The Media Exposure of Children and Youths Essay

The Media Exposure of Children and Youths - Essay Example By spending this time watching the TV, video, and films, I got loads of information that connected with my life experiences, and more importantly, the experiences influenced my life in different ways. Through this paper, I will review two films: Adams Rib (1949) and Real Women Have Curves (2002), to show how the two have influenced and shaped my life. In particular, these two movies have highlighted the themes of gender, ethnicity and the role of parents, and have been instrumental in the development of my personal life. Â  As a Muslim, I had grown to the age of fifteen years, knowing and believing that men were superior to women in all ways, including the way they could succeed in education and career. However, during one evening, I watched a movie that would change my view of women and their potential within the society. Previously, I had watched my mother taking her roles as a housewife very confidently and proudly, until it was almost unusual for me to imagine the place of a woman in reputable roles like national administration, law or medicine (Rideout, Roberts and Foehr 6). The place that I had associated with women is commonly the reality among Muslims, as their culture and way of life, limit the entry of women into positions of leadership (Mernissi 34). The common socialized outlook, among Muslims especially those living in Muslim societies, is that men are stronger than women intellectually, physically and socially, therefore allow men to dominate women (Mernissi 34). Â  However, this outlook towards the roles and the positions of the two genders changed drastically, and the change has continued to change, since that time. The film showcases the lives of a married couple, Adam and Amanda Bonner (wife).

The most difficult decision I have made and its personal effect Essay Example for Free

The most difficult decision I have made and its personal effect Essay In 2011, I joined Company ABC as a business development manager. A mining company, this experience gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and experiences beyond the realm of marketing. I enjoyed my work there greatly and learned a lot about both the mining and energy industries. In 2012, Company ABC transferred me to a sister company that was solely focused on coal mining. I accepted the transfer happily as I believed it would continue to offer opportunities to grow within the industry. Additionally, the vast amount of resources and compensation from the company allowed me to engage in higher-level business with larger corporations. My primary responsibility at this time was to secure strategic partnerships and financial resources as a means of expanding our research and development programs and expanding our coal mining operations. I was also tasked with researching alternative renewable energy sources to more wholly develop the company’s projects. I enjoyed a great deal of success at this time and, more importantly, able to save a great deal of money in preparation for my MBA. Despite the growth the company saw at this time and my own personal gains, I was faced with a very difficult decision. Often my superiors would encourage me to engage in unethical business practices to secure partnerships and contracts that were more lucrative. This included bribery, unethical consideration, or the giving of gifts to persuade clients and associates. While the prospect of personal financial gain was very tempting to me, I knew that if I followed my superiors’ directives I could never be truly proud of my work. Against the advice of co-workers and family alike, I chose not to follow a path that would make me ashamed or guilty about my work. I decided to leave the company shortly after this problem arose choosing instead to follow a path I could be proud of. Shortly after leaving, I joined Company XYZ. While the opportunity for growth within the company and the amount of compensation is much less, I know that the quality and proper nature of the work is much more fulfilling in the end. While I reflect on my time with Company ABC and their sister company, I have fond memories and will be grateful for the opportunity and amount of learning I enjoyed in such a short period. However, that experience also taught me there is no amount of money that can cover up a lack of pride in your work.

Study On The Applications Of Numerical Analysis Computer Science Essay

Study On The Applications Of Numerical Analysis Computer Science Essay It finds applications in all fields of engineering and the physical sciences, but in the 21st  century, the life sciences and even the arts have adopted elements of scientific computations.  Ordinary differential equations  appear in the  movement of heavenly bodies (planets, stars and galaxies);  optimization  occurs in portfolio management;  numerical linear algebra  is important for data analysis;  stochastic differential equations  and  Markov chains  are essential in simulating living cells for medicine and biology. Before the advent of modern computers numerical methods often depended on hand  interpolation  in large printed tables. Since the mid 20th century, computers calculate the required functions instead. The interpolation  algorithms  nevertheless may be used as part of the software for solving  differential equations. INTRODUCTION TO NUMERICAL ANALYSIS AND METHODS The overall goal of the field of numerical analysis is the design and analysis of techniques to give approximate but accurate solutions to hard problems, the variety of which is suggested by the following. Advanced numerical methods are essential in making  numerical weather prediction  feasible. Computing the trajectory of a spacecraft requires the accurate numerical solution of a system of  ordinary differential equations. Car companies can improve the crash safety of their vehicles by using computer simulations of car crashes. Such simulations essentially consist of solving  partial differential equations  numerically. Hedge funds  (private investment funds) use tools from all fields of numerical analysis to calculate the value of stocks and derivatives more precisely than other market participants. Airlines use sophisticated optimization algorithms to decide ticket prices, airplane and crew assignments and fuel needs. This field is also called  operations research. Insurance companies use numerical programs for  actuarial  analysis. The rest of this section outlines several important themes of numerical analysis. History of Numerical Analysis The field of numerical analysis predates the invention of modern computers by many centuries.  