Monday, December 30, 2019

Regulating The Digital Communication Nationally - 1218 Words

It is necessary to regulate the digital communication nationally. Copyright behaviour is one such possible disadvantage to not doing so. FreeTV and the Advertising Standards Bureau both have guidelines for the advertising of food and drink catered for children. These guidelines were put in place in order to promote a healthy active lifestyle and not one of unhealthy consumption. Similarly, suicide portrayal guidelines implement throughout commercial radio. This has expanded further to regulate issues including the portrayal of women, indigenous people and cultural diversity. This forms under the basis of which the media should not promote prejudice and intolerance of these issues. Ultimately, the regulation aims to terminate potentially harmful images from the media, protect adults from spontaneous material that is likely offensive against social values. Minimal requirements are necessary for Australian content on digital media outlets such as television or radio, so as to prohibit overseas content bypassing national identity. The Australian Content Standard issue a quota of 55% to Australian content on television and filter curfew hours. Radio channels equally have a minimum allowance of Australian music to be aired. It is believed that the diversity of media is highly valued, and that nobody should monopolise the industry. Cross media ownership laws state that there should be at least five independent media groups in metropolitan markets (Feldmann, 2006). Likewise,Show MoreRelatedThe Purpose Of A National Cybersecurity Strategy1421 Words   |  6 Pagesnew technologies, and interconnected networks have become integral part of our daily life. Society, businesses, government and national defense depend entirely on the well-functioning of information technology and information infrastructures, communication, transportation, e-commer ce, emergency services and financial services depend on the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information streaming these infrastructures. As our society become more reliable on IT, the availability and protectionRead MoreFederal Communication Commissions1525 Words   |  6 PagesThe anticipation of the Federal Communication Commissions 2014 meeting to review media ownership looms as 2013 approaches. With all the angst of a presidential election, the proverbial line in the sand has been drawn. On one side consumer groups vie for support to restrict ownership and on the opposing side are the media industries and its conglomerates opposing limitations and demanding deregulation. According to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC is required to meet every 4 years to reviewRead MoreWhy Federal Communication Commission Has Legal Authority Regulate Media Ownership2587 Words   |  11 Pageswhy Federal Communication Commission has legal authority to regulate media owne rship and should be allowed to continue to regulate media ownership, you must first know the statues that gave way to the regulation. The FCC was created by the Communications Act of 1934. The Communications Act of 1934 replaced the Radio Act of 1927, and the FCC superseded the FRC (Federal Radio Commission). This act â€Å"called for the government to regulate in the public interest and foreign communications by radio andRead MoreVideo Conferencing2185 Words   |  9 Pagesthe ability to communicate is a key to success. Merriam Webster’s defines communication as a verbal or written message and also the technology of the transmission of information (as by print or telecommunication) (http://aolsvc.merriam-webster.aol.com). There are various ways people communicate today, face-to-face, on the phone, the Internet, radios, television to name a few. This paper will focus on one mode of communication called Video Conferencing. This paper will provide a detailed descriptionRead MorePestle Analysis: Safaricom2271 Words   |  10 Pageslaws is the Kenya Communications Ammendment Bill 2008.This amended law aims at regulating the telecommunications industry in many ways e.g. there is the requirement that all mobile service providers register their customers. This is a threat to Safaricom since the government has privileged information and should the information fall into the wrong hands, it could be used by competitors to sabotage the company There is also the requirement by the industry regulator, Communications Commission of KenyaRead MoreFinal Strategic Plan for the United States Postal Service Essay5148 Words   |  21 Pagescommunicating. With the rise of email and other means of electronics communications (i.e.: online bill pay) the USPS continues to see a decrease in mail volumes and this trend continues to see advancement. The major threat to the USPS that will continue to affect the company in the near future is consumers’ needs to get things faster and finding easier ways to get things done. â€Å"A marketplace increasingly migrating to digital means of communication, a steady decline in mail volumes through 2020, and a lessRead MoreManagement Information Systems22991 Words   |  92 PagesImproved decision making 2) Journalist Thomas Friedman s description of the world as flat referred to: A) the flattening of economic and cultural advantages of developed countries. B) the use of the Internet and technology for instantaneous communication. C) the reduction in travel times and the ubiquity of global exchange and travel. D) the growth of globalization. 