101 Proposal and Salsa Professor Ramos Blog

101 Proposal and Salsa Chips and Salsa Dont you hate it when you have too much of one and not enough of the other? There has to be the appropriate amount of chips to salsa for it to work, to taste good. Or Thinking Rhetorically. Examples Great Images End of Cisneros’ Stories The last stories are much more subtle in their messages than the first stories. To understand these stories you need to read carefully, closely, in between the lines. Try to figure out what is the author’s purpose. Why did the author write this? What is the authors purpose? What is the lesson or message? There was a Man, There was a Woman (133) There was a Man, There was a Woman Video Free Writing Five minutes of free writing on whatever story you are thinking about writing on. Try to connect to the topic you are thinking about and what the support is going to be. What scenes come to mind? Subgenres Thematic Interpretation focus on theme in story or stories Character Analysis Focus on character Close Reading Argue for your reading of the story Book Review Evaluate the merits of a book or story Author Extension Continue a story, write a new story in the style of Sandra Cisneros, Retell a story from the book. Sample Essays The Misfits Loving a Broken Girl The Hidden Complexities of Clemencia Proposal You can analyze a character, theme, or any of the items we will discuss in class. Pick something that interests you. An effective proposal has a narrow focus, clear thesis, includes primary claims, and context for why you think this is important to write about. Make sure you are annotating your book as you read so that you can easily find quotes and sections to include in your analysis paper. Questions: What is your topic? Why are you writing about this? Why does it interest you? Do you need to do any research to help with your analysis?

Vocabulary Chart ESL Lesson Plan

Vocabulary Chart ESL Lesson Plan Vocabulary charts come in a wide variety of forms. Using charts can help focus in on specific areas of English, group together words, show structures and hierarchy, etc. One of the most popular types of chart is a MindMap. A MindMap isnt really a chart, but rather a way to organize information. This vocabulary chart lesson is based on a MindMap, but teachers can use further suggestions for adapting graphic organizers as vocabulary charts. This activity helps students widen their passive and active vocabulary based on related word group areas. Typically, students will often learn new vocabulary by simply writing lists of new vocabulary words and then memorize these words by rote. Unfortunately, this technique often provides few contextual clues. Rote learning helps short term learning for exams etc. Unfortunately, it doesnt really provide a hook with which to remember new vocabulary. Vocabulary charts such as this MindMap activity  provide this hook by placing vocabulary in connected categories thus helping  with long-term memorization.   Begin the class by brainstorming on how to learn new vocabulary asking for students input. Generally speaking, students will mention writing lists of words, using the new word in a sentence, keeping a journal with new words, and translating new words. Heres an outline of the lesson with a list to help students get started. Aim: Creation of vocabulary charts to be shared around the class Activity: Awareness raising of effective vocabulary learning techniques followed by vocabulary tree creation in groups Level: Any level Outline: Begin the lesson by asking students to explain how they go about learning new vocabulary.Explain the concept of short term and long term learning and the importance of contextual clues for effective long term memorization.Ask students how they memorize new vocabulary.  Present the idea of creating vocabulary charts to help students learn specific content related vocabulary.On the board, choose an easy subject such as the home and create a MindMap placing the home at the center and each room as an offshoot. From there, you can branch out with activities done in each room and furniture to be found. For more advanced students, choose another area of focus.  Divide students into small groups asking them to create a vocabulary chart based on a particular subject area.Example: house, sports, the office, etc.Students create vocabulary charts in small groups.Copy student created vocabulary charts and distribute the copies to other groups. In this way, the class generates a large amount o f new vocabulary in a relatively short amount of time.   Further Suggestions Structured overview organizers can be used to take a closer look at vocabulary items based on parts of speech and structure.Tables can be used to compare and contrast qualities between similar items.  Timelines can be used to focus on tense usage.Venn diagrams can be used to find common terminology. Creating MindMaps Create a MindMap which is a type of vocabulary chart with your teacher. Organize your chart by putting these words about a home into the chart. Start with your home, then branch out to rooms of the house. From there, provide the actions and objects you might find in each room. Here are some words to get you started: living roombedroomhomegaragebathroombathtubshowerbedblanketbookcaseclosetcouchsofatoiletmirrorNext, choose a topic of your own and create a MindMap on a topic of your choice. Its best to keep your subject general so that you can branch out in many different directions. This will help you learn vocabulary in context as your mind will connect the words more easily. Do your best to create a great chart as youll share it with the rest of the class. In this way, youll have lots of new vocabulary in context to help you widen your vocabulary. Finally, choose your MindMap or that of another student and write a few paragraphs about the subject.   Suggested Topics Education: Describe the education system in your country. What type of courses do you take? What do you need to learn? Etc.  Cooking: Categorize based on meals, types of food, kitchen equipment, etc.Sports: Choose a specific sport such as football, basketball or tennis. Branch out into equipment, rules, clothing, special terms, etc.