Linear interpolation  was already in use more than 2000 years ago. Many great mathematicians of the past were preoccupied by numerical analysis, as is obvious from the names of important algorithms like  Newtons method,  Lagrange interpolation polynomial,Gaussian elimination, or  Eulers method. To facilitate computations by hand, large books were produced with formulas and tables of data such as interpolation points and function coefficients. Using these tables, often calculated out to 16 decimal places or more for some functions, one could look up values to plug into the formulas given and achieve very good numerical estimates of some functions. The canonical work in the field is the  NIST  publication edited by  Abramowitz and Stegun, a 1000-plus page book of a very large number of commonly used formulas and functions and their values at many points. The function values are no longer very useful when a computer is available, but the large listing of formulas can still be very handy. The  mechanical calculator  was also developed as a tool for hand computation. These calculators evolved into electronic computers in the 1940s, and it was then found that these computers were also useful for administrative purposes. But the invention of the computer also influenced the field of numerical analysis, since now longer and more complicated calculations could be done. Direct and iterative methods Direct methods compute the solution to a problem in a finite number of steps. These methods would give the precise answer if they were performed in  infinite precision arithmetic. Examples include  Gaussian elimination, the  QR  factorization method for solving  systems of linear equations, and the  simplex method  of  linear programming. In practice,  finite precision  is used and the result is an approximation of the true solution (assuming  stability). In contrast to direct methods,  iterative methods  are not expected to terminate in a number of steps. Starting from an initial guess, iterative methods form successive approximations that  converge  to the exact solution only in the limit. A  convergence test  is specified in order to decide when a sufficiently accurate solution has (hopefully) been found. Even using infinite precision arithmetic these methods would not reach the solution within a finite number of steps (in general). Examples include  Newtons method, the  bisection method, and  Jacobi iteration. In computational matrix algebra, iterative methods are generally needed for large problems. Iterative methods are more common than direct methods in numerical analysis. Some methods are direct in principle but are usually used as though they were not, e.g.  GMRES  and the  conjugate gradient method. For these methods the number of steps needed to obtain the exact solution is so large that an approximation is accepted in the same manner as for an iterative method. Discretization Furthermore, continuous problems must sometimes be replaced by a discrete problem whose solution is known to approximate that of the continuous problem; this process is called  discretization. For example, the solution of a  differential equation  is a function. This function must be represented by a finite amount of data, for instance by its value at a finite number of points at its domain, even though this domain is a continuum. Different Areas And Methods under Numerical Analysis The field of numerical analysis is divided into different disciplines according to the problem that is to be solved. One of the simplest problems is the evaluation of a function at a given point. The most straightforward approach, of just plugging in the number in the formula is sometimes not very efficient. For polynomials, a better approach is using the  Horner scheme, since it reduces the necessary number of multiplications and additions. Generally, it is important to estimate and control  round-off errors  arising from the use of  floating point  arithmetic. Interpolation, extrapolation, and regression Interpolation  solves the following problem: given the value of some unknown function at a number of points, what value does that function have at some other point between the given points? Extrapolation  is very similar to interpolation, except that now we want to find the value of the unknown function at a point which is outside the given points. Regression  is also similar, but it takes into account that the data is imprecise. Given some points, and a measurement of the value of some function at these points (with an error), we want to determine the unknown function. The  least squares-method is one popular way to achieve this. Solving equations and systems of equations Another fundamental problem is computing the solution of some given equation. Two cases are commonly distinguished, depending on whether the equation is linear or not. For instance, the equation  2x  + 5 = 3  is linear while  22  + 5 = 3  is not. Much effort has been put in the development of methods for solving  systems of linear equations. Standard direct methods, i.e., methods that use some  matrix decomposition  are  Gaussian elimination,  LU decomposition,  Cholesky decomposition  for  symmetric  (or  hermitian) and  positive-definite matrix, and  QR decomposition  for non-square matrices.  Iterative methods  such as the  Jacobi method,  Gauss-Seidel method,  successive over-relaxation  and  conjugate gradient method  are usually preferred for large systems. Root-finding algorithms  are used to solve nonlinear equations (they are so named since a root of a function is an argument for which the function yields zero). If the function is  differentiable  and the derivative is known, then  Newtons method  is a popular choice.  