made public. This publication contained the last words of Emperor Constantine that he said on his death bed and it proclaimed that he had ceded all the land as well as the authority of Rome to the Pope. This exalted the position so much that the period that followed, between 897 and 955 was characterized by a total of 17 Popes. This was due to the corruption by power that the bishops of the time had. There was also the breach of the fundamental foundations of papacy such as clerical celibacy, where some of the men bribed to be ordained, some married and some kept concubines. This phenomenon is recorded in the Bible in Revelation 2:6, 14 and 15.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Rise of the Papacy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The dominance of Western Europe was mainly characterized by the rise of monarchs. At this period the Pope would crown kings which led to the establishment of the Papal States. This was mainly informed by need to obtain protection as well as support in case of aggression by the barbarians against Rome. It is important to note that at this time, the Pope had total control over Rome, both as a Christian leader and as a political ruler, and any invasion of Rome me ant that the authority of the Pope was being challenged2. An English Benedict monk by the name of Boniface was responsible for the crowning Pepin the short as the king of the Franks with approval from the Pope. He had been ordained as bishop after his great mission to preach Christianity to the Franks who are now referred to as the Germans. He went ahead to establish monasteries in the land and this earned him a lot of trust from the Frankish rulers. This led to a close relationship between the papacy and the Franks such that when the barbarians threatened to invade Rome, king Pepin protected Rome and even went ahead to give the Pope a strip of land in Italy which then made the office of the Pope a territorial ruler. This arrangement would continue for a while and it also instilled the totalitarian power of the church over states. In 1296, however, during the reign of Pope Boniface, the Pope threatened to excommunicate anyone who dared to tax the church3. This being a period of mili tary activity most kings were running out of resources to fund their huge armies and were therefore looking for other sources of income. King Edward I of England and king Philip of France were not happy about this threat and king Phillip went ahead to put an embargo on the export of jewels from his territory. This affected the Pope’s resources and he therefore withdrew the threat of excommunication. This created doubt among the people on the authority of the pope and later in 1301 the declaration by Boniface that all human beings were subject to the roman pope, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. King Philip resolved to depose the pope by claiming that he had been elected illegally and on grounds of immorality, heresy as well as simony.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Several churches joined in and King Philip’s troops went ahead to hold the pope prisoner in his hometown of Anagni in the Apennine Mountains for three days before he was rescued by his people. The people of Anagni escorted him back to Rome where he died a few weeks later. This marked the first open rejection of the pope and his spiritual dominance by the people, especially by the monarchies of Western Europe. The rise of papacy was characterized by some positive as well as negative ramifications. Among the positive aspects was the unification of Europe especially after the Roman Empire had fallen. The pope was able to extend the same spirit of the pax romana through at a smaller scale considering that he was under the constant threat of invasions by the barbarians. There was also the spread of Christianity which contributed to the installation of Christian morals in the roman laws. This ensured that the societies in Rome adopted the teaching of Jesus and were holier than befo re. Missionaries were now allowed to travel all over the empire to spread the word as well as establish churches and monasteries. The negative ramifications on the other hand, were specifically disastrous to the Christian belief. The assumption of secular leadership by the bishops exposed the church to scrutiny especially where the church had to give rulings that contradicted the Bible and its teachings, for instance, in cases of executions. The later rejection of the pope especially in the Western Monarchies also served to weaken the church and the Christian faith. Bibliography Ferguson, Everett. â€Å"Baptism in the early church: history, theology, and liturgy in the first five centuries†. Journal of Religious Studies Review 36 issue 1, (2010): 81-93. Web. Nicole, Roger R. â€Å"The Canon of the New Testament.† Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40, no. 2 (2002): 199-206. Web. Verlag, Franz-Steiner. The evidence of the conversion of to Christianity: book 16 of the theodosian code.Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte (1993). Web. Footnotes 1 Verlag, Franz-Steiner. The evidence of the conversion of to Christianity: book 16 of the theodosian code. Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte (1993). 68. 2 Everett Ferguson. â€Å"Baptism in the early church: history, theology, and liturgy in the first five centuries†. Journal of Religious Studies Review. Volume 36, issue 1, (2010). 71. 3 Roger, R. Nicole. â€Å"The Canon of the New Testament.† Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40, no. 2 (2002): 134. This essay on The Rise of the Papacy was written and submitted by user Shiloh Greene to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Christopher Bruse -ROOSTER essays