European Union Financial Transaction Tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European Union Financial Transaction Tax - Essay Example The proposed transaction tax is different from a resolution levy or bank levy. Some governments have it in mind to impose bank levy in order to insure banks against future bailouts. However, this issue remains a matter of controversy amongst member states of European Union. The executive of the European Commission was to carry out a study to determine if it is appropriate to impose the tax on European Union alone. Tobin-style taxation method was imposed on EU’s sector of finance for purposes of generating direct revenue. The European Commission also suggested reduction of levies existing in the 27 state members. The new transaction tax was to ensure that the financial sector paid its fair share since it had been under-taxed for long (Collins 2011). The proposal effectively introduces a new minimum of rating taxes and harmonizes different taxes that exist in the EU’s financial transactions. This initiative will further aid in reducing competitive single market distortion , will discourage trading activities that are risky, and it will complement measures for regulations that are meant for avoiding crises in the future (Davidson 2002). The taxes will be levied on every transaction between institutions of finance as long as any of the involved parties in the transaction is within the EU location. The targeted institutions include; insurance companies, investment firms, pension funds, banks, hedge funds amongst others. House mortgages, insurance contracts contributions, bank loans to medium and small enterprises, spot transactions of currency exchange and issuance of shares and bonds on primary market will not be subjects to taxation (Mooslechner, Schuberth and Weber 2006). However, taxes will be imposed for secondary markets bond trading (Stigler 1971). The institution of finance is required to pay the rate of tax as per its residential country regardless of the actual trade location. The tax will cover all the transactions involving Europeans firms w ithout considering where the transactions took place. In this case, the brokers transacting on behalf of clients, are in a position to pass the tax unto the client. The European Union is composed of 27 state members amongst whom some are for the implementation of the transaction tax while others like the United Kingdom are opposing it. The government of the United Kingdom threatens to use its veto power to stop the proposal implementation unless it is introduced globally. The member states that are for the implementation suggest that the taxing should be implemented within the few member states euro zone and exclude the states that are reluctant. The general public opinion is that the financial transaction tax should be implemented be it global or within the European Union. People feel that it is a high time the sector of finance helped in repairing the damage resulting from economic crisis. The commission had launched consultations with the public in order to obtain feedback from t he stakeholders on the financial sector taxation initiative. The consultations are to aid in testing assumptions, collecting evidence relating to the definitions of problems, assessing impacts of set policy options and consulting on detailed aspects of the design and feasibility of policy options. Critics are stating that, Britain would disproportionately shoulder the negative consequences of the financial tra

Roman Polanski's Macbeth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Roman Polanski's Macbeth - Research Paper Example He has been able to visually entrance the viewers into a universe of natural elements of rain and mist, gray dawns and clammy dusks, as well as transport them to an era where hoof-beats and trumpets were the only sounds that emanated from the streets of a European town. (Anderegg, M.) Polanski had a simple vision in mind while executing the movie; he wanted to make the character of Macbeth know what his actions would ultimately serve him and he has been able to deliver every character, even Macduff, with great justice. Every single person within the film seems to have been pushed by some or the other circumstance bequeathed upon them and thus every scene becomes motivated with several ideas that make the movie so enthralling to watch. A number of critics therefore say that since this film is actually an original take on the tragedy and not an interpretation of Shakespeare’s dialogues, it should rightfully called ‘Polanski’s Macbeth’. (Ebert, Roger) Many state that this film is one of the most pessimistic pieces of art made by Polanski and his final ending of having crowned another king adds to this suspicion. He has taken very few liberties with Shakespeare’s work and has aimed at orchestrating the visual content in order to transform it into a move goer’s delight while tampering with the realizations that people have while watching the film on screen. This is primarily how Polanski’s personal creative visualization sets him apart from other directors. He has also aimed to increase the roles of certain characters within the film who he feels did not get much leverage when Shakespeare wrote the play. For example, in the fifth scene, he has placed a great deal more importance on Lady Macbeth by increasing her presence on screen. This further helps to add continuity to the film as well as adds to building a sense of horror among the other characters and events that take place during the course of the film. Polanski is also