Linearization  is another technique for solving nonlinear equations. Solving eigenvalue or singular value problems Several important problems can be phrased in terms of  eigenvalue decompositions  or  singular value decompositions. For instance, thespectral image compression  algorithm  is based on the singular value decomposition. The corresponding tool in statistics is calledprincipal component analysis. Optimization Optimization problems ask for the point at which a given function is maximized (or minimized). Often, the point also has to satisfy someconstraints. The field of optimization is further split in several subfields, depending on the form of the objective function and the constraint. For instance,  linear programming  deals with the case that both the objective function and the constraints are linear. A famous method in linear programming is the  simplex method. The method of  Lagrange multipliers  can be used to reduce optimization problems with constraints to unconstrained optimization problems. Evaluating integrals Numerical integration, in some instances also known as numerical  quadrature, asks for the value of a definite  integral. Popular methods use one of the  Newton-Cotes formulas  (like the midpoint rule or  Simpsons rule) or  Gaussian quadrature. These methods rely on a divide and conquer strategy, whereby an integral on a relatively large set is broken down into integrals on smaller sets. In higher dimensions, where these methods become prohibitively expensive in terms of computational effort, one may use  Monte Carlo  or  quasi-Monte Carlo methods  (see  Monte Carlo integration), or, in modestly large dimensions, the method of  sparse grids. Differential equations Numerical analysis is also concerned with computing (in an approximate way) the solution of  differential equations, both ordinary differential equations and  partial differential equations. Partial differential equations are solved by first discretizing the equation, bringing it into a finite-dimensional subspace. This can be done by a  finite element method, a  finite differencemethod, or (particularly in engineering) a  finite volume method. The theoretical justification of these methods often involves theorems from  functional analysis. This reduces the problem to the solution of an algebraic equation. Applications Of Numerical Analysis Methods and Its Real Life Implementations, Advantages Etc. NEWTON RAPHSON METHOD: ORDER OF CONVERGENCE: 2 ADVANTAGES: 1. The advantage of the method is its order of convergence is quadratic. 2. Convergence rate is one of the fastest when it does converges 3. Linear convergence near multiple roots. REGULA FALSI METHOD: ORDER OF CONVERGENCE: 1.618 ADVANTAGES: 1. Better-than-linear convergence near simple root 2. Linear convergence near multiple root 3. No derivative needed DISADVANTAGES 1. Iterates may diverge 2. No practical rigorous error bound GAUSS ELIMINATION METHOD: ADVANTAGES: It is the direct method of solving linear simultaneous equations. 2. It uses back substitution. 3. It is reduced to equivalent upper triangular matrix.: 1. It requires right vectors to be known. GAUSS JORDAN: ADVANTAGES: 1. It is direct method. 2. The roots of the equation are found immediately without using back substitution. . It is reduced to equivalent identity matrix. The additional steps increase round off errors. 2. It requires right vectors to be known. GAUSS JACOBI METHOD: 1. It is iterative method. 2. The system of equations must be diagonally dominant. 3. It suits better for large numbers of unknowns 4. It is self correcting method. GAUSS SEIDEL METHOD: 1. It is iterative method. 2. The system of equations must be diagonally dominant. 3. It suits better for large numbers of unknowns 4. It is self correcting method. 5. The number of iterations is less than Jacobi method. Real life Applications Area of mathematics and computer science. Applications of algebra Geometry Calculus Variables which vary continuously. Problems(application areas) 1. Natural sciences 2. Social sciences 3. Engineering 4. Medicine 5. Business.(in financial industry) Tools of numerical analysis Most powerful tools of numerical analysis à  Computer graphics à  Symbolic mathematical computations à  Graphical user interfaces Numerical analysis is needed to solve engineering problems that lead to equations that cannot be solved analytically with simple formulas. Examples are solutions of large  systems  of algebraic equations, evaluation of integrals, and solution of differential equations. The finite element method is a numerical method that is in widespread use to solve partial differential equations in a variety of engineering fields including stress analysis, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and electro-magnetic fields. In hydro static pressure processing In high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing, food and biotechnological substances are compressed up to 1000 M Pa to achieve various pressure-induced conversions such as microbial and enzyme inactivations, phase transitions of proteins, and solid-liquid state transitions. From the point of view of thermodynamics, Heat transfer leads to space-time-dependent temperature fields that affect many pressure-induced conversions and produce undesired process non uniformities Effects related to HHP processing can be studied appropriately by use of numerical analysis because in situ measurement techniques are barely available, optical accessibility is hardly possible, and technical equipment is expensive. This reports on two examples, where numerical analysis is applied successfully and delivers substantial insights into the phenomenon of high-pressure processing. Calculation E.g TSP problem (traveling salesman problem) to travel no. of cities in such a way that the expenses on traveling are minimized. à   NP-complete problem. à   optimal solution we have to go through all possible routes à   numbers of routes increases exponential with the numbers of cities. Modern Applications and Computer Software Sophisticated numerical analysis software is being embedded in popular software packages e.g. spreadsheet programs. Buisness Applications:- Modern business makes much use of optimization methods in deciding how to allocate resources most efficiently. These include problems such as inventory control,scheduling, how best to locate manufacturing storage facilities, investment strategies,and others. In Financial Industry Quantitative analysts developing financial applications have specialized expertise in their area of analysis. Algorithms used for numerical analysis range from basic numerical functions to calculate interest income to advanced functions that offer specialized optimization and forecasting techniques. Sample Finance Applications Three common examples from the financial services industry that require numerical algorithms are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Portfolio selection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Option pricing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Risk management   In market Given the broad range of numerical tools available a financial services provider can develop targeted applications that address specific market needs. For example, quantitative analysts developing financial applications have specialized expertise in their area of analysis.

