Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-Five

I HAD MOCKED KEITH when we first came to Palm Springs, teasing him for freezing up around Moroi. But as I stood there now, face-to-face with the stuff of nightmares, I knew exactly how he felt. I had no right to judge anyone for losing all rational thought when confronted with their greatest fears. That being said, if Keith was here, I think he would've understood why Moroi weren't as big a deal to me anymore. Because when compared to Strigoi? Well, suddenly the little differences between humans and Moroi became negligible. Only one difference mattered, the difference between the living and the dead. It was the line that divided us, the line that Adrian and I firmly stood together on one side of – facing those who stood on the other. I had seen Strigoi before. Back then, I hadn't been immediately threatened by them. Plus, I'd had Rose and Dimitri on hand, ready to protect me. Now? There was no one here to save us. Just ourselves. There were only two of them, but it might as well have been two hundred. Strigoi operated at such a different level than the rest of us that it didn't take very many of them to tip the odds. They were both women, and they looked as though they'd been in their twenties when they became Strigoi. How long ago that was, I couldn't guess. Lee had zealously gone on and on about how being Strigoi meant you were â€Å"forever young.† Yet in looking at these two monsters, I didn't really think of them that way. Sure, they had the superficial appearance of youth, but it was marred with evil and decay. Their skin might be wrinkle free, but it was a sickly white, far whiter than any Moroi. The red-ringed eyes that leered out at us didn't sparkle with life and energy, but rather an unholy sort of reanimation. These people weren't right. They weren't natural. â€Å"Charming,† said one, her blond hair in a pixie cut. Her facial structure made me think she'd been a dhampir or human before being turned. She was eyeing us the same way I'd often seen my family's cat watch birds. â€Å"And exactly as described.† â€Å"They're soooo pretty,† crooned the other, a lascivious smile on her face. Her height said she had once been Moroi. â€Å"I don't know which one I want first.† The blonde gave a warning look. â€Å"We'll share.† â€Å"Like last time,† agreed the other, tossing a mane of curly black hair over one shoulder. â€Å"No,† said the first. â€Å"Last time you made both kills. That wasn't sharing.† â€Å"But I let you feed from both afterward.† Before she could counter back, Lee suddenly recovered himself and staggered forward to the blond Strigoi. â€Å"Wait, wait. Dawn. You promised me. You promised you'd awaken me first before you do anything.† The two Strigoi turned their attention to Lee. I was still frozen, still unable to move or really react while being so close to these creatures of hell. But somehow, through the thick and overwhelming terror surrounding me, I still managed to feel small and unexpected pity for Lee. There was a little hate there too, of course, considering the situation. But mostly I felt terribly sorry for someone who truly believed his life was meaningless unless he sacrificed his soul for hollow immortality. Not only that, I felt sorry for him for actually thinking he could trust these creatures to give him what he wanted. Because as I studied them, it was perfectly clear to me that they were deciding whether or not to make this a three-course meal. Lee, I suspected, was the only one who didn't realize this. â€Å"Please,† he said. â€Å"You promised. Save me. Restore me to how I was.† I also couldn't help but notice the small red patch on his face where I'd hit him. I allowed myself to feel a bit of pride over that but wasn't cocky enough to think I possessed any noteworthy fighting skills to battle my way out of this situation. The Strigoi were too close, and our exits were too few. â€Å"I know where more are,† he added, beginning to look uneasy that his â€Å"saviors† weren't immediately jumping in to make his dreams come true. â€Å"One's young – a dhampir.† â€Å"I haven't had a dhampir in a while,† said the curly-haired Strigoi, almost wistfully. Dawn sighed. â€Å"I don't really care, Jacqueline. If you want to awaken him, go for it. I just want these two. He doesn't matter to me.† â€Å"I get the dhampir all to myself, then,† warned Jacqueline. â€Å"Fine, fine,† said Dawn. â€Å"Just hurry up.† Lee turned so radiant, so happy†¦ it was sickening. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"Thank you so much! I've been waiting so long for this that I can't believe it's – ahh!† Jacqueline moved so quickly that I hardly saw it happen at all. One moment she was standing in the doorway, the next she had Lee pinned against the recliner. Lee gave out a semi-muffled scream as she bit into his neck, a scream that soon quieted. Dawn shut the door and nudged us forward. I flinched at her touch. â€Å"Well,† she said with amusement. â€Å"Let's get a good view.† Neither Adrian nor I responded. We simply moved into the living room. I dared a glance at him but could discern little. He was so good at hiding his true feelings in general that I supposed I shouldn't be surprised he could mask abject terror just as easily. He offered me no encouragement with either his expression or words, which I actually found kind of refreshing. Because really, I didn't see any good end to this situation. Up close, forced to watch Jacqueline's attack, I could now see the blissful expression that had settled over Lee's face. It was the most awful thing I'd ever witnessed. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut or turn away, but some force beyond me kept me staring at the grisly spectacle. I'd never seen any vampire feed, Moroi or Strigoi, but I now understood why feeders like Dorothy could so willingly sign up for their lifestyles. Endorphins were being released into Lee's bloodstream, endorphins so strong that they blinded him to the fact that he was having his life drained away. He instead existed in a joyous state, lost in a chemical high. Or maybe he was just thinking about how happy he'd be once he was a Strigoi again, if it was possible to have any sort of conscious thought under these circumstances. I lost track of how long it took to drain Lee. Each moment was agonizing for me, as though I was taking the pain Lee should have been feeling. The process seemed to last forever, and yet there was also a weird sense of speed to it. It felt wrong that someone's body could be drained in so short a time. Jacqueline drank steadily, pausing only once to remark, â€Å"His blood's not as good as I expected.† â€Å"Then stop,† suggested Dawn, who was starting to look bored. â€Å"Just let him die and have these two with me.† Jacqueline looked as though she was actually considering it, again reminding me what a fool Lee had been to put his trust in these two. After a few minutes, she shrugged. â€Å"I'm almost done. And I really want him to get me that dhampir.† Jacqueline resumed drinking, but as she'd said, it didn't take much longer. By this point, Lee was nearly as pale as the Strigoi, and there was a strange, stretched quality to his skin. He was perfectly still now. His face seemed frozen in a grin that was nearly as much shock as it was joy. Jacqueline lifted her face and wiped off her mouth, surveying her victim with pleasure. She then pushed up her shirtsleeve and rested her nails on his wrist. Before she could tear her own flesh, however, she caught sight of something. â€Å"Ah, much neater.† She stepped away and leaned down, retrieving Lee's knife. It had slid under the love seat in our altercation. Jacqueline took it and effortlessly slashed her wrist, causing deep red blood to well out. Part of my brain didn't think their blood should look so similar to mine. It should be black. Or acidic. She placed her bleeding wrist against Lee's mouth and tipped Lee's head back so that gravity could help the blood flow. Every horror I'd witnessed tonight had been worse than the last. Death was terrible – but it was also part of nature. This? This was no part of nature's plan. I was about to witness the world's greatest sin, the corruption of the soul through black magic to reanimate the dead. It made me feel dirty all over, and I wished I could run away. I didn't want to see this. I didn't want to see the guy I'd once regarded as something like a friend suddenly rise up as some perversion of nature. A touch to my hand made me jump. It was Adrian. His eyes were on Lee and Jacqueline, but his hand had caught hold of mine and squeezed it, even though he was still cuffed. I was surprised at the warmth of his skin. Even though I knew Moroi were as living and warm-blooded as me, my irrational fears always expected them to be cold. Equally surprising was the sudden comfort and connection in that touch. It wasn't the kind of touch that said, Hey, I've got a plan, so hang in there because we're going to get out of this. It was more like the kind of touch that simply said, You aren't alone. It was really the only thing he could offer. And in that moment, it was enough. Then, something strange happened. Or rather, didn't happen. Jacqueline's blood was pouring steadily into Lee's mouth, and while we didn't have many documented cases of Strigoi conversions, I knew the basics. The victim's blood was drained, and then the killing Strigoi fed his or her blood back into the deceased. I didn't know exactly how long it took to work – it certainly didn't require all of the Strigoi's blood – but at some point, Lee should be stirring and getting up as one of the walking dead. Jacqueline's cool, smug expression began to change to curiosity and then became outright confusion. She glanced questioningly at Dawn. â€Å"What's taking so long?† Dawn asked. â€Å"I don't know,† Jacqueline said, turning back to Lee. With her free hand, she nudged Lee's shoulder as though that might serve as a wake-up call. Nothing happened. â€Å"Haven't you done this before?† asked Dawn. â€Å"Of course,† snapped Jacqueline. â€Å"It didn't take nearly this long. He should be up and moving around. Something's wrong.† I remembered Lee's words, describing how all his desperate attempts at taking innocent lives hadn't converted him back. I only knew a little about spirit – and even less about it restoring Strigoi – but something told me there was no force on earth that would ever turn Lee Strigoi again. Another long minute passed as we watched and waited. At last, disgusted, Jacqueline backed away from the recliner and rolled up her sleeve. She glared at Lee's motionless body. â€Å"Something's wrong,† she repeated. â€Å"And I don't want to waste any more blood figuring out what it is. Besides, my cut's already healing.† I wanted nothing more than for Dawn and Jacqueline to forget I existed, but the next words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. The scientist in me was too caught up in a revelation. â€Å"He was restored – and it affected him permanently. The spirit magic left some kind of mark, and now he can't be turned again.† Both Strigoi looked at me. I cringed under those red eyes. â€Å"I never believed any of those spirit stories,† said Dawn. Jacqueline, however, was still clearly puzzled by her failure. â€Å"There was something wrong with him, though. I can't explain it†¦ but the whole time, he didn't feel right. Didn't taste right.† â€Å"Forget him,† said Dawn. â€Å"He had his chance. He got what he wanted, and now I'm moving on.† I saw my death in her eyes and tried to reach for my cross. â€Å"God protect me,† I said, just as she lunged forward. Against all odds, Adrian was there to stop her – or, well, try to stop her. Mostly, he just got in her way. He didn't have the speed or reaction time to effectively block her and was especially clumsy with his cuffed hands. I think he'd just seen what I had, that she was going to attack, and had preemptively moved in front of me in some noble but ill-fated attempt at protection. And ill-fated it was. With one smooth motion, she shoved him aside in a way that looked effortless but knocked him halfway across the room. My breath caught. He hit the floor, and I started to scream. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain against my throat. Without a pause, Dawn had promptly grabbed me and nearly lifted me off my feet to get access to my neck. I mustered another frantic prayer as that pain spread, but within seconds, both prayer and pain disappeared from my brain. They were replaced by a sweet, sweet feeling of contentment and bliss and wonder. I had no thoughts, except that I was suddenly existing in the happiest, most exquisite state imaginable. I wanted more. More, more, more. I wanted to drown in it, to forget myself, to forget everything around me – â€Å"Ugh,† I cried out as I suddenly and unexpectedly hit the floor. Still in that blissful haze, I felt no pain – yet. Just as quickly as she'd grabbed me, Dawn had dropped and pushed me away. Instinctively, I reached out an arm to break my fall but failed. I was too weak and disoriented and sprawled ungracefully on the carpet. Dawn's fingers were touching her lips, a look of outrage twisting her already-horrific features. â€Å"What,† she demanded, â€Å"was that?† My brain wasn't working properly yet. I'd only had a brief taste of endorphin, but it was still enough to leave me addled. I had no answer for her. â€Å"What's wrong?† exclaimed Jacqueline, striding forward. She looked from me to Dawn in confusion. Dawn scowled and then spit onto the floor. It was red from my blood. Disgusting. â€Å"Her blood†¦ it was terrible. Inedible. Foul.† She spit again. Jacqueline's eyes widened. â€Å"Just like the other one. See? I told you.† â€Å"No.† Dawn shook her head. â€Å"There's no way it could be the same. You would never have been able to drink that much of her.† She spit again. â€Å"It didn't just taste weird or bad†¦ it was like it's tainted.† Seeing Jacqueline's skeptical look, Dawn punched her on the arm. â€Å"Don't believe me? Try her yourself.† Jacqueline took a step toward me, hesitant. Then Dawn spit again, and I think that somehow convinced the other Strigoi that she wanted no part of me. â€Å"I don't want another mediocre meal. Damn it. This is becoming absurd.† Jacqueline glanced at Adrian, who was standing perfectly still. â€Å"At least we've still got him.