Last time i saw him Essay

The last time I saw my Grandfather he was walking along the beach with his metal detector. Actually it was not the last time I physically saw him, but it was the last time that I would see him and be able to talk to him person to person, eye to eye. I remember my surprise as I stood at the rail on the boardwalk looking down upon the steaming sand, noting nothing remarkable until, from the corner of my eye, I spied his figure. He had a figure that I had grown up knowing in silhouette distinct in my mind – but not as his. It was the familiar figure of Alfred Hitchcock. Whenever I looked at Grandpa I saw that shadowy teller of tales from days gone by. But, as I knew that I was not seeing the grand master of mystery himself, I knew it could be, couldn’t it, why yes . . . it was, Grandpa. He was slowly searching the sand for buried treasure with his prized metal detector. A hobby that he had adopted after retiring from the workaday world. Although I knew he lived somewhat cl ose to Seaside, that was the first time that it occurred to me that I might actually run into him. I suppose one never expects to run into their grandparents at the beach. I smiled silently for a moment as I watched that adorable man, donned in shorts, t-shirt. baseball cap and earphones studiously monitoring his valuable machine for blips or beeps. But that moment passed quickly as I called out to him, â€Å"Grandpa, Grandpa† waving my hand furiously to draw his attention. He spied me yet seemed puzzled as to who I could possibly be. I was, after all, the only black haired granddaughter that he had. After a moment or two of contemplation I watched as he seemed to awaken. As he waved back I began to walk toward a place where hellos could become hugs. I brought him to the pizzeria where Kenny, my husband, worked and we fed and watered the old dear. We sat talking at a table for moments too swift, not knowing then that this would be the last time we would really have the chance. We talked briefly of family matters that, in the big picture of things, seem not to have mattered enough for me to note them; of the wonderful treasures found beneath the sand thanks largely to his narrow, metal sidekick; of why Ken and I were in Seaside at all, and how long we planned to stay. Small talk filling a smaller moment in time. I asked him why he would want to wear that baseball cap, as I could not remember having seen him in one before, and he showed me the brilliance of the sunlight upon his naked head. I joked with him about not seeing me only feet away from where he was, and he  explained his glaucoma operation that would be taking place that month. We embraced as I walked him out and said goodbye. I may have just spent moments listening, but I was not hearing. He was not telling me about small items that day, he was telling me, I am old now and time is ticking away. He was warning me that he would not be here forever, yet I did not heed his warning. He was telling me goodbye that summer’s day and I was saying â€Å"Talk to you soon.† I was but a foolish child. As he walked away, the sun was taking a bow before fading away. I did not, until this day, see that something more blindingly beautiful had also taken their bow. As I yelled goodbye, at the moment the surf washed the sand back into its home – the sea, did he hear talk to you later or did he merely whisper, â€Å"Yes, goodbye.†

Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity Essay

The Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases (KMT) is an explanation and description of the motion and behavior of molecules. It looks into the kinematics of molecules, wherein focus on the forces exists between molecules and the energy generated by the motion of these molecules (Poseidon Software and Invention, 1997). Etymologically, the KMT comes from â€Å"kinetic† which means moving, and â€Å"molecular† which comes from the root word molecule, classically the smallest unit of particle. The KMT includes several postulates which describe how the molecules of gases behave. The following are characteristics of how gas molecules behave: (1) Gases are composed of very small particles called molecules; (2) the molecules are very large in number; (3) they are perfectly spherical in shape and elastic in nature; (4) their volume is negligible which implies that they can move freely (Dogra, 1984); (4) the average distance between molecules is relatively large as compared to their size (Kotz, et al. , 2008); (5) they behave in a state of constant, random motion following Newton’s Laws (Selvaratnam, 1998); (6) they move in a straight line until they â€Å"collide with another [particle or with] the walls of the container† (Whitley, 2005, n. p. ). (7) the collisions of the gas molecules with other particles or with the walls of the container are perfectly elastic such that the total kinetic energy after the collision is equal to the total kinetic energy before the collision; (8) there are no attractive or repulsive forces between the molecules, and only during collisions do the particles exert forces on each other (Wulfsberg, 2000); (9) there is no energy lost during the collisions; energy is conserved; and (10) the average kinetic energy of the particles depends on the temperature of the system. These postulates can be further illustrated in terms of the interpretation of the temperature and pressure of a gas. Temperature, being a macroscopic characteristic of matter, is â€Å"interpreted in terms of the kinetic energy of the molecules† (Selvaratnam, 1998, p. 183). There is a directly proportional relationship between the temperature and the kinetic energy of the molecules of a gas. This means that an increase in temperature causes a similar increase in the kinetic energy or rapid movement of the molecules. â€Å"The hotter the gas is, the faster its particles move† (Whitley, 2005, n. p. ). Pressure, on the other hand, is â€Å"due to the incessant bombardment of the walls of the container vessel by the billions and billions of molecules present† (Selvaratnam, 1998, p. 183). This only means that if more collisions occur, the pressure is higher. The individual gas laws could be put into perspective in relation to the KMT. According to Boyle’s Law, â€Å"at constant number of moles and temperature, pressure and volume are inversely proportional† (Whitley, 2005, n. p. ). Charle’s Law, on the other hand, states that â€Å"at constant number of moles and pressure, the volume and the temperature are directly proportional† (Whitley, 2005, n. p. ). A third Gas Law consists of the theory that â€Å"at constant number of moles and pressure, the volume and the temperature are directly proportional† (Whitley, 2005, n. p. ). These individual gas laws, if combined, would produce an â€Å"ideal† gas. In relation to the motion of the molecules, the molecular activities in the three states of matter differ in several aspects. In the solid state, the particles are packed in a more closely manner. They are held closely to one another by their attractive forces (Poseidon Software and Invention, 1997). These strong, attractive forces between the particles cause them not to move freely and instead, vibrate. This feature results in a definite shape and volume of solids. In the liquid state, the intermolecular forces only permit the particles to flow or glide over one another. As compared to solid, the motion of the molecules is more random. The shape and volume of a liquid is dependent on its container. The intermolecular forces are also essential in understanding the dissolution of things. In the dissolving process, the molecules of the solute are surrounded by the molecules of the solvent. Here, â€Å"molecular bonds between molecules of solute have to be broken and molecular bonds of the solvent also have to be disrupted† (Educating Online, 2007, n. p. ). References Blauch, D. N. (2001). Kinetic Molecular Theory. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://www. chm. davidson. edu/chemistryapplets/kineticmoleculartheory/BasicConcepts. html. Dogra, S. (1984). Physical Chemistry through Problems. India: New Age International. Educating Online. (2007). Solubility of things. Retrieved March 6, 2009 fromhttp://www. solubilityofthings. com/basics/why_things_dissolve. php Kotz, J. C. , Treichel, P. & Weaver. (2008). Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity. U. S. : Cengage Learning EMEA Poseidon Software and Invention. (1997, November 16). Kinetic Molecular Theory. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://www.psinvention. com/kinetic. htm. Selvaratnam, M. (1998). A Guided Approach to Learning Chemistry. South Africa: Juta and Company Limited. The Kinetic Molecular Theory. (2009). Bodner Research Web. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://chemed. chem. purdue. edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch4/kinetic4. html. Whitley, K. (2005, May 13). Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://www. chemprofessor. com/kmt. htm. Wulfsberg, G. (2000). Inorganic Chemistry. U. S. :University Science Books.

