Museum Trip Essay examples -- Essays Papers

Museum Trip When this project was brought to my attention at the beginning of the semester I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know much about the history of art or any of the specific terms that are used in the art world. I have been to museums in the past but that was when I was in elementary school and they didn't teach us any of the specific terms that they used in the art world. On the handout that you gave the class you wrote questions that you though would be helpful for us to answer to succeed on this paper. The museum that I decided to go to was the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. In the following paper I will discuss what the museum looked like, the tour that I went on. What I thought of the tour, the pieces of art in the tour. How I felt while I was in the museum and the discovery that I found out about myself about the type of art that catches my attention. When I arrived at the National Gallery of Art, the outside structure of the building took my breath away. From outside looking at the museum its size just astonished me. The big tall granite columns and the granite steps reminded me of ancient Greek architecture. Once I made it up the marble staircase I finally arrived inside the museum. When I got inside the museum I had entered from the back and I had to walk to the information desk. On my way to the information desk I look around the museum to se if anything on that floor caught my eye. The statue in the middle of the museum...

Bullet Busters :: essays research papers

On Wednesday, the 13th of March 1991, American Cablevision of Queens, New York, sent the first electronic "Bullet". This so-called "Bullet" was in fact, an electronic signal directed to unauthorized cable boxes causing them to turn-off. Approximately 300+ unsuspecting customers then called the cable company to complain and were subsequently taken to court for cable theft. The "Bullet" works by ordering the computer processor within the cable box to lock-up if it is authorized for all channels. Since pirate chips installed in a cable box would authorize all channels, the TV "goes black". HOW THE CABLE COMPANIES CATCH PIRATES There are several methods; here are some of the more popular. The first method is somewhat costly to the cable company, and is used usually only when they think they have a thief. A device called a Time-Domain Reflectometer(TDR) is used to send a timed signal from the cable line outside you home to your decoder. The reflected energy of the signal is measured and then compared to previous measurements to find a time difference which would indicate that the box has been tampered with. Pirates were able to get around this by installing an in-line amplifier which would weaken the reflected signal. One problem with TDR is that you need previous readings, which are not usually taken at the time of installation for a reference point. The second way is to modulate an identification signal onto the cable line at about 108 MHz. This signal sounds something like a "cuckoo", and "leaks" from the converter box where it can be picked up by cable company employees outside of suspected pirates homes using hand held receivers. Unfortunately the signals sent by the cable companies can also cause interference with FM reception within the home. A third method is to program all cable boxes from the headend to display a message. This message is displayed only by boxes which have had a test chip installed and left in. The message informs the customer that they have won a free t-shirt or something similar. They only have to go to the Cable Company HQ to pick up their prize. And what a prize it is! A FREE trip to jail! Don't fall for this. There is no free lunch. IS THERE A FIX FOR THE BULLET? Yes, there are several solutions to the problem. The "Bullet" as sent from headend causes the box to lock-up, and not output a picture. The fix is simple - unplug the power cord. After a few minutes, plug-in the box again and it should reset. At worst, the box may stay dead for up to 24 hours.

THe Metamorphosis of MAlcolm X Essays -- Essays Papers

THe Metamorphosis of MAlcolm X Malcolm X once wrote, â€Å"My life has always been one of changes† (Haley 404). In his autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, it is very evident that through his life, he went through a series of drastic changes that went from one extreme to another. He went from being at â€Å"the bottom of the American white man’s society,† to become one of the most influential advocates of Black pride (150). Throughout the novel the most evident changes are when Malcolm X moves to Boston, goes to prison, and going on Hajj. After living in Michigan, Malcolm X moves in with his half-sister, Ella, in Boston. Malcolm X described the move as â€Å"pivotal or profound in its repercussions† (38). When he gets to Boston, he sets out to explore the city and to â€Å"get the feel of Boston† (40). When he looks around the area he is living in he finds it full of nothing but â€Å"Hill Negroes† (40). He notices that all these black people are simply breaking their â€Å"backs trying to imitate white people† (40). He immediately rejects their way of thinking and finds himself in the middle of the town’s â€Å"ghetto section† (42). Soon through his friendship with â€Å"Shorty†, Malcolm X is exposed to a new kind of living. He spends his first month in Roxbury with his â€Å"mouth hanging open† (48). He saw small black children â€Å"shooting craps, playing cards, fighting†¦ [throwing] around swear words and slang expressions† (43). Eventually, all this exposure to black people â€Å"being their natural selves† took a great toll on him (43). After hanging out with Shorty and his friends, inevitably, he took his first reefers, first cigarettes, and the first liquor he drank. He ultimately went from being â€Å"country† to a â€Å"cool cat.† When he was exposed to all these â€Å"jungle streets,† he became a hustler and soon began to live like an animal, living only to survive (163). As he became more involved with these people he lost all sense of values and morals. He eventually became a common street hustler, drug dealer, and burglar until he was finally caught and served seven years in jail. Malcolm X’s experience in jail â€Å"saved† him eventually and molded him into the great leader he is known for today. While in prison the first thing that made a â€Å"positive impression† on his life is a fellow inmate named â€Å"Bimbi.† (153). What impressed him the most... ...letion of the Hajj he accepted the true Islam. The â€Å"color-blindness of the Muslim world’s religious society and the color-blindness of the Muslim world’s human society† greatly influenced Malcolm X’s decision to convert to the true Islam, and take back all his beliefs that the white man on the whole was the devil. Rather, the â€Å"specific attitudes and actions toward the black man, and toward all other non-white men† that was condescending, was what was wrong with the American society (333). This trip made a great impact on Malcolm X’s beliefs and changed his life. A year after he returned, Malcolm X was shot repeatedly in the chest while giving a speech in front of two hundred people, including his wife and four children. His life was characterized by a number of extreme changes that transformed his views and what he stood for. When he moved to Boston he found himself at the bottom of the American society, when he went jail he found himself again and gained self-pride, but when he came back form Mecca, as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, his views totally changed, he was on the top of the American society and there he will remain as one of the most influential advocates of Black pride.