Holdens Lonliness Catcher In the Rye :: essays research papers

Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others. To Holden, everyone is either corny of phony. He uses these terms to describe what a person is if they do not act naturally and follow other people?s manners and grace. Holden dislikes phonies and thinks of them as people who try to be something they are not. He loathes people who showed off because it seems unnatural every time they do not act like themselves. Holden does not allow himself to have friendship because of his dull attitude. In the beginning of the book, the reader knows that Holden is lonely when he separates himself from the rest of the Pencey students by watching the football game from Thomsen Hill and not the grand stands. Holden is not a very sociable person partly because he finds himself better than many others. He dislikes his roommate because of his generic leather luggage. His next door roommate Ackley does not seem to want a friendship with him either. Holden finds Ackely?s zit crusted face ridiculous and doesn?t want him in his room at first. This shows the reader that Holden is a lonely person because he chooses to be lonely and does not want anything to do with people who do not fit into his perception of normal. Holden?s loneliness is apparent in more than just his lack of friends. His loneliness is made apparent by the way he misses his deceased brother, Allie. Holden makes several references to Allie and how the two used to get along and acted more like friends than brothers. Holden deeply misses his brother and even talks to him out loud to comfort himself because he still feels a void inside of him. Holden misses his brother more than others because Holden never had the final closure to his brother?s death, Holden never went to Allie?s funeral, and because Holden didn?

The Seven Principles For Making a Marriage Work :: essays research papers

The Seven Principles For Making a Marriage Work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work there are seven myths and seven real truths about marriage. The first myth is that neuroses or personality problems will ruin a marriage. The truth about that myth is that we all have our crazy buttons or issues we’re not totally rational about, but they don't necessarily interfere with marriage. The key to a happy marriage isn't having a "normal" personality, but finding someone with whom you get along with. The second myth is that common interests keep you together. The truth is that it is a plus to have common interests with someone, but is all depends on how you interact with the other person while pursuing those interests. The third myth is the saying "You scratch my back and .....". The real truth about this myth is that it is only a truly unhappy marriage where this quid pro quo operates, where each partner feels the need to tally up things the other partner did. Married couples should just do things f or one another because it feels positive to them and their spouse. If you keep score in marriage it shows there is an area of tension in your marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another myth that is shown to us in this book would be that avoiding conflict in a relationship will ruin your marriage. The truth about this myth is that couples simply have different styles of conflict. Some avoid fighting with their spouses at all costs, some couples fight a lot, and some can find a compromise with out ever having to raise their voices. No one of these styles is better for the other it's just a matter of which style works for both spouses. The fifth myth that is portrayed is that affairs are the root cause of divorce. The truth is that problems in marriage which send couples on a path to divorce also tends to lead to one or both of the partners resort to an intimate relationship outside of marriage. Eighty percent of divorced men and women said their marriage broke up because they gradually grew apart and lost a sense of closeness, or because they did not feel loved or appreciated. The sixth myth that is talked about is that men are not biologi cally "built" for marriage. The truth is that among humans the frequency of extramarital affairs does not depend on the gender so much as the opportunity.

