Rocketry :: science

RocketryA rocket is a device that does not ask atmospheric oxygen to burn its fuel, since it carries its own, either separately or in chemical combination with fuel. Rockets are propelled forward by gas or liquid being expelled backwards. Rockets work on a fundamental law of motion by Sir Isaac Newton that states, for every action there is an equal and resister reaction. This helps explain how rockets fly on earth and in space. For example, the rocket fuel is exploded in a controlled way so that the exhaust gas or liquid is sent streaming down out the rocket nozzle and causing the rocket to accelerate up. Rockets are usually shaped like an arrow, with great and slender bodies and fins at the bottom. This shape provides stability for flying straight, and with low air resistance for flying fast. The evolution of the rocket has made it an irreplaceable tool in the exploration of space. For centuries, the ancient Chinese has hired rockets for ceremonial and warfare purposes. The Chin ese were the first known people to use and make rockets. Wernher Von Braun made a big advancement in rocketry during WWII when he built a rocket that was powered by ethyl alcohol and liquid oxygen. The rocket was called either A-4 or V2, and had a range of about 220 miles (350km), and a maximum height of about 162 miles (100km). This rocket was the main reason that the United States and Russia started the space exploration war. A potent propellant rockets posses more advanced fuels, designs, and functions than the early rockets, as does the Liquid fueled. Yet solid propellant rockets remain in wide spread use today, as seen in rockets including the Space Shuttle dual booster engines and the Delta series booster stages. A solid propellant is a monopropellant fuel, which is a single mixture of several(prenominal) chemicals. This fuel is in its solid state and has a pre-formed or molded shape. The interior shape of the core is an important factor in determining a rockets performance. Solid fueled rockets are relatively simple rockets. This is their chief advantage, but it also has its drawbacks. Once a solid rocket is ignited it will use up all of its fuel and cannot be shut off. Another disadvantage is the danger involved in the premixed fuels of monopropellant rockets. The Saturn V moon rocket used intimately 8 million pounds of thrust requiring a high specific impulse liquid propellant.

Could The Suicide be The Executive after a life of failure? :: English Literature

Could The Suicide be The Executive after a life of failure?Although The Suicide might not be The Executive after a life offailure, there is strong evidence that he is. The Suicide might not bethe Executive for an obvious priming coat and that is that the poets argondifferent. Louis McNeice might not have read John Betjemans poem TheExecutive and this could just be a coincidence but I strongly believethe poets are talking about the same person.There is good evidence that The Suicide is The Executive. One goodpoint is that they are both set in the late 60s. The Executive isbecause it says I do some mild developing. The sort of place I needis a quiet country market town , he is saying he needs a small townso it is easier to get away with. Thats rather run to seed, this isa metaphor that the town has got past its prime and not spendingmoney anymore like the bill all its efforts go into making seedsthen after that it has gone past its prime and its pretty muchuseless. This is the 60s b ecause there was not a licence of housinguntil after this period of time. No one could just knock downbuildings then. Another aspect of the poem, which makes you considerit is in the 60s, is that Betjeman has indite in his poem I have aSlimline briefcase, which were only used around that time becausethey are like the equivalent of red-brick palmtops. Therefore, if theExecutive was so rich he would have the best up to date technology toshow off for work. In The Suicide it indicates that it is set inthe 60s because McNeice writes in his poem Through which he hadwandered deliciously till he stumbled, which is a 60s song.The executive was so high flying, so self-assertive and arrogant. Betjeman issatirising The Executive. He was so insecure about his life he had togo talk himself up to strangers who probably dont even care. I am ayoung executive this line shows he was talking to an older person andit was not a woman because they were not any businesswomen then. Youcan identify immed iately that he is trying to sell himself to this otherperson just from two lines No cuffs than mine are cleaner I have aslimline briefcase and I use the firms Cortina. Hes trying to say heis so successful and rich he can afford all these expensive, modernitems like by saying Ive got a scarlet Aston Martin-and does she go?

Ancient Stories Of The Flood :: essays research papers

Stories of a primeval flood exist in all separate of the world, virtually every branch of the human race has traditions of a Great Flood that destroyed all of mankind, except one family.The closest parallel to the scriptural composition of the flood occurs in the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, our fullest version of which is furnished by an Akkadian recension prepared, in the seventh century B.C. for the great library of King Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. The story itself is far older. We have fragments of versions dating as much as a thousand years earlier, and we possess also portions of a Summerian archetype. In the Mesopotamian version the gods simply displeased with the evils of mankind decided to destroy it by means of a great flood. Ea, the god of wisdom and subtlety, was privy to their council and warned Utnapishtim, the Babylonian Noah, of the coming disaster. Utnapishtim was told to build a ship thirty cubits long and thirty cubits wide. Provision it and put in it specimens of every living thing. Then to board it with his family and possessions and launch it on the waters.For six years and nights the wind and flood raged. On the seventh solar day the flood abated. Everything, including mankind, had turned to mud and clay. Utnapishtim sent out a dove on the seventh day but it came back. He then sent out a swallow, but it came back. Finally he sent out a raven. The raven, however, saw that the waters had receded it instal food, and started to caw and wallow in the mud it never came back. Eventually the ship grounded on Mount Nisir. Utnapishtim, seeing that the flood had receded, disembarked and set out an offering for the gods.Enil, &8220 shaper of the underworld, was very angry when he saw that Utnapishtim had been spared. He was soon calmed by the other gods and gave his blessing to Utnapishtim and his wife by granting them the gift of immortality and transferring them to a remote island.aged versions, of which only fragments survive, tell virtually the same story, though the hero is sometimes called Atrahasis, or &8220Superwise, rather than Utnapishtim. In Western Asia the legend of the flood is of Summerian origin, and is now know from the excavations at Kish and Ur to have been based upon an historical catastrophe. In the Summerian version the hero is named Ziusudra, &8220the long lived.

Identity Formation in Mansfield’s The Garden Party Essays -- The Garde

The budding rose above the rose full blown, writes William Henry Wordsworth, elevating the process of emerging, ever-changing and evolving over those already developed, established and matured. While Wordsworths remark regards a rose, the statement also accurately describes Katherine Mansfields protagonist in The Garden political party. The write up focuses on a wealthy family from New Zealand, jaded by elite lifestyle and prominent social standing. The youngest daughter, Laura, the budding rose of the story, seeks to break the constraints of upper flesh society, causing her to be both more mature and compassionate than other members of her well to do family. Lauras internal struggle, the main conflict of Mansfields story, is maven of identity, and she oscillates between imitating environmental influences and reacting to them in a manner that is unique to her individual personality. Throughout the course of the story, the pendulum of her conscience swings to converse sides, cau sing her actions to be inconsistent and without loyalty to either her familys upperclass exclusive ways or to her inherent qualities of equality and empathy. This varying behavior causes critics to dispute over Lauras true personality, motives and objectives. While some critics believe that her sympathetic efforts are an attempt at rebelling from the expectations of her class, others believe that she is an empathetic individual without a supportive family. Another group of critics believe that the story presents and the initiation of Lauras kindness, suggesting that she will continue to flourish into a compassionate person on the outskirts of upper class society others refute this view, stating that The Garden Party portrays the extent of Lauras d... ... Daly, Saralyn R. Katherine Mansfield New York Twayne Publishers 1914. Kleine,Don W. The Garden Party A Portrait of the Artist,Criticism, Vol. V No. 4 Fall, 1963, pp.360-371. Kobbler, J.F. Katherine Mansfield. A Study of the Shor t manufacturing. Twayne Publishers. capital of Massachusetts 1991 Mansfield, Katherine. The Garden Party. Norton Anthology Ed. M.H. Abrams W.W Norton & Company New York, London, 1996, 1996 pp. 2510-2520 Pilditch, Jan. Reference Guide to Short Fiction, 1st Ed., St. James Press, 1994. Rich, Jennifer. The Garden Party and Other Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield. Satterfield, Ben. Irony in The Garden Party. Ball State University Forum Vol. XXIII No. 1, Winter, 1982 pp. 68-74. Sorkin, Adam J. Katherine Mansfields The Garden Party Style and Social Occasion Modern Fiction Studies Vol. 24, 1978, pp.439-455.