Pyramus and Thisbe Summary Essays and Term Papers Essay

Characters: Baldo – He was one of the main characters in the short story. He was Leon’s younger brother. Baldo was unperturbed man, and he was quiet. He was the narrator of the story. Leon – He was the oldest brother of Baldo. He was the husband of Maria. Maria called him Noel. Maria – She was a beautiful and lovely. Her forehead was on a level with his mouth, her nails were long, but they were not painted, and have a small dimple appeared momentarily high up on her right cheek. She was tall and very still. Her fragrance was like a morning when papayas are in bloom. Labang – The bull of Leon and Baldo. Father – He was mildest – tempered, gentlest man. He was the father of Baldo and Leon. Mother – He was the mother of Baldo and Leon. Aurelia – She was the sister of Baldo and Leon. Summary / Synopsis: Maria was a wife of Leon. She was lovely and beautiful. Her fragrant like a morning when papayas are in bloom. Leon was lived in far place of Nagrebcan. Leon brought Maria to Nagrebcan to introduce to his father. The couple enjoys talking while in traveled riding in the cart hitch to Labang. Baldo who is quiet and observing his brother and spouse. When they arrived home, Baldo went to the room of his father. The room is quiet and dark. His father was smoking while sat in the big armchair by the western window. And they talk about Maria. Afterwards the door opened, and Leon and Maria came in. Baldo looked to Maria and went out to watered Labang which his father told to him. Characterization: Baldo is the narrator of the story because he is the one who relates us what happened to the story. Were Baldo is the younger brother of Leon. Baldo is a quiet person. It is very detectable that Baldo is observing his brother Leon and spouse how is Maria. When his father asks him â€Å"Was she afraid of Labang?† Baldo lied and says â€Å"No, Father, she was not afraid.† Even though Maria afraid. It means that Baldo like Maria as a wife of Leon but inside, he also admires the beauty of Maria. In here, the main characters were the couple Leon and Maria. Leon has a strong personality because he did not afraid to present Maria to his father as her wife. He was very proud of Maria as her wife. Maria truly love Leon because she fight for what she  believe was right, it doesn’t matter if the world told her that it’s wrong. I could say that Maria and the mother of Leon plays and represent the Filipino women. The father of Baldo has a deep personality. He was a responsibly father because he use his righteous way as a head of the family. It only means that the father or the man is the authority. He doesn’t want Leon to go to the wrong way. So, he makes some trials to Maria trying to test Maria’s characteristic, her attitude, her looks, how she talks and the way she handle the situation. His mother was a responsibly mother. She does the light of the family and represents the Filipino women. Settings: The setting of the story was in Nagrebcan, Leon’s hometown. This story takes place in a farm where people would usually ride in carabao. The place was in the local province. In the story, Maria who was Leon’s wife described physically and with her posture as a conservative and traditionalist which would probably described as a Filipino woman. As an alternative, they took a shortcut in a field. In my opinion, one can visualize that there is some kind of a test for the two of them. Maria must surpass that trial. It was as there family of Leon is trying to test Maria’s characteristic, her attitude, her looks, how she talks and the way she handle the situation. Plot: The plot is compose of inciting action, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. The inciting action was when â€Å"She stepped down to the Carretela of Ca Celin with a quick, delicate grace. She look lovely, she was tall. She looked up to my brother with a smile, and her forehead was on level with his mouth.† The rising action was when they took the dry bed of Waig as a substitute of passing the Camino Real and it was the wish of there father to go by Waig. The climax of the story was when Maria told Leon that she was afraid of his father in law maybe his father thinking of not liking her. The falling action came when Leon was searching for their father and her mother told them that his leg is bothering him again. The conclusion was when Baldo cross the threshold of his father and ask him about Maria. Afterwards the door opened and Leon and Maria came in. Baldo looked to Maria so lovely and went out to watered Labang which his father told him. Themes: The theme of the story is Love makes Maria and Leon go straight whatever  struggles come will be ignore to them. I don’t know if there relationship will last long because Maria is a city girl while Leon is a barrio boy. Reactions of the story: My reaction of the story is the story is good and it reflects to the modern youth even if the story is very old. I describe Maria as an example of Filipino women and also her attitude as a â€Å"mahinhin†. The couple Leon and Maria faces many trials while in traveled to Nagrebcan. Even though, Maria passed those trials. So, therefore Maria is very understanding kind of girl. The story talks about the characteristic of Maria, her attitude, her looks, how she talks and the way she handle the situation that riding a bull and passed through Waig. Therefore, basically a woman creates for men.

