How the 1947 Truman Doctrine Contained Communism

How the 1947 Truman Doctrine Contained Communism When President Harry S. Truman issued what came to be known as the Truman Doctrine in March 1947, he was outlining the basic foreign policy that the United States would use against the Soviet Union and Communism for the next 44 years. The doctrine, which had both economic and military elements, pledged support for countries attempting to hold back Soviet-style revolutionary Communism. It symbolized the United States post-World War II global leadership role. Countering Communism in Greece Truman formulated the doctrine in response to the Greek Civil War, which itself was an extension of World War II. German troops had occupied Greece since April 1941, but as the war progressed, Communist insurgents known as the National Liberation Front (or EAM/ELAS) challenged Nazi control. In October 1944, with Germany losing the war on both the western and eastern fronts, Nazi troops abandoned Greece. Soviet General Secretary Josef Stalin supported the EAM/LEAM, but he ordered them to stand down and let British troops take over Greek occupation to avoid irritating his British and American wartime allies. World War II had destroyed Greeces economy and infrastructure and created a political vacuum that Communists sought to fill. By late 1946, EAM/ELAM fighters, now backed by Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito (who was no Stalinist puppet), forced war-weary England to commit as many as 40,000 troops to Greece to ensure it did not fall to Communism. Great Britain, however, was also financially strapped from World War II, and on February 21, 1947, it informed the United States that it was no longer able to financially sustain its operations in Greece. If the United States wanted to halt the spread of Communism into Greece, it would have to do so itself. Containment Halting the spread of Communism had, in fact, become the United States basic foreign policy. In 1946, American diplomat George Kennan, who was minister-counselor and chargà © daffaires at the American Embassy in Moscow, suggested that the United States could hold Communism at its 1945 boundaries with what he described as a patient and long-term containment of the Soviet system. While Kennan would later disagree with some elements of American implementation of his theory (such as involvement in Vietnam), containment became the basis of American foreign policy with Communist nations for the next four decades. The Doctrine to Stop Communism On March 12, Truman unveiled the Truman Doctrine in an address to the United States Congress. It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure, Truman said. He asked Congress for $400 million in aid for Greek anti-communist forces, as well as for the defense of Turkey, which the Soviet Union was pressuring to allow joint control of the Dardanelles. In April 1948, Congress passed the Economic Cooperation Act, better known as the Marshall Plan. The plan was the economic arm of the Truman Doctrine. Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall (who had been United States Army chief of staff during the war), the plan offered money to war-torn areas for the rebuilding of cities and their infrastructures. American policy-makers recognized that, without quick rebuilding of war damage, countries across Europe were likely to  turn to Communism.

How to Write a Patent Claim

How to Write a Patent Claim Claims are the parts of a patent which define the boundaries of patent protection. Patent claims are the legal basis for your patent protection. They form a protective boundary line around your patent that lets others know when they are infringing on your rights. The limits of this line are defined by the words and phrasing of your claims. As the claims are key to receiving complete protection for your invention, you may wish to seek professional help to ensure that they are properly drafted. When writing this section you should consider the scope, characteristics, and structure of the claims. Scope Each claim should have only one meaning which can be either broad or narrow, but not both at the same time. In general, a narrow claim specifies more details than a broader claim. Having many claims, where each one is a different scope allows you to have legal title to several aspects of your invention. Here is an example of a broad claim (claim 1) found in a patent for a collapsible tent frame. Claim 8 of the same patent is narrower in scope and focuses on a specific aspect of one element of the invention. Try reading through the claims for this patent and notice how the section begins with broad claims and develops towards claims that are narrower in scope.​ Important Characteristics Three criteria to take note of when drafting your claims are that they should clear, complete, and supported. Every claim must be one sentence, as long or as short a sentence as required to be complete. Be Clear Your claim must be clear so that you do not cause the reader to speculate about the claim. If you find yourself using words such as thin, strong, a major part, such as, when required, then you are probably not being clear enough. These words force the reader to make a subjective judgment, not an objective observation. Be Complete Each claim should be complete so that it covers the inventive feature and enough elements around it to put the invention in the proper context. Be Supported The claims have to be supported by the description. This means that all the characteristics of your invention that form part of the claims must be fully explained in the description. In addition, any terms you use in the claims must be either found in the description or clearly inferred from the description. Structure A claim is a single sentence composed of three parts: the introductory phrase, the body of the claim, and the link that joins the two. The introductory phrase identifies the category of the invention and sometimes the purpose, for example, a machine for waxing paper, or a composition for fertilizing soil. The body of the claim is the specific legal description of the exact invention which is being protected. The linking consists of words and phrases such as: which comprisesincludingconsisting ofconsisting essentially of Note that the linking word or phrase describes how the body of the claim relates to the introductory phrase. The linking words are also important in assessing the scope of the claim as they can be restrictive or permissive in nature. In the following example, A data input device is the introductory phrase, comprising is the linking word, and the rest of the claim is the body. Example of a Patent Claim A data input device comprising: an input surface adapted to be locally exposed to a pressure or pressure force, a sensor means disposed below the input surface for detecting the position of the pressure or pressure force on the input surface and for outputting an output signal representing said position and, an evaluating means for evaluating the output signal of the sensor means. Keep in Mind Just because one of your claims is objected to does not mean that the rest of your claims are invalid. Each claim is evaluated on its own merit. This is why it is important to make claims on all aspects of your invention to ensure that you receive the most protection possible. Here are some tips on writing your claims. Decide which are the essential elements of your invention that you want to claim exclusive rights to. These elements should be the ones that distinguish your invention from known technology.Begin with your broadest claims and then progress to narrower claims.Start claims on a new page (separate from the description) and number each claim using Arabic numbers starting with 1.Precede your claims with a short statement such as I claim:. In some patents, this reads as The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:Check to see that each claim consists of an introduction, linking word, and body. One way of ensuring that specific inventive features are included in several or all claims is to write an initial claim and refer to it in claims of narrower scope. This means that all the features in the first claim are also included in the subsequent claims. As more features are added the claims become narrower in scope.