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Two

I didn't give Lara all the details the next day, only that I'd just broken up with a guy. â€Å"Ice cream,† she advised me through the phone. â€Å"Lots of ice cream. And tequila. That's the key.† â€Å"I can't do a lot of drinking right now.† â€Å"Hmm. Well, maybe get one of those liqueur-flavored ice creams. Like with Kahla or Irish cream.† â€Å"Any other hot tips?† â€Å"Chick flicks.† â€Å"Good God. I'm disconnecting right now.† â€Å"Well, then, try this.† She sounded huffy. â€Å"I just got a call from a guy who thinks there's a troll in his basement. Seems like beating one of those up would be therapeutic.† â€Å"Lara's full of shit,† Tim told me later when I recounted the phone call. â€Å"Why do women turn to ice cream? It makes them fat, then they hate themselves and start going on and on about how they'll never find anybody, blah, blah. It's stupid. Now, if you've got some peyote squirreled away, that'd be a different matter†¦.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"No peyote. Not after what happened last time.† He made a face. â€Å"All right, then. My best advice? Don't call him. He's probably going through all sorts of regret and guilt. You call him, he'll feel smothered and put up his defenses. Let him stew for a while, and he'll call you.† â€Å"I don't want him to call.† â€Å"Sure, Eug.† I ended up taking down the troll later that day, but it didn't really do much for me. Neither did the Kiss puzzle I put together that night. With my doldrums growing, I was only too happy when my next lesson with Dorian came the following day. Considering his fascination with human things and novelty in general, I thought he'd like eating out somewhere. I didn't know why I bothered; we probably should have gone straight to the lesson. Maybe I felt guilty about the sex thing. Maybe I was lonely. After a quick drive, I arrived at the Catalina Lodge, a prissy hotel about a mile or so from Catalina State Park. I parked in a remote spot, hopefully away from watchful eyes, and sat down on the ground with crossed legs. The ring sat beside me on the asphalt. Slipping on my sunglasses, I leaned against the car and waited. My timing couldn't have been more perfect. A few minutes later, I felt the pressure and tingling, and then Dorian materialized beside me. He'd left the robes and cloaks at home, wearing dark pants and a blousy, sage-colored shirt that looked only moderately out of place. He squinted up at the bright sunlight and then noticed me on the ground. â€Å"Isn't it ever cloudy in this infernal place?† I straightened up, and he offered a hand to help me rise. â€Å"I could arrange that if you wanted.† â€Å"And risk you wiping out half of your fair city? No thank you.† â€Å"Figured you'd appreciate that. It'll make your world domination easier. One less place to conquer.† â€Å"No. I need this place intact. I plan on keeping prisoners and exiled enemies here. Where exactly are we today?† â€Å"Mere steps away from the best food of your life, if rumors are true.† He flashed me one of his trademark grins. â€Å"Pleasure before business? My, my, you never fail to astound me.† â€Å"Hell, wait'll you hear me identify every water source in the restaurant.† That, at least, had been a good thing to come from Beltane. I could now feel cactuses, wells, and any other water source within a certain distance. I could even sense people now since the human body was supposed to be, what, 65 percent water? That meant no one could sneak up on me. Inside and seated, Dorian found watching his surroundings far more fascinating than anything on the menu. â€Å"Pick something for me,† he said distractedly, watching a family leave with four small children in tow. He cocked his head curiously. â€Å"By the gods, do all those little ones belong to them?† I glanced up. â€Å"Likely.† â€Å"And their mother looks pregnant again. Incredible. Back home, those people would be worshipped as fertility deities. A family with two children is remarkable enough.† The waitress returned. I ordered spinach-stuffed ravioli for me and some sort of spicy chicken for him. â€Å"A lot of middle-and upper-class families actually go out of their way to only have two kids. And a lot of them don't even start until they're older than me.† â€Å"Baffling.† He propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand. â€Å"A woman your age could have had that many children by now.† â€Å"Hey, I'm like twenty-six. I'm not that old. I don't even look my age.† â€Å"That's your father's blood. And I wasn't insulting your age – merely making an observation.† He sighed. â€Å"I'd give up half my kingdom for just one child.† I smiled slyly. â€Å"And the chance to be the father of Storm King's grandson?† â€Å"I'd be just as happy to father his granddaughter too. I'd be happy to father anyone's child.† â€Å"Then why don't you find some nice girl and do it?† â€Å"Believe me, it hasn't been for lack of trying.† His face held a rare seriousness, but the expression vanished as quickly as it came. â€Å"Ah, now there's a fetching young woman.† Following his gaze across the restaurant, I saw a tall blond woman exit the restroom. She was stuffed into a tiny spandex dress, her chest practically spilling out. I didn't have the heart to tell Dorian there was probably a lot of silicone in there. His eyes lingered on her, then his charm-alarm must have gone off for fear of neglecting me. He turned back around. â€Å"Not that you don't look lovely today too.† â€Å"You don't have to pacify me.