Thursday, March 19, 2020
Homeschooling is Advantageous
Homeschooling is Advantageous Free Online Research Papers Homeschooling is advantageous to kids learning experience. Many kids/teens who go to public school have to wake up early and get to school. They dont have a lot of time to learn the information. They have a short lunch break. At the end of the day, the usually get sent home with some type of homework. On top of this, the teachers dont have time to get to know the kids/teens very well. Sure they know the kids names, but they really dont get to know the kid through and through. These are a few of the many issues I have found about public school. Sure public school has its advantages, but homeschooling has far more. For a good overview of many advantages to homeschool see Reasons to homeschool. Many things a kid/teen has to go through doesnt happen in a homeschool environment. For teens, no getting locked in a locker or getting you head dunked in a toilet. For parents, no influence of drugs or gangs. As Low Jeremy said, Despite being a viable alternative to traditional classroom setting, there are still some people who feel that Homeschooling is not for everyone. Like many things, this new system of education has its disadvantages. From: The Different Cons of Homeschooling. Continuing to quote from the above source, I will list five disadvantages of homeschooling. 1. When you decide to put your kids to homeschooling, you have to be prepared to spend all day with your children for several days. With homeschooling, you have to be their teacher. You have to be there to supervise their lessons and even check on their progress. You also have to think of activities and make worksheets. This is why most parents would leave work to go fulltime in teaching their kids. 2. Deciding on homeschooling will mean that you have to go against the norm. Be prepared to be grilled by other parents. You should also be prepared to find some difficulties when you do decide to put your kid back to mainstream. Adjustment will be hard, as they will not be used to the environment that traditional education has. 3. Spending 24 hours of the day with your child and being their teacher is no joke. At the beginning, you really have to be patient with your child, as he or she will not always understand the lesson as fast or as easily as you want. Do not lose your temper because this will only make matters worst. Remember that it is just normal for your kid to be behind in some subjects or to take a longer time understanding lessons. 4. Most would think that a homeschooling education is cheaper. This is not the case. Although you are not paying for any tuition fee, you have to shell out money for the materials that you will be using. Also, a parent may need to quit his or her job to become a full-time teacher. This can pose a problem in the finances especially if both incomes are needed to make both ends meet. 5. Being a teacher is not an easy task. Not only will you have to patient with your child but you also have to put an enthusiastic appearance even when you are not really in the mood to teach them their lessons. It is important that you make the lesson appear fun and interesting for them so that they will be interested to learn. When they see you bored stiff, they will also follow suit, making your task of teaching them all the more difficult. As you see, the author gave this much thought. The cons of homeschooling are few, but they are things to consider when planning to homeschool your kid/teen. All in all from what I found, there are far more advantages to homeschooling your kid/teen then disadvantageous. From what I found on the Internet, there are well over fifty pros for homeschooling but oddly there are no more than ten cons for the same subject. Try homeschooling if you feel confident that you can overcome the cons, because if you try it out, I think you will be amazed on what your kid/teen learns and what you learn too. Al Research Papers on Homeschooling is AdvantageousStandardized TestingPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenHip-Hop is ArtLifes What IfsThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Spring and AutumnGenetic EngineeringIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Seal and Sea Lion Facts
Seal and Sea Lion Facts With their expressive eyes, furry appearance and natural curiosity, seals have a wide appeal. Native to polar, temperate and tropical waters on the planet, seals are also known to vocalize: a captive male harbor seal named Hoover was taught to vocalize English with a prominent New England accent. Fast Facts: Seals and Sea Lions Scientific Name: Phocidae spp (seals), and Otariidae spp (fur seals and sea lions)à Common Name(s): Seals, fur seals, sea lionsBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: Range from 4ââ¬â13 feet longWeight: Range between 85ââ¬â4,000 poundsLifespan: 30 yearsDiet:à CarnivoreHabitat: Polar, temperate, and tropical seasPopulation: Unknown, but in the hundreds of millionsConservation Status: Tropical seals and sea lions have suffered the most from human and climatic changes. Two species are threatened; seven are currently classed as endangered.à Description Seals and sea lions are highly evolved for swimming, including flippers, a streamlined fusiform (tapered at both ends) shape, thick insulation in the form of fur and/or subcutaneous layer of blubber, and increased visual acuity for foraging at extremely low light levels.à Seals and sea lions are in the order Carnivora and suborder Pinnipedia, along with walruses. Seals and fur seals are related to bears, descended from an otter-like terrestrial ancestor, and they all have a more or less aquatic lifestyle.à Toshi Miyamoto/Getty Imagesà Species Seals are divided into two families: the Phocidae, the earless or true seals (e.g., harbor or common seals), and the Otariidae, the eared seals (e.g., fur seals and sea lions). The pinnipeds include 34 species and 48 subspecies. The largest species is the southern elephant seal, which can grow up to about 13 feet in length and more than 2 tons in weight. The smallest species is the Galapagos fur seal, which grows to up to about 4 feet long and weighs about 85 pounds. The species have evolved to their environment, and the handful of those species which are listed as threatened or endangered are those who live in the tropics where human interference is possible. The arctic and subarctic species are mostly doing well. Two species, the Japanese sea lion (Zalophus japonicus) and Caribbean monk seal (Noemonachus tropicalis) have become extinct in recent times.à Habitat Seals are found from polar to tropical waters. The greatest diversity and abundance among seals and sea lions are found at temperate and polar latitudes. Only three phocid species- all of the monk seals- are tropical and they are all either highly endangered or, in two cases, extinct. The fur seals are also found in the tropics, but their absolute abundance is low.