Ashkenazi Jews Essay Example for Free

Ashkenazi Jews Essay The Jews admit that they are not the descendants of the Ancient Israelites in their writings. Under the heading of A brief History of the Terms for Jew in the 1980 Jewish Almanac is the following: Strictly speaking it is incorrect to call an ancient Israelite a ‘Jew’ or to call a contemporary Jew an Israelite or a Hebrew. 1980 Jewish Almanac, p. 3. http://iamthewitness.com/doc/Ashkenazis.are.not.the.descendants.of.the.Ancient.Israelites.htm JEWS Strictly speaking it is incorrect to call an ancient Israelite a ‘Jew’ or to call a contemporary Jew an Israelite or a Hebrew. 1980 Jewish Almanac, p. 3. Encyclopedia Americana (1985) Khazar, an ancient Turkic speaking people who ruled a large and powerful state in the steppes North of the Caucasus Mountains from the 7th century to the mid 11th century A.D In the 8th Century its political and religious head as well as the greater part of the Khazar nobility, abandoned paganism and converted to Judaism (The Khazars are the ancestors of most Russian and Eastern European Jews). Encyclopedia Britannica (15th edition): Khazars, confederation of Turkic and Iranian tribes that established a major commercial empire in the second half of the 6th century, covering the southeastern section of modern European Russia In the middle of the 8th century the ruling classes adopted Judaism as their religion. Encyclopedia Americana (1985): Ashkenazim, the Ashkenazim are the Jews whose ancestors lived in German lands it was among Ashkenazi Jews that the idea of political Zionism emerged, leading ultimately to the establishment of the state of Israel In the late 1960s, Ashkenazi Jews numbered some 11 million, about 84 percent of the world Jewish population. The Jewish Encyclopedia: Khazars, a non-Semitic, Asiatic, Mongolian tribal nation who emigrated into Eastern Europe about the first century, who were converted as an entire nation to Judaism in the seventh century by the expanding Russian nation which absorbed the entire Khazar population, and who account for the presence in Eastern Europe of the great numbers of Yiddish-speaking Jews in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Galatia, Besserabia and Rumania. HORUS. Sun of God Ask Any 33rd degree Freemason! Horus is the EYE above the African Egyptian Pyramid on the U.S.ONE DOLLAR BILL.

The Importance Of Statistics In Scientific Research Philosophy Essay

The Importance Of Statistics In Scientific Research Philosophy Essay Today, we are living in the Information Age. We make many of our decisions, whether we intend to go out to sea to fish, buy a new computer, invest in projects, built a new resort, or even go to war, based on information that we gather. The more information we obtain, how fast we get them and how relevant they are will affect our decisions. However, more important than speed or amount of information is whether the information we got is real or reflects the truth or has been interpreted correctly. Unfortunatley, for various reasons, there are many information out there that is false, half-truths, misinterpreted or just made up, either intentionally or unintentionally. So how do we know that a certain information that we obtain is the truth? Is it the truth because Mr. X said so? Can we trust his words? Who is this Mr. X? Can we believe him just because he is the Prime Minister or President of the United States? How did he obtain this information in the first place? Has he got any ulter ior motive feeding you with this information? So we start to doubt. But if we are going to doubt every information that comes, then we will have a serious problem making our day to day decisions. Science There is a need for some mechanism where information generated from that mechanism has the highest probability of being true. This mechanism is called Science. Science comes from the Latin word scientia which means knowledge. So science is a system or mechanism of aquiring knowledge and is aimed at finding the truth. Scientists are in the business of generating new knowledge and it is important that the new knowledge refect what is true. That is why the scientific community demands that all scientists must possess a high level of integrity and honestly so that results from their research reflects the truth based on the facts gathered. If false information were allowed to be diseminated, in time, nobody will believe in information generated by the scientific community and that will be the end of science. To prevent this from happening, a set of guidelines were put in place to be followed by scientists in their acquisition of knowledge. It is thus very important for for young scientist s to follow the Scientific Method in their research investigations. As scientists, we also need to think scientifically. Our powers of reasoning must lead successfully to the most logical answers and reach reliable conclusions. Scientific thinking is based on three things i.e. the use of empirical evidence, practice logical reasoning and possessing a skeptical attitude. Empirical evidence is evidence that one can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell. It is evidence that others, besides yourself, can experience, and it is repeatable. Empirical evidence is the only type of evidence used by scientists to make decisions and reach sound conclusions. Logic is not an ability that we are born with. It is a skill or discipline that must be learned. Emotional, hopeful, and wishful thinking is more common than logical thinking because they are easier and more cogenial to human nature. Most individuals would rather believe something is true because they feel, hope, or wish it were true, rather than deny their emotions and accept that their beliefs are false. Posses sing a Skeptical Attitude is to constantly question your beliefs and conclusions. Good scientists constantly examine the evidence, arguments and reasons for their beliefs. A skeptic holds beliefs only tentatively, and will willingly discard them if new evidence can prove otherwise. We must have an open mind. Scientific Method Science is about discovering reliable knowledge about nature. Reliable knowledge is knowledge that has a high probability of being true because its veracity has been justified by a reliable method. The Scientific Method is a Process for evaluating knowledge to explain observable events in nature by natural causes without assuming the existence of the supernatural. Scientists use observations and reasoning to propose tentative explanations for natural phenomena, termed hypotheses. Predictions from these hypotheses are then tested by experiments, which should be reproducible. An important aspect of a hypothesis is that it must be falsifiable, i.e. it must be conceivable to prove the hypothesis to be false. Once a hypothesis is repeatedly verified through experiment, it is considered to be a theory and new predictions are based upon it. Scientific methods are means used by scientific communities for building supportable, evidence-based understandings of our natural world. There are four essential elements within a scientific method : Characterizations (quantifications, observations and measurements) Hypotheses (theoretical, hypothetical explanations of observations and measurements) Predictions (reasoning including logical deduction from hypotheses and theories) Experiments (tests of all of the above) A pragmatic scheme of the four above points is sometimes offered as a guideline for proceeding: Define the question Gather literature, information and resources Form your hypothesis Plan the experiment Do the experiment and collect data Analyze the observed data Interpret data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypotheses Communicate your results Statistical Analysis A very important component of the Scientific Method is the statistical analysis