Personal Profile Analysis with ESTJ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Profile Analysis with ESTJ - Essay Example The study and tests conducted show that the candidate has an eye for logic, truth and facts that help him to shape the ‘real’ world around him. As a person of principles, and their respect for rules, power and prestige; the ESTJs are great for the positions of coaching and instructors. They are also able to seek out like-minded people in groups and organizations which turn into their trait of supervision. They are able to focus and follow guidelines handed down by authority figures and this links to their connection with tradition and family. Traditions that come down through heritage and ancestors (authority figures) are perceived willingly. From the Custom Keirsey Temperament, Mohamed Hashemi’s personality falls under that of the Artisan Promoter (ESTP). The personality types involve skills of excelling in the fields of fine arts, sports, politics, even mechanical and industrial arts. They feel most comfortable with tools and instruments that they can manipulate and alter. The most influential of artisans are those that are Promoters. They are able to put forward any venture, proposal or scheme to perfect strangers. Combined with their charming personality, the person thus has a lasting influence on family and friend around them. The person can be summarized as outgoing, lively and adventurous. The personality that is not only vibrant and skilled but a person who has an eye for facts, logic, detail and also seeks out daring, not so easy tasks that intimidate others. The person has an ongoing search and hunger for challenges, satisfaction, pleasure and stimulation. As opposed to the ESTJs who are governed by a set of principles and rules, the Artisans prefer to be free and unbound by any ties. They are also impatient and live today, for tomorrow may not come. This also tells how they live on the spur of the moment, living, enjoying and feeling life to the fullest. On the whole, the personality is charismatic, social and open-minded. Their outlook on others in life and that of the world around them shows the fun, observant, giving and a sophisticated streak of life in them.

Political and Economical Developments in Asian Systems Essay

Political and Economical Developments in Asian Systems - Essay Example The kind of political system that exists in a nation also influence the kind of legal system that is followed in the country for example in china the judiciary follows orders from the state but in America or India judiciary is an independent body run by its own legal framework. Factors that Determine the Level of Economic Growth: There are several factors which determine the level of economic growth of a nation such as the 1) Investment – Countries such as China and India has seen a robust growth in investment over the past decade. 2) Human capital –India with its large numbers of English speaking crowd attracted outsourcing of back office jobs from western countries.3) Trade Barriers – Asian countries such as India and china which stayed away from market liberalization for a long time opened their gates for liberal trade since past two decades. 4) FDI and FII’s - Foreign direct investment and Foreign institutional investors plays an important role as thes e investment over a period of time results in self generated wealth creation within the country.

Gregor and Meursault heroic Essay Example for Free

Gregor and Meursault heroic Essay The prosecutor who [is] leafing through a file [ask Marie] bluntly when [Meursault and Maries] liaison begun. She [mentions] the date. The prosecutor [remarks] indifferently that it [appears] to be the day after mothers death11. We assume that Meursault experiences many stimulating physical sensations when [Marie comes] back to [his] place12 that day. Many spectators may view Meursault as a person who is indifferent to everything, in actuality, he is very in tune with his physical feelings and has a specific moral code in which he lives by. His physical sensations are the result of his actions. An example is when he kills the Arab; the heat from the sun causes him to pull the trigger of the gun. All I could feel were the cymbals the sun was clashing against my forehand the sea swept ashore a great breath of fire. My whole being went tense and I tightened my grip on the gun. The trigger gave 13 Even though Meursault kills the Arab, he is still a hero because the reader is always made aware of the reason of his choice. He is a man who believes in only telling the complete truth. He does not match his words and feelings to simply meet the expectations of others. Meursault is so far removed from the typical human conditions of life that he has his own system in which he values and abides by. Every humans action becomes justifiable when the person is able to wholly understand them; this is what Meursault is able to do. He sees no reason to pretend that he feels guilty for killing the Arab in court or pretend to grieve for his dead mother, because in his world, he does not need a reason to justify his actions. He is condemned to death merely because the world does not understand him. As a result, we sympathize for him and recognize him as a tragic hero. Although we might assume that Meursault is indifferent to his own death, he accepts it because he knows that in the end, everyone dies. His relentless insistence on telling the absolute truth is the reason that he is condemned to death, and is what he dies representing. He dies as a hero by rebelling against the order of society. Thus in the end, Meursault realizes his victory and states his last wish: For the final consummation and for me to feel less lonely, my last wish was that there should be a crowd of spectators at my execution and that they should greet me with cries of hatred. 14 He hopes that his death would make the people who he lives among angry at him, for rejecting the rules by which they themselves have to obey. Camus integrates his idea of heroism in The Outsider through Meursault, where the hero is a man who is relentless in giving up his way of life to satisfy others even if it means dying for it. The two protagonists, Gregor and Meursault, become heroes through peoples belief that they are indifferent. The perception that they are indifferent is only based on peoples ideas of what is considered acceptable behavior and emotional response towards a certain events. Gregor did not die from indifference to life, but as an act of sacrifice that would allow his family to continue with their lives happily. Both his deaths are essential to revitalize the spirits of the Samsa family, his willingness to place his family ahead of himself makes him a hero. Meursault, on the other hand, is a tragic hero condemned to death because no one understands his values. Peoples acuity on the traits of the protagonists in The Metamorphosis and The Outsiders make them valiant. Jane Kwong English A1 HL June 2003 Word Count: 1487 World Literature Assignment #1: Perceived Indifference of Gregor and Mersault, in The Metamorphosis and The Outsider, makes them heroic. 1 The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition hero 2 The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition indifferent 3 The American Heritage(r) Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition indifferent 4 Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. A Bantam Classic. pg. 17 5 Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. A Bantam Classic. pg. 54 6 Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. A Bantam Classic. pg. 52 7 Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. A Bantam Classic. pg. 54 8 Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka. A Bantam Classic. pg. 58 9 The Outsider, Albert Camus. Penguin. pg. 1 10 The Outsider, Albert Camus. Penguin. pg. 21 11 The Outsider, Albert Camus. Penguin. pg. 90 12 The Outsider, Albert Camus. Penguin. pg. 24 13 The Outsider, Albert Camus. Penguin. pg. 60 14 The Outsider, Albert Camus. Penguin. pg. 117.