3) The six important business objectives of information technology are: new products, services, and business models; customerRead MoreEssay on Department Store Marketing Comparison5516 Words   |  23 PagesThe amount a customer pays for the product. Price determines a company’s profit and has an impact on marketing strategy. Marketers must be aware of the perceived value of a product when setting prices. Promotion This represents the methods of communication that a marketer uses to provide information about their products. Promotion consists of advertising, public relations, etc. Place Providing the product at a place that is convenient for consumers. Place is the distribution aspect. JC Penney:Read MoreBusiness Information Systems31162 Words   |  125 Pagescharging less for superior products; (3) responding to customers in real-time? a. 1 only b. 1 and 2 c. 2 and 3 d. 1, 2, and 3 Answer: d Difficulty: Hard Reference: p. 8 Analysis in terms of compare 6. Verizon’s implementation of a Web-based digital dashboard to provide managers with realtime information such as customer complaints is an example of: a. improved flexibility. b. improved decision-making. c. improved efficiency. d. customer and supplier intimacy. Answer: b Difficulty: MediumRead MoreHanson Production18651 Words   |  75 PagesChapter Five: CONCLUSIONS amp; RECOMMENDATION 5.1 Summary of Findings   5.2 Discussion amp; Recommendations   5.3 Reflections   5.4 Further Research Needed   6. REFERENCES 1. Chapter One: INTRODUCTION In these modern times of instant digital communication, film has turn out to be one of the most vital way through various nations and cultures reveal their values and identities. Moving image technologies has turn out to be all-encompassing in our lives. They are huge business. Apart from that

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Disadvantages Of The Tenth Amendment - 1410 Words

â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.† Our Tenth Amendment, as it was originally written does not specify or restrict the spectrum of powers which are entitled to the federal government, the state government, and or the people. Since this amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not provide an accurate measure of the powers granted to each group, it is a very open concept and its extent can be given an infinite number of interpretations. The lack of specific distinction between the powers can cause altercations regarding the rights and authority that the state and the national government have over certain issues. To†¦show more content†¦These types of actions have already taken place in a few states of the United States. Because similar events have already taken place, it would only make sense to for it to become an official right for the St ates. If permitted by a state, it would gain control of the requirements on subjects like the production, distribution, prescription, and administration of medical products derived from marijuana. By monitoring various aspects of the medical production of marijuana, the states could prevent the exposure that patients may have to hazardous products that contain marijuana. This would give individuals with health conditions an opportunity receive safer substances because there would be no need for these to be made under illegal or unsanitary environments. Additionally, patients with severe conditions could gain access to the possibility of reducing the occurrence of their chronic symptoms and even present some improvements in their health. Similar to the previous proposal, the State’s right to permit and legalize the use of recreational marijuana should be incorporated under the 10th Amendment. States would gain the ability to set an age requirement for the use of this plant for recreational purposes. The state government could adopt measures, comparable to those of the level of alcohol an individual canShow MoreRelatedFederalism and the Triad of Powers in America819 Words   |  3 PagesWith the failure of the health-care programs, the attention of nation was once again back on the federal government and the pressure was building up to take care of the situation. Federalism, much like anything, comes with advantages and some disadvantages. One advantage of federalism is that a large number of different governments ensure diversity among policies and programs. â€Å"We need diverse policies to accommodate a diverse populace across a vast country† (Berman and Murphy 93). Another advantageRead MoreCommon Core And The American Education System881 Words   |  4 Pagesgovernment they must adhere to the system guidlines. A brief note on Education and the government: education is a state right and not a federal right. Education has no right to be regulated by the government; in fact, it underminds the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment states that any power not delegated by the Constitution is delegated to the states or to the people. Common core is a very complex system. If schools across the nation do not adhere to the requirements of common core, then they doRead MoreHistory and Purpose of the US Constitution Essay1092 Words   |  5 Pagescountry. As a result outcome the framers of the Constitution feared that the states would not serve a strong role in federalist government. One way in which the framers sought to preserve a strong role was through the Tenth Amendment (Lowi, 2007, pg. 22). Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people which are called reserved powers. If state or local laws contradict any of those, the state or localRead MoreThe Tenth Amendment Of The United States Education System975 Words   |  4 PagesCommon Core Initiatives History The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution declares that the states have the authority in handling educational standards (Boslaugh, 2015). Each state can come up with their own requirements and rules for their educational systems. For many years, this system seemed to work and showed good results. The United States had one of the best educational systems throughout the world. Although this system worked for many years, after World War II ended countriesRead MoreEssay on We Must Raise the Minimum Wage1615 Words   |  7 PagesFederal minimum wage is established by the Federal government and is the lowest set amount of money an employer can pay its employee (â€Å"Federal minimum†). On the other hand, an individual State may set its own minimum wage. The States under the Tenth Amendment have the right to accept the federal minimum wage, or states may set their own minimum wage. Roughly 20 or more states have set their own Minimum wage laws. Some states set their own minimum wage because some states have higher cost of livingRead MoreMilitary Draft No longer Necessary Essay1745 Words   |  7 Pagessustain combat in Iraq and Afghanistan while meeting other global responsibilities. