Electoral College System Essay Example for Free

Electoral College System Essay The Electoral College system is a part of the United States Constitution. It has been present since the creation of the nation. There has never been a United States presidential election not determined by the Electoral College system (Kuroda 127). In the first presidential election of 1789 George Washington was awarded 69 electoral votes to win his first term as the first president of the fledgling nation. The idea of eliminating what is seen as an archaic and unwieldy form of election has been considered for years, but what most politicians have found is that it is never easy to amend the United States Constitution, particularly in favor of an unknown. People believe they have a system, that while cumbersome and antiquated, still functions as the founding fathers intended it to do. With some of the founding fathers of the opinion that the average citizen was not well enough informed to make a logical or wise decision as to who should succeed to the highest office in the land, it was thought to be imminently better for a Congress to elect the president. When that idea was defeated, the proponents settled for having a group of unbound electors be sent to the capital each four years, and there decide for the people. Writing in the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton said: It was desirable that the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the person to whom so important a trust was to be confided. This end will be answered by committing the right of making it, not to any pre-established body, but to men chosen by the people for the special purpose, and at the particular conjuncture. (par. 2) And still today, while the electors are faithful to the point that an unfaithful elector is an aberration, the fact remains that electors have options and can, if they wish, simply deny the will of the people (Archives. gov 1). Besides the fact that the nation has had presidential winners who did not win a majority of the popular vote, which in essence denies the will of the people, this system is maintained (Abbott and Levine 21). There is a need for, at the very least, a major over-haul of the system, and possibly a totally new approach, allowing for the direct election of the president by the popular vote of the American people. The arguments in favor of the Electoral College are specious today, particularly in regard to the people being informed enough to make a decision, and for that reason, as well as numerous others, the Electoral College should be discarded in favor of a system which better expresses the will of We the People. The present system has its advocates, and they make some good points in favor of not scraping the Electoral College. They rightly point out that such an act would not only be difficult, requiring a Constitutional amendment, necessitating a two-thirds majority of both house of Congress to agree, but also three-fourths of all the states would also have to acquiesce on the matter. They point out that in the past there have only been 27 amendments to this blueprint of government so well written by the nation’s founders. They also point out that some amendments have proven to be national disasters, such as Amendment 18. This system, they argue, has served the nation for over near 220 years and it simply is not wise to exchange a system which works for an unknown, which could result in chaos or even massive civil disturbance. It offers, they argue, both parity and equity to the smaller states, which would have virtually no voice in a direct election system. Then comes the question of what system would be better. There are several ideas being floated occasionally as trial balloons. The Congressional District method has been proposed. It comes with its own problems, however, and fails to address some of the more troubling aspects of the Electoral College system. This system proposes that each Congressional District be given one vote and allotting the two Senatorial votes as a bonus for the winner of the statewide popular vote. Maine and Nebraska currently use this method. First, this system does not correct one of the perceived flaws of the current system, which is the extraordinarily disproportionate weight given the vote of citizens of less populous states. Under the present system Wyoming is given one electoral vote per 165,000 citizens, while Texas is given one electoral vote per 652,000 citizens. This makes the vote of a Wyoming citizen worth four times that of a Texas citizen. Secondly the Congressional District proposal does not take into account the self-serving gerrymandering which tends to carve up American votes as if in a feudal system, making incumbents virtually bullet-proof, so to speak, and guaranteeing a vote for the party in power when the district was drawn. Frequently Joe Six-pack will grumble and insist that the election should be decided in a winner-take-all popular vote. This system, usually put forth as a â€Å"Direct Vote with Plurality Rule† has its good points and its bad. It harkens back to the days of the Greek city-states, when the citizens of Athens would all gather to directly vote for their candidate. Under this system the Electoral College would be eliminated, which would require the above-mentioned amendment to the United States Constitution, which could take years to effect. Simplistically, this system would award the presidency to the candidate with the most popular votes, irrespective of whether he or she garners a majority. This system would not prevent the spoiler-effect from occurring when third-party candidates dilute the vote of one major party candidate, allowing the other to move ahead in the popular vote. And, in theory, a wide field of candidates could dilute the vote to such an extent that a winner could be declared although only winning a small plurality, should the field be large enough. With this concern, and the necessity to amend the Constitution, there are surely better alternatives.