à The most abundant pinniped is the crabeater seal, which lives in the Antarctic pack ice; the ringed seal in the Arctic is also quite abundant, with numbers in the millions.à In the U.S., the most well-known (and watched) concentrations of seals are in California and New England. Diet The diet of seals is varied depending on the species, but most eat primarily fish and squid. Seals find prey by detecting prey vibrations using their whiskers (vibrissae).à Seals and sea lions are mostly fish-eaters, although most of the species also eat squid, mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, sea birds, and other seals. The ones that eat mostly fish specialize in oil-bearing species like eels, herrings, and anchovies because they swim in shoals and are easy to catch, and are good energy sources.à Crabeater seals feed almost entirely on Antarctic krill, while sea lions eat sea birds and Antarctic fur seals are fond of penguins. Image Source/Getty Images Behavior Seals can dive deeply and for extended periods (up to 2 hours for some species) because they have a higher concentration of hemoglobin in their blood and their large amounts of myoglobin in their muscles (both hemoglobin and myoglobin are oxygen-carrying compounds). When diving or swimming, they store oxygen in their blood and muscles and dive for longer periods than humans can. Like cetaceans, they conserve oxygen when diving by restricting blood flow to only vital organs and slowing their heart rates by about 50 percent to 80 percent. In particular, elephant seals exhibit tremendous stamina while diving for their food. Each elephant seal dive averages about 30 minutes in length, with only a couple of minutes between dives, and they have been seen maintaining that schedule for months on end. Elephant seals can dive up to 4,900 feet deep and stay down as long as two hours. One study of northern elephant seals showed that their heart rates dropped from a resting rate at the waters surface of 112 beats per minute, to 20ââ¬â50 beats per minute when diving. Pinnipeds produce a variety of sounds, both in air and water. Many of the sounds are apparently individual recognition or reproductive displays, but some have been taught to learn human phrases. The most famous is a captive male harbor seal at the New England Aquarium named Hoover (1971ââ¬â1985). Hoover was trained to produce a variety of phrases in English, such as Hey! Hey! Come over here! with a noticeable New England accent. Although little is known about sound production and acoustic communications as of yet, seals, sea lions, and walruses do have some voluntary control over their sound emissions, perhaps related to their ability to adapt to diving. In polar environments, seals restrict blood flow to their skin surface to keep from releasing internal body heat to the ice and freezing water. In warm environments, the reverse is true. Blood is sent toward the extremities, allowing heat to release into the environment and letting the seal cool its internal temperature. Reproduction and Offspring Because of their highly developed insulating fur- polar seals and sea lions must regulate their body temperatures between 96.8ââ¬â100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (36ââ¬â38 Celsius) in frigid waters- they must give birth on land or ice and remain there until the pups have built up enough insulation to withstand the cold temperatures. In many cases, mother seals must be separated from their foraging grounds to take care of their offspring: if they can locate on ice, they can still feed and not abandon the pups, but on land, in groups called rookeries, they must limit their lactation periods so they can go without eating for a period of four or five days. Once the pups have been born, there is a postpartum estrus period, and most females are mated within a few days of the last birth. Mating takes place at the rookeries, and the males exercise extreme polygyny in these dense aggregations, with one male fertilizing many females. In most seals and sea lions, gestation lasts just under a year. It takes between three and six years for pups to reach sexual maturity; females produce only one pup a year, and only about 75 percent survive. Female seals and sea lions live between 20 and 40 years. John Borthwick/Getty Imagesà à Threats Natural predators of seals include sharks, orcas (killer whale), and polar bears. Seals have long been commercially hunted for their pelts, meat, and blubber. The Caribbean monk seal was hunted to extinction, with the last record reported in 1952. Human threats to seals include pollution (e.g., oil spills, industrial pollutants, and competition for prey with humans). Conservation Status Today, all pinnipeds are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in the U.S. and there are several species protected under the Endangered Species Act (e.g., Steller sea lion, Hawaiian monk seal.) Threatened species include the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) and the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus, near threatened). Endangered species include the Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki), Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea), New Zealand sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) Galapagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis); Caspian Seal (Pusa caspica), Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), and Hawaiian monk seal (M. schauinslandi). Sources Boyd, I. L. Seals. Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (Third Edition). Eds. Cochran, J. Kirk, Henry J. Bokuniewicz and Patricia L. Yager. Oxford: Academic Press, 2019. 634ââ¬â40. Print.Braje, Todd J., and Torben C. Rick, eds. Human Impacts on Seals, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters: Integrating Archaeology and Ecology in the Northeast Pacific. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. Print.Castellini, M. Marine Mammals: At the Intersection of Ice, Climate Change, and Human Interactions. Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (Third Edition). Eds. Cochran, J. Kirk, Henry J. Bokuniewicz and Patricia L. Yager. Oxford: Academic Press, 2018. 610ââ¬â16. Print.Kirkwood, Roger, and Simon Goldsworth. Fur Seals and Sea Lions. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing, 2013.Reichmuth, Colleen, and Caroline Casey. Vocal Learning in Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 28 (2014): 66ââ¬â71. Print.Riedman, Marianne. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses. Berkeley: U niversity of California Press, 1990. Print. Tyack, Peter L., and Stephanie K. Adamczak. Marine Mammal Overview. Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (Third Edition). Eds. Cochran, J. Kirk, Henry J. Bokuniewicz and Patricia L. Yager. Oxford: Academic Press, 2019. 572ââ¬â81. Print.