† â€Å"If he's not ruined too,† Dawn muttered. My senses were coming back to me, and for half a second, I wondered if there was some insane way we might survive this. Maybe the Strigoi would write us off as bad meals. But no. Even as I allowed myself to hope that, I also knew that even if they didn't feed off of us, we weren't going to leave here alive. They had no reason to simply walk off. They'd kill us for sport before they left. With that same remarkable speed, Jacqueline sprang toward Adrian. â€Å"Time to find out.† I screamed as Jacqueline pinned Adrian against the wall and bit his neck. She only did so for a few seconds, just to get a taste. Jacqueline lifted her head up, pausing and savoring the blood. A slow smile spread over her face, showing her bloody fangs. â€Å"This one's good. Very good. Makes up for the other.† She trailed her fingers down his cheek. â€Å"Such a shame, though. He's so cute.† Dawn stalked toward them. â€Å"Let me try before you take it all!† Jacqueline ignored her and was leaning back toward Adrian, who had gone all glassy-eyed. Meanwhile, I was free enough of the endorphins that I was thinking clearly again. No one was paying attention to me. I tried to stand and felt the world sway. Staying low, I managed to crawl toward my purse, lying forgotten near the living room's edge. Jacqueline had drunk from Adrian again, but only briefly before Dawn pulled her away and demanded a turn so that she could wash the taste of my blood out of her mouth. Startling myself with how fast I moved, I rustled through my cavernous purse, looking desperately for anything that might help. Some cold, logical part of me said there was no way we could get out of this, but there was also no way I could just sit there and watch them drain Adrian. I had to fight. I had to try to save him, just as he'd tried for me. It didn't matter if the effort failed or if I died. Somehow, I had to try. Some Alchemists carried guns, but not me. My purse was huge, full of more stuff than I really needed, but nothing in the contents resembled a weapon. Even if it did, most weapons were futile against Strigoi. A gun would slow them down but not kill them. Only silver stakes, decapitation, and fire could kill a Strigoi. Fire†¦ My hand closed around the amulet I'd made for Ms. Terwilliger. I'd shoved it in my purse when she gave it to me, unsure what I should do with it. I could only assume blood loss and scattered thoughts made me draw it out now and consider the possibility of using it. Even the idea was ridiculous. You couldn't use something that didn't work! It was a trinket, a worthless bag of rocks and leaves. There was no magic here, and I was a fool to even think along those lines. And yet, it was a bag of rocks. Not a heavy one, but surely enough to get someone's attention if it hit her in the head. It was the best I had. The only thing I had to slow Adrian's death. Drawing back my arm, I aimed at Dawn and threw, reciting the foolish incantation like a battle cry: â€Å"Into flame, into flame!† It was a good shot. Miss Carson would have been proud. But I had no chance to admire my athletic skills because I was too distracted by the fact that Dawn had caught on fire. My jaw dropped as I stared at the impossible. It wasn't a huge fire. It wasn't like her entire body was engulfed in flames. But where the amulet had struck her, a small blaze ignited, spreading rapidly through her hair. She screamed and began frantically patting her head. Strigoi feared fire, and for a moment, Jacqueline recoiled. Then, with grim determination, she released Adrian and grabbed a throw blanket. She wrapped it around Dawn's head, smothering the flames. â€Å"What the hell?† Dawn demanded when she emerged. She immediately began charging toward me in her anger. I knew then the only thing I'd accomplished was to speed up my own death. Dawn grabbed ahold of me and slammed my head against the wall. My world reeled, and I felt nauseous. She reached for me again but froze when the door suddenly burst open. Eddie appeared in the doorway, a silver stake in his hand. What was truly amazing about what followed was the speed. There was no pausing, no long moments to assess the situation, and no snarky banter between combatants. Eddie simply charged in and went for Jacqueline. Jacqueline responded with equal quickness, rushing forward to meet her one worthy foe here. After she'd released him, Adrian had slumped to the floor, still in the throes of the Strigoi endorphins. Keeping low to the ground, I scurried over to his side and helped drag him back to the â€Å"safety† of the far side of the living room while Eddie clashed with the Strigoi. I spared them only a moment's glance, just enough to take in the deadly dancelike nature of their maneuvering. Both Strigoi were trying to get a grip on Eddie, probably in the hopes of breaking his neck, but were careful to stay away from the bite of his silver stake. I looked down at Adrian, who was dangerously pale and whose pupils had reduced to the size of pinpoints. I had only a sketchy impression of how much Jacqueline had drunk from him and didn't know if Adrian's state was more from blood loss or endorphins. â€Å"I'm fine, Sage,† he muttered, blinking as though the light hurt. â€Å"Quite the high, though. Makes the stuff I've used seem pretty soft-core.† He blinked, as though fighting to wake up. His pupils dilated to a more normal size and then seemed to focus on me. â€Å"Good God. Are you okay?† â€Å"I will be,† I said, starting to stand. Yet even as I spoke, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I swayed. Adrian did his best to support me, though it was pretty awkward with his bound hands. We leaned against each other, and I almost laughed at how ridiculous the situation was, both of us trying to help the other when neither of us was in any condition to do it. Then something caught my eye that chased all other thoughts away. â€Å"Jill,† I whispered. Adrian immediately followed my gaze to where Jill had just appeared in the living room's entry. I wasn't surprised to see her. The only way Eddie could be here was if Jill had told him what was happening to Adrian through the spirit bond. Standing there, with her eyes flashing, she looked like some fierce, battle-ready goddess as she watched Eddie spar with the Strigoi. It was both inspiring and frightening. Adrian shared my thoughts. â€Å"No, no, Jailbait,† he murmured. â€Å"Do not do anything stupid. Castile needs to handle this.† â€Å"She knows how to fight,† I said. Adrian frowned. â€Å"But she doesn't have a weapon. Without one, she's just a featherweight in this.† He was right, of course. And while I certainly didn't want Jill endangering her life, I couldn't help but think if she were properly equipped, she might be able to do something. At the very least, a distraction might be a benefit. Eddie was holding his ground all right against the two Strigoi, but he wasn't making any progress against them either. He could use help. And we needed to make sure Jill didn't rush into this with only her wits to defend her. Inspiration hit me, and I managed to stay on my feet. The world was spinning even more than before, but – despite Adrian's protests – I managed to stagger to the kitchen. I just barely was able to get to the sink and flip the faucet on before my legs gave out underneath me. I caught hold of the counter's edge, using it to keep me upright. â€Å"Jill!† I yelled. She turned toward my shout, saw the running water, and instantly knew what to do. She lifted her hand. The stream coming from the faucet suddenly shifted, shooting out of the sink and across the living room. It went to Jill, who collected a large amount of it between her hands and magically forced the water into a long cylindrical shape. It held itself in the air like that, a rippling but seemingly solid club of water. Gripping it, she hurried toward the fight and swung her weapon of water into Jacqueline's back. Drops flew off of the â€Å"club,† but it held on to its rigidity enough for her to get a second hit in before completely exploding into a spray of water. Jacqueline spun around, her hand swinging out to strike Jill. Jill had expected as much and dropped to the floor, dodging in exactly the way I'd seen Eddie teach her. She scurried backward, out of Jacqueline's way, and the Strigoi pursued – giving Eddie an exposed shot on her back. Eddie took the opportunity, evading Dawn, and plunged his stake into Jacqueline's back. I'd never given it much thought before, but if shoved hard enough, a stake could pierce someone's heart just as easily from the back as the chest. Jacqueline went rigid, and Eddie jerked his stake out, just managing to avoid the full force of a strike from Dawn. She still caught him a little, and he stumbled briefly before quickly regaining his footing and setting his sights on her. Jill was forgotten and hurried over to us in the kitchen. â€Å"Are you okay?† she exclaimed, peering at both of us. That fierce look was gone. She was now just an ordinary girl concerned for her friends. â€Å"Oh my God. I was so worried about you both. The emotions were so strong. I couldn't get a fix on what was happening, just that something was horribly wrong.† I dragged my gaze to Eddie, who was dancing around with Dawn. â€Å"We have to help him – â€Å" I took two steps away from the counter and started to fall. Both Jill and Adrian reached out to catch me. â€Å"Jesus, Sage,† he exclaimed. â€Å"You're in bad shape.† â€Å"Not as bad as you,† I protested, still worried about helping Eddie. â€Å"They drank more from you – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, but I don't have a bleeding arm wound,† he pointed out. â€Å"Or a possible concussion.† It was true. In all the excitement, I was so full of adrenaline that I'd all but forgotten about where Lee had stabbed me. No wonder I was so dizzy. Or maybe that was from getting my head smacked into the wall. It was anyone's guess at this point. â€Å"Here,† said Adrian gently. He reached for my arms with his cuffed hands. â€Å"I can take care of this.† A slow, tingling warmth spread through my skin. At first, Adrian's touch was comforting, like an embrace. I felt my tension and pain begin to ease. All was right in the world. He was in control. He was taking care of me. He was using his magic on me. â€Å"No!† I shrieked, pulling away from him with a strength I didn't know I had. The horror and full realization of what was happening to me was too powerful. â€Å"Don't touch me! Don't touch me with your magic!† â€Å"Sage, you'll feel better, believe me,† he said, reaching toward me again. I backed away, clinging to the edge of the counter for support. The fleeting memory of that warmth and comfort was being dwarfed by the terror I'd carried my entire life for vampire magic. â€Å"No, no, no. No magic! Not on me! The tattoo will heal me! I'm strong!† â€Å"Sage – â€Å" â€Å"Stop, Adrian,† said Jill. She approached me tentatively. â€Å"It's okay, Sydney. He won't heal you. I promise.† â€Å"No magic,† I whispered. â€Å"For God's sake,† growled Adrian. â€Å"This is superstitious bullshit.† â€Å"No magic,† Jill said firmly. She took off the button-up shirt she'd been wearing over a T-shirt. â€Å"Come here, and I'll use this to wrap it so that you don't lose any more bl – â€Å" An earsplitting shriek jerked us all back toward the living room. Eddie had made his kill, driving his stake right into the middle of Dawn's chest. In my brief scuffle with Adrian and Jill, Dawn must have gotten some shots in on Eddie because there was a large red mark on one side of his face, and his lip was bleeding. The expression in his eyes was hard and triumphant, however, as he pulled the stake out and watched Dawn fall. Through all the confusion and horror, basic Alchemist instincts took over. The danger was gone. There were procedures that needed to be followed. â€Å"The bodies,† I said. â€Å"We have to destroy them. There's a vial in my purse.† â€Å"Whoa, whoa,† said Adrian as both he and Jill restrained me. â€Å"Stay where you're at. Castile can get it. The only place you're going is to a doctor.† I didn't move but immediately argued with that last statement. â€Å"No! No doctors. At least, you have to – you have to get an Alchemist one. My purse has the numbers – â€Å" â€Å"Go get her purse,† Adrian told Jill, â€Å"before she has a fit here. I'll bind the arm.† I gave him a warning look. â€Å"Without magic. Which, by the way, could make this ten times easier.† â€Å"I'll heal on my own,† I said, watching as Jill retrieved my purse. â€Å"You realize,† added Adrian, â€Å"you're going to have to get over your dieting fixation and consume some major calories to fight the blood loss. Sugar and fluids, just like Clarence. Good thing someone bagged up all this candy on the counter.† Eddie walked over to Jill, and she paused as he asked if she was okay. She assured him she was, and although Eddie looked like he could kill about fifty more Strigoi, there was also a look in his eyes†¦ something I couldn't believe I'd never noticed before. Something I was going to have to think about. â€Å"Damn it,† said Adrian, fumbling with bandages. â€Å"Eddie, go search Lee's body and see if there's a key for these goddamned handcuffs.† Jill had been caught up in talking to Eddie but froze at the words â€Å"Lee's body.† Her face went so pale, she could have been one of the dead. In all the confusion, she hadn't noticed Lee's body in the chair. There'd been too much movement with the Strigoi, too much distraction by the threat they presented. She took a few steps toward the living room, and that's when she saw him. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out right away. Then she sped forward and grabbed his hands, shrieking. â€Å"No,† she cried. â€Å"No, no, no.† She shook him, as though that would wake him. In a flash, Eddie was by her side, his arms around her as he murmured nonsensical things to soothe her. She didn't hear him. Her whole world was Lee. I felt tears spring to my eyes and hated that they were there. Lee had tried to kill me and then had summoned others to kill me. He'd left a trail of innocents in his wake. I should be glad he was gone, but still, I felt sad. He had loved Jill, in his insane way, and from the pain on her face, it was clear she'd loved him too. The spirit bond hadn't shown her his death or role in our capture. Right now, she simply thought he was a victim of Strigoi. Soon enough, she'd learn the truth about his motives. I didn't know if that would ease her pain or not. I was guessing not. Weirdly, an image of Adrian's Love painting came back to me. I thought of the jagged red streak, slashing through the blackness, ripping it apart. Staring at Jill and her inconsolable pain, I suddenly understood his art a little bit better.