Philippine President Benigno Simeon Essay Example for Free

Philippine President Benigno Simeon Essay Philippine President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino delivered his sixth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 29, 2015 at the Batasang Pambansa in front of joint session of the Upper and Lower House of the country’s Legislative Branch of Government. Some students will surely give their reaction paper with the Pres. SONA as part of their assignment. The State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno S. Aquino started at around 4:00 PM (PST) and concluded after two hours and 15 minutes. The SONA 2015 is one of the highly anticipated date of the administration, as the head of state reports his accomplishments and plans for the country. During the entire SONA, the President received a total of .. rounds of applause. President Aquino started his Sixth SONA by issuing an apology that the traditional processional walks was not made because Main Topics for Discussion: Blaming the Previous Administration: President Aquino once again blamed the previous administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo mentioning the problems he inherited during his earlier days as President such as the NBN ZTE Deal, Hello Garci controversy, questionable bank accounts of Jose Pidal, Maguindanao Massacre, MWSS Bonuses and the NFA anomalies. Highlighting the Achievement of His Cabinet Members: The President applauded the members of his Cabinet for an excellent jobs as members of his Daang Matuwid program. He showcased the achievements of his administration in transportation and communications, tax/revenue, labor and wages, international relations, education, budget and finance, peace, social welfare, justice, calamity and disaster preparedness, national security, economy, infrastructure, governance and reform. Pres. Aquino lauded Commissioner Kim Henares for her tax reforms mentioning the 380 cases filed against tax evaders. The collections of the BIR also went up to P1.3 trillion and this year 2015, the BIR collection went up to P1.5 trillion. Manufacturing Unemployment: Pres. Aquino stated that there’s a 3% average growth in the manufacturing  sector from 2001-2009 but under his administration from 2010 to 2014, the manufacturing sector grew by 8%. The unemployment rate of the Philippines also dropped to 6.8% last year and considered as the lowest ever recorded in a decade. 4Ps and the Education Sector: Pres. Aquino highlighted the ‘Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program’ or 4Ps which now have 4.4 million beneficiaries from 786,523 in 2010. In 2008, there were 2.9 million out of school youth in the country. In 2013, only 1.2 million out of school youth remained. On education sector, PNoy said that Alternative Learning System helped to ensure that even indigenous peoples and street children are not left behind. The requirements for the K to 12 programs – backlogs of 66,800 classrooms, 145,827 teachers, 73.9 million textbooks already provided. For TESDA program of the government, studies show that 71.9% [of TESDA graduates] found employment right away, compared to the 28.5% recorded before. Health and Social Welfare: Around 89.4 million Filipinos are already member of the Philhealth program of the national government and beginning in 2014, the poorest 40 percent of the population were treated in public hospitals for free. In social welfare, PNoy said that in the Sitio Electrification program, 25,257 sitios out of 32,441 were served. Aviation Transportation Sector: In aviation, ICAO lifted the safety concerns it imposed to the Philippines in 2013. The EU Air Safety Committee lifted the travel ban in all local carriers. For the unresolved problem on Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Aquino said plans of purchasing of new MRT train coaches. Armed Forces of the Philippines: In the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization, the government has plan to buy 2 more C-130. There will be additional 6 landing craft utilities and 3 C-295 medium lift transport. President Aquino mentioned the PNP’s project such as their Capability Enhancement Program of which 2,523 patrol jeeps and 577 utility vehicles were purchased. Important Bills and Legislations: Pres. PNoy wish to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law and his interest on the controversial Anti-Dynasty Law which received the loudest applause from SONA expectators. When he mentioned his interest on Anti-Dynasty Law, it received the loudest applause from SONA expectators. â€Å"Panahon na para ipasa ang isang Anti-Dynasty Law.† PNoy also thanked Congress and Senate for other bills and acts such as Philippine Competition Law, Sin Tax Reform Act and Responsible Parenthood Act. The president also thanked officials of the government for their contributions, sacrifice and wellspring of inspiration to the nation. He lauded Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas for his contributions to Daang Matuwid. Pres. Aquino ended his speech with the following statement â€Å"Simula pa lang ito. [Palakpakan] Nasa unang yugto pa lang tayo ng dakilang kuwento ng sambayanang Pilipino. Sa gabay ng Panginoong Maykapal, at sa patuloy nating pagtahak sa Daang Matuwid, lalo pang tatayog ang mga pangarap na maaabot natin. Lalo pang lalawak ang kaunlarang tinatamasa natin. Nasasainyo pong mga kamay ang direksiyon natin. Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat po.† Reactions to President Aquino’s SONA: President Aquino missed so many important topics during his last and final SONA, the entire SONA centered on his administration’s accomplishment and giving credits to his partners on his â€Å"Daang Matuwid.† Some of the important issues that the President failed to mention during his sixth SONA are the following, the controversial PDAF issue, the Mamasapano Massacre, the expansion of Chinese territories in the West Philippine Sea and the Freedom of Information Bill to name a few.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein :: essays research papers

Introduction The book I read and analyzed was â€Å"The Hobbit† by J.R.R. Tolkein. I shall discuss the plot and character development, setting, author’s style and my opinions about it. Plot Development There are too many characters in the story and so it is hard to follow and know each one of them. (There are many dwarves and it’s confusing.) In the beginning there is an introduction where the author tells a bit about what is a hobbit and the hobbit’s (Bilbo) family. It is not very complicated and the author makes it easy to understand. This introduction gives the general background, which makes the story easier to understand, for the plot and its development. The plot development in the middle is not complicated and easy to follow. It can even be summarized in a few sentences. The ending is expected since the author gives hints about it. As in the introduction when he says that the hobbit would gain something, this means that he will not die. Then, the reader is not kept in suspense and does not expect to see what happens at the end. The last climax (or what is supposed to be the climax) takes a long time to occur (the last fight—good (men, elves, dwarves & eagles) vs. evil (wargs & goblins)) and this reduces its effectiveness. After the climax there is the long return home. It is quite boring since there is nothing to expect to and the reader knows that the hobbit would get home safely. In my opinion it should have been shorter. Character Development The creation of the characters is done by their dialogues and monologues, actions and things noted by the narrator (the author in this case) himself. An example for dialogue: â€Å"All the same, I should like it all plain and clear, also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses...† (by Bilbo, page 22, it shows that he is not ready to jump into things so quickly). An example for a monologue: â€Å"Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins, who has proved himself...† (by Thorin, page 210, it shows Thorin’s style). A good example for action is when Thorin blocked the Gate in the mountain that shows the reader that the treasure is important to Thorin and he rather die than giving it away. An example for notes by the author: â€Å"You are familiar with Thorin’s style on important occasions...† (page 210) the author talks directly to the reader and helps him understand the text. Each character has a physical description. The length and content of the description increase as the character importance to the plot increases (e.g., the hobbit has very long descriptions