† I laughed. â€Å"You're welcome to ogle other women.† Our late-afternoon meal proceeded nicely, and everything about it continued to enchant Dorian. The credit card I used to pay with at the end especially captivated him. â€Å"It has information about me stored in it,† I tried to explain. â€Å"That information lets the restaurant get money from me.† He picked up the returned card gingerly, turning it over and over in his fingers. â€Å"Intriguing. I imagine this has to do something with electricity? The blood of your culture?† His wry tone made me smile. â€Å"Something like that.† It wasn't until we were on the mile and a half walk to Catalina State Park that things got a little tense. â€Å"Heard from the kitsune lately?† â€Å"He has a name,† I snapped. â€Å"Heard from Kiyo lately?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Really? He hasn't tried to contact you and beg for forgiveness?† â€Å"No,† I repeated between gritted teeth. Something about the way he said it made it sound like I'd been dealt a great insult. â€Å"Odd. I think that's what I'd do if I'd offended my ladylove. Of course, I suppose when a man spends half his existence as an animal, you can't really expect him not to act like one.† I halted and turned on Dorian. â€Å"Stop it. Just stop it, okay? Stop trying to poison me against him.† â€Å"You don't need me to do what he's already done.† â€Å"Damn it, Dorian. I'm serious.† We started walking again, but it was me who brought up the subject again after several minutes of silence. â€Å"You knew. You knew Maiwenn was pregnant and didn't tell me.† â€Å"It wasn't my secret to tell. Besides, I got in trouble the last time I spoke badly of her. You accused me of trying to turn you against her.† â€Å"I'm not sure this is really the same thing. We're talking about Kiyo now. Last time it was about Maiwenn wanting to kill me.† â€Å"And you don't think they're the same thing?† I stopped walking. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Kiyo is her friend, formerly her lover, and now the father of her child. He stands firmly with her against Storm King's invasion. Yet, where would he stand if it came to a choice between you or her? What if Maiwenn decided you were too great a threat? What would he do? What would he do if you accidentally got pregnant?† A chill ran through me at his words. I abruptly turned away and barely recognized my own voice when I spoke. â€Å"I don't want to talk about this anymore.† He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture, face calm and affable. â€Å"I honestly intended no harm. Pick another topic. We'll discuss anything you like.† But I didn't really feel like talking anymore, so the rest of the walk proceeded in silence. When we finally entered the park, the sun was well into its descent. We still had plenty of light and set out to pick a good place to work. We ended up following one of the less traveled trails and then deviated from it into a semi-treed area. We had nothing even close to dense forest coverage, but rock outcroppings, some scraggly pines, and distance from the path promised relative privacy. The routine proved to be the same. Dorian had me sit on the ground, leaning against a rock. He had another stash of those silk cords and again wrapped them around me. The rock didn't make a suitable attachment, so he simply let my hands rest in my lap and bound them together at the wrist. Naturally, he did his usual artistic weave on them, intricately wrapping red and blue cords together. When he moved on to wrapping the cords around my chest and arms, his eyes flicked to mine and then back to his handiwork. â€Å"You aren't really going to stay mad at me for the rest of the day, are you?† â€Å"I'm not mad.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you are. You're also a terrible liar. Lean forward, please.† I did, letting him tie the knots behind me. â€Å"I just don't like you playing games, that's all. I don't trust them.† â€Å"And pray, what games am I playing?† â€Å"I don't even know half the time. Gentry games, I guess. You speak the truth, but it always has an ulterior motive behind it.† He leaned me gently back against the rock and crouched on his knees to look me in the face. â€Å"Ah, but I do speak the truth.† â€Å"I just can't tell what you want sometimes, Dorian. What your plans are. You're hard to read.† That delighted smile of his spread over his face. â€Å"I'm hard to read? This from the woman who alternately hates and fucks Otherworldly denizens? The same woman who claims not to trust me even while I tie her up, putting her completely at my mercy?† I wiggled in my bonds. â€Å"Well, I trust you with this.† â€Å"Are you sure?† He pressed a hard kiss against my lips. It startled me, but I couldn't do anything about it. This man, this gentry – the one who could be either helping me or using me – had me trapped. I couldn't do anything except let him keep kissing me. The realization triggered a response in me that was quite startling, considering my issues with control and helplessness. It made me feel vulnerable†¦and excited. I turned my head away as much as I could, attempting to break off the kiss. â€Å"Stop that.† He leaned back on his heels. â€Å"Just making a point.† â€Å"No, you weren't. You were just trying to kiss me.† â€Å"Well, yes, you've got me there. But the fact remains: Tied up or free, you can trust me. I do nothing that I don't firmly believe is in the interest of your well-being. The same holds true for casual comments about your love life. Now then.† He stood up. â€Å"Shall we commence this lesson?