Motivation-Maslows Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg Two Factor

I intend to explore Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg two factory theories and indentify the key differences that exist between them, and explain how they can be applied by managers to motivate staff. Both are examples of content theories, a content theory is one where â€Å"we can attribute a similar set of needs to all individuals† ( Fincham and Rhodes, 2005, pg 193) Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is essentially based on a pyramid depicting the different types of needs that one has. At the bottom of the hierarchy are the physiological needs, these are the subsistence needs that one needs to survive such as food, warmth clothing and shelter.The next stage up from there is the security needs, this is concerned with the need that humans have of feeling safe and away from danger. Progressing from there is the social needs, this focuses on the needs of â€Å"giving and receiving affliativeness, belonging and love† (Fincham and Rhodes, 2005, pg 195). Above that y ou have the self-esteem needs which are meeting the needs that one has for â€Å"achievement, independence and freedom†( Fincham and Rhodes, 2005, pg 195). Finally at the top are self-actualisation needs, which relates to the need of one being able to fulfil his or her full potential.If all prior needs before this stage are satisfied this can prove to be an influential source of our motivation as made evident by â€Å"Maslow contends that if we have met the other four basic needs, the need for self-actualization is ‘potent' enough to serve as our primary motivator for all behavior†. ( Oleson, 2004). The theory therefore suggests that we are first motivated by our basic needs, once this is achieved, our behaviour is focused on satisfying our safety needs, once this is achieved we look to fulfil our esteem needs, and so on and so forth.Showing that once one level is achieved, it will have little influence in motivating us, but rather it would be the above stage in the pyramid. Therefore indicating it would not be sufficient for managers just to pay employees to motivate them, as employees who have satisfied their physiological needs, they would be seeking to achieve their safety needs, from there they would be looking to satisfy social needs and so on, implying that employees would be continuously looking to fulfil more and more of their needs, â€Å"this means that employers can never do too much. Employers should strive to create opportunities for employees to satisfy as many of the needs from the pyramid as possible. For example for employees to satisfy their social needs, employers may wish to introduce more frequent group projects, or organise sports activities. To cater for the esteem needs managers may consider delegating authority to them, as this would reflect that they have faith in the competency of the worker, alternatively managers can provide the employee with the opportunity to develop their skills or qualification via trainin g at the expense of the firm, this would make the employee feel valued.Managers can use Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, to indentify which needs believe they are satisfying and this would help managers to determine which needs are yet to be satisfied, and these unfulfilled needs will become the motivator. I will now begin to discuss Herzberg’s two factor theory which was developed through interviewing 200 accountants and engineers. The theory implies that â€Å"that humans have two different sets of needs and that the different elements of the work situation satisfies or dissatisfies these needs†. ( Anderson, Gudmundson, Lundberg, 2008).The first element is referred to as the hygiene factors and relate to the â€Å"working conditions, salary, job security, company policy, supervisors and interpersonal relations† ( Fincham and Rhodes, 2005). Herzberg claimed if these factors were absent it would lead to dissatisfaction, but the mere existence of such conditio ns would not lead to increased motivation. Whereas the most intrinsic aspects of work that led to recognition, achievement and advancement were discovered to be the sources of employee satisfaction, and as such were referred to as motivators.This indicates that satisfaction and dissatisfaction arises through two different aspects of the job, one mainly concerning the work conditions, and the other the actual job itself. The theory differs to that of Maslow’s as it does not recognise pay as being a motivator but rather a hygiene factor. This means that managers who are to implement the teachings under this model should not use high salaries as a means of them trying to stimulate motivation, but should rather improve the intrinsic aspects of the job in order to enable an individual to satisfy needs of achievement, recognition etc.However, I mentioned before that the theory was established through the responses of accountants and engineers, both are well renowned and well paid m iddle class posts, meaning that under Maslow’s hierarchy of needs their basic are already likely to be fulfilled hence there is no real surprise why this did not appear as a motivator, and therefore does not contradict Maslow’s theory but rather reinforces it. A ifferent outcome may have occurred if Herzberg used professions that are not so well paid to the extent where it would be difficult for one to satisfy basic needs, such as workers in less economically developed countries that are subject to exploitation. Social needs which appear in the middle of Maslow’s hierarchy are only referred to as hygiene factors, therefore highlighting a difference of opinion between the two theories.This would be reflected in the actions taken by managers to motivate employees. Managers who are to follow the two factor theory may try and ensure that the employees are exposed to an environment where workers can socialise, as failing to do this would lead to dissatisfaction.Where as in the case for Maslow’s hierarchy of needs managers would perceive the fulfilment of social needs to act as a motivator, and therefore they may put a greater emphasis on trying to achieve this through frequent group projects, outings, and sports activities, when compared to Herzberg’s theory. What Herzberg has referred to as motivators do coincide with the self-esteem needs under Maslow, considering that they are both satisfied by common conditions such as achievement and recognition.As a result of these findings from both theories, there seems to be fairly strong evidence to suggest that employees gain a greater a deal of satisfaction from the intrinsic aspects of the job, as this is what ultimately leads to feelings of achievement, which seems to be a source through which employees gain motivation from both theories, therefore, suggesting that an effective tactic that managers can use to incite motivation within employees is to change the nature of their roles so as to incorporate opportunities where they can gain senses of achievement.This can perhaps be achieved by challenging employees, recognising their good work via reward such as promotion. Having analysed both theories, I have discovered that there are both similarities and differences between them. For example both theories assume that individuals have the same set of needs, and they also recognise that if the higher level psychological needs are satisfied such as achievement, recognition, employees would become motivated. However, where the two theories differ are with the issue of hygiene and motivators.Maslow’s hierarchy effectively perceives all levels of the pyramid as the sources of motivation if they are yet to be fulfilled, whereas Herzberg made the distinction between sources of dissatisfaction and motivation. This theory may make managers reconsider their subordinate’s job structure particularly when their ambition is to motivate staff. Under Herzberg work co nditions would not constitute as a motivator this is contrary to Maslow’s hierarchy which recognises that pay and the need to feel safe do act as sources motivation.This shows how the behaviour of managers may be different when following either of the theories. Inciting motivation from employees requires constant effort, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs stresses that once a level is achieved the influence of that level on our motivation diminished, and if we focus on the two factor theory we would also come to realise that for employees to become motivated i. e. through satisfying senses of advancement, recognition etc, managers would therefore have to continuously seek ways of adapting the intrinsic aspects of the job to cater for such needs to be fulfilled.References Anderson T. D, Gudmundson A, Lundberg C. (2009). ‘Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of work motivation tested empirically on seasonal workers in hospitality and tourism’ Tourism Management. Volume 30 Issue 6, pages 890-899. Fincham, R. and Rhodes, P. (2005). Principles of Organizational Behaviour. New York: Oxford University Press Oleson, M. (2004). ‘Exploring the relationship between money attitudes and Maslow's hierarchy of needs’ International Journal Of consumer studies, Volume 28, pages 83-92.

