M8A1 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M8A1 - Term Paper Example ever, in the present, the need in developing this business plan is justified in that an individual must unmask all his true entrepreneurial aspirations. Planning and evaluations are take precedence in business decisions, such that during the planning process, issues such as employment should laid before hand and in a clear way on the table. Once such options are clear, the next step might involve evaluation of realistic goals given the available resources. Before a business plan is designed there is also the need to cement a business idea, such as the one proposed in this paper, and according to Hougaard (2005), a business idea must be innovative, fulfills the need of the customers, unique, has clear focus and provides a long term profitability. Â   Business models vary in as many as there are businesses all over the world, and different founders, hence different schools of thought towards business plans. A good business plan should be of a dynamic model addressing the following; market need, image, target group, and the mode of operations. The purpose of this paper is to prepare a business plan that involves the design of male official clothing wear here in the US, and then the manufacturing of the cloths in China, and then exporting them to a store in the United Kingdom using the finest materials and the finest minds in clothing design. The brand name for the company’s name for the product is a catchy phrase containing certain initials of the name of the author of this paper, MARASHI. The Business shall be registered as a limited company, and will enjoy all the trappings that accrue to limited liability companies. Ownership of the company shall initially be a private limited company with ownership drawn from family members and other select few friends. The proposed share capital for this venture shall consist of 100, 000 shares each valued at a nominal share price of $10. All the savings that have been accrued over the years by the author of this document

Fail of E-businesses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Fail of E-businesses - Essay Example This is carried out in the form of a qualitative analysis for the reason that we will evaluate information on both successful as well as failed businesses in order to establish the significance of professional marketing experts who may positively influence it. The assessment delineates that a personnel with efficacious experience in the marketing field is essential to the prosperity of an online business for the reason that it incorporates the fundamental attributes of the business, thereby, transcending the norms of attracting or retaining customers. The marketing of an online business is inclusive of rigorous management of the website, thus, making sure that the technological attributes complement the consumer experience. Further analysis into the matter illustrates that experience is the key to successful online businesses as it augments other attributes such as marketing and business plans. Many businesses on the web may call for professional assistance in marketing, however, onl y in case they do not possess any expertise within the team-force. As a result, it is quite significant to identify the drawbacks as well as negative aspects of the online business module prior to setting up an online deal. ... tly, this dissertation outlines the significance of business partnerships, chiefly, where online business does not play the role of the producer. Table of Contents 1. Chapter 1: Introduction/Background 2. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Defining e-business 2.2 Market Orientation 2.3 Causes of e-business failure 3. Chapter 3: Methodology 3.1 Research pattern and Strategy 3.2 Discussions 4. Chapter 4: Conclusions and Recommendations Bibliography Chapter 1: Introduction/Background According to Kalakota and Robinson, e-business is one efficient roadway to success, where the actual challenge is to make it happen in the most systematic way with least derailing offered to the existent business (Kalakota and Robinson, 1999). The profound and budding origin of the Internet is on the verge of seizing, shaking, and clutching businesses as well as individuals in a way like never before (Martin, 1999). Despite the fact that the administration of chief companies no longer takes interest in arguing whether the internet would influence their businesses, it does not realize the extent to which it would transform consumers, careers, and associations (Martin, 1999). Many of the corporations even have an abstract team within the firm which they think is efficaciously dealing with the marketing attributes of the business. However, they may tend to deter the constraint of the coming assault on all the features of business world, ranging from product notion and production by mean s of dissemination and utilization. The e-business revolution does prove

Analysis Of Our Planet Earth

Analysis Of Our Planet Earth Explore The planet earth is one of the nine planets in the solar system and the only known planet to harbor life and the home of human beings. From the words of Neil Armstrong, one of the astronauts of the famous Apollo 11, the earth from space resembles a big blue marble with swirling white clouds floating above blue oceans. About 71 percent of the earths surface is covered with water and the rest is land, mostly in the form of continents that rise above the oceans. Origin of the Earth The earth has a unique characteristic that is suited to supporting life. It is neither too hot like planet Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, nor too cold like planet Mars. For thousands of years, human being could only wonder about the earth and other observable planets in the solar system. Many ideas such as the earth was a sphere and that it travelled around the Sun were based on brilliant reasoning. It was on the development of scientific method especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, that human beings began to gather data that could be used to verify theories about the earth and the rest of the solar system. In the second half of the 20th century, more advances in the study of the earth and the solar system occurred because of the development of rockets that could send spacecrafts beyond Earth. Human beings were able to study and observe Earth from space and satellites equipped with scientific instruments. Scientists have studied the solar system and tried to explain how it was formed. Billions of people are wondering how the huge, lively planet came to be. There are many different theories trying to give explanation of how our home planet came to be. One of the most popular theories of the planets origin is that of Gods creation. Many religious group as well as scientists, embrace the belief that God created the universe and the different steps motivating material and natural development and that these steps then resulted in the formation of the galaxies, the solar system and existence of the earth. This theory is known as Theistic evolution or as evolutionary creationism. This theory h olds the belief that God exceeds common time and space, with nature having no survival self-sufficient of Gods will. The Theistic Evolution Theory poses many questions that can never be answered directly. The sources available are books written by humans. Most accepted belief is the theory of creation in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. This popular theory states that God created the universe in six days .The Bible offers no evidence to prove the story; rather it relies on the faith of the believers to accept it as truth. Another popular belief is the Big Bang Theory. This theory supports the idea that the universe came about due to a colossal explosion. According to the theory, the universe goes through a tremendously high speed rise that expands within a fraction of a second. Then, the excessive heat of electrons and other particles mix. As atoms and particles charge, still extremely hot, they prevent light from shining, creating a sweltering hot fog. Eventually, the electrons merge with additional particles to structure atoms of hydrogen and helium, causing light to at last shine. Giant clouds are soon formed by the hydrogen and helium gases. Weighty elements that are not clustered together are thrown into space to form stars and planets. Another theory is developed by Immanuel Kant and given scientific form by Pierre Simon Laplace at the end of 18th century. It is known as the Nebular Theory. It was assumed that the solar system in its first state was a nebula, a hot, slowly rotating mass of rare matter, which gradually cooled and contracted, the rotation becoming more rapid, in turn giving nebula a flattened disk-like shape .In time, rings of gaseous matter became separated from the outer part of the disk, until the diminished nebula at the center was surrounded by a series of rings. Out of the material of each ring a great ball was formed, which by shrinking eventually became a planet. The mass at the center of the system condensed to form the sun. Encounter or collision theories, in which a star passes a close by or actually collides with the sun, try to explain the distribution of angular momentum. According to the Planetisimal theory, developed by Thomas Chamberlin and Forest Ray Moulton, in the early part of 20th century, a star passed close to the sun. Huge tides were raised on the surface; and some of these erupted matters were torn free, and by a cross pull from the star, were thrust bodies called planetesimals. As their orbits