Random Science Facts and Trivia

Everyone knows a few fun random facts they can pull out as a party trick or a conversation icebreaker. Here are a few more to add to your collection. Although some of these facts are strange and obscure, they are 100% verified, so rest assured that youll be sharing solid information at that party. Rotation of Earth Did you know that the Earth rotates a full 360 degrees in 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds, not 24 hours? Cataracts Sometimes the crystalline lenses of elderly people become milky and cloudy. This is called a cataract, and it causes partial or complete loss of vision. Berry Interesting Did you know that pineapples, oranges, and tomatoes are actually berries? Pure Gold Pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with your bare hands. Real Life Dragons The Komodo dragon is a renowned giant, with the average male measuring around 8 feet long; some exceptional individuals reach 10 feet long. It is the heaviest lizard of all, with an average weight of 130 pounds and some reaching nearly 180 pounds. Thats So Nuclear The word nuclear is related to the nucleus of an atom. It is often used to describe the energy produced when a nucleus is split (fission) or joined with another (fusion). Hes Lost It Did you know that a cockroach can live for nine days without its head  before it starves to death? He Said No Did you know that the physicist Albert Einstein refused the job of president of Israel? Einstein was asked to be the president when the Israeli president died in 1952. Old Guys The earliest cockroach fossil  is about 280 million years old, 80 million years older than the first dinosaurs. Newts Are Neat Newts are members of the salamander family. They are found in North America, Europe, and Asia. A Little Lithium in Your 7UP? The original formula for 7UP contained lithium citrate, a chemical used today as a treatment for bipolar disorders. The ingredient was removed by 1950. How Many Lightbulbs... The tungsten filament inside an incandescent light bulb reaches a temperature of 4,664 degrees when turned on. Blue as Turquoise Traces of copper  are what give turquoise its distinctive blue color. Brainless Starfish, like many radially symmetric animals, do not have brains.

Wedding Crashers - 769 Words

Wedding Crashers Wedding Crashers was the return of the R rated adult comedy movie, it was the sixth biggest grosser in 2005, it is a sex comedy about two men who crash weddings to meet single woman and deceive them to get them into bed. I believe the movie Wedding Crashers is against feminism. The two male characters treat women like sex objects to gain their need for sexual satisfaction. The movie stereotypes women to make them seem like sex objects, disregarding their personality and intelligence. I think the target audiences are men who are in their late 20s and early 30s that are successful and enjoy humorous adult comedy. The movie revolves around the two main characters, John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey. John and Jeremy are†¦show more content†¦He usually wants to be uncommitted to relationships and have no strings attached sex. This is what John and Jeremy are doing by crashing these weddings. They do not want to get out of the phase they were in as adolescence, because they do not want to grow up. Chazz Reingold is the man who passed on all the rules to being a wedding crasher to John and Jeremy. He is a middle-aged man and still lives with his mother at her house. He rarely crashes weddings anymore because he has found an unlikely success in meeting girls by crashing funerals. He says grief is nature s most powerful aphrodisiac, therefore implying he is using the vulnerability of women at funerals to gain his sexual desires. He is taking advantage of women who are not in the right state of mind, which is very low in standards because again he is treating them as an ordinary object disregarding their feelings and intellect. Claire s boyfriend Bradley is the testosterone-fueled person who assaults people but is always dismissed as harmless. He also is a cheating rat who treats Claire with great disrespect. When Bradley is in the bathroom throwing up and Claire asks him if he s ok he responds in a rude sarcastic way saying well Claire my head is bu ried in a toilet, what do you think? Why don t you do the math ok? He is talking to her with no regard towards her emotions and her feelings. He talks to her in a loudShow MoreRelatedWedding Crashers By David Dobkin950 Words   |  4 Pagesromantic comedy films then Wedding Crashers might just be the film for you! Wedding Crashers is a popular film from 2005 directed by David Dobkin. The top stars in Wedding Crashers include Owen Wilson as John Beckwith, Vince Vaughn as Jeremy Grey, and Rachel McAdams as Claire. The movie begins as the main characters (John and Vince) who are divorce mediators in Washington D.C. go to crash a wedding held for the U.S. Secretary of Treasury’s daughter. While at the wedding Jeremey ends up finding anotherRead MoreBook Review : Midnight Magic By Woody Allen1104 Words   |  5 Pagesmovies such as: The Wedding Crashers, The Internship, Hall Pass, Meet the Parents and many more. Owen Wilson was nominated for a Golden Globe for the Best Performa nce by an Actor in a Motion Picture for his performance in Midnight in Paris (â€Å"awards†). Wilson has won an abundant amount of other awards for his performances in other movies such as Best On-Screen team with Vince Vaughn in The Wedding Crashers and Comedy duo of the year also with Vince Vaughn for The Wedding Crashers. In addition to OwenRead MoreThe Wedding Crashers Movie Analysis Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe Wedding Crasher Analysis In the 2005 film The