A Personal Opinion on Barack Obama Being the Best President in American History

A Personal Opinion on Barack Obama Being the Best President in American History When I was in first grade, Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States. The week leading up to his Inauguration, my parents were unusually excited. As my mom was brushing my hair, I remember asking â€Å"What’s the big deal?†. My mother’s response was â€Å"We are witnessing history†. Not only was he an inspiration, but to me, he was the greatest President in American History. To start with the obvious, President Obama was the first black president in American History. At the time my fellow classmates didn’t realize the scale of this movement, but looking back at our countrys history, this was a big move. Even though it seems like a long time ago, the Civil Rights Movement was less than 50 years ago. This country was built on slave labor. Flash Forward to his presidency, and out of 80 policy positions requiring Senate confirmation, President Obama appointed more than women and minorities in 53.5%, compared with 25.6 percent during George W. Bush’s presidency. (Eilperin 5) Frankly, I’m surprised most people forget that it was during President Obama’s Presidency that the mastermind behind 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, was captured and killed. That reason alone should move him to the top of our greatest presidents list. 9/11 was the single worst terrorist attack in American history, and changed the politics and policies of our nation for years to come. On June 27th, 2015, America woke up to the news that same-sex marriage was legalized. This stopped 14 states where it was illegal to marry the same sex from enforcing their discriminatory laws on the LGBT+ community. In a press conference, President Obama’s response to the ruling was something that stuck with me for the next two years. â€Å"When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free† (BBC 6). These words should apply everywhere in our country, because our diversity is what truly makes America great. Though it was controversial, President Obama attempted to create nationwide healthcare for America, under the Affordable Care Act. It was opposed because it created too many costs on business, with many describing it as a job killer. However, studies show jobs in the healthcare sector rose by 9%. (BBC 8) No matter the cost, people deserve healthcare. Even though it was a flawed system, the fact that he attempted to create nationwide healthcare was a big step in the right direction. No person is perfect, including our president. You can have the best intentions and still making the wrong decision, but the real test is what you do to correct yourself. Admitting you’ve made a mistake is something to respect in any person, especially a president. Future Presidents should admire President Obama not only for this, but for keeping a calm and level head when faced with discrimination. When President Obama was elected, he was threatened to be hung, people burned effigies of him, and tried to convince the country he wasn’t a true legal citizen. (Dionne 1) It may be the President’s job to act calm and serious, but as a human being, keeping patience during this is extremely difficult. President Barack Obama, the first black president, led the way for progressive ideas. He took down the mastermind behind 9/11, and created nationwide healthcare. Not only this, but President Obama led the way for other minorities to take places in office. Soon, maybe we’ll have our first Hispanic, or even Muslim President! But for now I, along with the rest of America, will look back fondly and with respect to his presidency.

Social science 300 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Social science 300 - Essay Example It is an element of mental destruction that happens between families. Children seem to be the worst affected in the whole scenario. They store pictures of torture and fights within their memories and this is one feeling which is pretty difficult to get rid of. Psychologically, it affects them more than the persons who were in a marriage before they decided to forego the bond itself – the bond of marriage, now changed into a divorce deed. (Shaw, Winslow & Flanagan, 1999) Socially, it leaves a scar on the children so much so that they start getting alienated from other kids of the same age. They converse less and as a result open up negligibly. They seldom speak out what is within them and hurting from inside. They seem to be in a constant fight with their existence and life for them becomes a problem – a problem that has got no bearing on their actions and yet they are on the receiving end. Academically, these children fall back on the track of education and are less int erested at gaining the new avenues of knowledge and information. They seem unwelcoming to the new technological changes and are happy with their lives, in a desolate area with no one in company. Life for them is a slow killer but a killer for sure. In this paper, the aspect of family remaining as a single knitted unit is highlighted and all the significant elements of keeping a family as a solitary entity are discussed so that a relational basis with psychological comprehension and relationship binding is established in essence. (Chomsky, 2003) With the passage of time, these children grow up to a less secure financial environment and they fall back on their expenses most of the times. They are usually dependent on one of their parents, with the one they live most of the times or in instances where both the parents have let gone on them, they are dependent on their guardians, which could be just about anyone. They are always trying to make both ends meet and

The Value of a Listing in Nestle Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Value of a Listing in Nestle - Case Study Example The case study provides four options in order to make a decision concerning the listing of Alcon Company. The CEO of Alcon Company, Brabeck decided to list the company in the stock market so the whole financial world would recognize its value (Desai et al., 2006, p4). The four options that were considered by the stock market decision to list Alcon were Swiss stock market, American Depository Receipt (ADR), U. S. Stock Markets and Dual listing (Swiss and U.S. stock Markets). By using the first option, Swiss Listing, the company can gain a lot and the ROI would be high through the simplification of a relationship between Alcon and Nestle. With the dual listing, the ROI would not be so much high since the company would incur a lot of expenses in registering in both countries. With the U. S. listing, Alcon Company can gain average income since it would not incur a lot of expenses in listing in one country. Finally, the last option, American Depository Receipt (ADR), would not result to high ROI due to the fact that the method is most applicable with foreign companies (Desai et al., 2006, p6-7). The best option would be listing Alcon in Swiss Stock Market. One risk that would be involved by listing the company is Swiss is lack of shareholders to buy the shares of the company. The other risk would disagreement between the top management concerning the listing. One risk that would be involved in lowering the price is that the investors’ may be afraid and prefer to buy the Nestle shares instead. The other risk would be the rejection of the price by both the Nestle Company and the stock market. The alternative plan for this recommendation would be for the Alcon Company to offer the same price for their shares as Nestle Company.