of your collected data or observations. How you analyse the data, whether done correctly or incorrectly, will ultimately determine the conclusions from your research. Any body who has to collect data, prepare reports, read reports and draw intelligent conclusions from them must have a good understanding of statistics. There is universal acceptance of statistics as an essential tool for all types of research. This has also resulted in an increase in the number and diversity of statistical procedures. Although this diversity indicates the availability of appropriate statistical techniques for most research problems, it also indicates the difficulty of matching the best technique to a specific experiment. Choosing the correct statistical procedure for a given experiment must be based on expertise in statistics and in the subject matter under study. Statistics, like any useful tool, can be misused either deli berately or by well-meaning researchers who know too little about research or statistical concepts and procedures. Why do we need Statistics? Diversity is an intricate property of nature. It is with diversity that life on earth can continue to exist as it allows evolution and adaptation to the ever changing environment on earth. With diversity, there exist variation. Variation occurs everywhere and in almost everything. There is variation in height, weight, colour, smell, etc. Thus for every population, there is variation in physical, chemical and biological properties. As such, before we can say that there is a difference in a particular parameter between two population, we have to take into consideration this variation. We have to show prove that even with the variation that exist within each population for the parameter in question, it is still highly probable that differences exist between the two populations. Statistical procedures were developed to do just that. To take into account the variations before deciding whether we can safely say that the two populations are different. If there is no variation, there will be no need for statistics. Types of Statistics in Marine Science Research There are basically two types of statistics a) Descriptive statistics. Reduction of large masses of raw data to a manageable form e.g. graphs, tables, measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion. b) Predictive statistics. The data we collect is almost always a sample of all the data we could have collected, and we want to use it to draw conclusions about the whole population. The ability to make such generalised conclusions, inferring characteristics of the whole from characteristics of the sample lies within the realm of inferential or predictive statistics. In Predictive Statistics, statistical analysis are usually conducted on the sampled evidence or data from which conclusions about the population is drawn. The statistical analysis usually starts with a hypothesis and based on the evidence in the data, the probability of a certain outcome of the hypothesis is determined. Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis Testing is a means by which will help us make decisions concerning differences. It is a process of infering from a sample or samples whether or not to accept a certain statement about the population. The statement itself is called the hypothesis. The hypothesis is tested on the basis of evidence contained in the sample or samples. The hypothesis should be the simplest one possible with the least number of unknown factors. It is a prerequisite to the application of a statistical test. General procedure in statistical hypothesis testing. a) Specify a nul hypothesis (H0). The hypothesis of no difference. The hypothesis that nothing out of the ordinary has happened or what is expected to happen according to some standard theory. b) Specify the alternate hypothesis (H1). Example: H0: There is no difference in growth of fishes fed with diet A and diet B. H1: There is a difference in growth of fishes fed with diet A and diet B. H0: The population sampled conforms to the Normal Distribution. H1: The population sampled does not conform to the Normal Distribution. H0: The two samples belong to the same population. H1: The two samples come from different populations. c) Check data. From the data, see which of H0 or H1 is correct. The answer will either be i) Not obvious ii) Obvious iii) Very obvious Only in case i) do you go to do a statistical test. It is neither necessary or useful to do a lot of arithmetic to show something that was obvious before you started. Statistics is not a substitute for common sense. d) Specify the level of significance, . Specify the critical probability level below which H0 will be rejected. It is conventionally taken to be 0.05 or 5% level of significance (or 95% confidence limits) in biological statistics. In statistics, we are testing for differences. We first assume that there is no difference, H0. Then we test for difference, H1. Hence, the level of significance is the maximum probability of rejecting a true null hypothesis ( 5% level of rejecting H0 ) when it is actually correct. = probability of committing a Type I error (i.e. probability of rejecting H0 when it is actually correct). = probability of committing a Type II error (i.e. probability of accepting H0 when it is actually not correct). Null Hypothesis (H0) TRUE FALSE REJECT Type I Error Correct ACCEPT Correct Type II Error It is better to commit a Type II error than a Type I error. We will never know if we have committed a Type I error but then the probability of committing it is specified as or, What is the probability, p, of making the error of rejecting Ho when Ho is actually true ? If p is very low then we reject Ho. If p is high then we had better accept Ho. How low should p be before we reject Ho ? is determined by the level of significance, a, set by us (usually 0.05). e) Calculate the probability, p. Assuming that Ho is correct, calculate the probability, p, (using appropriate statistics) of obtaining results as extreme, or more extreme, than those observed. There are several statistical tests available. In order to select, we consider several properties of the various tests e.g. i) Are the assumptions of these tests valid assumptions in my experiment ? Criticisms on an experiment is often highest due to lack of consideration of the assumptions. ii) The test should be unbiased and consistent. iii) The test should be more efficient in some sense than the other tests. f) Comment. We rarely have enough training or knowledge to thoroughly understand all the possible violations of assumptions inherent in the design and analysis of their research, although they are most surely aware of the hypothesis they are trying to test. Types of Statistical Tests Various types of statistical tests are available. However, we can generally divide them into Parametric and Non-parametric tests. a) Parametric test For making inferences about population parameters by examining sample statistics. Assumes that the variable in question follows (at least approximates) the normal distribution. For interval and ratio scale data. b) Data transformation Generally to normalise data which do not satisfy the above assumption so that they may be analysed using parametric methods. c) Nonparametric test To draw inferences about population, not parameters. Do not require knowlegde about population distribution (distribution free statistics). Fast with less arithmetic but less powerful than parametric tests. For norminal and ordinal scale data. Note that interval and ratio scale data can be converted to ordinal data by ranking. Examples of parametric tests a) Testing differences between two means. 1) Z-test Where population variance, S, is known. 2) Students t-test (One and two samples) Where the estimate s must be used. 3) Paired sample t-test For paired samples. b) Testing differences between a set of sample means. 