Dugong Research :: Marine Mammals Biology Essays

Dugong Reoceanrch Scientific name Dugong Dugon lieu Vulnerable to extinction since 1982 (IUCN) Appendix I of CITES Taxonomy Class MammaliaOrder SireniaFamily DugongidaeGenus DugongSpecies dugonCommon Name dugong or sea cowLocal Name duyong or baboy dagat Description The dugong is one of the 24 species of marine mammals present in the Philippine waters. The dugong is the only case of the order Sirenia to be found in the country. It is a truly unique aquatic animal, being the only herbivorous mammal whose preferred home ground is the sea. Like people and other mammals, the dugong is warm-blooded, has hairs, breathes air and the mother suckles their young. It has been noted that stories on mermaids are attributed to this unique animal due to its striking resemblance fish-like tail, brownish smooth skin, mammary glands, woman-like genitalia and even its suckling baby. An adult dugong can grow to more than three meters in length and can moot more than 400 kg. Newborns are a little over a meter, while mature animals measure at least 2.5 meters in length (Marsh et al. 1984). The dugongs body is torpedo-shaped with whale-like flukes. The neck is short and indistinct. The flippers are small and short are used for manoeuvring and as a support during feeding or resting at the sea bottom. The color of an adult dugong is greyish bronze, which becomes lighter ventrally. Neonates and juveniles are lighter and are browner in color. The skin is tough, heavily scarred and usually colonized with barnacles in older animals. Short/stiff hair and fine/thin hair is sparsely distributed throughout the back of the animal. Hair is almost absent in the abdomen but are large, thick and abundant in the snout region. The upper lip forms the rostral disc, which is horseshoe in shape and is covered with a component of thick and long vibrissae used for probing. A unique feature is around 25-35 mm thick (not as thick compared to other marine mammals, since protection from the frore is not a great problem for this warm and shallow water species).

Dugong Research :: Marine Mammals Biology Essays

Dugong Reoceanrch Scientific name Dugong Dugon Status defenceless to extinction since 1982 (IUCN) Appendix I of CITES Taxonomy Class MammaliaOrder SireniaFamily DugongidaeGenus DugongSpecies dugonCommon Name dugong or sea affrightLocal Name duyong or baboy dagat Description The dugong is one of the 24 species of marine mammals present in the Philippine waters. The dugong is the only representative of the rank Sirenia to be found in the country. It is a truly unique aquatic animal, being the only herbivorous mammal whose preferred habitat is the sea. handle people and other mammals, the dugong is warm-blooded, has hairs, breathes air and the mother suckles their young. It has been noted that stories on mermaids are attributed to this unique animal due to its striking resemblance fish-like tail, brownish restrained skin, mammary glands, woman-like genitalia and even its suckling baby. An adult dugong ca n grow to more than than three meters in length and can weigh more than 400 kg. Newborns are a little over a meter, while mature animals measure at least 2.5 meters in length (Marsh et al. 1984). The dugongs body is torpedo-shaped with whale-like flukes. The neck is short and indistinct. The flippers are small and short are used for manoeuvring and as a support during feeding or resting at the sea bottom. The color of an adult dugong is greyish bronze, which becomes lighter ventrally. Neonates and juveniles are lighter and are browner in color. The skin is tough, heavily scarred and usually colonized with barnacles in older animals. Short/stiff hair and fine/thin hair is sparsely distributed throughout the back of the animal. Hair is almost absent in the venter but are large, wide and abundant in the snout region. The upper lip forms the rostral disc, which is horseshoe in shape and is covered with a lot of thick and long vibrissae used for probing. A unique feature is around 25- 35 mm thick (not as thick compared to other marine mammals, since protection from the cold is not a great problem for this warm and shallow water species).

An student

There is a thin line separating those who deserve an A and those who consistently receive piece of ass. As one progresses through the schooling system, different ideas be acquired about what the different letter grades mean and how to achieve them. The universal idea of an A is eternally changing, as does the difficulty of achieving one. Depending on the school/instructor, how difficult it is to achieve a certain grade can vary.So much so that common phrases such as An easy A and An A for effort have emerged, while others insist that an A is closer to perfection Han it is to a good effort. Grades argon supposed to be a numerical/letter representation of ones academic progress in a course or lesson. But more often than not, good grades become a goal and not a reward thus students are striving for grades and not the knowledge which they represent. In his article Making the Grade, Kurt Westfield points out that students are often undeserving granted good grades.This allows the same s tudents to graduate with a degree and find a Job, without the actual knowledge needed to strive in their field. Similarly, he then goes on to note that these under-qualified students that are now in the weeplace arent ready for the tasks at hand. Universities are sending students into their careers with the same mindset they had end-to-end grapeshot, find the quick and easy way to get the Job done. Consequently, Jobs and projects could be done incorrectly or left incomplete. The difference is, though, that when these real world Jobs are incomplete or incorrect, they can create real world problems and difficulties.The grading system was made with the intention that it would accurately reflect a dents performance in a class. Its commonly believed that if a student understands a subject well, they deserve an A. But for a student to actually deserve that grade, they must besides complete the entire workload, whether they know they information or not. The grade in the class is determi ned by the amount of work the student completes correctly, and this is where the controversy starts. slightly plead that if a student demonstrates that he/she understands the given subject, he/she should be given a passing grade (whether their work was completed or not).Others argue that if a student truly works their hardest and gives a strong effort in the class, they deserve a passing grade (whether their work was correct or not). At the end of the day though, if searching for a simple A grade in a class, one must be willing to work and study for that class, and complete each assignment with accuracy (easier said than done, of course ). The source of the problem resides in the earliest years of the school system. Starting from a young age, students are beingness taught and prepared for the next school year instead of for life.Elementary school students are being prepared for adolescent, meddlesomeness are being prepared for householders, householders for college, etc. Each yea r of schooling teaches you Just enough to get through the next year. The problem is, though, that by the time the student reaches college he/ she is not ready for life as an adult, only for more school. Meaning that students are going into college with the idea that they need to pass, and not the idea that they need to be preparing for their future. Students arent realizing that what they are learning is essential for their Job until its too late and they are unable to perform.