Ethical Issues Relating to Halliburton and Iraqi Contracts Essay

This paper examines ethical issues faced by public sector employees and employees of private sector firms that conduct business with and for government agencies. The paper discusses Halliburton, a U. S. defense contractor, in light of the primary issue, several secondary ethical issues, and the impact on stakeholders involved. The goal is to make recommendations for how prospective employees and managers can handle similar situations. Overview of Contracting Activities at Halliburton Since 2001 energy services company Halliburton and it’s subsidiary KBR have performed unspecified services to the U. S. military in Iraq, Kuwait, and serveral other countries under a no-bid, long-term global logistics contract, LOGCAP. During the course of awarding and executing these contracts at least two persons have made the decision to become whistle blowers, a government contracting employee and a Halliburton/KBR procurement employee. The government employee disclosed that Halliburton/KRB was involved in closed-door meetings with the Army Corps of Engeneers that resulted in the no-bid, multi-year, billion dollar contract being awared exclusivley to Halliburton/KBR. (Morning Edition October 29,2004) The procurement employee disclosed that activitities inside Halliburton/KBR resulted in overcharging the government and taxpayers for goods and services and eliminating competition among potential vendors. Specific allegations include soliciting higher priced products and services because the government pays a fee bassed on the total of goods/services procured and manipulating purchases orders to maintain a maximum of $2,500 to avoid the bidding process between prospective vendors. Stakeholders The stakeholders in this situation are the client, the U. S. government; taxpayers who are the investors or funders of the government; the vendors, who through the bidding process maintain a competitive and profitable business environment; and employees who make sure that their employers receive the best value for the services and products they procure. Ethical dilemmas Should employees bring wrongdoing to light and if so, how? Will the decision violate the privacy of vendors or other employees? Is it legal to disclose certain activities related to defense contracts? Secondary ethical issues relate directly to the stakeholders. Is the U. S. government unfairly awarding contracts? Is that awarding process facilitating a culture of overcharging, which is absorbed by U. S. taxpayers. Are vendors intentionally overcharging Halliburton/KBR? Are Halliburton/KBR’s procurement practices eliminating competition in the marketplace?