Beowulf Assignment Essay

1) Leslie Webster: Archaeology and Beowulf 2) There are many difficulties incorporated throughout Beowulf which challenge the modern day reader but which are also significant factors in the overall literary experience of the text. One of the main challenges that presents itself, according to 1925 Watt and Chambers, is the translation of Beowulf, the oldest English epic, from archaic Anglo-Saxon English into modern day English, applied with the reader’s already established, own contemporary knowledge and conceptions of the language. Leslie Webster declares it is also possible to be led into a manifold of misinterpretations when combining the important elements of poetic description, complex historical features and archaeological accounts along with our own current preconceptions. For example, it could be seen as an advantage for the reader to have an academic knowledge of early medieval north-western Europe prior to reading Beowulf. However, Webster argues that this may very well act as a disadvantage, since this could influence and shape the reader’s comprehension of the poem as they try to apply and relate their own knowledge to the text. This will cause difficulties for the reader in understanding when the poetic description does not correspond with their knowledge of hard archaeological facts. Webster claims that archaeology is a ‘fragile and incomplete witness’ and can therefore not to be entirely accepted as truth. The reality is there is no firm evidence therefore only conjectures can be made about what really occurred in the past. Furthermore, over centuries various archaeologists and editors have interpreted Beowulf differently and this indicates that the accuracy of the translation and its criticisms are questionable, consequently adding difficulty to our understanding of the text. The most apparent complication of Beowulf however, is understanding the significance of material possessions in the warrior culture during its time. They collected their spears in a seafarers’ stook, a stand of grayish tampering ash. And the troops themselves were as good as their weapons. (323-331) Physical objects such as weapons and armour are explicitly referred to continuously and consistently throughout the text and are obviously one of its most prominent features. This is difficult and unusual for the reader because in today’s society a person’s worth is not usually marked by their weaponry. 2 3) Leslie Webster’s essay helps the reader grasp the concepts of Beowulf by expressing it as ‘a poem, not an archaeological textbook.’ The carefully constructed poetic descriptions should therefore not always be taken literally word for word, but be looked upon as a symbolic story or moral for the respective audience of its time. Webster articulates in order to understand this text it is vital to put our own leaning preconceptions aside and study the differing forms of evidence with consideration. We must realise Beowulf is set in the past for this is important in perceiving that Anglo-Saxons’ history played a huge role in their lives and governed the way in which they lived. This is demonstrated in the text by repeated references to ancestors, heirlooms and legends. My lord, the conquering king of the Danes, bids me announce that he knows your ancestry; also that he welcomes you here to Heorot and salutes your arrival from across the sea. (391-394) During Anglo-Saxon times, the nature of a person’s ancestry judged their character and how they were treated in society. Beowulf was son of Ecgtheow, the later King of the Geats and was consequently a well respected, trusted and admired individual. The endless kennings can be confusing but one of its benefits is helping the reader remember the character’s ancestry and hence, their value in society. To a modern day reader monsters and legends are considered to be allegories or fables but Webster distinguishes that they are not uncommon to the Anglo-Saxons and were a normal part of life. We must accept this if we want the poem’s real meaning to be revealed. Beowulf is from an entirely different cultural context and we distinguish between the two realms of fiction and nonfiction by our innate ability to decouple. Although Heaney has brought in modern day equivalents in translating Anglo-Saxon English into Ulster English for the modern day reader to interpret and relate to, it is still not strictly precise and inevitably some of the previous, intentional meaning is lost. Webster’s distinct descriptions of weaponry also aid the reader into understanding the status of a character and this is not uncommon in archaeological contexts. Only a character of the highest status could manage to own the best defence weapons for the great time, effort and money involved in making them. However, Webster is undecided whether the difference between the highest/lowest characters is a fictional, poetic convention or if it resembles genuine, Anglo-Saxon rank divisions. 