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that â€Å"the current volunteer force is the most capable in the nation’s history† (GAO.gov). They f ound other disadvantages of reinstating a draft, which consist of a decline in force effectiveness and weakened fighting capabilities (GAO.gov). Since President Nixon inaugurated the All-Volunteer forces, our military had a successful victory in Operation Desert StormRead MoreA Traditional U.S. Government During the Formation of the Constitution1981 Words   |  8 PagesConstitution—safeguard our freedoms by preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful. There is a second check in the division of powers between the national and state governments—a principle known as federalism. Then finally with the addition of the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution detailing the rights reserves to the States or People. Which of these checks have proven most lasting? I believe the check of â€Å"JUDICIARY is check on LEGISLATIVE through its authority to review all laws and determineRead MoreAfrican Transformation from 1865-19201832 Words   |  8 PagesEmancipation Proclamation, Slavery did not officially end until congress passed the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery. Freedmen were no allowed to be citizens until 1868 when congress passed the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment also allowed blacks the right to equal protection under the law. The first Supreme Court Interpretation of the 14th amendment was in the Slaughterhouse Case. This case extended the 14th amendment to all citizens. Even with the end of slavery and the right to citizenship, AfricanRead MoreThe Debate Over The Bill Of Rights Essay1761 Words   |  8 Pagesclauses, which essentially say the Supreme Court is the law of the land, and in Mculloch vs. Maryland, the constitution and its interpretation prevailed, letting the national bank be created, and it could not be taxe d, essentially ignoring the tenth amendment of the protecting the states. 2. The â€Å"Switch in Time that Saved Nine† was important in West Coast Hotel Co. V. Parrish in that the switch of Justice Owen Roberts from conservative to liberal in the decision on minimum wage in Washington, andRead MoreMode of Creation In English, a corporation may be created (i) either by Act of Parliament, (ii) or2800 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Official Gazette. Amendments The Companies Act has undergone changes by amendments of the Companies (Amendment) Act (LXV of 1960), the Companies (Amendment) Act (LII of 1964), (Amendment) Act (XXXII of 1965), the Companies (Amendment) Act (XXXIV of 1966), the Companies (Amendment) Act (XII of 1969), the Companies (Amendment) Act (LXXX (30) of 1971), the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1996 (5 of 1997), the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1999 (21 of 1999) the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2000 (53 of 2000)

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Return Shadow Souls Chapter 21 Free Essays

Pandemonium. Elena whipped her head up, confused as to whether she was supposed to be the repentant slave any longer. The community leaders were all babbling at one another, pointing fingers, throwing up their hands. We will write a custom essay sample on The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 21 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Damon had physically restrained the Godfather, who seemed to regard his part in the ceremony as concluded. The crowd was hooting and cheering. It looked as if there would be another fight; this time between Damon and the Godfather’s men, especially the one called Clewd. Elena’s head was whirling. She could catch only disjointed phrases. † – only six strokes and promised me that I could administer – † Damon was shouting. † – really think that these little flunkies tell the truth?† someone else – probably Clewd – was shouting back. But isn’t that exactly what the Godfather was, too? Just a bigger, more frightening, and, undoubtedly, more efficient flunky who reported to someone higher up, and didn’t cloud his mind with dope-smoke? Elena thought; and then ducked her head hastily as the fat man glanced toward her. She could hear Damon again, this time clearly above the hubbub. He was standing by the Godfather. â€Å"I had believed that even here there was some honor once a bargain was struck.† His voice made it obvious that he no longer thought negotiations were possible and that he was about to go on the attack. Elena tensed, horrified. She had never heard such open menace in his speaking voice. â€Å"Wait.† It was in the Godfather’s lackadaisical tones, but it caused an instant of silence in the babble. The fat man, having removed Damon’s hand from his arm, turned his head back toward Elena. â€Å"I will waive, for my part, the participation of my nephew Clewd. Diarmund, or whoever you were, you are free to punish your own slave with your own tools.† Suddenly, surprisingly, the old man was brushing bits of gold out of his beard and speaking directly to Elena. His eyes were ancient, tired, and surprisingly discerning. â€Å"Clewd is a master at whipping, you know. He has his own little invention. He calls it the cat’s whiskers and one blow can flay the skin from neck to hip. Most men die from ten lashes. But I’m afraid he’ll be disappointed today.† Then exposing surprisingly white and even teeth, the Godfather smiled. He extended to her the bowl of golden sweetmeats he’d been eating. â€Å"You might as well taste one before your Discipline. Go on.† Afraid to try one, afraid not to, Elena took one of the irregular pieces and popped it in her mouth. Her teeth crunched pleasantly. A walnut half! That’s what the mysterious sweets were. A delicious half walnut dipped in some kind of sweet lemon syrup, with bits of hot pepper or something like that clinging to it, all gilded with that edible gold stuff. Ambrosia! The Godfather was saying to Damon, â€Å"Do your own ‘discipline,’ boy. But don’t neglect to teach the girl how to cover her thoughts. She has too much wit to be wasted here in a slum-brothel. But then why do I not think she wishes to become a famous courtesan at all?† Before Damon could answer or Elena look up from her genuflection, he was gone, carried by palanquin bearers to the only horse-drawn carriage Elena had seen in the slums. By now the arguing, gesticulating civic leaders, egged on by Young Drohzne, had come to a sullen agreement. â€Å"Ten lashes, and she need not strip, and you may give them,† they said. â€Å"But our final word is ten. The man who negotiated with you has no more power to argue.