1) One-way ANOVA. 2) Two-way ANOVA with and without replications. 3) Multi-way ANOVA. 4) Latin-Square. 5) Multiple comparisons. a. Least Significant difference, LSD. b. Tukey Test. c. Student-Newman-Keuls Test. d. New Duncans Multiple Range Test. e. Trend comparisons c) Testing differences between variances. 1) F-test 2) Bartletts test d) Correlation and regression analysis Examples of Non-parametric tests a) Runs test Test for randomness in a linear sequence of nominal data. b) Chi-square Goodness-of-fit test Test or compare observed frequency distribution with predicted/theoretical frequency distribution. c) Homogeneity Chi-square test and Contingency tables Test or compare 2 observed frequency distributions. d) Kolmogorov-Smirnov test Goodness-of-fit test for ordinal scale data. Uses cumulative frequency data rather than Chi-square. Powerful where n is small, Fi is small. e) Mann-Whitney U-test Nonparametric procedure anologous to 2 sample students t-test. f) Wilcoxons paired sample test Nonparametric procedure anologous to paired sample t-test. g) McNemars test Paired sample testing of nominal data. h) Kruskal-Wallis test Nonparametric One-way ANOVA by ranks. i) Freidmans test Nonparametric randomised block design by ranks. j) Spearmans Rank Correlation Nonparametric correlation on ordinal data. Multivariate Statistics Most of the Statistical methods mentioned above are termed as Univariate statistics because they examine only one variable while the other are treated as treatment groups of factors. However, there is an increasing use of Multivariate Analysis where the procedure will examine a number of variables at once largely to detect patterns, relationships and interactions between them. Some of the most commonly used multivariate procedures include: a) Multiple regression and correlation. Where one wishes to establish maximal linear relationships among three or more sets of variables. b) Principal Component Analysis. To reduce the dimensionality of the original data while minimizing loss of information and determining those that account for most of the variation in the population. c) Factor Analysis. Resolve the intercorrelations among variables into their underlying causes. d) Multivariate analysis of variance. To determine if the samples could have been drawn from a single statistical population. e) Discrimant Analysis. To sort the objects into their appropriate populations with minimal error. f) Cluster analysis. To sort previously unpartitioned heterogeneous collection of objects into a series of sets and determine the relation ships between the sets.

Biography: Martin Luther King Jr

Biography: Martin Luther King Jr Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the familys long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family. In 1954, Martin Luther King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank. In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, l Have a Dream, he conferred with Pres ident John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure. At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated. Autobiography He was a husband, a father, a preacher-and the preeminent leader of a movement that continues to transform America and the world. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the twentieth centurys most influential men and lived one of its most extraordinary lives. Now, in a special volume commissioned and authorized by his family, here is the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr., drawn from a comprehensive collection of writings, recordings, and documentary materials, many of which have never before been made public. Written in his own words, this history making autobiography is Martin Luther King: the mild-mannered, inquisitive child and student who chafed under and eventually rebelled against segregation; the dedicated young minister who continually questioned the depths of his faith and the limits of his wisdom; the loving husband and father who sought to balance his familys needs with those of a growing, nationwide movement; and the reflective, world-famous leader who was fired by a vision of equality for people everywhere. Articles King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference In his role as SCLC president, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled across the country and around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and civil rights as well as meeting with religious figures, activists and political leaders. (During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity to meet Gandhi, the man he described in his autobiography as the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change.) In 1960 King and his family moved to Atlanta, his native city, where he joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. This new position did not stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players in many of the most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s. Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe test during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest segregation, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of Americas most racially divided cities. Arrested for his involvement on April 12, King penned the civil rights manifesto known as the Letter from Birmingham Jail, an eloquent defense of civil disobedience addressed to a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics. King Marches for Freedom Later that year, Martin Luther King Jr. worked with a number of civil rights and religious groups to organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful political rally designed to shed light on the injustices African Americans continued to face across the country. Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the event is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of the American civil rights movement and a factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The march culminated in Kings most famous address, known as the I Have a Dream speech, a spirited call for peace and equality that many consider a masterpiece of rhetoric. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial-a monument to the president who a century earlier had brought down the institution of slavery in the United States-he shared his vision of a future in which this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' The speech and March cemented Kings reputation at home and abroad; later that year he was named Man of the Year by TIME magazine and in 1964 became the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In the spring of 1965, Kings elevated profile drew international attention to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter registration campaign. Captured on television, the brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from across the country to gather in Selma and take part in a march to Montgomery led by King and supported by President Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973), who sent in federal troops to keep the peace. That August, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed the right to vote-first awarded by the 15th Amendment-to all African Americans. Adapted from the New York Times. April 5, 1968. Jan. 15, 1929 to April 4, 1968 Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And Hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over. And Ive seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land! With these words, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. built a crescendo to his final speech on April 3, 1968. The next day, the civil rights leader was shot and killed on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. At the roots Dr. Kings civil rights convictions was an even more profound faith in the basic