Slavery Is Like An Electric Fence - 1776 Words

â€Å"The topic of slavery is like an electric fence. Touch it and people will react.† The history of slavery in Puerto Rico is rather particular as the demand for slaves, and by extension slave labour, developed later than in other regions already dependent on forced labour in the plantations. The purpose of this paper is to offer a comparative critical review of two articles, which examined slavery and its abolition in Puerto Rico during the 19th century. Through a comparative analysis about the causes and effects of the abolition in Puerto Rico presented in Freedom in the making: the slaves of hacienda La Esperanza, Manatà ­, Puerto Rico, on the eve of abolition, 1868-76 by Astrid Cubano Iguina and The End of Slavery and the End of Empires: Slave Emancipation in Cuba and Puerto Rico by Christopher Schmidt-Nowara, the respective merits of each article will be considered. The strengths and weaknesses of each author’s arguments will also be assessed in order to deciph er which of the two articles is the strongest. To begin, although both articles explore slavery and its steps towards abolition in Puerto Rico they utilize different methodologies and present diverging causes and effects for its eradication in the 19th century. Iguina’s piece examines slavery from a social perspective by revealing the experiences of slaves on the sugar plantation La Esperanza, whereas Nowara analyzes slavery through rather economic and political lenses. Freedom in the Making argues that the drivingShow MoreRelatedChallenges And Impacts Of Robots870 Words   |  4 Pagesmachine, and electric grills. Q: Are robots the answer to run a shop in the United States to keep costs down? I am on the fence with this question. I am back and forth because it would make sense to have AI’s and robots of the sorts taking jobs in the United State, mainly because they are cheaper and sometimes easier to deal with. We would be cutting costs without human error, and would be cutting costs with salary wages. There are so many factories in America that use robots, like Ford and AmazonRead MoreThe Prison System At Parchman1032 Words   |  5 PagesWorse than Slavery is a monograph that discusses Parchman Prison and gives various accounts of men and women who lived within the prison. Overall, Parchman was another way for white men to stay in charge and to keep black men oppressed. During this time, ninety percent of the prison population was African American. Although slavery had ended many years prior to the establishment of Parchman, it had many characteristics of slavery. The prison system at Parchman reflects themes of poverty, racism andRead MoreThe Debate About Abor tion And Abortion1709 Words   |  7 Pagesvagina. The use of the pill is called medical abortion and is viable for pregnancies that are less than 63 days from the day of conception. Secondly, one can opt for surgical abortion which involves evacuation of the fetus by use of either a manual or electric vacuum. â€Å"The procedure is viable for pregnancies that are in their second trimester† (journalwatch.org). The legalization of abortion faces controversy due to the definition of an embryo and whether a fetus is a human being and therefore shouldRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s A Connecticut Yankee1764 Words   |  8 PagesHow to train your human In 1889 Mark Twain’s publishes A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, which is consider the first science fiction novel. Like most science fiction stories, there is time travel and futuristic technology messing with the past. Hank Morgan is sent into the past after getting knocked unconscious by a man named Hercules with a crowbar. After realizing that he is in the past, he uses his knowledge of an impending solar eclipse to trick the masses into making him the secondRead MoreEssay on Animal Rights: Turning the Tables2311 Words   |  10 PagesAbraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.† Many animal activists see a strong comparison between animals used for research or entertainment and slaves (Day, 1994). Every year millions of animals are killed while being used for testing and entertainment. Some may say that animals do not have emotions so using them for these types of activities is acceptable. In spite of that, a huge question that arises is whetherRead MoreEssay on History of the Prison System3187 Words   |  13 Pagesaccused of criminal acts pending some form of trial. The idea of confining persons after a trial as punishment for their crimes is relatively new. During the 15th century in Europe, the penalties for crimes were some form of corporal punishment like whippings for less serious crimes and execution or enslavement for more serious offenses. In early 16th century England, vagrants and petty offenders were committed to correctional institutions known as workhouses. During the reign of QueenRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 Pagesthroat is permanently damaged. His grandmother is the only relative he has left, and she makes the trip to town to receive medicine that soothes the pain. There has been no change in his condition, Phoenix tells the nurse, he sits with his mouth open like a little bird. She also says that though he suffers, he has a sweet look. Though Phoenix says he is not dead, some critics have theorized that he is. The Hunter The hunter encounters Phoenix after she has fallen into a ditch, the unfortunate resultRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 Pagesthroat is permanently damaged. His grandmother is the only relative he has left, and she makes the trip to town to receive medicine that soothes the pain. There has been no change in his condition, Phoenix tells the nurse, he sits with his mouth open like a little bird. She also says that though he suffers, he has a sweet look. T hough Phoenix says he is not dead, some critics have theorized that he is. The Hunter The hunter encounters Phoenix after she has fallen into a ditch, the unfortunate resultRead MoreTrial by Fire16438 Words   |  66 Pageshelp the Willinghams pay for funeral arrangements. Fire investigators, meanwhile, tried to determine the cause of the blaze. (Willingham gave authorities permission to search the house: â€Å"I know we might not ever know all the answers, but I’d just like to know why my babies were taken from me.†) Douglas Fogg, who was then the assistant fire chief in Corsicana, conducted the initial inspection. He was tall, with a crew cut, and his voice was raspy from years of inhaling smoke from fires and cigarettesRead MoreTrial by Fire16445 Words   |  66 Pagesto help the Willinghams pay for funeral arrangements. Fire investigators, meanwhile, tried to determine the cause of the blaze. (Willingham gave authorities permission to search the house: â€Å"I know we might not ever know all the answers, but I’d just like to know why my babies were taken from me.†) Douglas Fogg, who was then the assistant fire chief in Corsicana, conducted the initial inspection. He was tall, with a crew cut, and his voice was raspy from years of inhaling smoke from fires and cigarettes