Liesel’s Obsession with Stealing Books

1. Given that the setting for the story was during Nazi Germany, the fact that Death is telling the story is no surprise. Since many lives were taken and woolly during the Holocaust, the presence of Death adds an eerie feeling to the story. Death enhances the feeling of the story by giving us an interesting point of view of what he saying during the Holocaust. In the story, instead of enjoying picking up bodies, he tells the analyzeer that he is tired of his job and complains about the constant workloads that war puts on his shoulders.Further more, on that point is however a part in the view as where death indicates that he is loyal to Hitlers causes since he took up hundreds and thousands of lives. Death attempts to resist Liesel because his hands are full. hitherto he is unable to get a focussing from her tragic life story, as she gives to her family and friends, and her interest in record obtains. The ugly and beautiful thing about the characters is the war meet by huma ns is ugly and the love and friendship to survive during bombs and bullets is the beauty. 2. Liesels obsession with slideing books is her revenge plan to get back at Hitler.Through the book she learns that words are powerful and very significant. She learns that books and their contents can introduce her the path to freedom from. She noniced that Hitler apply word to get Germany against anyone who was different consequently, she used those words to destroy what Hitler made. She noticed that Hitler used win over words to push Germany against anyone who did not fit his list of likes. Accordingly, she used the same type of powerful, bold and convincing types of words to get back at him. 3. Deaths allure with the colors of the sky functions shows great importance in the form of imagery.It helps portray the surliness of the story, as well as create an atmosphere. By focusing on the skys colors at the time of human death, Death suggests that there is a connection between the human d eath and the climate. The idea of each person that dies has there own color of sky represents a vision of a universe which cares about humans, and isnt indifferent to them. For Death, the colors are so edible, and he sucks on them for distraction while on the job. 4. Liesel steals The Grave Diggers handbook after her brothers burial. She takes the book in as a reminder of her brother, and later sees it as reminder of her mother.In spite of the book being stolen and not to be discovered by Hans, the title of the book was a part of Liesels past that she wanted to keep secret therefore she hid the book down the stairs the mattress. When Hans first discovers the book, his reaction was quite surprising entirely later he discovered that it was a great deal for Liesel. Later Hans goes by the trouble of direction Liesel how to read. The second book she steals is The Shcoulder Shrug from the bon fire on Hitlers Birthday. The reason why she steals the book is because she comes to know th at her parents were taken away because they were communists.This act of book stealing becomes a way Liesel can get back at Hitler for taking her parents. The third book she steals is The Whistler, from Ilsas library. The day that Ilsa refuses to take the laundry from Liesel, Ilsa offers the book to Liesel, but Liesel refuses it. Later, Liesel goes back to Ilsas house with Rudy to steal the book as an act of revenge against Ilsa. However, Liesel feels guilty for stealing the book because Ilsa was actually giving her the book and becomes grateful. Liesel writes a letter to Ilsa indicating that she will no longer steal from the library.As a result, Liesel is gifted a journal by Ilsa where Liesel is able to write her own stories. Stealing the book from the mayors house lead to a friendship with the mayors wife. Each night, Liesel goes down to the basement to write. Himmel Street was bombed. Liesels mama and atomic number 91 and Rudy were dead due to the bombings. However Liesel was sa ved because she was in the basement, perfecting her book. In a way, words saved her life. 5. Some people find it difficult to go through a day, not being in an angry mood. The reason why Rosa became irritated was because she lost her job as a laundry maid.The way Rosas life is continuing makes her an angry and bitter woman. 6. Hans tthroughout the novel proves to be worth a lot. He ends up earning Liesels trust and love by being the one who is there for her when she had nightmares every night. He also stayed with Liesel for many hours playing his accordion and teaching her how to roll cigarettes. Not only that, he taught Liesel how to read and was the only one to believe that Liesel had great potential. Liesel had a great attachment with Hans that made him feel like Liesel was his infant.Normally, Trudy only comes to visit during the holi days for a day or two while Hans Junior detest his father for not being in the Hitler group. Liesel is the only one that shows love, affection, and the true feeling of a daughter/child to Hans. Hans feels special when he is with her. On the other hand, Rosa appears to be a heartless bad-mouth woman. However, she is a very caring person but just doesnt show it. The hard times of poverty and working for the rich made Rosa a bitter woman. So instead of saying I love you to Liesel, she calls Liesel a Saumensch.However, Rosa also proves her love towards her foster daughter by gifting Maxs journal to Liesel. Towards the end of the book, Liesel comes to realize how beautiful Rosa really is. For example, when Hans leaves for the war, Rosa stays up all night holding on to Hans accordion and is quiet. Liesel learns that Rosa really does love Hans and is devoted to him. 7. Liesel sees love with abandonment because her mother left her in golf-club to keep her safe. She understood why she was abandoned by her mother when Max abandons her, then Hans. They did not leave her because they didnt want to be with her but because they had to.T herefore, she was abandoned by circumstance because at the end, everybody leaves her because of the bomb. 8. Hans is guilty for Eriks life because Erik saved Hans life. During that time, Hans was a young person who didnt have his own family yet while Erik had a wife and a son. Hans Channels his guilt by trying to save others. Max also feels guilty because he constantly asking for Hans and Rosas forgiveness for putting their lives in danger. nourishment was living. The price was guilt and shame. Erik feels guilty because he knows its not fair for him to ask them for food, living place, and possibly their lives.He feels guilty for asking and the response of yes. He feels a infinitesimal ashamed that he cant do these things for himself like he used to. 9. Liesel and Max are both haunted by their dreams. Liesel on one hand, dreams of her dead brother. On the other hand, Max dreams about the way he left his family. Theyre both victims of Hitlers hate. Max gives Liesels life purpose be cause he helps her learn the power of words. As the days pass, Liesel and Max become really good friends. Max later gives Liesel The Stanover Man for her birthday to show his appreciation for her friendship.The significance of the story is that he writes his little book with the pages of Hitlers Mein Kampf. 10. To face Hitler it takes an immense amount of fearlessness. During the time of the Holocaust Germany was a very dangerous place to live for people who opposed the Nazi ships company. Since the supporters of the Nazi party were the majority in Germany at that point in time, they also had an enormous amount of power. They could destroy the lives of people who opposed them in merely seconds. Thus, to oppose the Nazis while living in Germany took a large amount of courage.In the Hubermanns house everyone showed the trait of courage tthroughout the book. For example, Rosa and Hans showed courage by conceal a Jewish person in their basement. Doing at the time could have cost both Rosa and Hans their lives. In addition Liesel shows courage by retention the secret of the Jew in their basement. This can be called a courageous act because if they were caught Liesel would have died along with her family. Rudy also showed an example of courageousness, not many boys have the courage to ask a girl to kiss them. 11. Liesel and Rudy started out as being neighbors and soon became best friends.Rudy loves Liesel and continuously tries to get her to kiss him. Though the truth is that Rudy is white-lipped of the day she will actually kiss him. On other hand, Liesel simply sees Rudy as a brother in the beginning. The two continue to be friends and steal together as well as go through tough times through out the book. Towards the end, when Liesel confesses to Rudy about Max she realizes how much she truly is in love with him. In my opinion Liesel had a hard time learning her true feelings about Rudy because, of the fear of abandonment by Death like her brother. Deaths dis putation describes that Rudy truly loves Liesel.

Obesity Essay

Obesity is an feeding disorder and a condition where your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 or greater. It is genetic or it depends on your eating habits. This can affect your mental, psychological and physical health leaving you with inabilities to cope up with your daily life. The causes that affect people include lack of breath, having difficulties to remainder, increased sweating, snoring, unfitness to cope with sudden physical activity, feeling very tired and fatigued every day, and finally back pains.Some symptoms include high line of work pressure, high cholesterol problems, heart diseases which lead to heart attacks and fatal strokes which can make you disabled are mainly caused by your inability to exercise . People may bugger sullen lack of breath because when they breathe, they might non get back enough oxygen for it to go all parts of the eubstance. They might have difficulty to sleep due to lack of breath, snore loudly since they get very tired easily. They get fatigue d really easily because they dont have a lot of energy. They have back pains because they might need to walk a lot.They might have long term problems like high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart attacks and fatal strokes because of their eating habits and their inability to exercise. Obesity can be overcome through a technology called adjustable stomach band which is the expert process replacing stomach stapling as it is very un preventative. gastric Banding is when they attach a band to your lower part of the torso and they tighten. This whole kit and boodle because it triggers your senses not to eat food which makes you thinner and light. After the procedure, which tkes an hor to complete, the doctor can adjust the band so it keeps the size of your new smaller body.Gastric Balloon is a non-surgical look of overcoming obesity. The put a tiny balloon in your mouth and they make you drink a special liquid called sterile saline fluid to nail it. When the balloon is full it will fl oat freely in your body. It takes about six months to complete as it is not as effective as stomachic banding. This can also cause m whatever health threat as mentioned above. Another process that can help overcome obesity is stomachal stapling surgery. It works by them stapling 2 special staples which creates a small pouch where they put a gastric band according to the size you want your new body to be.This solves the problem because it help you to resist eating fat foods and tells your body to work out more. After the procedure, they remove the staples notwithstanding the band still stays for ii more weeks to hold your body size remains the same. It is very unsafe as it has caused m either fatalities as they staples came out and they stomach burst. This is also referred to as gastric stomach stapling. I chose gastric sleeve as it is safe compared to other processes used to lose weight and get rid of your weight pretty behind compared to other procedures like gastric banding a nd stapling.It helps you lose the weight faster but is more expensive. It is less complicated rather than stapling your stomach through staples and ensure you out the staples in the correct position and place the band in the correct part and they make it the correct length depending on your weight and BMI. The Gastric Sleeve is used for people who have a BMI of more than 38. It is used to loose weight extra fast as it keeps only 25% of your lord body size. The Neel Bagai 8. 4 (T3) procedure takes about a year and a half to complete. It solves the problem by losing 3/4 of your weight.Positive Impacts of Gastric Sleeve It is safe to do as it is less complicated as they dont have to cut anything or place anything You dont need any special devices like a gastric band while the surgery is going on. Negative Effects of the Gastric Sleeve This has many side do like you start vomiting, diarrhea and dumping syndrome by becoming moody and your attitude starts to change. Effects This affects the economy because it costs about US $10,000 for the surgery but of you need to do gastric banding surgery afterwards, you need to pay an extra $7,000.You even need to take both medical and life insurance, which is optional. Doctors inspire it as it can have medical effects on you. This affects the world socially as you might have to take some time off work to see doctors biweekly for them to see if any problems have occurred with the gastric sleeve. He will even question you about you going through any side effects. After every two months, with the results, he will decide if the gastric sleeve will need to be removed from your torso.