3 4) I have decided that Leslie Webster’s essay does solve the problem of difficulties involved throughout the text however, I believe these difficulties are also an important factor in achieving its literary effects. It could be said that the reader’s most eminent obstacle is attempting to connect with the old fashioned language and unfamiliarity of Anglo-Saxon attitudes and ways of life. In Heaney’s translation the reader is given the opportunity to get a real insight into what the Anglo-Saxons were like because of the language he uses. In addition to this, once this concept is understood, the language used becomes an authentic literal exercise for which understanding the text becomes all the more pleasurable and appreciated. If the carefully constructed, poetic descriptions were easy and effortless for us to comprehend then this would cause the whole meaning, purpose and originality of the poem to be lost. The various difficulties immersed in Beowulf have the subtle effect of drawing the reader in closer to the text, maintaining their concentration and once it is understood, a real sense of achievement is gained. I believe the explicit descriptions of weaponry are also a significant component in Beowulf and should not be considered lightly when looking at the way in which the text achieves its literary effects. The manner in which Heaney uses literary techniques when interpreting weaponry not only describes what they are made of, but also how they were skilfully and intricately formed and even how they sound when they move. Their mail-shirts glinted, hard and hand-linked; the high-gloss iron of their armor rang. (321-323) When Heaney’s descriptions are combined with Webster’s explanations, it becomes clear cut that the literal effect is intriguing and fascinating the reader and at the same time showing the importance and relevance of weaponry. Webster concludes by remarking that Heaney’s clever approach in adapting archaeological evidence in Beowulf united together with the merging of past and present, has the literal effect of capturing the poem’s extreme depth, attribute and quality. This is a unique poem which its layers and characteristics make it a difficult but interesting and different read.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 6

What she felt was a shivering jolt that began in her palm and ran up her arm like electricity. It left tingling in its wake. But the real shock was in her head. Her mind exploded. That was the only way she could describe it. A noiseless, heatless explosion that shattered her completely. All at once, Rashel couldn't support her own weight anymore. She could feel Quinn's arms supporting her. She had no sense of the room around her. She was floating in a white light and the only solid thing to hang on to was Quinn. It was something like the terror she'd felt before†¦ but it wasn't just terror. Impossibly, what she felt was more like wild elation. She realized that Quinn was holding her so tightly that it hurt. But even stronger than the sensation of his arms was the sense she had of his mind. A direct conduit seemed to have opened between them. She could feel his astonishment, his shock, his wonder. And she knew he could feel hers. It's telepathy, some distant part of herself said, trying desperately to get control again. It's some new vampire trick. But she knew it wasn't a trick. Quinn was as astounded as she was-she could feel that. Maybe he was even worse off. He was breathing rapidly and shallowly and a fine trembling seemed to have taken over his body. Rashel held on to him, thinking crazy things. She wanted to comfort him. She could sense, probably better than he could himself, how frighteningly vulnerable he was under that frozen exterior. Like me, I suppose, Rashel thought giddily. And then she suddenly realized that he was feeling her vulnerability just as she had felt his. Fear welled up in her so sharply that she panicked. She tried to find a way to shut him out, to resist the way she resisted mind control-but she knew it was useless. He had gotten past her guard already. He was inside. â€Å"It's all right,† Quinn said, and she realized that he had stopped trembling. His voice was almost dispassionate, and at the same time madly gentle. Rashel had the feeling that he'd decided that since he couldn't fight this thing, he might as well be as insane as possible. Strangest of all, she found his words reassuring. And there was fire under the ice that seemed to encase him. She could feel that now, and she had the dizzy sense that she was the first one to discover it. They had fallen to the floor somehow, and they were sitting just at the edge of the light. Quinn was holding her by the shoulders, precisely, and Rashel was astonished at her own response to the clinical grip. It stopped her breath, held her absolutely motionless. Then, just as precisely, every movement deliberate, Quinn found the end of her scarf and began to unwind it. He was still filled with that mad gentleness, that lunatic calm. And she wasn't stopping him. He was going to expose her face, and she wasn't doing a thing about it. She wanted him to. In spite of her terror, she wanted him to see her, to know who she was. She wanted to be face to face with him in that strange light that had enveloped both their minds. It didn't seem to matter what happened afterward. She said, â€Å"John.† He unwound another length of the scarf, preoccupied and intent as if he were making some archaeological discovery. â€Å"You didn't tell me your name.