The Hunters Phantom Chapter 34 Free Essays

string(114) " emotion wil ingly rejected, wil draw back to them the life the phantom has stolen from their thoughts and deeds\." We didn’t weaken it, not enough!† Meredith shouted to her friends over Jealousy’s shouts. The phantom, if anything, appeared stronger as it crossed the garage in one great leap and backhanded Meredith across the face. Meredith felt a searing pain, saw a bright flash of light, and felt herself slam against the wal . We will write a custom essay sample on The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 34 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Dazed, she staggered back onto her feet. The phantom was coming toward her again. More slowly this time, with a smile of anticipation. The spell must be doing something then, Meredith thought groggily, or it wouldn’t care if I finished my part or not. Meredith gripped her fighting stave. She wasn’t going down easily, not if she could prevent it. Alaric had cal ed her a superhero. Superheroes kept fighting, even when the odds were stacked against them. She sliced out viciously, expertly, with the end of the fighting stave. Al those hours of practice paid off, because the phantom didn’t seem to expect the blow, and rather than the stave passing harmlessly through mist, Meredith caught the phantom in its solid form, just above the rose in its chest. The blade at the end opened a deep wound in the phantom’s chest, and when Meredith pul ed it back for a second blow, viscous green fluid dripped from the end of her weapon. As she swung again, Meredith’s luck ran out. The phantom reached out toward her, its hand moving so fast that Meredith didn’t see it until the phantom was holding the other end of the stave. Sharp as the stave was, poisonous as the coating of al those bits of silver and wood and iron were, the phantom held it lightly and easily, and pulled. Meredith went skidding across the garage floor toward the phantom, fast and helpless, and the phantom reached out lazily with its other hand to catch her, a sneer of contempt and anger on its glassy face. Oh no, Meredith’s internal voice babbled, not like this. It can’t end like this. Just before it touched Meredith, though, the phantom’s face changed, suddenly blossoming into an expression of confusion. It let go of the stave, and Meredith yanked herself back and caught her balance, wobbling furiously, gasping for breath. The phantom stared past her, Meredith forgotten, at least for the moment. The phantom’s glassy teeth were bared, and there was an expression of terrible rage on its greentinted face. As Meredith watched, the muscles in its icysolid arms seemed to strain, then dissolve to swirls of armshaped mist, then solidify again, stil in the same tense stil ness. She can’t move, Meredith realized. She turned to look behind her. Mrs. Flowers stood straight and tal , her blazing blue eyes fixed on the phantom. She held out her hands in front of her, her face set in strong, determined lines. Several strands of her gray hair had escaped from her bun, standing out in al directions as if caught by static electricity. Mrs. Flowers’s lips moved soundlessly, and, as the phantom strained to move, Mrs. Flowers strained, too, looking as if she was struggling to support something cripplingly heavy. Their eyes, cool intent blue and glacierclear green, were locked together in silent battle. Mrs. Flowers’s eyes were steady, but her arms were shaking violently, and Elena didn’t know how much longer the older woman would be able to hang on and keep the phantom under control. Not long, she suspected. The battle with the kitsune had taken a lot out of Mrs. Flowers, and she hadn’t recovered ful y yet. She wasn’t ready for a new fight. Elena’s heart was thumping like crazy, and she could n’t stand to look at the bloody figures of Damon and Stefan on the other side of the garage, because the one thing she knew she couldn’t do right now was panic. She needed to be able to think. â€Å"Meredith,† Elena said crisply, with such a tone of authority that her friends al turned away from watching the struggle between Mrs. Flowers and the phantom to look at her. â€Å"Finish your part of the ceremony.† Meredith looked at Elena blankly for a moment and then snapped into gear. That was one of the many wonderful things about Meredith: She could always be relied upon, no matter what, to pul herself together and get on with the job. â€Å"I have fed the phantom of jealousy,† Meredith said, looking down at the floor where her brown candle stil burned, â€Å"but now I cast my jealousy away.† Meredith’s words rang with truth, and the candle went out. The phantom flinched and grimaced, flexing its fingers angrily. The deep red of the rose in its chest dul ed to a dark pink for a moment before flushing back to crimson. But†¦ it didn’t seem like it was defeated; it seemed merely irritated. Its eyes never left Mrs. Flowers’s, and its ice-sculpted muscles stil were straining forward. Almost al the candles were out. Only two flames were flickering, from the blue and red candles, only two victims feeding the phantom with their jealousy. So, with almost al its victims torn away from it, shouldn’t the phantom be weaker? Shouldn’t it be sick and struggling? Elena turned to Alaric. â€Å"Alaric,† she whispered. â€Å"What did the book say? Shouldn’t the spel be starting to kil the phantom by now?† Alaric was watching the silent showdown between Mrs. Flowers and the phantom again, his own fists clenched and his body straining as if he could somehow lend Mrs. Flowers his strength, and it took a little time – time we don’t have, thought Elena furiously – for him to drag his attention to Elena. When he did and she repeated her question, he turned a more analytical gaze on the phantom, and a new worry dawned in his eyes. â€Å"I’m not entirely sure,† he said, â€Å"but the book did suggest†¦ the book said something like, ‘Every word truly spoken by its victims, each dark emotion wil ingly rejected, wil draw back to them the life the phantom has stolen from their thoughts and deeds. You read "The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 34" in category "Essay examples" The creature wil crumble with every honest word spoken against it.’ It could be just rhetoric, or maybe the person who wrote down the spel had heard about the ritual without seeing it performed, but it sounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated. â€Å"It sounds like the spel ought to be kil ing the phantom by now,† said Elena flatly. â€Å"It sounds like this isn’t working right.