Wedding Crashers directed David Dobkin show many normal gender stereotypes and gender inequalities that are still present in today’s society. The film mainly focuses on two divorce mediators Jeremy and John, who enjoy sneaking into wedding parties in order to get drunk off free booze and seduce bridesmaids. Certainly, the film exposes the bromance relationship that Jeremy and John have, which opposes the hegemonic masculinity that society is accustomedRead MoreMidnight in Paris2167 Words   |  9 PagesToday’s Claudia Puig doesn’t applaud Wilson’s performance as I do. She refers to his work to less than convincing of a novelist with a passion for Fitzgerald or Hemingway like he does in the film. Puig argues that unlike his comedy films like Wedding Crashers or Zoolander, Wilson does a mediocre job on the film. Based on the film, Wilson is able to keep the audience thinking and believe that he is a dedicated and talented writer. Pete Hammond of Box Office Magazine, declares Allen’s romantic comedyRead MoreMovie Review : My Opinion1763 Words   |  8 PagesThe movie I decided to watch is called Wedding Crashers. The movie in my opinion is a great movie when you look at it from a sociological standpoint. The two main characters in the movie are John and Jeremy; they’re â€Å"wedding crashers.† What they do is go to different weddings of people they have never even met and try and sleep with the bride maids. They use aliases so no one can notice them and they have a whole back story which is completely fake. They act like they’re part of the family by studyingRead MoreEssay on Motion Picture Industry Managerial Report1230 Words   |  5 Pagesextreme values. Once a box-plot is created, one can see the extreme values are 108.44 (Star Wars: Episode III), 102.69 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), 77.06 (War of the Worlds), 50.34 (Mr. and Mrs. Smith), 48.75 (Batman Begins), and 33.90 (Wedding Crashers). Total Gross will demonstrate how much money a movie has earned overall. This can serve as an indicator of which types of movies will resonate with movie-goers and do well in the future. This could also serve as a guide of whetherRead MoreWhat Is Love Essay796 Words   |  4 Pagessome type of void that you’re missing in your life. Heavenly Love on the other hand is that can’t eat, can’t sleep, heartache when you leave feeling that is truly undeniable. My favorite quote that defines this type of love is from the movie Wedding Crashers, â€Å"True love is your souls recognition of its counterpoint in another.† Each speaker looks at love in a mysterious and powerful way but with their own twist of ideas added to it. Love is Eros. Love is desire, essence, wholeness, beauty, andRead MoreThe Head Or The Heart : Lincoln And Thoreau1373 Words   |  6 Pagesgenerally not an issue if only a small number of people act as â€Å"free riders.† However, by urging all his readers to disobey the laws, Thoreau could have created a catastrophic problem in his society. Consider a wedding crasher. Not much damage is done by stealing a single slice of wedding cake, but if forty people decide to do the same, there won’t be enough cake left for the rightful guests. Government and laws are necessary because they act as benevolent authority, encouraging people to work togetherRead MoreWestern Asian Women : The Dragon Lady 1001 Words   |  5 Pagesup getting up imposed on their people as well. East Asian women are seen as decorative and fragile, much like a decorative vase – an item on e can collect. Sadly, East Asian women are also perceived as trophies for collection. In one scene in Wedding Crashers, Vince Vaughn said, â€Å"This is my first Asian!†15 It shows that the fact East Asian women are seen as objects is still very much alive on a daily basis. Personally, I have been on sites and apps to meet new people, and I have always received messagesRead MoreList Of Top 10 Overlooked Music Moments Of The Years1271 Words   |  6 Pagesexpressive introduction of the Portlanders artistry. With versatile flows and dense lyrics wrapped into playful beats, Amine flaunts his creativity on each track.   Theres definitely some Nelly and Outcast inspiration in his music. In tracks like Wedding Crashers, STFU, and Veggies he turns his personal situations into witty punchlines that are so light that theyre comical. Amine is of the few rappers that actually embraces the BlackBoyJoy movement and expresses that in this album. Its a shame that

How Electoral Votes Are Awarded - A Complicated Process

There are 538 electoral votes up for grabs in every presidential election, but the process of determining how  electoral votes are awarded is one of the most complicated and widely misunderstood facets of  American presidential elections. Heres the thing you should know: The U.S. Constitution created the Electoral College, but the Founding Fathers had fairly little to say about how electoral votes are awarded  by each of the states. Here are some common questions and answers about how states allocate electoral votes in presidential contests. How Many Electoral Votes Are Needed to Win an Election There are 538 electors in the Electoral College. To become president, a candidate must win a simple majority of the electors, or 270, in the general election. Electors are important people in each major political party who are chosen by voters to represent them in the selection of a president. Voters dont actually vote directly for the president; they choose electors to vote on their behalf. States are allotted a number of electors based on their population and number of congressional districts. The larger a states population, the more electors it is allocated. For example, California is the most populous state with about 38 million residents. It also