Christopher Bruse -ROOSTER essays Describe the choreographic style of Christopher Bruce, and explain how it is reflected in Rooster. Christopher Bruce began his career as an impressive dancer, but as a choreographer he is nothing less that passionate and humane. He enjoys making people feel something and people come to theatres to see just that and his ability to fuse contemporary technique with an important relationship to ballet. Being greatly inspired by humanity, Bruce deliberately incorporates issues in society into his pieces and as a part of his choreographic style, through use of historical references and reflection, which are placed into a context that would interest and involve a current audience. He recognizes that ballet is an important part of dance, but tries to break down the barriers between contemporary and ballet in his choreography. His motto is that 99% is technique and 1% is inspiration and with this ideal he begins to choreograph his pieces. Versatility is very important for his dancers to have in achieving the best results to suite his choreography. In his early works there was a deliberate decision to avoid expression and music was not added till after he had completed the choreography. Unlike these pieces which are socially and politically bound, Rooster was choreographed and approached in a different way in order to communicate his inspiration and the issues that would develop from this in his choreography. Although the style of movements in relation to his other works would remain contemporary and uniquely Bruce, Rooster was created in a slightly different way, and he began choreography after being inspired by the music of the Rolling Stones, the period of the sixties of which he was apart and the whole nostalgia of that era. Although his approach was different for Rooster it still portrays heavily the elements which Bruces choreography holds signature to. It incorporates his use of issues in context to society,...

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Content Marketing Tips Should Never Be Trusted

Content Marketing Tips Should Never Be Trusted You shouldnt trust everything that you read on this blog. In fact, you probably shouldnt trust anything you read on any blog.  Doing so may actually be bad for your marketing. Why? Most Content Marketing Tips Are 100% Totally Made Up Content marketing tips are usually made up, and why wouldnt they be? Everything is made up these days – even scientific research. In a recent study, economists found that nearly all studies published in economics journals are likely to be wrong. After studying  49 papers in leading journals that had been cited by more than 1,000 other scientists, researcher  John Ioannidis found that  within only a few years, almost a third of the papers had been refuted by other studies. Yikes! Things arent much better in the medical field. Author  David Freedman published in his book Wrong  that about two-thirds of the findings published in the top medical journals are refuted within a few years. Even worse, as much as 90% of physicians medical knowledge has been found to be substantially or completely wrong according to  Time Magazines  article on the books findings. As much as 90% of physicians medical knowledge has been found to be substantially or completelyAre you finding this a bit creepy? You should be, and it should give you all the less reason to trust your friendly neighborhood content marketing professional  carte blanche. Most of what they say is full of crap someone has to say it. All Content Marketers Are Liars Heres the thing – too much marketing these days is based on what some other guy told me to do, and not enough on what our data told us to do, and thats a real problem. This post is about putting the other guys ideas on trial, and making sure that their tips actually work – for you. It may sound obvious, but it begs a reminder – never trust marketing advice that you havent tested.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