† â€Å"I don’t know what’s going wrong,† said Alaric unhappily. The world shifted and everything snapped into focus. â€Å"I do,† said Elena. â€Å"It must be because this is an Original, not an ordinary phantom. We didn’t create it with our emotions, so we can’t destroy it just by taking them away. I think we’re going to need to try something else.† Stefan and Damon were stil locked in combat. They were both bloody and battered. His hurt arm dangling at an unnatural angle, Stefan moved as though something inside him had been damaged, but they were both stil attacking each other viciously, Stefan no less than Damon. Elena reasoned that they must be fighting on their own initiative now. The phantom, absorbed in its battle with Mrs. Flowers, was no longer muttering poisonous encouragement to them. If Damon and Stefan weren’t being seduced by Jealousy’s voice, maybe they could be persuaded to listen to someone else. Elena, trying not to catch the phantom’s attention, eased her way toward the fighters. Damon was bleeding from his neck and a long cut on his head, and the skin around both his eyes was bruising up. He was limping, but he was clearly gaining the upper hand. Stefan, circling warily now just out of arm’s reach, was not only curled forward to protect whatever was injured inside him but had a long strip of torn skin hanging from his cheek. Damon was grinning savagely at him, moving closer with every shift of his feet. There was an alertness to Damon’s eyes that spoke only of the predator within, of his joy in the hunt and in the kil . Damon must have forgotten in the pleasure of the fight who he was battling, Elena told herself. He would never forgive himself, once he was himself again, if he real y seriously hurt Stefan, or even kil ed him. Although, something inside her whispered, part of him has always wanted this. She shoved the thought aside. Part of Damon might want to hurt Stefan, but the real, whole Damon did not. If there was anything that fighting the phantom had shown her, it was that the dark emotions everyone hid in their depths weren’t al of who they real y were. They weren’t their true selves. â€Å"Damon,† she shouted. â€Å"Damon, think! The phantom is influencing you! It’s making you fight.† She heard her voice rise pleadingly. â€Å"Don’t let it beat you. Don’t let it destroy you.† Damon didn’t seem to hear her, though. He stil wore that feral smile, and prowled a little closer to Stefan, edging him farther and farther toward the corner of the garage. Pretty soon Stefan would be trapped, boxed in and unable to run. And, catching a glimpse of the defiant expression on Stefan’s poor, battered face, Elena realized with a sinking heart that Stefan wouldn’t run, even if Damon gave him the chance. The part of Stefan that hated Damon was in control of him now. Stefan bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl. Damon pul ed back his fist to deliver a powerful blow, his canines extending in anticipation of drinking his brother’s lifeblood. More quickly than she had ever moved before, at least as a human, Elena flung herself between them as Damon’s fist swung forward. Eyes squeezed closed, she threw her arms wide to protect Stefan and awaited the impact. Damon was moving so fast by the time she jumped in front of him that momentum was carrying his whole body forward. With his inhuman strength, it was a punch that would break her bones and crush her face. But Damon stopped in time, as only a vampire could. She could feel the rush of displaced air from the blow, even the brush of his knuckles against her face, but there was no pain. Gingerly Elena opened her eyes. Damon stood poised, coiled to strike, one arm stil raised. He was breathing hard, and his eyes glittered strangely. Elena returned his gaze. Was there a tiny bit of relief shining in Damon’s eyes? Elena thought so. The question was, was it relief that he had stopped himself before he kil ed her, or that she had stopped him from kil ing Stefan? Surely Damon could have thrown her out of the way by now and attacked Stefan again, if that was what he real y wanted. Elena took a chance and reached out toward Damon’s fist, folding those battered knuckles within her own smal er hand. He didn’t resist as she lowered his fist to his side, passively al owing himself to be moved. â€Å"Damon,† she said softly. â€Å"Damon, you can stop now.† His eyes narrowed and she knew he could hear her, but his mouth was tight and fierce, and he didn’t answer. Without letting go of Damon’s hand, Elena turned toward Stefan. He was close behind her, his eyes fixed on Damon. He was panting rapidly, and he wiped the back of his hand absently against his mouth, smearing blood across his face. Elena reached out and took his hand, sticky as it was with blood. Damon’s hand tensed in hers, and she glanced at him to see he was staring at her other hand, the one that was holding Stefan’s. Stefan saw where Damon was looking, too, and the corners of his swol en mouth drew up in a bitter little smile. Behind them, the phantom snarled as it fought Mrs. Flowers’s power. It sounded louder, fiercer. â€Å"Listen,† she said urgently, looking from one brother to the other. â€Å"The phantom’s not focusing on you now, so you can think for yourselves. But Mrs. Flowers won’t be able to hold her for long. So you need to do it; you need to start thinking now, instead of just acting. I need to tel you†¦ um.† She cleared her throat uncomfortably. â€Å"I never told you this, but when Klaus was keeping me prisoner, after Katherine’s death, he used to show me†¦ images. Memories, I guess, Katherine’s memories. How you both were with her, back when you were human. When you were young and alive and loved her. How much you loved her. I hated it, seeing how real that love was. And I knew that you noticed me at first only because of the love you had for her then. It’s always bothered me a little bit, even though I know your love for me now is deeper.† Both brothers were looking at Elena now, and Stefan’s lips parted to speak. Elena shook her head briskly and went on. â€Å"No, let me finish. It’s bothered me a little bit. It hasn’t destroyed me, and it hasn’t changed what I feel†¦ for either of you. Because I also know that you might have noticed me for Katherine’s sake, but that once you got past it, you both saw me, Elena. You don’t see Katherine in me anymore.† She had to venture into dangerous territory now, so she proceeded cautiously, trying to lay out her argument with logic and sensitivity. â€Å"So, I know that, right? But when the phantom spoke to me, it dredged up that old jealousy and made it burn inside me again. And the other things the phantom said to me are partly true, too. Yes, I’m jealous sometimes of girls with† – she smiled despite herself – â€Å"normal love lives. But in my most centered moments, I know I wouldn’t want to be them. What I’ve got is amazing, even if it’s hard.