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Information Managment Challenges for Ford Motor Company Research Paper - 1
Information Managment Challenges for Ford Motor Company - Research Paper Example This is a clear challenge for the new millennium, in which the drive to produce cleaner fuel and decrease dependence on foreign oil is huge. Thus, this paper will examine the challenges Ford faces by striving to create greener products, utilizing technology to create a better product and prove to consumers that the company promotes the ideals of a cleaner, healthier world. The Ford Motor Company has the second highest level of sales of automobiles in the United States, with a global presence in more than 500 companies across the globe. More importantly, the innovation that the company has dedicated themselves to accomplishing gives hope that dependency on fossil fuels might someday be a thing of the past. The manufacturing plants are tooled to be flexible, the vehicles that roll off of the assembly line geared toward the fuel option of the country of intended delivery, thus providing their customers with the best options available for fuel economy. As the company is award winning for their ethical policies and implementation of sustainability, the potential for collaborative efforts toward advancing automotive technology seems to be a real possibility within the company. When Henry Ford created the Model T automobile, it was the beginning of a revolution in industry. The philosophies of industrial management that came from his innovative thoughts on the sociological aspects of his business created changes in the way in which workers, business financial strategy and the machinery of work were integrated. Ford was born in 1863 in Detroit, Michigan. His father was from Ireland and his mother was born in Michigan from parents who were from Belgium. At the Edison Illumination Company, Ford was a chief engineer, but he was already working on the development of the gasoline engine. Once he developed the engine, he moved on to fully develop the Model T, build a manufacturing plant, and
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Strategic HRM Approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Strategic HRM Approach - Essay Example HR experts and researchers (Armstrong, 2009) focus on multiple issues related to human resource management. First, they explored which factors lead an organization to adopt a strategic approach to HRM as well as the consequent formulation of this strategy. This also raises the question of which firms will be more likely to adopt a strategic approach than others are. For instance, do such firms have a specific set of external and internal characteristics and conditions? Secondly, the experts looked into the policies and practices that are characteristic of distinctive HR strategies. Is it reasonable to assume that there can exist, different sets of HR policies with the different models of HRM? Finally, an important issue that they have explored at length is the organizational performance that follows each of these sets of policies and practices. This brings in the question of whether HR strategy is important for organizations, and the answer that it is an essential factor for the HR s taff to consider when refining organizational performance. The main aim of HRM in this respect is to recognize, select, and implement activities that the staff thinks will be helpful in selecting a direction and a course of action, which would in turn enhance the long-term performance of an organization. This will occur if the chosen actions help synchronize the internal capabilities and skills of the company with the growing demands of its external environment. There are three main organizational frameworks (Armstrong. 2009) related to the several broad approaches of strategic HRM. One is universal, which is the best practice according to experts (Ehnert, 2009), s it focuses on broader aspects of business environment instead of narrowing them down, thus enabling the firm to derive competitive advantage from their strategy, regardless of the circumstance. Then there is the contingent approach (Ehnert, 2009), designed based on specific business environments. This is a narrower approa ch as compared to the universal framework, but is beneficial to specific companies as it provides them with competitive advantage, which is ââ¬Ëcontingentââ¬â¢ upon their reactions to situations arising in their strategic environment. Lastly, there is the organization-specific framework, which is unique for the firm, which designs and implements it. This introduces the concept that the individual characteristics of a firm necessitate a unique approach, as its unique resources such as human capabilities will enable it to derive a certain type of competitive advantage through the correct strategy. To explore each of these frameworks further, paper looks at the examples below, which present an idea of how a strategic approach would be designed based upon the framework. If the organization chooses to operate according to a universal framework, they will design their strategy in the light of the ââ¬Ëbestââ¬â¢ practices, which they will then implement into the overall organiza tional structure. This collection of HRM practices, or rather, this ââ¬ËHRM bundleââ¬â¢ could include ââ¬Ëhigh groundââ¬â¢ components such as the goals of employee loyalty and commitment to the organization, high quality operation, and product, functional flexibility in the company structure. One goal could even be to corroborate the corporate objectives of the organization with the human
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Ethics for Nurses Essay -- Ethics, nursing, health care