Business Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business Law and Ethics - Essay Example Ethically it becomes the responsibility of the all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the cost allocations are made in accordance with the ethically acceptable procedure. This also means that the inefficiencies of the government in allocating costs properly shall be identified and must be shared in order to restrict the loss. If alternative cost allocation mechanism is faulty, it is most certain that the losses will be incurred and overall responsibility of failure will therefore fall on those who basically fail to properly account for the alternative costs identified at the initial stage. It is also important to understand that the overall cost allocation and prevention of loss must be devised in such a manner that it can provide an organization enough time to prepare for its response in case of extreme external situations. The greater role of regulators therefore may serve as an strong deterrence against such type of approaches. The article that I am going to discuss is about the â€Å"fees on debit and credit transactions raise costs for all, critics say† published in Washington Post on June 3, 2009.1 This article discusses as to how the hidden costs on the credit as well as debit cards make the purchasing as more expensive for those who prefer to pay cash. The charging of unauthorized commissions by the consumers therefore require that there must be an increase in the social costs for using this type of service. Paying higher fees against your debit or credit card therefore requires the more extensive role of government. Though, according to the article, Bankers argue that this type of fee is necessarily important in order to run the credit system however, it also, on the other hand, attempt to increase the cost for consumers. Thus the overall cost allocation/loss approaches might not have been used at

Are leaders born successful or can they be trained Essay

Are leaders born successful or can they be trained - Essay Example However, to achieve such goals they must have broader skills and trait sets that allow them to think and act globally. Such traits are charisma, creativity, flexibility, achievement drive, motivation, honesty, integrity, self-confidence, cognitive ability and emotional stability (Elliot, 1994). Nevertheless, there is an issue that always arises when we are trying to understand the nature of the leaders. Are such skills and traits inherited or any of us can be trained to become a leader? Are leaders born? This controversial issue has been an object of study for centuries. There are many theories that suggest that to become an authentic leader, one has to be born with a distinct set of personal characteristics. Such as ‘The great man theory of leadership’ that became very popular since the 19th century. Many historians and scientists examined this theory. â€Å"Effective leaders are those gifted with divine inspiration and the right characteristics.† This theory is based on the study of people who were already world’s legendary leaders such us Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Alexander the Great (Bass, 1990). The conception of Traits Theory of Leadership also suggests that leaders are given special qualities that separate them from their followers. The leadership is defined in terms of traits of personality and character. To be even more precise, (Bird 1940) compiled a list of seventy-nine such attributes, from twenty psychological oriented studies (Bass, 1990). People declared as leaders, or sometimes even as heroes, presented features like superior intelligence, physical strength, moral force, charisma, self-confidence and an unbelievable desire to succeed. Those divine virtues given to them, enabled born leaders to stand out from the masses and achieve great things, regardless of setting or situation (Bass, 1990). Many scientists also consider the phenomena of leadership as the set of the right qualities or persona lity that are innate. The ability to lead is directly linked to one's personality. Moreower, there is a special brain chemistry between leaders and followers. The high levels of serotonin appear to promote leadership (Cawthon, 2006). Numerous contemporary studies have revealed that genes affect a variety of leadership abilities. The innate qualities influence your attitude toward leadership, your willingness to take leadership role and even what kind of leader a person might become. Some portion of your attitude toward leadership is hidden in your DNA. Through many studies, we know that genetics accounts for about 40 percent of the difference between people in what they think of leadership. The same genetic predispositions that accounted for our ancestors’ interest to heading up the hunting party or running the clan, it seems, the same happens today, affecting our lives in modern organizations (Shane, 2010). Professor Scott Shane (2010, pp.122-123) also suggests that the DNA influences whether you move up in your company or not. Because people tend to engage in behaviors that they are good at, those with the genes that predispose them to develop leadership potential are more likely to move toward leadership roles. Genes influence whether you become a leader through your personality traits, social

Prophecy and Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prophecy and Justice - Essay Example For instance, the Israelites had a conviction that divine messages were often communicated to a prophet via visions and dreams. This paper discusses ancient prophets from their different background because each prophet spoke primarily in and their own life situation. In most circumstances, prophets were against a social or king’s policies or religious injustice in the society (Frigge 77). Prophet message was a reality that many people feared to hear. In addition, prophets faced opposing and suffering at the hands of their people and leaders such as Kings. It is vital to note that Israel had both female and male prophets who delivered Gods messages to the people. Prophets believed that they received divine call from Yahweh to proclaim God message to the people. In both the old and new testament the word of God is preached relentlessly with proclamation that those who do not adhere to the teachings of God, will burn in hell while those who listens and practices the word of God w ill go to heaven and thus have an eternal life. For a long time, Israel had an oracle culture in that the spoken word of God was very significant in a person’s life. This is because it conveyed the information from God and meant the presence of the person speaking (Frigge 77). Examples of the prophet who prophesized are Amos, Hosea, first Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and second Isaiah. Prophets used symbolic language in order to pass their information to the people. For instance, marriage relationship was used to show that God was seen as a faithful husband while the people as unfaithful wife; adultery and prostitution showed Israel praise and worship of false gods. More so, vine and vineyard was used to present Israel as vine planted in good soil and given maximum care by God. Unfortunately, the Vine produced rotten fruits which resemble the behavior of Israelites (St. Mary’s Bible). In addition, God is presented as a caring and loving father who cared for his children. Prophets were called discern Gods message to the people at a crucial point in Israel when there was political and religious intolerance. They were given the role to come and give message of peace and hope to those who were exploited by the government. Prophets came to proclaim justice for the people in that they warned people to worship God alone. In this sense, the people of Israel were offer rituals worship to God in that worship of any other was not right as per the law of Torah. In addition, people were encouraged to practice and exercise social justice since they were Gods people. For them to be free they were to treat one another righteously as God treated them; therefore, they were to care and liberate for each other as children of God. They warned that those people, who resisted the prophets, resisted Gods word and therefore, they were destined to perish. After the exile, God was willing to act again and give life in order to bring people back to covenant faithfulness. Due t o God’s mercy to his people, he was ready to give them a second chance to work for him (St. Mary’s Bible). The leaders had failed to direct their subjects to the right path in that they engaged in all sorts of political and religious injustice making their people to follow what they said. For instance, some leaders made their subjects to worship idols and did not care about the weakest and poor people in society. In order to save his people from exploitation, Davidic covenant was instituted to protect and preserve the

Violations of human rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Violations of human rights - Essay Example In some other countries, financial and community privileges are not applied, therefore, the primary impression behind focusing human privileges is that all government authorities should try to maintain these important privileges and get that all kinds of elegance in this regard are exterminated. The United Nations on Decembers 10, 1948 implemented the worldwide announcement of Individual Rights and called upon the different member countries to guarantee all a person’s privileges to their individuals. Dec 10 thus became an ancient day in the history around the globe history. As such this day, i.e. Dec 10 is therefore recognized all over the globe every season as Individual Rights Day. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enumerates two sets of human rights or privileges. The first set of privileges is civil and political rights such as right to independence of conversation or expression, right to lifestyle and freedom, right to equivalent rights before law, right to have legal remedy, right to shift easily and right to elect or take aspect in the government of ones nation. The second set of privileges is economic and social rights. These privileges consist of right to perform, right to have rest and enjoyment, right to have a good quality of lifestyle, right to details and right to have equivalent pay for equivalent performance. Many kinds of breach or violations and discrimination of human privileges are seen in different areas around the globe. For example, Amnesty International’s 2009 World Report and other sources display that in 81 countries individuals are tormented or misused, Face biased trials in at least 54 countries, Limited in their independence of appearance in about 77 countries. (Amnesty.org) Functions of pain and ill therapy are regularly dedicated by government security solutions and equipped categories, such as continual thrashings, attacks

Buying a Computer Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buying a Computer - Term Paper Example This paper intends to analyze two computers of similar ranges and decide on the best possible option for a particular user. Description of the Chosen Computers The two computers that have been selected to analyze prior to purchase are HP Pavilion p7-1515 Desktop PC and OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell. Both these computers come below the range of US$800 and have certain attractive features in them. Both the personal computers are capable of performing various tasks and are quite user-friendly. Furthermore, both the products come from well known brands and have good brand value. The most important aspect of both the machines is that they will be quite affordable in terms of budget of people as they come at a reasonable price for buyers. Analysis of Both the Computers From the above observation, it has been noted that both the computers i.e. HP Pavilion p7-1515 Desktop PC and OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell have certain attractive features that can draw people quite easily. However, it impo rtant to understand that features of any computer should be capable of fulfilling all the requirements of the users. Thus, it is vital to analyze both the machines and depict whether they would be able to meet the requirements of users or not. ... Furthermore, an in depth analysis of HP Pavilion p7-1515 Desktop PC suggests that the machine is inbuilt with Intel ® Coreâ„ ¢ i5-3470 (3.2 GHz ) and a supporting operating system of Microsoft Windows 8. The speed of the processor is 3.2 GHz which will allow users the opportunity to get work done at a considerable speed. The hard drive of the machine is 1 TB 7200 rpm SATA which is quite impressive for a machine that costs less than US$800. In addition to this, the optical drive of the computer has provides SuperMulti DVD burner that will enable users to perform tasks like reading data and listing to any sort of audio at a rapid speed. Moreover, the user will also get networking feature at 802.11b/g/n along with 4 USB 2.0 which will ensure a better working experience for them. Moreover, USB optical mouse and keyboard are also provided (HP, 2013). Subsequently, the software package that comes with this particular model will catch maximum attraction of people. The inbuilt software with the device includes software package of Norton Internet Security 2013 with an availability of 60-day subscription period among others. Moreover, Amazon Kindle e-reader, CyberLink PhotoDirector, HP Connected Remote along with Photo which is powered by Snapfish, Netflix, CyberLink PowerDVD among others are other pertinent and attractive software offerings. The price of the product is US$669 which is among the vital attractions of the product (HP, 2013). OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell Similar to the above discussed product, OptiPlex 3010 Desktop by Dell also possesses similar sort of features that will attract users. The package can be purchased along with 17 inches Flat Panel monitor of Dell that ensures high quality view to the

Global Leaders Essay Example for Free

Global Leaders Essay For my essay I chose Nicolas Sarkozy, who is the President of the French Republic. I would describe Nicolas Sarkozy’s leadership style as visionary, affiliative, commanding and pacesetting. Nicolas Sarkozy has a reputation as being â€Å"confident and fast-paced† and â€Å"aggressive†. I would consider Mr. Sarkozy as a visionary on the fact that he was once a lawyer and is close to his people. Mr. Sarkozy inspires people with his vision and reforms. Mr. Sarkozy is affiliative by boosting morale during the economies downturn by saving the French company Alstom. Mr. Sarkozy would be considered commanding and pacesetting on the bases that he is very focus driven and has high standards that he expects to be done when he wants them done. I chose to compare U. S. President Barack Obama to French Republic President Nicolas Sarkozy. I would consider President Obama as the â€Å"new school† style of leadership as opposed to President Sarkozy’s â€Å"old school† style of leadership. I would describe Mr. Obama’s leadership as visionary, coaching, democratic. Mr. Obama and Mr. Sarkozy leadership styles defer in that President Obama is not an aggressive leader but instead puts more effort into the visionary, coaching, and democratic approach to get the people’s value and support. While President Sarkozy has a more my way or the highway approach and more effort is put towards the affiliative, pacesetting and commanding leadership style. Both Presidents have a common style of being visionaries; they spend time in inspiring their people on the course that should be taken.