crossed, the larger bodies grew by absorbing the planetisimals, thus becoming planets. The Gaseous Tidal Theory, proposed by James Jeans and Harold Jeffreys in 1918, is a variation of the planetesimal concept. It suggests that a huge tidal wave, raised on the sun by a force of gravity of a passing star, was drawn into a long filament and became detached from the principal mass. As the stream of gaseous material condensed, it separated into masses of various sizes, which by further condensation took the form of a planet. The Dynamic Encounter Theory of Georges Buffon states that the world was formed out of molten materials from the sun that collided with other planets. According to the Solar Disruption Theory by Georges-Louis Leclerc, the sun and a big star almost collided in space, which made some parts of the sun burst. The pieces formed became planets. Composition and Structure of the Earth Geologists divided the earth into three main zones: hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere. Hydrosphere consists of the bodies of water that covers 71 percent of the earths surface. The largest of these are the oceans, which contain over 97 percent of all water on Earth. Glaciers and polar ice caps contain over 2 percent of earths water in the form of solid ice. Only about 0.6 is under the surface as groundwater. Groundwater is 36 times more plentiful than water found in lakes, inland seas rivers, and in the atmosphere as water vapor. Most of the water in glacier, lakes inland seas, rivers and groundwater is fresh and can be used for drinking and in agriculture. The atmosphere is the great blanket of gases that surrounds the earth. It is arranged in five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and exosphere. Lithosphere refers to all of the earth, from its surface to its center. The earth contains three regions crust, mantle, and core. Crust is the outermost layer of the earth. The crust consists of the continents, and other land areas and the basins or floor of the oceans. It has an average thickness of 25 mile. Mantle is about 800 miles thick of solid silicate rock. Core contains iron and nickel whose outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid. Changes on the Earths Surface Think and Respond How forces inside the earth create and change landforms? Earths surface has been constantly changing ever since the planet was formed. Most of these changes have been taking place slowly over millions of years. These gradual changes resulted in modifications including the formation, erosion, re-formation of mountain ranges, the movement of continents, the creation of super continents and the break-up of smaller continents. There are factors responsible for the changes in the earths surface. These are: Weathering. Weathering is the breakdown of rock at and near the surface of the Earth. Most rocks originally formed in a hot, high pressure environment below the surface where there was little water. Once the rock reached earths surface they were subjected to temperature changes and expand to water. When rocks are subjected to these kinds of conditions, the minerals they contain tend to change. These changes constitute the process of weathering. There are two types of weathering; physical weathering and chemical weathering. Physical weathering includes a decrease in the size of rock materials. Freezing and thawing of water in rock countries for example, splits rocks into small pieces because water expands when it freezes. Chemical weathering involves a chemical change in the composition of rock. Chemical weathering is important to man because it creates the clay minerals that are important component of soil, which is the basis for agriculture. Erosion. Erosion is the process that removes loose and weathered rock and carries it to a new site. Water, wind, and glacial ice combined with the force of gravity can cause erosion. Soil erosion and gullying in the upper Panuco basin, Sierra Madre Oriental, eastern Mexico Think and Explain Why is erosion dangerous? Erosion by running water is the most common process of erosion. When water moves downhill, it can carry loose rocks or soil with it. The force of the running water removes loose particles formed by weathering. In the process, gullies and valleys are lengthened, widened, and deepen. The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is an example of the eroding power of water. Over a million years the Colorado River has cut a canyon that is more than 1 mile deep. The Nile River of Egypt, for example, brings rich soil from the mountains and spreads it along its banks. Because of this, the Nile Valley is one of the most fertile areas in the world. It is the only part of Egypt where crops can grow, a reason why Egypt was known as The Gift of Nile. On the other hand, the Huang Ho or Yellow River in Northern China often overflows its banks and floods farms and homes. Over the years Huang Ho has done so much damage that people call this river Chinas Sorrow. Erosion can also occur as glacier, or large bodies of ice, move across the surface of the earth. As they move, glaciers change the land destroying forests, carving out valleys, altering the course of the rivers and wearing down mountaintops. Wind is an important cause of erosion only in arid or dry regions. Wind carries sand and dirt, which can scour even solid rock. Erosion caused by wind can either help or hurt people. The plains of Northern China for example, have a thick, rich type of soil that is carried by winds blowing from the deserts far to the west. This soil allows farmers in Northern China to raise great amount of wheat and other food crops. Think and Explain How do you account todays flash floods to soil erosion? Many factors determine the rate and kind of erosion that occurs in a certain area. Then climate of a given area determines the distribution, amount, and kind of precipitation that the area receives, thus, the type and rate of weathering. An area with an arid climate erodes differently than the area with a humid climate. The elevation of an area also plays an important role by determining the potential energy of running water. The higher the elevation, the more water will flow due to the force of gravity. Plate Tectonics. Think and Explain How do scientists predict when and where earthquakes may occur?Opposite the leveling is a force responsible for raising mountains, and plateaus and for creating new landmasses. These changes on earth surface occur in the outermost solid portion of Earth, known as lithosphere. The lithosphere consists of the crust and another region known as the upper mantle. Scientists believe that the lithosphere is broken into a series of plates, or segments. According to the theory of plate tectonics, these plates move around on earths surface over long periods of time. These plates move in different ways in relation to each other. They pull apart or move away from each other, they collide or move against each other, or they slide past each other as they move sideways. These shaking movements of the earth called earthquakes explain geological occurrences such as volcanic eruptions, as well as mountain building and the formation of oceans and continents. Yale Peabody Museum/www.peabody.yale.edu/platetectonics/author Earths Physical Features Earths Features The natural features of the earths land surfaces are called landforms. These features are used to describe and help people to locate specific places. Landforms Think and Explain Why is the earth the only planet for man?Landforms are defined as the natural physical features found on the surface of the earth. Landforms are created as a result of the various forces of nature such as wind, water and ice and also by the movement of the earths tectonic plates. Due to these actions, the soil gets eroded and deposited somewhere far from the site of erosion, thus leads to the formation of different landforms. Some landforms are created in a matter of few hours; others take millions of years to appear. A group of landforms in a particular area is called its landscape. Geographers and geologists refer to four major landforms. Large flat mainly grassy areas are the plains. Lands with elevations more than 1,000 feet above the surrounding areas are called mountains. Hills are elevated land masses that are less than 1,000 feet above their surroundings. Plateaus are flat elevated areas perched between 300 to 3,000 feet high. Minor landforms include buttes, canyons, valleys and basins. Think and Respond How do forces inside the earth create and change landforms? These major landforms were formed as a result of tectonic activity, or earthquakes. Other landforms are the result of volcanic eruptions. In fact, mountains that were formed by tectonic activity are called fold mountains, while those formed by volcanic eruptions are called volcanic mountains. Still other landforms resulted from the effects of weathering, erosion and the movement of glaciers. Think and Respond How did bodies of water such as rivers and seas affect societies? Mountains are perhaps the most noticeable of the major landforms and are found on every continent, as well as beneath the ocean. The highest mountain is Mount Everest in the Himalayas at 29,028 feet. The largest mountain, by volume, is Hawaiis Maono Loa. The longest chain of mountains is the Mid Ocean Range. Both Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean and Iceland are member peaks of this range. More than half of the earths surface is covered by plains like the Central Plains of the United States and the plains in Eastern China. Some plains that continue to grow in surface area are