† Elena swal owed. â€Å"And so I know that what the phantom said to you is partly true. You’re jealous of each other. You’re angry about things from the past, and you’re upset that I love both of you. But I also know that’s not all there is. It’s not the most important thing, either. Not anymore. Things have changed since the days when jealousy and anger were the only emotions between you. You’ve worked together, and you’ve protected each other. You’ve become brothers again.† She gazed into Damon’s eyes, searching for a response. â€Å"Damon, Stefan was devastated when he thought you were dead. You’re his brother, and he loves you, and he didn’t know what to do with you gone. You’re a big part of his life – past and present. You’re the only one who’s been there with him throughout his history.† She swung to look at Stefan. â€Å"Stefan, Damon didn’t hide from you the fact that he was alive because he wanted to make you suffer, or to be free of you, or whatever the phantom was convincing you of. He wanted to be able to come back in a way and at a time that he could show you things were going to be different. That he was capable of changing. And you were the person he wanted to change for. Not me. You. You’re his brother and he loves you, and he wanted things to be better between you.† Elena paused for breath, and to gauge what effect, if any, her speech was having on the brothers. At least they weren’t currently trying to kil each other. That had to be a good sign. They stared at each other now, their faces unreadable. Damon licked the blood from his lips. Stefan reached up and careful y ran his free hand over the torn skin on his face and chest. Neither one said a word. Was there a connection left between them? Damon was looking at the cuts on Stefan’s neck with an almost soft expression in his black eyes. Elena let go of them and threw up her hands. â€Å"Fine,† she said. â€Å"If you can’t forgive each other, then just think about this. The phantom wants you to fight. It wants you to kil each other, to hate each other. Your jealousy is what’s feeding it. One thing I know about you – about both of you – is that you’ve never given your enemies anything they wanted, not even if it would have saved you. Are you going to give in to what this phantom, this manipulative monster, wants? Is it going to control you, or are you going to control you? Does either of you real y want to murder your brother for someone else?† At the same exact moment, Damon and Stefan blinked. After a few seconds, Stefan cleared his throat awkwardly. â€Å"I’m glad you’re not dead after al ,† he offered. The corner of Damon’s mouth twitched. â€Å"I’m relieved I didn’t manage to kil you today, little brother,† he answered. Apparently, that was al they had to say. They held each other’s eyes for a beat longer, then turned to Elena. â€Å"So,† said Damon, and he was beginning to smile, a wild, reckless smile that Elena recognized. Damon the unstoppable, Damon the antihero, was back. â€Å"How do we kil this bitch?† Mrs. Flowers and the phantom were stil locked in their silent, almost motionless battle. Mrs. Flowers was beginning to lose ground to the phantom, though. The phantom’s stance was wider; its arms had spread out. It was gradual y gaining the power to move, and Mrs. Flowers’s hands and arms were shaking with strain. Her face was pale, and the lines of age around her mouth seemed deeper. â€Å"We have to hurry,† Elena said to Damon and Stefan. They skirted around Mrs. Flowers and the phantom, and joined the others who, white-faced and wary, were watching them approach. In front of them, only two candles stil burned. â€Å"Stefan,† Elena said. â€Å"Go.† Stefan stared down at the dark blue candle stil burning on the floor of the garage. â€Å"I’ve been jealous of everyone lately, it seems,† he said, the shame evident in his tone. â€Å"I’ve been jealous of Matt, whose life seems so simple and good to me, who I know could have taken Elena out of the shadows and given her the uncomplicated life she deserves. I was jealous of Caleb, who seemed like the kind of golden boy who would be a good match for Elena, so much so that I distrusted him even before I had reason to, because I thought he was after her. And especial y, I was jealous of Damon.† His gaze left the candle and settled on his brother’s face. Damon looked back at him with an inscrutable expression. â€Å"I suppose I’ve always been jealous of him. The phantom was tel ing the truth when she said that. When we were alive, he was older, faster, stronger, more sophisticated than I was. When we died† – Stefan’s lips curled up in a bitter smile of remembrance – â€Å"things only got worse. And, even more recently, when Damon and I found we could work together, I’ve resented how close he was to Elena. He has a piece of her that I’m not a part of, and it’s hard not to be jealous of that.† Stefan sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. â€Å"The thing is, though, I love my brother. I do.† He looked up at Damon. â€Å"I love you. I always have, even when we were at our worst. Even when al we wanted to do was kil each other. Elena’s right: We’re more than the bad parts of ourselves. I have fed the phantom of jealousy, but now I cast my jealousy away.† The blue candle flickered and went out. Elena was watching the phantom closely, and saw the rose in its torso dul for a moment. The phantom flinched and snarled, then renewed its struggle against Mrs. Flowers’s spel . As it gave a powerful twist, the older woman staggered backward. â€Å"Now!† Elena muttered quietly to Damon, looking at him meaningful y and wishing more than ever that she had her powers of telepathy. Distract her, she hoped her eyes said. Damon nodded once, as if to say he understood her message, then cleared his throat theatrical y, drawing every eye to him, and picked up the dark red candle, the last one burning in the line. He dabbed a line of his blood down its length and spent a few seconds posed with his head lowered pensively, his long, dark eyelashes brushing his cheeks. He was milking the moment for every drop of drama. Once every eye was fixed on him, Elena touched Stefan and indicated for him to help her approach the phantom from either side. â€Å"I have been jealous,† Damon intoned, staring down at the flame of the candle he held. He flicked his eyes up quickly at Elena, and she nodded encouragingly. â€Å"I have been jealous,† he repeated, frowning. â€Å"I have coveted that which my brother has, over and over again.