Spirit Bound Chapter Twenty-Two

I DIDN'T TAKE THE GUY'S advice and tear off out of there, though I didn't exactly sit on the front step either. I lingered nearby in a cluster of cherry trees, figuring it would only be a matter of time before the assembly ended and people spilled out the doors. After several minutes passed and nothing happened, I flipped into Lissa's mind and discovered things were still in full force. Despite Tatiana declaring twice now that the session was over, people were still standing around and arguing in groups. Tasha was standing in one such group with Lissa and Adrian, making one of the impassioned speeches she was so good at. Tasha might not be as coldly calculating as Tatiana was when it came to political moves, but Tasha did have a keen sense of ripples in the system and recognized opportunities when they came. She was against the age-lowering decree. She was for teaching Moroi to fight. Neither of those was getting her very far, so she jumped on the next best thing: Lissa. â€Å"Why are we arguing among ourselves about how best to kill Strigoi when we can save them?† Tasha put one arm around Lissa and one around Adrian, drawing them both forward. Lissa still wore her serenely confident look, but Adrian looked ready to bolt if given half a chance. â€Å"Vasilisa–who, by the way, is indeed being denied her fair voice here, thanks to an archaic law–has shown that Strigoi can be brought back.† â€Å"That hasn't been proven,† exclaimed one man in the crowd. â€Å"Are you kidding?† asked a woman beside him. â€Å"My sister was with the group that brought him back. She says he's definitely a dhampir. He was even out in the sun!† Tasha nodded in approval at the woman. â€Å"I was there as well. And now we have two spirit users capable of doing this for other Strigoi.† As much as I respected Tasha, I wasn't entirely with her on this. The amount of power–not to mention effort involved in the staking–that Lissa had required with Dimitri had been staggering. It had even temporarily hurt the bond. That didn't mean she couldn't do it again. Nor did it mean she wouldn't want to again. She was just naively compassionate enough to throw herself into the line of fire to help others. But I knew the more power a spirit user wielded, the quicker they'd travel down the road to insanity. And Adrian†¦ well, he was almost a nonissue here. Even if he wanted to go staking Strigoi, he didn't have the kind of healing power it would take to restore one–at least not now. It's wasn't uncommon for Moroi to use their elements in different ways. Some fire users, like Christian, had skilled control of flame itself. Others could only use their magic to, say, warm the air in a room. Likewise, Lissa and Adrian had their strengths with spirit. His greatest healing triumph was mending a fracture, and she still couldn't walk dreams, no matter how much she practiced. So, really, Tasha had one spirit user capable of saving Strigoi, and that one could hardly transform legions of those monsters. Tasha did seem to recognize this a little. â€Å"The Council shouldn't be wasting time with age laws,† she continued. â€Å"We need to sink our resources into finding more spirit users and recruiting them to help save Strigoi.† She fixed her gaze on someone in the crowd. â€Å"Martin, didn't your brother get turned against his will? With enough work, we could bring him back to you. Alive. Just like you knew him. Otherwise, he's just going to get staked when guardians find him–and of course he'll be slaughtering innocents along the way.† Yeah, Tasha was good. She could paint a good image and nearly brought that Martin guy to tears. She didn't really mention people who'd turned Strigoi willingly. Lissa, still standing with her, wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of a Strigoi-saving spirit army, but she did recognize how this was all part of several other plans Tasha had–including one to get Lissa voting rights. Tasha played up Lissa's abilities and character, scoffing at what was clearly an outdated law from an era that never could have foreseen this situation. Tasha further pointed out that a full Council of twelve families would send a message to Strigoi everywhere about Moroi unity. I didn't want to hear any more. I'd let Tasha wield her political magic and talk more to Lissa later. I was still so agitated about what had happened when I'd yelled at the Council that I couldn't stand to see that room anymore. I left her mind and returned to my own, yelping when I saw a face right in front of mine. â€Å"Ambrose!† One of the best-looking dhampirs on the planet–after Dimitri, of course–flashed me a gleaming, movie-star smile. â€Å"You were so still, I thought maybe you were trying to be a dryad.† I blinked. â€Å"A what?† He gestured to the cherry trees. â€Å"Nature spirits. Beautiful women who become one with trees.† â€Å"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not,† I said. â€Å"But it's good to see you again.† Ambrose was a true oddity in our culture: a male dhampir who had neither taken guardian vows nor run off to hide among humans. Female dhampirs often chose not to join the guardians in order to focus on raising families. That's why we were so rare. But men? They had no excuse, as far as most people were concerned. Rather than skulk off in disgrace, however, Ambrose had chosen to stay and simply work for the Moroi another way. He was essentially a servant–a high-class one who served drinks at elite parties and gave massages to royal women. He also, if rumors were true, served Tatiana in physical ways. That was so creepy, though, I promptly put it out of my mind. â€Å"You too,† he told me. â€Å"But if you aren't communing with nature, what are you doing?† â€Å"It's a long story. I kind of got thrown out of a Council meeting.† He looked impressed. â€Å"Literally thrown out?† â€Å"Dragged, I guess. I'm surprised I haven't seen you around,† I mused. â€Å"Of course, I've kind of been, um, distracted this last week.† â€Å"So I've heard,† he said, giving me a sympathetic look. â€Å"Although, I actually have been away. Just got back last night.† â€Å"Just in time for the fun,† I muttered. The guileless look on his face told me hadn't heard about the decree yet. â€Å"What are you doing now?† he asked. â€Å"This doesn't look like punishment. Did you finish your sentence?† â€Å"Something like that. I'm kind of waiting for someone now. Was just going to hang out in my room.† â€Å"Well, if you're killing time, why don't you come see Aunt Rhonda?† â€Å"Rhonda?† I scowled. â€Å"No offense, but your aunt didn't really impress me with her abilities last time.† â€Å"None taken,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"But she's been wondering about you. And Vasilisa. So, if you're just hanging around†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. He was right that I had nothing better to do right now. I was stuck on options with both Dimitri and the Council's idiotic resolutions. Yet Rhonda–his fortune-telling Moroi aunt–wasn't someone I really wanted to see again. Despite my glib words, the truth was that in retrospect, some of Rhonda's predictions had come true. I just didn't like what they'd been. â€Å"Fine,† I said, trying to look bored. â€Å"Make it fast.† He smiled again, like he could see through my ruse, and led me off to a building I'd been to once before. It housed a luxurious salon and spa frequented by royal Moroi. Lissa and I had had our nails done there, and as Ambrose and I wound our way through it to Rhonda's lair, I felt a strange pang within me. Manicures and pedicures†¦ they seemed like the most trivial things in the world. But on that day, they'd been wonderful. Lissa and I had laughed and grown closer†¦ just before the school was attacked and everything fell apart†¦. Rhonda told fortunes in a back room that was far from the busy spa. Despite the seedy feel of it, she did a pretty brisk business and even had her own receptionist. Or, well, she used to. This time, the desk was empty, and Ambrose led me straight through to Rhonda's room. It looked exactly the same as before, like being inside a heart. Everything was red: the wallpaper, the decorations, and the cushions covering the floor. Rhonda herself sat on the floor, eating a cup of yogurt, which seemed terribly ordinary for someone who allegedly wielded mystical powers. Curly black hair cascaded around her shoulders, making the large gold hoops in her ears gleam. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† she said happily, setting the yogurt aside. â€Å"What a nice surprise.† â€Å"Shouldn't you have seen me coming?† I asked dryly. Her lips twitched with amusement. â€Å"That's not my power.† â€Å"Sorry to interrupt your dinner,† Ambrose said, gracefully folding his muscled body as he sat down. â€Å"But Rose isn't easy to catch hold of.† â€Å"I imagine not,† she said. â€Å"I'm impressed you got her to come at all. What can I do for you today, Rose?† I shrugged and sank down beside Ambrose. â€Å"I don't know. I'm only here because Ambrose talked me into it.† â€Å"She didn't think your last reading was very good,† he said. â€Å"Hey!† I shot him a chastising look. â€Å"That's not exactly what I said.† Last time, Lissa and Dimitri had been with me. Rhonda's tarot cards had shown Lissa crowned with power and light–no surprise. Rhonda had said Dimitri would lose what he valued most, and he had: his soul. And me? Rhonda had bluntly told me that I'd kill the undead. I'd scoffed at that, knowing I had a lifetime of Strigoi-killing ahead of me. Now I wondered if â€Å"undead† meant the Strigoi part of Dimitri. Even if I hadn't driven the stake, I'd certainly played a major role. â€Å"Maybe another reading would help the other one make more sense?† she offered. My mind was putting together another fraud psychic joke, which was why it was so astonishing when my mouth said, â€Å"That's the problem. The other one did make sense. I'm afraid†¦ I'm afraid of what else the cards will show.† â€Å"The cards don't make the future,† she said gently. â€Å"If something's meant to be, it'll be, regardless of whether you see it here. And even then†¦ well, the future is always changing. If we had no choices, there'd be no point in living.† â€Å"See now,† I said flippantly, â€Å"that's the kind of vague gypsy response I was hoping for.† â€Å"Roma,† she corrected. â€Å"Not gypsy.† Despite my snark, she still seemed to be in a good mood. Easygoing attitudes must have run in their family. â€Å"Do you want the cards or not?† Did I? She was right about one thing–the future would unfold with or without me seeing it in the cards. And even if the cards showed it, I probably wouldn't understand it until afterward. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Just for fun. I mean, last time was probably a lucky guess.