† It was a statement. He wasn't pushing her. She might as well write it out on a death warrant and hand it to him. Quinn could reveal himself to humans-but then Quinn could disappear completely if he wanted, hole up in some hidden vampire enclave where no human could search him out. Rashel couldn't. He knew she was a vampire hunter. If he knew her name and her face, he'd have every power to destroy her. And the scariest thing of all was that some part of her didn't care. He was down to the last turn of the scarf. In a moment her face would be exposed to the air†¦ and to vampire eyes that could see in this darkness. I'm Rashel, Rashel thought. She couldn't quite get the words to her lips. She took a deep breath. And at the same instant a light blazed into her eyes. Not the ghostly light that had been in her mind. Real light, the beams from several high-power flashlights, harsh and horribly bright. They cut through the dark cellar and threw Rashel and Quinn into stark illumination. Rashel gasped. One hand instinctively flew to her scarf to keep it over her face. She felt as if she had been caught naked. And she was horrified to realize that she hadn't heard anyone come into the cellar. She had been completely absorbed, oblivious to her surroundings. What had happened to all her training? What was wrong with her? She couldn't see anything beyond the light. Her first thought was that it was Quinn's vampire Mends come to save him. He seemed to think it might be, too; at least he was standing shoulder to shoulder with her, even trying to push her back a little. With an odd pang, Rashel realized she could only guess what he was thinking now. The connection between them had been cleanly severed. Then a voice came from beyond the terrible brightness, a sharp voice filled with outrage. â€Å"How did he get loose? What are you two doing?† Vicky. I'm going insane, Rashel thought. I completely forgot about her and the others coming back. No, I forgot about their existence. But there were more than three flashlights on the stairs. â€Å"The Big E sent us some backup,† Vicky was saying, and Rashel felt a surge of fear. She counted five flashlights, and in the edges of beams she caught the figures of a couple of sturdy-looking guys. Lancers. Rashel tried desperately to gather her wits. She knew what had to be done, at least. She nudged Quinn with her shoulder and whispered, â€Å"Get out of here. There should be another stairway on the other side of the room. When you run for it, I'll get in their way.† She pitched her voice so low that only vampire ears could hear it. The good thing about having her face veiled was that nobody could read her lips. But Quinn wasn't going. He looked as if he'd just been awakened with a bucketful of ice water. Shocked, angry, and still a little dazed. He stood where he was, staring into all the flashlights like an animal at bay. The lights were advancing. Rashel could make out Vicky's figure now at the front. There was going to be a fight, and people were going to get killed. Steve's voice said, â€Å"What did he do to you?† â€Å"What's she been doing with him, that's the question,† Vicky snapped back. Then she said clearly, â€Å"Remember, everybody, we want him alive.† Rashel gave Quinn a harder shove. â€Å"Go.† When he just glared, she hissed, â€Å"Don't you realize what they want to do to you?† Quinn turned so that the advancing party couldn't see his face. He snarled, â€Å"They're not exactly overjoyed with you either.† â€Å"I can take care of myself.† Rashel was shaking with frustration. â€Å"Just leave. Go!† Quinn looked as angry with her as he was with the hunters. He didn't want her help, she realized. He wasn't used to taking anything from anyone, and to be forced to do it made him furious. But there wasn't any other choice. And Quinn finally seemed to recognize that. With one last glare at her, he broke and headed for the darkness at the other side of the cellar. The flashlights swung in confusion. Rashel, glad to be able to move, sprang between the vampire hunters and the stairway. And then there was a lot of fumbling and crashing, with people running into each other and swearing and yelling. Rashel enjoyed the chance to work off her frustration. She got in everyone's way long enough for a very fast vampire to disappear. After which it was just her and the vampire hunters. Five flashlights turned on her and seven amazed and angry people staring. Rashel got up and brushed herself off. Time to face the consequences. She stood, head high, looking at all of them. â€Å"What happened?† Steve said. â€Å"Did he hypnotize you?† Good old Steve. Rashel felt a rush of warmth toward him. But she couldn't use the out he was offering her. She said, â€Å"I don't know what happened.† And that was true. She couldn't even begin to explain to herself what had gone on between her and the vampire. She'd never heard of anything like it. â€Å"I think you let him get away on purpose,† Vicky said. Rashel couldn't see Vicky's pale blue eyes, but she sensed that they were as hard as marbles. â€Å"I think you planned it from the beginning-that's why you told us to go up to the street.† â€Å"Is that true?† One of the flashlights swung down and suddenly Nyala was in front of Rashel, her body tense, her voice almost pleading. Her eyes were fixed on Rashel's, begging Rashel to say it wasn't so. â€Å"Did you do it on purpose?† All at once Rashel felt very tired. Nyala was fragile and unstable, and in her own mind she'd made Rashel into a hero. Now that image was being shattered. For Nyala's sake, Rashel almost wished she could lie. But that would be worse in the end. She said expressionlessly, â€Å"Yes. I did it on purpose.