This hypothetical situation illustrates a common problem faced by nurses, as the roles we serve can be multifaceted and demanding. It is often tempting to cut corners, especially if we feel there will be no actual harm done. This, however, does not justify professional misconduct nor allow us to expand our practice beyond our designated scope. Not only do the Nursing Practice Acts define our role as nurses, they also designate what nurses may not do. The purpose of the Nurse Practice Acts is to protect the patient from harm. The Nurse Practice Acts state that the scope of nursing does not include acts of medical diagnosis or the prescription of therapeutic or corrective measures as stated in section 301.002. Thus, by signing prescriptions for the physician the nurse went beyond her scope of practice. The ANA states, ââ¬Å"When acting within one's role as a professional, the nurse recognizes and maintains boundaries that establish appropriate limits to relationships." Nurses must also abide by a code of ethics which can be found at the ANA website. Provision four states ââ¬Å"the nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurseââ¬â¢s obligation to provide optimum careâ⬠(ANA code of ethics -2001). This means that the nurse is responsible for determining which tasks are appropriate. Even if the physician insists that she goes beyond her scope of practice it is still her responsibility to be accountable for her own actions. It is very important that nurses understand this standard since working under the hierarchy of a physician may make it tempting to follow their guidance rather than owning their own responsibilities. Statement three in the co... ...st us as we provide care and in order to do so we must understand our scope of care. Going beyond this scope could lead to dangerous consequences for the patient and cost the nurse their license to practice. Works Cited American Nurses Association. Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. Silver Spring, Md: American Nurses Association; 2001. Code of Ethics for Nurses . (2001, January 1). American Nurses Association . Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://nursingworld.org/MainMen The Texas Board of Nursing,(2009). Nursing practice act. Nursing peer review, nurse licensure compact, & advanced practice registered nurse compact. Austin, TX Watch your step: Nursing and professional boundaries. (2001, January 1). NursingCenter. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/journalarticle.asp?article_id=696090#P11 Ethics for Nurses Essay -- Ethics, nursing, health care This hypothetical situation illustrates a common problem faced by nurses, as the roles we serve can be multifaceted and demanding. It is often tempting to cut corners, especially if we feel there will be no actual harm done. This, however, does not justify professional misconduct nor allow us to expand our practice beyond our designated scope. Not only do the Nursing Practice Acts define our role as nurses, they also designate what nurses may not do. The purpose of the Nurse Practice Acts is to protect the patient from harm. The Nurse Practice Acts state that the scope of nursing does not include acts of medical diagnosis or the prescription of therapeutic or corrective measures as stated in section 301.002. Thus, by signing prescriptions for the physician the nurse went beyond her scope of practice. The ANA states, ââ¬Å"When acting within one's role as a professional, the nurse recognizes and maintains boundaries that establish appropriate limits to relationships." Nurses must also abide by a code of ethics which can be found at the ANA website. Provision four states ââ¬Å"the nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurseââ¬â¢s obligation to provide optimum careâ⬠(ANA code of ethics -2001). This means that the nurse is responsible for determining which tasks are appropriate. Even if the physician insists that she goes beyond her scope of practice it is still her responsibility to be accountable for her own actions. It is very important that nurses understand this standard since working under the hierarchy of a physician may make it tempting to follow their guidance rather than owning their own responsibilities. Statement three in the co... ...st us as we provide care and in order to do so we must understand our scope of care. Going beyond this scope could lead to dangerous consequences for the patient and cost the nurse their license to practice. Works Cited American Nurses Association. Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. Silver Spring, Md: American Nurses Association; 2001. Code of Ethics for Nurses . (2001, January 1). American Nurses Association . Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://nursingworld.org/MainMen The Texas Board of Nursing,(2009). Nursing practice act. Nursing peer review, nurse licensure compact, & advanced practice registered nurse compact. Austin, TX Watch your step: Nursing and professional boundaries. (2001, January 1). NursingCenter. Retrieved March 16, 2011, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/journalarticle.asp?article_id=696090#P11
Friday, January 17, 2020
The Host Chapter 32: Ambushed
The caves were quiet; the sun had not yet risen. In the big plaza, the mirrors were a pale gray with the coming dawn. My few clothes were still in Jamie and Jared's room. I snuck in, glad that I knew where Jared was. Jamie was sound asleep, curled into a tight ball in the top corner of the mattress. He didn't usually sleep so compactly, but he had good reason to at the moment. Ian was sprawled across the rest of the space, his feet and hands hanging off the edges, one appendage to each of the four sides. For some reason, this was hysterical to me. I had to put my fist in my mouth to choke back the laughter as I quickly snatched up my old dirt-dyed T-shirt and shorts. I hurried into the hall, still stifling the giggles. You're slaphappy, Melanie told me. You need some sleep. I'll sleep later. Whenâ⬠¦ I couldn't finish the thought. It sobered me instantaneously, and everything was quiet again. I was still rushing as I headed for the bathing room. I trusted Doc, butâ⬠¦ Maybe he would change his mind. Maybe Jared would argue against what I wanted. I couldn't be all day. I thought I heard something behind me when I reached the octopus-like juncture where all the sleeping halls