† Almost casually, one lifted by a tuft of hair a bodiless head. Absurdly, it was crowned with dusty leaves in anticipation of the banquet after the ceremony. Damon’s eyes flared with true rage that set objects around him vibrating. Elena could feel his Power like a panther rearing back against a leash. She felt as if she were speaking against a hurricane which cast every word back into her throat. â€Å"I agree to it.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"It’s over, Da – Master Damon. No more yelling. I agree.† Now, as she prostrated herself on the carpets before Drohzne, there was a sudden keening of women and children and a fusillade of pellets aimed – sometimes badly – at the smirking slave owner. The train of her dress was spread behind her like a bride’s, the pearl overskirt making the underskirt a shimmering burgundy in the eternal red light. Her hair had fallen free of its high knot, making a cloud around her shoulders that Damon had to part with his hands. He was shaking. From fury. Elena didn’t dare look at him, knowing that their minds would rush together. She was the one who remembered to say her formal speech before him and Young Drohzne so this entire farce would not have to be reenacted. Say it with feeling, her drama teacher, Ms. Courtland, had always excoriated the class. If there was no feeling in you there could be none in the audience. â€Å"Master!† Elena shouted in a voice that was loud enough to be heard above the women’s lamentations. â€Å"Master, I am but a slave, not fit to address you. But I have trespassed and I accept my punishment eagerly – yea, eagerly, if it will restore to you but one hairsbreadth of the respectability you enjoyed before my unwonted evildoing. I beg you to punish this disgraced slave who lies like discarded offal in your gracious path.† The speech, which she had shouted in the unvarying glassy tones of someone who had been taught each word by rote, hadn’t actually needed to be more than four words, â€Å"Master, I beg forgiveness.† But no one seemed to have recognized the irony that Meredith had put into it, or to find it amusing. The Godfather had accepted it; Young Drohzne had already heard it once, and now it was Damon’s turn. But Young Drohzne wasn’t finished yet. Smirking at Elena, he said, â€Å"Here’s where you find out, Missy. But I want to see that ash rod before you use it!† – stumbling to Damon. A few practice swishes and blows to the cushions surrounding them (which filled the air with ruby-colored dust) satisfied him that the rod was all that even he could want. Mouth visibly watering, he settled on the gold couch, taking in Elena from head to toe. And finally the time had come. Damon couldn’t put it off any longer. Slowly, as if every step was part of a play that he hadn’t rehearsed properly, he sidled alongside Elena to get an angle. Finally, as the gathered crowd became restless, and the women showed signs of losing themselves in drink, rather than in keening, he picked his spot. â€Å"I ask forgiveness, my master,† Elena said in her no-expression voice. If left to himself, she thought, he wouldn’t even have remembered the necessities. Now, indeed, was the time. Elena knew what Damon had promised her. She also knew that a lot of promises had been broken that day. For one thing, ten was almost twice six. She wasn’t looking forward to this. But when the first blow came, she knew that Damon wasn’t one of the promise-breakers. She felt a dull thud, and a numbness, and then, curiously, a wetness which had her glancing up through the latticework of boards above them for clouds. It was disconcerting to realize that the wetness was her own blood, spilled without pain, running down her side. â€Å"Make her count them,† Young Drohzne slurred in a snarl, and Elena said â€Å"One† automatically, before Damon could put up a fight. Elena went on counting in the same clear, unaffected voice. In her mind she wasn’t here, in this foul-smelling horrible gutter at all. She was lying with her elbows propped up to support her face, and looking down into Stefan’s eyes – those spring-green eyes that would never be old, no matter how many centuries he accumulated. She was dreamily counting for him, and ten would be their signal to jump up and begin the race. It was raining gently, but Stefan was giving her a handicap, and soon, soon she would scramble off him and run away through lush green grass. She would make this a fair race and really put her muscle into it, but Stefan, of course, would catch her. Then they would go down on the grass together, laughing and laughing as if they were having hysterics. As for the vague, far-off sounds of wolflike leers and drunken snarls, even they were gradually changing. It all had to do with some silly dream about Damon and an ash rod. In the dream, Damon was swinging hard enough to satisfy the most exacting of onlookers, and the blows, which Elena could hear in the increasing silence, sounded more than hard enough, and made her feel a bit nauseated when she reflected that they were the sound of her own skin splitting, but she felt no more than dull cuffs up and down her back. And Stefan was drawing up her hand to kiss! â€Å"I’ll always be yours,† Stefan said. â€Å"We belong together every time you dream.† I’ll always be yours, Elena told him silently, knowing he would get the message. I may not be able to dream of you all the time, but I am always with you. Always, my angel. I’m waiting for you, Stefan said. Elena heard her own voice say â€Å"Ten,† and Stefan kissed her hand again and was gone. Blinking, bewildered, and confused by the sudden inrush of noises, she sat cautiously up, looking around. Young Drohzne was hunched into himself, blind with fury, disappointment, and more liquor than even he could stand up under. The wailing women had long ago gone silent, awed. The children were the only ones who still made any noise, climbing up and down on the boards, whispering to one another and running if Elena should happen to glance their way. And then, with an entire lack of ceremony, it was over. When Elena first stood up the world made a complete double circle around her and her legs folded. Damon caught her, and called to the few young men still conscious and inclined to look at him, â€Å"Give me a cape.