Fiery Nationalism Essay Example for Free

Fiery Nationalism Essay For more than five centuries it has been, and remains, the world’s â€Å"most powerful idea†. Nationalism is a key characteristic of traditional global politics. Despite its strength however, nationalism is not as dominant a political identity as it once was. Nationalism had existed throughout human civilization; it became a major political movement, in large part because of centuries of imperialism. As countries expanded their borders through warfare and colonialism, the map of the world was completely redrawn. Geographic lines were shifted to create political entities based on the â€Å"winners† and â€Å"losers† of conflicts rather than based on ethnic lines of indigenous populations. Nationalism is a doctrine invented in Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It pretends to supply a criterion for the determination of the unit of population proper to enjoy a government exclusively its own, for the legitimate exercise of power in the state, and for the right organization of a society of states. Briefly, the doctrine holds that humanity is naturally divided into nations, that nations are known by certain characteristics which can be ascertained, and that the only legitimate type of government is national self-government. Another definitions of nationalism are: devotion and loyalty to one’s own nation; excessive patriotism; the desire for national advancement or independence; the policy or doctrine of asserting interest of one’s own nation, viewed as separate from the interest of other nations or the common interest of all nations. Referring to the period 1900-1920, the positive part about nationalism as a political movement was that it allowed them to come together and overthrow imperialism. By the beginning of the twentieth century, nationalist movements threatened to tear apart the established empires and the world order the empires had created. On the other hand, the negative part was that it led to colonial wars for independence and civil wars within countries comprised of multiple nations. The problem for nationalist was that it was often difficult to determine exactly where some ethnics group began and others ended, which led to conflict between nationalities living together within a country. It’s true that imperialism and militarism were factors in WWI, but both were byproducts of nationalist governments. The alliance system also would not have caused war if it were not for nationalism. Serbian seeking to gain territory at Austria-Hungary’s expense, and members of a secret society collaborated together to kill the Austrian heir to the throne. This was the spark plug, nationalism, for the war. Nationalist-driven violence was certainly nothing new in the Balkans and what was left of the Ottoman Empire, so it was somewhat surprising that a politically motivated assassination in the region could lead to such large-scale warfare. No one thought it would take much longer than six months to wrap up, because each believed its alliance was clearly superior to other. Instead, the violence dragged into one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. From the period 1921-1945, the Interwar years from 1919 to 1939, it is a period that the conflict was not ended. Nationalism was negative. The frustrated nationalism created by the Treaty of Versailles, the social effects of the Great Depression and ongoing investment in military technology were the road for the next war WWII. In 1929, the Wall Street Market crash and hit Germany hard because the economy was built on mostly loans from America and was dependent on trade, so when the loans needed to be paid and there was no trade, Germany’s industrialism stopped; German workers were laid off, banks failed so saving and accounts were wiped out, inflation made it difficult to purchases necessities. Hitler decided that he needed to do everything at a political level, so that he will be seen as a legitimate leader and not someone associated with violence and bad things; he wanted to highlight the failings of other political parties. Hitler’s inflamed sense of nationalism encouraged him to share his beliefs and values with his fellow countrymen. His strong dependence on his beliefs gave him the reassurance he needed to do whatever he could to further his cause, no matter what people thought about him. Depression really took hold of Germany, and Germany had to repay the debt created by the Young Plan; Hitler tried to defeat the Young plan and this campaign made him a political force throughout the country; in his campaigning he turned down his Jewish hatred and promised to get rid of Communists and â€Å"other enemies† and to reunite Germany and other German speaking parts of Europe. Extremist were losing popularity because stability was returning; German Nationalist party made him respectable asking for him to help campaign against the Young plan’s repayment arrangements; Nazi party won 18.3% of the vote in September 1930. German nationalism made German citizens sympathize with one another, and the thought of more or worse poverty because of the repayments to America worried them all. Hitler, although not the most popular politician in the works at the time, definitely was able to wiggle his foot in the door because of the small amount of doubt in the minds of the people. Hitler was trying to create a sense of nationalism in German people, to the point where they felt they were better than any person of any other race. By creating a clear separation, Hitler was able to set the German’s apart from others living in the same area. Hitler felt that the only way Germany would return to order was through the Nazi regime. By combining Chancellor and President, he ensured that he would be at the head of the government and could spread his fiery nationalism to his people. German citizens may not marry or have sex with Jews in order to keep the blood pure (punishment of hard labor); Jews are not allowed to employ female German citizens under 45 as domestic workers (punishment of imprisonment or hard labor). Hitler really began to try to drive a wedge between Germans and Jews so that nationalism was felt very differently by the two different groups. In encouraging the nationalism and superiority in the German citizens, he made them feel better and feel against the Jews. Hitler formally ends obedience to the Treaty of Versailles; German warplanes attack a Spanish town, and this becomes the first air bombardment of an undefended town in history. Hitler outlines plans for a future war, confiding in his general of his intent to destroy Czechoslovakia; this was the beginning of Hitler’s process of beginning war. Nationalism flexes its muscles here, as the Germans show their new might in their air force and their defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, hereby raising confidence of the German people in their own government and fear of Germany for other countries. The German people were ready for a war. They believed because their leader had taught them to, that the only way to improve their situation was to fight for it. Nationalism prepared them for a war, and not only were they ready for the act, but they were ready to accept the consequences. Their need for stability as a country transcended other needs, and they were ready to do what it took to achieve their goals. WWII was the result of Fascism, and fascism involved nationalism. It is about returning one’s nation glory days. Hitler and Mussolini both sought to take lands that they felt were those of their nation. Hitler wanted the land Germany had lost in war, and much more. Some of the most horrific parts of WWII, such as Holocaust, were direct products of nationalism. Jews were considered to be a different nation by Germans and thus, the government tried to eliminate them, along with others who they felt were not real Germans. From the period 1946-1999 people have been promised self-determination and were frustrated when the political leaders they trusted to deliver it had failed to do so. This period nationalism was in some part positive. This time they would fight for independence and create their own identities through civil war, political revolutions, and migration. With ongoing nationalistic-driven, postcolonial, and identity-related violence marking almost every region of the world and a â€Å"cold war† prevailing on a global level, the structure for the latter half of the twentieth century was established. The Cold war was an ideological conflict in which is side use its growing military technology and alliances systems to stop the spread of the opposing ideology. Because no one wanted a nuclear holocaust, the superpowers relied on others (proxies) to engage in battles for them. The process of decolonization was the final death toll of the imperial system that structured the world until the mid-twentieth century. And because it took place in the midst of a Cold war rivalry with two superpowers vying for ideological control, the process was fraught with violence. Nationalist sought independence from foreign domination. The most violent example how the Cold war affected decolonization was the civil war in Vietnam. The fifteen-year military conflict funded by the United States, the USSR and the PRC showed the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America what decolonization could lead to during the competitive Cold War, and it certainly was not independence. Arab nationalism rose up against centuries of Western imperialism; Islam took on Judaism and Christianity; and ethnic and religious groups fought over territory each claimed legal and history rights to. Also we see, Africa nationalist movement demanded independence some came peacefully, other not. Ghana was a peaceful transition under Kwame Nkrumah, and for Kenya was a violent transition under Jomo Kenyatta. India had been a British colony for many years, the movement led by Mohandas Gandhi pushed for independence, he used a peaceful way not violent- methods to get independence. In conclusion, in my opinion, nationalism has been a positive force, but it has also brought despair and destruction to the world. One side of positive nationalism: which I defined as the proper love of one’s country and the respect which is due to every culture and nation. The other side, the negative nationalism: an unhealthy form of nationalism, which teaches contempt for other nations or cultures and seeks to advance the well-being of one’s own nation at the expense of others.