goodness of man and the great potential of American democracy. These beliefs gave to his speeches a fervor that could not be stilled by criticism. He rose in 1955 from a newly arrived minister in Montgomery, Ala. to a figure of national prominence. It was Dr. King who dramatized the Montgomery bus boycott with his decision to make it the testing ground, before the eyes of the nation, of his belief in the civil disobedience teachings of Thoreau and Gandhi. Dr. King was involved in one of his greatest plans to dramatize the plight of the poor and stir Congress to help blacks. He called his venture the Poor Peoples Campaign. Skills and Behavior of Martin Luther King, Jr Leader must be a visionary and dare to follow that vision: At a time when African Americans had to sit on designated seats on the bus, King dream of an America that would rise above color and creed. I am sure he faced the wrath of countless naysayers who thought that was Utopian and would never ever happen and look where we are today? The ability to DREAM and follow that VISION is a powerful attribute and history shows that some of the great leaders were even greater visionaries. If King didnt dream of equal civic rights, we wouldnt be living in a society where cultural differences are celebrated; if Steve Jobs were to listen to us and only build computers, we wouldnt have revolutionary innovation like the iPhone Leader must Be an effective communicator to build a movement: To this day when I listen to Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech, I am filled with a sense of emotion that inspires me to Stop complaining and Do something productive. Thats the power of effective communication. Kings theatrical skills surely served as an explosion to build the Civil Rights movement Leader must Be inspired and inspire to pursue new directions: One of my favorite Martin Luther King quotes is, If you cant fly then run, if you cant run then walk, if you cant walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. In order to move forward no matter what the situation, one needs a perennial source of inspiration and a good leader is who has the ability to be inspired and also inspire his/her followers. Be willing to walk the talk: Martin Luther King travelled over six millions miles and gave over 2,500 speeches to fight for civil rights. Thats called literally walking the talk. The vision, the great speech, the inspiration would all fall flat if at the end of the day, as a leader you cant walk the talk. Big dreams, big innovation, big campaigns and big ideas also rely on big execution. The willingness and ability to wear the execution hat and get your hands dirty is a great support that my leader can walk the talk. Qualities As a leadership qualities king have a following qualities Patience: It wasnt one speech that put an end to segregation in the United States. It wasnt one march, one demonstration, one sit-in. It was multiple attempts on various accounts that finally got the message out there. Martin Luther King, Jr. had to have patience throughout this time if he truly wanted to succeed. He knew that things wouldnt change overnight-and you need to know this, too. Be patient with your startup-let it grow in increments each and every day. You will achieve your dream, it just takes time to get there Bravery: Obviously, it took mass amounts of courage to stand up to thousands, even millions, of people and state his dream. But Martin Luther King, Jr. made it known that what he wanted was equality and that he would fight till the end to see it through. Leadership: Martin Luther King, Jr was the one that took the leadership position during the fight for equality. He was the one that stepped up to the plate when no one else would and found the answers to everybodys questions Determination: Even from the confines of Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. did not stop fighting for what he believed in. When the world was against him, he didnt take breaks. Trustworthiness: Those who followed Martin Luther King, Jr. trusted him with every bone in their bodies. They had full confidence that he would be the one to put a stop to discrimination and segregation. Context: King was a master of establishing the historical context for his message. He regularly started with stories from the Old Testament and modern history to make the point that the people in his movement were part of the broad sweep of history. That imbued them with a sense of mission Practice: Its well known that King delivered most of the I Have a Dream speech without any notes and that he improvised much of it on the spot. Whats not as well known is that he had been working with much of the content of that speech in other addresses he gave months and years before the March on Washington Repetition: King was also a master of using a simple, yet key phrase like I have a dream, again and again in his speeches. That kind of repetitive structure enabled him to clearly make his main point and at the same time make it easy for the audience to come along with him Authenticity: King clearly met that definition of leadership. When he spoke, he told that story. Everyone in the audience knew that he was living that story before and after the speech. Criticism on Martin Luther King, Jr

Rawls Justice Is Fairness :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phil.104   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Word Count:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take Home Exam # 1: Essay-2 John Rawls never claimed to know the only way to start a society, but he did suggest a very sound and fair way to do so. He based his just scenario on two principles of justice. His first principle of justice was that everyone should have the same rights as others. His following policy decision was that in the event of any inequalities, they should be to the benefit to everybody, and available to all people in the society. This original Rawl’s approach to justice has been highly revered by philosophers to this day. This is mostly because Rawl’s has thought up one of the fairest Utopia since the days of Socrates. This is not an easy of a task as it sounds. Though when analyzed by even the most naà ¯ve philosophers, it seems that Rawl’s scenario base of principles are pretty obvious and simple. Maybe because some of these same principles can be found in present day society. The United States tries to pride itself in maintaining these two principles at all costs. I n some countries even regarding these principles as fair can cause you to go away for a very long time. The most commonly known to the term â€Å"political prisoner† is Gedhun Choekyi Niyami, the eleventh Panchen Lama, as proclaimed by the Dalai Lama in 1995. The record holding youngest political prisoner is a nine-year-old Chinese boy seized by the Chinese Government. A parent should have no fear of losing a child like this. Under Rawl’s system, tragedies such as this are virtually impossible. Under the first principle that states the rights of all are equal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rawl’s principles were found justified by visualizing real people forming a system of laws including the ramifications of a â€Å"justified complaint†. A justified complaint is an accusation by a member of society against another member of society. To have a system of justice the society must have means of answering the beckoning of the populace. If a society does not attend to the offense of its own people then it is not a true society. Society is based on the principle of a consensus unanimously choosing their governing rules and laws. However the limitations of a â€Å"justified complaint† are unclear depending on what the consensus agrees to. Though the one rule that must apply is the fact that a complaint must be made by a law abider to be a â€Å"justified complaint†.