† Elena slipped closer to the phantom, coming up beside it on its right side. She could see that Stefan was inching nearer on its left. Mrs. Flowers saw them, too. Elena could tel , because the older woman raised her eyebrows fractional y and began to mutter her spel more loudly and fiercely. Damon’s voice rose, too, everyone in the room competing for Jealousy’s attention, to keep it from noticing Stefan and Elena’s machinations. â€Å"I don’t need to go into every single detail of my past,† Damon said, his familiar smirk appearing on his battered face, a smirk that Elena found oddly reassuring. â€Å"I think there’s been enough of that here today. Suffice it to say there are things I†¦ regret. Things that I would like to be different in the future.† He paused dramatical y for a moment, his head thrown back proudly. â€Å"And so I admit that I have fed the phantom of jealousy. And now I cast jealousy out.† In the moment that Damon’s candle went out – and thank God it had gone out, Elena thought; Damon was apt to cling to his worst impulses – the rose in the phantom’s chest dul ed again to a dark pink. Jealousy snarled and wobbled ever so slightly on its feet. At that same instant, Stefan lunged for the cut across the phantom’s chest and got his hand inside it, inside the phantom’s torso, and grabbed for the rose. A gout of green, viscous fluid spurted from the wound as Stefan squeezed the rose, and then the phantom screamed, a long, unearthly howl that made al the humans flinch. Bonnie clapped her hands over her ears, and Celia moaned. For a moment, Elena thought they were going to win that easily – that by attacking the rose at the phantom’s heart, Stefan had defeated it. But then the phantom steadied itself and, with a huge flexing of muscle, pul ed suddenly out of Mrs. Flowers’s control, and in one smooth motion ripped Stefan away from its side, his hand coming empty out of its chest, and threw him across the garage. Stefan hit the wal with a muffled thump, slid to the floor, and lay stil . Evidently exhausted by her battle with the phantom, Mrs. Flowers also sagged backward, and Matt rushed to catch her in his arms before she hit the ground. The phantom smiled slowly at Damon, showing its sharp teeth. Its glacier-clear eyes glittered. â€Å"It’s time to go, Damon,† Jealousy said softly. â€Å"You’re the strongest one here. The best of al of them, the best of anyone. But they’l always fawn over Stefan, the weakling, the brat, your useless baby brother. No matter what you do, no one wil ever care for you the way these mortals do for him. The way everyone, for hundreds of years, has always cared for Stefan. You should leave them behind. Make them suffer. Why not leave them in danger? They’d do the same to you. Elena and her friends traveled through dimensions, faced slavery, braved the greatest perils, to save Stefan, but they left you lying dead, far from home. They came back here and were happy without you. What loyalty do you owe them?† Damon, his face in shadow now that al the candles were out, gave a dark, bitter little laugh. His black eyes gleamed in the dimness, fixed on the phantom’s clear ones. There was a long silence, and Elena’s breath caught in her throat. Damon stepped forward, stil holding his candle. â€Å"Don’t you remember?† he said, his voice cool. â€Å"I cast you out.† And with superhuman quickness, before anyone could even blink, he lit his candle again with a flick of Power and threw it, straight and true, directly into the phantom’s face. How to cite The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 34, Essay examples

Max weber free essay sample

1. Weber sought to develop a better understanding of the dynamics of social organization by focusing on how social control operates in different types of social contexts. To start, he distinguished power and authority: †¢Power is defined simply as the ability to get someone to do something despite resistance. There are many sources of power, which we will address when we talk about social control and leadership, but of primary interest here is the consideration that power is socially expensive. To work effectively, power depends upon observation and enforcement, both of which need to paid for. †¢Alternatively authority is simply defined as legitimate power. It is a socially recognized agreement process between a superordinate (i. e. , the administrator or leader) and a subordinate (i. e. , the employee or follower) that articulates a range of activities over which the leader can tell specific followers what to do. Its appeal lies in that it requires neither observation nor enforcement, and therefore is much more efficient and reliable. We will write a custom essay sample on Max weber or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2. Weber distinguishes three types of authority: †¢Traditional authority is based in the person (the classic example is the King/Queen). The traditional authority is an ascribed status, (received through birthright), and it defines a social relationship between the lord and the vassal based on personal loyalty or fealty. In return for the fidelity of the vassal, the lord promises protection or other resources that the lord controls. The relationship is thus one of mutual obligation and is dependent upon the legitimate recognition of authority in the person of the lord. The system works well under conditions where organization is relatively small or where decision making is not under severe time constraints. Weber regards bureaucracy as an â€Å"ideal-type,† meaning not the best of form of organization, but rather a theoretical abstraction of social control. In a bureaucracy, authority is rationalized so that everyone is treated the same. Bureaucracy is described through six characteristics: †¢ 1. The organization of activities in each position is based on rules. These are consistent and universal. 2. Each position is specifies a â€Å"sphere of influence† which organizes related activities. These positions define a functionally related division-of-labor. 3. Organizational positions are organized into a hierarchical system which directs communication and control. This system allows the delegation of tasks into a hierarchy of organizational relationships. 4. The positions in each office may carry technical qualifications that require suitable training. Hiring and promotion is thus based on merit. 5. Each position is compartmentalized into a distinct office, organized by function, not by the person who does the job. 6. Administrative acts and decisions are formulated recorded in writing. These written rules become the files on which organizational activity is based. Under bureaucracy, a more efficient and rationally consistent organization emerges. But bureaucracies often do not work as well as they are designed. Under what conditions do bureaucracies work best? †¢Charismatic authority is often misidentified as a set of individually held attributes. Instead, Weber defines Charisma as a set of attributes that are socially prescribed as related to leadership positions (e. g. , a priest or cult leader). Followers or disciples may endow the charismatic leader with â€Å"supernatural† or exceptional powers that are not accessible to the ordinary person.