Abortion - yes or no Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Abortion - yes or no - Research Paper Example Religions, especially the Christian religion always opposes abortion citing moral reasons whereas sociologists, human right activists and feminists always demand for the legal acceptance of abortion. Critics of abortion argue that the abortion is equivalent to killing of an innocent human being whereas supporters of abortion argue that the life of a woman is more important than the life of a fetus. In short, abortion controversies will continue as long as human kind exists in this world. In my opinion, abortion should be allowed to perform and this paper argues in favour of abortion after analysing various viewpoints about abortion. â€Å"The key to the ontological position for opposing abortion is the status of the embryo during pregnancy† (Faundes & Barzelatto, p.76). The first thing we should decide before analysing the advocacies of abortion is whether a fetus is a human or not. If fetus is a human, then it should enjoy all the human rights which other humans enjoy. On the other hand if fetus is not a human, then human life should get preference over all other lives. It is illogical to think fetus as a human since it is only an underdeveloped entity. Until a fetus becomes fully developed and taking birth in this world, it is not wise to give all human rights to fetus. In other words, fetus is just like any other body organs before it taking birth in this world. it should be noted that we normally repair or remove our organs if it causes some kind of problems or discomfort to us. Under such circumstances, fetus should also be considered as another body organ which should be destroyed if it causes any physical or mental trouble to a woman. The terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" generally boil down to the question of whether the individual wants to see abortion banned, but theres more to the debate than that. The pro-choice movement argues that in cases where human personhood cannot be proven,

Modern dance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern dance - Research Paper Example Modern dance is considered a synonym of contemporary dance. The two dances share ideological or aesthetical characteristics. The name is a dance term that is used to refer to a dance trend born in the 16th century and had lasted up to the 1950’s. The dance trend had its homes in Germany, the United States and some of the surrounding countries. In the 1920’s there was a passion for interpretive dancing sweeping America. Dancers and audiences alike had been introduced to a new form of theatrical dancing that was serious. Most of the groundwork had already been laid for the first generation of the modern dancers; they then began to develop the art to what we have presently today. Lester Horton attended early classes in ballet dancing together with the Native American dance. He did this at a school called Denishawn. In 1932, his first dance group appeared and over the two ensuing decades, the group became quite renowned. They had adopted an individual theatrical style and technique that had embraced the themes of the political and social protests as well as dressing. He choreographed projects that were commercial and created dances for the nineteenth film of Hollywood. Some companies such as Alvin American Dance Theater still teach his dancing style (Kassing79). At the end of World War II, the founders of the modern dance style had already produced a group of talented students whom they sent out to start their own dance styles. The great battle that has been fought over respectability and position of the modern dance style has been fought and won already. The second generation did not have to take their art or themselves with the seriousness that the founders had in the dance. Artists who were renown during the second generation of modern dance include artists such as pearl primus, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and Josà © Limà ³n (Kassing 35). The artistic and social upheaval of the late 60’s and late 70 has signaled radical changes to modern dance. Today modern

The Dock Street Theater Charleston South Carolina Essay

The Dock Street Theater Charleston South Carolina - Essay Example However, the main entrance to the building was built about 46 years later by J.W. Gamble in 1855 Just like it had been named, the hotel was mostly the preserve of planters who travelled to Charleston from South Carolina to take part in horse-racing activities. The hotel was reputable for its classy food and drinks during this period. It is also believed that South Carolina's famous punch was first made here. One peculiarity about this hotel was that in those early days guests passed through the recessed porch with brownstone columns. This led into a lobby that gave access to a grand staircase that ascended to a drawing room. Despite signs of considerable alteration to the interior, the elements of the antebellum hotel remained and were reintegrated for reuse in the building. Following these years of renovation works, a series of additions to the hotel spanning the entire 19th and 20th centuries can be readily identified by the different colorations of the bricks. The history of the Dock Street Theatre also brings to mind the story of Charleston's theater history. In the 1930s, the building had some restoration work carried out by the City of Charleston as a Works Progress Administration project. It was under this project that a large a large section was constructed behind the hotel containing a stage and auditorium characteristic of the 18th century. After this building was finally renovated, it was named after a 1730s theater which stood on the Queen Street side of the building. On the other hand, the theater is said to have been the first building purposefully constructed for theatrical performances in the USA. In the course of this, Planter's Hotel sporadically housed one of the city's theatrical bands, which performed at the nearby New Theatre during the mid-19th century. The most prominent actor of this band was Junius. B. Booth. He was the patriarch of an exceptional group of actors, which included J. W. Booth; the guy who assassinated President Lincoln. Junius Booth, stayed at the Planter's Hotel, and was alleged to have attempted killing his manager in 1838. Today the Dock Street Theatre is home to a community theater group called the Charleston Stage Company, and houses the city's Cultural Affairs office as well as The City Gallery, which is an exhibition space for local artists. Another interesting story about the history of the theater reveals that an announcement in the South Carolina Gazette in 1736 read that a new theater would open in Dock Street. The house later became known as the Dock Street Theatre for the two years it was in operation. It closed in 1738 and got burned in the great Charleston fire of 1740. Two more playhouses were built on or near its site, one in 1754 and a second in 1766, and then a hotel was built in its place. Before becoming a community theater, the city made a move to restore the original theatre, and they rebuilt the building using plaster and woodwork for historic buildings that were being torn down. In 1937, using funds and people from the Works Progress Administration, a same-model of the original eighteenth century interior was constructed inside the crumbling hotel. Owned by the city, the restored theatre opened, as its ancestor had, with a production of The Recruiting Officer. The Dock Street Theatre was an outgrowth of the little theatre movement. So, in 1937, the theater reopened and is today home to the Charleston