the deltas that form by land carried in the current and deposited at the mouths of major rivers. The largest deltas are the Nile River Delta, Mississippi River Delta and Rhone River Delta. Plateaus account for about 30 percent of the earths surface. They are elevations that terminate in flat lands. Some people call them tablelands because of their shape. There are often layers of both hard and soft rock in a plateau. These landforms were caused when the earths crust was forced upward. Types and Characteristic Features of Landforms There are many types of landforms on the earths surface. Each landform is characterized by its slope, elevation, soil and rock type, stratification and orientation. Some of the common types of landforms and their characteristics are the following: Mountains: Mountains are areas, which are higher than the surrounding areas and are characterized by a peak, e.g. The Himalayas. Surprisingly, they are more frequently present in the oceans than in land. A mountain is steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed due the tectonic movement such as an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. A few are resulted due to erosion of the surrounding areas by the action of wind, water or ice. Plateaus: Plateaus are large highland flat areas separated from the surrounding areas by a steep slope, e.g. The Tibetan plateau. Plateaus are formed due to various actions such as collision of the earths tectonic plates, uplift of the earths crust by the action of magma; some are resulted due to the lava flow from the volcanic eruption. Islands: Islands are areas that are completely surrounded by water, e.g. The Hawaiian Islands. Islands are formed either as a result of the volcanic eruption or due to the presence of hot spots on the lithosphere. Plains: Plains are flat areas or low relief areas on the earths surface, e.g. prairies, steppes. Plains are formed due to the sedimentation of the eroded soil from the hills and mountains or due to the flowing lava deposited by the agents of wind, water and ice. Valleys: Valleys are flat areas of land between the hills or mountains, e.g. The California Central Valley. Mostly they are formed by the actions of rivers and glaciers. Depending upon the shape, valley forms are classified as U-shaped or V-shaped valley. V-shaped valleys are formed by flowing water or rivers, whereas U-shaped valleys are formed by glaciers. Deserts: Deserts are very dry lands with little or no rainfall, for example, The Sahara desert. Mostly deserts are formed in rain shadow areas, which are leeward of a mountain range with respect to the wind direction. Thus, the mountains block the passage of wind resulting in little or sometimes no rain. Loess: Loess are deposits of silt and with a little amount of sand and clay. Many a times wind action is responsible for formation of loess; however sometimes glacial activity can also form loess. Rivers: Rivers are natural flowing stream of freshwater, e.g. The Nile. They mostly flow towards lakes or oceans but sometimes they dried up without reaching another water body. River water is collected from the surface water runoffs, groundwater water recharge and sometimes from the water reservoirs such as glaciers. Landforms definitely play an important role in the formation of rivers. Oceans: Oceans are the biggest form of water and are saline, such as The Pacific Ocean. Oceans of the world covers around 71% of the earths surface and control the weather and climate of the earths surface. Think and Explain Are landforms still affecting todays development? Glaciers: Glaciers are huge slow moving body of ice. Glaciers are formed due to the compaction of snow layers and moves with respect to gravity and pressure. Mainly there are two types of glaciers- Alpine glaciers, which are formed in high mountains and Continental glaciers, which are formed in cold Polar Regions. Continents Land surface of the earth was divided into seven landmasses called continents. Land surface of the earth was divided into seven landmasses called continents. A continent is defined as a large unbroken land mass completely surrounded by water, although in some cases continents are (or were in part) connected by land bridges. The seven continents are North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. The islands in the Pacific are often called Oceania. Illus. 1. The seven continents of the world. Europe Geographically, Europe, including the British Isles, is a large western peninsula of the continent of Asia; and many geographers, refer to Europe and Asia, as the Eurasian continent. But traditionally, Europe is counted as a separate continent, with the Ural and the Caucasus mountains forming the line of demarcation between Europe and Asia. Europe is a large peninsula with a long irregular coastline with varied mountains, and islands. The continent of Europe is a relatively small part of the Eurasian landmass, encompassing 3,827,308 square miles. It is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, on the east by Asia, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean. Europes highest point is Mt. Elbrus in Russia, at 18,510 feet above sea level. Its lowest point is the Caspian Sea in Russia, at 90 feet below sea level. The longest river in Europe is the Volga, which runs through Russia for about 2,300 miles. Also in Russia is the continents largest lake, Lake Ladoga, which covers an area of 6,834 square miles. Europe consists of over 40 countries, with approximate total population of 803, 850, 858 in 2009. Its two major English-speaking countries, the United Kingdom and Ireland, are island nations. Germany and France are the two most populous nations of central Europe. Two of Europes southernmost countries, Greece and Italy are Mediterranean Sea peninsulas. Four of the continents northern countries Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden comprise a region known as Scandinavia. Asia Think and Respond What physical features might have been a great help for the Europeans to explore and settle in the Philippines? Asia is the largest of the Earths seven continents, lying almost entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. With outlying islands, it covers an estimated 44,391,000 sq km (17,139,000 sq mi), or about 30 percent of the worlds total land area. Its peoples account for three-fifths of the worlds population; in 2009 Asia had an estimated 4.10 billion inhabitants. Most geographers regard Asia as bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Bering Strait and the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the southwest by the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. On the west, the Ural Mountain serves as boundary between Europe and Asia. Some geographers include Europe and Asia together in a larger Eurasian region, noting that western Asian countries, such as Turkey, merge almost imperceptibly into Europe. The continental mainland stretches from the southern end of the Malay Peninsula to Cape Chelyuskin in Siberia. The lowest and highest points on the Earths surface are in Asia, namely, the shore of the Dead Sea which is 408 m/1,340 ft. below sea level in 1996) and Mount Everest which is which is about 8,850 m/29,035 ft above sea level. Asia is divided into different regional groups namely; Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Central or North Asia. Southwest Asia spans a vast area that encompasses the following countries; Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. South Asia is a large landmass that extends southward from the continent of Asia into the Indian Ocean its nearly 1,591,890 square mile or 2,561,351 sq km occupying about 10 percent of the land area of Asia. This region includes the following countries; Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri-Lanka. East Asia is separated from the rest of the Asian continent by rugged highlands and towering mountain ranges. It comprises the following countries; China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. Southeast Asia covers a land area of about 1.7 million square miles or 4.4 million sq km. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean to the west and south. The following countries are included in the region; Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Central Asia/ North Asia is a region from the Caspian Sea in the west to Central China in the east, and from Southern Russia in the north to Afghanistan in the south. It has a varied geography. The region includes the following countries: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. North America The third-largest continent on Earth is North America. It lies mostly between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer. It is almost completely surrounded by bodies of water, including the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Strait, the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Area: 9,361,791 sq mi (24,247,039 sq km). Population (2008 est.): 528, 720, 588. It is shaped like an inverted triangle .To the southeast are the Appalachian Mountains and to the west are the younger and much taller Cordilleras. These mountains extend the length of the continent and occupy about one-third of the total land area. The Rocky Mountains constitute the eastern Cordillera. The highest point is Mount McKinley. The Mississippi River basin, including its major tributaries, the Missouri and Ohio, occupies more than one-eighth of the continents total area. Generally temperate climatic conditions prevail. South America South America, fourth largest of the Earths seven continents after Asia, Africa, and North