State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System :: Education Turkey Educational Essays

State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System Since 2000 B.C., when Turkey first appeared on the pages of history, the country has been a part of many different civilizations and has been constantly developing into the nation that we see today.? Turkey?s educational system has been developing as well.? The control of the educational system in Turkey is very much rooted in the State and is primarily controlled by the Ministry of National Education (commonly referred to as ?the Ministry?).? I found a good summary of the aim of the Ministry which stated that the goal of the Turkish national education system could be summed up as being, one where all individuals of the state are gathered together as an inseparable whole, united in national consciousness and thinking, trained to think along scientific lines with intellectually broadened views on world affairs, and to be productive happy individuals, who through their skills contribute to the prosperity of society and are instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and d istinguished member of the modern world. (MFA) The overall structure of how education actually works in Turkey is very rigid and detailed.? It seems that the Ministry has been the most significant in modifying the educational systems of Turkey within the past few years.? In 1997, for example, the required five years of primary school was replaced by eight years of primary school (Council).? There are other similar minor changes that have occurred over the past few years, but none of them, to my knowledge, have been drastically altering.? Also, In all of my research, it was difficult for me to find contrary information on any of the old systems and how they may have differed from the present day educational system, so I conclude that the system has been roughly uniform and similar, while obviously evolving over the years, for quite some time. ?As I mentioned earlier, the educational system of Turkey is very rigid and detailed, but at the same time appears to be very efficient.? All students in Turkey attend eight years of primary school, followed by three to four years of secondary school.? Turkey?s educational system, at this point, strays quite a bit from the educational system that most of us have grown up with in America.? Secondary education generally consists of a type of specialization for each individual student? State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System :: Education Turkey Educational Essays State and Religious Institutions and the Turkish Education System Since 2000 B.C., when Turkey first appeared on the pages of history, the country has been a part of many different civilizations and has been constantly developing into the nation that we see today.? Turkey?s educational system has been developing as well.? The control of the educational system in Turkey is very much rooted in the State and is primarily controlled by the Ministry of National Education (commonly referred to as ?the Ministry?).? I found a good summary of the aim of the Ministry which stated that the goal of the Turkish national education system could be summed up as being, one where all individuals of the state are gathered together as an inseparable whole, united in national consciousness and thinking, trained to think along scientific lines with intellectually broadened views on world affairs, and to be productive happy individuals, who through their skills contribute to the prosperity of society and are instrumental in making the Turkish nation a creative and d istinguished member of the modern world. (MFA) The overall structure of how education actually works in Turkey is very rigid and detailed.? It seems that the Ministry has been the most significant in modifying the educational systems of Turkey within the past few years.? In 1997, for example, the required five years of primary school was replaced by eight years of primary school (Council).? There are other similar minor changes that have occurred over the past few years, but none of them, to my knowledge, have been drastically altering.? Also, In all of my research, it was difficult for me to find contrary information on any of the old systems and how they may have differed from the present day educational system, so I conclude that the system has been roughly uniform and similar, while obviously evolving over the years, for quite some time. ?As I mentioned earlier, the educational system of Turkey is very rigid and detailed, but at the same time appears to be very efficient.? All students in Turkey attend eight years of primary school, followed by three to four years of secondary school.? Turkey?s educational system, at this point, strays quite a bit from the educational system that most of us have grown up with in America.? Secondary education generally consists of a type of specialization for each individual student?

computer virus :: essays research papers

Overview In the following report, â€Å"computer viruses† will be explained in detail. A lengthy and informative description of the evolution and history on microcomputer viruses will be given, to give you a background of their origin for some understanding of how they came to be. The next segment in the report is on how to combat computer viruses with the development of anti-virus applications. The current status of microcomputer viruses will also be discussed, naming the most common types of viruses and the most harmful type at this present point in time. Details of the most recent outbreaks of computer viruses, such as the â€Å"Melissa†, â€Å"I Love You† and the most recent â€Å"Anna Kournikova† viruses will be explained, and why they are so harmful. I will also give you my recommendations on how to combat this threat of computer viruses, what Anti-virus Applications that I believe should be used, and why updating your virus definitions for these programs on a regular basis is so vital and important in your quest to have a happy and uninfected computer. And finally, I give you my conclusion in which I can only hope that you will find helpful. A History Of Computer Viruses The term â€Å"Virus† was not used to describe a self-replicating computer program until the American electrical engineer named â€Å"Fred Cohen† associated the term with it in 1983. In the 1950’s at Bell Laboratories, â€Å"John von Neumann’s† theory in which he made in 1949 was put to the test. His theory stated that it was (MS Encarta 98, Virus [computer], History) â€Å"Theoretically possible for a computer program to replicate†. His theory was tested after a game called â€Å"Core Wars† was developed whereby (MS Encarta 98, Virus [computer], History) â€Å"Players created tiny computer programs that attacked, erased, and tried to propagate on an opponent’s system†. In the late 1960’s through to the early 1970’s, the program called â€Å"The Rabbit† was constantly appearing on the mainframes at the time. Kaspersky (www.avp.ch) â€Å"These programs cloned themselves, occupied system resources, thus lowering the productivity of the system†. These viruses were only localised, as they did not spread from one system to another and are thought to have only been pranks or mistakes by programmers. The â€Å"Univac 1108† and â€Å"IBM 360/370† systems were infected with one of the first known computer viruses, â€Å"Pervading Animal†. This virus attached itself to executable files, which damaged the infected file. In 1986 the first stealth virus hit IBM Compatible PC’s, called the â€Å"BRAIN† virus.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 5