† It wasn’t a request, and the best-dressed of the men, who seemed to have been slumming, tossed him a heavy cape, black, lined with greenish blue, and said, â€Å"Keep it. The performance – marvelous. Is it a hypnotist’s act?† â€Å"No performance,† Damon snarled, in a voice that stopped the other slummers in the act of holding out business cards. â€Å"Take them,† Elena whispered. Damon snatched up the cards in one hand, ungraciously. But Elena forced herself to toss the hair off her face and smile slowly, heavy-lidded, at the young men. They smiled somewhat timidly back. â€Å"When you – ah – perform again†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You’ll hear,† Elena called to them. Damon was already carrying her back to Dr. Meggar, surrounded by the inevitable entourage of children plucking at their cloaks. It was only then that it occurred to Elena to wonder why Damon had asked for a cloak from some strangers, when he, in fact, was already wearing one. â€Å"They will be having ceremonies somewhere, now that there are this many of them,† Mrs. Flowers said in genteel distress as she and Matt sat and sipped herbal tea in the boardinghouse parlour. It was dinnertime, but still quite light outside. â€Å"Ceremonies to do what?† Matt asked. He had never made it to his parents’ house since he’d left Damon and Elena more than a week ago to come back to Fell’s Church. He’d stopped by Meredith’s house, which was on the edge of town, and she’d convinced him to come by Mrs. Flowers’s first. After the conversation the three of them had had with Bonnie, Matt had decided it was best to be â€Å"invisible.† His family would be safer if no one knew that he was still in Fell’s Church. He would live at the boardinghouse, but none of the children who were making all the trouble would realize that. Then, with Bonnie and Meredith safely gone to meet Damon and Elena, Matt could be a sort of secret operative. Now he almost wished he’d gone with the girls. Trying to be a secret operative in a place where all the enemies seemed to be able to hear and see better than you could, as well as to move much faster, hadn’t turned out to be nearly as helpful as it had sounded. He spent reading most of the time the Internet blogs that Meredith had marked, looking for clues that might do them some good. But he hadn’t read of the need for any kind of ceremonies. He turned to Mrs. Flowers as she thoughtfully sipped her tea. â€Å"Ceremonies for what?† he repeated. With her soft white hair and her gentle face and vague, amiable blue eyes, Mrs. Flowers looked like the most harmless little old lady in the world. She wasn’t. A witch by birth, and a gardener by vocation, she knew as much about black magic herbal toxins as about white magic healing poultices. â€Å"Oh, doing generally unpleasant things,† she replied sadly, staring into the tea leaves in her cup. â€Å"They’re partly like pep rallies, you know, to get everyone all worked up. They probably also do some small black magic there. Some of it is by way of blackmail and brainwashing – they can tell any new converts that they are guilty now by reason of attending the meetings. They might as well give in and become fully initiated†¦that sort of thing. Very unpleasant.† â€Å"But what kind of unpleasant?† Matt persisted. â€Å"I really don’t know, dear. I never went to one of them.† Matt considered. It was almost 7:00, which was curfew for children under eighteen. Eighteen seemed to be the oldest that a child could be and become possessed. Of course, it wasn’t an official curfew. The sheriff’s department seemed to have no idea of how to deal with the curious disease that was working its way through the young girls of Fell’s Church. Scare them straight? It was the police that were frightened. One young sheriff had come tearing out of the Ryan house to be sick after seeing how Karen Ryan had bitten off the heads of her pet mice and what she had done with the rest of them. Lock them away? The parents wouldn’t hear of it, no matter how bad their child’s behavior was, how obvious it was that their kid needed help. Children who were towed off to the next town for an appointment with a psychiatrist sat demurely and spoke calmly and logically†¦for the entire fifty minutes of their appointment. Then, on their way back they took revenge, repeating everything their parents said in perfect mimicry, making startlingly real-sounding animal noises, holding conversations with themselves in Asian-sounding languages, or even resorting to the clich but still chilling backward-talking routine. Neither ordinary discipline nor ordinary medical science seemed to have an answer to the childrens’ problem. But what frightened parents the most was when their sons and daughters would disappear. Early on, it was assumed that the children went to the cemetery, but when adults tried to follow them to one of their secret meetings, they found the cemetery empty – even down to Honoria Fell’s secret crypt. The children seemed to have simply†¦vanished. Matt thought he knew the answer to this conundrum. That thicket of the Old Wood still standing near the cemetery. Either Elena’s powers of purification had not reached this far, or the place was so malevolent that it had been able to resist her cleansing. And, as Matt knew well, the Old Woods were completely under the domination of the kitsune by now. You could take two steps into the thicket and spend the rest of your life trying to get out. â€Å"But maybe I’m young enough to follow them in,† he said now to Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"I know Tom Pierler goes with them and he’s my age. And then so were the ones who started it: Caroline gave it to Jim Bryce, who gave it to Isobel Saitou.† Mrs. Flowers looked abstracted. â€Å"We should ask Isobel’s grandmother for more of those Shinto wards against evil she blessed,† she said. â€Å"Do you think you could do that sometime, Matt? Soon we’ll have to ready ourselves for a barricade, I’m afraid.† â€Å"Is that what the tea leaves say?† â€Å"Yes, dear, and they agree with what my poor old head says, too. You might want to pass the word on to Dr. Alpert as well so she can get her daughter and grandchildren out of town before it’s too late.