Discuss Whether Franklin Roosevelts New Deal Was Successful History Essay

Discuss Whether Franklin Roosevelts New Deal Was Successful History Essay The following investigation will discuss whether Franklin Roosevelts New Deal was a success and whether it was the primary reason that the United States recovered from the Great Depression. This will talk in depth about the key ideas and goals of Roosevelts New Deal. It will describe some of the programs administered during the Roosevelt administration and evaluate their successes and failures. From there, an evaluation of various opinions through different sources from books and internet websites will be used in order to draw a final conclusion over this investigation. At the very depth of depression, a new president and a new administration came to power. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tackled the job of recovery and realized that drastic measures had to be used to bring the faltering economy back to something approaching normal. These measures would create permanent and basic changes in the traditional relationship between government and the economy.  [1]   The most significant of the programs made during the depression was the ambitious attempt to fashion and engineer the passage of legislation that would substitute industrial economy and at the same time institute a federal public works program that would repair and improve the nations existing physical infrastructure, create thousands of long term jobs, stimulate local economies, develop hydropower and irrigation projects to enhance growth and economic health of entire regions, and generate general industrial recovery by creating markets for iron, steel, concrete, and other products.  [2]   This program was called the National Industrial Recovery Act. Congress established the National Recovery Administration (NRA) to help revive industry and labor through rational planning. The idea behind the NRA was simple: representatives of business, labor, and government would establish codes of fair practices that would set prices, production levels, minimum wages, and maximum hours within each industry.  [3]   By the end of the NRAs first year, more than 550 codes had been developed and many businesses had signed up, but the success was illusory. Jealousies, disagreements, and plain recalcitrance on the part of many industries and businesses made the code system virtually unworkable. Moreover, the economy did not recover noticeably because unemployment was still high. The National Recovery Administration ultimately would be dismantled, but even in its failure, it had established a new relationship between governments and business and government and labor.2 Another program, called the Public Works Administration spent over $6 billion, but did not succeed in returning the level of industrial activity to pre-depression levels. Nor did it significantly reduce the unemployment level or help jump-start a widespread creation of small businesses. FDR, personally opposed to deficit spending, refused the spend the sums necessary to accomplish these goals. Nonetheless, the historical legacy of the PWA is perhaps as important as its practical accomplishments at the time. It provided the federal government with its first systematic network for the distribution of funds to localities, ensured that conservation would remain an element in the national discussion, and provided federal administrators with a broad amount of badly needed experience in public policy planning.  [4]   Roosevelts administration, however, had no master plan. It confronted a crisis and was determined to do something about it. Most of the New Deal programs were improvisional in character. Many were frank experiments that revealed serious flaws and contradictions. Points of strength and weaknesses in the New Deal programs, their success or failure, grew clearer as time passed. The New Deal, though it did much to alleviate some of the more desperate effects of the collapse, was not bringing recovery. Relief programs prevented starvation and helped many of the nations poor and unemployed survive, and the huge public works projects helped to reduce unemployment, but recovery eluded the nation.1  [5]   Under the New Deal, the capital replaced Wall Street and government had become the largest enterprise in the country.1 Despite all of the New Deal programs and legislation complete recovery continued to elude that nations leaders. Although definite progress had been made, it was painfully slow. The New Deal was not the decisive factor in bringing an end to the depression. Certainly the New Deal had alleviated some of the worst suffering of the depression. Jobs were provided for millions, and relief programs aided millions more.1 Part C: Evaluation of Sources: After the Crash: America in the Great Depression was written by John Rublowsky who is the author of several other books. This book mainly deals with topics after the stock market crash and later discuss in the last few chapters about the New Deal and the countrys recovery. The books value is that it clearly depicts American life after the depression had hit, and gives a thorough evaluation of the after events of the crash and of the New Deal. Its limitation is that it does not thoroughly discuss the events that led up to the depression, but only briefly mentions it the Prelude of the book. The next book being used for this assessment is the Great Depression: America in the 1930s. T.H Watkins wrote this book in the 1960s. The value of this book is that it offers a political, economic, and cultural account of the Great Depression. It discusses thoroughly of the many federal reforms during this time. Another value of this book is that it is a very reliable source. The author who wrote it has won several achievements for his writing. A limitation would be that although it covers many topics, it might not describe each topic with equal thoroughness. Part D: Analysis: Many argue whether or not the New Deal was fully successful in its goals. Although the various programs made during this time did prevent many from starving and did aid the people, they were still unable to get America fully out of the Depression. By 1937, a deep recession struck America, even with the many aid programs set by the Roosevelt administration. By 1939, there were still 8 million Americans without jobs. It was not until about 1941, that unemployment had ended, which many people believe to be the effect of the war rather than the New Deal. When Roosevelt became president in 1932, he knew that drastic measures needed to be taken in order for America to prosper again. The historic First 100 Days brought with it many new programs and legislations that were being passed by congress. The goal for these waves of programs was primarily relief. The relief programs were successful in preventing more starvation and aiding the unemployed, but it was not enough to fully stop the effects of the Depression. A reason for this could be that most of the programs administered during this time were for the most part experiments that had many flaws. The agricultural program, for example, was based on an economics of scarcity in which artificially created shortages brought about through drastic cuts in production would be used to raise prices of agricultural products.1  [6]  This was considered an ironic program because many people could not even afford food and raising the prices would only hinder the people. Other programs such as the NRA began successfully, but never fully succeeded and ended. The legacy that the NRA left was that it helped establish the relationship between government and business/labor. However, the NRA failed like many other programs to drastically change the American economy as businesses continually disagreed with each other and were determined to run their companies as they pleased. Perhaps some of the more successful programs were the Civil Works Administration and the Public Works Administration. Although the C.W.A ended in 1943, it established the idea that any type of work was better than immediate relief money given by the F.E.R.A. During this time, the people were embarrassed to be given relief money without having worked for it and this often caused resentment and bitterness to some of the programs created during this time. The C.W.A allowed people to work for their money, even though some of the work may have been insignificant. The C.W.A set the model for other relief programs such as the W.P.A who helped employ people of any occupation. Another relief effort was the P.W.A, which took a different approach than the other programs. The P.W.A was designed to stimulate industry through public works projects that would require huge quantities of material.1  [7]  The P.W.A provided many jobs to the unemployed, but also helped better the country by building hospitals, sewage systems, water supply works, schools etc. During the six effective years of its life, P.W.A would finance a total of 34,508 projects at a cost of a little more than $6 billion, employing in any given year half a million workers or more.2  [8]   Although there were many successes in the programs made during this time, its main objectives such as stimulating the industry failed. Industrial production and employment did rise, but soon again they would fall. There was many opposition by the government interference, particularly from business and labor. Many claimed that government interference hurt business more than it helped them. They felt that the uncertainty of business was due to the businesses not knowing what action the government would take next. Others, such as labor, felt that the programs administered were not effective because there were still millions in the country unemployed by 1935. Despite the many oppositions to the New Deal, one thing is very clear. The New Deal although not fully successful in its goals brought with it change to the government. Government now assumed an increasingly important role in all aspects of the social and economic life of the nation.1  [9]  The New Deal brought change to the idea of taxation. Instead of being used as a way of finance, it was changed to distributing wealth equally among the people. The government had began to enforce laws and operation rules on banks and the stock market and had made large social changes such as the Social Security Act, that secured those who were too old to work effectively. Because of the New Deal, the government replaced Wall Street as the nerve center of the nation. Government had become the largest enterprise in the country.1 Part E- Conclusion: There are many opinions as to whether the New Deal was successful in ending the depression. Some believe that although the New Deal did give America various forms of relief, in the end it was shorter lived than long term. Many critics to the New Deal say that even though the New Deal was not the key factor in ending the depression, it forever changed the relationship between the people and the government and between government and business. Towards the late 1930s, America had made some progress towards relief, but it was brutally slow. In the end, it was Americas entrance into WWII that fully brought American businesses and the stock market back into action.