† Nyala recoiled as if Rashel had slapped her. I don't blame you, Rashel thought. I think it's crazy, too. The truth was that the farther away she got from Quinn's presence, the less she could understand what she'd done. It was beginning to seem like a dream, and not a very clear dream at that. â€Å"But why?† one of the Lancer boys at the back asked. The Lancers knew Rashel, knew her reputation. They didn't want to think the worst of her. Like Nyala, they desperately wanted an excuse. â€Å"I don't know why,† Rashel said, looking away. â€Å"But he wasn't controlling my mind.† Nyala exploded. â€Å"I hate you,† she burst out. She was trembling with fury, spitting out sentences at Rashel like poison darts. â€Å"That vampire could have been the one who killed my sister. Or he could have known who did it. I was going to ask him that, but now I'll never get the chance. Because of you. You let him go. We had him and you let him go!† â€Å"It's more than that,† Vicky put in, her voice cold and contemptuous. â€Å"We were going to ask him about those teenage girls getting kidnapped. Now we can't. So it's going to keep happening, and it's all going to be your fault.† And they were right. Even Nyala was right. How did Rashel know that Quinn hadn't killed Nyala's sister? â€Å"You're a vampire lover,† Vicky was saying. â€Å"I could tell from the beginning. I don't know, maybe you're one of those damned Daybreakers who wants us all to get along, but you're not on our side.† A couple of the Lancers started to protest at this, but Nyala's voice cut through them. â€Å"She's on their side?† She stared from Vicky to Rashel, her body rigid. â€Å"You just wait. Just wait until I tell people that Rashel is the Cat and that she's really on the Night World side. You just wait.† She's hysterical, Rashel realized. Even Vicky was looking surprised at this, as if she were uneasy at what she'd started. â€Å"Nyala, listen-† Rashel began. But Nyala seemed to have reached some peak of fury at which nothing from outside could touch her. â€Å"I'll tell everybody in Boston! You'll see!† She whirled around and plunged toward the stairway as if she were going to start doing it right now. Rashel stared after her. Then she said to Vicky, â€Å"You'd better send a couple of the guys to catch up to her. She's not safe alone in this neighborhood.† Vicky gave her a look that was half angry and half shaken. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. Everybody but Steve go after her. You guys take her home.† They left, not without a few backward glances at Rashel. â€Å"We'll drive you back,† Vicky said. Her voice wasn't warm, but it wasn't as hostile as it had been. â€Å"I'll walk to my own car,† Rashel said flatly. â€Å"Fine.† Vicky hesitated, then blurted, â€Å"She probably won't do what she said. She's just upset.† Rashel said nothing. Nyala had sounded-and looked-as if she meant to do exactly what she said. And if she did†¦ Well, it would be an interesting question as to who would kill Rashel first, the vampires or the vampire hunters. Wednesday morning dawned with gray skies and icy rain. Rashel trudged from class to class at Wassa-guscus High, lost in thought. At home, her latest foster family left her alone-they were used to her going her own way. She sat in her small bedroom in the townhouse with the lights dimmed, thinking. She still couldn't understand what had happened to her, but with every hour the memory of it was fading steadily. It was too strange to fit into the reality of life, and it became more and more like a dream. One of those dreams in which you do things you would never ordinarily do, and are ashamed of when you wake up in the morning. All that warmth and closeness-she'd felt that for a vampire? She'd been excited by a parasite's touch? She'd wanted to comfort a leech? And not just any leech, either. The infamous Quinn. The legendary human hater. How could she have let him go? How many people would suffer because of her lapse in sanity? Who knows, she decided finally, maybe it had been some kind of mind control. She certainly couldn't make any sense of it otherwise. By Thursday, one thing at least was clear in her mind. Vicky had been right about the consequences of what she'd done. Rashel hadn't thought about that at the time, but now she had to face it. She had to make it right. She had to find the kidnapped girls on her own- if girls were getting kidnapped. There was nothing about missing teenagers in the Globe. But if it was happening, Rashel had to find out about it and stop it†¦ if she could. Okay. So she'd go back to Mission Hill tonight and start investigating. Check the warehouse area again-this time, her way. There was one other thing that was clear to her, that became obvious as she got her priorities straight. Something she had to do, not for Nyala, or for Vicky, or for the Lancers, but just for herself. For her own honor, and for everybody who lived in the world of sunlight. The next time she saw Quinn, she had to kill him. Rashel moved along the deserted street, keeping to the shadows, moving silently. Not easy when the ground was wet and strewn with broken glass. There were no sidewalks, no grass, no plant life of any kind except the dead weeds in the abandoned lots. Just soggy trash and shattered bottles. A grim place. It fit Rashel's mood as she made her way stealthily toward the abandoned project building where Vicky had brought them Tuesday night. From its front door, she surveyed the rest of the street. Lots of warehouses. Several of them were protected with high chain-link