Marketing and Lego Essays

Marketing and Lego Essays Marketing and Lego Essay Marketing and Lego Essay Executive Summary Since LEGO Group’s (LEGO) inception in 1932, the world-famous toy maker overcame numerous challenging obstacles to become the leader in the building toy segment. By 2010, LEGO had witnessed all-time high annual sales of over US$3. 7 billion to become the fourth-largest toy manufacturer in the world. Upon analysis of LEGO’s strengths through Resource-Based View, LEGO holds few key competitive advantages attributed to their success: strong brand name and innovative culture. These traits are not imitable or easily substitutable. However, the competitive landscape has drastically increased in the building toy industry as analyzed with Porter’s Five Forces. Essentially, the deteriorating barriers to entry from loss of trademark protection, Disney’s acquisition of Marvel for greater control of entertainment licensing, and increased rivalry among existing firms from little product differentiation are the main drivers of high competition in the observed market. Therefore, in order to uphold the market leader position in the building toy market and ensure financial success in the years ahead, it is strongly believed that the combination of differentiation and first-mover strategy will best allow LEGO to capitalize on the opportunities available in this growing industry while mitigating the threats from the changes in the market. Although several viable alternatives are present in order to address the mentioned concerns, expanding to the adult market with specialized LEGO sets for hobby and professional purposes is the most suitable. By tapping into this huge demographic consisting of many previous LEGO users, LEGO will diversify its product lines, gain a new channel for revenue generation, protect its brand from competitors’ similar products and maintain high brand recognition from wider targets. Problem Statement The LEGO Group (LEGO) is facing new threats emerging in the toy industry from company acquisitions, intensifying competition in the building blocks segment and risk of brand dilution. Representing one of the fastest growing categories in the global toy sales of US$83. billion in 2010, building sets hold a great opportunity despite uncertainty if LEGO is to successfully develop a product expansion strategy that can maintain LEGO’s current market dominance, high brand value and achieve a financial success. Porter’s Five Forces (Appendix A) The threat of the existing toy companies expanding into the building blocks segment is fairly high due to the similar cost structure and operation requirements. LEGO’s biggest competitor MEGA Bloks proved that other companies could carve out a percentage of the building toy market. LEGO is dealing with two kinds of buyers: small retailers and larger chains. With more than two-thirds of LEGO’s revenue coming from the 200 large retailers, these buyers have fairly high bargaining power. The small stores do not have such bargaining power with LEGO considering their order sizes and revenue contribution. The bargaining power of the suppliers is assumed to be weak as the companies in this industry can freely select their suppliers. For instance, LEGO reduced 80% of its suppliers, showing the flexibility of choosing from wide range of suppliers and significant control over supply-related costs. On the other hand, the rivalry level in the industry and the building sets segment is high. The acquisition of Marvel by Disney placed a large amount of entertainment licensing under the control of Disney which indicates that licensing agreements that LEGO relies on to add values to its products will become more difficult to obtain. Lastly, the threat of substitutes for both toys and building blocks products is assumed to be high as parents will often encourage other activities for their children such as playing sports, exercising, or reading books instead of having them play inside. To conclude, it is strongly believed that the combination of differentiation and first-mover strategy will best allow LEGO to capitalize on the opportunities available in the growing industry while mitigating the threats from the changes in the market environment. SWOT Analysis (Appendix B) LEGO is a globally recognized brand with long history of producing creative and educational toys and has established significantly positive image to the consumers. Thus, LEGO can embrace its reputation and knowledge in the industry to further diversify its product offerings. LEGO has many loyal parent customers buying LEGO products for their children. It is important to understand that the consumers are not the buyers of the products. Once the active consumers of LEGO, the parents trust its products and LEGO is deeply rooted in their personal experience. However, new product lines that reflect the current popular children’s culture face the challenge of appealing to the children and answering strict demands of parents. Nonetheless, LEGO has weaknesses as well. Digital Design Program offering customized product offering with delivery can be assumed to be incurring extra costs since LEGO cannot leverage its economies of scale. LEGO’s loss of patent protection is also the weaknesses that other competitors exploit. As competitors introduce plastic brick products that are compatible with the LEGO brick designs, the consumers are misled into buying the products thinking that they are LEGO. As competition and licensing control intensify to threaten LEGO, the organization should avoid expensive/additional marketing and legal campaigns in the building blocks segment, and divert such resources to take advantage of the unexplored segments in the market. Value Chain Resource-Based View Analysis (Appendix C) While LEGO’s business activities create value and competitive advantages for the firm and its customers, they do so with varying degrees. First, among the primary activities, inbound and outbound logistics are assumed to be standard practices across the industry, contributing little towards competitive advantage. The operation systems offer LEGO a high level of competitiveness since LEGO’s corporate governance is rare and difficult for competitors to imitate. Lastly, marketing and sales strategy for LEGO are unique due to the exclusive nature of licensing agreement, its history and long-term effort of brand building. LEGO’s general and human capital management contribute to its competitive advantage by applying the expertise and knowledge accumulated over the decades, making it extremely difficult to imitate. Technology development and procurement activities