† â€Å"No blindfold?† I asked, still a little shaken. â€Å"Not needed. You know where the water is. Or you will in just a moment.† He produced the canteen I'd brought along and took off its lid. Searching the area, he found a large boulder, reaching almost to his shoulders. He set the open canteen on top of it and then selected a spot for himself near some scrubby bushes where he had a clear vantage of me and the canteen. â€Å"You feel the water?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Make sure of it. If you accidentally reach one of the trees and end up calling its water, you'll kill the poor thing.† I extended my senses, considering what he said. After a few moments, I felt certain I had the water sources all differentiated. â€Å"No, I've got it.† â€Å"All right, then. Call it to you.† â€Å"Am I supposed to make the canteen rise or something?† â€Å"No. You have no connection to it. But you do connect with the water. You feel it. You touch it with your mind. Now coax it to come to you, to come out of its container. You've already done it with storm systems. The trick now is doing it on a small, specific level. Forget about your body – it's useless to you now. This is all in your mind.† â€Å"That's all the instruction I get, coach?† â€Å"Afraid so.† He stretched out, rolling onto his side to get comfortable. For someone who took such care with his clothes, he seemed nonchalant about getting them dirty. I supposed laundry was a small concern when you had a full staff to take care of it. Sighing, I turned back to the canteen. What I attempted seemed ludicrous – but, then, so had feeling the water in the first place. So, I followed what he said as best I could. My grip on the water was so tight, I might as well have held it in my hand already. But no matter how hard my concentration focused, I couldn't make the water move. It reminded me of the wind. I could feel it but not control it. Well, actually, if my training progressed, I might actually be able to control it some day. But the analogy stood, nonetheless. Time dragged. Extensively. I tried and tried to order the water around, but it refused to obey. More time passed. It crawled. I finally decided it was a good thing the cords covered my watch because I'd be pissed off if I discovered how much time had elapsed. Hours had slipped by; I felt certain of it. The light had grown dimmer and dimmer. Looking over at Dorian, I swore he was asleep. â€Å"Hey,† I said. No response. â€Å"Hey!† He opened one eye. â€Å"I'm not getting anywhere with this. We should call it a night.† He sat up. â€Å"Giving up already?† â€Å"Already? It's been like two hours. Probably three.† â€Å"Miracles don't happen overnight. These things take time.† â€Å"How much time? I'm starting to wonder if you made this magic rule just to procrastinate on getting Jasmine.† â€Å"Well. You can believe that if it makes it easier for you. The truth – if you trust me enough to hear it – is that this is for your own protection. In a perfect world, we would go in and extract the girl quietly. In the real world, we will likely fight Aeson's guards and Aeson himself. I would prefer we both walk out of this alive. You didn't fare so well last time.† â€Å"This is going to take forever. This training.† I knew I was being whiny and petulant, but my back hurt, and mosquitoes had come out. At least in identifying the water source, I'd been able to take guesses. Here I could do nothing more than just wait and stare. If nothing happened, nothing happened. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told him. â€Å"I'm just tired, that's all. Didn't mean to bitch you out.† He seemed untroubled by my reaction, just like always. Indeed, I could see his face regarding me kindly in the twilight. â€Å"No problem at all. Let's go, then.† He walked over to the canteen and recapped it. Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back against the rock to wait for him to release me. As I did, I felt something cool and wet, like mist, spread out behind my back and neck. To my new water senses, it didn't feel†¦right. Moments later, before I could ponder the difference, the mist coalesced into slimy skin. â€Å"Dori – â€Å" My scream was cut off by cold, clawed hands. One covered my mouth, and the other gripped my throat. Dorian had spun around before my cry, making me think he'd sensed something before I had. He leaped toward me, but four wet, human forms materialized in the air before him, blocking his way. Nixies. Water spirits. Two were male; two were female. Legends whispered they could shape-shift into more beautiful forms, but here they appeared drab. Clammy skin, mottled and gray. Clothes sodden and dripping. Seaweedlike hair hanging down. The one holding me pushed me down flat to the ground, all the better to cut off my oxygen that much faster. Water dripped onto me from her hair, and her eyes gleamed a sickly green in the waning light. She hissed with pleasure and pressed harder while I frantically assessed my options. I finished the assessment pretty quickly because I had no options. I was fully armed but unable to reach anything because of Dorian's fucking bondage fetish. Covering my mouth stopped me from summoning a minion. The world flickered with starbursts as my air disappeared. My lungs and throat heaved, trying desperately to latch onto something. Her claws dug into the tender flesh of my neck, and I half-wondered if she'd rip it out rather than wait for suffocation. My only hope was Dorian, but he wouldn't get to me anytime soon, not