met. I looked back, but I couldn't see anyone in the dim cave. People were beginning to stir. Soon it would be time for breakfast and another day of work. If they'd finished with the stalks, the ground in the east fields would need to be turned. Maybe I would have time to helpâ⬠¦ laterâ⬠¦ I followed the familiar path to the underground rivers, my mind in a million other places. I couldn't seem to concentrate on anything in particular. Every time I tried to focus on a subject-Walter, Jared, breakfast, chores, baths-some other thought would pull my head away in seconds. Melanie was right; I needed to sleep. She was just as muddled. Her thoughts all spun around Jared, but she could make nothing coherent of them, either. I'd gotten used to the bathing room. The utter blackness of it didn't bother me anymore. So many places were black here. Half my daylight hours were lived in darkness. And I'd been here too many times. There was never anything lurking under the water's surface, waiting to pull me under. I knew I didn't have time to soak, though. Others would be up soon, and some people liked to start their day clean. I got to work, washing myself first, then moving on to my clothes. I scrubbed at my shirt fiercely, wishing I could scrub out my memory of the past two nights. My hands were stinging when I was done, the dry cracks on my knuckles burning worst of all. I rinsed them in the water, but it made no noticeable difference. I sighed and climbed out to get dressed. I'd left my dry clothes on the loose rocks in the back corner. I kicked a stone by accident, hard enough to hurt my bare foot, and it clattered loudly across the room, bouncing off the wall and landing with a plunk and a gurgle in the pool. The sound made me jump, though it wasn't all that loud next to the roar of the hot river in the outer room. I was just shoving my feet into my scruffy tennis shoes when my turn was up. ââ¬Å"Knock, knock,â⬠a familiar voice called from the dark entry. ââ¬Å"Good morning, Ian,â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"I'm just done. Did you sleep well?â⬠ââ¬Å"Ian's still sleeping,â⬠Ian's voice answered. ââ¬Å"I'm sure that won't last forever, though, so we'd best get on with this.â⬠Splinters of ice pinned my joints in place. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I'd noticed it before, and then forgotten it in the long weeks of Kyle's absence: not only did Ian and his brother look very much alike, but-when Kyle spoke at a normal volume, which so rarely happened-they also had exactly the same voice. There was no air. I was trapped in this black hole with Kyle at the door. There was no way out. Keep quiet! Melanie shrieked in my head. I could do that. There was no air to scream with. Listen! I did as I was told, trying to focus in spite of the fear that stabbed through my head like a million slender spears of ice. I couldn't hear anything. Was Kyle waiting for a response? Was he sneaking around the room in silence? I listened harder, but the rush of the river covered any sounds. Quick, grab a rock! Melanie ordered. Why? I saw myself crashing a rough stone against Kyle's head. I can't do it! Then we're going to die! she screamed back at me. I can do it! Let me! There has to be another way, I moaned, but I forced my ice-locked knees to bend. My hands searched the darkness and came up with a large, jagged rock and a handful of pebbles. Fight or flight. In desperation, I tried to unlock Melanie, to let her out. I couldn't find the door-my hands were still my own, clutched uselessly around the objects I could never make into weapons. A noise. A tiny splash as something entered the stream that drained the pool into the latrine room. Only a few yards away. Give me my hands! I don't know how! Take them! I started to creep away, close to the wall, toward the exit. Melanie struggled to find her way out of my head, but she couldn't find the door from her side, either. Another sound. Not by the far stream. A breath, by the exit. I froze where I was. Where is he? I don't know! Again, I could hear nothing but the river. Was Kyle alone? Was someone waiting by the door to catch me when he herded me around the pool? How close was Kyle now? I felt the hairs on my arms and legs standing on end. There was some kind of pressure in the air, as though I could feel his silent movements. The door. I half turned, easing back in the direction I'd come, away from where I'd heard the breath. He couldn't wait forever. The little he'd said told me he was in a hurry. Someone could come at any time. Odds were on his side, though. There were fewer who would be inclined to stop him than there were who might think this was for the best. And of those inclined to stop him, even fewer who'd have much of a chance of doing that. Only Jeb and his gun would make a difference. Jared was at least as strong as Kyle, but Kyle was more motivated. Jared would probably not fight him now. Another noise. Was that a footstep by the door? Or just my imagination? How long had this silent standoff lasted? I couldn't guess how many seconds or minutes had passed. Get ready. Melanie knew that the stalling would soon be at an end. She wanted me to clench the rock tighter. But I would give flight a chance first. I would not be an effective fighter, even if I could bring myself to try. Kyle was probably twice my weight, and he had a much longer reach. I raised the hand with the pebbles and aimed them toward the back passage to the latrine. Maybe I could make him think that I was going to hide and hope for rescue. I threw the handful of small stones and shied away from the noise when they clattered against the rock wall. The breath at the door again, the sound of a light footfall headed toward my decoy. I edged as quietly along the wall as I could. What if there are two? I don't know. I was almost to the exit. If I could just make the tunnel, I thought I could outrun him. I was lighter and fastâ⬠¦ I heard a footstep, very clearly this time, disrupting the stream in the back of the room. I crept faster. A gigantic splash