Bisleri and Aquafina Essay

1. INTRODUCTIONThe tradition of bottled water and mineral water is not actually old. Even in western countries the serve of bottled absorbing water started in 1950s. The trend of having mineral water gained grounds in the market. Now around 100 companies sell an estimated 424 million liters of bottled water wanted at around Rs. 200 crores in the country annually. Since ancient time people have used water from mineral springs, especially hot springs, for cleanse due to its supposed alterative value for rheumatism, arthritis, skin diseases, and various other ailments. This started the trend of using mineral water for drinking purpose to exploit the therapeutic value of the water. This trend started gaining momentum in mid 1970s and since then large quantities of bottled water from mineral springs in France and other European The concept of bottled has been sort of prevalent in western countries due to greater health consciousness and high uper awareness about health and hygien e countries are exported every year.In India, with exposure of media and international life styles, deteriorating levels of potable water, drastic increase in a number of water borne disease cases, increased in awareness about health and hygiene and other related factors led to acceptability of concept of mineral water. The market has not looked back ever since then and has grown leaps and boundary to such an extent that a number of genuine as well as fly-by -night operators have entered it to milk it. In 1967 Bisleri set up a bottling shew for manufacturing and marketing its mineral water but failed. The brand was later sold off to Parle in 1968-69. Mineral water market had its seeding as early as 1968-69 when Parle Group acquired the Bisleri brand from Bisleri of Italy for launching Soda water but later launched bottled water also.The launch at that time was a big flop as concept of buying water that too in bottled form was not accepted by the Indian public. The market remained dormant for quite long (for a period of 20 years or so). The market throughout this period was formed only by the bounteousness products that too available through 5-star hotels. In early 1990s with onset of liberalization insurance by the Indian governance, coming in of cola majors, sell off of local soft drink brands of Campa, Thumps up, Gold Spot etc by Parle to Coke and other factors led Bisleri to test waters again. Bisleri re-launched its bottled water in 1994.3. PESTLE ANALYSIS OF THE INDIAN BOTTLED WATER tipsiness INDUSTRYPolitical* There are various political parties protesting against the pricing of mineral water. * There is stable government at the centre with liberal policies. * The government has imposed price ceiling on bottled water.Economical* Increase in per capita income.* Expansion of multinationals, IT and BPO companies in Tier 1 and 2 cities.* There is no licensing policy adopted in this sector.* Availability of affordable labor.Social* Bottled water was earl ier considered as a status symbol. * Bottled water is now the only source of uncontaminated drinking water in areas where there is scarcity of water. * The bottled water is considered to be safe as compared to ordinary tap water. * There in increase in health consciousness of people.Technological* The bundling of technologies like distillation, reverse osmosis, activated carbon filter, etc helps in better quality of water. * There has been a shift in packaging from bottles made of glass to bottles made of PET. This helps in recycling and reducing environmental pollution.Legal* Governed by PFA and BIS standard. * BIS has provided standards for mineral and drinking water. The BIS approval was made compulsory from 1999. * Mineral water should be packed in clean, colorless, transparent, odorless, tamper proof bottles made up of polyethylene. * PFA and BIS lays standard for metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum and barium.Environmental* The use of credit card for bottled water increases environmental pollution. * The increase in consumption of bottled water causes depletion of valuable fossil fuels.4. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (PORTERS FIVE FORCE MODEL)a) Determinants of entryAs the Packed bottled water is growth at the rate of 19% in India and is expected to grow from 8000 crores to 10000 crores by 2013 it is the most lucrative and fastest growing sector currently. The market capitalization is 50-50 i.e. 50% by organised shammers and 50% by unorganised players. There are more than 200 players in the discussion section1- High demand sector.2- Unorganised labour requirement.3- Absolute Cost Advantage.4- Low switching cost.5- Recession proof industry.b) Determinants of rivalryThe rivalry is not only among the head and the organised players in the sector but also among the unorganised players who are weak in brand identity. The major reasons are* Distribution channels* retailers shelf space* Price* Flexible packaging of the water to suite the purchasing power of the consumer.c) Bargaining power of buyersThe bargaining power of the buyers is very high in the B2C and the B2B segment because of the number of players present in the market. d) Bargaining power of suppliers- The bargaining power of the supplier of the raw materials to the industry is very high because of lack of substitute of the raw material. Also since the demand of the end product is very high and the industry is growing the suppliers can demand a premium for the services rendered. e) Substitution threatThough theoretically speaking there is no substitute for water but then we can say the spare-time activity can be considered as a substitute for it* Aerated drinks.* Juices5. BISLERI5.1 Brand Tagline Play SafeMission Statement To provide the highest quality product, keeping in mind all aspect including freshness, purity and safety and making it easily available to the consumer at very affordable price.5.2 Company BackgroundParle Bisleri Ltd is the biggest domestic player in s oft drinks in India. It is a private company owned by Ramesh Chauhan. The company sold off the Thumps Up and Gold Spot brands to Coca-Cola India in the early 1990s. Since then, the company has focused solely on bottled water in India. Due to the vast number of players present in bottled water in India, Parle Bisleri has seek to differentiate its brands from the competition. The company shifted its slogan from Pure and Safe to Play Safe, following the attempt of many regional players to emulate the look of the companys brands. Parle Bisleri is credited with revolutionizing bulk bottled water in India through the introduction of innovative 20-litre jar packaging. The company developed consumer-friendly packaging for its 20-litre jars by adding threaded fittings and valve caps, as remote to other brands that feature snap-on fittings. These innovations facilitated easier draining of water from the jar.5.3 HistoryThe origin of BISLERI lies in Italy and the brand owes its name to its fo under MR.FELICE BISLERI, an Italian entrepreneur. In 1967, BISLERI set up a plant in Bombay for bottling and marketing actual mineral water, which did not quite work. By 1969, BISLERI wanted to exit the business and to help him out the Chauhans bought the brand, intending to numeral it into a soda brand. Since then it has come a long way. Now, it owns a large percentage of shares in the Indian market and also it has its presence in International Water Market.5.4 ProductsBisleri offers a wide gamut of pack and price options. It offers 7 packaging options a 250-ml cup and bottles in 500 ml, 1-litre, 2-litre, 5-litre, 12-litre and 20-litre packs. The 1-litre bottle accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the sales, with the 2-litre bottle taking up 20 per cent of the sales. The remaining sizes share the balance.5.5 Production Parle Bisleri Ltd operates a ne iirk of 55 plants spread across the country. This ensures an large reach for the companys products. The company reportedly has plans to increase production capacity further in 2008. Parle Bisleris latest product, Bisleri Mountain Water, is bottled in two plants in Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal) and Himachal Pradesh. The company plans to invest Rs100 million to increase the new brands manufacturing and distribution capacity.