holds the most electors at 55. Wyoming, on the other hand, is the least populous state with fewer than 600,000 residents. As such, it holds only three electors. How Electoral Votes Are Distributed States determine on their own how to distribute the electoral votes that have been allocated to them. Most states award all of their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in the state. This method of awarding electoral votes is commonly known as winner-take-all. So even if a presidential candidate wins 51 percent of the popular vote in a winner-take-all state, he is awarded 100 percent of the electoral votes. Exceptions to Electoral Vote Distribution   48 of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., award all of their electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote there. Only two states award their electoral votes in a different manner. They are Nebraska and Maine. These states allocate their electoral votes by congressional district. In other words, instead of distributing all of its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote, Nebraska and Maine awards an electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district. The winner of the statewide vote gets two additional electoral votes. This method is called the Congressional District Method; Maine has used it since 1972 and Nebraska has used it since 1996. The Constitution and Vote Distribution While the U.S. Constitution requires states to appoint electors, the document is silent on how they actually award votes in presidential elections. There have been numerous proposals to circumvent the winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes. The Constitution leaves the matter of electoral-vote distribution up to the states, stating only that: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress. The key phrase pertaining to the distribution of electoral votes is obvious: ... in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the states role in awarding electoral votes is supreme. Electors and Delegates Electors are not the same as delegates. Electors are part of the mechanism that chooses a president. Delegates, on the other hand, distributed by the parties during the primaries and serve to nominate candidates to run in the general election.   Delegates are people who attend political conventions to choose the party nominees. Controversy Over Electoral Vote Distribution Former Vice President Al Gore has expressed concern about the way most states award electoral votes. He and a growing number of Americans support the National Popular Vote initiative. States that enter the compact agree to award their electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Electoral College Ties The 1800 election  exposed a major flaw in the countrys new constitution. At the time, presidents and vice presidents did not run separately; the highest vote-getter became president, and the second-highest vote-getter was elected vice president. The first Electoral College tie was between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, his running mate in the election. Both men won 73 electoral votes. Electoral College Alternatives There are other ways, yes, but they are untested. So its unclear whether theyd work better than the Electoral College. One of them is called the National Popular vote plan; under it, states would  cast all of their electoral votes for the presidential candidate winning the nationwide popular vote.  The Electoral College would no longer be necessary.

Essay about Overpopulation in the United States - 1949 Words

Overpopulation in the United States The world is being over populated with humans not only in China but in the United States of America as well. The problem isn’t as obvious in the United States as in other countries, but I believe over-populated nations will soon become a problem everywhere in the world. Population is not a bad thing in all situations, but I think that our population growth problem is un-healthy and needs to slow down. I believe there are several ways to come about this problem as well. Population can be slowed down in many ways; it’s just how we choose to execute this problem. I do not think drastic measurements need to take place in order to slow down our rapid growth in the United States. Regulations and higher†¦show more content†¦The government went into even more drastic measurements for this policy, forcing abortions, sterilizations, and fines on an entire village when a birth that was not supposed to happen occurred. China is a male-or ientated country; therefore, females got the short end of the stick when it came down to the one-child policy. For example, if you were supposed to have a girl they would force you to try harder for a boy because males were more valuable in China. China is still very over populated to this day, and I believe it is carrying on into the United States. This worries me because I would not want to be involved or participate in the one-child policy. That is why I believe that, though right now our population is not a problem, it soon can become one, and it should start to be controlled and organized better then what it is being now. Abortions and sterilization were enforced in China to slow down their population problem. In order for us to slow down our population problem in the United States I do not think abortions are necessary. I think less drastic measures can take place in order to slow down reproduction. For example, in order to go to school, every child must get shots. They are m andatory, or else you cannot go to school; it’s required by the government. I think the government should make it mandatory that all females be on some kind of birth control, such as the shot, patch pill, etc., untilShow