Muhammed Ali :: essays research papers

â€Å"Fly like a butterfly, Sting like a bee.† This is what the man did, and what he was good at. Mohammed Ali was the first man to ever win the heavyweight title three times, and had a very impressing boxing career. But Mohammed Ali was not only an impressive boxer, but he brought about social change in his own way as well. First, he has contributed extensively to the Muslim religion, for one by joining it, along with other contributions. Secondly, with his speaking out against the war in Vietnam and refusing the draft, he was the first public figure to speak out against the war and not go to fight. Thirdly, there was his flamboyant and perceived arrogance he was probably the worlds first modern sports star. Mohammed Ali was indeed a great person who brought about significant social change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His contributions to the Muslim religion were indeed significant. First with his joining of the Muslim religion, came more recognition of the religion. Also Ali becoming a practicing Muslim minister helped the religion become more recognized. He also reached out to third world countries as a diplomat in an attempt to bring peace, which is of the spirit Muslim Religion. But most of all his practicing of peace and not joining in the fight against the Vietcong, despite the drawn out legal battle and obvious resistance to this decision, was the greatest demonstration of his devotion to the Muslim religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mohammed Ali received much resistance for his beliefs, and even more resistance for his eventual refusal to be drafted into the army to fight in Vietnam. As soon as this got out he was stripped of his title, and all of his boxing licenses. Along with obvious resentment from the general public came a long drawn out legal battle, but he stuck to his guns, umm in a manner of speaking. During his exile from boxing he spoke against the war at colleges and various other places in order to make money, this made him the first public figure to speak against the war in Vietnam. His conscientious objector claim eventually won his fight against the Supreme Court (not a literal fight of course), and he was again free to fight. Giving him freedom once again to be the crazy superstar boxer he was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As many people already know Ali was a very boastful man, and he was very often capable to back up his boasts.