fences topped with barbed wire. All of them had barred windows-or no windows-and metal freight doors. The security precautions didn't bother Rashel. She knew how to cut chain-link and pick locks. What bothered her was that she didn't know where to start. The Night People could be using any of the warehouses. Even knowing where Steve and Vicky had fought Quinn didn't help, because he had jumped them. He'd obviously seen them lying in ambush and deliberately gone after them. Which meant his real destination could have been any of the buildings on this street-or none of them. All right. Patience was indicated here. She'd just have to start at one end . . Rashel lost her thought and leaped back into the shadows before she consciously realized why she was doing it. Her ears had picked up a sound-a low rumbling coming from somewhere across the street. She flattened herself against the brick wall behind her, then kept her body absolutely immobile. Her eyes darted from building to building and she held her breath to hear better. There. It was coming from inside that warehouse, the one down at the far end of the street. And she could identify it now-the sound of an engine. As she watched, the freight door in the front of the warehouse went sliding up. Headlights pierced the night from behind it. A truck was pulling out onto the street. Not a very big truck. A U-Haul. It cleared the doors and stopped. A figure was pulling the sliding metal door down. Now it was making its way to the cab of the U-Haul, climbing in. Rashel strained her eyes, trying to make out any signs of vampirism in the figure's movements. She thought she could detect a certain telltale fluidity to the walk, but it was too far away to be sure. And there was nothing else to give her a clue about what was going on. It could be a human, she thought. Some warehouse owner going home after a night of balancing books. But her instinct told her differently. The hair at the back of her neck was standing on end. And then, as the truck began to cruise off, something happened that settled her doubts and sent her flying down the street. The back doors of the U-Haul opened just a bit, and a girl fell out. She was slender, and a streetlight caught her blond hair. She landed on the rubble-strewn road and lay there for an instant as if dazed. Then she jumped up, looked around wildly, and started running in Rashel's direction.

Haroon Siddiqui

The pages human history daubed in bloodshed of violence in the name of religion, territorial gains etc. are asking the crying question. How to make this Planet Earth heaven-like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love and the life that refuses conflicts—enough! These alone are enough! In the recorded history of humanity in the last five thousand years, politicians, kings, military generals, religious leaders have miserably failed to solve the important question of achieving peace for mankind. Most of them have acted like proverbial Tom.The teacher asked, â€Å"Tom, why are you answering every question with another question? † â€Å"Why not? † was Tom’s reply—again a question! If the purpose of the book is to tender some facts related to the Muslim population of the world in the light of the post 9/11 calamity, it has achieved some success. In terms of contribution to cementing understanding between other comm unities and the Muslims, it has failed. On issues related to Faith, arguments and counter-arguments have not solved and will never solve the differences. The root cause of deep misunderstanding lies elsewhere.Haroon begins the book with a complaint. He writes, â€Å"The approximately 27 million Muslims living in Western Nations have been targeted in other ways. They have been victims of social profiling and frequent identity mix-ups at air-ports and border crossing, where they may be harassed and sometimes detained. Monitored by both the secret services, and the media, they must be careful about what they say in e-mails, phone conversations in public. †(Siddiqui, 2006, p, 11) This complaint doesn’t carry much weight. These are normal procedures in cases of emergency, in war-like situations, and even during normal times.The 9/11 attack was an extraordinary, war-like act. There is no doubt, the perpetrators of this dastardly act are Muslims—to which terrorist outf it they belonged, is altogether a different issue. In such situations this has happened with all the communities in the world and any student of history can quote examples in abundance in support. Statistics convenient to his view point are presented by Haroon and his language is grudging and full of malice. His opinions are sometimes comparable to that of a fanatic Muslim Preacher sermonizing during the Friday prayers at the mosque but Haroon is talented and educated.The first 2 chapters contain anti-American and anti-Jew propaganda. It is pure political stuff, no literature. Haroon should have no complaints about his childhood. (Most of the Muslim children have). He hailed from an affluent family. He was born in Hyderabad, India, where Muslims very well know the meaning of living in peace and brotherhood. He enjoyed the career in journalism, in an environment of totally free press in a democratic country. He migrated to Canada in 1967, and the authentic start to his international journalistic career began when he joined the Toronto Star, as the foreign affairs analyst.Soon, he was one of Canada’s