with his own army of – Every stone and pebble in the area suddenly lifted off the ground. Shortly thereafter, the really large stones and boulders followed suit. Those big ones exploded, fracturing into thousands of tiny shards. All those little pieces of rock rose higher, joining each other, slowing rotating in a clockwise manner. My captor's grip had lessened slightly, probably from surprise. It didn't return my air, but I twisted my head enough to see Dorian standing with his arms raised up like some sort of symphony conductor. Above him, that cyclone of sharp rocks spun faster and faster, a blur to the eye. Then, as though giving the song's grand finale, he brought his arms down sharply. And down came the rocks. A portion of that maelstrom swooped and soared, the primitive predecessors of bullets. At first their movements seemed chaotic, and I feared falling into their path. But it turned out every rock had its own plan, its own target. Those sharp pieces honed down on the nixie holding me, piercing and slicing with a fierce precision. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as blood splashed onto me, and her torn body collapsed in a bloody, wet pile. I twisted out from under her, taking in big gulping breaths of air. Beyond her, Dorian gave another downward motion, urging his orchestra to its next climactic moment. The rocks swooped into another nixie, cutting it to pieces. Then another†¦and another†¦until the nixies were nothing but ribbons of blood and gore. Their task complete, the rocks gently fell to the earth, as soft and placid as drops of rain. The entire counterattack had taken less than a minute. Immediately, Dorian knelt by my side, helping me sit up as I gasped my way back to life. â€Å"Easy, easy,† he warned. Blood covered both of us. â€Å"Small breaths.† â€Å"Untie me! Get me out of this!† He pulled the silver athame from my belt. In moments, he sliced open the cords, freeing my arms and hands. I jerked away, my adrenaline still surging. He reached for me, but I flailed against him. â€Å"Damn you! You almost got me killed!† I yelled, hearing the hysteria in my voice. â€Å"You almost got me killed!† He grabbed my upper arms with a solid strength, pulling me to him and forcing me to stillness. â€Å"Eugenie, calm down. Eugenie!† He shook me – hard – where I still struggled, and I halted abruptly, quelled by the harsh sound of his voice and ferocity of his grasp. I could no longer find the silly, languid gentry king. There was a stranger holding me, his face hard and commanding. â€Å"Do you think I'd let anything happen to you?† he demanded, almost shouting. â€Å"Do you think I'd let anything harm you?† I swallowed, still in pain from the nixie's claws on my throat, and found my body shaking. His grip was so tight, I might as well have been tied up again. He scared me, having turned into someone else. Someone powerful and awe-inspiring. Looking into his eyes and seeing the sweat on his face, I realized fear had touched more than just me. He was scared too, not for himself, but for what had almost happened to me. Something inside me eased up, and I nearly slumped into him. â€Å"I can't believe what you did,† I whispered. I killed all the time without much thought or effort, but this†¦this had been something else entirely. And he wasn't even at full strength in this world. â€Å"You slaughtered them.† â€Å"I did what I had to do.† The heat in his voice had faded, replaced with a deadly calm. â€Å"And you'll be able to do the same someday.† One of his hands released me and moved to my head, smoothing my hair back. He pressed our bodies together and rested his cheek against mine so his soft words could spill into my ear. â€Å"You will surpass me, Eugenie. Your power will be so great, none will stand against you. Armies and kingdoms will fall, and they will bow down before you.† I found myself trembling again, feeling the same fear and excitement that had filled me during our last kiss. Only this time, I didn't know if my feelings came from his body's proximity†¦or the promise of power he offered.

My Favourite Book Essay

One of the things that I really love to do is to read. Through reading I have found out so many things about life in all of its aspects. Reading page after page, book by book, I have discovered the world around me, facts about past, present and versions of the future and i have learned so many amazing things. I’ve started reading at the age of eight when The stories from 1001 nights fascinated and captured me completely. It helped me to open my mind to new situations and I understood that the power of creation can change lives. Later, at the age of 10, I was amused by Pacala and Tandala adventures, but my favourite book is Childhood memories. This book contains lots of funny events on which young heart of Ion Creanga he lived and he felt intensely. One of the events and the one that surprised me very much is Pupaza din tei. It describes everyday life that was plagued by hoopoe song and how Nica tried to get rid of it. Another event comic is where Nica goes to the Ozana river even though his mother gave him the child in the care. Nothing prevents to go Ozana and to bathe, but gets his reward from his mother. All these events have made the reading to become an important part of my life and helped me to find out more about me, information about human nature, human art and history, human achievements, anatomy and human mental faculties. I love reading because it helps me to learn. to be creative and offers me new perspectives.