Catholicism in Quebec and the Quiet Revolution Essay

Montreal is Quebec’s largest city, has always been renowned for its many churches and basilicas, earning it the nickname la ville aux cents clochers. Mark Twain once said â€Å"This is the first time I was ever in a city [Montreal] where you couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window†. Today, it is better known for the diversity of its people and its culture painted streets, such as the Quartier Latin and the booming Quartier des spectacles. The city is home to over a hundred and twenty cultural communities and seventy-five languages; seemingly fitting since well over a quarter of the population was born abroad. In the June 2008 issue of Monocle, a London based magazine, Montreal was dubbed â€Å"Canada’s Culture Capital†. It seems hard to imagine that the Catholic Church had a monopoly over not only Montreal but the entire province of Quebec simply half a century ago. How did a land founded and built on Catholicism become a place renow ned for its cultural diversity? This essay will explore how the Catholic faith’s image developed in Quebec after the Second World War, touching the province’s strong religious foundation, the Church’s control of the education and medical systems, and how the Quiet revolution paved the way for the prosperity of the French language and the multicultural land we have today. Jacques Cartier officially claimed Quebec in the name of the King of France in 1534, bringing the first sign of Christianity by putting up a cross in Gaspà © that is still visible to this day. The farm, family, faith and language were until recently stereotypical symbols for the Quebecois, but gradually became symbols of French settlers instead. However, these hadn’t always been symbols of the colonists; farming and permanent families were not part of the mindset of the early colony. Samuel de Champlain first met with the Algonquin people on his exploration journey in 1603 and the two parties were quick to form an alliance. The French and Algonquin began trading firearms for furs to keep warm throughout the winter but were mainly sent to be sold in France. During the long alliance with the Algonquin people many Jesuits, members of the Society of Jesus, a Christian male religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, sought to evangelize and convert the aboriginal people. This created a bitter divide between the traditional practitioners of Midewiwin and the Catholic converts. Champlain returned in 1608 to create a settlement in what is now Quebec City, however at the time the French were interested in trading, fishing cod fish and later hunting beaver. This lifestyle made it difficult to attract potential colonists, and upon Champlain’s death in 1635 there were only 300 settlers in New France. King Louis XIV began encouraging members of his military to remai n and settle in New France after discharge, and also hiring young laborers to work in the colony then encouraging them to stay as well. The recruitment efforts of the King of France resulted in a 2:1 male to female ratio, thus he supported les filles du roi, a plan where poor women without a dowry migrated to New France to be married and bear children. By 1681, the marriages and families of these women grew the population to 10 000. These 10 000 French settlers would produce most of the francophone population of Canada (Phan, 292). Once King Louis XV signed the Treaty of Paris, handing over the French territories to the English, the French military, upper-class and business elite all returned to France. The abandoned settlers turned to the Roman Catholic Church as the clergy begun opening schools and hospitals. The French colony of Quebec wanted to avoid an American influenced political policy which stood for Protestantism, republicanism and war, as well as severing its ties with France following the Treaty of Paris and the French Revolution’s religious prosecutions. The colony then adapted policies of the Church, associating the land with the Vatican instead. The Church system worked well for the prosperity of the people at the time, but later Pope’s decisions would eventually lead to the downfall of faith in Quebec. The early 19th to mid-20th centuries saw the farm, family, faith and language become the sacramental lifestyle of the Quebecois. At the end of the 19th century in Rome, Pope Leo XIII called for a renewal of ecclesial studies to modernise the Church’s lessons to aid in the application against the challenges of the new world. Reform-minded scholars were thus encouraged to explore and revise the conventional positions of the church and were given much elbowroom until the Pope’s death in 1903. His successor, Pope Pius X, had a much different approach. In 1907 the Pope published Pascendi Dominici Gregis, a letter condemning modernism as the synthesis of all heresies (Jodock, 56). The Vatican began enforcing anti-modernism, which set the stage for what would later be the Quiet revolution. `The period leading up to the 1960s was one through which the province had long been undergoing a process of industrialization and urbanization that had dated back to the latter part of the nineteenth century. Various transformations had been taking place, making it no surprise that the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) was able to dethrone the Union Nationale (UN) as leaders of provincial government. During the 1940s and 1950s, the image most frequently associated with Quebec’s French-Canadian people was that of a church-ridden, agricultural society outside the mainstream of the urban-industrial North American way of life. Although the Catholic Church is credited for the preservation of the French language and culture, the Western world had moved its interest away from the large families and agriculture supported by the Church. This seemingly outdated view of Quebec as a society gave politicians a clear view on what to campaign for. Jean Lesage of the QLP was able to garner over 50% of the popular vote and gain 51 seats to defeat the UN, ending a 16 year run for that party in Quebec. The province was about to come out of the period known as â€Å"la grande noirceur†, due to the scandal and corruption that the Union Nationale leader used to remain in power, and to enter a new era that Quebec still finds itself in at this very moment. The Quebecois expected change and Lesage was to come through for them. As the former provincial government had been supported by the Catholic Church, he had started what seemed to be a secularization process that coincided with the status of religion in Quebec at that time. Between the years 1961 and 1971, religious practice in Montreal fell from 61 percent of the population to 30 percent, and only 14 percent among people aged 16-24. The low number of young Catholics raised many concerns for the Church as to wear they would find future replacements for its aging clergy (Gauvreau). The emergence of lay Quebec organizations that defined nationalism in terms of language and political independence instead of religion also hastened a loss of confidence in the church. Not the least of significant markers in the 1960s was the bishops’ decision to dismantle Catholic Action itself. The entire process resulted in a de-Christianization that most defined carefully as not the decline of private belief, but as the rapid loss of a Catholic public identity. Jean-Paul Desbiens wrote a letter under the name Brother Anonymous criticizing the education system, stating the importance of the involvement and control of the provincial government over such services. The characterization of Quebec citizens as a religious people was outdated and the following period gave birth to a new identity for the Quebecois to latch on to. The Premier began this procedure by having the province take control of education by first establishing the Department of Youth (which became the Ministry of Education in 1964) and provided free education up through high school. Lesage would then go on to make schooling up until the age of 16 mandatory with the belief that educating the youth would lead them to become the successful leaders of tomorrow, replacing the Anglophones who were in control of most of Quebec’s businesses at the time. Continuing the reform, he increased government control over the healthcare system, by implementing a hospital insurance plan in 1961 (a prequel to Quebec’s version of a universal healthcare plan in 1972). These two essential institutions, which had been the responsibility of the Catholic Church ever since the birth of New France, were now primarily in the hands of the provincial government, giving substantiation for the many that now believed Quebec was a secular society. In Conclusion, a land founded and built on Catholicism became a place renowned for its cultural diversity after the anti-modernisation of the Church forced the Quebecois to break free from its monopoly over the province. After exploring how the Catholic faith’s image developed in Quebec, it is made evident that the stereotypical symbols of the 19th century Quebecois had to be shaken in the 20th century in order for them to prosper in the 21st century. Works Cited: Tentler, Leslie W. and Kevin Christiano. The Church Confronts Modernity: Catholicism since 1950 in the United States, Ireland, and Quebec. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America, 2007. Print. 19-90 Jodock, Darrell. Catholicism Contending with Modernity: Roman Catholic Modernism and Anti-modernism in Historical Context. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge UP, 2000. Print. Van, Die Marguerite. Religion and Public Life in Canada: Historical and Comparative Perspectives. Toronto: University of Toronto, 2001. Print. Phan, Peter C. Ethnicity, Nationality and Religious Experience. Lanham, MD: University of America, 1995. Print. Gauvreau, Michael. The churches and social order in nineteeth- and twentieth-century Canada. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2006. Print. Baum, Gregory and Michael Gauvreau. The Catholic Origins of Quebec’s Quiet Revolution, 1931-1970. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005. Print.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 2