at LEGO are assumed to be similar to the general and human capital management and they are relatively unique to LEGO due to its organizational culture history. In conclusion, LEGO’s management should continue creating added values in their products through the above activities, with significant focus on marketing and sales to further synergize with their strengths as indicated in SWOT analysis and operations systems, which include product designs, to expand their product lines into new market segments. Alternative 1: Expand product lines targeting girls As indicated in the SWOT analysis, the market coverage for girls in the building blocks is assumed to be fairly low at this point. LEGO can expand its product designs by obtaining the licensing agreements with entertainment companies that girls favor, as well as adopting new product designs for girls. For example, diversifying its Duplo product lines with themes, such as princesses from Disney cartoons that girls will prefer over boys, will allow LEGO to capture the potentially under-served market segment. By increasing their product lines with minimal design expansion, LEGO is effectively ‘creating’ a sub-segment within the industry and challenging other competitors, which are trying to compete in the traditional building sets segment. Essentially, LEGO is positioning itself as a segment leader once again and capturing a large portion of the end-users and customers. Nevertheless, there are several risks associated with the alternative: first is the market uncertainty. In other words, young girls may not be as interested as boys in building blocks products even with appealing themes. Therefore, thorough target segment research involving focus groups and interviews is recommended to mitigate this risk. Secondly, there is low barrier to entry in this sub category of end-users. The competitors are easily able to compete in this market segment, by designing similar products with themes that will be targeting girls instead of boys. This is possible because re-tooling of the equipment is not costly, as the machines are manufactured to be able to handle multiple designs. Lastly, the increased control over licensing agreement is another major concern: with the themes involving Disney characters, it will be very competitive to acquire licensing agreements, given the previous relationship Disney has with Mattel and Hasbro. Fortunately, this risk can be mitigated by creating themes that do not use the characters’ names or key features, thus avoiding any misjudgment or legal conflicts. Alternative 2: Expand product lines targeting adults/previous LEGO users Given LEGO’s long history of being in the toy business, it is correct to assume that the older generation, who are the parents of the children that LEGO targets, have had experience playing LEGO sets. This fact brings up two unique and strong bases for an inimitable business strategy: 1). By targeting the adults LEGO will increase the size of its potential market. Re-attracting the once loyal customers will not involve complicated new marketing strategies as they can be easily connected based on nostalgic elements. While the threat comes from commoditization of LEGO sets due to similar products being produced by LEGO’s competitors, the past user experience of playing with LEGO sets will never be able to be copied. 2). Furthermore, the distinction between children as consumers and parents as customers made it difficult for LEGO to align the interests and expectations of its two stakeholders. Product expansion into the adult market enables LEGO to focus only on the product development as adults will not necessarily look for traditional values (i. e. educational factors) that LEGO toys have. Fortunately, LEGO for adults will not be a pioneer project. Around the world, many LEGO fans have uploaded pictures of items creatively made by the fans themselves with LEGO pieces (APPENDIX D). LEGO for adults will reflect this on-going global trend and design specialized LEGO pieces for adult users. LEGO for adult users will be used for professional and hobby-related purposes. Engineers can use LEGO to design new bridges, buildings and landmarks while general hobbyists can build a new computer case, frame for pictures and small stools. While LEGO sets for children was considered a toy, LEGO for adults will be a whole new category allowing its users to create art, functional items and highly creative masterpieces to attach unique personal experience and irreplaceable values. Recommendation (Appendix D) Ultimately, it is recommended for LEGO management to undertake the second alternative, to redesign the existing LEGO pieces to be more functional and target the adults. Although other strategy is a viable option, in order to address the concern of competition from absence of patents, lack of product differentiation, and higher dependency on popular licensors, the aforementioned solution is the most suitable. By tapping into this huge demographic consisting of many previous LEGO users, LEGO will diversify its product lines, gain a new channel for revenue generation, protect its brand from competitors’ similar products and maintain high brand recognition from wider targets. LEGO building sets for adults will protect LEGO with a new patent and decades of established loyalty. The LEGO sets for adults will be sold online for two main reasons: 1). This new product line is in an unique product category that does not belong in either the traditional toy stores r the home hardware department. 2). Adults have the mean to purchase (i. e. credit cards) things sold online. Furthermore, the unclear future due to Disney’s purchase of Marvel will be neutralized with the concept of the LEGO sets for adults. While the association of popular pop culture in LEGO theme is important to appeal to children, adults will be more concerned with what they can make with the pieces. Therefore, these new LEGO pieces will be bigger, come in greater variety in shapes and allow more complicated technical flexibility and aesthetic brevity. Upon a glance, completed sets made with such pieces will fit well with other furniture and items in a typical household. LEGO can effectively leverage the current usage of LEGO sets by the professionals and hobbyists like the University of Cambridge and Nathan Sawaya to showcase how they use LEGO. Finally, it is highly likely that once the adults start purchasing and manipulating LEGO sets for their own use, they will opt to buy toys and the traditional LEGO sets from LEGO for their own children, establishing stronger and wider customer retention for many years to come.