† â€Å"I’ll give her the message, but I think it’s going to be pretty hard tearing Tyrone away from Deborah Koll. He’s really stuck on her – hey, maybe Dr. Alpert can get the Kolls to leave, too.† â€Å"Maybe she can. That would mean a few less children to worry about,† Mrs. Flowers said, taking Matt’s cup to peer into it. â€Å"I’ll do it.† It was weird, Matt thought. He had three allies now in Fell’s Church and they were all women over sixty. One was Mrs. Flowers, still vigorous enough to be up every morning taking a walk and doing her gardening; one was Obaasan – confined to bed, tiny and doll-like, with her black hair held up in a bun – who was always ready with advice from the years she had spent as a shrine maiden; and the last was Dr. Alpert, Fell’s Church’s local doctor, who had iron gray hair, burnished dark brown skin, and an absolutely pragmatic attitude about everything, including magic. Unlike the police, she refused to deny what was happening in front of her, and did her best to help alleviate the fears of the children as well as to advise the terrified parents. A witch, a priestess, and a doctor. Matt figured that he had all his bases covered, especially since he also knew Caroline, the original patient in this case – whether it was possession by foxes or wolves or both, plus something else. â€Å"I’ll go to the meeting tonight,† he said firmly. â€Å"The kids have been whispering and contacting each other all day. I’ll hide in the afternoon someplace where I can see them going into the thicket. Then I’ll follow – as long as Caroline or – God help us, Shinichi or Misao – isn’t with them.† Mrs. Flowers poured him another cup of tea. â€Å"I’m very worried about you, Matt, dear. It seems to me to be a day of bad omens. Not the sort of day to take chances.† â€Å"Does your mom have anything to say about it?† Matt asked, genuinely interested. Mrs. Flowers’s mother had died sometime around the beginning of the 1900s, but that hadn’t stopped her from communicating with her daughter. â€Å"Well, that’s just the thing. I haven’t heard a word from her all day. I’ll just try one more time.† Mrs. Flowers shut her eyes, and Matt could see her crepe-textured eyelids move around as she presumably looked for her mother or tried to go into a trance or something. Matt drank his tea and finally began to play a game on his mobile. At last Mrs. Flowers opened her eyes again and sighed. â€Å"Dear Mama (she always said it that way, with the accent on the second syllable) is being fractious today. I just can’t get her to give me a clear answer. She does say that the meeting will be very noisy, and then very silent. And it’s clear that she feels it will be very dangerous as well. I think I’d better go with you, my dear.† â€Å"No, no! If your mother thinks it’s that dangerous I won’t even try it,† Matt said. The girls would skin him alive if anything happened to Mrs. Flowers, he thought. Better to play it safe. Mrs. Flowers sat back in her chair, seeming relieved. â€Å"Well,† she said at last, â€Å"I suppose I’d better get to my weeding. I have mugwort to cut and dry, too. And blueberries should be ripe by now, as well. How time flies.† â€Å"Well, you’re cooking for me and all,† Matt said. â€Å"I wish you’d let me pay you bed and board.† â€Å"I could never forgive myself! You are my guest, Matt. As well as my friend, I do so hope.† â€Å"Absolutely. Without you, I’d be lost. And I’ll just take a walk around the edge of town. I need to burn off some energy. I wish – † He broke off suddenly. He’d started to say he wished he could shoot a few hoops with Jim Bryce. But Jim wouldn’t be shooting hoops again – ever. Not with his mutilated hands. â€Å"I’ll just go out and take a walk,† he said. â€Å"Yes,† said Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"Please, Matt dear, be careful. Remember to take a jacket or Windbreaker.† â€Å"Yes, ma’am.† It was early August, hot and humid enough to walk around in swimming briefs. But Matt had been raised to treat little old ladies in a certain way – even if they were witches and in most things sharp as the X-acto knife he slipped into his pocket as he left the boardinghouse. He went outside, then, by a side route, down to the cemetery. Now, if he just went over there, where the ground dipped down below the thicket, he’d have a good view of anyone going into the last remnant of the Old Wood while no one on the path below could see him from any angle. He hurried toward his chosen hide noiselessly, ducking behind tombstones, keeping alert for any change in birdsong, which would indicate that the children were coming. But the only birdsong was the raucous shriek of crows in the thicket and he saw no one at all – – until he slipped into his hideout. Then he found himself face-to-face with a drawn gun, and, behind that, the face of Sheriff Rich Mossberg. The first words out of the officer’s mouth seemed to come entirely by rote, as if someone had pulled a string on a twentieth-century talking doll. â€Å"Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt, I hereby arrest you for assault and battery upon Caroline Beula Forbes. You have the right to remain silent – â€Å" â€Å"And so do you,† Matt hissed. â€Å"But not for long! Hear those crows all taking off at once? The kids are coming to the Old Wood! And they’re close!† Sheriff Mossberg was one of those people who never stop speaking until they are finished, so by this time he was saying: â€Å"Do you understand these rights?† â€Å"No, sir! Mi ne komprenas Dumbtalk!† A wrinkle appeared between the sheriff’s eyebrows. â€Å"Is that Italian lingo you’re trying on me?† â€Å"It’s Esperanto – we don’t have time! There they are – and, oh, God, Shinichi’s with them!† The last sentence was spoken in the barest of whispers as Matt lowered his head, peeking through the tall weeds at the edge of the cemetery without stirring them. Yes, it was Shinichi, hand in hand with a little girl of maybe twelve. Matt recognized her vaguely: she lived up near Ridgemont. Now, what was her name? Betsy, Becca†¦? There was a faint anguished sound from Sheriff Mossberg. â€Å"My niece,† he breathed, surprising Matt that he could speak so softly. â€Å"That, in fact, is my niece, Rebecca!