Joseph Stalin :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Son of a poverty-stricken shoemaker, raised in a backward province, Joseph Stalin had only a minimum of education. However, he had a burning faith in the destiny of social revolution and an iron determination to play a prominent role in it. His rise to power was bloody and bold, yet under his leadership, in an unexplainable twenty-nine years, Russia because a highly industrialized nation. Stalin was a despotic ruler who more than any other individual molded the features that characterized the Soviet regime and shaped the direction of Europe after World War II ended in 1945. From a young revolutionist to an absolute master of Soviet Russia, Joseph Stalin cast his shadow over the entire globe through his provocative affair in Domestic and Foreign policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stalin was â€Å"born in Gori, Georgia† as the third and only surviving child of a â€Å"cobbler and ex-serf†(Compton’s 403). His true name was Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili. â€Å"In 1912 he took the alias of ‘Stalin’, from the Russian word stal, meaning ‘steel†, hence his nickname â€Å"Man of Steel†(Compton’s 402). Stalin began his studies at the seminary as a devout believer in Orthodox Christianity, where he was soon exposed to the radical ideas of fellow students. In 1899, just about the time of graduation, he gave up his religious education and to devote his time to the revolutionary movement against the Russian monarchy. In 1902 Stalin was hunted down and arrested by the imperial police for organizing a large worker’s demonstration. A year later he was sentenced to â€Å"exile in the Russian region of Siberia, but soon managed to escape and was back in Georgia by early 1904†(Arc her 58). When the Russian Social Democratic Party split into Menshevik and Bolshevik factions, Stalin sided with the Bolsheviks, who just happened to be led by Vladimir Lenin. Stalin immediately became a staunch follower of Lenin, studying his every move. He did marry in 1905 but his beloved bride died of tuberculosis two years later. Their son, Yasha, died later in a Nazi Prison camp during World War II. After the Bolshevik’s Civil War victory, Stalin became highly organized and was elected secretary of the Communist Party. â€Å"After Lenin’s death, Stalin gradually isolated and shunned his political rivals, especially Leon Trotsky, and by the end of 1929 Joseph Stalin had succeeded in eliminating his opponents and became the supreme leader of the USSR† (Compton’s 404).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the late 1920’s, living in Lenin’s shadow, Stalin decided that the New Economic Policy would introduce the Five-Year Plan.

Police Operations

Department Organization Paper â€Å"What if the structure of police organizations is shaped by factors beyond easy human contrivance, such as the size and age of the force, the degree of stability in the political environment, the complexity of governmental regulation, the geographical dispersion of the population, or the nature of police work itself† (Maguire 2003)? In this paper I will describe in detail various types of police agencies at the local, state, and federal level and how each is organized, identify the principal roles and functions of police organizations and their role as it applies to the law, and also identify major organizational theories associated with policing. * There are many different types of police organizations that specifically deal with specific circumstances. On the other hand there are broad organizations that deal with a wider scope of jurisdiction and rules.I will just touch on the major organization within police work at the local, state, and federal levels. The first organization (city and county) are the first level of policing. Moreover, these agencies have municipal police, county police, and the county sheriffs. (Wikipedia 2010) â€Å"The Municipal police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. Their powers are delegated by legislation or directives by higher levels of government† (para. 3). They receive pay by local budgets and have fewer rights than that of state police.Municipal police are generally a part of law enforcement that acts more of a deterrent, only limited by the by the equipment that they carry. They can range from one officer agencies to our own Sacramento PD. The next police organization is state, which includes the state police and bureaus of criminal investigation. State police are controlled by the state supreme courts and are directed by state codes of criminal procedure that define what police must do and what they may not do. â€Å"The most importa nt role of state governments has been to require the licensing or certification of all sworn officers† (Walker and Katz 2008, para. 02). State police have state wide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and also criminal investigations. They perform functions outside the jurisdiction of the county sheriff. Some of their duties include, but are not limited to; enforcing traffic laws on state and interstate highways, protecting the governor, provide technological and scientific support services and help to coordinate with other jurisdictions in aiding serious cases. Another service is the highway patrol that patrols the highways for any infractions concerning traffic and safety.Other state police agencies such as the Bureaus of Investigation (State Detectives), Bureau of Narcotics (Drug Enforcement), Department of Public Safety (provide oversight and coordination over various state level police agencies), and also Marine Patrol (water police), are amongst state patrol s. All these agencies have state wide jurisdiction governed by the state supreme courts rule. The last level police organization is the federal government. (Walker and Katz 2008) states, â€Å"The role of each federal agency is specified by federal statute. In important respects, federal agencies have far less complex role than that of municipal agencies.Federal agents do not have the ambiguous and difficult order maintenance responsibilities, do not maintain 911 emergency telephone services, and are not asked to handle vague disturbance calls† (para. 61). â€Å"Federal Law Enforcement Officers are authorized to enforce various laws not only at the federal level, but also state, county, and local in many circumstances† (Wikipedia 2010). There are numerous federal agencies such as, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, or Department of Energy to just name a few.All federal agencies are limited by the U. S. Code, but because of the USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001), federal power has broadened in scope. As (Grant and Terry 2008) state, â€Å"researchers have found four main theories or explanations. The first Psychological theories, argue that core attitudes are formed before the individual enters the police force and are a function of such things as family background, social status, and prior education.Next, Educational theories, state that core attitudes are acquired during police training and early years on the street and are passed on to recruits by older, more experienced police officers. Also, Sociological theories, state that police attitudes are shaped by the daily demands of police work and reflect the â€Å"working culture† of policing. Lastly, Organizational theories, argues