Elena couldn't have been out for more than a few seconds. When she came to, everything was the same – although she wondered how she hadn't lethal y cut her own throat on the knife. She knew that the tray with the dishes and cup had gone flying into the darkness in that first instant when she couldn't help flinging out her arms. But now she recognized the grip, she recognized the scent, and she understood the reason for the knife. And she was glad that she did, because she was about as proud of fainting as Sage would have been of doing it. She wasn't a fainter! Now she wil ed herself to sag in Damon's arms, except for where the knife was. To show him that she was no threat. â€Å"Hel o, princess,†a voice like black velvet said into her ear. Elena felt an inner shiver – but not of fear. No, it was more as if her insides were melting. But he didn't change his grasp on her. â€Å"Damon†¦Ã¢â‚¬ she said huskily, â€Å"I'm here to help you. Please let me. For your sake.† As abruptly as it had come, the iron grip was withdrawn from her waist. The knife stopped pressing into her flesh, although the sharp, stinging feeling at her throat was quite enough to remind her that Damon would have it ready. Substitute fangs. There was a click, and suddenly the room was too bright. Slowly, Elena turned to look at Damon. And even now, even when he was pale and rumpled and haggard from not eating, he was so gorgeous that her heart seemed to plummet into darkness. His black hair, fal ing every which way over his forehead; his perfect, carven features; his arrogant, sensual mouth – right now compressed into a brooding line†¦ â€Å"Where is it, Elena?†he asked briefly. Not what. Where. He knew she wasn't stupid, and, of course, he knew the humans in the boardinghouse were hiding the star bal from him deliberately. â€Å"Is that al you have to say to me?†Elena whispered. She saw the helpless softening in his eyes, and he took one step toward her as if he couldn't help himself, but the next instant he looked grim. â€Å"Tel me, and then maybe I'l have more.† â€Å"I†¦see. Wel , then, we made a system, two days ago,†Elena said quietly. â€Å"Everyone draws lots for it. Then the person who gets the paper with the X takes it from the center of the kitchen table and everyone goes to their rooms and stays there until the person with the star bal hides it. I didn't get the lot today, so I don't know where it is. But you can try to – test me.†Elena could feel her body cringing as she said the last words, feeling soft and helpless and easily hurt. Damon reached over and slowly slipped a hand beneath her hair. He could slam her head against a wal , or throw her across the room. He could simply squeeze her neck between knife and hand until her head fel off. Elena knew that he was in the mood to take out his emotions on a human, but she did nothing. Said nothing. Just stood and looked into her eyes. Slowly, Damon bent toward her and brushed his lips – so softly – against hers. Elena's eyes drifted shut. But the next moment Damon winced and slid the hand back out of her hair. That was when Elena gave another thought as to what must have become of the food she had been bringing to him. Near-scalding coffee seemed to have splashed her hand and arm and soaked her jeans on one thigh. The cup and saucer were laying in pieces on the floor. The tray and the cookies had bounced off behind a chair. The plate of steak tartar, however, had miraculously landed on the couch, right side up. There was miscel aneous cutlery everywhere. Elena felt her head and shoulders droop in fear and pain. That was her immediate universe right now – fear and pain. Overwhelming her. She wasn't usual y a crier, but she couldn't help the tears that fil ed her eyes. Damn! Damon thought. It was her. Elena. He'd been so certain an adversary was spying on him, that one of his many enemies had tracked him down and was setting a trap†¦someone who had discovered that he was as weak as a child now. It hadn't even occurred to him that it might be her, until he was holding her soft body with one arm, and smel ing the perfume of her hair as he held an ice-slick blade to her throat with the other. And then he'd snapped on a light and saw what he had already guessed. Unbelievable! He hadn't recognized her. He had been outside in the garden when he'd seen the door to the storage room standing open and had known that there was an intruder. But with his senses degraded as they were he hadn't been able to tel who was inside. No excuses could cover up the facts. He had hurt and terrified Elena. He had hurt her. And instead of apologizing he had tried to force the truth out of her for his own selfish desires. And now, her throat†¦ His eyes were drawn to the thin line of red droplets on Elena's throat where the knife had cut her when she'd jerked in fear before col apsing right onto it. Had she fainted? She could have died right then, in his arms, if he hadn't been fast enough in whipping the knife away. He kept tel ing himself that he wasn't afraid of her. That he was just holding the knife absentmindedly. He wasn't convinced. â€Å"I was outside. You know how we humans can't see?†he said, knowing he sounded indifferent, unrepentant. â€Å"It's like being wrapped in cotton al the time, Elena: We can't see, can't smel , can't hear. My reflexes are like a tortoise's, and I'm starving.† â€Å"Then why don't you try my blood?†Elena asked, sounding unexpectedly calm. â€Å"I can't,†Damon said, trying not to eye the dainty ruby necklace flowing down Elena's slim white throat. â€Å"I already cut myself,†Elena said, and Damon thought, Cut herself? Ye gods, the girl was priceless. As if she'd had a little kitchen accident. â€Å"So we might as wel see what human blood tastes like to you now,†Elena said. â€Å"No.† â€Å"You know that you're going to. I know you know. But we don't have much time. My blood won't flow forever. Oh, Damon – after everything†¦just last week – â€Å" He was looking at her too long, he knew. Not just at the blood. At the glorious golden beauty of her, as if the child of a sunbeam and a moonbeam had entered his room and was harmlessly bathing him in light. With a hiss, narrowing his eyes, Damon took hold of Elena's arms. He expected an automatic recoil like the one when he'd grabbed her from behind. But there was no movement backward. Instead there was something like the leap of an eager flame in those wide malachite eyes. Elena's lips parted involuntarily. He knew it was involuntarily. He'd had many years to study young women's responses. He knew what it meant when her gaze went first to his lips before lifting to his eyes. I can't kiss her again. I can't. It's a human weakness, the way she affects me. She doesn't realize what it is to be so young and so impossibly beautiful. She's going to learn someday. In fact, I might accidental y teach her now. As if she could hear him, Elena shut her eyes. She let her head fal back and suddenly Damon found himself half-supporting her