James dodged as Poppy lobbed a paper back book athim. â€Å"Poppy† â€Å"You jerk! You snake! How can you dothis to me? You spoiled, selfish, immature-â€Å" â€Å"Shhh! They're going to hear you â€Å"Let them! Here I am, and I've just found out that I'mgoing to die,and all you can think of is playing a joke on me. A stupid, sickjoke. I can't believethis. Do youthink that'sfunny?†She ran out of breath to rave with.,James, who had been making quieting motions withhis hands, now gave up and looked toward the door. â€Å"Here comes the nurse,† he said. â€Å"Good, and I'm going to ask her to throw you out, â€Å"Poppy said. Her anger had collapsed, leaving her neartears. She had never felt so utterly betrayed andabandoned. â€Å"I hate you, you know,† she said. The door opened. It was the nurse with the flowered blouse and green scrub pants. â€Å"Is anything the matter here?† she said, turning on the light. Thenshe saw James. â€Å"Now, let'ssee; you don't look like family,† she said. She was smiling, but her voice hadthe ring of authority about to be enforced. â€Å"He's not, and I want him out of here,† Poppy said. The nurse fluffed up Poppy's pillows, put a gentle hand on her forehead. â€Å"Only family members are allowed to stay overnight,† she said to James. Poppy stared at the TV and waited for James to go.He didn't. He walked around the bed to stand by the nurse, who looked up at him while she continuedstraightening Poppy's blankets. Then her hands slowed and stopped moving. Poppy glanced at her sideways in surprise. The nurse was just staring at James. Hands limpon the blankets, she gazed at him as if she were mesmerized. And James was just staring back. With the lighton, Poppy couldseeJames's face-and again she had that odd feeling of not recognizing him. He was verypale and almost stern looking, as if he were doing something that required an effort. His jaw was tight and his eyes-his eyes were the color of silver. Real silver, shining in the light. For some reason, Poppy thought of a starvingpanther. â€Å"So you see there's nothing wrong here,† Jamessaid to the nurse, as if continuing a conversation they'd been having. The nurse blinked once, then looked around theroom as if she'd just awakened from a doze. â€Å"No,no; everything's fine,† she said.† Call me if †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked briefly distracted again, then murmured, â€Å"If, um, you need anything.† She walked out. Poppy watched her, forgetting to breathe. Then, slowly, moving only her eyes, she looked at James. â€Å"I know it's a cliche,† James said. â€Å"An overuseddemonstration of power. But it gets the job done.† â€Å"You set this up with her,† Poppy said in a bare whisper. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Or else it's some kind of psychic trick. The Amazing Whatshisname.† â€Å"No,†James said, and sat down on an orange plastic chair. â€Å"Then I'm going crazy. † For the first time that evening Poppy wasn't thinking about her illness. She couldn't think properly about anything; her mindwas a whirling, crashing jumble of confusion. She felt like Dorothy's house after it had been picked up by the tornado. â€Å"You're not crazy. I probably did this the wrongway; I said I didn't know how to explain it. Look, I know how hard it is for you to believe. My people arrange it that way; they do everything they can to keep humans not believing. Their lives depend on it.† â€Å"James, I'm sorry; I just—† Poppy found that herhands were trembling. She shut her eyes. â€Å"Maybe you'd better just-â€Å" â€Å"Poppy, look at me.I'm telling you the truth. I swear it.† He stared at her face a moment, then let out a breath. â€Å"Okay. I didn't want to have to do this, but †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stood, leaning close to Poppy. She refused toflinch, but she could feel her eyes widening. â€Å"Now, look,† he said, and his lips skinned backfrom his teeth. A simple action-but the effect was astonishing.Transforming. In that instant he changed from the pale but fairly ordinary James of a moment ago-intosomething Poppy had never seen before. A different species of human being. His eyes flared silver and his entire face took on a predatory look. But Poppy scarcely noticed that; she was staring at his teeth. Not teeth. Fangs. He had canines like a cat's. Elongated and curving, ending in delicate, piercing points. They were nothing like the fake vampire fangs soldat novelty stores. They looked very strong and very sharp and very real. Poppy screamed. James clapped a hand over her mouth. â€Å"We don'twant that nurse back in here.† When he lifted the hand, Poppy said, â€Å"Oh, myGod; oh, my God†¦.† , â€Å"All those times whenyousaid I could read yourmind,† James said. â€Å"Remember? And the times when I heard things you didn't hear, or moved faster than you could move?† â€Å"Oh. my God.† â€Å"It's true, Poppy.† He picked up the orange chairand twisted one of the metal legs out of shape. He did it easily, gracefully. â€Å"We're stronger than humans,† he said. He twisted the leg back and put thechair down. â€Å"We see better in the dark. We're builtfor hunting.† Poppy finally managed tocapture an entirethought. â€Å"I don't care what youcan do,† she saidshrilly. â€Å"You can't be a vampire. I've known yousince you were five years old. And you've gottenolder every year, just like me. Explain that.† â€Å"Everything you know is wrong.† When she juststared at him, he sighed again and said, â€Å"Everything you think you know about vampires, you've picked up from books or TV. And it's all written by humans, I'll guarantee that. Nobody in the Night World wouldbreak the code of secrecy.† â€Å"The Night World. Where's the Night World?