America occupying 17,820,900 sq km (6,880,700 sq mi), or 12 percent of the Earths land surface. It lies astride the equator and tropic of Capricorn and is joined by the Isthmus of Panama, on the north, to Central and North America. The continent extends 7,400 km (4,600 mi) from the Caribbean on the north to Cape Horn on the south, and its maximum width, between Ponta do Seixas, on Brazils Atlantic coast, and Punta Parià ±as on Perus Pacific coast, is 5,160 km (3,210 mi). South America has a 2009 estimated population of 394 million, or 6 percent of the worlds people. The continent comprises 12 nations. Ten of the countries are Latin: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Two of the nations are former dependencies: Guyana, of the United Kingdom, and Suriname, of The Netherlands. South America also includes French Guiana, an overseas departm ent of France. The coastline of South America is relatively regular except in the extreme south and southwest, where it is indented by numerous inlet. The Andes Mountain, the second highest mountain range in the world is situated, in South America. The main lowland is the vast Amazon Basin in the equatorial part of the continent; it is drained by the Amazon River, the worlds second longest river. The Orinoco River drains a lowland in the north; to the south lies the Paraguay-Parana basin. The lowest point in South America (40 m/ 131 ft below sea level) is on Peninsula Valdà ©s in eastern Argentina, and the greatest elevation (6,960 m/22,834 ft) is atop Aconcagua in western Argentina, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. Africa Africa is the second largest of the earths seven continents, covering, with adjacent islands, about 30,300,000 sq km (about 11,699,000 sq mi), or about 20% of the worlds total land area. In the mid 2009, some 999 million people, or about 14.72% of the worlds population inhabited Africa. Straddling the equator, Africa stretches about 8000 km (about 4970 mi) from its northernmost point, Cape Blanc (ar-Ras al-Abyad) in Tunisia, to its southernmost tip, Cape Agulhas in South Africa. The maximum width of the continent, measured from the tip of Cape Verde in Senegal, in the West, to Ras Hafun in Somalia, in the East, is about 7560 km (about 4700 mi). The highest point on the continent is the perpetually snowcapped Mt. Kilimanjaro (5895 m/19,340 ft) in Tanzania, and the lowest is Lake Assal (153 m/502 ft below sea level) in Djibouti. Africa has a regular coastline characterized by few indentations. Its total length is only about 30,490 km (about 18,950 mi); the length of its coastline in proportion to its area is less than that of any other continent. Think and Respond Why are the people in the desert usually nomads? The chief islands of Africa include Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pemba, Mauritius, Rà ©union, the Seychelles, and the Comoro islands in the Indian Ocean; Sà £o Tomà ©, Prà ­ncipe, Annobà ³n, and Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea; Saint Helena, Ascension, and the Bijagà ³s islands in the Atlantic; and the Cape Verde, Canary, and Madeira Islands in the North Atlantic. Africa may be divided into three major regions: the Northern Plateau, the Central and Southern Plateau, and the Eastern Highlands. Low-lying coastal strips, with the exception of the Mediterranean coast and the Guinea coast, are generally narrow and rise sharply to the plateau. The outstanding feature of the Northern Plateau is the Sahara, the great desert that occupies more than one-quarter of Africa. At the border of the Northern Plateau are several mountainous regions. To the Northwest lies the Atlas Mountain, a chain of rugged peaks linked by high plateaus, which extend from Morocco into Tunisia. Other prominent uplands are the Futa Jallon, on the Southwest, and the Adamawa Massif and the Cameroon mountain range, on the South. The Lake Chad Basin is situated in the approximate center of the Northern Plateau. The Central and Southern Plateau is considerably higher than the Northern Plateau and includes west central and South Africa. It contains several major depressions, notably the Congo River Basin and the Kalahari Desert. Other feature South of this plateau is the Drakensberg Mountain. The Eastern Highlands, the highest portion of the continent, lie near the east coast, extending from the Red Sea South to the Zambezi River. South of the Ethiopian Plateau are a number of towering volcanic peaks, including Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, and Mt. Elgon. West of the Great Rift Valley is the Ruwenzori Range. Australia/Oceania The continent of Australia/Oceania links together the continental landmass of Australia with the huge number of widely scattered islands across the Pacific Ocean. This continent includes New Guinea, Tasmania, New Zealand, Hawaii, and the countless islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The continent of Australia is such a relatively low and flat place. Although the Great Dividing Range has some interesting areas such as the Blue Mountains area, and there is some nice mountain scenery, the bulk of the continent is simply just not mountainous at all. The highest point on the Australian landmass is Mt. Kosciusko (7310/2228m), a peak with a road to the top. The continent of Australia/Oceania holds a respectable amount of serious mountains situated in the Oceania. In New Zealand and New Guinea are world-class mountain ranges: Puncak Java, which is 5,030 meter, and in New Guinea is the highest summit in this part of the world. There is also the Southern Alps of New Zealand, which is a craggy, snowy range that challenges the best climbers in the world. Many other islands of Oceania hold mountains that are either higher or more interesting that those of mainland Australia; highlights include the ranges of Tasmania, Tahiti, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and the massive shield volcanoes of Hawaii. Antarctica is the fifth largest of Earths seven continents. Antarctica surrounds the South Pole and is a place of extremes. It is the southernmost, coldest, iciest, driest, windiest, most remote, and most recently discovered continent. Nearly the entire landmass lies within the Antarctic Circles. Air temperatures of the high inland regions fall below -80 °C (-110 °F) in winter and rise only to -30 °C (-20 °F) in summer. Massive ice sheets built up from snow over millions of years cover almost all of the continent and float in huge ice shelves on coastal waters. In winter, frozen seawater (sea ice) more than doubles the size of the Antarctic ice cap. Antarcticas vast areas of ice on land and on sea play a major role in Earths climate and could be strongly affected by global warming. The melting of Antarctic ice could dramatically raise global sea level. Antarctica means opposite to the Arctic, Earths northernmost region. Antarctica is completely encircled` by the Southern Ocean. The entire area south of the Antarctic Convergence is referred to as the Antarctic region. The Earth Ensure Changes in the Earths Surface Composition and Structure Origin Atmosphe

How Wilfred Owen Presents the Horror of War in Dulce et Decorum est Ess

How Wilfred Owen Presents the Horror of War in Dulce et Decorum est In the First World War people wanted the young men to go to war, but no-one really knew about conditions of the fighting in the war. Wilfred Owen was one of the people who wanted to tell the public what war was really was like. He tried to do that through his poetry. One of his poems "Dulce et decorum est" shows the horror of war very well. We know that Wilfred Owen really does know what he's talking about as he served through most of the war and died shortly before the armistice. I am going to compare "Dulce et Decorum est" with other poems on the horror of war. "Dulce et Decorum est" is short for the Latin saying "Dulce est Decorum est Pro Patria mori" this means, it is a great and wonderful thing to die for one's country. Wilfred Owen tries to tell us that this is the opposite of what war was actually like. "Bent double like beggars under sacks" is how he describes the soldiers returning from the front line. This is not the patriotic view that the public was given. Wilfred Owen shows the horror of war by telling us that the young men in war were acting like old men who had trouble walking and are tired and weary from life. This isn't the image we should have of the young men that are going to protect the country and that they are the people the paper talked about. The poem describes a gas attack and alerts our senses by telling us the effects of the gas attack on a person that fails to put their gas mask on in time. By telling us things like that it alerts our senses and we imagine that we're choking and that it could be us that are choking and that ... ...et Decorum est" experienced, they experienced the direst horrors of 1914 war, they heard the shells dropping, they saw their friends die; they had to live in the trenches. Modern day war doesn't happen like this so the only people left to witness the horrors after they are dead are the family who have lost a son or a father or a brother. The poem is set out simply. It has two stanzas and has a simple rhyming pattern. I think this gives it a very simple understated mood that you would get when a child speaks to you about their day at school. This gives over the affect that war is only sad for those who understand it. The child who is speaking doesn't really understand the concept of war. I am given this impression because the child speaks of everything else first, and then last mentions the girl whose father died.