MoreRelatedHow to Save an Animal Life Essay1636 Words   |  7 Pagesit is not their time. This is due to overpopulation in animal shelters. Death in animal shelters due to overpopulation is a problem that I believe could easily be resolved if we were to take more responsibility as pet owners. There are simply too many animals being brought into this world, and not enough space or homes for them to live. As pet owners, we need to take responsibility in the way we handle this problem. As sad as it is, the issue of overpopulation is one that is literally deadly. EveryRead MoreOverpopulation And The Problem Of Overpopulation1747 Words   |  7 PagesOverpopulation Programs There are many organizations that deal with the problem of overpopulation or problems related to the effects of overpopulation such as environmental effects. Some of the organizations that I found related to this topic are the United Nations Population Fund, a group called Population Matters, another group called the World Population Balance and the Center for Biological Diversity. All of these groups deal with the issue of overpopulation and the effects that overpopulationRead MoreOverpopulation Is More Than Just A Crowded Planet1343 Words   |  6 Pagescurrent world population no longer signifies progression; it signifies regression. Today, the Earth’s human population is approaching overpopulation. Overpopulation is more than just a crowded planet. The definition of overpopulation is, â€Å"†¦too many people for the amount of food, materials, and space available†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Cambridge Dictionaries). This means that overpopulation will impact crucial aspects of th e planet and not just increase city sizes. Robert Kolb suggested in the Encyclopedia of Business EthicsRead MoreA Great Matter Of Concern Today Or Just A Bust?1667 Words   |  7 Pages â€Æ' A Great Matter of Concern Today or Just a Bust? While India is on the verge of being the most populated country. While the third world countries are deprived of their resources rapidly. People in the United States have to say that the problem of over population has been curbed and infant production rate controlled. Recently, one of the commentators in prominent U.S. publication declared that the population boom is a bust. Whether it is actually a bust nowRead MoreOverpopulation : Preserve The World1291 Words   |  6 Pages Overpopulation: Preserve The World If there was a way to have a better life for you and your loved ones would you take it? Or would you rather not take the opportunity and struggle throughout the rest of your life, this will happen by world overpopulation. In the past, Overpopulation started out from the baby boom which increased the birthrate, and according to Ewan Mcleish the author of â€Å"Overcrowded World, (16)† he stated that it made 40% of the national population. Today, overpopulation is aRead MoreOverpopulation Is A Social Science1492 Words   |  6 PagesCaloia, Angela Mr.Beck Geography 9 February 9 2016 Overpopulation is Overhyped Overpopulation has made headlines through the decades, advertised as one of the most pressing global issues future generations will have to confront, scientists stating that we as humans are undermining the life support system that sustains up. This, however, is untrue. Overpopulation defines a situation where the number of people exhaust the resources such that it can no longerRead MoreHow Overpopulation Affects Education Being in a classroom full of twenty people is a normal800 Words   |  4 PagesHow Overpopulation Affects Education Being in a classroom full of twenty people is a normal persons day, but being in a room full of seventy people is an example of overpopulation affecting education. Overpopulation in education affects the people and children very much. It affects the kids by the way they are being taught and the distractions around them. The overcrowding in classrooms cause many children to feel more negative. They feel more negative because most kids in a crowded roomRead MoreThe Effects Of Human Overpopulation On The Environment1242 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Human Overpopulation on the Environment â€Å"Can one apple slice feed the world?† If the world were an apple, farmland would only be one very thin slice. The growing population on this Earth has some serious questions that it needs to consider as a whole. How are we all going to eat with eight billion mouths to eat? Farmers have an interesting proposition, they need to feed a growing population with very little land. Overpopulation also has negative effects on the earth through pollutionRead MoreOverpopulation Is An Issue Of Overpopulation930 Words   |  4 PagesOverpopulation is an issue that many in the world may never face, however, the ones that do experience this issue know the struggles that it can pose to the overall quality of life. There are multiple reasons on why overpopulation is an issue and why it can affect quality of life, but ones that have a major impact on the world is the shortage of food, overconsumption of fossil fuels, and decline in health care. These specific issues were selected because of the widespread availability of informationRead MoreA Brief Note On Animal Shelter And The American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesThey are many shelters in the United States being over populated with animals. Dogs and cats are left at the shelters for many reason. The question being research is why are animal shelter over populate. What are the causes of animal shelter being over populated? What are the benefit of adopting? What are the effect on animal in over populated shelters? And how can we help animal shelters stop being over populated? ASPCA. (2010). Pet Overpopulation. Teacher Newsletter of the American Society for