† â€Å"It's not a place. It's like a secret society-for vampires and witches and werewolves. All the best people. And I'll explain about it later,† Jamessaidgrimly. â€Å"For now-look, it's simple. I'm a vampire because my parents are vampires. I was bornthatway. We're the lamia.† All Poppy could think of was Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen with their luxury ranch-style house and their gold Mercedes. â€Å"Your parents?† â€Å"Lamia isjust an old word for vampires, but for usit means the ones who're born that way,† James said, ignoring her. â€Å"We're born and we age like humans-except that we can stop aging whenever we want. We breathe. We walk around in the daylight. We can even eat regular food.† â€Å"Your parents,† Poppy said again faintly. He looked at her. â€Å"Yeah. My parents. Look, why doyou think my mom does interior decorating? Not because they need the money. She meets a lot of peoplethat way, and so does my dad, the society shrink. It only takes a few minutes alone with somebody, andthe human never remembers it afterward.† Poppy shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"So you, um, drinkpeople's blood, huh?† Even after everything she'd seen, she couldn't say it without half-laughing. James looked at the laces of his Adidas. â€Å"Yes. Yes,I sure do,† he said softly. Then he looked up andmet her gaze directly. His eyes were pure silver. Poppy leaned back against the pile of pillows onher bed. Maybe it was easier to believe him because the unbelievable had already happened to her earliertoday. Reality had already been turned upsidedown-so, honestly, what did one more impossibility matter? I'm going to die and my best friend is a bloodsucking monster, she thought. The argument was over, and she was out of energy. She and James looked at each other in silence. â€Å"Okay,† she said finally, and it meant everythingshe'd just realized. â€Å"I didn't tell you this just to get it off my chest,†James said, his voice still muted. â€Å"I said I could save you, remember?† â€Å"Vaguely.† Poppy blinked slowly, then said moresharply, â€Å"Save me how?† His gaze shifted to empty air. â€Å"The way you'rethinking.† â€Å"Jamie, Ican'tthink anymore.† Gently, without looking at her, he put a hand on her shin under the blanket. He shook her leg slightly, a gesture of affection. â€Å"I'm gonna turn you into a vampire, kid.† Poppy put both fists to her face and began to cry. â€Å"Hey.† He let go of her shin and put an awkwardarm around her, pulling her to sit up. â€Å"Don't do that. It's okay. It's better than the alternative.† â€Å"You're . . .freaking . . .crazy,† Poppy sobbed.Once the tears had started, they flowed too easily she couldn't stop them. There was comfort in crying, and -in being held by James. He felt strong and reliable and he smelled good. â€Å"You said you had to be born one,† she addedblurrily, between sobs. â€Å"No, I didn't. I said I was born one. There areplenty of the other kind around. Made vampires. There would be more, but there's a law against justmaking any jerk off the street into one.† â€Å"But I can't.I'm just what I am; I'm me. Ican'tbe-like that.† He put her gently away so he could look into herface. â€Å"Then you're going to die. You don't have any other choice. I checked around-even asked a witch.There's nothing elseinthe Night World to help you. What it comes down to is: Do you want to live ornot?† Poppy's mind, which had been swamped in confusion again, suddenly fixed on this question. It was like a flash light beam in a pitch-black room. Did she want to live? Oh, God, of courseshe did. Until today she'd assumed it was her unconditional right to live. She hadn't even been grateful for the privilege. But now she knew it wasn't something totake for granted-and she also knew it was some thing she'd fight for. Wake up, Poppy! This is the voice of reason calling.He says he can save your life. â€Å"Wait a minute. I've got to think,† Poppy saidtightly to James. Her tears had stopped. She pushed him away completely and stared fiercely at the white hospital blanket. Okay. Okay. Now get your head straight, girl. You knew James had a secret. So you never imagined it was anything like this, so what? He's still James. He may be some godawful undead fiend, buthe still cares about you. And there's nobody else to help you. She found herself clutching at James's hand without looking at him. â€Å"What's it like?† she said through clenched teeth. Steady and matter-of-fact, he said, â€Å"It'sdifferent. It's not something I'd recommend if there was another choice, but †¦it's okay. You'll be sick while your body's changing, but afterward you'll never get any kind of disease again.You'llbestrongandquick-and immortal.† â€Å"I'd live forever? But would I be able to stop aging?†She had visions of herself as an immortal crone. He grimaced. â€Å"Poppy-you'd stop aging now.That'swhat happens to made vampires. Essentially, you're dying as a mortal. You'll look dead and be unconscious for a while. And then†¦you'll wake up.† â€Å"I see.† Sort of like Juliet in the tomb, Poppythought. And then she thought, Oh, God†¦Momand Phil. â€Å"There's another thing you should know,† Jameswas saying. â€Å"A certain percentage of people don't make it.† â€Å"Don't make it?† â€Å"Through the change. People over twenty almost never do. They don't everwake up. Their bodies can't adjust to the new form and they burn out. Teenagersusually live through it, but not always.† Oddly enough, this was comforting to Poppy. Aqualified hope seemed more believable than an absolute one. To live, she would have to take a chance. She looked at James. â€Å"How do you do it?† â€Å"The traditional way,† he said with the ghost of asmile. Then, gravely: â€Å"We exchange blood.† Oh, great, Poppy thought. And I was afraid of asimple shot. Now I'm going to have my blood drawn by fangs. She swallowed and blinked,staring atnothing. â€Å"It's your choice, Poppy. It's up to you.† There was a long pause, and then she said, â€Å"I want to live, Jamie.† He nodded. â€Å"It'll mean going away from here.Leaving your parents. They can't know.† â€Å"Yeah, I was just realizing that. Sort of like gettinga new identity from the FBI, huh?† â€Å"More than that. You'll be living in a new world,the Night World. And it's a lonely world, full of secrets. But you'll be walking around in it, instead oflying in the ground.† He squeezed her hand. Thenhe said very quietly and seriously, â€Å"Do you want tostart now?† All Poppy could think of to do was shut her eyesand brace herself the way she did for an injection.†I'm ready,† she said through stiff lips. James laughed again-this time as if he couldn'thelp it. Then he folded the bed rail down and settled beside her. â€Å"I'm used to people being hypnotized when I do this. It's weird to have you awake.