that police attitudes and values are shaped by the organizational and working culture of policing and the demands pla ced upon officers by their police colleagues† (p. 223). Whether officers exhibit similar personality traits and the extent to which hese are caused by predisposing factors or a socialization into the police culture is the subject of many diverse explanations: psychological, educational, sociological, and organizational. ‘The influence of historical factors on officer perceptions of suspiciousness must also be considered in discussing the origins of police culture. Police are in many ways a reflection of the larger societal force in which they are embedded† (Grant and Terry 2008, p. 235).References * Grant, B. & Terry, J. (2008). â€Å"Law Enforcement in the 21st Century, (2th)† Retrieved from: https://ecampus. phoenix. du/content/eBookLibrary2/content/DownloadList. aspx? assetMetaId=08c377a1-ea3a-4b46-be5d-363667e36f97&assetDataId=86388622-06ef-4ecb-a9bb-bd30d479b2a2 Maguire, E. (2003). â€Å"Organizational Structure in American Police Agencies† Retrieved from: http://books. google. com/books? id=nJtIrM_rtbsC&dq=police+departments+organization&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=UITlTO-XEIf0swPBlMCxCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&sqi=2&ved=0CGQQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=police%20departments%20organization&f=false Wikipedia, (2010) Retrieved from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Police * *

Things Fall Apart and Distinctive World

The distinctive world in which the character abides by creates the distinctive voice. Each character is portrayed by their voice and actions. The characteristic of the distinctive world in which he or she inhabits shapes the character. Good_______ Mr turner and fellow students; I have chosen the text â€Å"Things fall apart† by Chinua Achebe to relate to our class text â€Å"The life and crimes of Harry Lavender† by Marele Day. By doing so, I will convey through my perception, the various types and functions of a distinctive voice and how language affects interpretation and shapes the meaning of both the distinctive voice and world.In our class text â€Å"The life and crimes of Harry Lavender† Claudia Valentine, is a private detective of the 1960’s who symbolises women liberation. The deceiving facade of Sydney which she lives in portrays the values of corruption, addiction and crime. This distinctive world created depicts the distinctive voices of Claudia and Harry Lavender, the antagonist of this novel. While describing Harry’s power, domination and concealment over Sydney. Claudia decodes the mysteries and understands more about herself and the distinctive world she resides in.There are two distinctive voices, Claudia Valentine and Harry Lavender. Claudia valentine is shaped to be a strong character, who is not inhibited by traditions. Her independent nature and â€Å"hard bitten† experiences make her more observant and resourceful. However as we keep reading; we understand her insecurities and the subtle heart all women have. Harry Lavender the antagonist of this novel is a man of strong power who is metaphorically illustrated to be the heart, the veins, and the blood of Sydney. He is a man of corruption and crime, and a symbol of the calamitous facade of Sydney.Both voices are created by the world of Sydney or how the author has quoted â€Å"the sewage of Sydney†. Similarly, in the novel â€Å"Things fall a part† by Chinua Achebe; a world is created with the recurring theme beliefs and customs portrayed through contrasts between the Pagan and African cultures. The novel is about an African tribe’s man’s life set in the early 19th century around the time of colonisation in Nigeria. Since childhood he has embarked on a journey to become a successful man in his tribe as he had not been from a respected family by decent.The many differences clash when cultural imperialism takes place and Christianity is imposed. His arrogance and cultural disposition makes him want to take revenge but ends up in a situation of despair, ending his life in shame and misery. The distinctive voice of this novel is the character Okonkwo, the society he lives in reins his thoughts and actions. In an African tribe a man was considered successful by the masculinity, strength, brutality, polygamy; numerous numbers of wives, vengeance is justice and the suppression of â€Å"feminine† emoti ons such as compassion and love.Quoted in the text, â€Å"As a young man of eighteen he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the cat† by describing Okonkwo’s victory against Amalinze, the author illustrates that honour and fame is only valued through strength. From both the novels there may be a contrast of values, setting and beliefs however both use techniques to convey the world which characterises each distinctive voice. Marele Day distinguishes the voices in â€Å"The life and Crimes of Harry Lavender†. Claudia’s thoughts are in first person and her conversations are expressed in colloquial language, this engages the reader to become more personal with Claudia.However Harry’s voice is portrayed in a formal way, making the character more distant from the reader, expressing less commiseration. To express themes of the distinctive world, Marele uses truncated sentences. â€Å"Close by the bed was a bottle of Jack Daniels: empty . And an ash tray: full. †This quote conveys the addiction present in the distinctive world and Claudia. To express this on a whole the author uses the technique of subvert convention. At the beginning she has awaken next to a blonde which we believe to be a women.Her sardonic humour also indicate the stereotypical male role of a private eye, however we soon realise that she is a women, giving a new perception to the distinctive world created as being sexually liberated. Harry Lavender is portrayed to be the world himself. Through the use of imagery Marele Day characterises Harry Lavender to be the god of the deceiving facade of Sydney. â€Å"Up there is a postcard view of Sydney† this quote describes Sydney to be at his fingertips. The world Marele creates is a world of corruption, addiction, murder and mystery all of which is present in Harry’s character.Likewise in the novel â€Å"Things fall apart†, Culture is the distinctive world created. Okonkwo, st rongly believes in his culture where importance is based on masculinity, strength, and revenge in disparity to the pagan culture where importance is given to profession, wealth and the law of justice. This contrast is a technique which the author uses to express both the distinctive worlds. Simple folk tales are used to express the culture further, giving us a more indepth explanation of Okonkwo’s distinctive world and character. Another technique which the author uses to portray the world is the detailed description of everyday life.An example is the way the author describes the preparation of Okonkwo’s food by his three wives. Overall techniques are strongly used to allow the reader to analyse the distinctive world and voice. Both texts â€Å"the life and crimes of Harry Lavender† and â€Å"things fall apart† demonstrate various types of distinctive voices which use language to shape the meaning of both the distinctive voice and world. Now we learn that distinctive voices not only serve the purpose of communication but create and represent the distinctive world itself.