most honored journalists. He is a human rights specialist, has covered important events like hostage crisis in Iran, Iran-Iraq War, and has traveled to 35 countries. He has interviewed top political leaders of the world. To draw the readers to his point of view, Haroon provides in the book the listing of historical events that angered Muslims and continue to anger them. He reminds the readers that Muslims are 1/5th of the population of the world. He harps on the demerits of the Iraq War, and the psychological and physical tortures of Muslims in USA.To substantiate his claims, he cites serious cases of individual injustice. He writes, â€Å" The administration also fingerprinted and questioned 50,000 Muslims from or associated with Syria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Sudan†¦Among those arrested was James Lee, a 1990 West Point Military Academy graduate and a Mu slim who was appointed the Muslim Chaplin at Gyantanama Bay. He was hounded because he had warned against mishandling of Muslim prisoners there. In September 2003, he was thrown into solitary confinement and charged with mutiny, sedition, espionage and aiding the enemy. † (Siddiqui, 2006, p. 16)From the academic perspective, this is a good book for the debate class, as it has the potentialities for endless and hot discussions. The contents of the book, like Politics, European Muslims, The Faith, Women, Jihad and terrorism, and the Future provide an array of topics for arguments and counter-arguments. To be fair to Haroon, he condemns with equal vehemence the Islamic fundamentalists, for fanning flames of Islamophobia. He defends the tenets of Islam—and that is what is expected of a good Muslim. He blames the local cultural traditions for the poor conditions and backwardness of the Muslim women, not the Islamic teachings.He advocates for rapid economic reformations of th e Muslims and advocates their rehabilitation, the need to protect their essential dignity and honor. He pleads to go into the root causes of Muslim-misery. He describes with objectivity and depth, what it is to live in post 9/11 America if one is a Muslim. Haroon’s interpretation and comments on Jihad will startle any Realized Soul. Such is his deep understanding of the Jihad concept. Jihad is a struggle, a crusade, he says. From the pure perspective of Muslim religion, it is to strive on the path of God by observing the five essentials of Islam.It is striving to live as a good human being. Haroon talks about the jihad against oneself, ipso facto, the Self-Realization mentioned in the Hindu Scriptures. Jihad is understood in terms of war by most of the Westerners. The common Muslim also understands the concept of Jihad as per this connotation. Actually it is something different says, Haroon. According to him, the jihad is the struggle against the ego, the devil, the jihad of the tongue (propagating the religious tenets of Islam) to spread the word of Islam, of charity, of the pen to spread of knowledge. Viewed from this angle, Jihad seems to be the most benevolent word.When the Westerner thinks about the word jihad, he mostly thinks about as the blood-dripping sword for the cause of spreading Islam and for the destruction of other faiths. But Haroon convinces one that it is the fragrant rose spreading peace on all counts. So bi it! But Muslims as well as non-Muslims need proper counseling about the correct connotation of the word Jihad in the light of explanations given by Haroon. So, Jihad against cleanliness, Jihad for literacy, Jihad against corruption, Jihad against drugs, Jihad against atrocities against women, Jihad against child-labor—why not!Muslims praying five times a day seems an unnecessary exercise for many. But the actual significance of namaz is highlighted by Haroon thus: â€Å"Prayers are designed to raise God-consciousness five times a day, throughout one’s life. Prayers also provide regular exercise – like yoga or Tai Chi or Qigong built into the day – and serve as a calming retreat from the daily demands of life. Muslims thus learn to balance deeni wa dunyavi (the spiritual and the worldly). They can’t abandon one for the other; that’s the essence of their faith. †(Siddiqui, 2006, p. 121) Conclusion:Haroon Siddiqui is a mind-level intellectual and any literary work by such individuals stop at the mind-barrier. But the Truth they are desperately trying to reach is available not for knowing, but for experiencing once one transcends the mind. All the fights, misunderstandings between the Politicians, Preachers of different faiths, Scholars are related to the level of reason. The thought processes of an individual change not by the repetition of scriptural revelations, not by reading or studying more and more books. Experiencing is the ultimate spirituality.It is the lesson beyond all lessons, when the thought processes of an individual change. When the thought processes change, the action process will also change. Misunderstanding of all types will vanish. Such changed action processes will change the society whether it is the Muslim society or the Western Society. Haroon, on many issues elucidated in the book, knocks desperately at the last barrier of the mind, but he is unable to cross it. ============= Works Cited: Siddiqui, Haroon: Book: Being Muslim Hardcover: 144 pages Publisher: Groundwood Books (Aug 17 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 088899785X ISBN-13: 978-0888997852