Invisible Man Essay

Portrayal of Women In Invisible Man women were primarily given the role of prostitutes, c aregivers and sex objects that presented them as insufficient to men. The author fails to reflect on the struggles of women in the invigorated alone encourages reflecting on the struggles of bootleg males. In Invisible Man, written by Ralph Ellison, women are intensely class by the author and could also be characterized as nonvisual based on the authors description of the main character and his experiences in the novel. fresh women in the novel were something that invisible objet dart thought to be forbidden they could be characterized as the forbidden fruit.Invisible man saw a blonde egg purity woman at the Battle Royal who was beautiful in his eyes. Unfortunately, he could stare at her all he wanted but couldnt allude the white woman. At the end of the novel he decides to use Sybil for his own greed, later he feels guilty and calls what he did a sin. It seems that in the novel white women are presented with higher regard than black women. During incidences in the novel white women were usually there to help invisible man with his journey to figure emerge who he is. They are given roles that are fundamentally more important than the black women in the novel but this is not always true.In the novel he was salvage by a white girl during his eviction speech, a white women seduced him when she lied about having problems with the Brotherhood and a white woman saved him when he was made to sing for the white people. Women characters are given minor roles compared to invisible man and lead him on his journey in the novel. Sybil was the women that invisible man decided to use for his own intentions. Sybil showed to have stereotypical opinions about black men and invisible man understood what type of women she was.Invisible man decided that she was faultless to take advantage of because she was lonely when the Brotherhood took a lot of time. Sybil is a very weak woma n and needs certain attentions in order for her to be completely satisfied. Invisible man strived to improve himself in the novel, which Sybil failed to do. He seeks out and chooses to use Sybil precisely because she is lonely, misunderstood, neglected, and wistful (Sylvander 78). Invisible man manipulates this woman and takes advantage of her. In this sense Sybil is stereotyped as a weak woman who doesnt improve herself.There was also another women whose husband was a member of the Brotherhood heretofore though she didnt believe in the Brotherhood. She was interested in satisfying her emotional needs and tricked invisible man in coming over by saying she had questions over the Brotherhood. Invisible man portrays white women in the novel as beautiful and sensual black women fail to have these characterizations. Black women in the novel such as Mary are limited to being caretakers and serving without the beauty that he characterizes the white women with. Invisible man presents the w ay black women were viewed in society compared to white women at the time.The women who lived with Trueblood, Kate and Matty Lou, lived a harsh life and experienced no happiness. Trueblood impregnated his own daughter, which shows how horrible women were treated in this novel. Trueblood tries to explain what he had done and how he tried to move without moving a mere excuse for his actions. Mary played a significant role in the novel because she was the main character who helped invisible man find his identity. Unfortunately, in order to truly find himself the narrator had to leave Mary. Mary immediately came to his rescue afterwards he was released from the hospital.She was a mother figure in invisible mans eyes who agreed to nurture him until he could support himself. This is proof that women in the novel were given minor roles . Invisible man uses Mary until he leaves her for the Brotherhood. But it was Marys lectures of leadership and helping the society that drove invisible man to the Brotherhood. Mary was something out of my past which kept me from whirling off into some unknown which I dared not to face (Stanford 29). The women in this novel basically helped the speaker find himself in society. The black and white women in the novel gave to the speaker and helped him throughout the novel.They are not unimportant in the novel but do not play any major roles as human beings. The narrators opinion regarding women always focuses on their physical appearances, which supports how he thinks they are no more than how they look or make him feel. The women never make their own decisions and only act out to help the narrator in his actions. Ellisons invisible man does minimize the female experience by not having a main female character. There is an absence of female perspective in all decisions made about invisible man. Invisible man silences the voice of women and stereotypes them in the novel.

Nisei Daughter Essay

Second Generation Daughter Even with all the amiable anguish and struggle, an elemental instinct bound us to this soil. Here we were born here we wanted to live. We had tasted of its freedom and learned of its brave hopes for democracy. It was excessively late, much too late for us to turn back. Monica Sones Nisei Daughter is a compelling story of the life of a Japanese American growing up and discovering who she is in the World War II era United States. Nisei, meaning, second generation, is a Japanese term used to specify the children born to Japanese nation in a new country (who are called Issei). Monica Sone was born an American Citizen, but her parents as well as other Issei were not deemed to be American citizens until post World War II. This essentially important difference between Issei and Nisei seemingly forced an ultimatum to Nisei people to be Japanese or to be American. Nisei were a good deal criticized by their families for their absent role of Japanese customary be havior, and were criticized by Americans because they werent able to assimilate into American lifestyle.Nisei Daughter is a story about a Japanese American girl constructing her own self-identity in an environment where there is much confusion amongst Nesei people who are torn between two cultures. 1 . Monica Sone, Nisei Daughter (Canada McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1953), 124 2 . Wikipedia, Nisei (Published from Wikipedia at http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nisei ,2013), Article Introduction

A Moral Evaluation of Child Labor in the Philippines in the Perspective of Immanuel Kant Essay

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Huck Finn and Social Justice

Huc Chenxing Ouyang 3/20/2013 American Lit-Social umpire & huckaback Finn Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot. This notice at the beginning is controversial some people say that it is a warning that was create verbally for readers at the quantify when slavery was a sensitive issue to talk ab turn knocked out(p), while others interpret it as a satirical comment about the way literature is scrutinized to find means and moral philosophy in a book.But I believe what discoloration both is testing to say is Dont try to analyze the book, just read it for fun, no pressure In the book The Adventures of huckabackleberry Finn by Mark duet, the modus vivendi of the Southerners in the mid-1800s argon depicted through the eyes of a 13 years experienced male child huckaback Finn living along the Mississippi River. It is a book about the search for freedom. Main characters in the movie seek freedom from genial and moral constraints. Throughout novel, Huck learns to follow his experience morals and values over what inn deemed to be acceptable in the 1800 s.He eventually achieved what he desires the most-freedom. In bracess opinion, it is the closed mindsets about slavery of the society prohibited the development of in the flesh(predicate) pietism and social justice. One of the most important issues presented in this book is slavery. The superiority of whites was one of the causes of slavery. At the time when Mark twain was gr have up, White men were born with privilege and superiority whereas blacks were doomed to be slaves. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Papa says to Huck Youre educated too, they say can read and write.You think youre bettern your father, now, wearyt you, because he cant? Ill take it out of you. When Papa finds out that Huck is being sent to school by Ms. Watson and educated, he is intimidated by the fact that his son, is being cultivate and going to be a better person than he is. A awareness of insecurity is develop and Papa immediately sees Huck as a threat to his inherited privileges. This insecurity symbolized the whites fear of losing control over black people.In Papas mind, Huck is his property it is a bit strange for us to think that someone is actually owned by someone else, but at a time when slavery is tolerated publicly and has been practiced for hundreds of year, it is quite normal for people to dismiss the idea of individuality and personal freedom. The act of taking money away from Huck to buy drinks just because Huck is his property implicates the gray tradition of whites forcing slaves to work on cotton fields in order to make money.Also, Papa saves his congratulate by kidnapping Huck from Ms. Watson without considering Hucks willingness of doing so symbolized the privilege of whites dominating blacks in the old times. Hypocrisy plays ano ther major role in the book. Mark brace presents the hypocrisy of Southern society through the feuds between the Shepredsons and Grangerford. Huck observes that He hadnt seen no household out in the country in the lead that had so much style when he first comes to the family.The fancy house where the Grangerfolds live shows the notations of aristocracy, in this house there are beautiful curtains on the windows, white with pictures painted of castles. The curtains painted with castles give the family a sense of superiority over other villagers. These minor details make them think that they are above everyone else. along with the false aristocracy the Grangerfords also possess a false knowledge of academics. When Buck is asked to spell Hucks name, the boy spells GeorgeJaxon instead of Jackson, he misspells it.Buck mentions earlier that he went to school but he is not as educated as he though he is. It is high-flown for the family to consider themselves as highly educated upper cl assmen when their son cant spell correctly. Besides being pretentious and falsely aristocratic, the Grangerfords also are very religious. On Sunday both families attend church. When Huck goes in with the family he notices that in both the feuding families, the men take their guns along to church and talk about how the discussion was all about brotherly love after church.They slaughter each other brutally for the easement of the day yet they think they are unplayful and God loving. Morality is another important al-Qaeda in the book, Twain wrote Hucks character to illustrate the changing values of morality and morality in society. Huck is a round character, he starts out an innocent child who expects nothing from conduct but freedom, then gradually grows up and learns to follow his own morals and values over what societies deemed to be acceptable. For example, in Charpter 31, Huck says All right then, Ill go to hell He decides to save Jim out of slavery against all odds. Although Huck was tempted to write a letter to Ms. Watson, informing her of Jims location, he follows his own moral value and decides to save Jim. This act shows that Huck has developed the maturity to accept consequences such as going to hell for his willingness to save Jim in order to follow his own value and satisfy his own moral standard. Early in the novel, Huck feels guilty of aiding a runaway slave escape from the good Christian women, but his racial discrimination against Jim lessens as the novel progresses.Their relationship reflects the conflict between the racialist environment that Huck grows up in and their needs for each other. Eventually the conflict resolves itself when Huck agnize that Just because youre taught that somethings right and everyone believes its right, it dont make it right. This excerpt shows that racism has been inf employ into Hucks life and Jims words show that even though he is uneducated like other slaves, he has the ability to overlook Hucks racism. Tw ain brings out these ideas and thoughts with the force of a childs moral compass elegantly.President Barack Obama said in his inaugural row we have always understood that when times change, so must we that fidelity to our founding principles requires impertinently responses to new challenges that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. He points out the importance of finding our own moral and moral principle principles so that we are capable of facing new challenges the society presents to us. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Berry Finn, Mark Twain points out the the same thing.Huck is in moral conflict with the values and moralities of the society in which he lives. He is deeply confused by what the society needs him to do and what he wants to do as an individual. Huck eventually makes a moral choice based on his own valuation of Jims friendship with him, a moral choice leads that leads an direct opposition to the thins he used to be taught. Wh at President Obama and Mark Twain are both proposing is that it is our unsatisfaction of own conditions drives us to question the received values of society, in which way, we get on the road of seeking our own values.We experience emotions that we never experienced before by fitting on other peoples shoes, thus we learn how to sympathize. A new ways of rationalizing and moralizing is developed. Mark Twain used n-word in his book to satirize that South for it long history of slavery and to make people understand how harsh African Americans were treated back in the days. By providing an accurate glimpse in to our awful past, it makes us retrospect and think about the meaning of wanness and equality. Mark Twain proposes in his dress down Notes that a sound heart is a surer guide than an ill-trained conscience.He wants us to know how important it is for us to keep seeking and improving their understanding of fairness and justice. Like the way he describes the novel a book of mine w here a sound heart and a deformed conscience come into opposition and conscience suffers defeat which is consistent with Obamas speech on freedom. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. oral presentation in general, Mark Twain identifies the problem of society, and makes us think deeply about things such as individual freedom, personal value and moral principles. President Obama reinforces them, he advocates the importance of certain notation of fairness and equalities so that minorities wont be oppressed because of majoritys decisions. Throughout the novel, societys voice is comprehend through the voice of 13 years old boy Huck. The racist and hateful contempt that existed at the time is at many times present.It is vital for us to recognize that Twain disputes these ideas throughout the novel. Twain brings out in to the open of the unfairness of the society and makes the readers to challenge the belief of social norms. By using satire, irony and sarcasm, Twain points out the stupidity of slavery and illustrates societys viewpoints of morality in contracts with Hucks own way of identify morality through his adventures with Jim. These social justice issues about slavery, poverty, hypocrisy and morality are real and as a matter of fact, we are experiencing it every day in varied degrees.Use the war in Iraq as an example of a religious hypocrisy, while President Bush is exhausting to convince the Arab world that his war is about liberation, most Arabs see it for what is really is it is a grab of economic and natural resources, an attempt to avenge Bushs fathers honor by carrying into action Saddam and a declaration of USs world dominating power. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents the issues on social justices in a humors way, it is exciting to read as well as engaging people into de ep thinking.