shattered the tense standoff. Water pelted my skin, making me gasp. It spattered against the wall in a wave of wet sound. He's coming through the pool! Run! I hesitated just a second too long. Big fingers clutched at my calf, my ankle. I yanked against the pull, lurching forward. I stumbled, and the momentum that threw me down to the floor made his fingers slip. He caught my sneaker. I kicked it off, leaving it in his hand. I was down, but he was down, too. It gave me enough time to scramble forward, ripping my knees against the rough stone. Kyle grunted, and his hand clutched at my naked heel. There was nothing to catch hold of; I slid free again. I wrenched myself forward, pulling to my feet with my head still down, every second in danger of falling again because my body was moving almost parallel to the floor. I kept my balance through sheer force of will. There was no one else. No one to catch me at the exit to the outer room. I sprinted forward, hope and adrenaline surging in my veins. I burst into the river room at full speed, my only thought to reach the tunnel. I could hear Kyle's heavy breath close behind but not close enough. With each step, I pushed harder against the ground, throwing myself ahead of him. Pain lanced through my leg, crumpling it. Over the babble of the river, I heard two heavy stones hit the ground and roll-the one I'd been clutching and the one he'd thrown to cripple me. My leg twisted under me, spinning me backward to the ground, and in the same second he was on top of me. His weight knocked my head against the rock in a ringing blow and pinned me flat against the floor. No leverage. Scream! The air blew out of me in a siren of sound that surprised us all. My wordless shriek was more than I'd hoped for-surely someone would hear it. Please let that someone be Jeb. Please let him have the gun. ââ¬Å"Uhng!â⬠Kyle protested. His hand was big enough to cover most of my face. His palm mashed against my mouth, cutting off my scream. He rolled then, and the motion so took me by surprise that I had no time to try to find an advantage in it. He pulled me swiftly over and under and over his body. I was dizzy and confused, my head still spinning, but I understood as soon as my face hit the water. His hand locked on the back of my neck, forcing my face into the shallow stream of cooler water that wound its way into the bathing pool. It was too late to hold my breath. I'd already inhaled a mouthful of water. My body panicked when the water hit my lungs. Its flailing was stronger than he'd expected. My limbs all jerked and thrashed in different directions, and his grip on my neck slipped. He tried to get a better hold, and some instinct made me pull myself into him rather than away, as he was expecting. I only pulled half a foot closer to him, but that got my chin out of the stream, and enough of my mouth to choke some of the water back out and drag in a breath. He fought to push me back into the stream, but I wriggled and wedged myself under him so that his own weight was working against his goal. I was still reacting to the water in my lungs, coughing and spasming out of control. ââ¬Å"Enough!â⬠Kyle growled. He pulled himself off me, and I tried to drag myself away. ââ¬Å"Oh, no, you don't!â⬠he spit through his teeth. It was over, and I knew it. There was something wrong with my injured leg. It felt numb, and I couldn't make it do what I wanted. I could only push myself along the floor with my arms and my good leg. I was coughing too hard to do even that well. Too hard to scream again. Kyle grabbed my wrist and yanked me up from the floor. The weight of my body made my leg buckle, and I slumped into him. He got both my wrists in one hand and wrapped the other arm around my waist. He pulled me off the floor and into his side, like an awkward bag of flour. I twisted, and my good leg kicked against the empty air. ââ¬Å"Let's get this over with.â⬠He jumped over the smaller stream with a bound and carried me toward the closest sinkhole. The steam from the hot spring washed my face. He was going to throw me into the dark, hot hole and let the boiling water pull me into the ground as it burned me. ââ¬Å"No, no!â⬠I shouted, my voice too hoarse and low to carry. I writhed frantically. My knee knocked against one of the ropy rock columns, and I hooked my foot around it, trying to yank myself out of his grip. He jerked me free with an impatient grunt. At least that loosened his hold enough that I could make one more move. It had worked before, so I tried it again. Instead of trying to free myself, I twisted in and wrapped my legs around his waist, locking the good ankle around the bad, trying to ignore the pain so that I could get a good hold there. ââ¬Å"Get off me, you -â⬠He fought to knock me loose, and I jerked one of my wrists free. I wrapped that arm around his neck and grabbed his thick hair. If I was going into the black river, so was he. Kyle hissed and stopped prying at my leg long enough to punch my side. I gasped in pain but got my other hand into his hair. He wrapped both arms around me, as if we were embracing rather than locked in a killing struggle. Then he grabbed my waist from both sides and heaved with all his strength against my hold. His hair started to come out in my hands, but he just grunted and pulled harder. I could hear the steaming water rushing close by, right below me, it seemed. The steam billowed up in a thick cloud, and for a minute I couldn't see anything but Kyle's face, twisted with rage into something beastlike and merciless. I felt my bad leg giving. I tried to pull myself closer to him, but his brute strength was winning against my desperation. He would have me free in a moment, and I would fall into the hissing steam and disappear. Jared! Jamie! The thought, the agony, belonged to both Melanie and me. They would never know what had happened to me. Ian. Jeb. Doc. Walter. No goodbyes. Kyle abruptly jumped into the air and came down with a thud. The jarring impact had the effect he wanted: my legs came loose. But before he could take advantage, there was another result. The cracking sound was deafening. I thought the whole cave was coming down. The floor shuddered beneath us. Kyle gasped and jumped back, taking me-hands still locked in his hair-with him. The rock under his feet, with more cracking and groaning, began to crumble away. Our combined weight had broken the brittle lip of the hole. As Kyle stumbled away, the crumbling followed his heavy steps. It was faster than he was. A piece of the floor disappeared from under his heel, and he went down with a thud. My weight pushed him back hard, and his head smacked sharply against a stone pillar. His arms fell away from me, limp. The cracking of the floor settled into a sustained groan. I could feel it shiver beneath Kyle's body. I was on his chest. Our legs dangled above empty space, the steam condensing into a million drops on our skin. ââ¬Å"Kyle?