The Vampire Diaries The Struggle Chapter Fourteen Free Essays

Bonnie shivered as she waited outside the tall Victorian house. The air was frosty this morning, and although it was almost eight o’clock the sun had never really come up. The sky was just one dense massed bank of gray and white clouds, creating an eerie twilight below. We will write a custom essay sample on The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Fourteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now She had begun to stamp her feet and rub her hands together when the Forbes’ door opened. Bonnie moved back a little behind the shrubbery that was her hiding place and watched the family walk to their car. Mr. Forbes was carrying nothing but a camera. Mrs. Forbes had a purse and a folding seat. Daniel Forbes, Caroline’s younger brother, had another seat. And Caroline†¦ Bonnie leaned forward, her breath hissing out in satisfaction. Caroline was dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater, and she was carrying some sort of white drawstring purse. Not big but big enough to hold a small diary. â€Å"There she is, Aunt Judith. On the corner.† The car slowed to a halt, and Bonnie slid into the back seat with Elena. â€Å"She’s got a white drawstring purse,† she murmured into Elena’s ear as Aunt Judith pulled out again. Tingling excitement swept over Elena, and she squeezed Bonnie’s hand. â€Å"Good,† she breathed. â€Å"Now we’ll see if she brings it into Mrs. Grimesby’s. If not, you tell Meredith it’s in the car.† Bonnie nodded agreement and squeezed Elena’s hand back. They arrived at Mrs. Grimesby’s just in time to see Caroline going inside with a white bag hanging from her arm. Bonnie and Elena exchanged a look. Now it was up to Elena to see where Caroline left it in the house. â€Å"I’ll get out here too, Miss Gilbert,† said Bonnie as Elena jumped out of the car. She would wait outside with Meredith until Elena could tell them where the bag was. The important thing was not to let Caroline suspect anything unusual. Mrs. Grimesby, who answered Elena’s knock, was the Fell’s Church librarian. Her house looked almost like a library itself; there were bookcases everywhere and books stacked on the floor. She was also the keeper of Fell’s Church’s historical artifacts, including clothing that had been preserved from the town’s earliest days. Just now the house was ringing with young voices, and the bedrooms were full of students in various stages of undress. Mrs. Grimesby always supervised the costumes for the pageant. Elena was ready to ask to be put in the same room with Caroline, but it wasn’t necessary. Mrs. Grimesby was already ushering her in. Caroline, stripped down to her fashionable underwear, gave Elena what was undoubtedly meant to be a nonchalant look, but Elena detected the vicious gloating beneath. She kept her own eyes on the bundle of clothing Mrs. Grimesby was picking up off the bed. â€Å"Here you are, Elena. One of our most nicely preserved pieces – and all authentic, too, even the ribbons. We believe this dress belonged to Honoria Fell.† â€Å"It’s beautiful,† said Elena, as Mrs. Grimesby shook out the folds of thin white material. â€Å"What’s it made of?† â€Å"Moravian muslin and silk gauze. Since it’s quite cold today you can wear that velvet jacket over it.† The librarian indicated a dusty rose garment lying over a chair back. Elena cast a surreptitious glance at Caroline as she began to change. Yes, there was the bag, at Caroline’s feet. She debated making a grab for it, but Mrs. Grimesby was still in the room. The muslin dress was very simple, its flowing material belted high under the bosom with a pale rose. â€Å"Did it really belong to Honoria Fell?† she asked, thinking of the marble image of that lady lying on her tomb in the ruined church. â€Å"That’s the story, anyway,† said Mrs. Grimesby. â€Å"She mentions a dress like it in her journal, so we’re pretty sure.† â€Å"She kept a journal?† Elena was startled. â€Å"Oh, yes. I have it in a case in the living room; I’ll show it to you on the way out. Now for the jacket – oh, what’s that?† Something violet fluttered to the ground as Elena picked the jacket up. She could feel her expression freeze. She caught up the note before Mrs. Grimesby could bend over, and glanced at it. One line. She remembered writing it in her diary on September 4, the first day of school. Except that after she had written it she had crossed it out. These words were not crossed out; they were bold and clear. Something awful is going to happen today. Elena could barely restrain herself from rounding on Caroline and shaking the note in her face. But that would ruin everything. She forced herself to stay calm as she crumpled up the little slip of paper and threw it into a wastebasket. â€Å"It’s just a piece of trash,† she said, and turned back to Mrs. Grimesby, her shoulders stiff. Caroline said nothing, but Elena could feel those triumphant green eyes on her. Just you wait, she thought. Wait until I get that diary back. I’m going to burn it, and then you and I are going to have a talk. To Mrs. Grimesby she said, â€Å"I’m ready.† â€Å"So am I,† said Caroline in a demure voice. Elena put on a look of cool indifference as she eyed the other girl. Caroline’s pale green gown with long green and white sashes was not nearly as pretty as hers. â€Å"Wonderful. You girls go ahead and wait for your rides. Oh, and Caroline, don’t forget your reticule.