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 32

Chapter 32 All for One, and†¦ Well, You Know They might have been the Magnificent Seven or the Seven Samurai. If each of them had been a trained professional, a gunfighter with a character flaw, or a broken warrior with a past – or if each had a secret reason for joining a suicide mission, an antihero's sense of justice, and a burning desire to put things right – they might have become an elite fighting unit whose resourcefulness and courage would lead them to victory over those who would oppose or oppress. But the fact was, they were a disorganized bunch of perpetual adolescents, untrained and unprepared for anything but throwing stock and having fun: the Animals. They sat on the registers as Tommy paced before them telling them about the vampire, about Simon's death, and giving them the call to action while the Emperor stood by quoting passages from Henry the Fifth's speech at the Battle of Agincourt. â€Å"The cops aren't going to believe it, and I can't do it alone,† Tommy said. The Emperor said, â€Å"‘We few, we lucky few†¦ â€Å" â€Å"So who's with me?† The Animals didn't say a word. â€Å"Barry,† Tommy said, â€Å"you're a scuba diver. You've got some balls, right? Sure, you're balding and going to fat, but this is a chance to make a difference.† Barry looked at this shoes. Tommy jumped to Drew, who hung his head so that his greasy blond hair covered his face. â€Å"Drew, you have the most complete knowledge of chemistry of anyone I've ever met. It's time to use it.† â€Å"We've got a truck to unload,† Drew said. Tommy moved to Clint; stared into his thick glasses, ruffled his curly black hair. â€Å"Clint, God wants you to do this. This vampire is evil incarnate. Sure, you're a little burned out, but you can still strike a blow for righteousness.† â€Å"Blessed are the meek,† said Clint. â€Å"Jeff!† Tommy said. The big jock looked up, as if the key to the universe lay in the fluorescent lights. â€Å"Jeff, you're big, you're dumb, your knee is blown out, but hey, man, you look good. We might be able to use that.† Jeff began whistling. Tommy moved on. â€Å"Lash, your people have been oppressed for hundreds of years. It's time to strike back. Look, you don't have your MBA yet – they haven't completely juiced you of your usefulness yet. Would Martin Luther King back down from this challenge? Malcolm X? James Brown? Don't you have a dream? Don't you feel good, like you knew that you would, now?† Lash shook his head. â€Å"I have to study in the morning, man.† â€Å"Troy Lee? Samurai tradition? You're the only trained fighter here.† â€Å"I'm Chinese, not Japanese.† â€Å"Whatever. You're a kung-fu guy. You can reach into a guy's pocket and take his wallet before he knows it's gone. No one has reflexes like you.† â€Å"Okay,† Troy said. Tommy stopped on his way to the next man. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Sure, I'll help you. Simon was a good friend.† â€Å"Wow,† Tommy said. He looked to Gustavo. â€Å"Well?† Gustavo shook his head. â€Å"Viva Zapata!† Tommy said. â€Å"Leave him alone,† Troy Lee said. â€Å"He's got a family.† â€Å"You're right,† Tommy said. â€Å"Sorry, Gustavo.† Troy Lee got up and stood in front of the other Animals. â€Å"But you fuckers. You worthless bags of dog meat. If Simon could see you he'd shoot every one of you. This could be the best party we ever had.† Drew looked up. â€Å"Party?† â€Å"Yeah,† Troy Lee said, â€Å"party. We drink some brews, kick some ass, dismember some monsters – maybe pick up some babes. Christ, Drew, who knows what kind of shit we could get into. And you're going to miss it.† â€Å"I'm in,† said Drew. â€Å"Me too,† said Barry. Troy looked at Jeff and Clint. â€Å"Well?† They nodded. â€Å"Lash, you in?† â€Å"Okay,† Lash said without conviction. â€Å"Okay,† Tommy said. â€Å"Let's throw the truck. We can't start until morning anyway. We'll figure out a plan and get some weapons then.† Troy Lee held up a finger. â€Å"One thing. How do we find the vampire?† Tommy said, â€Å"Okay, let's get to work.† Morning found the Animals in the Safeway parking lot, drinking beer and discussing the strategy for finding and disposing of a monster. â€Å"So, as far as you know, drugs don't affect them?† Drew asked. â€Å"I don't think so,† Tommy said. â€Å"Well, no wonder he's pissed off,† Drew said. â€Å"What about guns?† Jeff asked. â€Å"I've got Simon's shotgun at my house.† Tommy thought for a moment before answering. â€Å"They can be hurt; I mean, damaged. But Jody heals incredibly fast – this guy might even be faster. Still, I'd rather have a twelve-gauge against him than nothing.† Barry said, â€Å"A stake through the heart always works in the movies.† Tommy nodded. â€Å"It might work. We could try it. If we get that far, we can cut him up, too.† â€Å"Spearguns,† Barry said. â€Å"I've got three of them. A CO2 model and two that use elastics. They won't shoot far, but they might pin him down while we cut him up.† â€Å"I've got a couple of short fighting swords,† Troy Lee interjected. â€Å"Razor sharp.† â€Å"Good,† Tommy said. â€Å"Bring 'em.† â€Å"I'll bring the Word,† Glint said. He'd been shouting â€Å"Get thee behind me, Satan,† all night, putting the Animals on edge. â€Å"Why don't you just go home and pray,† Lash said, giving Glint a push. â€Å"We need some action here.† He turned from Glint and addressed the group. â€Å"Look, guys, spearguns and swords are great, but how do we find this guy? The cops have been looking for him for three months, and they obviously haven't had any luck. If he's really after Tommy, then the best thing we can do is ambush him at Tommy's apartment. And I'm not sure I want to face him when he's awake. Simon was my friend too, but he was also one of the quickest people I ever met and the vampire took him out like he was a baby. And the paper said that he was armed. I don't know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's right,† Drew said. â€Å"We're fucked. Anyone want to catch the ferry to Sausalito and terrorize some yuppie artists? I've got mushrooms.