â⬠There was no answer. I was afraid to move. You've got to get off him. You're too heavy together. Carefully-use the pillar. Pull away from the hole. Whimpering in fear, too terrified to think for myself, I did as Melanie ordered. I freed my fingers from Kyle's hair and climbed gingerly over his unconscious form, using the pillar as an anchor to pull myself forward. It felt steady enough, but the floor still moaned under us. I pulled myself past the pillar and onto the ground beyond it. This ground stayed firm under my hands and knees, but I scrambled farther away, toward the safety of the exit tunnel. There was another crack, and I glanced back. One of Kyle's legs drooped farther down as a rock fell from beneath it. I heard the splash this time as the chunk of stone met the river below. The ground shuddered under his weight. He's going to fall, I realized. Good, Melanie snarled. Butâ⬠¦! If he falls, he can't kill us, Wanda. If he doesn't fall, he will. I can't justâ⬠¦ Yes, you can. Walk away. Don't you want to live? I did. I wanted to live. Kyle could disappear. And if he did, there was a chance that no one would ever hurt me again. At least not among the people here. There was still the Seeker to consider, but maybe she would give up someday, and then I could stay here indefinitely with the humans I lovedâ⬠¦ My leg throbbed, pain replacing some of the numbness. Warm fluid trickled down my lips. I tasted the moisture without thinking and realized it was my blood. Walk away, Wanderer. I want to live. I want a choice, too. I could feel the tremors from where I stood. Another piece of floor splashed into the river. Kyle's weight shifted, and he slid an inch toward the hole. Let him go. Melanie knew better than I what she was talking about. This was her world. Her rules. I stared at the face of the man who was about to die-the man who wanted me dead. With him unconscious, Kyle's face was no longer that of an angry animal. It was relaxed, almost peaceful. The resemblance to his brother was very apparent. No! Melanie protested. I crawled back to him on my hands and knees-slowly, feeling the ground with care before each inch I moved. I was too afraid to go beyond the pillar, so I hooked my good leg around it, an anchor again, and leaned around to wedge my hands under Kyle's arms and over his chest. I heaved so hard I nearly pulled my arms from their sockets, but he didn't move. I heard a sound like the trickle of sand through an hourglass as the floor continued to dissolve into tiny pieces. I yanked again, but the only result was that the trickle sped up. Shifting his weight was breaking the floor faster. Just as I thought that, a large chunk of rock plummeted into the river, and Kyle's precarious balance was overthrown. He began to fall. ââ¬Å"No!â⬠I screamed, the siren bursting from my throat again. I flattened myself against the column and managed to pin him to the other side, locking my hands around his wide chest. My arms ached. ââ¬Å"Help me!â⬠I shrieked. ââ¬Å"Somebody! Help!ââ¬
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Women s Rights Of Women - 1101 Words
ââ¬Å"The history of menââ¬â¢s opposition to womenââ¬â¢s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of emancipation itselfâ⬠(Woolf). Nowadays, in most societies, the role a woman chooses to take for herself is often a choice rather than a restriction. In Islamic societies, however, women seem to be forced into certain roles and responsibilities. These restrictions often seem to elevate a man s status and importance in society while degrading a woman s status. Womenââ¬â¢s fight for their rights is not something new. As a matter of fact, they have been fighting for their rights around the world for centuries. In some societies, they obtain fairly freedom, but unfortunately in other societies such as Muslim society, women are not as free asâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Some of the men had white, long outfit the way Arab men do in their own country, and couple of them had short sleeve and jeans, but the wives, not only had black long veil to cover from head to toe, they covered their face with some black fabric. Our table was close to their table, one of the women pulled up the fabric over her face to drink some water, and the waiter came along, I didnââ¬â¢t understand the Arabic, but her husband said something to her and immediately she covered her face again until the waiter left. When I saw this, I felt bad for those women, how come in a hot summer day, the men can choose whatever they want to wear, but poor women cannot uncover their faces to eat or drink something without their husbandââ¬â¢s permission. I believe that not every woman can, or have the courage to stand up for their rights, and in this situation, makes our duty more serious and more important to fight for womenââ¬â¢s right, to speak up for those who do not have the voice, to advocate them, to defend their right to be free to be as educated as men, to be as active citizen as men among their societies. The second important reason that we should defend womenâ⠬â¢s rights in the Islamic society is that, in some countries, women are being treated as part of