Reagan Revolution Through President Obama Essay

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the fortieth president of the United States of America. He was well known for his economic policies during his first term, which later on became well known as Reaganomics. This policy included large tax cuts which was started and implemented in 1981 Reaganomics ‘ was told to rejuvenate the morale of the American people and then let them not be dependent on the government. Supply-side economics is the basis for this economic policy which aimed to stimulate growth of the economy. Identify at least (2) two major historical turning points in the period under discussion. One historical turning point was more than twenty six years ago, Ronald Reagan ordered American troops to invade Grenada and liberate the island from its ruling Marxist dictator. By itself this would have been an insignificant military action: Grenada is a tiny island of little geopolitical significance. But in reality the liberation of Grenada was a historic event, because it signaled the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine and inaugurated a sequence of events that brought down the Soviet empire itself. The Brezhnev Doctrine stated simply that once a country went Communist, it would stay Communist. In other words, the Soviet empire would continue to advance and gain territory, but it would never lose any to the capitalist West. In 1980, when Reagan was elected president, the Brezhnev Doctrine was a frightening reality. Between 1974 and 1980, while the United States wallowed in post-Vietnam angst, 10 countries had fallen into the Soviet orbit: South Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Yemen, Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Grenada and Afghanistan. Never had the Soviets lost an inch of real estate to the West. The liberation of Grenada changed that. For the first time, a Communist country had ceased to be Communist (http://www.historynet.com/american-history) A turning point for President Obama was on May 1, 2011, American soldiers killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden at his compound near Islamabad, Pakistan. Intelligence officials believe bin Laden was responsible for many deadly acts of terrorism, including the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. He had been on the FBI’s â€Å"most wanted† list for more than a decade. This was not only an historical turning point under President Obama this was a turning point for America. Analyze the impact of the two (2) or more major historical turning points selected on America’s current society, economy, politics, and culture. A historical point that impacted our current culture was the bombing of the World Trade Centre September 2001 this was considered to be the gravest attack of international terrorism to be committed against America, and indeed the roots of America’s current War on Terror were born in this. As part of the plot by international terrorists to effectively strike against the United States the plan was to cause great disruption to the dynamics of daily life, commerce, and finance. For some Americans, their grief manifested itself as anger and frustration, and they looked for someone to blame for the attacks. Reverend Jerry Falwell made news by saying on his television program â€Å"The 700 Club† that â€Å"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way–all of them who have tried to secularize America–I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.'† And sadly, some anger erupted into attacks on people of Arab and Muslim descent, with nearly 600 incidents in the first 10 days after the attacks. Five hundred furious people mobbed a Chicago-area mosque and refused to leave until they were forced out by police. A Pakistani grocer was murdered in Texas. A man on an anti-Arab rampage in Arizona fatally shot a gas station owner who was an Indian-born Sikh. (This type of confusion was common since many Sikhs wear turbans, have beards and are seen as looking, as one told The New York Times, â€Å"more like bin Laden than Muslims do.†) FBI Director Robert Mueller said over and over again that â€Å"vigilante attacks and threats against Arab-Americans will not be tolerated,† but harassment and violence at mosques and in Arab-American neighborhoods continued for months. September 11th changed America in so many ways. Culturally we started to target non American’s.(www.history.com) Explain ways in which the AIDS epidemic shook American’s general confidence beginning in the 1980s The disease was first reported in 1981 and it was caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacking certain cells in the body interfering with it ability to fight off many diseases, including cancer. ) And it was absolutely incurable. A diagnosis of AIDS was a death sentence. The outbreak of the AIDS truly shocked the American people in the 80’s. At first the disease appeared to attack mostly homosexual and bisexual men. Soon, though, health officials found it to be affecting IV drug users, blood transfusion recipients, partners of AIDS victims and highest among African American women. Non one was exempt from the AIDS epidemic. Give at least two (2) examples of how the deregulation movement of the Reagan era affects us today. Discuss the factual rationale behind this nation’s decision to go to war with Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 attacks as well as the response from the international community. One factual rationale behind the war emerges: the potential for nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons development in Iraq. In fact, Saddam Hussein had once used chemical weapons on his own people, another act that clearly warranted suspicion from the United States. Such a vicious crime against one’s people brings to light two other common themes for the war with Iraq in 2003: removing the Hussein regime and bringing a known villain and evil man to justice. Saddam Hussein’s rejection of the United Nations Resolution 1441 by forcing nuclear weapons inspectors out of his country also takes its place in the long line of motivations for the war; defying the resolution gives the United States and any other member of the U.N. the right to take action, according to the resolution. Another rationale is reinforced by reports indicating that the United States had made the decision to invade Afghanistan two months before the 9/11 attacks. At least part of the background to this decision was the United States’ long-time support for UNOCAL’s proposed pipeline, which would transport oil and natural gas from the Caspian Sea region to the Indian Ocean through Afghanistan and Pakistan. 15 This project had been stymied through the 1990s because of the civil war that had been going on in Afghanistan since the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. ( Rashid, Taliban 75-79 ) In the mid-1990s, the US government had supported the Taliban with the hope that its military strength would enable it to unify the country and provide a stable government, which could protect the pipeline. By the late 1990s, however, the Clinton administration had given up on the Taliban. When the Bush administration came to power, it decided to give the Taliban one last chance. During a four-day meeting in Berlin in July 2001, representatives of the Bush administration insisted that the Taliban must create a government of â€Å"national unity† by sharing power with factions friendly to the United States. The US representatives reportedly said: â€Å"Either you accept our offer of a carpet of gold, or we bury you under a carpet of bombs.† After the Taliban refused this offer, US officials told a former Pakistani foreign secretary that â€Å"military action against Afghanistan would go ahead . . . before the snows started falling in Afghanistan, by the middle of October at the latest.† And, indeed, given the fact that the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon occurred when they did, the US military was able to mobilize to begin its attack on Afghanistan by October 7. Some may say that this war was a war of necessity while others may say it was a war of choice. In conclusion, from Regan to Obama our country has seen its shares of disasters, economic failures and tragedies. Under both of these 2 term Presidents we have also seem growth and opportunity. Under Regan, the most famous and admired was the introduction Economic Recovery Act of 1981. The purpose of this act was to reduce the burden of income tax on the individuals’ .The introduction of this Act was somewhat contentious as it gave rise to arguments in the congress. Under President Obama, we have health care reform, giving people the right to have affordable health care. Reference Page http://www.historynet.com/american-history Rashid, Taliban 75-79 www.history.com

The Golden Lily Chapter 22