† â€Å"Shrooms! Shrooms! Shrooms!† the Animals chanted. Suddenly there was a staccato clanging, like someone banging on a garbage-can lid with a stick, which is pretty much what it was. The Emperor, who had been silent all night, stepped into the circle. â€Å"Before your spines go to jelly, men, take heart. I've been thinking.† â€Å"Oh, no!† someone shouted. â€Å"I think I have a way to find the fiend and dispose of him before sundown.† â€Å"Right,† Drew said sarcastically. â€Å"How?† The Emperor picked up Bummer and held out the little dog as if he were displaying the Holy Grail. â€Å"Pound for pound, a better soldier never marched, and a better tracker never sniffed out a sewer rat. I've been so stupid.† â€Å"Beg your pardon, Your Majesty,† Tommy said. â€Å"But what the fuck are you talking about?† â€Å"Until last night I didn't know that the lovely young woman with whom you share your abode was a vampire. Yet every time we passed your building Bummer went into a frenzy. He's been the same each time we've encountered the fiend himself. I believe he has a special sensitivity for the smell of vampires.† They all stared at him, waiting. â€Å"Gather your courage and your weapons, good fellows. We'll meet here in two hours and remove this evil from my city. And a little dog shall lead us.† The Animals looked at Tommy, who shrugged and nodded. They had a new leader now. â€Å"Two hours, guys,† Tommy said. â€Å"The Emperor's in charge.† Cavuto watched the Animals disperse though his field glasses. He was sitting in the parking lot at Fort Mason, a hundred yards from the Safeway. He put down the binoculars and dialed Rivera's number on his cellular phone. â€Å"Rivera.† â€Å"Anything happening there?† Cavuto asked. â€Å"No, I don't think that anything will now that it's daylight. The lights stayed off after the kid left, but I could hear a vacuum cleaner running. The girl's up there but she didn't turn on the light.† â€Å"So she likes to clean in the dark.† â€Å"I think she can see in the dark.† â€Å"I don't want to talk about it,† Cavuto said. â€Å"Anything else?† â€Å"Not much. Some kids were dropping pebbles on me from the roof. The guys in the foundry below the kid's apartment are moving around now. A couple of bums are doing some close-order public urinating in the alley. What's happening there?† â€Å"The kid worked all night, drank some beers with the crew; they just split up but the kid and the wacko are still here.† â€Å"Why don't you call in some relief?† â€Å"I don't want this out of our hands until we know more. Stay by the phone.† â€Å"Anything from the coroner?† â€Å"Yeah, just got off the phone with him. Massive blood loss from the guy in the truck. None from the guy in the morgue. Heart attack. They still haven't found the girl's body.† â€Å"That's because she was cleaning house all night.† â€Å"Gotta go,† Cavuto said. Tommy and the Emperor were waiting in the parking lot when the Animals returned in Troy Lee's Toyota and began unloading equipment. â€Å"Stop, stop, stop,† Tommy said. â€Å"We can't run all over the City with spearguns and swords.† â€Å"And shotguns,† Jeff said proudly, jacking a shell into the chamber of Simon's shotgun. â€Å"Put that back in the car.† â€Å"No problem,† Drew said, holding up a roll of Christmas wrap. â€Å"Dallas, November 22, 1963.† â€Å"What?† Tommy said. â€Å"Lee Harvey Oswald walks into the book depository with a Venetian blind. Minutes later Jackie's scooping brains off the trunk of a Lincoln. Anybody asks, we're all giving Venetian blinds to our moms for Christmas.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said. â€Å"Okay.† Clint climbed out of the Toyota wearing a choir robe, a half dozen crosses hung around his neck. He held a Baggie full of crackers in one hand, a squirt gun in the other. â€Å"I'm ready,† he said to Tommy and the Emperor. â€Å"Snacks,† Tommy said, nodding to the Baggie. â€Å"Good thinking.† â€Å"The Heavenly Host,† Clint said. He brandished the squirt gun. â€Å"Loaded with holy water.† â€Å"That stuff doesn't work, Clint.† â€Å"O ye of little faith,† Clint said. Bummer and Lazarus had left the Emperor's side and were nosing up to Clint. â€Å"See, they know the power of the Spirit.† Just then Bummer jumped and snatched the Baggie, then took off around the corner of the store, followed closely by Lazarus, Clint, and the Emperor. â€Å"Stop him,† Clint shouted at an old man coming out of the store. â€Å"He's taken the body of Christ.† â€Å"Don't hurt him,† the Emperor shouted. â€Å"He's the only hope for saving the City.† Tommy took off after them. As he passed the bewildered old man, Tommy said, â€Å"Last week they were playing cards with Elvis.What can I say?† The old man seemed to accept this and hurried off. Tommy caught up with them behind the store, where the Emperor was holding Bummer in one hand and fending off Clint with his wooden sword with the other, while Lazarus licked the last few crumbs out of the torn plastic bag. â€Å"He ate the blessed Savior!† Clint wailed. â€Å"He ate the blessed Savior!† Tommy caught Clint around the waist and pulled him away. â€Å"It's okay, Clint. Bummer's a Christian.† Jeff rounded the corner, his size-fourteen Reeboks clomping like a quarter horse. He looked at the empty Baggie. â€Å"Oh, I get it. They freeze-dried him, right?† Drew came around the corner, followed by Lash and Troy Lee. â€Å"Do we have a partying platoon, or what?† Drew said. Jeff said, â€Å"I never knew that they freeze-dried Jesus, did you?