† â€Å"I won’t,† Caroline said, smiling, and she reached for the drawstring bag at her feet. It was fortunate that from that position she couldn’t see Elena’s face, for in that instant the cool indifference shattered completely. Elena stared, dumbfounded, as Caroline began to tie the bag at her waist. Her astonishment didn’t escape Mrs. Grimesby. â€Å"That’s a reticule, the ancestor of our modern handbag,† the older woman explained kindly. â€Å"Ladies used to keep their gloves and fans in them. Caroline came by. â€Å"I’m sure it was,† Elena managed in a strangled voice. She had to get out of here or something awful was going to happen right now. She was going to start screaming – or knock Caroline down – or explode. â€Å"I need some fresh air,† she said. She bolted from the room and from the house, bursting outside. Bonnie and Meredith were waiting in Meredith’s car. Elena’s heart thumped strangely as she walked to it and leaned in the window. â€Å"She’s outsmarted us,† she said quietly. â€Å"That bag is part of her costume, and she’s going to wear it all day.† Bonnie and Meredith stared, first at her and then at each other. â€Å"But†¦ then, what are we going to do?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"I don’t know.† With sick dismay this realization finally came home to Elena. â€Å"I don’t know!† â€Å"We can still watch her. Maybe she’ll take the bag off at lunch or something†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But Meredith’s voice rang hollow. They all knew the truth, Elena thought, and the truth was that it was hopeless. They’d lost. Bonnie glanced in the rearview mirror, then twisted in her seat. â€Å"It’s your ride.† Elena looked. Two white horses were drawing a smartly renovated buggy down the street. Crepe paper was threaded through the buggy’s wheels, ferns decorated its seats, and a large banner on the side proclaimed,The Spirit of Fell’s Church. Elena had time for only one desperate message. â€Å"Watch her,† she said. â€Å"And if there’s ever a moment when she’s alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then she had to go. But all through that long, terrible morning, there was never a moment when Caroline was alone. She was surrounded by a crowd of spectators. For Elena, the parade was pure torture. She sat in the buggy beside the mayor and his wife, trying to smile, trying to look normal. But the sick dread was like a crushing weight on her chest. Somewhere in front of her, among the marching bands and drill teams and open convertibles, was Caroline. Elena had forgotten to find out which float she was on. The first schoolhouse float, perhaps; a lot of the younger children in costume would be on that. It didn’t matter. Wherever Caroline was, she was in full view of half the town. The luncheon that followed the parade was held in the high school cafeteria. Elena was trapped at a table with Mayor Dawley and his wife. Caroline was at a nearby table; Elena could see the shining back of her auburn head. And sitting beside her, often leaning possessively over her, was Tyler Smallwood. Elena was in a perfect position to view the little drama that occurred about halfway through lunch. Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw Stefan, looking casual, stroll by Caroline’s table. He spoke to Caroline. Elena watched, forgetting even to play with the untouched food on her plate. But what she saw next made her heart plummet. Caroline tossed her head and replied to him briefly, and then Stefan looked toward Elena as he left, and for a moment their eyes met in wordless communion. There was nothing he could do, then. Even if his Powers had returned, Tyler was going to keep him away from Caroline. The crushing weight squeezed Elena’s lungs so that she could scarcely breathe. After that she simply sat in a daze of misery and despair until someone nudged her and told her it was time to go backstage. She listened almost indifferently to Mayor Dawley’s speech of welcome. He spoke about the â€Å"trying time† Fell’s Church had faced recently, and about the community spirit that had sustained them these past months. Then awards were given out, for scholarship, for athletics, for community service. Matt came up to receive Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year, and Elena saw him look at her curiously. Then came the pageant. The elementary school children giggled and tripped and forgot their lines as they portrayed scenes from the founding of Fell’s Church through the Civil War. Elena watched them without taking any of it in. Ever since last night she’d been slightly dizzy and shaky, and now she felt as if she were coming down with the flu. Her brain, usually so full of schemes and calculations, was empty. She couldn’t think anymore. She almost couldn’t care. The pageant ended to popping flashbulbs and tumultuous applause. When the last little Confederate soldier was off the stage, Mayor Dawley called for silence. â€Å"And now,† he said, â€Å"for the students who will perform the closing ceremonies. Please show your appreciation for the Spirit of Independence, the Spirit of Fidelity, and the Spirit of Fell’s Church!† The applause was even more thunderous. Elena stood beside John Clifford, the brainy senior who’d been chosen to represent the Spirit of Independence. On the other side of John was Caroline. In a detached, nearly apathetic way Elena noticed that Caroline looked magnificent: her head tilted back, her eyes blazing, her cheeks flushed with color. John went first, adjusting his glasses and the microphone before he read from the heavy brown book on the lectern. Officially, the seniors were free to choose their own selections; in practice they almost always read from the works of M. C. Marsh, the only poet Fell’s Church had ever produced. All during John’s reading, Caroline was upstaging him. She smiled at the audience; she shook out her hair; she weighed the reticule hanging from her waist. Her fingers stroked the drawstring bag lovingly, and Elena found herself staring at it, hypnotized, memorizing every bead. John took a bow and resumed his place by Elena. Caroline threw her shoulders back and did a model’s walk to the lectern. This time the applause was mixed with whistles. But Caroline didn’t smile; she had assumed an air of tragic responsibility. With exquisite timing she waited until the cafetorium was perfectly quiet to speak. â€Å"I was planning to read a poem by M. C. Marsh today,† she said, then, into the attentive stillness, â€Å"but I’m not going to. Why read fromthis – † She held up the nineteenth century volume of poetry. † – when there is something much more†¦ relevant†¦ in a book I happened to find?