The Snake Cult of False Prophet Alexander of Abonoteichus

The Snake Cult of False Prophet Alexander of Abonoteichus It turns out that modern America isnt the only place suffering from scary and bizarre cults. Meet Alexander of Abonoteichus, who used a hand puppet to create his own cult centered on a snake. Alexanders story comes to us from the Greek satirist Lucian, who weaves a fascinating tale of faith and scams. External sources corroborated the existence of a Glycon cult, and even one of Lucians more spurious claims - that Alexander slept with married ladies - seems to have been possible, if not terribly likely. Early Life Alexander hailed from Abonoteichus, a hot-spot in Paphlagonia on the Black Sea. But  the story of this  Alexander,  Lucian says, is no mean feat to tell; Lucian might as well be speaking of Alexander the Great! As Lucian quips, The one was as great in villainy as the other in heroism. As a youth, Alexander was a prostitute. One of his  clients was a snake oil salesman/doctor, a quack, one of those who advertise enchantments, miraculous incantations, charms for your love-affair. This guy recognized trained him in the ways of trickery and selling scams. There was a long tradition of wandering scholars/magicians in this part of the world at the time, as Lucian attests: Alexanders master once followed the famed mystic Apollonius of Tyana. Sadly for Alexander, his master died when he hit his teens, so he formed a partnership with a Byzantine writer of choral songs to go around the countryside practicing quackery and sorcery. Alexander and his partner Cocconas followed one of their best clients home to Pella in Macedon.   At Pella, Alexander got the idea for his greatest  scheme yet, one that allowed him to  become the Professor Marvel of the ancient Mediterranean.  He bought one of those pet snakes and, having realized that people who provided hope to their worshippers earned a  lot of money in tribute and offerings, decided to  found his own snake cult based around prophecy. Serpents had  long been associated with foreknowledge in ancient Greece, so that was a no-brainer. A False Prophet Is Born Alexander and Cocconas started in Chalcedon, where they went to the temple of Asclepius, a healing deity and son of prophecy god Apollo. In that sanctuary, they buried tablets that foretold the coming of Asclepius to Alexander’s hometown of Abonoteichus. Once people â€Å"discovered† these texts, every mystic headed straight there to build a temple to Asclepius.   Alexander went home dressed as a prophet descended from Perseus (even though everyone who knew him from home was aware his parents were Average Joes). In order to keep up the pretense of prophecy, Alexander chewed soapwort root to fake fits of madness. He also created a snake hand puppet made from linen that â€Å"would open and close its mouth by means of horsehairs, and a forked black tongue ... also controlled by horsehairs, would dart out.† Alexander even stashed an extra snake egg near the temple in Abonoteichus; muttering words in Hebrew and Phoenician – which seemed like magical gibberish to his listeners – he scooped up the snake and said Asclepius had arrived! Alexander then snuck in a tame snake he bought from Pella and swapped it out for the baby serpent, telling everyone it grew up super-fast, thanks to magic. He also put tubes into his snake puppet and had a friend speak through them to allow Asclepius to prophesize. As a result, his snake, Glycon, was turned into a god. To interpret prophecies, Alex told supplicants to write down their questions on scrolls and drop them off with him; he secretly read them after removing their wax seals with a hot needle, then prepped his answers before they returned. He banned others from sex with young boys, but allowed himself to molest choirboys who served him. This fraud set a high price for his prophecies and sent people abroad to stir up good PR for him. Word reached as far as Rome, from which rich but gullible Rutilianus came to visit; the false prophet even manipulated this guy into marrying Alexanders own daughter. This helped Alexander establish a spy network in Rome and create  mystery rites  for his cult,  like those of Demeter or Dionysus. So great was Alex’s influence that he convinced the emperor to change the name of Abonoteichus to Ionopolis (perhaps after another of Apollo’s mythical sons, Ion); the emperor also issued coins with Alexander on one side and the snake Glycon on the other! Alexander once prophesied he’d live until 150, then get struck by lightning, but his real death was less dramatic. Before he turned 70, one of his legs rotted all the way to his groin; only then did people notice he wore a wig to look young.

Tort Law Ph.D. Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tort Law Ph.D. - Case Study Example Prior to the regulations on electronic music equipment, which were introduced in 1990's the present music equipment was very sensitive to electro-magnetic interference. After 1990's it has to comply with specific standards that make it more immune to this sort of interference, that the problem experienced by Mr Morris would not be encountered with guitars produced according to these regulations. The interference is due to the sensitiveness of the recording equipment the foreseeing of nuisance by the Railways does not arise. It would arise if the interference were caused because of the sensitivity of the TI 21. "Railtrack could not reasonably have foreseen that these track circuits could have caused problems of electromagnetic interference at a distance of 60 to 70 meters." The court believed that playing the guitar with sensitive electric and electronic music instrument such as an amplifier is not an abnormal but an ordinary enjoyment of property, it is feature of modern life and it is material for many younger generation's pleasure and also a vital part of the modern music generation. The trial court believed the fact that electromagnetic interference was caused not only to the complaint alone but it caused to other users of such instrument also well before the track circuit was installed within that vicinity. And therefore concluded the second issue that nuisance of electromagnetic interference to the complainant was foreseeable. (Graham Sinclair (2005), Neighbors and the Law (Chapter 5.10) Findings of the Court of Appeal The court of appeal recognized the issue as a sensitive and since there is no settled law adjudicating the electromagnetic interference as nuisance. Therefore the court has elaborately discussed the issues taking the settled law nearest to issues in this case. The court has made the following findings: The court of appeal felt that only interference to the comforts of standard average man is actionable. Interference to abnormal and sensitive enjoyments of his property does not come within the ambit of the actionable nuisance. In this regard the court also felt that no

DNA sequence analysis, primer design, protein expression and Essay

DNA sequence analysis, primer design, protein expression and mutagenesis assessment - Essay Example RecA is a recombinant gene and when in the presence of single stranded DNA, can behave as a catalyst in the hydrolysis process of ATP. It can also function in ATP dependant reactions such as Duplex DNA’s uptake of single stranded DNA and homologous single stranded DNA’s ATP propelled hybridization. (NCBI, 2008). Its function is likened to the mechanism and composition of copper amine oxidase, in that it acts in microbes to make use of amine substrates considered to be unusual such as carbon or nitrogen. As mentioned previously, recA resides in the presence of single stranded DNA. Protein secretion can be said to have taken place in the presence of single sequencing. The protein recA is unique due to its function as a copper ligase and its modification which takes place after the translation process. Post translation, a residue of tyrosine 412 will yield cofactor TPQ. Lysine 83 is also a residue of the reaction. In the event that it is decided to undertake mutagenesis in order to mutate lysine 83 into alanine; we would quickly see that reaction outcomes would be quite different. When mutation (genetic alterations) take place, the chemistry involved with the organisms and molecules become different even if the change is slight. With quick-change mutagenesis, we are able to target site changes which act to alter specific protein outcomes due to changing amino acid sequences. Changing lysine 83 through mutagenesis to alanine may be desirable for more than one reason. In many instances, changing out lysine for alanine can in fact, delay certain entropic effects such as crystallization, such as in the case of e. Coli where crystallization formation can be essential for post mutation testing. Lysine production in genetically engineered bacteria, will tend to promote fermentative production of other amino acids. Replacing residue lysine 83 with alanine 83 however, may be a wise alteration as many organisms can’t survive in the absence of