† Rhonda rolled her eyes but said nothing as she began shuffling her tarot deck. She did it with such precision that the cards seemed to move themselves. When she finally stopped, she handed the deck to me to cut. I did, and she put it back together. â€Å"We did three cards before,† she said. â€Å"We've got time to do more if you'd like. Five, perhaps?† â€Å"The more there are, the more likely it is that anything can get explained.† â€Å"If you don't believe in them, then it shouldn't be an issue.† â€Å"Okay, then. Five.† She grew serious as she flipped out the cards, her eyes carefully studying them. Two of the cards had come out upside down. I didn't take that as a good sign. Last time, I'd learned that it made seemingly happy cards†¦ well, not so happy. The first one was one the Two of Cups, showing a man and a woman together in a grassy, flower-filled field while the sun shone above them. Naturally, it was upside down. â€Å"Cups are tied to emotions,† Rhonda explained. â€Å"The Two of Cups shows a union, a perfect love and blossoming of joyous emotions. But since it's inverted–â€Å" â€Å"You know what?† I interrupted. â€Å"I think I'm getting the hang of this. You can skip that one. I have a good idea what it means.† It might as well have been Dimitri and me on that card, the cup empty and full of heartache†¦. I really didn't want to hear Rhonda analyze what was already tearing my heart up. So she went on to the next one: the Queen of Swords, also upside down. â€Å"Cards like this refer to specific people,† Rhonda told me. The Queen of Swords looked very imperious, with auburn hair and silver robes. â€Å"The Queen of Swords is clever. She thrives on knowledge, can outwit her enemies, and is ambitious.† I sighed. â€Å"But upside down†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Upside down,† said Rhonda, â€Å"all of those traits get twisted. She's still smart, still trying to get her way†¦ but she's doing it through insincere ways. There's a lot of hostility and deception here. I'd say you have an enemy.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, eyeing the crown. â€Å"I think I can guess who. I just called her a sanctimonious bitch.† Rhonda didn't comment and moved on to the next one. It was facing the right way, but I kind of wished it wasn't. It had a whole bunch of swords stuck in the ground and a woman tied and blindfolded to one. Eight of Swords. â€Å"Oh, come on,† I exclaimed. â€Å"What is it with me and swords? You gave me one this depressing last time.† It had shown a woman weeping in front of a wall of swords. â€Å"That was the Nine of Swords,† she agreed. â€Å"It could always be worse.† â€Å"I have a hard time believing that.† She picked up the rest of the deck and scanned through it, finally pulling out one card. The Ten of Swords. â€Å"You could have drawn this.† It showed a dead guy lying on the ground with a bunch of swords driven through him. â€Å"Point taken,† I said. Ambrose chuckled beside me. â€Å"What's the nine mean?† â€Å"The nine is being trapped. Unable to get out of a situation. It can also mean slander or accusation. Summoning courage to escape something.† I glanced back at the queen, thinking of the things I'd said in the Council room. Those would definitely count as accusations. And being trapped? Well, there was always the possibility of a lifetime of paperwork†¦ I sighed. â€Å"Okay, what's the next one?† It was the best-looking one in the bunch, the Six of Swords. It had a bunch of people in a boat, rowing off over moonlit water. â€Å"A journey,† she said. â€Å"I was just on a journey. A few of them.† I eyed her suspiciously. â€Å"Man, this isn't, like, some kind of a spiritual journey is it?† Ambrose laughed again. â€Å"Rose, I wish you'd get tarot readings every day.† Rhonda ignored him. â€Å"If it were in cups, maybe. But swords are tangible. Action. A true, out-and-about journey.† Where on earth would I go? Did it mean I was traveling to the Academy like Tatiana had suggested? Or was it possible that, in spite of all my rule breaking and calling her royal highness names, I might actually get an assignment after all? One away from Court? â€Å"You could be looking for something. It may be a physical journey combined with a spiritual journey,† she said, which sounded like a total way to cover her ass. â€Å"This last one†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her eyebrows knitted into a frown at the fifth card. â€Å"This is hidden from me.† I peered at it. â€Å"The Page of Cups. Seems pretty obvious. It's a page with, um, cups.† â€Å"Usually I have a clear vision†¦. The cards speak to me in how they connect. This one's not clear.† â€Å"The only thing that's not clear is whether it's a girl or a boy.† The person on the card looked young but had hair and an androgynous face that made the gender impossible to determine. The blue tights and tunic didn't help, though the sunny field in the background seemed promising. â€Å"It can be either,† Rhonda said. â€Å"It's the lowest in rank of the cards that represent people in each suit: King, Queen, Knight, and then Page. Whoever the page is, it's someone trustworthy and creative. Optimistic. It could mean someone who goes on the journey with you–or maybe the reason for your journey.† Whatever optimism or truth I'd had in the cards pretty much disappeared with that. Given that she'd just said about a hundred things it could be, I didn't really consider it authoritative. Usually, she noticed my skepticism, but her attention was still on the card as she frowned. â€Å"But I just can't tell†¦. There's a cloud around it. Why? It doesn't make sense.† Something about her confusion sent a chill down my spine. I always told myself this was fake, but if she'd been making it all up†¦ well, wouldn't she have made something up about the Page of Cups? She wasn't putting on a very convincing act if this last card was making her question herself. The thought that maybe there was some mystical force out there blocking her sobered up my cynical attitude. With a sigh, she looked up at last. â€Å"Sorry that's all I can tell you. Did the rest help?† I scanned the cards. Heartache. An enemy. Accusations. Entrapment. Travel. â€Å"Some of it tells me things I already know. The rest leaves me with more questions.† She smiled knowingly. â€Å"That's how it usually is.† I thanked her for the reading, secretly glad I didn't have to pay for it. Ambrose walked me out, and I tried to shake off the mood Rhonda's fortune had left me in. I had enough problems in my life without letting a bunch of stupid cards bother me. â€Å"You going to be okay?† he asked when we finally emerged. The sun was climbing higher. The Royal Court would be going to bed soon, ending what had been a turbulent day. â€Å"I†¦ I wouldn't have brought you if I'd known how much it would upset you.† â€Å"No, no,† I said. â€Å"It's not the cards. Not exactly. There's a bunch of other things going on†¦ one you should probably know about.† I hadn't wanted to bring up the decree when we'd first run into each other, but as a dhampir, he had a right to hear about what had happened. His face was perfectly still as I spoke, save for his dark brown eyes, which grew wider while the story progressed. â€Å"There's some mistake,† he said at last. â€Å"They wouldn't do that. They wouldn't do that to sixteen-year-olds.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I didn't think so either, but they were apparently serious enough about it to throw me out when I, um, questioned it.† â€Å"I can just imagine your ‘questioning.' All this'll do is make more dhampirs drop out of the guardians†¦ unless, of course, being that young makes them more open for brainwashing.† â€Å"Kind of a sensitive area for you, huh?† I asked. After all, he too was a guardian drop-out. He shook his head. â€Å"Staying in this society was nearly impossible for me. If any of those kids do decide to drop out, they won't have the powerful friends I did. They'll be outcasts. That's all this'll do. Either kill off teens or cut them off from their own people.† I wondered what powerful friends he'd had, but this was hardly the time to learn his life history. â€Å"Well, that royal bitch doesn't seem to care.† The thoughtful, distracted look in his eyes suddenly sharpened. â€Å"Don't call her that,† he warned with a glare. â€Å"This isn't her fault.† Whoa. Cue surprise. I'd almost never seen sexy, charismatic Ambrose be anything but friendly. â€Å"Of course it's her fault! She's the supreme ruler of the Moroi, remember?† His scowl deepened. â€Å"The Council voted too. Not her alone.† â€Å"Yeah, but she voted in support of this decree. She swayed the vote.† â€Å"There must have been a reason. You don't know her like I do. She wouldn't want this kind of thing.† I started to ask if he was out of his mind but paused when I remembered his relationship with the queen. Those romantic rumors made me queasy, but if they were true, I supposed he might have legitimate concern for her. I also decided it was probably best that I didn't know her the way he did. The bite marks on his neck certainly indicated some sort of intimate activity. â€Å"Whatever's going on between you is your business,† I told him calmly, â€Å"but she's used it to trick you into thinking she's someone she isn't. She did it to me too, and I fell for it. It's all a scam.† â€Å"I don't believe it,† he said, still stone-faced. â€Å"As queen, she's put into all sorts of tough situations. There must be more to it–she'll change the decree, I'm certain of it.† â€Å"As queen,† I said, imitating his tone, â€Å"she should have the ability to–â€Å" My words fell off as a voice spoke in my head. Lissa's. Rose, you're going to want to see this. But you have to promise not to cause any trouble. Lissa flashed a location to me, along with a sense of urgency. Ambrose's hard look shifted to one of concern. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I–yeah. Lissa needs me.† I sighed. â€Å"Look, I don't want us to fight, okay? Obviously we've each got different views of the situation†¦ but I think we both agree on the same key point.† â€Å"That kids shouldn't be sent off to die? Yeah, we can agree on that.† We smiled tentatively at each other, and the anger between us diffused. â€Å"I'll talk to her, Rose. I'll find out the real story and let you know, okay?† â€Å"Okay.† I had a hard time believing anyone could really have a heart-to-heart with Tatiana, but again, there might be more to their relationship than I realized. â€Å"Thanks. It was good seeing you.† â€Å"You too. Now go–go to Lissa.† I needed no further urging. Along with the sense of urgency, Lissa had passed one other message through the bond that sent my feet flying: It's about Dimitri.