menââ¬â¢s properties. As we all know polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has more than one spouse. However, polygamyShow MoreRelatedWomen s Rights Of Women Essay1455 Words à |à 6 Pagesa myriad of women have expressed through outlets such as public assemblies, literature, and speeches. There have been three waves of the womenââ¬â¢s movement, each targeting a variety of issues within each era. The third wave was in 1995, where Hillary Clinton spoke in Beijing, China, claiming that womenââ¬â¢s rights were the same as human rights, that every aspiring girl deserved the civil liberties that every man was given around the world. Moreover, the movement had shifted towards women in developingRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1265 Words à |à 6 Pagesstands in the way of women being equal to men? Journalist Carlin Flora suggests the following, ââ¬Å"While not a ll claims to humanity are universal and no one context, culture or continent can truly represent all peoples, the following three examples from very different contexts, cultures and continents show that some violations of womenââ¬â¢s human rights are universal. In particular, it is still the case the world over that a womanââ¬â¢s reproductive rights, which impact on her right to life, are still seenRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women881 Words à |à 4 PagesTwenty ââ¬âfirst century ladies are discovering it a daunting task to keep up both sexual orientation parts as an aftereffect of the women s activist development. They are presently assuming liability for both the supplier and the nurturer, battling like never before to acquire and keep a superior personal satisfaction. Woman s rights has supported in equivalent vocation opportunity, battling to get ladies acknowledged into the employment advertise, and what initially began as ladies strengtheningRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women Essay1647 Words à |à 7 Pagesthe early 1920ââ¬â¢s, women thought they had achieved the unachievable. They could finally work, keep their earned wages, marry whomever they please, and even vote. After reaching their goal and fighting vigorously, women could taste equality and the freedom they deserved. While women still have the right to work in todayââ¬â¢s society, women are not exactly treated equal in the workplace. Regardless of the past and the extreme measures taken to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women, there are manyRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1590 Words à |à 7 Pagesthe 1920s, women were ignored in every aspect of their life. From politics, to social situations, women were constantly looked at as lesser. The 20s was a decade of women ready to fight for their rights. From gaining social freedoms, to getting political rights, the 20s was the first decade of feminism. Many women played key roles in the fight for women s rights through spe eches, marches, and much more. The women that fought for their rights in the 1920s completely changed how women live their livesRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1230 Words à |à 5 PagesWomenââ¬â¢s suffrage has stretched from the 1800ââ¬â¢s to present day, as women have struggled to have the same civil and constitutional rights as men in politics and be appreciated as equals in the workforce. Groups of women known as suffragists questioned the customary views of womenââ¬â¢s roles. Eventually our nation has evolved and realized that male-controlled societies suppress womenââ¬â¢s rights. From the beginning steps taken in 1850 to 2013 with women earning combat roles in the military, womenââ¬â¢s rolesRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1206 Words à |à 5 Pagesto speak of women and the role of women in this election, the subject of women is tiresome but necessary in a world where gender is still existent as an obstacle for most. I cannot identify what woman is. I am bas ing my definition from our modern understanding of woman, our general view, and the popular experience. People are using younger women voting for Bernie Sanders as proof of genderââ¬â¢s irrelevant in this election, that women have achieved their rights. Even if women ââ¬Ëhave rights nowââ¬â¢ it doesRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1393 Words à |à 6 Pages Women all over the world are being treated different than men. Iran is one of the places that women are being treated the worst. From restrictions to punishments, women in Iran are being treated with no respect, and that is not okay. Womenââ¬â¢s rights activists have tried to get it to change, and have traveled to many places to try and get more people to join their movement. There are many issues with women not having the same rights as men. One of the main problems is that they are treated lessRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1272 Words à |à 6 PagesThroughout history, women have fought a strenuous battle for equal rights. Many men, and even some women, all over the world believe that women do not share the same value and importance to society as men do. On September 5, 1995, Hillary Clinton spoke at the 4th World Conference on Women, on behalf of women all over the world. Clinton raised awareness on how women s rights are being violated and why it is important to recognize women s rights as equal to everyone elseââ¬â¢s rights. Even today, in 2016Read MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1052 Words à |à 5 PagesThe family has traditionally been the basic unit of Chinese society where women have long been charged with upholding society s values in their roles as wives and mothers. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, women were required to balance society s i deals with the reality of raising a family and maintaining a household. Throughout the imperial period and into the beginning of the twentieth century, the relationship among family members was prescribed by Confucian teachings. The revered philosopher
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