† Lash checked his watch. â€Å"We've got less than six hours before it gets dark. Maybe we should get started.† Tommy released Clint and the Emperor lowered his sword. â€Å"We need something to give Bummer the scent,† the Emperor said. â€Å"Something that the fiend has touched.† Tommy dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out one of the hundreds that Jody had given him. â€Å"I'm pretty sure that he touched this, but it's been a while.† The Emperor took the hundred and held it to Bummer's nose. â€Å"It shouldn't matter. His senses are keen and his heart is righteous.† To Bummer he said, â€Å"This is the scent, little one. Find this scent.† He put Bummer down and the little dog was off with a yap and a snort. The vampire hunters followed, losing sight of Bummer as he rounded the store. When they came around to the front of the store, the manager was coming out, holding a snarling Bummer in his arms. â€Å"Flood, is this your dog?† â€Å"He's his own man,† the Emperor said. â€Å"Well, he just ran in and blew snot all over the cash in register eight. You train him to find money?† The Emperor looked down to the hundred-dollar bill in his hand, then at Tommy. â€Å"Perhaps we should find something else to put him on the scent.† â€Å"Where was the last place you saw the vampire?† Tommy asked. The gate guard at the Saint Francis Yacht Club wasn't buying a word of it. â€Å"Really,† Tommy said. â€Å"We're here to decorate for the Christmas party.† The Animals waved their gaily wrapped weapons to illustrate the point. â€Å"And the Archbishop has come along to perform midnight mass.† Tommy pointed to Clint, who grinned and winked through his thick glasses. â€Å"Deus ex machina,† Clint said, exhausting his Latin. â€Å"Shalom,† he added for good measure. The guard tapped his clipboard. â€Å"I'm sorry, gentlemen, I can't let you through without a membership or a guest pass.† The Emperor cleared his throat royally. â€Å"Good man, each moment you delay may be paid for with human suffering.† The guard thought that he might have just been threatened, hoped, in fact, that he had, so he could pull his gun, and was just letting his hand drop to his gun belt when the phone in the gate booth rang. â€Å"Stay here,† he instructed the vampire hunters. He answered the phone and nodded at it, then looked across Marina Boulevard to where a brown Dodge was parked. He hung up the phone and came out of the booth. â€Å"Go on in,† he said, obviously not happy about it. He pushed a button, the gate rose, and the Animals went in, headed for the East Harbor. Two minutes later the brown Dodge pulled up and stopped by the gate. Cavuto rolled down the window and flashed his badge. â€Å"Thanks,† he said to the guard. â€Å"I'll keep an eye on them for you.† â€Å"No problem,† said the guard. â€Å"You ever get to shoot anyone?† â€Å"Not today.† Cavuto said. He drove though the gate, staying just out of sight of the Animals. At the end of the dock the Animals and the Emperor stared forlornly at the big white motor yacht moored a hundred yards out into the harbor. Bummer was in the midst of a yapping fit. â€Å"You see,† said the Emperor, â€Å"he knows that the fiend is aboard.† â€Å"You're sure that's the boat that he came off of?† â€Å"Most definitely. It chills my spine to think of it – the mist forming into a monster.† â€Å"That's great,† Tommy said, â€Å"but how do we get aboard?† He turned to Barry, who was applying sunscreen to his bald spot. â€Å"Can you swim it?† â€Å"We could all swim it,† Barry said. â€Å"But how do we keep the gun dry? I could go get my Zodiac and take us all out there, but it'll take a while.† â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Maybe an hour.† â€Å"We've got four, maybe five hours until sunset,† Lash said. â€Å"Go,† Tommy said. â€Å"Get it.† â€Å"No, wait,† said Drew, looking at the rows of yachts in the nearby slips. â€Å"Jeff, can you swim?† The big power forward shook his head. â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Good,† Drew said. He took the Christmas-paper-wrapped shotgun from Jeff, then grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the water. â€Å"Man overboard! Man overboard! We need a boat.† The few owners and crew members who were performing maintenance on the nearby boats looked up. Drew spotted a good-sized life raft on the stern of a sixty-footer. â€Å"There, you guys, get that.† The Animals scrambled after the raft. The yacht's crew helped them get it over the side into the water. Jeff, flailing in the water, had slapped his way back to the dock. Drew pushed him away with the shotgun. â€Å"Not yet, big guy.† Over his shoulder he shouted, â€Å"Hurry, you guys! He's drowning!† Tommy, Barry, and Lash were paddling the rubber raft for all they were worth. The yachtsmen and the Emperor shouted instructions, while Drew and Troy Lee watched their friend trying not to drown. â€Å"He's doing really well for a non-swimmer,† Drew said calmly. â€Å"Doesn't want to get his hair wet,† said Troy with Taoist simplicity. â€Å"Yeah, can't waste that two hours of blow-drying.† Tommy moved to the front of the raft and held his paddle out to Jeff. â€Å"Grab it.† Jeff flailed and thrashed, but didn't grab the paddle. â€Å"If he stops paddling his head will go under,† Troy called. â€Å"You'll have to grab him.† Tommy whacked Jeff on the head with the plastic paddle. â€Å"Grab it!† The power forward slipped under for a second and bobbed to the surface again. â€Å"That's one!† Drew called. â€Å"Now grab it,† Tommy yelled. He raised the paddle as if to strike again. Jeff shook his head violently and reached for the paddle as he went under again. â€Å"That's two!† Tommy pulled the paddle up with Jeff on the end while Barry and Lash wrestled the big man into the boat. â€Å"Well done, men,† the Emperor said. The yachtsmen stood at the end of the dock, watching in amazement. Drew turned to them. â€Å"We're going to need that raft for a while, okay?