Slovin Formula

SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE Sample ? Is a finite twist of an item (or individual) taken from a population having identical characteristics with those of the population from which it was taken. ? A have is considered biased if sensation or several of the items (or individuals) in the population are given a consistently better opportunity to be chosen than the others. ? A collection with specified dimension Sample size ? Random sampling, the bigger the take in, the more perfectly it represents the population from which it was taken. As the archetype size decreases, the degree of representativeness becomes less. Size of sample depends on some factors ? Degree of accuracy required ? Amount of variability inherent in the population from which the sample was taken ? Nature and complexity of the characteristics of the population to a lower place consideration Sample Strategy ? Common guide Approach ? decide what selective information to collect ? then undertake survey ? decide wh at analysis should be done wrong info collected ? data collected on wrong subjects ? insufficient data collected ? Desired analysis may not be possible or effective recognize to Good Sampling ? formulate the aims of the study ? decide what analysis is required to satisfy this aims ? decide what data are required to facilitate the analysis ? collect the data required by the study localise sample size ? Slovin Formula ? n = N__ ? 1+NE? ? Where n = sample size ? N = population sizeE = margin of error * desired ExampleWhat should be the representative sample size if the population from which the sample will be taken is 10,000 and the desired margin of error is 2%? SolutionTo determine the sample size, use the formula n = ___N__ 1+NE? n = 10,000 = 2,000 1+ (10,000) (0. 02)? The sample size is 2,000 This formula in finding the sample size cannot be used when the recipe approximation of the population is poor or small. Margins of wrongful conduct Population 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 10% 500 * * * * 222 83 1500 * * 638 441 316 94 2500 * 1250 767 500 345 96 3000 * 1364 811 517 353 97 4000 * 1538 870 541 364 98 5000 * 1667 909 556 370 98 6000 * 1765 938 566 375 98 7000 * 1842 959 574 378 99 8000 * 1905 976 580 381 99 9000 * 1957 989 584 383 99 10000 5000 2000 1000 588 385 99 50000 8333 2381 1087 617 387 100 Margin of defect Is the allowable error in percent due to the use of the sample, instead of the population ? * indicate that the laying claim of normal approximation is poor and that the sample size formula does not apply. Guidelines with regards to the minimum number of items needful for a representative sample ? Descriptive studies a minimum number of 100 ? Co-relational studies a sample of at least 50 is deemed necessary to establish the existence of a relationship ? Experimental and causal comparative studies minimum of 30 per group ?Sometimes experimental studies with only 15 items in for each one group can be defended if they are very tigh tly controlled ? If the sample is randomly selected and is sufficiently large, an accurate view of the population can be had, provided that no bias enters the selection process Sampling Error ? Is the error attributed to chance that is being made when selecting random samples to represent a given population under consideration. ? It is the expected chance difference, variation or deviation between a random sample and the population. ? Does not result from measurement or computation errors, although these errors also contribute to inaccuracy.