Winona LaDuke and Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Winona LaDuke and Climate Change - Essay Example LaDuke seeks to increase the first nation’s resilience in environmental justice. For example, in speaking out concerning climate change, the author seeks to promote the use of alternative sources of energy. The author identifies climate change as a human rights issue that has greatly affected the Pacific Islanders, Indigenous people, and Local-Land based communities due to their dependency on activities such as hunting, fishing and gathering rights. The dependency on fossil fuels has also resulted in health issues such as respiratory and infectious disease. The author also observes that the economic and cultural displacement in the society has also been in an attempt to access fossil energy. There are native solutions that greatly aid the country’s environmental sustainability. LaDuke observes that wind energy can easily be utilized in twenty-three Indian Reservations in the Great Plains. LaDuke states that these regions can produce 300 gigawatts of power that is enough to meet the country’s needs. Solar energy is another alternative that can be utilized in The Great Lakes, North West and North Eastern regions including other tribal lands in the South Western. The native solutions are beneficial as they promote local economies as they provide income, jobs and tax revenues. The native solutions respect the traditions and the responsibilities of the Aboriginal communities in protecting the sacredness of the earth. The issue of environmental justice is an important issue affecting societies on a global scale.

Article summaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article summaries - Essay Example markably, some selfish businesspersons continue to push for capitalism and disregard the society with their sole objective of making profits from the society. However, activists against capitalism have pushed forth to ensure that businesses does not only take profits from the society, but also contribute towards the wellbeing and development of the society (Levitt, n.d.). According to the author, social responsibility evolution aspect in the business world is the main aspect that will enable socially responsible business to thrive while the profit-oriented entities and self-centered executives fall (p. 464). Remarkably, the author indicates that personal social responsibility values such as self-conscious and non-profit endeavors are the key aspects of a responsible manager that will enable the business thrive in the public and reduce resistance evoked by capitalism. The article articulates that social responsibility is not a threat to the success of a businessperson, but long-term benefits from the society compared to the short-term business environment offered by the society to the selfish and profit oriented executives. Social responsibility remains the main aspect towards the survival of a business and reduced conflicts among the executive and the governments despite the function of a business to yield high level of profits. Additionally, the author recognizes the failure of business to recognize social responsibility that has led to the rise of unions and welfare programs to safeguard the community against ill-motivated economists whose sole interest is to uphold capitalism and dep rive the resources of the society, labor, agriculture, and the government. vi. Management is always faced by numerous critics, which it can only avoid by involving the society in terms of ensuring that it maintains the civil rights and restricts the free operation of profit motive. The articles has evoked a sense of exploitation by the capitalists who think that they can just