weight. She was surrendering al thought of herself, showing him that despite everything she stil trusted him, stil †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦stil loved him. Damon himself didn't know what he was going to do as he bent toward her. He was starving. It tore at him like a wolf's claws, the hunger. It made him feel dazed and dizzy and out of control. Half a thousand years had left him believing that the only thing that would relieve the starvation was the crimson fountain of a cut artery. Some dark voice that might have come from the Infernal Court itself whispered that he could do what some vampires did, ripping a throat like a werewolf. Warm flesh might ease the starvation of a human. What would he do, so close to Elena's lips, so close to her bleeding throat? Two tears slipped from under the dark lashes and slid a little way down her face before dropping into golden hair. Damon found himself tasting one before he could think. Stil a maiden. Wel , that was to be expected; Stefan was too weak to stand yet. But on top of the cynical thought came an image, and just a few words: a spirit as pure as driven snow. He suddenly knew a different hunger, a different thirst. The only place to ease this need was close by. Desperately, urgently, he sought and found Elena's lips. And then he found himself losing al control. What he needed most was here, and Elena might tremble, but she didn't push him away. This close, he was bathed in an aura as golden as the hair he was touching gently at the ends. He was pleased himself when she shivered in pleasure, and he realized that he could sense her thoughts. She was a strong projector, and his telepathy was the only Power left to him. He had no idea why he stil had it, but he did. And right now he wanted to tune into Elena. The wench! She wasn't thinking at al ! Elena had been offering her throat, truly surrendering herself, abandoning al thought but that she wanted to aid him, that his wishes were hers. And now she was too deeply enmeshed in the kiss to even make plans – which was extraordinary for her. She's in love with you, the tiny part of him that could stil think said. She's never said so! She's in love with Stefan! something visceral answered. She doesn't have to say it. She's showing it. Don't pretend you haven't seen it before! But Stefan – ! Is she thinking about Stefan in the slightest right now? She opened her arms to the wolf-hunger in you. This is no one-day stand, no quick meal, not even a steady donor. This is Elena herself. Then I've taken advantage of her. If she's in love, she can't protect herself. She's stil a child. I have to do something. The kisses had now gotten to the point that even the tiny voice of reason was fading. Elena had lost her ability to stand. He was either going to have to put her down somewhere, or give her a chance to back out. Elena! Elena! Damn it, I know you can hear me. Answer! Damon? – faintly. Oh, Damon, now do you understand – ? Too well, my princess. I Influenced you, so I should know. You†¦? No, you're lying! Why should I lie? For some reason my telepathy is as strong as ever. I still want what I want. But you might want to think a minute, maiden. I don't need to drink your blood. I'm human and right now I'm ravenous. But not for that mess of bloody hamburger you brought me. Elena broke away from him. Damon let her go. â€Å"I think you're lying,†she said, meeting his eyes directly, her mouth kiss-swol en. Damon locked the sight of her inside the boulder ful of secrets he dragged around with him. He gave her his best opaque ebony stare. â€Å"Why should I lie?†he repeated. â€Å"I just thought you deserved a chance to make your own choice. Or have you already decided to abandon little brother while he's out of commission?† Elena's hand flashed up, but then she dropped it. â€Å"You used Influence on me,†she said bitterly. â€Å"I'm not myself. I would never abandon Stefan – especial y when he needs me.† There it was, the essential fire at her core, and the fiery golden truth. Now he could sit and let bitterness gnaw at him, while this pure spirit fol owed her conscience. He was thinking this, already feeling the loss of her dazzling light receding when he realized he no longer had the knife. An instant later, horror just catching up with his hand, he was snatching it from her throat. His telepathic blast was entirely reflexive: What in Hell are you doing? Killing yourself because of what I said? This blade is like a razor! Elena faltered. â€Å"I was just making a nick – â€Å" â€Å"You almost made a nick that spurted six feet high!†At least he was able to speak again, despite the constriction of his throat. Elena was back on stable ground too. â€Å"I told you I knew you knew you'd have to try blood before you'l try to eat. It feels as if it's flowing down my neck again. This time, let's not waste it.† She was only tel ing the truth. At least she hadn't seriously hurt herself. He could see that fresh blood was flowing from the new cut she'd so recklessly made. To waste it would be idiotic. Utterly dispassionate now, Damon took her again by the shoulders. He tilted up her chin to look at her soft, rounded throat. Several new ruby cuts were flowing freely. Half a mil ennium of instinct told Damon that just there was nectar and ambrosia. Just there was sustenance and rest and euphoria. Just here where his lips were as he bent to her a second time†¦and he had only to taste it – to drink†¦ Damon reared back, trying to force himself to swal ow, determined not to spit. It wasn't†¦it wasn't utterly revolting. He could see how humans, with their degraded senses, could make use of the animal varieties. But this coagulating, mineral-tasting stuff wasn't blood†¦ it had none of the perfumed bouquet, the heady richness, the sweet, velvety, provocative, life-giving, ineffable attributes of blood. It was like some sort of bad joke. He was tempted to bite Elena, just to skim a canine over the common carotid, making a tiny scratch, so he could taste the little burst that would explode onto his palate, to compare, to make sure that the real stuff wasn't in there somehow. In fact he was more than tempted; he was doing it. But no blood was coming. His mind paused in midthought. He'd made a scratch al right a scratch like a scuff. It hadn't even broken the outer layer of Elena's skin. Blunt teeth. Damon found himself pressing on a canine with his tongue, wil ing it to extend, wil ing it with al his cramped and frustrated soul to sharpen. And†¦nothing. Nothing. But then, he'd spent al day doing the same thing. Miserably, he let Elena's head turn back. â€Å"That's it?†she said shakily. She was trying so hard to be brave with him! Poor doomed white soul with her demon lover. â€Å"Damon, you can try again,†she told him. â€Å"You can bite harder.† â€Å"It's no good,†he snapped. â€Å"You're useless – â€Å" Elena almost slid to the floor. He kept her upright while snarling in her ear, â€Å"You know what I meant by that. Or would you prefer to be my dinner rather than my princess?