† â€Å"Okay, just stay still and hang on,† Matt whispered. There was a line of children following behind Shinichi just as if he were some sort of Satanic Pied Piper, with his red-tipped black hair shining and his golden eyes laughing in the late-afternoon sunlight. The children were giggling and singing, some of them in sweet nursery school voices, a remarkably twisted version of â€Å"Seven Little Rabbits.† Matt felt his mouth go dry. It was agony to watch them march into the forest thicket, like watching lambs riding up a ramp into an abattoir. He had to commend the sheriff for not trying to shoot Shinichi. That would really have caused all hell to break loose. But then, just as Matt’s head was sagging in relief as the last of the children entered the thicket, he jerked it back up again. Sheriff Mossberg was preparing to get up. â€Å"No!† Matt grabbed his wrist. The sheriff pulled away. â€Å"I have to go in there! He’s got my niece!† â€Å"He won’t kill her. They don’t kill the children. I don’t know why, but they don’t.† â€Å"You heard what sort of filth he was teaching them. He’ll sing a different tune when he sees a semiautomatic Glock pistol aimed at his head.† â€Å"Listen,† Matt said, â€Å"you’ve got to arrest me, right? I demand that you arrest me. But don’t go into that Wood!† â€Å"I don’t see any proper Wood,† the sheriff said with disdain. â€Å"There’s barely room in that stand of oak trees for all those kids to sit down. If you want to be of some use in your life, you can grab one or two of the little ones as they come running out.† â€Å"Running out?† â€Å"When they see me, they’re going to scatter. Probably burst out in all directions, but some of ’em will take the path they used to go in. Now are you going to help or not?† â€Å"Not, sir,† Matt said slowly and firmly. â€Å"And – and, look – look, I’m begging you not to go in there! Believe me, I know what I’m talking about!† â€Å"I don’t know what kind of dope you’re on, kid, but in fact I don’t have time to talk any more right now. And if you try to stop me again† – he swung the Glock to cover Matt – â€Å"I’ll cite you for another account of trying to obstruct justice. Get it?† â€Å"Yeah, I get it,† Matt said, feeling tired. He slumped back into the hide as the officer, making surprisingly little noise, slipped out and made his way down to the thicket. Then Sheriff Rich Mossberg strode in between the trees and was lost to Matt’s field of vision. Matt sat in the hide and sweated for an hour. He was having trouble staying awake when there was a disturbance in the thicket and Shinichi came out, leading the laughing, singing children. Sheriff Mossberg didn’t come out with them. How to cite The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 21, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Golf, outdoor game in which individual players use Essay Example For Students

Golf, outdoor game in which individual players use Essay specially designed clubs to propel a small, hard ball over a field of play known as a course or links. The object of the game is to advance the ball around the course using as few strokes as possible. The Golf Course A golf course is divided into 18 sections, called holes. The standard course is about 6500 to 7000 yd (about 5900 to 6400 m). The individual holes may vary in length from 100 to 600 yd (about 90 to 550 m). Each hole has at one end a starting point known as a tee and, imbedded in the ground at the other end and marked by a flag, a cup or cylindrical container (also called a hole) into which the ball must be propelled in order to complete play at each hole. The cup is usually made of metal or plastic, 4.2 in (10.8 cm) in diameter, and at least 4 in (10 cm) deep. Play begins at the first tee, a level area of turf, generally raised slightly above the surrounding terrain. From here each player tries to drive the ball onto the fairway, or main part of the golf course, a carefully tended strip of land, 30 to 100 yd (about 27 to 90 m) wide, on which the grass has been cut to provide a good playing surface for the ball. On either side of the fairway is the rough, which consists of areas covered with long grass, bushes, or trees, and which sometimes contains sandy, rough, or marshy areas that compel golfers to use additional skill and judgment in playing their shots. In the absence of such natural obstacles, artificial hazards may be constructed. These include bunkers, also known as traps, which are hollows dug in the earth and usually filled with loose sand; mounds and other earthen embankments; and water hazards, such as ditches, creeks, ponds, or lakes. At the far end of the fairway from the tee is the putting green, an area of closely cropped gr ass surrounding the hole or cup. The smooth surface of the putting green is designed to facilitate the progress of the ball into the cup after the ball has been given a tap or gentle stroke known as a putt. Golf Strokes and Golf Clubs In addition to the putt, the specialized stroke used on the green, two main types of shots are used in playing each hole: the drive, which is a long shot from the tee onto the fairway; and the approach shot, which is the shot used to hit the ball onto the green. Both types demand great accuracy. Shots of various lengths are played with different clubs, according to the distance to be covered and the lie (position) of the ball. A standard set of 14 golf clubs (the maximum that may be carried in tournament play), is divided into two main types: those known as woods, with heads made of wood or metal; and those known as irons, with heads made of forged steel, usually chromium plated. The shafts of both types usually are made of metal and sometimes of fiberglass. Formerly, each club was known by a distinctive name, but today most are designated by numbers. The woods are customarily numbered 1 through 5, the irons 1 through 9. The putter, an iron, has retained i ts name. In addition to the numbered irons are the utility clubs, including the sand wedge and the pitching wedge, used on medium-range shots to loft the ball high into the air and limit its roll to a short distance after landing. The clubs are variously used in achieving distance, height, or accurate placement of the ball; the angle at which the striking surface is set on the shaft of the club determines the trajectory of the ball. For making drives and distance shots on the fairway, the woods (No. 1, or driver; No. 2; No. 3; No. 4; and No. 5) and the