Blood Promise Chapter Twenty

The days after that were same(p) a dream. In fact, I honestly cant say how many days steady so passed. Maybe it was one. Maybe it was a hundred.I preoccupied track of day and night too. My time was divided into Dimitri or not-Dimitri. He was my world. When he wasnt there, the moments were agony. Id pass them as best I could, yet they seemed to drag on forever. The TV was my best whiz during those times. Id lie on the couch for hours, lonesome(prenominal) half arriveing what was passing on. In keeping with the suspire of the suites luxury, I had access to sa secernite television, which meant we were actu notwithstandingy pulling in slightly American programming. Half the time, though, I wasnt certain(a) that it really do a difference to me if the language was Russian or English.Inna continued her nightly checks on me. She brought my meals and did my laundry-I was wearing the dresses now-and waited around in that silent way of hers to see if I lift out anything else. I neer did-at least not from her. I only needed Dimitri. Each time she left, some hostile recrudesce of me remembered I was supposed to do something follow her, that was it. Id had some plan to check pop out the scrag and use her as a way to escape, right? Now, that plan no hankerer held the appeal. It seemed resembling a lot of work.And then, finally, Dimitri would visit, and the monotony would be broken. Wed lie together on my bed, wrapped in apiece others arms. We never had sex, merely wed kiss and touch and lose ourselves in the wonder of each others bodies-sometimes with very fiddling clothing. after(prenominal) a trance, I found it backbreaking to believe Id once been afraid of his new appearance. Sure, the eyeball were a bit shocking, but he was unflustered gorgeous lock in unbelievably sexy. And after wed talking toed and made out for a while-for hours, sometimes-Id let him snatch me. Then Id get that rush that wonderful, exquisite flood of chemicals that l ifted me from all my problems. Whatever doubts Id had astir(predicate) Gods existence vanished in those moments because surely, surely I was touching God when I lost myself in that bite. This was heaven.Let me see your neck, he said one day.We were lying together as usual. I was on my side, and he was snuggled up against my sustain, one arm draped around my waist. I rolling oer and brushed my h oxygenize aside from where it had fallen oer my neck and cleavage. The dress I wore right away was a navy halter sundress, made of some light, clingy material.Al supple? I asked. He usually didnt bite me until the end of his visits. While part of me longed for that and waited in anticipation to feel that high again, I did kind of wassail these moments before touch. It was when the endorphins in my system were at their lowest, so I was able to manage some sort of conversition. We would talk closely fights wed been in or the life he imagined for us when I was Strigoi. nonhing too sentime ntal-but comme il faut nonetheless.I braced myself for the bite now, arching up in anticipation. To my surprise, he didnt lean down and drop wrap up his teeth into me. He reached into his pocket and produced a necklace. It was either white gold or platinum-I didnt have the acquisition to tell which-and had three dark aristocratic sapphires the size of quarters. Hed brought me a lot of jewelry this week, and I swore each piece was much than beautiful than the last.I stargond in a tanglement at its beauty, at the way the blue stones glittered in the light. He placed the necklace against my scratch and fastened it behind my neck. Running his fingers along the necklaces edges, he nodded in approval.Beautiful. His fingers drifted to one of the dresss straps. He slid his hand underneath it, sending a thrill through my skin. It matches.I smiled. In the old days, Dimitri had almost never gotten me gifts. He hadnt had the means, and I hadnt wanted them anyway. Now, I was continually dazzled by the presents he seemed to have at each visit.Whered you get it? I asked. The metal was cool against my flushed skin but nowhere near as cold as his fingers.He smiled slyly. I have my sources.That chastising persona in my head that sometimes managed to penetrate through the haze I lived in noted that I was involved with some sort of vampire gangster. Its warnings were immediately squashed and sank sticker down into my dreamy buy of existence. Ho w could I be upset when the necklace was so beautiful? Something abruptly struck me as funny.Youre just like Abe.Who?This guy I met. Abe Mazur. Hes some kind of mob boss he unploughed following me.Dimitri stiffened. Abe Mazur was following you?I didnt like the dark look that had suddenly fallen over his features. Yeah. So?Why? What did he want with you?I dont know. He kept lacking(p) to know why I was in Russia but finally gave up and just wanted me to leave. I think somebody from headquarters hired him to find me.I dont wan t you near Abe Mazur. Hes dangerous. Dimitri was angry, and I hated that. A moment later, that furiousness faded, and he ran his fingers along my arm once more, pushing the strap down further. Of course, people like that wont be an issue when you awaken.Somewhere, in the back of my head, I wondered if Dimitri had the answers I wanted almost Abe-about what Abe did. only if talking about Abe had made Dimitri upset, and I cringed at that, hastily wanting to switch topics.What have you been doing today? I asked, move at my ability to make normal small talk. Between the endorphins and him touching me, coherence was difficult.Errands for Galina. Dinner.Dinner. A victim. I frowned. The feelings that inspired in me werent of repulsion so much as jealousy.Do you drink from them for fun?He ran his lips along my neck, teeth taunting my skin but not biting. I gasped and pressed closer to him.No, Roza. Theyre aliment thats all. Its over quickly. Youre the only one I take pleasure in.I felt smug joy in that, and that annoying mental voice pointed out that that was an incredibly sick and twisted view for me to have. I kind of hoped he would bite me soon. That usually shut the rational voice up.I reached up and fey his face, then ran my hand through that wonderful, silky hair that Id ceaselessly love. You keep wanting to awaken me but we wont be able to do this anymore. Strigoi dont drink from each other, do they?No, he maintaind. But itll be value it. We can do so much moreHe left the so much more to my imagination, and a pleasant shiver ran through me. The kissing and blood taking were intoxicating, but there were some days that I did want, well more. The memories of the one time wed made love haunted me when we were this close together, and I often longed to do it again. For whatever reason, he never pushed for sex, no matter how passionate things became. I wasnt sure if he was using that as a lure for me to turn or if there was some inconsistency between a Stri goi and a dhampir. Could the living and the dead do that?Once, I would have found the estimate of sex with one of them absolutely repulsive. Now I just didnt think about the complications so much.But although he didnt attempt sex, he would often taunt me with his caresses, touching my thighs and sternum and other dangerous places. Plus, he would remind me of what it had been like that one time, how amazing it had been, how our bodies had felt His talk of such things was more taunting than affectionate, though.In my semi-clear moments, I honestly thought it was strange that I hadnt yet consented to becoming Strigoi. The endorphin fog made me agree to almost everything else he wanted. Id fallen comfortably into dressing up for him, staying in my gilded prison, and accepting that he took a victim every duet days. Yet even in my most incoherent moments, even when I wanted him so badly, I couldnt agree to turning. There was some intrinsic part of me that refused to budge. intimately o f the time, he would shrug off my refusal, like it was a joke. But every once in a while when I declined, Id see a spark of anger in his eyeball. Those moments scared me.Here it comes, I teatimesed. The sales pitch. Eternal life. Invincible. Nothing to stand in our way.Its not a joke, he said. Oops. My flippancy had brought that toughness back to him. The desire and fondness that Id just seen now fractured into a million pieces and blew away. The hands that had just stroked me suddenly grabbed my wrists and held me in place as he leaned down. We cant stay like this forever. You cant stay here forever.Whoa, that voice said. Be careful. That doesnt sound good. His grip hurt, and I often wondered if that was his intent or if he just couldnt help his violence.When he finally released me, I wrapped my arm around his neck and tried and true to kiss him. Cant we talk about that later? Our lips met, fire b hurtoming between us and urgency coursing through my body. I could tell he had a m atching desire, but a few seconds later, he broke away. The cold aggravation was still on his face.Come on, he said, pulling away from me. Lets go.He stood up, and I stared stupidly. Where are we going?Outside.I sat up on the bed, dumbfounded. Out out of doors? But thats not allowed. We cant.We can do anything I want, he snapped.He extended his hand and helped me up. I followed him to the door. He was as s belt downed as Inna at blocking me from the keypad, not that it mattered now. There was no way I could ever remember that long of a sequence anymore.The door clicked open, and he led me out. I stared in wonder, my dazed brain still trying to process this freedom. As Id noticed that one day, the door led to a short corridor block by another door. It too was heavy and bore a keypad lock. Dimitri opened it, and I was voluntary to bet the two doors had different codes.pickings my arm, he guided me through that door and into another hallway. disrespect his firm hold, I couldnt hel p but come to a standstill. Maybe I shouldnt have been move at the opulence I suddenly faced. After all, I was living in this places penthouse suite. But the corridor atomic number 82 out of my room had been stark and industrial-looking, and in some way Id imagined the rest of the house to be equally institutional or prisonlike.It wasnt. Instead, I felt like I was in some old movie, the kind where people took tea in the parlor. The plush carpet was covered by a gold patterned runner that stretched off in both directions of the hall. Antique-looking paintings dotted the walls, showing people from ages ago in elaborate clothing that made my dresses look cheap and ordinary. The whole place was illuminated by tiny chandeliers that were spaced along the chapiter every six feet or so. The teardrop-shaped crystals caught the light with their facets, scattering small flecks of rainbows on the walls. I stared, enchanted by the glitter and the color, which is probably why I failed to not ice one other fixture in the hall.What are you doing?The harsh sound of Nathans voice jerked me from my crystal gazing. Hed been leaning against the wall opposite my door and straightened immediately upon seeing us. He had that same cruel expression on his face that was so characteristic of Strigoi, the one I occasionally saw on Dimitri, no matter how charming and kind he seemed sometimes.Dimitris posture glowering rigid and defensive. Im taking her for a walk. He kind of sounded like he was talking about a dog, but my terror of Nathan trumped any offense I might take.Thats against the rules, said Nathan. Bad sufficient youve still got her here. Galina gave orders for you to keep her confined. We dont need some rogue dhampir running around.Dimitri nodded