† Elena simply shook her head mutely. She rested in the circle of his arms, her head against his shoulder. Little wonder that she needed rest after al he'd put her through. But as for how she found his shoulder a comfort†¦wel , that was beyond him. Sage! Damon sent the furious thought out on al the frequencies he could access, just as he had been doing al day. If only he could find Sage, al his problems would be solved. Sage, he demanded, where are you? No answer. For al Damon knew, Sage had managed to operate the Gateway to the Dark Dimension that was even now standing, powerless and useless, in Mrs. Flowers's garden. Stranding Damon here. Sage was always that blindingly fast when he took off. And why had he taken off? Imperial Summons? Sometimes Sage got them. From the Fal en One, who lived in the Infernal Court, at the lowest of the Dark Dimensions. And when Sage did get them, he was expected to be in that dimension instantly, in mid-word, in mid-caress, in mid – whatever. So far Sage had always made the deadline, Damon knew that. He knew it because Sage was stil alive. On the afternoon of Damon's catastrophic bouquet investigation Sage had left on the mantel a polite note thanking Mrs. Flowers for her hospitality, and even leaving his gigantic dog, Saber, and his falcon, Talon, for the protection of the household – a note doubtlessly pre-prepared. He had gone the way he always did, as unpredictably as the wind, and without saying good-bye. Undoubtedly he'd thought that Damon would find his way out of the problem easily. There were a number of vampires in Fel ‘s Church. There always were. The ley lines of sheer Power in the ground drew them even in normal times. The problem was that just now al those vampires were infested with malach – parasites control ed by the evil fox-spirits. They couldn't be lower in the vampire hierarchy. And of course Stefan was a complete nonstarter. Even if he hadn't been so weak that trying to change Damon into a vampire would have kil ed him; even if his anger over Damon's â€Å"stealing his humanity†could be assuaged, he would simply never have agreed, out of his feeling that vampirism was a curse. Humans never knew about things like the vampire hierarchy because the subjects didn't concern them – until suddenly, they did, usual y because they had just been changed into a vampire themselves. The hierarchy of vampires was strict, from the useless and ignoble to the fanged aristocracy. Old Ones fit in that category, but so did others who were particularly il ustrious or powerful. What Damon wanted was to be made a vampire by the kind of women Sage knew, and he was determined to have Sage find him a vampire lady of quality, one who was real y worthy of him. Other things tormented Damon, who had spent two entire sleepless days pondering them. Was it possible that the white kitsune who had given Stefan the bouquet had engineered a rose that turned the first person to smel it permanently human? That would have been Stefan's greatest dream. The white fox had listened to days upon days of Stefan's ramblings, hadn't he? He'd seen Elena weeping over Stefan. He'd seen the two lovebirds together, Elena hand-feeding a dying Stefan her blood through razor wire. Fortune only knew what ideas that fox had gotten into his furry white head when he'd prepared the rose that had â€Å"cured†Damon of his â€Å"curse.†If it turned out to be an irreversible â€Å"cure†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ If Sage turned out to be unreachable†¦ It suddenly broke into Damon's thoughts that Elena was cold. It was strange, since the night was warm, but she was shivering violently. She needed his jacket or†¦ She's not cold, the smal voice somewhere deep inside him said. And she's not shivering. She's trembling because of al you've put her through. Elena? You forgot all about me. You were holding me, but you completely forgot my existence†¦ If only, he thought bitterly. You're branded on my soul. Damon was suddenly furious, but it was different from his anger at kitsune and Sage and the world. It was the kind of anger that made his throat close and his chest feel too tight. It was an anger that made him pick up Elena's scalded hand, which was rapidly turning scarlet in patches, and examine it. He knew what he would have done as a vampire: stroked over the burns with a silky cool tongue, generating chemicals to accelerate the healing. And now†¦there was nothing he could do about it. â€Å"It doesn't hurt,†Elena said. She was able to stand now. â€Å"You're lying, princess,†he said. â€Å"The insides of your eyebrows are up. That's pain. And your pulse is jumping – â€Å" â€Å"You can sense that without touching me?† â€Å"I can see it, at your temples. Vampires,†with vicious emphasis on what he stil was, in essence, â€Å"notice things like that. I made you hurt yourself. And I can't do anything to help. Also† – he shrugged – â€Å"you're a beautiful liar. About the star bal , I mean.† â€Å"You can always sense when I'm lying?† â€Å"Angel,†he said wearily, â€Å"it's easy. You are either the lucky holder of the star bal today†¦or you know who is.† Again, Elena's head drooped in consternation. â€Å"Or else,†Damon said lightly, â€Å"the entire story of the drawing of the lots was a lie.† â€Å"Think what you like,†Elena said, with at least some of her usual fire. â€Å"And you can clean up this mess, too.† Just as she turned to leave, Damon had a revelation. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!†he exclaimed. â€Å"Wrong,†Elena snapped. Elena, I wasn't talking about the star ball. I give you my word on this. You know how hard it is to lie telepathically – Yes, and I know that therefore, if there's one thing in the world you'd†¦practice†¦at†¦ She couldn't finish. She couldn't make the speech. Elena knew how much Damon's word meant to him. I'll never tell you where it is, she sent telepathical y to Damon. And I swear to you that Mrs. Flowers won't either. â€Å"I believe you, but we're stil going to see her.† He picked Elena up easily and stepped over the smashed cup and saucer. Elena automatical y grabbed his neck with both hands to balance herself. â€Å"Darling, what are you doing – ?†Elena cried, then stopped, wide-eyed, two scalded fingers flying to her lips. Standing in the doorway, not two yards away from them, was petite Bonnie McCul ough, a bottle of Black Magic wine, nonalcoholic but mystical y exhilarating, held high in her hand. But as Elena watched, Bonnie's expression changed al in an instant. It had been triumphant joy. But now it was shock. It was disbelief that couldn't hold. Elena knew exactly what she was thinking. The whole house had devoted itself to making Damon comfortable – while Damon stole what rightful y belonged to Stefan: Elena. Plus he'd lied about not being a vampire anymore. And Elena wasn't even fighting him off. She was cal ing him â€Å"darling†! Bonnie dropped the bottle and turned, running.