Computers In The World Today essays

Computers In The World Today essays Computers where do you even begin? There is so much to know and to learn that many find themselves to be overwhelmed by the thought of learning them. You see kids of today sitting in front of a computer like they were born to know how to use them. Almost as if there little brains have been preprogrammed. Then you have the little old ladies little my grandma that cant understand why we call an input device a mouse, and even worse she cant figure out how to double click. Some where in the middle you find those people like my mom who know a little about computers, I mean she knows enough to turn it on and type a paper but anything other than that she is calling for help. And then there are those people who are like me, those kids who grew up in the age of the computer, yet was never really forced to use one until sometime in high school and even then the internet was not even required until college. It seems like some where in the middle we grew up in the age of computers yet they misse d us by a year or two in school. Even though we can see such a huge difference in the ability of people to work computers the plain fact is, that it is becoming a nesacessity to function in our society. Computers have not only grown to be able to function and run major companies, but they have taken over the ways in which human communication takes place. They have changed the way in which we think, work and communicate. As we look at how computer and technological advancements have changed the ways in which we function, I think that we first need to look at the basic machine itself and tell just what it is. An article that I found on the web gives a very simple yet precise defination of what a computer is, A computer is an electronic machine that accepts information (data ), processes it according to specific instructions and provides the results as new information. The computer can store and manipulate large quantities of data at a ...