so-called long irons (No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3) are used. For the initial drive of each hole, the ball is teed up-that is, placed on a small wooden, rubber, or plastic peg, known as a tee, which the players carry with them. This lifts the ball at least 0.5 in (1.3 cm) off the ground, allowing the head of the club to strike the ball with maximum force. For long, low shots on the fairway, the No. 2 wood is used, and for long, high shots the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 woods are employed. Other approach shots to the green, generally of a shorter range, are played with irons. For even shorter approaches, known as chip shots, the same irons are used but with a shorter swi ng. The putter normally is used only on the green or the apron (a fringe of less smooth grass) of the green. Forms of Competition Two basic forms of competition exist in golf: match play and medal play (also known as stroke play). In match play the player (or, if more than one player, the team) taking the fewer number of strokes to sink the ball into any particular hole-called holing out-is the winner of the hole; the contest is won by the player or team winning the most holes. If each player or team takes the same number of strokes on any hole, the hole is said to be halved (tied). A final score of 9 and 8 in match play means that the winner was 9 holes ahead with only 8 left to play, sufficient to clinch victory in the match. When the match goes tied until the last hole, the winning score is 1 up. Antonym analogies EssayRules and Regulations The rules of play for golf are numerous and complex. They include a code of etiquette for behavior on the green. The game was originally played with a ball made of feathers tightly packed in a leather cover. About 1850 a ball made of gutta-percha came into use. Gutta-percha is a milky liquid, derived principally from Malaysian trees, that hardens after being boiled and cooled. About 1901 a ball with a rubber core enclosed in gutta-percha, similar to the ball in use today, was developed. The pitted surface of modern golf balls acts to stabilize flight. Golf balls must have a diameter of no less than 1.68 in (4.27 cm) and weigh not more than 1.62 oz (45.93 g). Governing Bodies The organizations that establish golf rules for the world are the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the United States Golf Association (USGA), founded in 1894 and located in Far Hills, New Jersey. Before 1913, golf in the United States was played chiefly by people of wealth. In 1913, however, after a former caddie from the United States named Francis Ouimet won a victory over two outstanding British professionals in the U.S. open championship tournament (open to amateurs and professionals), golf came to the attention of the American public in general. The Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) was organized in 1916, and annual tournaments were started during the same year. The PGA is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Currently, there are more than 23,000 members of the PGA, most of whom assist amateur players as club or resort instructors; and each year several hundred professional players tour the country competing in major tourna ments. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, numbers more than 800 club instructors, along with several hundred tournament players. Major professional tours include the PGA (for men), the LPGA (for women), and the Seniors tour (for men over the age of 50). Tournaments Each year many golf tournaments take place. The most important professional tournaments for men are the Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. Collectively these four events form the grand slam of golf. Until 1960 the grand slam was considered to be the U.S. Open, the British Open, the U.S. Amateur, and the British Amateur, but with the increasing importance of professional golf in the mid-20th century, the Masters and the PGA Championship gained preeminence over the two amateur tournaments. However, the U.S. and British amateurs remain important events for nonprofessionals. For women the four professional tournaments forming the grand slam are the LPGA Championship, the U.S. Womens Open, the du Maurier Classic, and the Dinah Shore. The most important amateur events for women are the U.S. Womens Amateur and the British Womens Amateur Championship. International matches are also played. The Walker Cup (for men) and the Curtis Cup (for women) are contests between amateur golfers from the United States and Great Britain. The Ryder Cup (for men) and the Solheim Cup (for women) are contests between professional golfers from the United States and the rest of the world. (Before 1979 the Ryder Cup was contested only between American and British teams.) World competition tournaments for men also include the Eisenhower Cup for amateurs, the World Cup for professionals, and the Shun Nomura Trophy and the Francis H. I. Brown International Team Match Trophy for seniors. World competition tournaments for women also include the Espirito Santo Trophy. The most famous feat in the history of golf was achieved by the American amateur player Bobby Jones, who in 1930 achieved the grand slam of golf at the time by winning the British Open, the British Amateur, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Amateur. No other player has ever won the grand slam in golf. One of the greatest women players of all time was Babe Didrikson Zaharias, an American who competed both as an amateur and as a professional. Other outstanding golfers include American players Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Nancy Lopez, Kathy Whitworth, Tom Watson, JoAnne Carner, Pat Bradley, Lee Trevino, Patty Sheehan, Patty Berg, and Mickey Wright; British players Harry Vardon and Nick Faldo; Australian player Greg Norman; South African players Nick Price and Gary Player; and Spanish player Severiano Ballesteros. Other Forms of Golf Variations of golf, many of which can be played at night under lights, are developed from time to time: Miniature golf, a putting game on fancifully designed courses, became popular in the 1930s. Special putting greens and driving ranges combine practice and recreation. Pitch and putt is a shorter version of the standard game.