The First Page

The First Page The First Page The First Page By Maeve Maddox One of the sessions at a writers conference I attended was set up like an episode of American Idol. Three New York agents played the part of the judges. Instead of performers, typed sheets of paper were the objects of their attention and wounding remarks. Conference participants submitted the first three pages of the novels they were working on. The agents said they would be able to tell from the first three pages whether or not the manuscript was worth reading further. In practice, none of the agents got past the first page of any 3-page submission. Some they read to the bottom of the first page, but then they started rejecting them before they got that far. Starts with dialogue. Toss. Starts with weather. Toss Theyre in an elevator! Toss Starts with a prologue! Toss. Then there was the submission that got tossed because the title had a misspelled word in it. If this writer cant bother to spell cemetery correctlyin the title, no lesswhy should I go any further with the rest of the manuscript?! Crumple, toss. That little demonstration makes me think that a writer must hook the reader with the first paragraph. Possibly even with the first sentence. Yes, there are plenty of successful novels that begin with prologues or weather, or dialogue. Theres probably at least one that begins in an elevator. Thats not the point. Agents have so many manuscripts coming at them that they develop reading habits to enable them to get through the slush at top speed. Anythinga misspelled word, faint type from a failing ink cartridge, an opening device the agent feels a personal dislike forcan send a manuscript plummeting into the waste basket. Agents want what readers want. Readers want a first paragraph that draws them into a world that already exists, not one that will be created as they go along. They want to find themselves in the midst of people who are involved in the life of that world, people they immediately want to know more about. Here are some opening lines from some novels chosen at random from my shelves. Would you want to read further? If so, why? (Diary format) 12th Day of September. I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say. -Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman. Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I cant be sure. -The Stranger, Albert Camus. When the power went I was finishing a ten-page report. My office turned black; the computer groaned to a halt. Helpless, I watched my words fade to a ghostly outline that glowed on the screen before vanishing, like the mocking grin of a Cheshire cat. -Tunnel Vision, Sara Paretsky. The small boys came early to the hanging. -Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett. Renowned curator Jacques Saunià ¨re staggered through the vaulted archway of the museums Grand Gallery. -The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown. The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit. -Uglies, Scott Westerfeld. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph Examples40 Fish IdiomsList of Prefixes and Suffixes and their Meanings

How to Build and Create Links in PHP

How to Build and Create Links in PHP Websites are filled with links. Youre probably already aware of how to create a link in HTML. If youve added PHP to your web server to be able to enhance your sites capabilities, you may be surprised to learn that you create a link in PHP the same as you do in  HTML. You have a few options, though. Depending on where in your file the link is, you might present the link HTML in a slightly different way. You can switch back and forth between PHP and HTML in the same document, and you can use the same software- any plain text editor will do- to write PHP as to write HTML. How to Add Links to PHP Documents If you are making a link in a PHP document  that is outside of the PHP brackets, you just use HTML as usual. Here is an example: a hrefhttps://twitter.com/angela_bradleyMy Twitter/a ?php - My PHP Code ? If the link needs to be inside  the PHP, you have two options. One option is to end the PHP, enter the link in HTML, and then reopen PHP. Here is an example: ?php - My PHP Code ? a hrefhttps://twitter.com/angela_bradleyMy Twitter/a ?php - My PHP Code ? The other option is to print or echo the HTML code inside  the PHP. Here is an example: ?php Echo a hrefhttps://twitter.com/angela_bradleyMy Twitter/a ? Another thing you  can do is create a link from a variable. Lets say that the variable $url holds the URL for a website that someone has submitted or that you have pulled from a database. You can use the variable in your HTML. a hrefhttps://twitter.com/angela_bradleyMy Twitter/a ?php Echo a href$url$site_title/a ? For Beginning PHP Programmers If you are new to PHP, remember you begin and end a section of PHP code using ?php and ? respectively. This code lets the server know that what is included is PHP code. Try a  PHP beginners tutorial to get your feet wet in the programming language. Before long, youll be using PHP to set up a member login, redirect a visitor to another page, add a survey to your website, create a calendar, and add other interactive features to your webpages.

The 3 women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Term Paper

The 3 women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Term Paper Example Due to social and economic conditions, their equation was drastically imbalanced, and Sir Gawain entered to fill in the vacuum, through this literary masterpiece. He was a strong supporter of feudal hierarchies and opposed the progressive changes vehemently. The women can build or break the society. This story is no exception to that premises. Any philosophical/spiritual text deals with the pair of opposites. In this poem the contending forces, the opposing forces, the forces that do not see eye to eye with each other are Virgin Mary on the one side and Bertilak’s wife on the other side. The former is the prototype of noble qualities like obedience, chastity, and spiritual life. The latter is for disobedience, courtly love, lust and decay and death of human values. According to the Gawain poet, the ascendancy of chivalry over religious values does not augur well for the well-being of the society. The society when it adopts such values will head for destruction. Traditional religious values must get the first honor. Feudal system gives solid support to this aspect. The poem has a strong ideological base, though it reads like the romantic celebration of chivalry. Not all agree with this viewpoint. William Goldhurst (1958) writes, â€Å"As I see it, the major theme of Gawain and the Green Knight is the idea that the primitive and sometimes brutal forces of nature make known their demands to all men, even to those who would take shelter behind the civilized comforts of court life.†(p.61)To understand this properly, one has to grasp the religious values of Christianity prevailing in the fourteenth century. Chivalry of Gawain needs to be evaluated from that context. Christian religious values vs. chivalry, as per the accepted values then, did not see eye to eye with each other. The agreement between them on any issue was rare. Strong differences persisted as for the worth of human bravery as compared to love of God. As