SHOTS RANG OUT across the arena, taking down several more armed Warriors. I realized that Dimitri and Eddie weren't alone – because neither was holding a gun. The shots were coming from the roofs of the compound buildings that surrounded the arena. Chaos broke out as the gathered spectators jumped to their feet to join in the fray. My breath caught as I realized that many of them had their own weapons too. I was shocked to notice that the fallen Warrior on the ground next to me wasn't bleeding. A small dart hung from his shoulder. The sharpshooters' â€Å"bullets† must have been tranquilizers. Who were they? I looked back toward the entrance and saw that a few others with the look of guardians had entered the arena and were fighting with some of the Warriors, including Chris. This provided cover for Dimitri and Eddie to free Sonya. A flash of strawberry blonde hair caught my eye near them, and I recognized Angeline's lithe figure. Dimitri efficiently cut Sonya's straps then helped lift her toward Eddie. A zealous Warrior came at them, and Angeline quickly knocked him out – as though he were a motivational speaker. Beside me, one of the masters shouted, â€Å"Get the Alchemist girl! Hold her hostage! They'll negotiate for her!† The Alchemist girl. Right. That would be me. In the roar of fighting, hardly anyone heard him – save one. The bleach blonde girl had managed to evade being tranquilized. She leapt toward me. My adrenaline kicked in, and I was suddenly no longer afraid. With reflexes I didn't know I had, I reached into my purse and pulled out the so-called â€Å"potpourri.† I ripped it open and flung it out around me, shouting a Latin incantation that translated roughly to â€Å"see no more.† Compared to the scrying spell, this one was astonishingly easy. It required will on my part, certainly, but most of the magic was tied into the physical components and didn't need the hours of concentration that the other one had. The power surged through me almost instantly, filling me with a thrill I hadn't expected. The girl screamed and dropped her gun, clawing at her eyes. Cries of dismay from the masters sitting by me showed they too had been affected. I'd cast a blindness spell, one that would affect those near me for about thirty seconds. Some part of me knew that wielding magic was wrong, but the rest of me felt triumphant at stopping some of these trigger-happy fanatics, if only temporarily. I didn't waste any of that precious time. I jumped up from where I was sitting and ran across the arena, away from the fighting near the entrance. â€Å"Sydney!† I don't know how I managed to hear my name above all that noise. Glancing behind me, I saw Eddie and Angeline carrying Sonya out through the door. They paused, and a pained look crossed Eddie's face as he glanced around, assessing the situation. I could guess his thoughts. He wanted me to come with them. Most of the gathered Warriors had raced to the center of the arena, trying to stop Sonya's rescue. They outmatched me by a long shot, creating a wall between my friends and me. Even if I didn't have to actually fight anyone, it seemed impossible I'd slip by unnoticed – especially since several people were still shouting about â€Å"that Alchemist girl.† Shaking my head adamantly, I motioned for Eddie to go on without me. Indecision warred on his face, and I hoped he wouldn't attempt to break through the throng to get to me. I pointed at the door, again urging him to go. Sonya was the incapacitated one. I would find my own way out. Not waiting to see what he'd do, I turned and continued the way I'd been going. There was a lot of open space for me to cover, but fewer Warriors to stop me. Several buildings ringed the arena, some with doors and windows. I moved toward them, though I had nothing to break the glass. Two of the doors had padlocks. That left two without. The first one I tried turned out to have some unseen lock and wouldn't open. Frantic, I ran to the second and heard a shout behind me. The bleach blonde girl had regained her sight and was coming after me. Desperately, I turned the doorknob. Nothing happened. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out what the Warriors had mistaken for hand sanitizer. I dumped it out, spilling acid over the metal knob. It melted before my eyes. I hoped that would kill the lock. I threw my shoulder into the door, and it gave. Then I dared a peek behind me. My pursuer was lying on the ground, another victim of the tranquilizers. I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed through the door. I'd expected to enter another garage like the one I'd first been taken to, but instead I found myself in some sort of residential building. The empty hallways turned this way and that, and I felt disoriented. Everyone was at the free-for-all in the arena. I passed makeshift bedrooms, filled with cots and partially unpacked suitcases and backpacks. When I noticed what looked like an office, I hesitated in the doorway. Papers covered large foldout tables inside, and I wondered if any contained useful information about the Warriors. I wanted so badly to go in and investigate. These Warriors were a mystery to the Alchemists. Who knew what intel these papers contained? What if there was information that could protect the Moroi? I hesitated for the space of a few heartbeats then reluctantly kept going. The guardians were using tranquilizers, but the Warriors had real guns – guns they wouldn't be afraid to use on me. Better to get out of here with the information I already had than not get out alive. I reached the far side of the building at last and peered out a bedroom window. It was so dark outside now that I could hardly see anything. I didn't have the benefit of torches anymore. The only thing I could tell for sure was that I was no longer adjacent to the arena. That was good enough for me, though it would've been better if there was a door leading outside. I'd have to make my own. Grabbing a chair, I swung it into the window and was completely astonished when the glass broke easily. A few shards hit me, but nothing large enough to cause injury. Standing on the chair, I managed to climb out the window without injuring my hands. I was met by a warm, dark night. No electric lights were visible ahead, just open black land. I took this to mean I was on the opposite side of the compound where Trey had brought me. There were no roads, no sound from the highway we had traveled. There was also no sign of life anywhere, which I took as a good sign. Hopefully all the Warrior guards who normally paroled the grounds were off fighting guardians. If Sonya was out now, my hope was that the guardians would begin retreating – and grab me along the way. Even if they didn't, I wasn't above walking back to I-10 and hitchhiking. The compound was sprawling and confusing, and as I walked around it and still saw no sign of the highway, I began to grow uneasy. How turned around had I gotten? I only had a limited amount of time to get off Warrior property. They could be hunting me right now. There was also the disconcerting problem that once I made it to the periphery, I'd have to deal with the electric fence. Still, it might be best to forget looking for the freeway and simply make for the edge of the Warriors' camp so that I could – A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I screamed. â€Å"Easy there, Sage. I'm no gun-toting crazy guy. Crazy, yes. But not the rest.† I stared in disbelief, not that I could really make out much of the tall, dark figure standing over me. â€Å"Adrian?† The height was right, as was the build. As I stared, I became more and more certain. His hands steadied my shaking. I was so glad to see a friendly face – to see him – that I nearly sank into his arms in relief. â€Å"It is you. How'd you find me?† â€Å"You're the only human out here with a yellow and purple aura,† he said. â€Å"Makes you easy to spot.† â€Å"No, I mean, how'd you find me here? At the compound?† â€Å"I followed the others. They told me not to, but†¦ well.† In the faint moonlight I could barely see his shrug. â€Å"I don't follow directions well. When Castile came out with Sonya and started babbling about how you'd gone out some random door, I thought I'd take a quick walk around. I don't think I was supposed to do that either, but the guardians were kind of busy.† â€Å"You are crazy,† I snapped, despite how happy I was to know I hadn't been abandoned in this miserable place. â€Å"The Warriors are so mad that they'd probably kill a Moroi on sight if they saw you.† He tugged my hand forward. Even through his banter, there'd been a hard tone to his words. He was fully aware of the danger we faced. â€Å"Then we'd better get out of here.† Adrian led me back in the direction I'd come, then went around the opposite side of the building. I didn't see the freeway lights yet, but he soon turned and began running toward the property's far edge, away from the building. I ran alongside him, still holding his hand. â€Å"Where are we going?† I asked. â€Å"The guardians assembled near the back side of the compound, so they wouldn't be spotted. That part of the fence has been deactivated – if you can climb it.