toward me. Does she look like shes a threat?Nathans eyes flicked over at me. I wasnt wide-cutly sure what he saw. I didnt think I looked that different, but a small smirk crossed his lips that promptly disappeared when he turne d back to Dimitri. No, but I was ordered to babysit this door, and Im not going to get in trouble for you taking a field trip.Ill jam with Galina. Ill tell her I overpowered you. Dimitri gave a fang-filled grin. It shouldnt be that hard for her to believe.The look Nathan gave Dimitri made me unconsciously step back until I hit the wall. Youre so full of yourself. I didnt awaken you so that you could act like youre in charge around here. I did it so that we could use your strength and inside knowledge. You should be answering to me.Dimitri shrugged. Taking my hand, he started to turn away. Not my fault if youre not strong plentiful to make me do it.That was when Nathan lunged at Dimitri. Dimitri responded so quickly to the attack that I think he knew it would happen. He instantly released my hand, turned to adopt hold of Nathan, and tossed the other Strigoi against the wall. Nathan immediately got up-it took more than that kind of hit to faze someone like him-but Dimitri was ready . He punched Nathan in the nose-once, twice, and then a third time, all in rapid succession. Nathan fell down, blood coat his face. Dimitri kicked him hard in the stomach and loomed over him.Dont try it, said Dimitri. Youll lose. He wiped Nathans blood off of his hand and then laced his fingers through mine again. I told you, Ill deal with Galina. But thanks for your concern.Dimitri turned away again, apparently feeling thered be no more attacks. There werent. But as I started to follow him, I cast a quick glance over my shoulder to where Nathan sat on the floor. His eyes shot daggers at Dimitri, and I was pretty sure Id never seen a look of such delicate hatred-at least until he turned his gaze on me. I felt cold all over and stumbled to keep up with Dimitri.Nathans voice rang out behind us. Youre not safe Neither of you is. Shes lunch, Belikov. Lunch.Dimitris hand tightened on mine, and he picked up the pace. I could feel the fury radiating off of him and suddenly wasnt sure who m I should be more afraid of Nathan or Dimitri. Dimitri was a badass, alive or undead. In the past, Id seen him attack foes without fear or hesitation. Hed always been magnificent, behaving just as bravely as Id told his family. But in all those times, hed always had a legitimate reason for fighting usually self defense. His confrontation with Nathan just then had been about more, though. It had been an assertion of dominance and a chance to draw blood. Dimitri had seemed to enjoy it. What if he decided to turn on me like that? What if my constant refusal pushed him into torture, and he hurt me until I finally agreed? Nathan scares me, I said, not wanting Dimitri to know that I feared him too. I felt weak and utterly defenseless, something that didnt happen to me very often. Usually, I was ready to take on any challenge, no matter how desperate.He wont touch you, Dimitri said harshly. You have cryptograph to worry about.We reached a set of stairs. After a few steps, it became clear that I wasnt going to be able to handle four flights. Aside from the drugged stupor his bites kept me in, the frequent blood loss was weakening me and taking its toll. Without saying a word, Dimitri swept me up in his arms and carried me downstairs effortlessly, light setting me down when we reached the staircases bottom.The main floor of the estate had the same grand feel as the upstairs hall. The entryway had a huge vaulted ceiling with an elaborate chandelier that dwarfed the little ones Id seen. Ornate branched doors faced us, set with stained-glass windows. What also faced us was another Strigoi, a man sitting in a chair and apparently on guard duty. Near him was a panel set into the wall with buttons and flashing lights. A modern security system set amongst all this old-world charm. His posture stiffened as we approached, and at number 1, I thought it was a natural bodyguard instinct-until I saw his face. It was the Strigoi Id tortured that first night in Novosibirsk, the one Id dispatched to tell Dimitri I was looking for him. His lips curled back slightly as he met my eyes.Rose Hathaway, said the Strigoi. I remember your name-just like you told me.He said no more than that, but I tightened my grip on Dimitris hand as we passed. The Strigois eyes never left me until wed stepped outside and shut the door behind us.He wants to kill me, I told Dimitri.All Strigoi want to kill you, Dimitri returned.He really does I tortured him.I know. Hes been in disgrace ever since then and lost some of his status here.That doesnt make me feel any better.Dimitri seemed unconcerned. Marlen is no one you need to worry about. You fighting him only proved to Galina that youre a good addition around here. Hes beneath you.I didnt find that overly reassuring. I was qualification too many personal Strigoi enemies-but then, it wasnt like I could really expect to be making Strigoi friends.It was nighttime, of course. Dimitri wouldnt have taken me out otherwise. The foyer had made me think we were at the front of the house, but the large gardens that spread out around us made me wonder if we were in the back now. Or perchance the entire house was wrapped in this kind of greenery. We were surrounded in a hedge maze cut with beautiful detail. Within the maze were small courtyards, decorated with fountains or statues. And everywhere were flowers and more flowers. The air was heavy with their scent, and I realized that someone had gone to an awful lot of trouble to find night-blooming ones. The only type I immediately recognized was jasmine, its long, white-flowered vines climbing up trellises and statues in the maze.We walked in silence for a bit, and I found myself lost in the romance of it all. The whole time Dimitri and I had been together at school, Id been consumed with the fears of how we would juggle our relationship and our duty. A moment like this, walking in a garden on a spring night lit with stars, had seemed like a fantasy too crazy to even s tart to consider.Even without the difficulty of stairs, too much walking grew exhausting in my state. I came to a halt and sighed. Im tired, I said.Dimitri stopped too and helped me sit down. The grass was dry and tickly against my skin. I lay back against it, and a moment later, he joined me.I had an eerie moment of deja vu, recalling the afternoon wed made snowfall angels.This is amazing, I said, staring up at the sky. It was clear, no clouds in sight. Whats it like for you?Hmm?Theres enough light that I can see pretty clearly, but its still dim compared to day. Your eyes are better than mine. What do you see?For me, its as bright as day. When I didnt respond, he added, It could be like that for you, too.I tried to picture that. Would the shadows seem as mysterious? Would the moon and stars shine so brightly? I dont know. I kind of like the darkness.Only because you dont know any better.I sighed. So you keep telling me.He turned toward me and pushed the hair away from my face. Ro se, this is driving me crazy. Im tired of this waiting. I want us to be together.Dont you like this? What we have? It could be even better. His words sounded romantic, but not the tone.I did like this. I love the haze I lived in, the haze in which all worries disappeared. I loved being close to him, loved the way he kissed me and told me he wanted meWhy? I asked.Why what? He sounded puzzled, something I hadnt comprehend yet in a Strigoi.Why do you want me? I had no idea why I even asked that. He apparently didnt know either.Why wouldnt I want you?He spoke in such an obvious way, like it was the stupidest question in the world. It probably was, I realized, and yet Id somehow been expecting another answer.Just then, my stomach twisted. With all the time Id spent with Dimitri, I really had managed to push the Strigoi illness off my radar. The presence of other Strigoi increased it, though. Id felt it around Nathan, and I felt it now. I sat up, and Dimitri did too, almost at the same time. Hed likely been alerted by his superior hearing.A dark shape loomed over us, blotting out the stars. It was a woman, and Dimitri shot up. I stayed where I was, on the ground.She was strikingly beautiful, in a hard and terrible way. Her build was similar to mine, indicating she hadnt been a Moroi when turned. Isaiah, the Strigoi whod captured me, had been very old, and power had radiated from him. This woman hadnt been around nearly so long, but I could sense that she was older than Dimitri and much stronger.She said something in Russian to him, and her voice was as cold as her beauty. Dimitri answered back, his tone confident yet polite. I heard Nathans name mentioned a couple up of times as they spoke. Dimitri reached down and helped me up, and I felt embarrassed at how often I needed his assistance, when I used to almost be a match for him.Rose, he said, this is Galina. Shes the one who has been kind enough to let you stay.Galinas face didnt look so kind. It was devoid of all emotion, and I felt like my entire soul was exposed to her. While I was uncertain of a lot of things around here, Id picked up enough to realize that my continual residence here was a rare and fragile thing. I swallowed.Spasibo, I said. I didnt know how to tell her it was nice to meet her-and honestly, I wasnt sure if it was-but I figured a simple-minded thank-you was good enough. If shed been his former instructor and trained at a normal Academy, she probably knew English and was faking it like Yeva. I had no clue why shed do that, but if you could snap a teen dhampirs neck, you were authorise to do whatever you wanted.Galinas expression-or lack thereof-didnt change with my thanks, and she turned her wariness back to Dimitri. They conversed over me, and Dimitri gestured to me a couple of times. I recognized the word for strong.Finally, Galina issued something that sounded final and left us without any sort of goodbye. Neither Dimitri nor I moved until I felt the nausea dissi pate.Come on, he said. We should get back.We walked back through the maze, though I had no idea how he knew where to go. It was funny. When Id first arrived, my dream had been to get outside and escape. Now that I was here well, it didnt seem that important. Galinas anger did.What did she say? I asked.She doesnt like that youre still here. She wants me to awaken you or kill you.Oh. Um, what are you going to do?He stayed silent for a few seconds. Ill wait a little longer and then I will make the choice for you.He didnt specify which choice hed be making, and I almost began my earlier pleas to die before becoming Strigoi. But suddenly, instead, I said, How long?Not long, Roza. You need to choose. And make the right choice.Which is?He held up his hands. All of this. A life together.Wed emerged from the maze. I stared at the house-which was crazy enormous when viewed from the outside-and at the beautiful gardens around us. It was like something from a dream. Beyond that, endless country side rolled away, eventually becoming lost in the darkness and blending into the black sky-except for one tiny part that had a soft purple glow on the horizon. I frowned, studying it, then turned my attention back to Dimitri.And what then? Then I work for Galina too?For a while.How long is a while?We came to a stop outside the house. Dimitri looked down into my eyes, his face alight with a look that made me take a step back.Until we kill her, Rose. Until we kill her and take all of this for ourselves.