Briefly assess the strategies of Thoreau, King and Gandhi. Who faced Essay

Briefly assess the strategies of Thoreau, King and Gandhi. Who faced the most monumental task Thoreau trying to end U.S. slaver - Essay Example Each of these three people fought against social injustice using various means at their disposal, by employing creative strategies to fight against entrenched economic interests and also long-standing cultural and political practices. Moreover, this essay also attempts to give the reader some points to ponder, on how these strategies can be used today to achieve a certain aim or advocacy, such as fighting climate change, gun control, and human rights. Discussion Henry David Thoreau was an eminent American author, philosopher, poet, naturalist, social critic, historian, and most importantly, an abolitionist who fought hard against slavery. His writings were instrumental in shaping American public opinion in his time on the evils of slavery, as an aberration in American historical and political development. He is most famous for his book Walden, which is a philosophical reflection on the benefits of simple living while his essay â€Å"Civil Disobedience† laid the groundwork for later activists such as Gandhi and also Martin Luther King himself; the principles in the said essay are to fight for individual rights. However, it was his essay â€Å"A Plea for Captain John Brown† in 1853 which made the people who were against slavery take notice of how important it was to fight for liberty, this in behalf of the black slaves. This particular essay was delivered as a speech in defense of the attack carried out by Captain Brown and his men against a federal government armory; with a hope of capturing firearms and to distribute these to plantation slaves and spark a rebellion. Although many thought the attack was foolhardy, even suicidal, from a military standpoint, it was Thoreau's effusive speech which praised Brown that galvanized the Northerners to finally end slavery. He said it costs nothing to be just. The basis of Thoreau’s political thinking came from his â€Å"Civil Disobedience† essay where he advocates for people to assert their cit izens’ rights against a government which they think has become unjust, that the best government is a government that governs the least. Resistance to government can be justified if following it is unconscionable; additionally, strong individuals can take action on their own if they will think their government is uncaring, unwieldy, too big, or even abusive or repressive. An example of this individualistic attitude was Captain Brown, who saw it fit to take action on his own to end slavery, but Thoreau did not want anarchy but only a better government (Thoreau 2). The moral philosophy of Thoreau also influenced the political ideas of Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi in his uphill struggle against British colonial rule in India. In particular, the strategies used by Gandhi were based on Thoreau's moral civil disobedience. This is a focal point in Gandhi's fight because it gave him and his followers the moral high ground. Gandhi was a lawyer, and he knew there were many insta nces in which laws can be immoral. In this regard, he used the legal system to beat the British using his peaceful civil disobedience, such as not paying taxes (reminiscent of what Thoreau also did who went to jail for one night) and in leading the 400-km march against the British-imposed national salt tax. Martin Luther King (MLK) was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement as he struggled to

I need for you to find a common theme among these three proposals Research Paper - 1

I need for you to find a common theme among these three proposals - Research Paper Example On one hand, we have the Middle East. The Arab-Israeli conflict spans about one century of open hostilities and political tensions between the Palestinians and the Israelis- this being in spite of the fact that Israel was formally established only in 1948. On the other, there is the war in Afghanistan, which was launched by the US and the UK against the Taliban regime of Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 terror attacks. The Korean Peninsula is also a troubled zone, with the seemingly never-ending rivalries between North Korea and South Korea. In South Asia, India and Pakistan are always in a state of political tension over the disputed land of Kashmir; China’s relations with India are not too friendly either. Maintaining global peace in Third World countries has largely become the responsibility of the developed nations, which are, as Klare says, â€Å"deeply involved in the process of militarization† of these countries. There needs to be a strategy that the developed countries can follow to ensure that peace and security is maintained both within and without their less developed counterparts. Klare says that these strategy should follow the hierarchy of priorities that he proposes: Both Israel and North Korea have amassed huge arsenals of nuclear weapons. As for chemical weapons and ballistic missiles, the Taliban in Afghanistan have a huge stock of rockets, missiles and similar weapons. An international black market in conventional weapons exists and there is a large and regular flow of illicit arms into Afghanistan. All these have worrisome implications and can only be effectively controlled by the superpowers. Klare gives an example of how superpowers may help to downsize the arms trade problem. â€Å"A similar approach to downsizing the arms trade problem would be to convene ‘quadrilateral’ talks involving two regional rivals and their respective superpower patrons. Assuming that Moscow and Washington