† One of the crewmen started to protest and Drew jacked a shell into the shotgun, ripping the wrapping paper. â€Å"Big shark hunt. We need the raft.† The crewman nodded and backed away. â€Å"Sure, as long as you need it.† â€Å"Okay,† Tommy called. â€Å"Everybody in the raft.† Drew and Troy Lee helped the Emperor get into the raft, then handed over Bummer and Lazarus and climbed in themselves. The Emperor stood at the front of the raft as they made their way across the harbor to the Sanguine II. Twenty yards from the yacht Bummer began barking and bouncing around the raft. â€Å"The fiend is definitely on board,† the Emperor said. He picked up Bummer and shoved him into his pocket. â€Å"Well done, little one.† It took five minutes to get everyone on board and the life raft secured to the stern. â€Å"How we doing on time, Lash?† Tommy asked. â€Å"We're looking at four, maybe four and a half hours of daylight. Will he wake up at sunset or dark?† â€Å"Jody usually wakes up right at sunset. So let's say four.† â€Å"Okay, everybody,† Tommy said, â€Å"let's spread out and find the vampire.† â€Å"I don't know if that's a good idea,† said Jeff. He was dripping and his lips had gone blue with the cold. The Animals looked at him. He was embarrassed by the attention. â€Å"Well, in all of the horror movies, the people split up and the monster picks them off one by one.† â€Å"Good point,† Tommy said. â€Å"Everybody stay together; find this fucker and get it over with.† He raised a gift-wrapped spear-gun in salute. â€Å"For Simon!† â€Å"For Simon!† the Animals shouted as they followed Tommy below.

Fresh Water Conflict in Middle East Essay - 660 Words

Water is a finite and limited resource in the Middle East of inestimable value. As such, competition for control of rivers, basins, and valleys with water flow is inevitable. Due to this, long-term peace between Israel and its neighbors, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon will be partially contingent on the allocation of freshwater. Israel has shown in the past that it will attempt to control and source water with its interest first rather than on the region as a whole. As such, any long-term peace is highly dependent on how Israel and its neighbors handle their limited water resources. Of the vast quantities of water on this planet, only about three percent is freshwater and thus suitable for human consumption. The largest portion of that is†¦show more content†¦However what is considered fair or respectful is vastly open to interpretation. The Israeli interpretation is Israel first; ensuring it has the water it needs to not only survive but grow economically. From the beginning, even before the foundation of the Jewish state, Zionists had plans on how best to use water from both the Jordan and Litani rivers. They expected a Transjordan state including both banks of the Jordan River along with land in modern-day Lebanon which includes the Litani River. These two rivers were central to plans of how to support the expected Jewish National Homeland. Once the borders were set in 1948 however, the east bank of the Jordan and the Litani River were in foreign countries and as such beyond reach. Further exacerbating this was the young nation of Transjordan which also relied heavily on the Jordan River for its water supply. Resentment over the newly formed Jewish state was strong in the Middle East especially after the mass removal and migration of Palestinians either fleeing or being forced out by operations such as Plan Dalet. 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Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness - 1120 Words

Joseph Conrad is the writer of the short story Heart of Darkness. He was born in Ukraine where he learned English. For over fifteen years he worked as a sailor and this lead him to become a writer. Conrad has influenced many with his works, relating the characteristics of distant places with the difficulty of human responses to crisis. Growing up he had to deal with his country being partitioned, his father was condemned for conspiracy. His family was put into exile in Russia, where his mother died from an illness. His father died from the same illness a few years later, forcing Conrad to be an orphan where he lived with his uncle. His uncle loved him greatly. Conrad grew up with a dream to work at sea, and his Uncle supported him financially. He wanted to go to sea to depart from the nation that his parents died for. He worked on British ships that allowed him to travel Far East and to India. In 1890 he made a very important voyage through the Congo River. He explored these lands wh ich brought up the topic of a dark continent. He was the pilot of a Belgium ship that he had to fix; his duty was to rescue a sick trader. Conrad experienced the inhuman conditions brought upon by slavery, which affected him physically and emotionally. He was against rulers having absolute power, opposed revolution and was not very convinced about social reform movements. There are many meanings that can be made with the title of the short story Heart of Darkness, whether it is the actual meaningShow MoreRelatedJoseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness957 Words   |  4 Pages Chinua Achebe’s controversial essay published in 1977 focuses on the racist views woven into Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness. Achebe claims that Conrad uses many western stereotypes of Africa and subtly weaves them below the surface of his writing. However, due to the popularity of the novella and the skill of Conrad, his racist views go undetected. 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