† Very slightly, almost imperceptibly, Stefan shook his head. Caroline’s fingers were dipping into the bag as if she just couldn’t wait. â€Å"What I’m going to read is about Fell’s Churchtoday , not a hundred or two hundred years ago,† she was saying, working herself up into a sort of exultant fever. â€Å"It’s importantnow , because it’s about somebody who’s living in town with us. In fact he’s right here in this room.† Tyler must have written the speech for her, Elena decided. Last month, in the gym, he’d shown quite a gift for that kind of thing. Oh, Stefan, oh, Stefan, I’m scared†¦ Her thoughts jumbled into incoherence as Caroline plunged her hand into the bag. â€Å"I think you’ll understand what I mean when you hear it,† Caroline said, and with a quick motion she pulled a velvet-covered book from the reticule and held it up dramatically. â€Å"I think it will explain a lot of what’s been going on in Fell’s Church recently.† Breathing quickly and lightly, she looked from the spellbound audience to the book in her hand. Elena had almost lost consciousness when Caroline jerked the diary out. Bright sparkles ran along the edges of her vision. The dizziness roared up, ready to overwhelm Elena, and then she noticed something. It must be her eyes. The stage lights and flashbulbs must have dazzled them. She certainly felt ready to faint any minute; it was hardly surprising that she couldn’t see properly. The book in Caroline’s hands lookedgreen , not blue. I must be going crazy†¦ or this is a dream†¦ or maybe it’s a trick of the lighting. But look at Caroline’s face! Caroline, mouth working, was staring at the velvet book. She seemed to have forgotten the audience altogether. She turned the diary over and over in her hands, looking at all sides of it. Her movements became frantic. She thrust a hand into the reticule as if she somehow hoped to find something else in it. Then she cast a wild glance around the stage as if what she was looking for might have fallen to the ground. The audience was murmuring, getting impatient. Mayor Dawley and the high school principal were exchanging tight-lipped frowns. Having found nothing on the floor, Caroline was staring at the small book again. But now she was gazing at it as if it were a scorpion. With a sudden gesture, she wrenched it open and looked inside, as if her last hope was that only the cover had changed and the words inside might be Elena’s. Then she slowly looked up from the book at the packed cafetorium. Silence had descended again, and the moment drew out, while every eye remained fixed on the girl in the pale green gown. Then, with an inarticulate sound, Caroline whirled and clattered off the stage. She exploded into comment, argument, discussion. Elena found Stefan. He looked as if jubilation was sneaking up on him. But he also looked as bewildered as Elena felt. Bonnie and Meredith were the same. As Stefan’s gaze crossed hers, Elena felt a rush of gratitude and joy, but her predominant emotion was awe. It was a miracle. Beyond all hope, they had been rescued. They’d been saved. And then her eyes picked out another dark head among the crowd. Damon was leaning†¦ no, lounging†¦ against the north wall. His lips were curved into a half smile, and his eyes met Elena’s boldly. Mayor Dawley was beside her, urging her forward, quieting the crowd, trying to restore order. It was no use. Elena read her selection in a dreamy voice to a babbling group of people who weren’t paying attention in the slightest. She wasn’t paying attention, either; she had no idea what words she was saying. Every so often she looked at Damon. There was applause, scattered and distracted, when she finished, and the mayor announced the rest of the events for that afternoon. And then it was all over, and Elena was free to go. She floated offstage without any conscious idea ofwhere she was going, but her legs carried her to the north wall. Damon’s dark head moved out the side door and she followed it. The air in the courtyard seemed deliciously cool after the crowded room, and the clouds above were silvery and swirling. Damon was waiting for her. Her steps slowed but did not stop. She moved until she was only a foot or so away from him, her eyes searching his face. There was a long moment of silence and then she spoke. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I thought you’d be more interested inhow. † He patted his jacket significantly. â€Å"I got invited in for coffee this morning after scraping up an acquaintance last week.† â€Å"But why?† He shrugged, and for just an instant something like consternation flickered across his finely drawn features. It seemed to Elena that he himself didn’t know why – or didn’t want to admit it. â€Å"For my own purposes,† he said. â€Å"I don’t think so.† Something was building between them, something that frightened Elena with its power. â€Å"I don’t think that’s the reason at all.† She moved closer, so that she was almost touching him, and looked at him. â€Å"I think,† she said, â€Å"that maybe you need to be pushed.† His face was only inches away from hers, and Elena never knew what might have happened if at that moment a voice hadn’t broken in on them. â€Å"Youdid manage to make it after all! I’m so glad!