† â€Å"Yeah, well, if I scream you can hypnotize me,†Poppy said, not opening her eyes. Relax, she told herself firmly. No matter how muchit hurts, no matter how awful it is, you can deal with it. You haveto. Your life depends on it. Her heart was thumping hard enough to shake her body. â€Å"Right here,† James said, touching her throat with cool fingers as if feeling for a pulse. Just do it, Poppy thought. Get it over with. She could feel warmth as James leaned close toher, taking her carefully by the shoulders. Every nerve ending in her skin was aware of him. Then she felt cool breath on her throat, and quickly, before she could recoil, a double sting. Those fangs, burying themselves in her flesh. Making two little wounds so he could drink her blood†¦ Now it's reallygoing to hurt, Poppy thought. Shecouldn't brace herself anymore. Her life was in the hands of a hunter. She was a rabbit trapped in thecoils of a snake, a mouse under the claws of a cat. She didn't feel like James's best friend, she felt like lunch†¦. Poppy, what are you doing? Don't fight it. It hurts whenyou resist. James was speaking to her-but the warm mouthon her throat hadn't moved. The voice was in her head. I'm not resisting, Poppy thought. I'm just ready forit to hurt, that's all. There was a burning where his teeth pierced her.She waited for it to get worse-but it didn't.It changed. Oh, Poppy thought. The feeling of heat was actually pleasant. A sensation of release, of giving. And closeness. She and James were getting closerand loser, like two drops of water moving together until they merged. She could sense James's mind. His thoughts-andhis feelings. His emotions flowed into her, throughher. Tenderness†¦concern†¦ caring. A cold black rage at the disease that was threatening her. Despair that there was no other way to help her. And long ing-longing to share with her, to make her happy. Yes, Poppy thought. A wave of sweetness made her dizzy. She foundherself groping for James'shand, their fingers intertwining. James,she thought with wonder and joy. Her communication to him a tentative caress. Poppy.She could feel his own surprise and delight. And all the time the dreamy pleasure was building.Making Poppy shiver with its intensity. How could I have been so stupid? Poppy thought. To be afraid of this. It isn't terrible. It's.. . . right. She had never been so close to anybody. It was as if they were one being, together, not predator and prey, but partners in a dance. Poppy-and-James. She could touch his soul. Strangely enough, he was afraid of that. She couldsense it. Poppy,don't-so many dark things-I don't want you to see †¦ Dark, yes, Poppy thought. But not dark and terrible. Dark and lonely. Such utter loneliness. A feeling of not belonging in either of the two worlds he knew.Not belonging anywhere. Except †¦ Suddenly Poppy was seeing an image of herself. Inhis mind she was fragile and graceful, an emeraldeyed spirit of the air. A sylph-with a core of puresteel. I'm not really like that, she thought. I'm not talland beautiful like Jacklyn or Michaela†¦. The words she heard in answer didn't seem directed toward her-she had the feeling they were something James was thinking to himself, or remembering from some long-forgotten book. You don't love a girl because of beauty. You love her because she sings a song only you can understand†¦. With the thought came a strong feeling of protectiveness. So this was how James felt about her-she knew at last. As if she were something precious,something to be protected at all costs†¦. At all costs. No matter what happened to him.Poppy tried to follow the thought deeper into hismind, to find out what it meant. She got an impression of rules-no, laws †¦ Poppy, it's bad manners to search somebody's mind when you're not invited.The words were tinged with desperation. Poppy pulled back mentally. She hadn't meant topry. She just wanted to help†¦. I know,James's thought came to her, and with ita rush of warmth and gratitude. Poppy relaxed and simply enjoyed the feeling of oneness with him. I wish it could last forever, she thought-and justthen it stopped. The warmth at her neck disappeared, and James pulled away, straightening. Poppy made a sound of protest and tried to draghim back. He wouldn't let her. â€Å"No-there's something else we have to do,† hewhispered. But he didn't do anything else. He just held her, his lips against her forehead. Poppy feltpeaceful and languid. â€Å"You didn't tell me it would be like that,† she said. â€Å"I didn't know,† James said simply. â€Å"It never hasbeen before.† They sat together quietly, with James gently stroking her hair. So strange, Poppy thought. Everything is thesame-but everything's different. It was as if she'd pulled herself up on dry land after almost drowningin the ocean. The terror that had been pounding inside her all day was gone, and for the first time inher life she felt completely safe. After another minute or so James shook his head,rousing himself. â€Å"What else do we have to do?† Poppy asked. For an answer, James lifted his own wrist to hismouth. He made a quick jerking motion with hishead, as if tearing a strip of cloth held in his teeth. When he lowered the wrist, Poppy saw blood. It was running in a little stream down his arm. So red it almost didn't look real. Poppy gulped and shook her head. â€Å"It's not that bad,† James said softly. â€Å"And you have to do it. Without my blood in you, you won't become a vampire when you die, you'll just die.Likeany other human victim.† And I want to live, Poppy thought. All right, then.Shutting her eyes, she allowed James to guide her head to his wrist. It didn't taste like blood, or at least not like theblood she'd tasted when she bit her tongue or put a cut finger in her mouth. It tasted–strange. Richand potent. Like some magic elixir, Poppy thoughtdizzily.Andonce again she felt the touch of James's mind. Intoxi cated with the closeness, she kept drinking. That's right. You've got to take a lot,James told her.But his mental voice was weaker than it had been. Instantly Poppy felt a surge of alarm. But what will it do to you? â€Å"I'll be all right,† James said aloud. â€Å"It's you I'mworried about. If you don't get enough, you'll bein danger.† Well, he was the expert. And Poppy was happy tolet the strange, heady potion keep flowing into her. She basked in the glow that seemed to be lighting herfrom the inside out. She felt so tranquil, so calm†¦. And then, without warning, the calm was shattered. A voice broke into it, a voice full of harshsurprise. â€Å"What are you doing?† the voice said, and Poppylooked up to see Phillip in the doorway.