I Miss Not Seeing You

I Miss Not Seeing You I Miss Not Seeing You I Miss Not Seeing You By Guest Author This is a guest post by Julie Link. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. â€Å"I love France,† my friend sighed, and I nodded my agreement. â€Å"I miss not being there,† she added. Huh? My commiseration over lost croissants gave way to puzzlement over this odd expression. You love it, but you regret not being absent from it? A quick perusal of the internet yielded more instances of the erroneous idiom. A headline on .OhGizmo.com laments, â€Å"Goodbye, F-117A. We’ll Miss Not Seeing You.† A query posted on WikiAnswers.com asks â€Å"How do you say i miss not seeing you in french† [sic]? Dictionary.com defines the verb â€Å"to miss† as â€Å"to regret the absence or loss of: I miss you all dreadfully.† The definition makes clear that what my friend missed was being in France rather than not being in France. How did â€Å"I miss being there† morph into â€Å"I miss not being there†? I’ve never seen the expression misused when the object of the verb is a person or a thing. Does anyone say â€Å"I miss not my mom?† (Well, perhaps, but that’s a topic for another day.) No, we all understand that that when we miss something or someone, we regret its absence or loss. We miss the warmth of summer, Gran’s apple pie, or a dear friend. The problem occurs only when what is missed is an action: â€Å"I miss seeing you,† â€Å"The children miss playing at the beach,† or â€Å"Nana misses rocking her grandbabies.† Perhaps the error derives from trying to emphasize the regret. Doesn’t not rocking the babies sound sadder than rocking them? But to add the word â€Å"not† is to create a double negative. Parsing my friend’s remark, for example, would suggest that what she regrets is being in France; that was not what she intended to convey. The definition of â€Å"miss† already denotes a negative- the absence or loss of something- so the addition of the word â€Å"not† negates the loss and creates, if not an arithmetic positive, then at least a grammatical confusion. Why this simple expression, so easily grasped that children use it comfortably, becomes so slippery when a few words are added is difficult to explain. An understanding of grammar is helpful; diagramming the sentence (Does anyone do that nowadays?) would demonstrate that whether what is being missed is a person, a thing, or an action, the structure of the phrase does not change. Rather than exposit the grammatical technicalities of gerunds and direct objects, I think I’ll cogitate over a croissant. The only problem is that I miss not counting calories. About the Author: Julie Link is an experienced editor and avid lexiphile who loves reading and writing about language and grammar. She may be contacted at julieolink@yahoo.com. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)15 Types of DocumentsHow to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

How did the French colonialism affect the class structure of Vietnam Essay

How did the French colonialism affect the class structure of Vietnam - Essay Example    The French colonization displaced much of the culture of Vietnam. While the Vietnamese adhered to the system of group ownership of land and resources that revolved around the village structure, the French were advocates of the capitalist school of single ownership in land or resources. As the French extended their political power over Vietnam, they also drastically implemented economic ideas that were detrimental to the existing village system. For some Vietnamese, those who served the French colonial government, life was good for they enjoyed certain privileges such as good education for their children at private schools and to some extent university studies in Paris, France. But majority of the Vietnamese suffered hardship. Many peasants were stripped off their lands and were forced to work in mines and in large farms owned by the colonizers (Levy 9). The poor farmers worked under miserable conditions with little pay. This system of forced labor established by the French was k nown as corvee (Seah & Nair 22). Audrey Seah and Charissa Nair in their book Culture of the World: Vietnam noted three kinds of Vietnamese during the French period from the point of a Vietnamese journalist in 1937 – â€Å"the Vietnamese were so poverty-stricken that they can be categorized by their diet: those who lived on bran and vegetables, like pigs of rich property owners; those who lived on bran and water, like pigs of poorer property owners; and those who survived by tasting samples while pretending to bargain with bran sellers.† The lowly life of the Vietnamese villagers in the hands of the French is captured vividly in the 1914 account of Nguyen Thuon Hien, a Vietnamese poet, on the fate of the villagers who were killed by the French colonial authorities when they pleaded for lower taxes. These are but the a few instances of the indignities and mistreatments endured by the Vietnamese during the colonial rule of France (Long 71). The French colonized Vietnam to get advantage of the many natural resources of the country and to bring prosperity to France. The exploitation went on for many years and by 1945, during World War II, â€Å"France was earning a great deal of money from the sale of goods produced in Vietnam† (Levy 9). The oppression did not go unnoticed by Vietnamese who organized to resist the French ruling. These groups called themselves nationalists who were fighting for self-governance. The nationalists produced their most influential leader in the person of Ho Chi Minh (9). Ho Chi Minh joined the Communist Party in France which was advocating the Soviet Communism where the economy of the state was controlled by the central Communist Party, the government, and the military – private ownership of land and resources was not allowed (10). Ho Chi Minh together with other Vietnamese revolutionaries, like Pham Van Dong and Vo Nguyen Giap formed the Vietnam Independence League, more known as the Viet Minh. The membership to the league was open to Communists and non-Communists who are aiming for the abolition of foreign rule in Vietnam (11). The Vietnamese responded to Ho Chi Minh’s call of â€Å"Let him who has rifle use his rifle, let him who has sword use his sword. And let those who have no sword take pickaxes and sticks.† (Seah & Nair 24) to lead the mass action against their French oppressors. Land issues led to the Vietnam War. Many Vietnamese who were peasants or poor