† It was Aunt Judith. Elena felt as if she were being whisked from one world to another. She blinked dizzily, stepping back, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. â€Å"And so you got to hear Elena read,† Aunt Judith continued happily. â€Å"You did a beautiful job, Elena, but I don’t know what was going on with Caroline. The girls in this town are all acting bewitched lately.† â€Å"Nerves,† suggested Damon, his face carefully solemn. Elena felt an urge to giggle and then a wave of irritation. It was all very well to be grateful to Damon for saving them, but if not for Damon there wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place. Damon had committed the crimes Caroline wanted to pin on Stefan. â€Å"And whereis Stefan?† she said, voicing her next thought aloud. She could see Bonnie and Meredith in the courtyard alone. Aunt Judith’s face showed her disapproval. â€Å"I haven’t seen him,† she said briefly. Then she smiled fondly. â€Å"But I have an idea; why don’t you come to dinner with us, Damon? Then afterwards perhaps you and Elena could – â€Å" â€Å"Stop it!† said Elena to Damon. He looked politely inquiring. â€Å"What?† said Aunt Judith. â€Å"Stop it!† Elena said to Damon again. â€Å"You know what. Just stop it right now!† How to cite The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Fourteen, Essay examples

Working with Community for Stonewall Gay Campaign- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theWorking with Community for Stonewall Gay Campaign. Answer: The three types of community work as discussed by Rothman and Tropman include territorial, categorical and thematically. To me, the territorial community work appeals more than the other two. This is because categorically and thematically done community work, are referred to the task of working with a specific group and in a field of a particular topic respectively, but this is not the same with the territorial community work. Territorial community work refers to the work which is done by the community workers based in a specific area along with different groups of the population. The two of the main tasks of a territorial community worker are innovation (stimulating and encouraging new projects) and to support the groups, communities and councils. The territorial community workers give all kinds of support to the local communities including strategic support, organizational support, facilitating support and educational support as well (Rothman, 1995). With the same, they encourage t he people and empower them for doing the things for their own betterment. Hence their main role is centered on helping the people to build the sense of self-confidence, to develop talents and to learn new knowledge and skills. The territorial community worker act as a challenger, developer, organizer, supporter and an advocate, all at the same time. In this context, I am going to elaborate on the Stonewall Gay Campaign. The aim of the campaign is changing the attitudes of the people towards the concept of homosexuality. It aim is to get lesser homophobic people towards it (Shragge, 2003). Moreover, it is a campaign that is aiming to get people stop using the term gay as a word to insult others. It focuses on raising awareness among the people about the fact that being a homosexual or a gay is OK and that it is not all about negativity. The sarcastic campaign, without using a single image and is all about words and letters, has created a positive impact on the mind of the people. As written in the article of The Guardian, Stonewall has influenced the society in a positive way by campaigning and lobbying. It is to be noted that the charity has changed the laws for the bisexual people and the lesbian gays. They have had a cancellation on the section 28 of the laws. It is to be mentioned that this campaign for the gay rights has a positive impact and the related posters are working. Networking refers to creating a useful linkage in between people, communities, organizations or societies that are useful in order to achieve different goals by mobilizing resources. It can be also referred to as the art of building up alliances. It is all about building up of reciprocal relationships with the people of authority. Networking helps in increasing the participation in community development in many ways. It plays a very important role in bringing people, resources and organization together from all the parts of the communities. Some of the example of activities of community networking are attending professional or trade association meetings, visiting social clubs and religious groups, volunteering the community works etc. These activities improve the quantity along with the quality of work along with spreading the responsibilities by enabling the groups and peoples to contribute and share their resources, expertise and ideas (Gilchrist, 2009). Such knowledge and ideas is believably to create social benefits, as these would result in smarter funding. It contributes in generating social capital, which in turn creates well-being in the community. To conclude, networking serves in order to empower communities so that they could achieve their goals. It is a collective activity at the local, national and global levels. References: Gilchrist, Alison (2009)The Well Connected Community: A Networking Approach to Community Development.Policy Press:Bristol Shragge, E. (2003) 'Social action and it's legacy for social change' (chapter 3)Activism and Social Change.Broadview Press; Ontario. Pp 75-105. Rothman J., (1995)Approaches to Community Intervention p26-63 in Jack Rothman and Johan Tropman (eds)Strategies of Community Intervention: Macro Practice, 5thEdn, Peacock, Illinois.