Descartes Dream Argument Essay

Descartes Dream Argument Essay In Meditation One Rene Descartes brings up the theory concerning those things that can be called into doubt. At the beginning of the meditation Descartes tells us that he wants to reject (or try to reject all of his beliefs). He is trying to accomplish this seemingly impossible feat because as he has matured he has witnessed how numerous were the false opinions that in [his] youth [he] had taken to be true and he had built all his other ideas on those foundations. He also mentions that in order to establish anything firm and lasting then he must free his mind of all presuppositions and see which beliefs are still valid. To accomplish this goal, it would be impossible to call into question every single belief. Descartes believes that if he eliminates his foundation beliefs, then the other beliefs that have been built on top of them will crumble. To be able to doubt any of his foundations, Descartes believes that two steps must be taken in order to truly call in to question or make dub itable these beliefs. The first step is to explain how ones beliefs went wrong, and the second is to explain how things would be different if this belief were to be false. This second step is the most important because if Descartes is unable to imagine a world where one of his beliefs is wrong how can that idea possibly be questioned? The easiest way for Descartes to question his beliefs would be to believe that the senses are unreliable and that they trick us at times. Descartes goes on to tell us that the senses are sometimes deceptive and the senses have tricked him in the past, so they could be tricking him now. This gives weight to cases where the object is a long was off, in bad light, etc. An ordinary sense deception provides a reason for doubting beliefs about objects a long way off, but not objects that are up close and personal in plain view. To be able to bring into question things that are up close and personal in plain view Descartes creates the dream argument and it ha s a very unique view on how dreams can be so real at times that one may not be able to tell the difference when he is dreaming or awake. The dream argument is designed to call into question the existence of the material world. The reason that Descartes creates the dream argument is for the sake of calling into doubt sensory judgments; these are judgments about material things. Descartes believes that ordinary misperception occurs quite often and that the senses lead one to make false judgments. The example that Descartes provides in his meditation is a very simple and clear one. First Descartes has an experience (we will call this E1) that prompts the judgment where he is sitting next to a fire, wearing his winter dressing gown. During this first experience (E1) Descartes has a visual experience of himself sitting next to the fire and wearing his winter dressing gown. Next, Descartes lets us know that he had another experience (E2) and this prompts the same judgment where he is sitt ing next to the fire and wearing his winter dressing gown. The distinctive thing about his last experience (E2) is that he had this experience during a dream. Through these two experiences Descartes comes to the conclusion that there are no definitive signs by which to distinguish being awake from being asleep. Descartes later goes on to explain the significance of the dream argument. First off, all judgments about the material world are based on experience. Secondly, if an experience is dreamt, that is a reason to doubt the judgment based on it. Finally, for any experience (E) there is no way to tell if it is a dreamt or waking experience. These three rules lead to a final conclusion that all judgments based on experience are dubitable. With this conclusion Descartes has shaken the foundations of all of his beliefs. Of course not everything can be answered by the dream argument; there are questions that arise that Descartes is unable to provide an answer for solely with his one the ory. It could be argued that the images we form in dreams can only be made up of bits and pieces of real experience combined in novel ways. This obviously means that without reality and the act of being awake we would not be able to create the things that we could misinterpret without ever waking. Although we can doubt the surface structure of our reality, we have no reason to doubt the things that make up the basics of our daily life. (In particular, there is no reason to doubt the arithmetic and geometric properties that the material world is made out of.) However, in the Sixth Meditation Descartes adopts a position calling into doubt the dream argument and states that there is an obvious way of telling the difference between dreaming and being awake, because dreams are never joined by [his] memory with all the other actions of life. However, to bring a counterpoint to what is said in the Sixth Meditation, Descartes might have stated the following justifications. Just because experiences in dreams are not remembered or interrelated to our waking life does not mean that the dream world during sleep is not another form of reality. Many times I have had dreams that are very vivid and completely leave my mind while awake. However, as I return to bed and prepare to go to sleep these vivid dreams come rushing back as though my psychic being is preparing to enter the dream world. The dream world experienced while asleep may indeed be a completely different dimension that our psychic consciousness goes to. There may be an infinite amount of pl ains that we visit while we are in this dream world. They have no relation to the physical world or experiences that we have while awake therefore; that is why we encounter persons, places and things that are completely unknown and irrelevant to us in the reality we experience while awake. Therefore, who is to say which state is the most real? As we spend almost as much time sleeping as we do awake. Some experiences while awake are primarily to nourish our physical bodies. However, our psychic emotional states may be nourished more while in the dream state as opposed to the repetitive mundane experiences from daily life. It is highly possible that our consciousness develops more while being immersed in the dream state more so than in the waking state which goes hand in hand with the statement reality sucks.

Excessive Suspension of Disbelief: Raymond Jeans La Lectrice Essay

Excessive Suspension of Disbelief: Raymond Jean's La Lectrice When I begin a class in fiction or poetry, I always talk for a few minutes about the various purposes of literature: escape, didactic, and interpretive. I tell my students that escape literature is a wonderful way to forget our problems for a while (less dangerous than drugs, alcohol, careless sex, or driving), but that escape literature can be harmful if one expects one's personal life to be as exciting, successful, or romantic as that in escape fiction. As Meg Ryan's friend says to her in Sleepless in Seattle, "You don't want to be in love. You want to be in love in a movie." Thus my title, "Excessive Suspension...." In The Literary Work of Art (1931, trans. 1965), Roman Ingarden analyses the layers of meaning he beleves exist within a work of fiction. His theories were popularized by Renà © Wellek in Theory of Literature (Wellek and Warren). Ingarden identifies four strata. The first is the sound stratum, which he defines as "the stratum of word sounds and phonetic formations of various orders: the second is "the stratum of units of meaning of various orders and phonetic formations of various orders"; the third includes objects represented in the "world" of the novelist, which he defines as "the stratum of manifold schematized aspects and aspect continua and series" (Literary Work of Art, 30); and the fourth includes the stratum of represented objectivities and their vicissitudes" or the world as it "is seen from a particular viewpoint." As Ingarden complains in his preface to his second edition, Wellek had erroneously added a fifth layer, that of metaphysical qualities, which include "the tragic, the terrible, [and] the holy." Ingarden argues th... ...s read and view and how those fictions shape us. La Lectrice is a testimony to the power a written text may have-that even a single reading experience may permanently change a reader's life. But, most of all, La Lectrice is great fun. But, as the policeman cautions the lectrice, "Reading is fine, but look where it leads. When you read a book, anything can happen." Works Cited Ingarden, Roman. The Literary Work of Art. Trans. George G. Grabowicz. Evanston: Northwestern UP, 1973. From Das literarisch Kunstwerk. Tà ¼bingen: Max Neimeyer Vertag, 1965. -----. The Cognition of Literary Work of Art. Trans. George G. Grabowicz. Evanston: Northwestern UP, 198. From Von Erkennen des literarisch Kunstwerk. Tà ¼bingen: Max Neimeyer Vertag, 1973. Deville, Michel, dir. La Lectrice (film). Elefilm, 1988. Jean [Kermer], Raymond, La Lectrice (novel). Editions J'ai lu, 1986.

Phosphates :: essays research papers

Phosphates Phosphates may be created by substituting some or all of the hydrogen of a phosphoric acid by metals. Depending on the number of hydrogen atoms that are replaced, the resulting compound is described as a primary, secondary or tertiary phosphate. Primary and secondary phosphates contain hydrogen and are acid salts. Secondary and tertiary phosphates, with the exception of those of sodium, potassium and ammonium are insoluble in water. Tertiary sodium phosphate is valuable as a detergent and water softener. The primary phosphates tend to be more soluble. Phosphates, which are an important component to metabolism in both plants and animals, help in the first step in oxidation of glucose in the body. Primary calcium phosphate is an ingredient of plant fertilizer. Phosphates have caused increasing attention recently. The focus is on the environmentally harmful effects in household detergents. Wastewater, from laundering agents, contains phosphates, which are said to be a water pollutant. Most laundry detergents contain approximately 35% to 75% sodium triphosphate (Na5P3O10), which serves two purposes. Providing an alkaline solution (pH 9.0 to 10.5) is necessary for effective cleansing and also to tie up calcium and magnesium ions found in natural waters and prevent them from interfering with the cleansing role of the detergent. Eutrophication is the progressive over-fertilization of water, in which festering masses of algae's blooms, choking rivers and lakes. Phosphorus compounds act as a fertilizer for all plant life, whether free-floating algae or more substantial rooted weeds, and are implicated in eutrophication. Many countries control phosphate levels, whereas Switzerland has banned the use of phosphates. The marine environment is both fragile and more resistant than the terrestrial ecosystem. It is fragile for the reasons that nutrients are generally present in very low concentrations, permanently consumed by living organisms and pollutants diffuse rapidly. Lakes and rivers are extremely complex ecosystems. Nutrients are taken up by both algae and rooted weeds. The weeds act as a shelter for fish larvae and zooplankton, both of which eat algae and are, in turn, eaten by larger fish. Scientists have concluded that unpolluted lakes can absorb surprisingly large amounts of phosphates without uncertainty. When a fertilizer, such as a phosphate, is added more algae will grow, and consequently will the populations of zooplankton and fish. Difficulties only arise when the lake is already impure. Zooplankton are sensitive to their environment and many substances are toxic to them. If any of these substances, including phosphates, are present the zooplankton population cannot increase. Adding phosphates to this polluted system will case algae growth. The floating masses cut off the light supply. Weeds die and decompose using up dissolved oxygen, and causing sulfurous smells

Uzbekistan: Economy :: essays research papers fc

Overview:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 11% consists of intensely cultivated, irrigated river valleys. More than 60% of its population lives in densely populated rural communities. Uzbekistan is now the world’s second largest cotton exporter, a large producer of gold and oil, and a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery. The IMF suspended Uzbekistan’s $185 million standby arrangement in late 1996 because of government steps to the negative external conditions generated by the Asian and Russian financial export and currency controls within its already largely closed economy. Economic policies that have repelled foreign investment are a major factor in the economy’s stagnation. A growing debt burden, persistent inflation, and a poor business climate led to disappointing growth in 2001. However, in December 2001 the government voiced a renewed interest in economic reform, seeking advice from the IMF and other financia l institutions (World 7). After independence, Uzbekistan tried to support inefficient state enterprises and shield consumers from the shocks of rapid economic reform. These policies eventually led to severe inflation and an economic crisis. Reforms brought inflation down to manageable levels and small businesses began to grow. Larger institutions are seeking joint ventures with international corporations. However, currency and trade restrictions remain too tight to encourage significant foreign investment. Falling global gold, copper, and cotton prices also hurt the economy. A privatization program is slowly being implemented with international support. Privatization is necessary to raise hard currency and promote economic development (Republic 4). GDP: purchasing power parity—$62 billion (2001 est.) GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,500 (2001est.) GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 33% industry: 24% services: 43% (2001 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 23% (2001 est.) Labor force: 11.9 million (1998 est.) Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 44%, industry 20%, services 36% (1995) Unemployment rate: 10% plus another 20% underemployed (1999 est.) Budget: revenues: $4billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (1999 est.) Industries: textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas, and chemicals Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2000) Electricity—production: 40.075 billion kWh (2000) Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 86.95% hydro: 13.05% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) Electricity—consumption: 4189 billion kWh (2000) Electricity—exports: 4.1 billion kWh (2000) Electricity—imports: 5 billion kWh (2000) Agriculture—products: cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock Exports: $2.8 billion (2001 est.) Exports—commodities: cotton 41.5%, gold 9.6%, energy products 9.6%, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals, textiles, food products, and automobiles (1998 est.) Exports—partners: Russia16.7%, Switzerland 8.3%, UK 7.2%Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Western Europe Imports: $4.1 billion (1998)