† â€Å"Of course I can climb it. I'm practically a prodigy in PE,† I pointed out. â€Å"The question is, can you, Mr. Smoker?† The fence began to come into focus as we approached, mostly because its shape blocked some of the stars. â€Å"That's the section. Behind the scraggly bush,† Adrian said. I couldn't see any bush but trusted in his eyes. â€Å"Go a little ways past that, and there's this country highway that the guardians used as a staging point. I'm parked there.† We came to a halt in front of the fence, both of us a little breathless. I peered upward. â€Å"You're sure it's still off?† â€Å"It was when we came in,† said Adrian, but I could hear a little uncertainty in his voice. â€Å"You think those guys would have gotten their act together enough to fix it already?† â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"But I'd still like to know for sure. I mean, most commercial electric fences won't significantly hurt someone, but we should know.† He glanced around. â€Å"Can we throw a stick at it?† â€Å"Wood doesn't conduct.† I rifled through my purse and found what I wanted: a metal pen with a foam grip. â€Å"Hopefully, the foam on this will block the worst of it if the fence really is hot.† Trying not to grimace, I reached out and touched the pen's barrel to the fence, half-expecting some intense charge to send me flying backward. Nothing happened. I slowly ran the pen along the fence, since most electric ones had an intermittent pulse. Sustained contact would be needed. â€Å"Looks clean,† I said, exhaling in relief and turning to Adrian. â€Å"I guess we're good to – ahh!† A bright light shone in my eyes, blinding me and killing whatever night vision I'd gained out here. I heard Adrian cry out in surprise as well. â€Å"It's the girl!† a male voice exclaimed. â€Å"And†¦ and one of them!† The flashlight was moved out of my face, and although spots still danced in my vision, I could make out two hulking figures rapidly approaching. Were they armed? My mind raced. Whether they were or not, they were still an obvious threat since Warriors apparently liked to practice bashing each other in their free time, and Adrian and I didn't. â€Å"Don't move,† said one of them. A blade shone in the gleam of the lowered flashlight. Not as bad as a gun, but not great either. â€Å"You're both coming with us, back inside.† â€Å"Slowly,† added the other. â€Å"Don't try any tricks.† Unfortunately for them, I still had a few up my sleeve. Quickly I put the pen back in my purse and grabbed another souvenir from Ms. Terwilliger's homework: a thin, round wooden bracelet. Before either Warrior could do anything, I snapped the wooden circle into four pieces and tossed them on the ground, calling out another Latin incantation. Again, I felt the rush of power and its exultation. The men cried out – I'd cast a disorientation spell, one that messed with equilibrium and made vision blurry and surreal. It worked a lot like the blindness spell, affecting those around me. I lunged forward and pushed one of our assailants down. He fell easily, too incapacitated by the spell to resist. The other guy was so distraught that he'd dropped the flashlight and was practically on the ground already as his attempts at balance failed. Nonetheless, I gave him a good kick to the chest to make sure he stayed down and grabbed his flashlight in the process. I didn't necessarily need it with Adrian's night vision, but these two would now be helpless in the dark when the spell wore off. â€Å"Sage! What the hell did you do to me?† Turning, I saw Adrian clinging to the fence, using it to hold himself up. In my eagerness to stop the Warriors, I'd forgotten the spell affected everyone near me. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Sorry? My legs don't work!† â€Å"It's your inner ear, actually. Come on. Grab the fence and climb. One hand in front of the other.† I caught hold as well and urged him up. It wasn't the most difficult fence to climb – it wasn't electrified or barbed – and having it for support negated some of Adrian's disorientation. Nonetheless, it was still slow going as we made it toward the top. This spell lasted a little longer than the blindness one, but I was painfully aware that as soon as Adrian was free from it, the Warriors would be too. Against all odds, we made it to the top of the fence. Getting over to the other side was much more difficult, and I had to do a fair amount of acrobatics to help Adrian make the transition while keeping myself steady. Finally, I wrangled him into the correct position to climb down. â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"Now just reverse what you did before, one hand down in front of the – † Something slipped, either his hand or foot, and Adrian plummeted to the ground. It wasn't that long of a drop, and his height helped a little – not that he was in any shape to actually use his legs and land on his feet. I winced. â€Å"Or you can just take the short way down,† I said. I quickly scaled down after him and helped him stand. Aside from the spell's debilitation, he didn't seem to have suffered any damage. Slipping an arm around him and letting him lean his weight on me, I attempted to run toward the road he'd mentioned, which was now slightly visible. â€Å"Running† was difficult, however. It was hard work keeping Adrian up and I kept stumbling. Still, we made our way slowly from the compound, which was about as much as we could hope for. Adrian's state made him clumsy and heavy, and his height was a real inconvenience. Then, without warning, the spell wore off, and Adrian instantly recovered. His legs strengthened and his unwieldy gait straightened out. Suddenly, it was as though he were carrying me, and we practically tripped over each other trying to adjust. â€Å"You okay?† I asked, letting go. â€Å"I am now. What the hell was that?† â€Å"It's not important. What is important is that those guys have recovered too. Maybe I knocked them down hard enough to slow them down.† That seemed kind of unlikely. â€Å"But run anyway.† We ran, and even if he undoubtedly had the respiratory system of a chain smoker, his long legs made up for it. He could easily outdistance me but slowed so that we stayed together. Whenever he started to get ahead, he'd grab my hand again. Shouts sounded behind us, and I turned off the flashlight to make us harder to spot. â€Å"There,† said Adrian. â€Å"See the cars?† Slowly, out of the darkness, two SUVs materialized, along with a much more conspicuous yellow Mustang. â€Å"Very covert,† I muttered. â€Å"Most of the guardians have gotten away,† said Adrian. â€Å"But not everyone.† Before I could respond, someone grabbed me from behind. In a maneuver that would have made Wolfe proud, I managed the backward kick that he'd tried so hard to teach us. It caught my attacker by surprise, and he released me, only for his companion to shove me to the ground. Three figures ran toward us from the cars and hurled themselves at our attackers. Thanks to his signature duster, I knew Dimitri led the group. â€Å"Get out of here,† he called to Adrian and me. â€Å"You know where to meet. We'll cover you. Drive fast – they'll probably be on the road soon.† Adrian helped me up, and once again we ran together. I'd hurt my ankle in the fall, so I moved slowly, but Adrian helped me along and let me lean on him. All the while, my heart was threatening to pound out of my chest, even when we reached the safety of the Mustang. He guided me to the passenger side. â€Å"Can you get in okay?† â€Å"I'm fine,† I said, sliding in and unwilling to admit the pain was growing. I prayed I hadn't slowed us too much. I couldn't stand the thought of being the one responsible for Adrian's capture. Satisfied, Adrian raced over to the driver's side and started the car. The engine roared to life, and he followed Dimitri's orders to the letter, peeling out at a speed I was envious of. Out on this country highway, however, it seemed unlikely there were any cops. I glanced behind us a few times, but by the time we made it to I-10, it was obvious no one had followed us. I sighed gratefully and leaned my head against the seat, though I was still a long way from being calm. I couldn't assume we were safe yet. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"How on earth did you guys find me?† Adrian didn't answer right away. When he did, I could tell it was with great reluctance. â€Å"Eddie put a tracking device in your purse, back at my place.† â€Å"What? He couldn't have! They searched me.† â€Å"Well, I'm sure it didn't look like one. I don't know what he ended up getting. He got it from your people, actually. As soon as Trey confirmed the meeting tonight, Belikov was on the phone with every guardian in a two-hour radius, trying to recruit backup. He called the Alchemists too and convinced them to share some tech.