The Primary Goal of the Military Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Primary Goal of the Military - Essay Example This has been necessitated by the tendency of terror organizations and individuals with ill intent to sabotage security systems internally. As such, it has become crucial for the military to authenticate the identity of every individual accessing its premises and systems (National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Biometrics, 2006). Whereas this has been happening through security tools such as access cards, passwords, and tokens, these systems have proven to be ineffective as they can be forgotten, duplicated, shared, or stolen (Weicheng Shen, 1999). There is, therefore, need for a system that cannot be easily compromised. The use of human features, biometrics comes in handy in the identification of individuals while keeping their privacy intact. These features may be physical or biological and may include characteristics such as skin color, height, eye color and weight. These features are unique to individuals and readily available; hence, making them ideal for the dev elopment of dependable authentication systems. If used together with traditional systems, such as password protection and fingerprint technology, the result is a security system that is complex, and yet very efficient and hard to manipulate. Role Based Access Control DoD could develop access control systems based on the roles individuals play. This control algorithm allows users access to premises and equipment that are relevant to their activities in the military. The system, therefore, limits the accessibility of information and critical equipment to people who are authorized to interact with them (Ferraiolo, Kuhn, & Chandramouli, 2007). DoD could decide to develop a system, costs notwithstanding. A lot of resources would be deployed in the project, as long as it guarantees that the role-based access control will be possible. Since it would be hard to develop systems that cater for individual staff, DoD can come up with an authentication system based on the roles people play. Staf f can be categorized into groups, depending on their ranks and responsibilities in the military and offered access rights relative to their statuses (Murrell, 2001). This would provide officers within the same ranks similar access rights while still providing exceptions for exceptional cases. Enterprise RBAC (ERBAC) DoD spends public funds as it endeavors to provide security to the county. Just like any other public institution, it is necessary for the department to account for its expenses. It is, therefore, necessary for DoD to make sure all its activities make business sense. Enterprise Role Based Access Control seeks to ensure that as DoD invests in role-based access control measures, the results of using the system are not only financially measurable but also provide an acceptable return on investment. Depending on the severity of the case at hand, DoD is at liberty to choose the role-based access control methodology it wants to deploy. Insensitive matters of national or intern ational security, DoD could develop authentication systems without considering costs and returns on investment (Ballad, Ballad, & Banks, 2010). However, this ought to be done with caution as it is important for DoD to appear to use public resources appropriately and in the best interest of the citizens of the United Kingdom. Alternative solutions i. Discretionary Access Control This access control mechanism restricts access based on subject identity.  

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Analysis of internal and external efficiencies of the education system Research Paper

Analysis of internal and external efficiencies of the education system in DRC - Research Paper Example Research problem Being an African, born and schooled there in most of my elementary level, I therefore have an adequate understanding of the educational model used in the region and can therefore explain the discord between the increasing literacy level and the rising rates of unemployment. The African model of education is more theoretical and historical. This enlightens the students on previous facts most of which are of no relevance to the life in the modern day society. Anyone trying to make sense of policy research in education is likely to be struck by the numerous contractions and paradoxes that perplex the field. Even a brief consideration of these problems raises a number of important questions: What contributes to the frequency of contradictions and paradoxes in educational policy? To what extent researches might resolve these matters? Where research cannot provide clear answers, what should be our response to these problems? With ten years teaching experience, I have the audacity to criticize the educational model in Congo, a low income country in Africa. A lot of theories make students fantasize and do not therefore relate the information they obtain in school to solving the daily life challenges. The theoretical aspect of the African model of education begins in the types of examples that teachers give their students during lessons most of which are not drawn from the society. When teachers are not certain of the knowledge they pass to their students, the students handle the knowledge as a school affair which is completely irrelevant once out of school. Literature review Africa is a highly ethicized continent, through historical studies, schools become the first institutions to enlighten the population on the historical injustices thereby breeding or perpetuating the possible ethical tensions in the countries (McCloskey 12). Besides the historical aspect of the education system in the low income countr ies of Africa, the theoretical model of education results in fantasies. Furthermore, Congo is an unstable country with constant civil wars. Coupled with the weak economy, the education sector receives insufficient funds to sustain a constant curriculum upgrade and improvement of the educational model. The Japanese model of education fits the country. In addition, it will help the country produce relevant human resource to fast track the development process of the country. However, the lack of infrastructure and funds and the different level of development compel the implementation of the model to be in bits in the order of relevance (McCloskey 44). Methodology The research will be a qualitative comparison of the education system in the two countries; Japan is a developed country and it is not surprising to note the different educational model between the two countries. The country has an effective government, which invests heavily in the education sector. This implies that the Japan ese academic curriculum is reviewed constantly to keep it abreast with the changing technologies of the time. Constant curriculum review ensures that the knowledge is of relevance to the changes in the society. This is important feature lacks in the Congolese model of