Roles of Gladiators in Roman Society

Gladiators were mostly unfree individuals either condemned criminals, prisoners of wars who had lost their citizenship rights, although, some of them were volunteers who were mostly freedmen or very low classes of freeborn men who chose to be a slave for monetary rewards or for the fame. Gladiators were brought for the purpose of gladiatorial combat and would endure branding, chains, flogging or death by the sword and subjected to a rigorous training, fed on a high-energy diet, and given expert medical attention.Gladiators were famously popular in ancient from for seven centuries, from the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD fairly late in the Public occupied a prominent position in roman society, they would fight in massive amphitheatres, the most famous being the Colosseum in Rome. The games slowly transformed into spectator, a form of public execution and was seen by the public as entertainment in simpler, rougher times. It escalated as the Romans valued the art of killing and ac ted as a distraction for its citizens, allowed them to release their violent impulses and aggression within a completely separate social realm.We can assume that there were gladiatorial fights before this in Rome but were not recorded and the tradition of gladiatorial combats did not evolve in Rome but considered to have come from the Etruscans. The first recorded gladiatorial fight was in Rome during 264 BC at the funeral of Decimus Iunius Brutus Pera and was organised by his sons to pay honour to their deceased father. Three pairs of gladiators fought against each other to the death at his funeral pyre. It was believed that the ritually shed blood reconciled the dead with the living.We can assume that there were gladiatorial fights before this in Rome, but were not recorded and the tradition of gladiatorial combats did not evolve in Rome but considered to have come from the Etruscans. In Tomb 7 of the necropolis Gaudo near Paestum shows fighting between two men wearing attic helme ts of South-Italian type, armour and shields attacking each other with spears. This painting could depict the early types of gladiators and provides evidence that suggest Campania may be the origins of gladiators since the first amphitheatre was built there.Also, the historians Livius, Strabo and Silius Italicus state that at Campanian banquets gladiators fought to entertain the evening party. Gladiators were formed into troupes called â€Å"Familia gladiatorium† and owned by a person called Ianista who recruited, arranged for training and made decisions of where and when the gladiators fought. The gladiators were first asses by a Lanista, a doctor and gladiator trainers when entering gladiator school to commence training. Gladiator trainers who worked in schools were often retired gladiators who specialised in specific combat styles and weapons.There were different types of gladiators who focussed on different fighting styles and weapons that suited them. For example, those who fought in heavy armour weighed them down and were slower which made them require different techniques, while gladiators in light armour were fast and light. The gladiators did not wear Roman military amour since it would send the wrong political signal to the people. Instead they used the weaponry of non-Roman people, to play the role of the enemies. A wooden pole called a palus was used to practice moves with a sword, it allowed a gladiator o practise various strokes such as thrusting, cutting, and slicing.Trained gladiators had the possibility of surviving and even thriving. Some gladiators did not fight more than two or three times a year, and the best of them became popular heroes. After each fight they were paid, plus donations from the crowd and if he was able to outlive his opponents in the arena for 5 years, he would be free and granted citizenship which he could then become a gladiator trainer or a freelance bodyguard. Gladiators were distinguished by the kind of armour they wore, the weapon they use and they style of fighting.Usually gladiators stayed in one category, and matches were played so that they were 2 different categories of gladiators. Some classes are the Eques began their matches on horseback, but ended in hand-to-hand combat. They wore tunics, bronze helmets, round shields and a long sword. Another class was the Hoplomachus who fought with a long spear as well as a short sword or dagger; he wore a visored helmet with crest and long greaves over both legs to protect them since he carried only a small shield, usually round.The attacking class was the Provocator was the most heavily armed and the only one who wore a pectoral covering; the extent of the armour hindered the gladiator’s ability to dodge making it slower and agile. However, he was pair with another gladiator to assist him. Battles generally took place on the Roman Forum, until the mid 1st-century BC since there was no permanent amphitheatre. In the imperial period, gladiatorial games were traditionally held twice a year in December and March to mark the end of the year and beginning of spring.Gladiatorial combat involved beast hunting where the Romans had passion for hunting. For fighting beast, Romans preferred big and dangerous animals – bears, bulls, elephants and lions from the far reaches of the Roman Empire. Rarely did the animals survive these hunts though occasionally very few animals survived these hunts and defeat the hunter. Many of wild animals would be slaughter in a day. Usually criminals would battle the animals without weapons or armour and were considered the lowest class of participants in the games.Entry to the games was free. It was seen as a citizen’s right to see the games, not a luxury. However, there was frequently not enough room, leading to angry scuffles outside. Gladiatorial combat can be seen as an education of Roman values, notably, strength, courage, training/discipline, endurance and the contempt o f death. In other words, it demonstrated soldierly values by illustrating military ideas by punishing cowardly gladiators and praising the victors.The games served as a distraction to the general public of Roman society, by entertaining them was shows that kept them in good humour. The spectacles symbolised the emperor’s power, behaved contrary to their nature, such as the lions which allowed the hares to play in their mouths, and could be interpreted as a clear sign that they had been overwhelmed by a force greater than nature, the emperor. During spectacles, execution of criminals were displayed to make it clear that law and order were upheld, and served as a warning to the consequences to any law breakers.The pain inflicted was partnered with the criminal’s suffering served as a social order by degrading the criminal for the public to witness and regarded as someone who arrogates to himself certain rights to which he is not entitled. Additionally, provided excitemen t that the Romans enjoyed – indulging violence, bloodlust and cruelty, this was significant since the citizens of Rome was uneventful the military pursuits and civil war which had kept them entertained were by then over. Whatever happened in the arena, the spectators were on the winning side. They found comfort for death' wrote Tertullian with typical insight, ‘in murder'. Various well know Romans had different attitudes towards the games. Writers like Seneca may have expressed disapproval, but they attended the arena where the games were in process. He described the display as boring and therefore unworthy of the attention of a well-reasoned man. In a letter to a friend, he describes what he saw in the arena during the reign of Emperor Caligula: â€Å"There is nothing so ruinous to good character as to idle away one's time at some spectacle. Vices have a way of creeping in because of the feeling of pleasure that it brings.Why do you think that I say that I personally return from shows greedier, more ambitious and more given to luxury, and I might add, with thoughts of greater cruelty and less humanity, simply because I have been among humans? † Seneca was not alone in his view, Cicero, is widely opposed to gladiatorial games, wrote, â€Å"A gladiatorial show is apt to seem cruel and brutal to some eyes, and I incline to think that it is, as now conducted, but in the days when it was criminals who crossed swords in the death struggled there could be no better schooling against pain and death†.Ultimately, Cicero was not totally opposed to the idea of gladiatorial games but the concept of using free men as gladiators was cruel. The attitudes of high culture Romans, Cicero and Seneca differed to those of the general public. Their opinion on gladiatorial games was that they were flawed and inhumane and disapproved of it. A century and a half later, Pliny the younger too had no taste for the brutalities and viciousness of the gladiatorial shows.In his letter to Sempronius Rufus, he states that he wished that they would be abolished in Tome, as they degrade the character and morals of the whole world. Recommendations were given to soldiers to watch gladiatorial displays to take note of how gladiators fought without fear, because they represented the moral qualities which were required for a good soldier. Victorious gladiators conquered death by displaying his superior over his opponent. Even if the gladiator had to die he died the death of a Roman citizen through the sword.Besides, their lives were seen as models of courage and military discipline. One can conclude that, gladiators were criminals, having lost their citizen rights, who had no choice to become a gladiator, although, some citizens freely accepted being a gladiator for the rewards. The public admired and worshiped gladiators even though they were criminals; they displayed great courage and strength in their battles. It took the public’s minds of t hings providing them with a great spectacle entertained them and taking their minds of other issues.This was extremely popular to the Romans since they enjoyed violence and cruelty. Executions, made upheld Roman law for the public to witness serving as the possible consequences if an individual breached it. Soldiers took note of the valiance and heroism fighting with no fear displaying qualities essentially for any Roman soldier. Thus, gladiatorial combat was a display of nerve and skill which held a lot of importance in the culture and history of Ancient Rome.

Earth the Ailing Planet Essay

For more than a hundred years, human beings contrisolelye been excavating mountains and building roads for faster transportation. When the forests and mountains ar destroyed, natural water systemways argon also disrupted. In todays modern world, at that place is mass production of goods for daily consumption. The digressive cities, high-rise buildings, cars, and electric appliances of modern b completely club demand a tremendous come in of natural resources.Besides the depletion of resources, much taint and waste are created in the butt on of manufacturing. The universe is a composite of the quatern elements of earth, water, fire, and air. When the earth element i. e. soil or land falls start of balance, earthquakes sequel when the air element i. e. air received falls out of balance, hurricanes and typhoons arise when the water element i. e rivers and oceans falls out of balance, downpours and floods occur.In recent years, there give birth been many natural disasters, s howing us the imbalance of the four elements. Natural disasters are occurring all around the world. This is very worrying. When about examined, all the various disasters can be linked to our destruction of the Earth. To change the world, we moldiness begin by transforming hearts and minds. wedded the environmental problems facing our world today, we essential not only change attitudes but also lifestyles. We should have a gratifying heart toward our planet.As each of us is consuming resources and contributing to pollution, we must invariably think about how to conserve resources. If we occupy a simpler life, we will help fall the amount of garbage and protect our environment, consequently improving the quality of life on Earth. It is a simple concept, but if we all put it into practice, the impact can be profound and far-reaching. Living on this planet, our set is intertwined with the health of our planet. Let us of all time remember that we coexist with the Earth.