† There were so many crazy things about what he'd just said, I didn't know where to begin parsing it. All sorts of wheeling and dealing had gone on without me realizing it. And even when it had been settled, no one had told me about it. Plus, the Alchemists had been involved? Helping the guardians to track me? â€Å"The earrings,† I said. â€Å"That's where they came from. The tracker must be in one of them. I never would have guessed.† â€Å"I'm not surprised, knowing the way you guys work.† The rest of tonight's reality began to sink in. The last of my fear subsided – only to be replaced by anger. â€Å"You lied to me! All of you! You should have told me what you were doing – that you were tracking me and planning a raid! How could you keep that from me?† He sighed. â€Å"I didn't want to, believe me. I told them over and over they needed to get you in the loop. But everyone was afraid you'd refuse to take the device if you knew about it. Or that you'd somehow slip up and give away the plan to those nuts. I didn't believe that, though.† â€Å"And yet, you didn't bother telling me yourself,† I snapped, still outraged. â€Å"I couldn't! They made me promise not to.† Somehow, his betrayal hurt worse than all the others. I had come to trust him implicitly. How could he do this to me? â€Å"No one believed I'd be able to talk the Warriors down, so everyone just made contingency plans without me.† Never mind that I hadn't been able to talk them down. â€Å"Someone should have told me. You should have told me.† There was legitimate pain and regret in his voice. â€Å"I'm telling you, I wanted to. But I was trapped. You of all people should know what it's like being caught between groups, Sage. Besides, don't you remember what I said just before you got in the car with Trey?† I did, actually. Almost word for word. No matter what happens, I want you to know that I never doubted what you're going to do. It's smart, and it's brave. I slouched further into my seat and felt like I was on the verge of tears. Adrian was right. I did know what it was like to have your loyalty stretched between different groups. I understood the position he'd been in. It was just, some selfish part of me wished that I'd been the one his loyalty had been strongest to. He tried, an inner voice said. He tried to tell you. The meeting spot that Dimitri had told Adrian to go to turned out to be Clarence's house. The place was crawling with guardians, some of whom were patching up each other's injuries. No one had been killed on either side, something the guardians had been very cautious about. The Warriors of Light already thought vampires were twisted and corrupt. They didn't need more fuel added to the fire. Not that tonight's raid was probably going to help matters. I had no clue how the Warriors would react or if there might be some lethal retaliation in store. I supposed the guardians and Alchemists had taken that into consideration. I wondered bitterly if any of them would share their opinions on it with me. â€Å"I know better than to offer to heal you,† Adrian told me, as we squeezed past a group of guardians. â€Å"Grab a seat in the living room, and I'll get you some ice.† I started to say I could get my own, but my ankle was growing increasingly painful. With a nod, I left him and made my way to the living room. A couple of unknown guardians were there, along with a beaming Clarence. To my surprise, Eddie and Angeline were also in there, sitting side by side – and holding hands? â€Å"Sydney!† he exclaimed. He immediately released Angeline's hand and hurried over to me, astonishing me with a hug. â€Å"Thank God you're okay. I hated having to leave you there. That wasn't part of the plan. I was supposed to have gotten you out with Sonya.† â€Å"Yeah, well, maybe next time, someone can fill me in on the plan,† I said pointedly. Eddie grimaced. â€Å"I'm sorry about that. I really am. We just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know, I know. Didn't think I'd go along with it, were afraid something would go wrong, etc., etc.† â€Å"I'm sorry.† I didn't entirely forgive him, but I was too tired to push the matter much further. â€Å"Just tell me this,† I said, lowering my voice. â€Å"Were you just holding hands with Angeline?† He blushed, which seemed ludicrous after the fierceness I'd seen him pull off back at the compound. â€Å"Er, yeah. We were just†¦ talking. I mean, that is†¦ I think we might go out sometime. Not at school, of course, since everyone thinks we're related. And probably not anything serious. I mean, she's still a little out there, but she's not as bad as I used to think. And she was really great in that battle. I feel like maybe I should get my head out of the fantasy with Jill and try some normal dating. If you'll let me borrow your car.† I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"Far be it for me to stop a budding romance.† Should I tell him Jill might not be such a fantasy after all? I didn't want to meddle. Eddie deserved to be happy, but I couldn't help but feel a little bad that I'd told Jill he might be interested. I hope I hadn't made things more complicated. Adrian returned with a bag of ice. I sat down in an armchair, and he helped position the ice on my ankle after I propped it up on a footstool. I relaxed as the ice began numbing the pain and hoped I hadn't broken anything. â€Å"Isn't this exciting?† Clarence asked me. â€Å"Finally, you were able to see the vampire hunters for yourselves!† I wasn't sure I'd describe the night with that much enthusiasm, but I did have to concede a point to him. â€Å"You were right,† I said. â€Å"I'm sorry for not believing you sooner.† He gave me a kind smile. â€Å"It's all right, my dear. I probably wouldn't have believed a crazy old man either.† I smiled in return and then thought of something from earlier. â€Å"Mr. Donahue†¦ you said when you encountered the hunters before that a human named Marcus Finch intervened on your behalf.† Clarence nodded eagerly. â€Å"Yes, yes. Nice young man, that Marcus. Certainly hope I run into him again someday.† â€Å"Was he an Alchemist?† I asked. Seeing Clarence's puzzled look, I tapped my cheek. â€Å"Did he have a tattoo like mine?† â€Å"Like yours? No, no. It was different. Hard to explain.† I leaned forward. â€Å"But he did have a tattoo on his cheek?† â€Å"Yes. Didn't you see in the picture?† â€Å"What picture?† Clarence's gaze turned inward. â€Å"I could've sworn I showed you some of my old pictures, back when Lee and Tamara were young†¦ ah, such good days those were.† I worked hard to stay patient. Clarence's moments of coherence were sometimes hard to get a hold of. â€Å"And Marcus? You have a picture of him too?† â€Å"Of course. A lovely one of the two of us. I'll find it one day and show you.† I wanted to ask him if he'd show it to me now, but with his place so crowded, it didn't seem like the right time. Dimitri arrived shortly thereafter, along with the last of the guardians who'd been at the compound. Dimitri immediately asked about Sonya, who I'd learned was resting in her bedroom. Adrian had offered to heal her, but Sonya had had enough clarity of mind to refuse him, saying she simply wanted blood and rest and a chance for the drugs to wear off naturally. Once Dimitri got this report and could rest easy about Sonya, he came straight to me, looking down from his lofty height at where I sat with my ice. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. â€Å"I know you must have heard by now what happened.† â€Å"That I was sent into a dangerous situation with only half the information I needed?† I asked. â€Å"Yeah, I heard all about that.† â€Å"I'm not a fan of lies and half truths,† he said. â€Å"I wished there'd been another way. We had so little time, and this just seemed like the best option. No one doubted your ability to reason and make a compelling case. It was the Warriors' ability to listen and see reason that we didn't believe in.† â€Å"I can see why you guys didn't trust me with the plan.† Near me, I saw Adrian flinch at the way I said â€Å"you guys.† I hadn't intentionally meant anything by it but realized now that it sounded very condescending and Alchemist – so Us versus Them. â€Å"But I still can't believe the Alchemists went along with that – that they condoned keeping me out of the loop.† There were no free chairs left, so Dimitri simply sat down cross-legged. â€Å"There's not much I can tell you about that. Like I said, it was all short notice, and when I spoke with Donna Stanton, she felt it would be safer all around if you didn't know what was coming. If it makes you feel better, she was very adamant about us keeping you safe once we were there.† â€Å"Maybe,† I said. â€Å"It'd be better still if she'd thought about how I might feel when I found out I wasn't trusted with vital information.† â€Å"She did think about it,† said Dimitri, looking slightly uncomfortable. â€Å"She said you wouldn't mind because you understand the importance of not questioning your superiors' decisions and that you know what they do is for the best. She said you're an exemplary Alchemist.† Don't question. They know what's best. We can't take any chances. â€Å"Of course she did,† I said. I never question anything.